Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Do Me a Favor
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“...It’s a misunderstanding.”
I manage to reply toward the icy stare.
No, really.
I feel wronged.
I don’t have some weird perversion or anything twisted like that. I was just doing exactly what Yuria asked.
If I hadn’t, she would’ve completely lost it to the devil inside her and gone berserk. What choice did I have?
“She’s the little sister I reunited with after several years. My only family.”
But Lucien pressed on in a frosty tone.
“And yet, that one and only family says right after reuniting, it doesn’t matter if she serves some outsider as her master.”
“...”
What kind of master crap is that?
I get a headache just hearing the title. Please spare me.
All people in the world are equal.
The Sera world is modeled after a feudal society, but whatever.
“She said as long as that man doesn’t abandon her, nothing else matters—even what he does to her. And to show her resolve, she put the collar on herself and handed it over.”
“...”
“I looked into why she’s so obsessed, and turns out Yuria was completely cut off from the world, unable to see anyone. He was the only one who ever paid attention to her.”
“...”
“Then one day, he vanished without a word, leaving her to sob alone. She prayed endlessly just to see him once more until he came back.”
“...”
“Well, anyone in that spot would latch on without needing excuses.”
“...”
“Am I misunderstanding anything here?”
“...”
I can’t even respond and just stay silent, so the saintess narrows her eyes fiercely and asks again.
“Is there?”
“...No, there isn’t.”
Put like that, yeah, I sound like irredeemable trash. Fair enough.
“Still, let’s set that aside for now. You might’ve sparked it, but Yuria going that far isn’t all on you.”
Lucien lets out a sigh as she says it, and I nod, breaking out in cold sweat.
Right. If you let it slide, I’m grateful.
“And I can’t thank you enough.”
With that, Lucien bows her head politely.
“...I heard you faced the Pope and flat-out told him to stop meddling with us.”
Unlike before, her voice is incredibly courteous.
You could even say it carries a touch of pathos.
“With just us sisters, we’d never escape that man’s clutches in our lifetime. Meeting you truly was heaven’s grace.”
“...”
[ Target ‘Lucien’s favorability has increased! ]
[ Favorability stage promoted to ‘Interest Level 1’! ]
[ Claimable rewards added! ]
[ Rewards reduced since it’s a good-aligned character! ]
I scratch my cheek at the window popping up in front of me.
“...You don’t need to thank me that much.”
Well, the Pope and I are fated to clash whether I like it or not.
A few scenario villains can be handled halfway decently, but the Pope? Never.
“...”
I get his goal.
To put it vaguely.
The Pope’s trying to build “Paradise”—his ideal utopia on earth.
You could package the intent as noble and pure if you tried.
But unlike Valkasus.
He’s straight-up trash. No cooperating with that.
It gets painfully clear in the scenario’s later acts.
“And anyway, his hands-off approach won’t last. He could flip anytime.”
The Grayhauncher sisters’ arc is a core main scenario thread that runs parallel to the Pope.
I neutralized their interference for now through that talk, but the Holy Kingdom and Pope won’t leave the homunculi alone until their whole plan’s in ruins.
Especially if you consider what these two can do grown to the endgame in that setup.
“...You’re right.”
Lucien continues in a faintly gloomy tone.
“The Pope’s ‘grand undertaking’ needs me and Yuria. I don’t expect him to quit, but...”
A bitter smile crosses the saintess’s face.
“That said, I’d never downplay what you did. How can I even thank you...”
“Ah, then let’s settle for a few favors.”
“...”
Lucien’s face goes blank for a second.
She looks thrown off as I jump right in like I’d been waiting.
Why the shock?
Nothing in life’s free.
“...Favors?”
“Yes. Favors.”
“I’ll do anything you ask, of course, but for someone called a saintess, my actual capabilities are...”
“Ah, it’s fine. I’m not expecting much from you anyway.”
Seriously.
Asking for the world from her would prick my conscience. She was under torture in the Holy Kingdom not long ago.
“...”
Lucien’s expression droops a little.
“I see.”
“...Wait, why the long face? Didn’t you just say you can’t do much?”
“Still, hearing it straight like this... it stings a bit.”
“...”
The sisters really are cut from the same cloth when it comes to being timid.
Lucien especially—from the bleached hair, she gives off gum-chewing, tough-girl vibes, but she’s pure introvert in action.
“...First up.”
Anyway.
Two things I want.
“Help me train my divine possession. Not many in the church can even get near you, right?”
I’m handing off my divine possession training to her—the stuff barely scraping out of F, stuck between E and D.
Priest build means every divine ability’s a must, and she’ll be huge help there.
“That’s not hard. If I may ask, benefactor... what’s your current divine possession at?”
“Maggot level.”
“...”
“Simplest healing blessing takes me three minutes. You could probably crank out two hundred at once, no relic needed.”
“...And your goal?”
“Third of yours inside a month.”
That’s the minimum to actually help my pressing issues.
Just the ones tied to my divine power handling.
Lifting Elnor’s family curse, chapter four holy sword hunt for Eliya re: Kalliban, smoothing out future inquisitor messes...
None are pushovers. Half-assed growth won’t cut it.
But hit that level? My wiggle room explodes. Even messy spots become manageable.
“...”
Lucien’s lips quiver.
“...I’ll do my best.”
Saintess through and through.
Doesn’t curse me out but hands back a sweet reply.
‘Not impossible anyway.’
System-wise, I know growth hacks for that stuff blindfolded.
Just need a top instructor like Lucien to nail the practical handling.
“And second.”
This is the real meat.
Urgent as hell, bigger headache too.
“About your sister.”
Lucien’s face hardens.
“Her state’s rough. Not critical yet, but teetering.”
‘Severance’ curse viciousness means she looks fine surface-level for now.
But curses eat hosts slow. Body part hit after mere years? Not simple.
Proof: can’t speak without Lucien close.
“...At least with me here now, it’s a bit better.”
Yeah, homunculi get fat buffs sticking together. Curse resistance spikes too.
“We bought time, so if a real fix comes up meanwhile...”
But.
“Don’t like it.”
“...Pardon?”
“Dragging it out sucks. Reunited after ages, can’t even get close proper? Bullshit.”
That damn curse.
Can’t keep them together long. Accidents waiting to happen.
Pre-Lucien sanity, semi-isolate Yuria in same room worked, but both mobile now? Risky as hell.
Haven’t even talked right.
Absurd.
Years apart.
“...”
My words make Lucien’s eyes go wide.
“Let’s fix it. Now.”
Iron horns get yanked hot.
Three days to Valkasus event. No dragging.
Yuria’s sword ‘Severance’ packs curse plus demon shard. Clear one or chapter two stalls dead.
Curse easier than shard.
And most crucially.
‘Clear that first to ditch the collar...!’
Kill the no-others-within-three-steps trait, collar’s gone somehow.
That’s my top priority...!
“...”
Mid-thought.
Catch Lucien glaring, cheeks faintly flushed.
“...? Fever? You’re not fully recovered...”
“...Yeah, getting that vibe. Dude drops bombs clueless, zero tact.”
“...”
Why the shade?
What’d I do?
“...Not the talk-and-fix type, so spit it. Got a way?”
“Obviously.”
Duh.
Not perfect, but workaround aplenty.
Explain clear for saintess.
“You insane for real?”
“...”
Dawood Campbell, lifetime first.
Cussed at twice by saintess straight-up.
Why tho.
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Holy Kingdom delegation to Elpante always same routine.
Maintain inside religious sites. Few simple events.
Supposed to be low-key.
Supposed to.
Would be without saintess superstar.
“Saintess looked here!”
“Saw past horizon probably.”
“Nah, totally me!”
“...”
Crowd like sardines, shrieking mobbing every move—headache incarnate.
Eliya beside me rubs face wearily.
Hero candidate duty: guard saintess at big event. Didn’t expect this crush though.
Saintess tucked safe in shrouded carriage, but outside guards shoving masses? Hell.
“Why guard spot suddenly vacant, chaos...”
Eliya groans under breath, I snicker.
Nominally Valkasus’s gig as Lucien’s guard knight.
But him? Eh.
[ Main Quest ] 〖 Chapter 2 – Boy King 〗
[ 3 days until ‘Academy Raid’ incident! ]
Prep busy, bet.
Not your average blowout.
Valkasus sweating prep hard.
Bitter smirk, then voice from side.
“...Teacher.”
“Yeah?”
“Help me out?”
“What how?”
“Stop that first...?”
Points to me gripping collar, Yuria grinning dopily lunging to cling.
I strain keeping distance each time.
Saintess’s presence veil blessing hides mess from surroundings. Whew.
“Kinky play? Dying for rumors?”
“...No.”
Bit apart, she hits hardcore anxiety. No helping it.
Do as asked best...
“Huh? Teacher vanished post-midsems two days. How’d she hold that stretch?”
“Didn’t.”
“...Huh?”
“Broke dorm window this morning. Curled asleep bedside.”
“...”
Harvest tho. Solid intel.
Yuria maxes two days sans me.
Held barely cuz Lucien zoned out; sister awake healthy news, boom—that.
“...Dragging danger like her to routine delegation why?”
“Needed to, dummy...”
When I half-ass?
Saintess clears access spots.
Last stop now: prime example.
“...Wild every visit.”
Star’s Heart.
Dome pulses huge divine power visible outside.
Only in three academies ringing void zone. Powers area barriers.
Saintess-tier can’t touch. Permit lucky break.
Usual: enter, pray thanks, bail.
Yeah.
Usual.
“Class said seraph relic intact inside. Powers barriers semi-perma. Nuts, right?”
Eliya chatters bubbly.
Bound to dig ‘heavenly’ ‘angels’—idol Kalliban holy knight.
“Anti-terror security too?”
“Yeah.”
“Touch relic, seraph guards spawn! Angels nail it!”
“Right.”
“...”
Flat responses to her hype, she quiets.
Finally clocks weird.
‘Star’s Heart’ inside: just us three.
Me. Yuria. Eliya.
Rest outside waiting.
My saintess special request.
“...What’s this?”
Eyes slit razor-sharp.
Ominous instinct face.
“Scheming again?”
“Scheming what.”
Yawn, eye throbbing mega-crystal ahead.
‘Star’s Heart’ itself.
Later Eliya holy sword material.
Self-power perpetual engine.
“...”
Eliya ominous amps.
Stride to Star’s Heart meanwhile.
“Teacher. No way, right?”
“What no.”
“...That, no, right?”
Dunno what, but if that—yes.
Sword out, slam Star’s Heart.
“...”
“...”
Icy silence grips.
“What the hell you doing, psycho—?! Total nutjob?!”
Eliya shrieks wildfire, I chuckle.
“Fine. No scratch even.”
“Scratch ain’t issue...!”
-...
-...
-...!!!!
Star’s Heart blasts red glow sensing ‘impact’.
No friend vibes.
Glow ramps, throb speeds.
Like ‘summoning’ something.
‘Perfect.’
Chuckle watching.
“Hey, agreed. Angels pros.”
“What sudden?!”
“Yeah, so quick chat with ‘em.”
Severance curse—game’s top vicious.
Acute fix? Normies out.
Borrow angel curse pros.
‘But...’
Seraph high angel brass. Not casual meet.
Busy folk meet two ways.
One: book ages ahead.
Three days? Nah.
“...”
Two: make scene.
Massive one.
Escalate to them.
“Yeah.”
Eliya mutters enlightened.
“Always knew psycho.”
“...”
Words drop same time.
-!
-!!!
-!!!!!!!!!
Red light erupts, devours dome savage.
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