Chapter 98
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next day, I headed to the dungeon as “Koji” to replenish the magic power I had consumed over the past few days (mainly due to Ferris’s manipulation).
With the appearance of “Silver Orchid,” “Mose” decided to leave town after receiving the reward from the “Gem Snake” incident, so technically, I was still in town, but… it would draw attention, so I wouldn’t use it.
It seems that the fact that “Mose” was a “Fraud” has spread among witnesses, and as a result, more people seem to be looking for “Mose.”
Whether that attention is positive or negative, it seemed like it would lead to trouble, so I think it was the right decision to cut ties with Iris and Ms. Monoka.
As for being alone… If I told Iris and the others, they would probably follow me, but since I would absorb all the magic stones as magic power, there was no need for processes like wiping off blood, and it would be faster to do the collection work myself.
Thinking that, as I was about to enter the dungeon alone, Seria, who was at the rescue tent in front of the dungeon, spotted me and rushed over.
It seems many adventurers are trying to earn money for the New Year or winter, and those who returned from the 4th District are also trying to earn some coins relatively safely in the 1st District and 2nd District, so it’s quite crowded… but she didn’t miss me trying to sneak into the dungeon.
Thud, thud, thud…!
”Mr. Koji! Are you going into the dungeon!?”
”Well, just a bit.”
When I replied to her in a hurry, Seria offered to accompany me.
”Then I’ll join too! I need to gain some combat experience!”
Seria wanted to gain combat experience in the dungeon, as it would help her grow her skill called “Minor Recovery.”
Excluding the battles on the way back from the “Silver Orchid” base to town, she hadn’t done it for over ten days, so she was probably feeling a bit impatient.
She should have had the opportunity to grow, but the influence of the “Gem Snake” significantly reduced that chance.
Today, the reason I was at the rescue tent was… I wanted to earn some money just in case I had to buy a magic item to break her mother’s curse if she couldn’t do it herself.
Skill growth, huh…
I thought of that black mini tomato, but I set it aside since I still needed to confirm its safety.
”Today, the goal is to replenish magic power, so the earnings will be minimal, okay?”
I told her that my financial income would only cover the dispatch costs, but she said that was fine, so I completed her dispatch procedures and entered the dungeon.
* * *
”Bang!”
”Ugh…”
”…Hah. These monsters around here really aren’t a challenge.”
After some time, Seria said this to me after I finished another battle.
Well, it’s more like processing than actual combat, so it can’t be helped.
I touched the magic stone of the fallen monster with magic thread, absorbing it as magic power through indirect contact.
I thought I needed to touch it directly before… but well, since my technique for disguising the surface of the Magic Armor has improved, I might be growing in ways I don’t even notice.
Now, the problem is Seria, who wants that growth.
Her skill is healing, so if she doesn’t get injured and use her skill, we can’t confirm her growth.
So, I was doing this.
”Well then, shall we check again soon?”
*Swish*
”Ah, y-yes…”
After absorbing the magic power from the monster I just defeated, I exposed my right arm and made a shallow cut.
Seria, who had seen me do this occasionally, wasn’t surprised, but she seemed to feel a bit guilty about making me harm myself.
However, since I showed her that I could heal it with my homemade ointment even if her skill couldn’t, she might be more concerned about using a more effective medicine… which could also be seen as a guilt of its own.
With that, she held a staff and a container filled with holy water in both hands, placed her thumb on the opening of the container, flipped it over, and made contact with the holy water.
This is the basic style of a Cleric… or rather, a magician.
”Well then… ＊＊＊＊＊＊…”
*Humm…*
Following Seria’s intent to use healing magic, its effect manifests on my cut.
However… the effect is weak; the cut, which was oozing blood, manages to stop bleeding but remains as it is.
”…Haa. It seems it’s still not enough.”
Saying that, Seria puts away the holy water into her bag with a disappointed look.
I apply my homemade medicine to the wound, check that it has disappeared without leaving a mark, and then speak to her.
”Well, we still have time.”
”Yes…”
Seeing Seria nod weakly, I think to myself.
It’s a story from a game in my previous life, but in some works, you wouldn’t gain experience points unless you dealt damage.
So I had her do some attacking… but it seems she doesn’t feel any effect from it.
In the first place, other Clerics apparently have their healing magic’s effectiveness increase without attacking, so it might be a system where just casting healing magic on allies grants something like experience points.
If that’s the case, I need to consider that Seria’s skills might not grow from combat experience.
Including what to do in that case.
While thinking about such things, I continued hunting monsters with Seria.
* * *
After several battles, it was about time to return to the town without seeing any growth in Seria’s skills.
I secretly checked the time with a clock I made, but I couldn’t show it to Seria, so I approached the adventurers heading toward the town to make her aware of the time.
”It seems it’s about time to head back. Many groups are heading toward the town.”
”That seems to be the case. Haa…”
I didn’t think it would change overnight, but even though we were hunting monsters at a high pace, she seems to be feeling down because she still doesn’t sense any growth in her skills.
She falls silent for a moment.
”What’s wrong?”
”…Um, I know this is a bold request, but I have a favor to ask.”
I could guess what she was getting at from her expression, but I decided to voice a different assumption.
”Are you asking for a stronger monster?”
”No…”
Seria shook her head as if it were obvious, indicating her denial.
She then untied the red scarf around her neck, which was a sign of refusal, and opened her robe at the chest.
The typical Cleric robe is designed to allow for the upper body to be opened for wiping sweat or cleansing with a wet cloth, but Seria was using it to plead.
She wore a short, tank-top-like undergarment that seemed to emphasize her cleavage, pulling down the hem to lift her chest and enhance the depth of her cleavage.
”Um, I would like your help in procuring a magic item to lift the curse…”
”Help?”
”Yes. If things continue like this, it may be impossible to heal my mother for the rest of my life, and I think it would be better to focus on getting the opportunity to purchase it from someone. I will also cover the costs involved.”
Seria was cleverly asking for the cost of the magic item to lift the curse, but there was no doubt that her eyes were serious.
While her mother wasn’t completely without relatives, it seemed she had struggled as a single mother, so Seria likely wanted to do everything she could to heal her mother.
However… there was already a prior request from Iris for the same item, so regardless of finances, it would have to be put on hold due to stock.
I hadn’t mentioned this to avoid any conflict between the two.
As I pondered what to do while looking at Seria’s eyes and cleavage, a group hurriedly approaching from afar caught my attention as they made their way to the town.
That’s… Mr. Lyle, who is associated with Ms. Kokol.
The two didn’t seem to be too injured, but Mr. Lyle and a man with a spear were supporting another man who looked exhausted.
This man appeared to have a wound in his abdomen, and the bandage wrapped around him was soaked with blood that it couldn’t absorb.
”Wait!? A Cleric! I’m sorry, but can you heal him!?”
When they saw me… or rather Seria, they seemed to determine that she was a Cleric, despite her slightly disheveled clothes, and naturally, they asked her to heal the injured man.
”Uh? Um…”
*Glance.*
In response, Seria looked at me.
Since I was the one who hired her, it was only natural, but her gaze carried the implication that she couldn’t heal him herself.
Even a minor injury with some bleeding was beyond her ability to fully heal, and she probably understood that the effectiveness would be limited.
However, refusing here would be a bit awkward.
The reason for that was the subtle look from Ms. Kokol.
She and her brother, Mr. Lyle, had been entangled with a “Gem Snake,” resulting in Mr. Lyle being seriously injured and Ms. Kokol almost being assaulted, which I had helped her escape from as “Mose”.
Now, “Koji” had taken a woman from that “Mose,” and she likely knew about it through others.
Because of that, Mr. Lyle, who was asking for his companion’s healing, had a complicated expression, and refusing here would likely worsen my reputation even more.
Seria had half-closed her clothes, but due to her confusion over the healing magic request, her cleavage was still visible, and she had stopped adjusting her outfit.
If there was a chance that I might be suspected of trying to undress her, I should quickly agree to help, but that brought its own issues.
The problem was that Seria’s healing magic was weak, and I didn’t want it to be misunderstood as my instruction.
The reason her healing magic was weak was due to her characteristics, which could be clarified by asking someone from the guild when we returned to town, but that misunderstanding wouldn’t be resolved until we got back, and if the injured man were to die before then, I couldn’t rule out the possibility of being attacked.
There were ways to handle it, but since I had gone through the trouble of helping, I didn’t want to end up eliminating them due to a misunderstanding.
I thought about using my item at the right moment, but since I had also used it on Mr. Lyle before, Ms. Kokol, who was watching, might figure out that I’m “Mose”.
”Um, I’ll pay for the cost, so please…”
Mr. Lyle pleaded again like that.
Next to him, Ms. Kokol’s eyes were sharp, as if she was trying to assess me… I don’t have much time to think anymore.
”Seria, use your healing magic.”
”Y-yes. Um, my healing magic isn’t very effective, so I’m not sure how much I can heal, okay?”
*Rustle…*
Following my instructions, Seria took out holy water from her bag at her waist and said that to Mr. Lyle and the others.
Maybe they thought her words were modest, as they seemed relieved once they realized they could receive healing magic.
”No, no, it’s fine. We should be prepared for some scars, so you don’t have to worry too much about that.”
”Ah. So, then…＊＊＊＊＊…”
*Hummm…*
At Mr. Lyle’s words, Seria activated her healing magic.
A weak light lit up what seemed to be the wound, but… there was no reaction from the injured man.
Could it be, already?
I feared the worst, but it seemed Ms. Kokol felt uneasy about the effectiveness of the healing magic and called out to the injured man.
”Bran! Are you okay!?”
Later, I heard that Blan was a nickname among friends, and the man’s real name was Brandon, who responded weakly to her voice.
”Ugh…”
It seemed the healing magic’s effect was minimal, as Mr. Brandon only groaned in response.
I thought maybe it could at least stop the bleeding even if he was seriously injured… but maybe not.
*Hummm… Poof.*
Before long, the light that had been shining on the wound disappeared, and Seria reported while showing that the container with the holy water was empty.
”Um… I’m really sorry, but with my power, this was just one use. I’ve used up one bottle of holy water too.”
”What!? It’s, it’s not healed at all!?”
”Even if you say that…”
When Mr. Lyle protested, Seria seemed troubled by how to respond, and Ms. Kokol next to her asked suspiciously.
”Wasn’t there a small amount of holy water from the start? I’m also a magician, and I know that if the amount of catalyst is low, the magic power that can be used at once decreases, which can lower the effectiveness. In that case, I can’t help but suspect that you’re trying to make us pay for healing magic again.”
”N-no way!”
Seria denied it in response to Ms. Kokol’s probing.
I see.
It seems they suspected that Seria was trying to use up the little holy water from the beginning and then use another bottle to charge for 2 treatments.
This is bad; the anger might turn towards Seria.
As long as we’re together, I can protect her, but if something happens after we part ways, ‘both of us’ could end up in a bad situation.
Even if it’s a misunderstanding, if anyone lays a hand on Seria under my protection, I would have to retaliate.
To avoid such a situation, I gave Seria instructions.
”Seria, open a new bottle of holy water and show it again. Let her check the contents too.”
”Y-yes.”
*Rustle…plop.*
At my words, Seria took out a small bottle of holy water, opened the cap, and showed it to Ms. Kokol.
Since the activation of the healing magic itself can be confirmed, they probably won’t suspect that the holy water inside is just plain water.
”…Indeed.”
Ms. Kokol confirmed that there was a sufficient amount of holy water in the small bottle and then turned her gaze to me.
”Um, what about the cost?”
”I will cover it. Just… don’t expect too much from the effect.”
Saying that, I took out a square gold coin worth 10,000 Oar and slipped it into the open cleavage of Seria.
I did this so it would be clear that I had paid for the healing magic.
”Hyah!?”
Seria was surprised by my action, and Ms. Kokol looked at me with a judgmental gaze, thinking I was a shallow man… but I ignored that and gave Seria instructions.
”Alright, now use the healing magic.”
”Y-yes. Then…!?”
Seria, holding her cane in one hand and a small jar filled with holy water in the other, placed her finger on its mouth.
She was about to turn the jar upside down to use her healing magic, but then something startled her, and she flipped the jar back to its original position.
”…? …?”
*Swish… swish…*
”What’s wrong?”
As she continued to flip the jar a few times, I asked her about her unusual behavior, and Seria turned to face me.
”Mr. Koji, um… could you give me about 50,000 Oar more?”
*Squeeze.*
As she said this, she emphasized her words by pushing her chest together, which made me think she was a bit of a ‘tease’.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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