Chapter 77: Potion and Saintess – 2

Chapter 77: Potion and Saintess – 2

“…It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Empire. Even more so, coming here in secret.”

“It can’t be helped, Saintess-nim. The people of the Empire are inherently…”

“I know. However, I am fine, but I worry that it might be inconvenient for all of you…”

“Nonsense! It is our duty to follow you wherever you go, Saintess-nim, and to protect you wherever you are!”

At those words, the other escorts beside her also nodded.

The Saintess’s escort unit was comprised of a select few of the most skilled Inquisitors, who could only be chosen from among the Holy Kingdom’s most capable Holy Knights.

As such, the treatment they received in the Holy Kingdom, and the treatment they received when officially dispatched abroad, easily surpassed that of a Bishop or Cardinal.

…However, since the Saintess and her escorts were currently carrying out unofficial duties, their clothes were those that commoners would wear, and their food and carriage were also of very low quality.

Therefore, inevitably, a slight but undeniable discomfort remained on their faces.

No matter how skilled they were, they were still essentially clerics belonging to the church.

“Thank you for saying that. He will surely bless your faith and conviction.”

Of course, the Saintess was the only exception, showing no sign of discomfort whatsoever.

Since she was practically the only one in the church who lived an ascetic life, and was also forced to, it wasn’t that strange.

“The suspected sinner is said to have opened a shop and is selling fake holy water, correct?”

“Yes. They are said to be selling it under the name of ‘potion.'”

“Do you happen to know what its effects are?”

“…It’s just a rumor I overheard, but it’s said to instantly heal external injuries like fractures.”

“……It is clearly His power. Among all beings in this world, only monsters can achieve such instantaneous healing, apart from His power.”

Saying that, the Saintess offered a brief prayer to God.

Please, if the person she was about to face was truly a sinner, let the people of the church forgive them and guide them back to the right path.

At the same time… please let the suspected sinner not truly be a sinner, but merely a misunderstanding of the church.

“This task is expected to be difficult, Saintess-nim. As I informed you, the Imperial Duke’s family is behind the sinner…”

“……Nothing has been decided yet. We are merely suspecting them of being a sinner.”

“However, that person! Is impersonating the miracles of the church and gaining unjust profits!”

“Are we not going, I and all of you, to confirm whether it truly is unjust profit and truly an impersonation of the church’s miracles? There is no predetermined sinner.”

“Saintess-nim, you are sometimes excessively merciful. Of course, that aspect is beautiful, but…”

However, the escort said no more.

The Saintess, who had already faced ‘sinners’ or ‘heretics’ many times, always said the same thing.

To those who repented, she strongly advocated for mercy and only carried out light edification, and even to those who did not repent, this Saintess would say that they must be taught God’s will, not killed.

And thanks to that, she was also the one who garnered the strongest support among all previous Saintess.

…The church, because of this, had many headaches, but that’s a separate story.

***

Bright sunshine pouring down, and a gentle breeze blowing through the window.

It was a wonderfully pleasant day to sit quietly, look out the window, and enjoy some leisure.

Just the kind of weather perfect for sitting in a chair, feeling the gentle breeze, and relaxing comfortably.

And that’s not all, is it? Although it wasn’t my home, the shop’s interior was neat and tidy, as well as cozy and pretty.

There was even a chair and a window by the counter, tailored to my taste, making it the perfect environment for relaxation.

So, it was inevitable that I would feel a bit sluggish in such a ‘fantasy-like’ shop, with potions neatly displayed on both sides, and customers passing by on the street visible through the front, not to mention this ‘fantasy-like’ weather.

It was exactly like, ‘Dropped into another world! – Hope Edition.’

……Of course, until recently, it felt more like, ‘Dropped into another world! – Despair Edition.’

*You’re quite relaxed today, aren’t you?*

“Because it seems like the business won’t fail, judging from yesterday.”

*……When I see you like this, you really have changed a lot, you know. Is it thanks to Christie?*

“Well, the things that others call ‘daily life’ are slowly becoming ‘daily life’ for me too, you know?”

*…Usually, being friends with the Defense Force Captain and a Duchess and hanging out isn’t called ‘daily life,’ you know.*

“And being friends with an unknown system isn’t exactly ‘daily life’ either.”

I said that, but a faint smile played on my lips.

I definitely felt that many parts of me had changed from before.

…Now, even the memories from before I became this body have become quite blurry.

Perhaps the only things remaining are the identity of having been male and having been a patient.

Well, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that I am consciously shedding memories that are no longer needed.

“When I first came to this world, living felt so overwhelming… but now I’m enjoying the good weather and relaxing. I really have changed a lot.”

*Well, it’s obvious you’ll be frantically busy again if war breaks out. Even if not, you still have a lot of time before you can truly relax.*

“…What was that, that cursed remark?”

As I was chatting with Ria for the first time in a while… the shop door opened and someone entered.

……It was a girl who looked about 14? 15? and a smaller child who looked about 10, together.

*Oh? What a rare occurrence, isn’t it?*

‘…Do you know something? I’ve never seen them before.’

*You probably haven’t seen the child who looks about 10 years old, have you?*

Just as I was wondering what Ria meant, the older-looking of the two children who entered the shop spoke.

And very earnestly, too.

“Please help us!”

“…Huh?”

“You’re the one who sold that potion to our mother before, right? Can’t you just give us one?”

At the child’s words, and Ria’s words, I rewound my memories.

…Right after I came to this world, when I first met Elena and was quite flustered, I once sold a potion to a woman.

……It was a woman carrying a nearly dying child on her back, who looked about 10 years old.

It seemed the ‘seen before’ that Ria was talking about was that young child, about 10 years old.

‘…This isn’t ‘seen before’; this is ‘passed by.’ ‘

*Well, even if our sleeves brush, it’s fate, so if you welcomed them as precious customers, isn’t it fate?*

‘……I mean, I do remember it, but.’

Since it was my very first time in this world, I don’t remember it clearly, but I do remember the situation where I sold the potion.

…Because I got caught up in so many things, the number of times I successfully sold potions was very small.

No, to begin with, the number of times I went out to sell potions was small… anyway.

“…The daughters of the person who bought the potion back then…? How did you know about this place…? No, how did you know about me in the first place?”

“Unnie’s hair is unique. Her eyes are unique too. So we were able to find you.”

“……Actually, I wasn’t there at the time, so I’m just grasping at straws based on what my little sister said…”

The older-looking girl who said that was looking at me with quite desperate eyes.

…Seeing that the woman who bought the potion back then wasn’t here, it seemed that woman was sick this time.

‘Hmm… giving it to them for free is certainly possible, but…’

*Then just give it to them, what are you agonizing over?*

‘Are there only one or two such children in this capital? If I give one away, won’t rumors spread later and cause trouble for me?

*Are you starting to be conscious of the church’s gaze now?*

‘It’d be a relief if only the Saintess came to inspect and monitor my potions quietly. I’d rather not have inquisitors coming in droves.’

Of course, besides that, if I give it for free to some and sell it for money to others, there will be people who will say, “We have circumstances too, so give it to us for free! If you don’t, we’ll steal it!”

…Humans seemed not so different in any world.

‘…Wait, I saw yesterday that cleaning and preparing this shop was no ordinary task…’

*Now you’re even trying to exploit children…*

‘I’m going to pay them too?! And in this world, it’s common for children to work! If they’re children suffering from lack of money like that, giving them a job is helping them!’

Of course, no matter what I said, Ria, who was genuinely intent on teasing me, kept muttering, but I cleanly ignored her.

Especially since I, who had closed the shop yesterday and cleaned up the mess the adventurers had made, realized why people hire cleaners or maids!

Why on earth was there dirt in the display case, and why was the floor more dirty than clean?!

“…You can take as much as you need. But… let’s make a contract, just one.”

…It was a monumental day when my shop gained an employee.