chapter 37: If you don’t want to meet a scary sexy lawyer, you better confess quickly

I never learned magic.

I wanted to, though.

Before crossing to that other world, Hogwarts, the magic school, was my favorite movie and book.

But thinking about it, those guys are the worst at versatile magic.

Every one of them maxed out attack spells, but none properly learned siege magic or healing spells.

They boast about instant-death spells, shouting Avada Kedavra, and sure, no one survives that.

In that sense, the magic there was more versatile and even more powerful.

But comparing kids secretly learning magic to hide from Muggles with a world where magic openly thrives?

Pointless.

Even in that advanced magical world, it all developed from fighting demons and devils.

Competing in magic with a race born casting spells is foolish.

The cost-effectiveness of Hogwarts magic is worse than its lack of versatility.

So, I didn’t learn magic—just trained with a sword.

But that doesn’t mean I’m just some guy swinging a blade.

Despite appearances, I’m a veteran hero.

After twenty years as a hero, I can handle basic holy arts decently.

In a world without a church, I might even be the best.

To prepare for any situation, I plunged my unused holy sword into the ground during battle.

A white radiance swirled, exuding divinity, guiding it to one point—my role.

Control and circulate it.

Thus, a formation is drawn.

“Kalhart.”

Named after a cardinal who shunned liquor and cigars for seventy years, this sword wasn’t for killing beasts, demons, or devils.

A blade forged to save lives.

A mystery akin to magic.

A power born from holy arts.

The strength to save the woman before me.

I looked down at her, her body flushed red, and exhaled.

Seol Yeonhwa’s chest heaved painfully, gasping for air.

“I’m doing this to save your life, so bear with me.”

Whether my divinely imbued voice reached her ears or mind, I couldn’t tell.

If she didn’t see or hear, that’s fine too.

It’s a medical act to save a life, but it might be a bit embarrassing for her.

Cautiously, I extended my hand, touching a part of her.

Above her nose, between her eyes—her forehead.

I placed a white, divine dot there.

Below her plump, flushed lips.

Another dot.

Between her frozen heart and lungs, in the middle of her chest.

A larger dot.

Trying to stay detached from her flesh, I infused a great deal of divinity.

Above her navel, where life is conceived.

I poured an abundance of white divinity into it.

Four points on her torso, four on her hands and feet.

Eight points total, then I chanted the holy rites again.

Well, I don’t actually know proper incantations like mages do.

So, I recited the only blessing I knew.

A prayer for peace.

“May the blessings of the divine be with you.”

***

Point to point formed lines, lines to lines formed a star.

Star, light, warmth, and miracle.

A radiant, snowflake-like holy glow began to blossom across her body.

“Mm.”

Since her unique constitution emerged, she’d been plagued by cold.

Her body was icy, every breath sharp against her throat and lungs.

Each time she woke from sleep, her body felt heavy, stiffening.

She’d thought one day she’d die like this.

And today.

Opening her eyes, she felt lightness in her body for the first time in ages.

The refreshing sensation, free of stiffness, sparked questions.

Her last memory was of Tower Master Elnair leading her somewhere…

Had the surgery they mentioned failed?

Was she in heaven?

She wasn’t sure she’d lived a good enough life to reach heaven, but if so, this crisp feeling made sense.

Waking, Seol Yeonhwa felt a dual sensation—refreshing yet dreamy—and sat up.

Then she realized.

Oh, this definitely isn’t heaven.

Blinking and looking around, everything was a mess.

Frozen patches, blackened burns, melted traces on one side of the floor and walls.

She didn’t immediately recognize it, but the size resembled the Blue Tower Master’s office she’d visited occasionally.

On one side, tied up with ropes, were Tower Master Elnair and Dr. Erneong.

“Yea, good morning.”

On an unfamiliar chair sat Shin Yuseong, casually waving one hand, entering her vision.

…Uh, what?

The scene was surreal, and she couldn’t grasp why he was here.

Seol Yeonhwa blinked blankly.

Then it hit her.

Breathing felt easier than usual.

Each exhale was light, warm, almost disorienting. She touched her chest.

Comfortable.

Instead of her body freezing as always, it was filled with warmth.

Her doll-like face fumbled with words, unsure what to do, glancing around.

Her eyes soon met the calm man’s.

No longer deathly pale, her face, now faintly flushed, curved into a smile.

Yet, for some reason, tears welled in her eyes.

The woman who’d lived through winters shed tears as always but smiled for the first time in a while.

The hero and the woman smile at each other.

***

A rather heartwarming scene.

My fingertips tingled, but moments like this are good for the soul.

Still, it wasn’t quite the genre the Goddess expected, so she pouted and shouted,

“Just get spicy, you idiot!”

Why were they gazing tenderly at each other?

Hurry up and do some intense, passionate whatever!

The Goddess, more viewer than great deity, slammed her fist down.

The great Balance of Order and Causality, Saint Eurseus, shook her head side to side.

“Ugh, what a hopeless hero.”

Honestly, if they had gotten intimate, that’d have felt weird too, but now it didn’t matter.

Because it didn’t happen!

Since it didn’t, the hero’s purity was preserved, and the Goddess had her own top-secret project in full swing.

Not some catty plan to steal the hero.

Something friendlier.

This was a world she’d sent him to as a Goddess to fulfill his wishes, after all.

With check-ins, feedback, and a special event in the works.

Going solo could cause issues, so she’d coordinated with this Earth’s god.

The hero?

Well, even if he didn’t know, he’d enjoy the realism and come around, right?

She’d been scolded for this before, but as a lifelong friend, this level of prank should be fine.

The result of months of covert planning.

[A special event is underway.]

Coming soon.

***

“…Ah.”

Regaining consciousness later than Seol Yeonhwa, Tower Master Elnair looked around in a daze.

The utterly wrecked office.

She wondered why no one else had come despite the chaos, but of course.

She’d strictly ordered no one to enter, no matter the commotion.

Truly self-inflicted.

In hindsight, it was foolish.

With a clearer mind than usual, Tower Master Elnair Grantz looked at her disciple.

Seol Yeonhwa.

The Blue Tower’s gem, its future, discovered years ago.

And her only hope to extend her lifespan.

“…That was a foolish thought, too.”

No matter how high among mages, near the end of her realm, a changed constitution wouldn’t grant transcendence.

With a hollow expression, Elnair lowered her head.

Reflecting, her actions over months were idiotic, tangled like a nightmare.

“I’m sorry.”

A foolish thing to say.

She hadn’t meant to kill her, but with no trust or credibility, explaining felt pointless.

Tower Master Elnair Grantz quietly closed her eyes, awaiting her disciple’s judgment.

“No need to be sorry.”

Unexpected words made Elnair stare blankly at Seol Yeonhwa.

Was it sarcasm? But her eyes were clearer, more vibrant than ever.

“For some reason, I feel good. Maybe it’s a fleeting delusion, but I don’t think you’d kill me. I don’t even hate you.”

Her flushed face held a trace of mercy.

Yes, this was leniency.

And forgiveness.

…Oh.

The words Elnair most craved, in a moment of maddening regret.

Why did I do that?

She could claim, even falsely, it was for her disciple, but her own ambition had been far greater.

Now, regret overwhelmed her…

Seeing Elnair tremble, Seol Yeonhwa sighed.

“Don’t beat yourself up too much. I don’t know the full story, but that guy’s looking into it now.”

“That guy?”

“Yeah, him.”

The one who saved me.

Her face, saying this, glowed with a warmth Elnair had never seen.

Tower Master Elnair Grantz’s eyes widened.

“Now, unless you want to meet a scary holy lawyer, you’d better spill.”

Thud. The tossed dark mage instinctively shivered, staring at the glowing holy sword.

I didn’t plan to use it more today, but it’s most cost-effective as a bluff.

Smirking, I waved the sword and asked,

“So, where’d you get that Hellfire grimoire?”

There’s definitely a demon around here.