Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Priest, I Need Your Holy Water (5)
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Monsters? Weren't they all finished? Isabel had definitely said she'd taken care of the rest...
Some ominous feeling was creeping up on me.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, I flicked only my eyes toward Isabel again.
Her face had darkened in the meantime. At some point, she was biting her lip hard, her expression openly twisted in a frown.
"Haa... I guess I'll have to go check. Priest, you stay put right here. It's dangerous, so I'll wrap it up quick and come back."
"Ah, yeah... Be careful."
Isabel let out a deep sigh from the bottom of her lungs and grabbed her knees to stand. She trudged to the door and planted herself in front of the wolf beastkin woman.
"You hurt?"
"I-I'm fine. I can still fight."
The beastkin woman clutched her side, breathing irregularly. She said that, but she didn't look like she could fight in any way.
Blood was pouring nonstop from between her abdominal muscles. She desperately needed treatment right now.
As if reading my exact thoughts, Isabel shook her head with a long snort and forcibly shoved the beastkin woman back inside.
"Forget it. You stay in here and rest. The priest will heal you."
"B-but..."
"I said stay inside so you don't get in the way. More importantly, where are those bastards?"
"Th-they're... kinda toward the back of the village, but..."
"Don't come out. The second I hear you poked your head out for no reason, you'll answer to me. Got it?"
"..."
Isabel nailed her in place so she couldn't leave. Soon, her gaze turned toward me, where I stood blankly watching from behind.
"Priest, keep an eye on this one for me. Don't let her go anywhere."
"Ah, yeah... Got it."
After hearing my reply, Isabel gave the beastkin woman one last glance before turning and heading out the door. She drew her machetes from her waist and bolted straight for the back of the village.
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"Feeling better now?"
"Th-thank you. Priest..."
A bit of time had passed since Isabel left. As she'd asked, I'd healed the beastkin woman, squeezing out holy water to the limit in the process. I'd shriveled up like a deflated balloon.
Ah... I feel anemic coming on...
This holy water business basically drained the moisture from my body, so my vision was already spinning.
No, how many people even were there...? I'd pushed myself to save even one more, and now I didn't even have the strength to stand.
"Haa..."
"Priest Isaiah, here, have some water."
"Ah, thanks. Deaconess Rachel."
Deaconess Rachel scooped water for me as I slumped in exhaustion. Luckily, being in holy orders herself, she'd noticed my state and come running.
Man, it would've been great if she could produce holy water too...
I knew I couldn't expect too much from someone who'd just become a cleric. Bishop Lisa knew that too, which was why she'd sent her with me—to hand off some duties gradually.
But... even knowing that, when you're this beat, you don't think that way. All I could think was how nice it would've been if she could at least make holy water.
"Sorry. I feel useless."
As if reading my mind, Deaconess Rachel wiped my sweat with a gloomy look. I forced a smile and told her it was fine.
"You're still learning. No need to rush. I'll teach you slowly later. Don't worry too much."
"Yeah..."
Even though I told her not to worry, she replied in a dejected crawl, clearly feeling pathetic for not being able to do anything. Pushing her more would just discourage her, so I silently stroked her head.
Yeah... It was too soon...
Deaconess Rachel still had much to learn in the order. The church had rushed her in without proper ordination to bolster numbers, so it was only natural she struggled.
"Ugh... Sorry to interrupt, Priest... Do you think I'll recover quick?"
As I caught my breath and chatted with Deaconess Rachel, the wolf beastkin woman groaned and asked me. I glanced at her condition and straightened up from the chair.
"With that wound, you can't go anywhere right now. Just rest up completely for a while. No thinking."
"Urgh..."
I forced her back down as she tried to rise again. She kept saying her comrades were in danger and she had to fight, but honestly, she could barely walk in her state.
As Isabel said, she'd just be dead weight.
It might sound harsh, but staying here helped Isabel and her remaining comrades the most.
And besides... Isabel would handle it fine on her own, right?
Even if monsters had come back, she was the Hero. No way she'd lose.
I'd seen her skills with my own eyes already. If anything, now without her felt like the real danger.
"..."
That aside...
Hmm... Wolf beastkin, huh...
I narrowed my eyes and quietly scanned her up and down. At first, I wasn't sure, but up close, her face rang a bell.
Isn't this beastkin woman the Sylvia I know?
Sylvia, the scout from the Hero's party in the Satta world. Not certain, but wolf beastkin pointed straight to her.
I should've recognized her on sight normally...
I examined her closely again to confirm.
How to put it... Her features matched Sylvia, but her appearance was totally different.
She was supposed to be a tsundere shortstack whose only charm was her plumpness, but the woman beside me matched nothing but the basic build.
She looked more mature... And wasn't she too tall?
Partly my height, sure, but even accounting for that, she was huge. Easily over 180 cm, and her looks had toughened up so much that without a close look, I'd doubt it was Sylvia.
Thank goodness her golden hair, wolf tail, and ears matched what I remembered, or I'd never have noticed if she'd just passed by.
Tch... Still, lucky. At least in this parallel world, the girl I'd dreamed of became reality...
In the game, I'd always griped she needed more height. Looked like another world fulfilled that wish... not quite how I'd imagined, but close enough to count as achieved.
"Priest? Something you want to say?"
Whoops... Meant to just check quick, but I'd stared too long.
The wolf beastkin—no, Sylvia—eyed me like she was waiting for an explanation. I forced a grin, shook my head fast, and made an excuse.
"Huh? Oh, no. I zoned out from exhaustion."
"Ah... I see. Urgh... Sorry. All because of me... making you strain for holy water. I'll repay this favor someday."
"Haha... No need for that..."
Thinking she caused my fatigue, Sylvia bowed her head guiltily. As a priest, it was just my duty, so I told her not to apologize and lift her head.
What? Was this really the delinquent I knew? Wait, is it even Sylvia?
Her speech too—it felt way softer than I remembered.
I doubted her identity again and scrutinized her closer than before.
Hmm... What gives? Did her personality flip like Bishop Lisa's?
The disconnect was jarring. If characters matched the game, I'd have some baseline, but every one I met swung personality extremes. Hard to gauge.
Her voice matched perfectly, though, so probably her...
Damn it, whatever. There's only one wolf beastkin in this city anyway. Had to be her. No doubt Sylvia.
"Anyway, get some rest. You've fought plenty, Sylvia. By the time you wake, it'll all be over."
"Haa... Yes, got it. Huh? Wait, Priest... How'd you know my name...?"
Huh? Name? Oh...
Shit... Slip-up. We hadn't introduced, but I'd said her name naturally. My body froze stiff as I scrambled my brain, eyes locking on the mercenary tag around her neck like it was planned.
"Ah... That... Y-your mercenary tag. It said Sylvia there, right?"
"Ah... Yeah... You saw this."
"Saw it while applying the holy water."
"Mm..."
Sylvia fiddled with the tag, like a dog tag. I grinned awkwardly again, barely dodging the bullet.