"First of all...introductions. You didn't really give me too much of a chance to introduce myself, did you?" The priest spoke, a small smile on their face regardless.
That's right, 'their'. I was done trying to figure out whether or not they were a girl or boy anymore.
Besides, they were hot, in a feminine way...that was good enough for me!
"Sorry, most people I meet don't usually try to sneak up on me and drop cryptic tidbits of information like some kind of ARG." I retorted.
"Touche."
The priest gave in with a smile, and extended a hand towards me.
"You can call me...Jay."
"Jay?" I stared at their outstretched hand, thinking of the way they had struggled to say it. "Why a fake name?" I immediately called it out, while meeting them for a half-hearted handshake.
"Ow, you didn't have to call me out so quickly...I would have enjoyed hearing you innocently call me that." They gave me a sly smile. But it never quite reached their dead, void-black eyes. "But, well, Jay is what it will be. For now."
'Why is everyone around me determined to be some kind of mystery...? I really miss you, Liliana.'
I groaned internally. She really was the most straightforward person I had met. Even now, I couldn't help but wonder where she was...
But I had to shove those thoughts of her into the back of my mind, the same way I continued shoving thoughts of Viola back there.
"So, earlier, you said that there was a solution to Alyssa's 'issue'. Mind talking a little more about that?"
Jay sat down a good distance away from Alyssa's form, which continued to restlessly toss and turn in sleep.
As they sat, I swear that the priest outfit they wore was way too tight on them, showing off their slim curves...what sort of priest looked this sinful?
As if noticing me staring, Jay smiled, leaning forward while they began speaking.
"I'm sure that you know about the fact that some people don't necessarily have special abilities. I don't have one, either. However, I've acquired knowledge on how to 'craft items' from 'materials'. It's become an ability over time, you could say."
"...ah."
I blinked twice, silently absorbing that simple information-
"Wait, WHAT?! Y-you use materials...to craft?! Like...you have an actual use for them beyond keeping Abnormalities at bay?"
Their words were revolutionary. Materials, as even I knew them over multiple Regressions, were just a way of flaunting your influence as a Guild and making one or two good safehouses. Nobody before had ever thought there to be a use for them.
Not even Viola, who had lived for so long, knew this information!!!
Yet, here beside me, sat the one person with that capability.
I had many questions. But only one ended up coming out.
"...is it an exclusive ability?"
Not all abilities were completely exclusive. For example, if your special ability was exclusively to 'control fire', you may be able to train harder to do all types of fire attacks, but you'd likely start off extremely weak. But if your special ability was exclusively to 'make fireballs', you were extremely limited in what you could do, but in return, you would begin with a strong attack from the start.
Incidentally, the most overpowered and versatile by nature were people with magic-adjacent abilities, because they all could learn special ways of making unique spells.
This is why Nozomi's magical girls were truly ridiculous. Magicians are a rare breed, and Nozomi had managed to gather and train an entire guild of them. They just never got to show off their true might during the fight with the Flood Dragon.
"Well, of course, I can't reveal that information. And I won't reveal how I got the ability, either."
It wasn't an unexpected response. Still, I reached out for Jay's neck instinctively, before they jumped up and stepped back nervously, waving their hands in front of their face.
"N-Now, now, don't start resorting to violence again, Mr..."
"Manager."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Manager, don't...hm?" Jay stopped in place, and tilted their head. They tapped their cheek while staring at me. "Manager, you said. Aren't you also at fault for very clearly using an alias too?"
I sighed while folding my arms. "It doesn't really matter...let my alias slide and I'll keep letting yours."
"Something about that sounds more like you're threatening me instead of offering a fair deal, but…sure. I do want to help the Saintess, after all. And I don't want my neck wrung again, like you're so eager to do..."
I blushed, trying my best not to think of Jay's slender frame pressed up against the wall. Instead, I looked up at Jay with a serious expression. "So, I'm guessing that the method has something to do with making her some sort of item…?"
They nodded, a thin smile on their lips. "Specifically, it has to do with the cigarettes that you've been 'finding' for her. Well...I should say that you've been hiding them from her, but...I understand why."
The insinuation in their voice was chilling. After all, they even knew that I had been hiding stashes of cigarettes to draw from every now and then for the Saintess.
They really had just been stalking us for who knows how long. Listening to our conversations, following our trail...but why?
"Using the 'materials' that will appear in dungeons, I should be able to craft some special cigarettes for her. I'm not exactly sure why smoking cigarettes enhanced with 'materials' distracts the thing that chases her, but it's only temporarily effective. More importantly, it's the only thing that can help her right now." Jay approached, standing just a few inches in front of me.
I could see their features more clearly. Their face was actually freckled…and their lips had a light pink tint to them. And they looked so soft…
I cleared my throat, to which Jay continued, their gaze locked onto mine.
"The only issue is…I'm not really that strong. I haven't even gotten any materials yet. Clearing a dungeon to acquire them is a dream for me." Jay admitted with a sheepish smile that looked a little too cute. "And so…"
"And that's where I come in, I guess." I sighed, trying my best to be a bit more serious to keep myself from getting carried away by Jay's over-familiar attitude.
"That's right. If there's anyone who can assist me in taking over dungeons to procure the materials needed for the Saintess, it's you, Mr. Manager. I may not be a fighter, but even I can tell that you're somewhat capable."
The 'somewhat' part was annoying, but he was right. The Saintess was no longer in a condition to fight. Even travelling was rough.
I paused, thinking about the whole proposition for a while. Right now, sure, it made sense...but assuming this guy and the Saintess's right hand were really one and the same...
What was with this timing?
"Why only show up to help us now? Based on the way you're talking, I can tell that you've been watching us for a little while. I don't know exactly how long, but...you definitely didn't just find out about us today."
Jay rubbed the back of their neck, their dark eyes giving way to momentary sheepishness.
"Ahaha...the truth is, I had intended to approach you earlier, but...you were just a bit too scary, Mr. Manager. I was afraid of what would happen. You always looked so vigilant and wary..."
What.
"M-Me?! You were afraid of me, and not the Saintess herself??"
Jay looked at me with an odd expression, as if he was the confused one. "H-Hm? Why would I be afraid of the Saintess? She's such a kind, gentle person..."
'...if I'm a Regressor, maybe this guy has the ability to see into parallel worlds? Because the Saintess I know, while maybe occasionally nice, is definitely not a 'kind person'.'
"Well, if that's the story you're going to stick with." I sighed, while taking mental note of how my mere presence had changed the future.
I sort of understand how things were supposed to go now.
A week or two into everything, around this exact time, The Saintess, struggling from hearing these 'voices', would be approached by 'Jay', who would offer their services for some odd reason. Being desperate, the Saintess would agree with no complaint, and go prowling to hunt down dungeons.
There, she'd acquire her peculiar habit of smoking away to calm herself down. At first, I thought it was just a bad habit, but even that small thing had a meaning behind it.
Now I understood why her Guild was so particularly hungry to stake their claim on as many dungeons as possible. The Saintess couldn't survive without the materials that they produced.
And it made it even more bewildering that she had chosen to give that dungeon to Liliana and I, when she was surely still in the middle of struggling to adjust.
I turned around, staring at the Saintess's - Alyssa's sleeping figure. I certainly understood her a little more, but I felt like the more I learned, the less I really, truly understood.
But I had promised, this Regression, that I'd dedicate everything to helping and understanding her. I never went back on my word.
"Okay. Let's start working to help her. Know of any nearby dungeons...?"
Jay smiled, their eyes momentarily filling with light.
"Yes. In fact, I know just the place..."