Don't Do That, Master
“Please don’t do that.” Lily serves as both the Holy Hero and the Saintess of the Church. Because of that, she isn’t surrounded solely by followers like Garam. Priests and paladins dispatched by the Church remain constantly at her side.
“Saintess, it isn’t that we fail to understand your noble intentions. But what you did was far too reckless.”
“From now on, we beg you to take at least the paladins with you.”
When we entered the Church’s chapel within the city, its members had already gathered around Lily. It was clearly because she had wandered the streets at night without informing anyone. As befits the Holy Hero, Lily possessed an ability that could rightly be called a divine blessing. The priests of the Church could barely manage to heal minor wounds, and even that left them drenched in sweat. Yet people wept, calling even such small miracles the work of God. Lily could restore someone on the brink of death from a fatal wound in the blink of an eye. Any curse became nothing more than dust before her. Simply offering a prayer could raise the combat strength of those around her.
It was as if the skills from the game had been transplanted directly into reality. I hadn’t felt it so keenly while simply playing, but seeing Lily like this made it clear. To the people of this world, her power truly was a divine blessing.
“I understand your concerns. However, before I am a Saintess, I am a Hero. Though I am temporarily entrusted to the Church, I must step forward for the sake of this world. If there is something I can resolve, then I wish to resolve it myself.”
“Saintess…”
“Hero…”
“I trust that you will all understand.”
As Lily spoke with a gentle smile, a halo seemed to shine behind her. Perhaps it wasn’t just my imagination. The Church members nodded fervently, as though they felt it too. A few of them even had tears welling in their eyes.
“…She really is incredibly respected.”
“So it seems.”
“Isn’t it strange? Lily is Master’s disciple too, so why…?”
“What exactly are you trying to say, my disciple?”
“I’m just wondering how someone raised under Master could turn out to be such an upright Hero!”
“You have a strange way of asking to be hit, you damned disciple.”
When I clenched my fist with a faint smile, Iris immediately slipped behind me. Even so, the playful grin on her face was unmistakably that of my disciple. Thinking about it, there really was no disciple as flawless as Lily. Garam was too sharp toward others, and Jenia was the same. The third was far too careless, and the fourth was rigid. The fifth, Iris the Fighter Hero, was hot-blooded and charged straight ahead at everything. The seventh, who had been the youngest before Iris joined, was far too gloomy. Then again, it would be odd for the party’s only healer to be sharp-tongued or gloomy. If anything, this was the perfect embodiment of her setting.
“…Brother.”
While I was lost in thought, Lily approached me. Naturally, she hadn’t revealed that I was her master. Instead, she had explained me as a mercenary who had stayed by her side when she descended into the Demon God Worshippers’ hideout. Thanks to that, even though the Church members subtly looked down on mercenaries, I received the utmost hospitality.
“Brother Hyacinth.”
Following Church etiquette, I placed one hand over my chest and bowed my head. Iris, who had come running up beside me, did the same. Lily quickly waved her hands, telling us not to. To the Church members, it probably looked like nothing more than the modest demeanor of a Saintess. But from where I stood, all I could see was my flustered disciple desperately trying to stop us.
“Was there any discomfort while you stayed here?”
“None at all. I am merely grateful for the Saintess’s and the Church’s kindness.”
“Please don’t say that. You are the kind person who helped me when you had no reason to.”
At Lily’s words, the Church members behind her all nodded in unison. Rather than being angered that a mere mercenary was speaking with the Saintess, they seemed to think it only natural that she would treat someone who had aided her with such respect. It was clear Lily was playing her role perfectly. Originally, I would have felt wary glances from them, but now the prevailing sentiment was that if the Saintess trusted me, then so should they.
“Brother, if it isn’t too presumptuous, may I ask a favor?”
“Anything you wish, Saintess.”
“I would like to look around the city a little more, but unfortunately, those at my side aren’t familiar with the area. They also stand out too much. I was hoping you might accompany me instead.”
“Assigning an escort mission to a mere mercenary? Saintess, the others might find it uncomfortable.”
At my words, Lily quietly turned her head toward the people watching us. Then she spoke.
“Do you truly think so? Are you uncomfortable with me accompanying this person?”
The Church members all shook their heads at once. If that was the Saintess’s—the Hero’s—wish, they would simply follow. They only asked that the outing not last too long.
“Are you satisfied now? They’ve all agreed.”
“…If the Saintess insists, then I suppose I have no choice.”
When I turned slightly, Iris was staring at me with a sullen expression. She seemed to have realized that while the Church members weren’t coming along, she wouldn’t be allowed to either.
“I’ll be back soon, so wait quietly here, my disciple.”
“It won’t take long, right?”
“There’s no need to worry, Sister. I simply wish to see a bit more of the city.”
Lily stepped in on my behalf and answered Iris’s question. When Iris finally agreed, she tugged at my arm, urging me to leave quickly before anyone noticed. In the end, I gave in and followed Lily out of the chapel.
Lily had already changed into the plain robes of an ordinary priest, and I looked like nothing more than an average man. Thanks to that, we were able to stroll through the streets without anyone bothering us.
“Haa…”
Once we were far enough from the chapel, Lily let out a careful sigh. She glanced around several times, checking that no one was following.
“There’s no one here, Lily.”
“…”
“So you can speak comfortably now.”
“…Really?”
Even after saying that, she checked her surroundings a few more times. Only after spending several minutes looking around did Lily finally let her guard down.
“Whew… I thought I was going to suffocate.”
Others probably assumed Lily had always spoken that way, but I, who had taught her, knew that wasn’t her true self. She was actually quite shy and found people’s gazes burdensome. I had once worried whether someone like her could truly fulfill the role of a Hero. No matter how exceptional her abilities were, if she couldn’t inspire faith, she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own as a Hero. That was why I had been concerned at first. Of course, the conclusion was that she was handling it better than anyone could have hoped. That old version of herself only showed when she was with me, her master.
“You’ve had it rough.”
“It’s not that bad. It’s just a little difficult to always remain the Saintess and the Hero that everyone expects me to be.”
“You could speak more casually like this and it wouldn’t matter.”
“This way of speaking inspires a little more trust and faith.”
She was trying her best to live even a little more like a Saintess, like a Hero. She whispered beside me that she would do anything to live up to her master’s expectations.
“By the way, what brings you here? I was really surprised when I first saw you, Master.”
“You haven’t heard about the fifth yet?”
“Iris? No, I haven’t. Did something happen?”
“…They say she’s been out of contact for over two months now.”
“What?”
Lily’s face showed clear shock. She seemed stunned that her own information was even later than mine.
“I-I’m sorry. I had no idea. How could I be so foolish…! I’m an idiot!”
“I heard you were on a pilgrimage in the southern continent until recently. It’s only natural that this happened while you were away. The others have already noticed and are preparing countermeasures, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Still… I’m sorry, Master. You always told us to look out for one another and rely on each other…”
“It’s fine. The fourth has already started moving, and I’m planning to head there right away.”
At that, Lily’s eyes began to sparkle.
“You’re going, Master? Then this isn’t just a short visit?”
“Yeah. The continental situation is getting more dangerous by the day, and I wanted to see how you all were doing with my own eyes.”
“Did you… miss us?”
“Hmm. Maybe. It’s been more than three years since you all left my side.”
I had a rough idea of how my disciples were faring from what I’d heard. But I hadn’t actually seen their faces since they left. They were all so busy fulfilling their duties as Heroes. I couldn’t exactly go around boasting that I was their master when I couldn’t be there for them in their most critical moments. I had deliberately kept my distance, worried that I might become a hindrance or put them in danger. But this time, I felt it was right to go down.
The Fragments of the Demon God were troubling, but my disciples had grown incredibly strong. Even if they couldn’t handle it alone, if several of them teamed up like they did in the game, they should be able to easily overcome the malice directed at this world. And whether intentional or not, I wanted to confirm the bond and trust between me and my disciples. In the game, I was the player and they were characters, so it was natural for them to follow my orders. But here, though we were master and disciples, we were all beings with our own wills. It was possible for us to grow distant, for things to become awkward. I had done my best to prevent that, but the world was unpredictable. Even if my disciples didn’t feel that way, I needed reassurance for myself. The belief that we could do this, that we could survive, in this era on the verge of ending.
“Master, is something troubling you?”
“Hm?”
“Your face is full of worry. Is there another problem…?”
It wasn’t an act or pretense. Just like Garam, just like Iris, and just like the disciple standing before me now, my disciples were still moving forward exactly as I had taught them. They didn’t even entertain the slightest doubt. It made me feel ashamed for having harbored such thoughts at all.
“Lily Hyacinth.”
“Yes, Master. Please tell me. If it’s something I can handle…”
“You’ve worked hard. And it looks like you’ll keep working hard, so I feel a little sorry.”
At my words, Lily suddenly stopped in her tracks. When I looked at her questioningly, her face grew tense.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“…No? Absolutely not. What could you have possibly done wrong?”
“Then why are you saying that? Why would you apologize to me, Master?”
“That’s…”
“Please don’t, Master. You don’t need to do that. All of us owe you a great debt. We’ve only just begun to repay it, so why would you apologize? Please don’t. Just believe in us. Just tell us that we can do it. You can worry, but please don’t feel sorry. If you truly care about us… then don’t do that, Master.”
Holding my hand tightly, my disciple whispered those words. Without realizing it, I found myself smiling like a fool.