Chapter 72: Snowball (5)
Chapter 72: Snowball (5)
“In that case, would it be possible to get a few sets of nun’s habits?”
“…Pardon?”
“I think about three sets should be enough.”
“…….”
Helena tilted her head, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.
“Brother Yandel… you are a man, are you not? Shouldn’t you be wearing a priest’s cassock instead of a nun’s habit?”
“Ah, they’re not for me.”
“???”
Helena’s golden eyes blinked, looking even more confused than before.
However, I pushed for an answer regardless.
“Would it be alright, Priestess Helena?”
“It’s not impossible. However, since they’re being taken outside the cathedral, I’ll have to remove our Church’s symbols before giving them to you….”
“That’s no problem. They just need to look like nun’s habits.”
“Don’t tell me…?”
At this point, Helena seemed to guess what I intended to use them for, as she stole a glance at Carla.
Perhaps she found her confirmation in the way Carla had been fidgeting restlessly for a while now.
Helena’s expression soured instantly.
The contrast was even more jarring because she had been passionately singing my praises just moments ago.
Still, she apparently couldn’t bring herself to say no, as she gave a reluctant nod.
“Yes… well… we should have a few spare habits lying around. I’ll have them adjusted and sent to you….”
“Thank you.”
We continued to talk for a bit longer after that, but the atmosphere had become so awkward that the conversation lacked any real substance.
If I had to summarize, it was mostly about how the Union of Good Gods had significantly increased their vigilance against the cults.
It was only natural, considering the cultists had led a full-scale battle this time, unlike the sporadic, minor terror attacks they’d committed until now.
For me, it was a welcome development.
Anyway, after listening for a while to how the current situation differed from the original H&A scenario, we eventually ran out of things to say.
Since it was around lunchtime, I asked if she wanted to grab a bite together, but—
“I’m sorry. I have a prior engagement today with the priests who came from the Main Chapter regarding this incident….”
“Oh, please don’t apologize. If anything, I feel like I’ve kept you for too long. I’ll get going for today, then. I’ll see you next time.”
“Yes. Since Brother Yandel has officially decided to form a bond with us, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. I look forward to working with you.”
With those final words, I parted ways with Helena and headed toward the Central Plaza.
Since I was already out, I figured I might as well meet Fay before heading back to the dormitory.
Unlike Class 1-A, which was currently on hiatus due to the attack, Fay—being in Class 2-A—would have classes today….
But since it was lunchtime, it should be fine.
“Phew… a big campus isn’t always a good thing. It’s a pain to move around.”
“It seems your illusions about the Academy are finally shattering, Master. It looks grand and the facilities are great, but getting from place to place is truly a chore.”
Carla nodded as if she understood perfectly, then leaned in and whispered softly.
“By the way, Master. Did you really want to see me in a nun’s habit that badly?”
“Of course. After nearly dying once, all the things I haven’t tried yet kept flashing through my mind. I realized I’d have a lot of regrets.”
“So… the person you thought of right before you died was me?”
“Is that how it works…?”
As we wandered around, engaging in light banter like that, I suddenly began to feel eyes on me.
Wondering what was going on, I glanced around and saw students whispering while looking my way.
I was used to getting looks while walking around with Carla, but this felt different.
It wasn’t the usual gaze filled with jealousy or disapproval; it was a mix of admiration and disbelief.
I nudged Carla in the side and asked.
“Carla, Carla. The way people are looking at me seems a bit unusual. What do you think?”
“You did something unusual, Master, so isn’t this a natural reaction?”
“It’s only been three… no, four days since I was carried back to the Academy unconscious. The rumors spread that fast?”
“The entire Academy was turned upside down by what happened. Besides, the details are almost unbelievable. Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I first heard?”
Only after hearing Carla’s explanation did I understand why their reactions had flipped so drastically.
To me, Edmerec was just a boss I’d defeated countless times in H&A, so I didn’t feel much, but to them, it must have been a monumental event.
They couldn’t exactly keep ignoring me now that I’d taken down a Cardinal-level heretic.
Of course, I hadn’t done it alone, and I never would have won if it had been any Archbishop other than Edmerec.
If this was the reaction to just Edmerec, I wondered how things would play out in the future.
Chuckling to myself, I made my way toward Fay’s workshop.
According to the game’s setting, Fay had no friends, so she always ate lunch alone in her workshop instead of the cafeteria.
Even though I was sponsoring her now, I doubted that part had changed.
*
Knock, knock, knock.
—Junior…? You’re awake! I’ve unlocked the door, so just come in!
Fay’s voice drifted out from a decoration I hadn’t seen before.
Was it some kind of intercom magical tool? It seemed she also had a device to control the lock remotely.
She probably set it up using the gold I’d sponsored her with last time.
Well, it was about time she paid attention to security. She only hadn’t done it before because she lacked the funds.
Feeling satisfied, I opened the door, and the thick steel that had been locked just moments ago creaked open to let us in.
Passing through a dark corridor, we were soon greeted by Fay’s workshop.
The sight of junk scattered all over the floor, unidentified metals, and potions glowing with suspicious fluorescent light remained the same.
The lack of organization—making it hard to even find a place to step—and the gloomy atmosphere were exactly as I remembered.
However, some things had changed.
High-quality materials were neatly arranged on the shelves, and the alchemy cauldron had been replaced with one of a much sleeker design.
There were plenty of other mysterious new facilities I’d never seen before, and above all, there was no foul odor.
She must have installed an odor removal tool somewhere.
Realizing this a moment later, Carla let out the breath she’d been holding and relaxed her tense expression.
“Phew… it’s still a mess, but it’s changed a lot!”
“It better have. Do you know how much gold I sponsored her?”
Due to a slight misunderstanding, we’d briefly discussed a sponsorship of 1,000 gold per month… but after that was cleared up, we readjusted the amount.
Still, at 500 gold a month, it was significantly more than the 300 gold I’d initially offered.
Sensing our presence, Fay, who had been tinkering with something like a test tube, carefully placed it on a rack and approached us.
“Hup, ho!”
Because of the junk cluttering the floor, she had to hop along on her tiptoes.
Every time she did, there was a heavy, swaying weight. Even through her baggy research coat, her breasts were violently large.
Even Carla was staring at the sight with a blank expression, which said it all.
Fay, on the other hand, seemed to have completely lowered her guard around us, wearing nothing but a look of pure joy.
“Y-you came? Wait just a second. I made something healthy for you, Junior. Let’s see… it should be around here somewhere….”
Fay crouched down and began rummaging through the floor.
Before long, she found a potion bottle filled with a sloshing purple liquid and reached for it, but—
“Huh? Uh…?”
Her massive chest blocked the space between her knees and her torso, preventing her from leaning forward properly.
On top of that, Fay was a short half-dwarf.
With her short arms, she could only flail helplessly even with the potion bottle right in front of her.
Good grief. Is that even possible?
Both Carla and I looked down at Fay with stunned expressions, but Fay nonchalantly changed her posture, dropping onto all fours to grab the bottle.
Then, just as she was about to stand back up—
“Ah.”
Our eyes met, and Fay began to shrink back in embarrassment.
As if only then realizing how she must have looked, she handed me the potion while hunched over.
“H-here… drink this right away. It’s good for you….”
“Oh, thanks. But what exactly is it?”
“Huh? It’s just… good for you…? How should I explain this…?”
Fay stammered through an explanation, but just like last time, I couldn’t really understand her.
She was just that bad at explaining things.
Still, based on what I could gather, it seemed to be some kind of tonic.
The purple color was a bit off-putting… but surely it wouldn’t kill me.
I popped the cap and downed it in one go, and a familiar notification rang in my ear.
Ding!
【You have consumed an Unnamed Potion.】
【Recovery rate increased by 150% for 24 hours.】
【Regular consumption may improve overall health.】
“What the…?”
This wasn’t just a tonic; it was a straight-up buff potion.
The effect itself was on the weaker side, but the duration was insane.
“H-how is it…? Do you feel a surge of energy?”
“Yes. I do feel a bit more energized. Thank you, Senior.”
“Hehe… do you know how shocked I was when I heard you almost died…? I thought the sponsor I finally managed to get was going to disappear just like that….”
“That’s why I came to reassure you as soon as I recovered.”
When I shrugged and said that, Fay let out a sigh of relief.
“For now, just sit and rest. I’ll be right with you once I finish what I was doing. It’ll only take a moment.”
“Go ahead.”
While I waited and chatted with Carla, Fay soon returned holding the test tube she’d been working on.
“Senior? What’s that…?”
“T-this? This is, well!”
As if delighted that I’d asked, Fay began rambling through another explanation.
However, this time she cut herself off before the story got too long and nodded with a confident expression.
“Showing you once is better than explaining it a hundred times! Just watch.”
Fay said that and pulled out a loaf of bread.
It had a dark brown, rough surface. Seeing as it didn't compress at all in Fay's hand, it looked like a hard loaf of black bread—the cheap kind with extremely low wheat content.
“If I do this….”
Fay poured the contents of the test tube over it. The pink liquid didn’t run off; it was completely absorbed into the black bread.
The reaction was instantaneous.
The black bread, which looked like it could be used as a weapon or a brick, softened visibly in an instant.
Fay held out the bread with a proud look.
“Ta-da! Hard black bread becomes soft like this!”
She then took a large bite, showing off the cross-section that had turned pink.
“Munch, munch… and since the reagent from earlier is strawberry-flavored, there’s no need to spread jam on it!”
“Whoa. That’s actually impressive.”
“Gulp… right?! The ingredients are cheap, so I can make a lot of it. Thanks to this, I don’t have to soak hard bread in water to eat it anymore!”
She looked excessively proud. Feeling a slight sense of dissonance at that, I asked casually.
“I see. By the way, what did you have for lunch today?”
“I’m eating it right now?”
“…And what about the gold I sponsored you with?”
“I spent it all on new alchemy tools and materials I’ve been wanting to buy! …Wait. Why the long face, Junior?”
“…….”
I’d sponsored her with 500 gold, and if she was still unable to eat a proper meal, wouldn’t anyone be annoyed?
Of course, if she started selling this potion that made black bread taste good, it would probably make a fortune… but still, this wasn't right.
“Come here, Senior.”
“W-why, Junior…? You’re starting to scare me a little….”
“Zip it! Come here right now and tell me exactly where you spent every bit of that 500 gold!”
“Hieeeek! You said you wouldn’t do a financial audit! You said you wouldn’t!”
“I’m starting today, so don’t try to run and come here quietly!”
As she flailed her arms and legs trying to escape, I grabbed Fay by the ankles and held her upside down.
It was white.