Chapter: 190
It was the moment Johan was about to pray in awe to the deity.
Suddenly, the warmth that had filled the cave vanished.
As the warmth faded, the light that had dispelled the darkness scattered, and the cave was engulfed in shadows.
Not long after, a loud thud echoed as something collapsed.
“Lucy!”
Benedict’s shout pierced through the confusion.
Johan, waking up in a daze, saw Benedict catching Lucy as she was about to fall to the ground.
“Bishop Johan! Are you just going to stand there and watch?!”
“…Ah! I’m coming right away!”
Hastily rushing over, Johan scraped the divinity still residing within his body as he prepared to cast a spell.
It was a child undoubtedly loved by the deity.
She was the chosen one after a long period of silence.
It would be a disaster if something were to happen to that girl who had just performed a miracle right in front of me!
She was the one who had previously traveled through many unfortunate locations to provide aid.
When it came to diagnosis and healing, she was more skilled than anyone else.
Before long, Johan completed Lucy Alrn’s examination.
After wiping the cold sweat from his brow post-diagnostic, the first words that escaped his lips were a sigh of relief.
“She’s fine. Just a bit exhausted from using too much strength. There’s no issue with her body.”
“Is that true?! If anything happens to our daughter—!”
“Her well-being is just as precious to me, Sir Benedict.”
Benedict, who had raised his voice in concern for Lucy, fell silent as he met Johan’s gaze.
Though aged and wrinkled, his eyes were even more intense and resolute.
Even before the monster that was Benedict, his unwavering gaze carried strong willpower.
“I can’t be certain how long it will take for her to regain her strength. After all, she realized a miracle she shouldn’t have been able to manifest. However, I’m sure she will awaken soon.”
“…I’ll choose to trust you.”
As Benedict took a step back, silence fell upon the cave once more.
But it didn’t last long.
The Count conjured flames with his magic to illuminate the cave.
“Gentlemen, it’s great that you’re having a chat, but have you forgotten something important?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you referring to us?”
Before the two, who looked puzzled, the Count placed a massive spool of thread on the ground.
As soon as they saw that it was protected by magical energy, both Benedict and Johan gasped simultaneously.
*
“How is the condition?”
Hearing his old comrade’s question, Karia responded with an awkward smile and shrugged.
“It’s just okay. Neither good nor bad.”
Though liberated from the long, deep slumber inflicted by the curse of the evil god, Karia felt no particular excitement.
And rightly so, as her consciousness had been imprisoned deep, deep below by the evil god.
She remembered the back-and-forth during the days of battling for control, but that was about it.
To Karia, the long years of her disappearance felt like a fleeting dream.
If asked what remained in her memory, there was but one thing.
Light.
An immensely bright light.
So warm and cozy that it called to mind memories of her childhood, reminiscent of the sun.
And the sight of the beautiful, cute girl holding that light up high.
The girl who boldly stood before the immense evil.
“Karia?”
Lost in that image, Karia snapped back to reality at the call of her companion.
“No, I’m fine. Benedict.”
Perhaps Karia had slept so long that the once indomitable knight who fought at the frontlines now seemed more like an uncle.
Even back then, he looked seasoned enough that one might wonder if he could age any further. Turns out, he could.
His face was lined with wrinkles, speckled with gray, and marred with various scars.
While he still retained his former appearance, the passage of time was undeniable.
“More importantly, how about you? You don’t seem to look too well to me.”
Despite losing most of her strength in the process of breaking free from her curse, Karia’s keen insight remained intact.
“Me?”
“Should I list them out for you?”
“Go ahead, try me.”
Benedict, clad in a suit that looked like it could burst at the seams, feigned composure, but it wasn’t enough to fool Karia.
This field was Karia’s specialty.
“Burn scars under your clothes. You, who wouldn’t even think of wearing gloves despite complaining, are wearing gloves now. A momentary frown, likely from the pain when sitting. Tension in the shoulders… and…”
“Okay, okay, that’s enough.”
Ha! Even after waking up from a long slumber, your eyes haven’t changed a bit.
Benedict chuckled lightly while speaking, but his expression soon shifted to one of concern.
“You overexerted yourself, didn’t you?”
“I had a chance to show my daughter a marvelous side of Papa. I wanted to give it my all after such a long time.”
After being cooped up in the territory for too long and overdoing it, Benedict found himself in pain, shaking his shoulders.
“Is your daughter the same girl who used to cause so much trouble back in the day?”
“Yeah.”
“How is she now? Has she matured a bit?”
“Oh, she’s changed drastically in just this past year. But it’s so drastic that she manages to keep me on my toes for all the wrong reasons every day.”
“What kind of change are we talking about?”
“Want to hear about it?”
Karia nodded without a second thought.
She was curious how the girl who had caused numerous issues throughout her childhood, already treated like a guardian deity of the kingdom, had transformed, making things difficult for her father.
But soon, she would come to regret her decision.
“Oh, first of all. I should probably mention how amazing my daughter is.”
How her daughter had received divine blessings.
How she had snagged the top spot in the Soul Academy entrance exam.
How she had triumphed over many geniuses there and earned the title of a new divine.
How the once anxious girl, worried about making friends, had welcomed many people close to her.
Until this point, everything was fine.
It was just the knight, who once seemed devilish, becoming a doting father.
Having had similar experiences, Karia could view it with delight.
However, the problem started here.
“And just recently, she called me Papa again! Papa! How sweet and adorable is that?!”
The way he elaborated on how precious and lovely his daughter was made it impossible to endure.
I don’t know if I should even say this, but honestly, it was a bit nauseating.
Lucy. Somehow, you didn’t go too far off the deep end.
It must’ve been a bitter pill, having a ditzy dad like me for a father.
Oh well, good grief.
“Oops, did I go too far?”
“You already said everything you needed to say, idiot.”
“Haha. I’m sorry. I should probably get up since there are people waiting for me.”
“No, before that, I have a question.”
“Hmm?”
What popped out of Karia’s mouth was an image of that girl holding up the sun.
Wondering if that was merely a fleeting vision or if what she absorbed with her eyes was indeed reality, she questioned what that girl was and if they could meet again.
Having absorbed all of Karia’s thoughts, Benedict stood up with a raised corner of his mouth.
“Don’t worry. We’ll meet again soon.”
“…It wasn’t a dream.”
“Correct. And one more thing. It was she who discovered you, saved you, and purified you. Make sure to thank her when you do.”
“What reason do I have to worry? I’m not the kind to turn my back on a favor.”
“I know that.”
“And thank you, Benedict.”
Karia expressed her gratitude, but Benedict didn’t reply. Instead, he waved lightly and walked out.
Just then, a young man in his mid-twenties stepped in as he exited.
As soon as he came in, he froze at the sight of Karia.
Who is this? Trying desperately to hold back tears, he didn’t seem like he was on typical friendly terms with me.
As Karia scrutinized his features, a name suddenly popped into her head, but she shook it off quickly.
That guy didn’t seem the type to wield politeness like this.
“Master.”
However, the denial crumbled at the man’s words, stuck in his throat.
“…Alsetin. Is that you?”
“Yes. Your foolish disciple.”
“Really?”
Unable to believe it, Karia asked again, but Alsetin answered her with a hand gesture.
It was a secret code known only between Karia and Alsetin.
It was real.
The obnoxious brat who wailed not to leave her side had transformed into a proper adult standing right here.
Time can be frightening. The cheeky little brat who used to throw fits was now all grown up.
“Still, growing up means you’ve matured, huh? You can even speak formally now.”
“I can’t live as a street thug forever, can I?”
“Forget it. Stop rambling and come here.”
Karia didn’t say anything further and pulled Alsetin into a hug.
Ha. Look at that. He’s grown so much.
“And you know what? With you speaking so formally, I feel weird enough to lose it.”
“But, Master.”
“Shut up and do as you’ve always done.”
“…Alright, you old hag.”
“Yeah, this is how a brat should be.”
The two of them chuckled, exchanging playful insults as their voices mingled with the water flowing from their eyes, taking no time at all.
*
[Calculating…]
When I first woke up, the first thing I checked was the rewards.
No matter how pathetic the deity was, he always came through with the rewards.
I expected that this time, he’d hand me something since I suffered because of his mistakes, but all I saw was the message saying “Calculating.”
No, come on, you lousy deity.
According to Grandpa, a whole day has passed since I collapsed! Why am I seeing “Calculating”? What have you been doing all this time?!
Get to work!
You think it’s okay for your apostle to face death multiple times because of you while you lounge around like a bum?!
As I internally screamed, my head started to spin, and I fell forward.
“I told you to rest multiple times! You’ve pushed your already bad condition to the limit, and right now, your state is at its worst! You need rest!”
[The fox is right. Young lady. You must take care of your body.]
‘Yeah, I know…’
“Shut it, you clumsy fox! You think I don’t know what you, pathetic pervert, just said?!”
My body was in terrible shape.
I had already strained my condition, made worse by the clumsy fox channeling its energy, and now I had to pull off a miracle that shouldn’t have been possible.
Even just one of those would have warranted some time off, yet I did both at once.
It’s a miracle I managed to get this far without collapsing.
Thanks to that, I find myself in a situation where I have to live my life as a sickly mesugaki little girl, just like I joked about before.
What a troublesome situation.
I have so much to do during the break! I can’t train properly like this!
Ugh, please don’t let these two months go to waste! That would hurt too much.
Is there no way to recover my body quickly? While lost in such thoughts, a message popped up.
[We have confirmed the rescue of a victim of the evil god. Additional rewards will be granted.]
…Huh?
[The seal of the Fire Evil God Bahrda has been lifted but has been suppressed and sealed again. Additional rewards will be granted.]
Excuse me?
[The Evil God Agra intervened but was defeated, resulting in a miracle. Additional rewards will be granted.]
Armadi-san?
[Calculation complete.]
[Confirmation of the completion of the quest ‘Savior of Menestel.’]
[Rewards have been granted.]
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