In the boarding house in Dartlas, the noon bells from the church rang outside.
One night went by, two nights went by, but master didn't wake up.
After the whole affair, master had depended on us more. So Shuria and I took turns attending to master's needs.
「…master.」
Master was lying on the bed, and I touched his cheek.
There were still closed wounds on his cheeks.
「…」
Compared to when he had fallen over, the color of his face had improved.
The first night he looked really bad, but after time had passed, the color of his face improved slightly.
It seemed like he would open his eyes at any moment, as his quiet breathing echoed in the room.
「You're okay, okay, okay…」
His heartbeat seemed to soften as if he were listening to my words.
I really hated this. Really.
It was the same feeling as when my mother died.
I knew that there was no danger to his life. However, it still made me remember her.
She became thin, got weaker and weaker, and finally drew her last breath through her smiling lips.
I couldn't do anything for her at that time. Well, now too.
I hate being powerless.
「…hm?!」
「Master?!」
Then, my master opened his eyes.
My heart seemed to float into my throat as I a feeling of relief flooded my body to the extent that I could cry…and I decided from now that I have to stand with him for all time.
No, not have to, want to.
As an avenger, I wanted to spend time with him.
☆
「Master?!」
「Dammit, what's with that face?」
I opened my eyes, and Minnalis' face was in front of me.
I had seen her make that face before.
Even though I wasn't going to die, she looked worried.
『Are you okay, Kaito? Do you want an apple?』
『Hey, I made you rice porridge. Don't burn yourself, okay?』
『Brother, I bought you some flan, and jelly. Is the futon keeping you warm? I'll lie next to you if you need more heat (Mai said).』
Whenever I caught cold, my family would take turns taking care of me.
Her face was exactly the same as theirs.
I grimaced a bit and sat up.
「Master, good. Are you in pain? Do you want to drink something?」
「…don't worry, I guess it doesn't matter. How many days have passed?」
「Today is the third day, the noon bell at the church just rang.」
「Okay…I'm hungry. I want to eat a stew thick with meat and vegetables.」
「As you wish, I'll make it now!!」
「I look forward to it, hup!」
I said as Minnalis shot out of the door, and didn't hear me.
However, because Minnalis is so serious about everything, at least now I can be alone.
「Hff, ah, ugh.」
I got my body to lie back slowly in the bed again.
My whole body was as heavy as lead, and my joints felt like a rusted metal doll's that was missing several squirts of oil.
It was a sucky feeling, as someone else's magical power crawled around inside me.
「No way, I'm still cursed, aren't I…」
The holy maiden's curse, her type invokes a holy oath to end my use of the[Sword of Mortal Sin]which is the strongest sword of the spirit blade.
Meteria attacked me, and this type of attack shows it is from her.
The magical force, different from my own, hurt my body, and my resisting said force caused more damage. There was no way to heal the damage until the magic left my body naturally.
Either of the effects was enough of an effect to drive me from the first world.
It goes without saying that the effect on the former and latter me were both really bad.
Using magic is hard enough for me, but my former body in the first run was able to endure the damage.
However, all of these swords from the Mortal Sin series' repertoire come with a heavy price. And the fact that you would use the Mortal Sin series means that you're already facing a desperate battle.
Exhaustion, the spirit sword's demerit, and damage. Even with general information about her position, all the rest of the world's attacks rely on just sending waves of attackers at you.
From the truth about the first world, well, I'm glad I am completely sealed away from it.
「…I guess I should finally level up, right?」
My level never went up. Always at 1.
It's obvious that I can only distribute experience by releasing the spirit blade, because the curse right now is seriously damaging my status.
Even though it worked perfectly up until now, I can hardly even stay conscious in my present state.
「No, no use. At least …I have to kill…or I won't be able to do something difficult like that.」
I shook my head as I was saying that.
There was no way this was fatal in this position. Now, the emperor was just waiting for me to do something crazy so they could find me.
Then, the effects of the curse from the holy girl hit me after I used the [Sword of Mortal Sin].
In this weak state, with my party members with me.
「…whatever. Having to deal with this is a small price to pay for that person getting what was coming to him.」
Yeah, that was the price that all of them were paying. I smiled bitterly as I thought that.
I would have to level up sometime later, but it's still not the time yet.
It was nonsense to throw out that element of getting revenge even with a result like this.
My last worry was that the holy girl would find out where I am, but I was pretty sure she still didn't know.
No matter what you say, religion isn't one massive monolith.
Even if she thought it was strange that I was nowhere near and tried to find me, she couldn't simply get herself away from the holy country.
(Well, who cares about what happened. Either way, what happens to this town is going to decide everything.)
If I were to say one thing, it was an action that I would have to say that was for my own satisfaction, but that Minnalis and Shuria started.
「Three days. It was tough, but I have to eat and move around again.」
My spirit blade and skill would still have to be locked away.
Honestly, even if I tried to make a skill sword, the magic inside my body would not let me move. My hands wouldn't even budge if I tried to move them.
I have to keep resisting this depressing magical force, too. But that still shouldn't keep me from moving.
「I shouldn't have those two girls wiping my ass every moment of the day.」
☆
I visited the slum outside the town a few days later.
That's where those scum were hidden, selling all that Ramune, in a building deep inside the slums.
I didn't come here just to drink tea, after all, I came here to get something exchanged.
「Ah…yeah…it should be the same as I predicted then.」
Before my eyes was the fellow in charge of the slum.
He tried to make himself look as normal as possible, but from hearing from his underlings, I set out to meet him.
「We finished checking the property. It's the same price we agreed on. Half the amount for each. Here, take it and go.」
A bag full of silver coins hit the table with a clunk.
That was half the money that was gotten after selling the goods that was stolen from Grond that day.
This guy made a contract and helped me with it. Because of that we were able to get by Grond's guards easily.
「…」
「Hey, You can't fool me even with that face. Even if you do know Jefein and do that it really messes with me, right? You know the underground so you know all this right?」
The guy just shrugged.
「Then check what's inside. All the money's inside.」
「…well, either way it doesn't matter. I got what I wanted done. That alone is enough.」
All of this was just redundant.
Since I thought it was more like a fee for all the trouble I went through, it was nice to get something more than what was necessary.
That's why I took the money and pulled the guy's neck toward me suddenly
「!!」
「Hey you!!」
I ignored all of his underlings and whispered to him.
「This money means nothing. I don't care how much you cut off for yourselves. But just try to break one more contract with me.」
I strongly said in the deepest voice I could muster.
「…and I'll crush you just like I did him.」
「Don't worry. We don't want to mess with a monster.」
The guy's face didn't change color, no toughness, just his words.
(Just like these slum guys, they won't fight in this case.)
So the blustering was over.
Well, whether selling to me or messing with me, you had better keep your words.
「Remember what I said.」
The cloth by his neckline moved with a fwup as I let him go, and went back home.