You're Unnecessarily Perceptive
You're Unnecessarily Perceptive
As soon as Kylon left, what I did was put my ear to the door to check if he had gone into the next room.
After hearing the click of the door opening and closing, I carefully grabbed the doorknob and gently opened it, making sure the hinges didn't make a strange sound, to check the area next to it.
Kylon must have definitely gone back to his room, as he didn't appear in the hallway either.
Recalling Kylon talking with Linda, I judged that he would probably be held captive by Linda and continue the conversation, so I grabbed my bag and headed outside.
There was only one thing I had to do now. It was to replenish the Potions I had used up today.
But since the knife I really needed had been confiscated, I had no means to replenish them. However, I had a plan of my own, so I quickly moved my feet.
After stealthily slipping out of the hallway, I carefully checked that no one was around the inn counter and then approached the innkeeper.
"Um, excuse me, but could I wash some Potion bottles where there's water?"
When I, showing him the empty Potion bottles in my bag, asked that, the innkeeper, as if I was asking something obvious, nodded his head very naturally.
"Oh my, you're the Saintess-nim. If the Saintess-nim says she'll use water, it's very welcome for us."
"Oh, and... could I borrow just one knife?"
"Of course. Just a moment... Here you go. You can just use it."
"No, I'll definitely return it. Thank you. I pray that God's care fills you."
"You, you'll pray for me... Thank you!"
Even though it had no effect, I saw the innkeeper rejoicing as if he would gain an effect if the Saintess prayed for him.
He said using water was welcome, and it seemed he thought that if I used water, it would turn into Holy Water.
I felt sorry for the innkeeper, but I had merely used the etiquette I learned at the Nunnery Training Center, and it was a prayer that couldn't provide any actual effect.
Right now, even if I prayed, I couldn't see any effect, so I was a mere bug, a Potion provider for fatigue.
Since he was so grateful, I felt a pang of guilt. I decided that if I ever gained abilities in the future, I would offer a real prayer when I returned here. With that thought, I carefully put the knife in my bag and headed towards the water source.
In this world without faucets, naturally, drawing groundwater and collecting it in one place before using it was the basic method.
If you only heard the description, you might think it's incredibly old-fashioned, but when you actually see it, half of it is automated. You can see water quickly drawn and flowing through hoses, which evoked a truly subtle scene.
Compared to a world that generally applies physical principles to create things, should I say it felt strongly dependent on Magic Stones?
Anyway, in that it was easy to draw and use water, it could be said to be very good.
I carefully placed the empty bottles into a small basket and began washing them. Since there was no other kitchen detergent, I thoroughly wiped the openings with my bare hands until they squeaked.
After putting water inside, I blocked the opening and didn't forget to shake them around to rinse them.
I gathered the cleaned empty bottles and, grabbing one of the inn's towels placed next to the bathroom, I went straight into the communal bathroom and looked inside.
The Hero told me not to do such things, but if I really listened to him and did nothing, how could I cope when something like today happened?
I simply couldn't know.
So, it was better to do it secretly, so that by the time he found out, it would already be too late.
Isn't there a saying, if it's hard to get permission, commit the act and then ask for forgiveness?
Since it was obvious I'd be caught quickly if blood splattered on my white clothes, I took the clothes that were a single piece, like a dress, folded them neatly in the storage locker and put them inside.
I took off one piece after another until I was naked, and then, grabbing the empty bottles and the knife, I headed to a corner of the bathtub.
Washing could wait; for now, preventing water from mixing with the blood was the priority.
As I brought the knife to my wrist, I felt a strange sense of tension. I knew I wouldn't die, but when it came to actually doing it again, how should I say it, I didn't feel like it.
When I was consumed by anxiety and an immediate itch arose, I felt no particular emotion even if I cut anywhere with a knife, but doing such a thing while sober wasn't easy at all.
My breath trembled.
But hadn't I resolved myself?
In order for me to escape this world, and for the True Ending, which might be the key to it, I had to give up many things.
So, I had to endure this pain with the thought that it would be less than the pain I would suffer for a lifetime if I were trapped in this world.
The artery, which is said to bleed the most at once.
But if you ask if slashing a wrist makes that much blood come out, that wasn't the case either.
If you press it as if feeling a pulse, it feels like it's clumping. You have to dig into the flesh between those two small bones; only then could you finally sever the artery.
Even this, if done incorrectly, could end up just hurting without reaching the target, but if you dug a few times, it would break quickly, so there wasn't much to worry about.
I took a deep breath, and then looked at the empty bottles in front of me. Perhaps my resolve wasn't firm enough; the knife only touched my wrist and couldn't dig any deeper, catching my eye.
"...Th-this..."
I gritted my teeth.
"If I don't do it, it won't work. You saw it, didn't you?"
I directly consoled myself.
"Kylon, who almost died from poison again today. So... if I don't do this, Kylon will eventually die."
For the Ending, Kylon was needed.
And the Heroines he led were also needed.
Therefore, with the thought that no one should be allowed to die, I firmed my resolve and put a lot of force into my right hand.
Then, *whoosh, whoosh*, vigorous streams of blood gushed out and began to cover various places.
A momentary wave of fatigue surged, but I quickly regained my senses. Before the deeply cut wound could heal, I brought the bottle to my wrist to collect the blood.
Was it due to blood pressure? The streams of blood gushing out like a fountain quickly filled the bottles one by one.
And after that, I filled all the bottles and, capping them, I tried to keep my tired eyes open. I roughly washed the outside of the bottles and gently placed them on top of the storage locker.
And then, returning again, I made the water warm as written in the Magic Stone usage guide, and, getting in, I enjoyed a bath for the first time in a long while.
Because I always used Cheonggyeol Mabeop, I hadn't known this feeling, but this long-awaited sensation enveloped my body, and I lay comfortably, allowing my body to rest.
A bath after a long time was truly refreshing. But my wet hair, no matter how much I rubbed it with a towel, wouldn't dry properly, so it was frustrating, and I ended up having to bring two towels.
Since I was already completely undressed, I only put on my underwear and Saintess's Robes. With my stockings and Garter Belt in my bag, as I carefully turned to return to my room, I saw Kylon knocking on my door, his Glabellum furrowed.
"...Veronica?"
No, why is he there? Wasn't it time for him to be banging Linda?
As I furrowed my Glabellum with that thought and watched his back, he must have thought I had disappeared, as he was about to head somewhere with a grim expression.
I worried that he might think I had run away alone, so I had no choice but to call out to him.
"...Ah, yes. I'm here..."
Perhaps he hadn't expected me to appear from behind, he flinched in surprise, then stared at me with wide eyes before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Uh, where did you go...? Ah, to wash...?"
His bewilderment lasted only a moment, as he quickly realized upon seeing my wet hair.
The fact that I had just bathed.
As if he understood, he erased the grim expression he had worn until just now and nodded, then briefly lowered his gaze. I had wanted to hide it as much as possible, but I felt his gaze fix on my bag, which had ultimately been exposed.
"But why the bag..."
Thinking that if I let him into the room, he would easily pry into this and that, I replied indifferently.
"I'm just trying to put my clothes in. I'm bare-legged right now, you'll understand, won't you?"
Normally, I reduce the exposure of my legs with stockings and a Garter Belt, but since I had just bathed, there was no need to wear them, so they were in my bag.
As I casually revealed my legs through the slit in my skirt, he simply closed his mouth tightly and stared at me.
"......."
"...If you have nothing else to say, I'll go. I want to rest a bit."
"Do you need spare clothes?"
He, who had never given me spare clothes until now, told me for the first time that he would give me spare clothes.
The reason he hadn't given me spare clothes in the first place, I knew well.
The difference between wearing dirty clothes and wearing pure white clothes was clear.
It meant that it was suitable to be used as a means to detect whether or not I had self-harmed.
That's why even now, I had deliberately gone to the bathroom to fill the Potions.
Unless he was trying to look into this bag, he would never know in his wildest dreams.
How could he possibly think that I would take off these clothes and even cut my body?
Anyway, since he was offering a favor, there was no reason to refuse it, so I smiled and nodded.
"Really? I like that."
"Then just a moment..."
Uh, wait a minute, why is he naturally looking for an opening to enter my room?
No, Kylon, you have Linda, don't you? You also have Agnes and Flora to bang in the future, so why do you keep spending time with me like this?
Many complaints went through my mind, but I had no choice but to say "okay" and open the door.
The moment I entered the room, Kylon scanned the room once and then told me.
"...Give me your bag."
He's really unnecessarily quick-witted, I tell you.