Chapter 4. Escape and Service (7)

“Are the french fries delicious?”

I thought it would only make the atmosphere heavier and stranger if I brought up the topic of her being a princess, so I started by saying that.

“Huh?”

“What you’re eating now.”

“Ah… Yes, they’re delicious.”

Gloria replied, looking at her fingers.

When Ria took out a tissue and handed it to Gloria, Gloria said, “Thank you,” and took the tissue to wipe her fingers.

Gloria probably hadn’t seen a tissue before, but she didn’t act too awkwardly. Since that royal had communicated with this world, she might have seen tissues. After all, they are items that significantly improve the quality of life.

“The fried items sold here are fried with chicken.”

“Chicken?”

At the repeated question, Ria and I looked at each other again.

“Uh, so, a domesticated… bird? It’s domesticated, right? Are wild chickens like that too?”

“It’s domesticated. Wild chickens don’t seem to fly in the sky, though.”

“Ah, so it’s a domesticated animal from this world. That means it might have absorbed the smell because it was fried with meat.”

Gloria, who quickly caught on to our conversation, paused to think.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have touched it normally. I really dislike the smell of meat.”

And it seemed she realized a little late that what we were eating was fried meat. However, she didn’t recoil or anything.

Well, I suppose it’s possible she wouldn’t know what chicken is. We don’t know what animals exist in other worlds either. Who knows? In her world, they might ride reptiles that look like raptors instead of horses.

Given that I’ve already seen giant monkeys that eat giant tigers, it’s easy to imagine that animals that existed in this world also exist similarly in other worlds.

“But…”

“When you’re hungry, anything tastes good. I think I know how you feel.”

Ria said that, and this time, she placed the pickled radish for chicken in front of Gloria.

“What is this?”

“Chicken radish.”

“Is this also made from chicken?”

“……No, it’s called chicken radish because it’s eaten with chicken. It’s like pickled radish.”

“Hmm.”

Gloria picked up a piece of chicken radish, examined it closely, and then popped it into her mouth.

“Mmm!”

And her eyes sparkled.

“It’s delicious! Although it’s a bit stimulating, like common folk food!”

I’m not sure if she’s perceptive or not.

Gloria picked up about two pieces of chicken radish with her hands and crunched on them. Then, she finally noticed that both of us were using chopsticks.

“……Hmm.”

Perhaps feeling a bit awkward, Gloria stopped eating.

I picked up a pair of chopsticks, split them, and gave them to Gloria. Since we ordered two chickens, they probably didn’t expect two people to eat them, so there were quite a few extras.

Watching Gloria awkwardly move the chopsticks, we also silently picked up and ate chicken. It was delicious. It was delicious, but… well, it was still a bit awkward.

“……Ah, right.”

Gloria, who had been diligently eating the chicken radish, suddenly lifted her face and said to me.

“Are you the one who healed me?”

“Well, yes.”

I nodded and continued eating chicken.

“You completely detoxified an unknown poison and even healed the wounds on the back of the person who saved me without leaving a trace?”

“……Right?”

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

Gloria carefully put down her chopsticks and stood up.

Then, she bowed politely towards me. She moved her hands and legs as well; though I’m not sure, it was probably a polite pose that royals from her world display.

“It was just doing what was natural, you know.”

As I replied nonchalantly, Ria turned her gaze back towards me.

“No, it’s not. Things that no one else can do are that much more valuable. Someday, if I can return to the world I lived in, I will definitely repay you greatly.”

“It’s okay. It’s not my power.”

At my answer, Gloria looked somewhat bewildered.

Then, as if she had realized something, she nodded and said,

“I see. So this is the attitude of serving God in this world. I’ve seen it a few times in my world. However, most clergy members desire some form of compensation…”

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Ria.

Ria, who had been quietly watching me, also shrugged her shoulders.

Then, seeing us start eating chicken again in silence, Gloria seemed somewhat flustered.

“S-seriously, is that power a very common power in this world? Is it a power that anyone can use, and that’s why you’re so nonchalant about it…?”

Is it a common power?

I don’t know for sure, but in a sense, it seems to be accepted that way.

I can reattach severed limbs. If the other party has even a slight chance of survival, I can probably save them.

My power is not something common.

However, the ability to cure diseases called incurable or difficult-to-treat diseases, which was absolutely impossible just a decade or so ago. The power to cure terminal cancer that has already spread throughout the body, and to fix damage that could result in permanent disability, was already within the realm of common sense in this world.

People think of such powers as natural. Those who believe in God themselves think it’s natural to use that power, and those who receive help from that power also think it’s natural.

“…….”

What should I say about seeing such a world? Honestly, I don’t know. In a world where it already exists so naturally, why is it necessary to set up mascots like Saints or Saints? Why is it necessary to create beings who are worshipped by others? Why are candidates designated and managed in advance?

Although I didn’t study the Bible diligently, I know that the early Saints or Saintesses were not such beings. If a ‘Saint’ is determined at this point, that being is not someone who sacrificed themselves to save the world and people, but merely a representative put forth by the church.

The fact that it’s not purely for pure intentions was already revealed in the novel.

That’s why I didn’t want to do it anymore.

……Well.

There’s no answer to be found by worrying about it now. What’s important is what I do going forward.

Leaving the princess, who was speculating about various things beside me, I focused on eating chicken again.

Ria also watched me quietly for a moment before moving her chopsticks again.

*

Regardless of all that, since a princess from another country was in this country, normally, she should have been in contact with government officials, not me.

I went to see her this morning to check on her condition, and Gloria, aware of her situation, greeted me politely as if seeing me for the first time.

Ria and I also greeted her respectfully. Official occasions like this are always bothersome.

And then there was another elf, who didn’t appear in the original work.

This one… couldn’t speak properly. She seemed to still be recovering from her trauma.

Gloria, as a princess, had received various training, and even at the moment I was healing her, she was almost unconscious, so her trauma seemed to be at a manageable level. However, the person who seemed to have dozens of arrows stuck in her back to protect Gloria was still somewhat afraid of people.

In the first place, this whole world must be scary. Even if the villains who chased her were there, it’s human instinct to want to return to where you lived.

There were many people who had many stories they wanted to share, so after confirming that Gloria was physically okay, I went outside with Ria.

As usual, during our free time, we trained together.

Ria’s sword strikes are always fierce. Although she seemed to be going easy on me, considering I’m a beginner, she never did it carelessly.

Ria’s words about training me were utterly sincere.

And, I was gradually developing a desire to beat Ria.

At first, I thought there was no way I could win- but no matter what, if you lose a few times, don’t you inevitably feel like you want to win?

Fortunately, Ria always swung her sword at me in the same way. It felt like she was saying, ‘Try to win this once.’

Somehow moving the large shield, blocking in that order. My body also became much more agile than before.

After watching Ria’s sword movements and memorizing the sequence countless times-

“……Oh.”

For the first time, I succeeded in aiming the tip of a pink rubber gun at Ria’s body.

“Good job.”

Ria smiled brightly at me and said that. It was a smile completely different from her usual playful smiles, filled with genuine praise.

“……Haa.”

Feeling the weather getting warmer, and moving diligently in broad daylight, I slumped onto the ground.

“Here.”

Ria opened a 500ml bottle of water and handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

I obediently received it and held it.

Ria also slumped down next to me and opened her water bottle.

“You know what? You might actually have talent.”

“……Really?”

“Well, you’re not a genius or a prodigy or anything.”

Ria took a gulp of water and looked at me.

“A person who can protect themselves makes a huge difference compared to someone who can’t. Even if you’re in the rear of the party, if you can just draw your weapon and hit the opponent, you might be able to save your life.”

“…….”

Twitch.

I suppressed the slight twitch at the corner of my mouth.

“And…”

Ria hesitated for a moment and then said,

“In my opinion, with your power, there will definitely be people who want you to go to truly dangerous places.”

“…….”

That’s probably true.

It was the same for the Saint.

It would be too foolish to have no resolve now.