episode_0051

Vivian and Helena, sitting side by side, looked down at the contract on the desk.

Ian said that he would be sent to the next dungeon soon, so he would deal with it before then.

“Just sign.”

Ian, who finished his explanation on the other side, handed me a quill.

Vivian stared at the contract.

The last time Ian brought up the topic of the contract at McDerlin Abbey, Vivian had hoped to postpone it until later.

This is because when Vivian thinks of contracts, Felix and previous managers come to mind.

They took advantage of the fact that Vivian was illiterate and did not know much about legal provisions, and used the contract as an excuse to scold her or threaten her with a penalty when she tried to quit.

When I look at the contract, I reflexively remember what happened back then.

‘I don’t think Ian would do that, but… .’

It is inevitable that trauma comes to mind instinctively.

However, for Vivian, who had escaped those memories, this contract was new and welcome.

‘Ian and I, officially… .’

A touching scene from a romance novel I recently started reading keeps coming to mind.

The objects exchanged between a man and a woman when they first meet are symbolic symbols that define their relationship. .

Ian didn’t know why, but he froze alone and looked at Vivian strangely, whose cheeks were turning red.

Why are you thinking so seriously? I’m staring at the contract as if I’m hunting it down.

“Can I just sign here?”

As if Helena’s question was a signal, Vivian quickly signed.

It was the moment I became the first member of Ian’s official party.

“… Yes, that’s right.”

Ian looked at Vivian’s combative signature and gave a dumbfounded reply.

Helena also finished signing.

Two contracts were written for each person.

One belongs to Ian, and the other belongs to the contractees Vivian and Helena.

“There may not be much need to show or use this somewhere, but it would be convenient to have it written down officially.”

Income settlement is 8:2.

Ian has 2, the warrior party has 8, and the 8 is divided again by the number of people.

Vivian repeatedly read in her mind the first clause of the contract, the sentence regarding the provisions of the relationship between the contractor and the contractee.

Helena skimmed through the entire contract with a proud expression.

Ian wasn’t sure, but he looked at the two who seemed satisfied and put together the contract himself.

Even though Mercy was laughing at the three of them, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw Katy, who was nestled like a rock in Ian’s arms.

*

Helena’s skills, which had rested for a day after fainting, did not decrease but rather improved significantly.

Of course, miracles of healing, burning, and protection.

Physical strength and strength also increased noticeably.

For her, who was mentally cornered, Ian has now become a complete hiding place.

There is no fear, only anxiety that can be appropriately utilized remains.

After a commotion, Helena, who was so excited, ran into Ian and hugged him.

“Hmm. Helena.”

Ian called Helena.

My original goal was to tell her only after she grew up, but I changed my mind today.

“In the future, Helena will develop her protection system miracles in two directions.”

“Yes!”

“One is a technique that focuses on protecting others, not yourself.”

Putting protection on others, not yourself.

This is absolutely necessary for the future.

“Yes… ?”

“It may seem impossible, but it is actually possible.”

“Yes! Okay!”

Helena had no idea, but she believed it.

“The second is to make the protection small and thin.”

“Small and thin… Do you mean?”

“What does it feel like… . Do you have clothes? The protection is worn like clothing, following the curves of the body. Just like armor.”

Currently, the protective gear is spread out and used like a shield, but in the future, it will have to be used in the same way as wearing clothes.

It is much more difficult that way, but the activity becomes easier.

It’s like a kind of ‘Auror armor’.

Putting protection on others and wrapping them like clothes.

One day, Helena must reach the level of putting Auror armor on others.

“At the same time, it is difficult to maintain strength and resilience… .”

“Do you mean like this?”

A soft light bloomed just above Helena’s shoulders and head, forming a curtain.

As Ian said, he looked like he was wearing protective clothing.

“… Why is this happening?”

“Umm… . I don’t know!”

Ian observed Helena for a moment.

The protection centered on the head, neck, and shoulders was focused on the upper body.

In particular, it did not go below the elbows.

It wasn’t even below the waist.

‘… That’s strange. It usually starts from the fingertips.’

As I was thinking about how this unusual thing was possible, I remembered how Helena lived at MacDerlin Abbey.

‘no way. The part that was often hit by Salome… .’

Helena thought seriously about answering Ian’s question.

Ian didn’t ask any more questions because he felt like it would cause unnecessary harm.

The important thing is that you can do it, the reason is not important.

“It’s great that you can do it. Now there is less work to do. Spreading it evenly throughout the body and spreading protection around other people. Do you understand?”

“Yes! I understand!”

“It’s not something we’ll do right away, but we’ll develop it slowly in the future, so just be aware of it.”

“Yes!”

Next it was Vivian’s turn to show.

Coordinate-specific magic that Ian instructed me to learn.

It was time to try ‘Flame Strike’ and ‘Ice Bloom’.

Currently, all five types of magic that Vivian can handle are projection types.

The projection type is fixed in that a magic circle is created near the caster’s body, and magic is fired from there.

The two new spells I learned this time are magic that casts magic from coordinates specified far away by the caster.

Originally, at the temporary hero stage, 5 projection-type spells were sufficient.

However, because Helena’s protection was so great, it became an ironic situation in which it became an obstacle to the projection type magic.

Therefore, for smooth cooperation between Vivian and Helena, Ian instructed them to learn the two magics.

“I will.”

Helena waited expectantly for Vivian’s magic.

When I first saw Vivian’s Ice Spear, I was so amazed that I couldn’t speak.

What will we show today?

Ian also waits with some anticipation.

… … .

Nothing happened.

A magic circle clearly appeared on the floor in front of Vivian, but the magic was not activated.

‘… uh?’

Failed to cast Flame Strike.

Vivian tried to remain calm and cast ‘Ice Bloom’ next.

It was the same this time too.

The area around the training ground was noisy with people, but the area around the three people was awkwardly quiet.

Ian broke the silence first.

“It could be so.”

“Um, this is, uh… .”

Vivian carefully looked back at Ian.

A smile not of satisfaction, but of understanding and comfort.

Thank you, though.

It’s true that I wanted his attention, though.

‘This… It’s not… .’

Vivian was discouraged and couldn’t answer anything.

‘What do we do… ? What should I do to satisfy Ian again… ?’

***

After finishing training, I went out to find the next dungeon.

Vivian looked very surprised at her first failure, but I didn’t really care.

In the first place, simply implementing the five projection spells cleanly without a single failure is enough.

Because it was a different case from Helena, I didn’t press her.

Magic has compatibility, so those magics may not be compatible with Vivian.

‘Just because it’s not compatible doesn’t mean you can’t use it forever. It will gradually get better.’

Thinking back to King Slime, Vivian is the type that is stronger in actual combat.

It is also true that there is bound to be more to be learned in actual combat rather than static training.

‘I can’t keep waiting just because I can’t use it. In some cases, there is a way to adjust the protection from Helena rather than Vivian.’

There were many hidden dungeons that were not revealed in the second round, but were revealed in the third round as the power of the empire grew.

There was a possibility that this would be the case in this dungeon as well, so we had to hurry up the deployment.

Sure enough, it was registered at the Manager Guild’s dungeon request office.

‘Two parties can enter, but one party has already registered? ‘I’m glad it’s not too late.’

I completed the registration process right away.

‘Already registered parties… . E-class temporary hero party, four people.’

Brian, Dominic, Eileen and Claudia.

It’s a name that not everyone knows.

There is no need for memory correction.

At least not one of the future powerhouses.

I could easily clear the dungeon and eat the hidden pieces.

***

The day after I failed to cast a spell.

Vivian left the Agnes Monastery with a somewhat powerful gait.

Even today, I was unable to perform the coordinate point type magic that Ian taught me.

I wanted to train more, but Ian suggested I meet the kids for a bit to calm my mind.

It worked quite well.

When I look at my children, it reminds me of difficult times from the past and makes me feel grateful for my current situation.

I feel a surge of desire to do better.

Rather than becoming anxious and impatient, you will be able to stay calm and work hard.

‘But you can’t be complacent… . Because I let Ian down. ‘I need to concentrate more.’

The biggest development was that I became closer to Helena.

“The kids really followed along!”

Ian suggested that the two of them go to Agnes Monastery together.

Although the two lived together, they rarely had time to become close friends.

There was only public intimacy and cautious awkwardness.

But today, seeing each other sincerely care for the children, we became closer.

“Hehe… . I have been taking care of you for a long time. Helena also seemed used to taking care of children?”

“In the past, I sometimes did volunteer work at the monastery!”

Mercy smiled in satisfaction as she saw the two becoming close friends.

During the first party, I only saw colleagues glaring at each other and fighting.

Even though they were cautious and difficult, they were a little jealous and felt inferior to each other, but they tried to become friends, and it was just cute and unique.

“That’s really nice to see.”

Kati didn’t answer, but she felt the same way.

I hoped that I would continue to stay like this and not hurt Ian’s feelings.

Vivian, her worries relieved, moves forward easily.

“Vivian?”

Someone blocked her path.

There were four in total, the basic party composition.

“Ah, Eileen… .”

He seemed to be a wizard just like Vivian, holding a staff and wearing a robe.

However, the color of the clothes was different.

Compared to the wizard robe that Ian had bought, Eileen’s clothes were nothing but rags.

The difference from Vivian’s simple everyday clothes is significant.

“I thought it was impossible, but it seems to be true. You shamelessly came back to the topic you ran away from. Rather than that, you’ve become a bit more famous these days?”

It was an attitude of blatant disdain.

Helena, Mercy, and Kati, who did not know who they were, were confused.

“… Yes, thanks to meeting a good person.”

“So, how did someone like you fall into such misfortune? .”

Behind him, archer Dominic took a step forward.

“Isn’t that King Slime actually a lie?”

A mockery that is unfamiliar yet not unfamiliar.

Vivian was familiar with these unmissable faces.

These are the people who were with Felix when he was there.

Although Eileen was a member of the other party, she was a wizard who especially ignored Vivian.

“You became famous and became very shameless? Look at the eyes opening straight.”

Eileen said, almost spitting.

It’s just as she said.

Vivian was unfamiliar with how she felt.

Be calm.

I even think he’s cold-hearted.

If it were like before, I would have lowered my eyes and apologized, or just smiled slavishly.

I don’t feel like doing that at all.

I don’t see any reason why that should be the case.

She just smiled leisurely.

“Sure. Now that I’m famous and my abilities are recognized, I feel good these days.”

“Huh… .”

Everyone burst out laughing at the change in appearance from before.

Claudia, a priest, also took a step forward.

“Vivian. It is not good to be unclean.”

“… Yes?”

“There’s no way you could be that strong, right? This is an impossible phenomenon without some kind of trickery.”

“… … .”

It was a polite sarcasm.

Vivian thought she was not worth dealing with and tried to retreat, but Helena stepped forward.

“Please apologize!”

“… ?”

“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know what your relationship is with Vivian! But on a street like this, it’s not right for groups of people to come together and insult someone! What on earth is there to gain from doing this?”

“… What is this kid?”

“Helena, it’s okay. Let’s just go.”

Vivian didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

If nothing else, Ian might get in trouble.

Helena probably knew what Vivian meant, so she didn’t object any further.

Finally, Knight Brian spoke at the back of their heads as they turned around.

“That guy named Ian is the former manager of the first party? Didn’t you at least sell your body to him? So, I guess he forced me to do it, whether it was power or money.”

Helena looked back with a pale face.

What on earth did Vivian do wrong to say such bad things?

Even good people can commit evil deeds, so there’s no guarantee that Vivian wouldn’t have done that to them.

But anyway, isn’t this a bit harsh…? .

Helena turned around and realized something when she saw their expressions.

This is just timing.

Ugly jealousy that they cannot bear to see when someone who used to be in a worse position than them is doing well.

“… … .”

Brian is the man who once asked Vivian about selling his body.

She no longer felt the humiliation as unbearable as before.

However, it was difficult to bear the words that even insulted Ian.

When she turned around with a cold complexion.

Brian was already floating in the air.

“Que black… !”

Before Vivian, Katy couldn’t stand it.

Brian was struggling in the air, strangled.

At a moment when he didn’t even realize it, Carty approached him and grabbed Brian’s neck and lifted him up.

“What is this… ! Where did you come from?!”

Katy looked around at the three who were confused.

I feel a creepy gaze behind my eye patch.

Kati looked around at them and muttered coldly.

“I apologize.”

“… What?”

“If not, this.”

“Crrr… .”

“I will kill you.”

Even though it was just a verbal warning, the three people’s complexions turned blue.