episode_0157

156.

“Hello. Are you taking a walk?”

“Indeed. What business do you have with me?”

Young Youngju was strolling along the path, under a parasol held by her maid. Her face was noticeably brighter than when they first met. She was trying to project an air of dignity, but to an adult’s eyes, she was still a cute child. A cute child who evoked maternal instincts.

The fact that such a child carried such a heavy responsibility ached my heart. The warm sunlight felt somehow harsh.

“I, I came to see you because I have something to say.”

Erina spoke in a more serious tone than usual.

“Is this something you can’t say here?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then speak.”

Erina swallowed slightly. It was strange how she felt so nervous about this.

“It’s about the first time we met.”

“Hmm? The first time… the first time… Do I remember what it was?”

Youngju asked the maid holding the parasol beside her, who then whispered the information in her ear. Her memory wasn’t bad, but her workload had increased recently, pushing her to her limits.

To be precise, it wasn’t exactly their first meeting, but a conversation sometime after their initial encounter, but it didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.

Youngju’s expression wasn’t good after hearing the story. It was undoubtedly important, but it was something she wished had passed, something she didn’t want to recall. That’s why she hadn’t pressed the issue and was satisfied that the matter was being considered.

“Is that so? Was there any progress?”

“Yes. I found a clue. In this area…”

“You don’t have to overexert yourself. It’s something that has already passed… isn’t it? Shouldn’t we be concerned about the future?”

As expected, it’s an unchildlike remark. In fact, that part worries me.

“No. Since I received help, I have to repay it somehow. Besides, I can’t leave the Church’s reputation tarnished.”

“Is that so… You’re working hard.”

Erina nodded and waited until Youngju was out of sight. Because of the town’s hilly terrain, she disappeared from view instantly. Once she was a fair distance away, Hanna, who had been quietly standing apart, approached and spoke.

“She’s…pitiful, I suppose. What a cute child…”

“Isn’t she?”

“Oh, now that I think about it, it’s not a solution, but I have an idea… Erina-nim couldn’t have possibly overlooked it…”

“Feel free to speak your mind. We’re close, aren’t we?”

Erina lightly said, touching Hanna’s breast. Her actions were light, but her touch was skillful. With a sticky, lewd touch, she caressed the area around her nipple.

“Uh…♡ Mmm. Th-that’s because there are…people like Prim-nim or Tina-nim… outside the norm?”

“……!”

Tina, or rather Titania, I suppose, but Prim is definitely a different class of dragon. Prim might be able to do something. Perhaps she hadn’t fully accepted Prim somewhere in her heart, or perhaps she just hadn’t thought of it yet.

“We need to start preparing seriously.”

“Oh… Am I going too?”

“Let’s think about it♡”

Still, it felt like a small glimmer of hope had appeared, and my heart felt a little lighter. I was about to turn back with a much lighter step, when—

“Erina-nim!”

Someone called Erina loudly from beyond the hill. There was no need to look closely; it was the maid she had just met. The urgency in her voice made them rush up the hill.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Hi-Himelia-nim… Yo-Youngju-nim has collapsed…!”

Their eyes widened at the sight of Young Youngju, with whom they had just been speaking, collapsed on the roadside. While she was tired, it wasn’t to the point of collapse. I had checked using Appraisal, so I knew for certain.

However, the Youngju collapsed here was beyond recognition compared to the one I had just seen.

First, I urgently used Heal to restore her health, then Cure consecutively, and finally Purification.

“Haa… Haa…”

“What’s wrong?! Is treatment possible?!”

Her ragged breathing was far from normal. Furthermore, I saw something vaguely resembling black, distorted dust in the mental image I could see with Appraisal.

If it had simply been magic, I would have felt more at ease, but that wasn’t the case.

“I, I’m not sure. To the bed first…!”

Despite her frail physique, the maid was surprisingly strong, carrying Youngju and practically running back to the mansion. She must weigh at least 30kg, but neither Erina nor Hanna could match the maid’s speed.

If they hadn’t known where the mansion was, they would have completely missed her.

Finally reaching Youngju’s mansion, they were guided to her bedroom. It wasn’t flamboyant, but a small room with a clearly high-class atmosphere.

“Erina-nim, quickly check her condition…”

“Yes, just a moment.”

Purification of curses, purification of magic, and healing injuries are all part of a nun’s duties. However, those that specialize in this are priests who go to the front lines. However, many ordinary people who don’t know much about religious figures don’t necessarily distinguish between nuns and priests.

Currently there are no priests belonging to the Pai Church. This is because Erina lacked the knowledge to train priests. Some training is currently underway with the help of the Freed Church, but it is really difficult.

Checking again with Appraisal revealed the same thing. There were strange, small clumps of black dust-like substance.

‘……Looking closely, I understand now.’

It wasn’t something clinging to her body. It’s more accurate to say that that small portion was missing. I have a rough understanding of the source of the discomfort emanating from that dark clump.

“Wh-what, a serious ill- illness?”

Hanna asked worriedly from beside her.

“I’m… not an expert, but I can safely say it’s not good.”

“Yes!?? Wh-what do you mean by that?!?”

To reassure the maid whose eyes were wide with panic, Erina stroked her gently. Once she seemed somewhat calmer, Erina spoke softly.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know for sure. To put it bluntly… there’s a small, very small hole in her body.”

“A hole…?”

Slowly, cautiously, the maid stroked Youngju’s arm, who lay on the bed.

“Not a physical hole…. I’m sorry. I, again, don’t know what this is…”

“What’s the cure?!”

She began to sweat profusely, lying there. Her complexion was rapidly worsening, her breathing becoming increasingly ragged.

Erina quickly used Heal again. She seemed somewhat more stable, but the distress didn’t appear to have completely subsided.

“I’ll find out. …There are clues.”

This unpleasant feeling, a minuscule fraction of the sensation I felt from Piki. Pursuing her might reveal something. This might be a warning for me to come quickly. Whatever it is, we must have a showdown. This child is far too young to be lying there like this.

It breaks my heart that she’s lying there like this because of me. This is petty to have procrastination backfire in this way.

“Please… Please…”

The desperation in her tone indicated this wasn’t just an ordinary master-servant relationship. It doesn’t matter what their relationship is, I just need to help her quickly.

“Wait. I’ll send someone… I’ll find a solution quickly. Hanna, let’s go.”

“E-Erina-nim? That h-hole… could it be…?”

“Hanna, can you see it!???”

The tiny clump, only visible through Appraisal, was faintly visible to Hanna as well.

“V- vaguely… ar-around here…”

“Really? I can only feel a presence…”

Hanna pointed to her right shoulder. Since Erina’s Appraisal only revealed a vague presence, this was good news.

“Bu-but, to call it a hole… something… is off. It’s more as if that part is… missing?”

“I, I don’t know anything…but, about her?”

“My apologies for the tardy introduction. This is my precious friend, Hanna.”

“Pr-precious…, oh, hello! I’m Hanna…”

Hanna blushed, bowing repeatedly.

“Please be at ease. I’m just a maid… You don’t even need to know my name…”

The maid was even more flustered, trying to calm Hanna down, her overly enthusiastic greeting caused by her joy at being called precious.

“Ah―.”

Hanna suddenly lost her balance. In a sudden recoil attempting to stand, she tumbled forward—

“Watch out!”

The maid quickly caught her, narrowly preventing a freefall onto the sleeping Youngju on the bed.

But Hanna’s hand, trying to regain balance, landed on Young Youngju.

“Ugh…!”

Youngju let out a short cry of pain, and Hanna jumped back as if she’d been jolted. Everyone in the room clearly saw what happened.

The tiny black hole, invisible to the maid, had transferred to Hanna.

“…?! Ju-just now, I, I saw that too!”

“Ha-Hanna, are you alright?!?”

Everyone’s attention was focused.

“Uh… Hmm? I- I’m fine, I think?”

Hanna was aware she had absorbed the hole, but she couldn’t understand what it was.

But upon realizing that Youngju’s ragged breathing had subsided, the three of them simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.