Chapter 13. Crisis and Opportunity (9)

At least, that bath had one definite effect.

I became immune to the numerous beastmen in thin attire wandering around.

It wasn’t an emotional issue like the beastmen’s appearances being less appealing than Ria’s, but more of a feeling like, “I’ve seen Ria, so what’s the big deal with them?”

Honestly, the person I cared about most since coming to this world was Ria.

Isn’t that right?

I’m not someone with an overwhelming sense of purity. My feelings for Ria are still largely uncertain.

But even so, I don’t feel like I want to do anything with any other woman besides Ria. At least, among the people around me, there weren’t many who made me feel that way, other than Ria.

…….

Fundamentally, I’m the type of person who wants the person I look at to look back at me.

To put it again, these feelings aren’t anything grand. I don’t have those kinds of thoughts about Ria. However, since that kind of feeling requires mutual effort, shouldn’t I look back at the other person as much as they look at me?

Isn’t it a bit of a turn-off to be looking at any woman? … No, anyway, for these people, this kind of clothing is normal, and they’re standing next to me not because I like it, but simply because they’re doing their job.

“…….”

What am I thinking?

I held back a sigh. Fortunately, Ria was following behind me, so she couldn’t see my expression.

Besides Ria and me, there were other people in our party. The knights who would help me in emergencies, and the hunters who came with us. Of course, my friends were included among them. They all seemed to be reading the atmosphere, so they didn’t say anything.

“This is the place.”

One of the people guiding us turned around and said so. Then, they politely bowed and stood a little away from the door.

Even though I didn’t need to open the door myself, the people waiting at the door opened it for me.

To be honest, I was a little nervous. There was talk of her being the King’s sister, and more importantly, it was an ‘exorcism’.

When I thought of exorcism from where I lived, I immediately thought of videos of children twisting their bodies grotesquely and acting like non-humans. Although those weren’t real exorcism videos, but just scenes from movies, I wouldn’t know how to deal with such a person if I actually met one.

Should I just pour holy power on them?

Thinking that, I stepped forward with light in one hand.

Ria had already moved gently in front of me and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Slowly, I followed behind the people guiding us-

I didn’t hear any screams or curses.

“……Ah.”

The person inside was a woman with a somewhat vacant expression. She looked a few years older than the King, probably in her mid-20s.

Her skin was a lustrous bronze, and her hair was black like the King’s. Black dog ears, the same color as her hair, protruded from her head.

They were ears that stood up sharply like a German Shepherd’s, and their tips were slightly pointed, but the King’s sister’s impression wasn’t that sharp.

She turned to me, who was wearing a pure white nun’s habit and standing at the forefront, and slowly rose from her seat, clasping her hands.

Then, her wide eyes shifted to a nearby maid.

When the maid whispered something in her ear,

“Ah.”

The person nodded lightly and then looked at me.

“I apologize for making you travel such a long distance. I heard you arrived yesterday, but my condition wasn’t good yesterday, so I couldn’t meet you in person.”

Huh?

Oh, is that so?

Even though it’s possession, it’s not always possible to see the ghost’s appearance. There are many people who seem normal at first and then suddenly become strange. Mental illnesses also progress like that in their early stages.

To be honest, I’d like to recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist, but that’s difficult. I’m the one who received the request, after all.

“Shall we sit and talk?”

The King’s sister said so and gestured towards the table. The maid went to a corner of the room and stood there, quietly waiting again.

There wasn’t just one maid. There were about four in total in the room. They were probably waiting nearby, ready to assist if she tried to do anything.

I can’t bring up human rights or anything like that after coming this far. If those people were slaves, it would be very uncomfortable, but assuming they were inspired by ‘Egypt’, they could be legitimately hired people who are paid.

If I were to nitpick about all of that, then housekeepers and caregivers who exist in our world would also be professions that would be nitpicked.

The King’s sister waited until I sat down, and then she sat down a little later, more slowly.

“I am Anna, from Earth. I am a nun practicing according to the faith of the교단 (gyodan – denomination/order) and have come to treat the Princess.”

The King’s sister blinked at my explanation.

“If you are a nun, are you similar to a shaman?”

“I wonder about that.”

Actually, it’s hard to answer that. Although it’s ancient Egypt, I don’t have any memories of hearing about it in great detail.

If a shaman is in a similar position to a priest, I am below that.

“You can think of it as being in a position similar to the lowest ranks among those who guard the temple.”

The sound of armor clanking was heard. It seemed some of the church people moved uncomfortably.

My words aren’t entirely wrong. Nuns and monks aren’t unimportant roles in the church. In the modern church, they are not much different from ordinary citizens. Anyone can become a priest by studying a little more and taking an exam, and they have the right to become people in more important positions.

But other than that, is there any other way to explain it?

“However, from what we heard…”

Oh, really?

The King’s sister seemed to have heard accurately about my information. After all, in this world, information about a ‘Saint’ and a ‘person very close to a Saint’ might be almost equivalent. When the church explained, they would have tried their best to explain it as close to ‘I am a Saint’.

“That explanation is also correct. However, I am not yet a Saint institutionally, so my status remains the same as my previous status.”

“Ah.”

She nods at this explanation.

There must be many people in such positions among royalty or nobility. Like those who participated as ‘soldiers for now’, but in reality, they were only in the ‘position of soldiers’ to broaden their horizons. Even among officers, if they have royal blood, it’s practically the same as a different rank.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, if the illness the Princess is suffering from is related to magic, I can heal you.”

“……What if it’s a disease unrelated to magic?”

“I’m sorry, but beyond that, it’s outside my area of expertise, so I’ll have to find another way.”

“I see…….”

The princess sat blankly for a moment, then suddenly looked at a maid as if she had just remembered something.

That maid had a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

“……Ah.”

The princess, as if she had forgotten for a moment,

“My name is Faina. Please take care of me.”

Ah, I see.

I hadn’t heard her name yet.

The reason the maid had sweat glistening on her forehead was probably that. The princess hadn’t greeted an important person in front of her.

“I look forward to working with you.”

As I said that and glanced slightly at the maid, she quickly bowed her head again.

*

First, I heard about the princess’s symptoms directly from her.

She has terrible nightmares, and while having those nightmares, the princess does strange things. Although they are strange, she doesn’t twist her joints in odd ways, but rather wanders around in the middle of the night without any clothes on like a sleepwalker, or says strange things as if her soul has left her body.

……Rather than a mental illness, I thought it might just be her acting.

“I’ve also considered the possibility of acting.”

However, it seems the King had also considered such thoughts.

“But that’s not it.”

“May I hear the reason for your certainty?”

“When she’s not herself, she speaks knowledge that she would never know. What do you think? Does my sister seem like someone so proficient in mathematics?”

“…….”

“She recites things written in thick scrolls as if she memorized them, or recites contents from old scrolls deep in the library that no one paid attention to, or recites records written in the tombs of the old dynasties. All of them are things that she normally doesn’t pay much attention to.”

I couldn’t say anything to that.

If this were a world with the internet, I could have said it was acting after memorizing it beforehand, but information in this world isn’t easily accessible like that.

“Then, first, I will attempt purification with holy power.”

“Please do.”

The King replied like that, as if he wasn’t expecting much.

Whether that was genuine or just part of his act as someone in a higher position, I don’t really know.