Marie's Blessing
For now, unlocking the skill and leveling it up was a good thing, but... what the hell could I do with something like Animal Affinity? 'Will it even be useful?' I decided to check my skill window first.
Category: Miscellaneous Skill
Description: The ability to sense animals' emotions and intentions, enabling simple interactions.
Status: Still clumsy, but you can roughly read their mood through successful affinities via expressions or movements.
Category: Life Skill
Description: The technique for dividing carcasses into meat, hides, bones, etc., for use.
Status: Vague knowledge of procedures and tools, but actual work is nearly impossible.
Category: Life Skill
Description: The skill for preparing and cooking ingredients into edible states.
Status: Hasn't learned even basic recipes, so high chance of failure on most dishes.
Category: Life Skill
Description: The skill for managing feed, environment, and habits for animal health and breeding.
Status: Understands the need for care but lacks professional management knowledge.
A skill for reading animals' moods? 'Doesn't seem all that useful...'
I glanced over at Dooli.
Would you like to use Animal Affinity?
'Hmm...'
Dooli was right in front of me, slowly munching on the last of the carrots... then suddenly scowled and spat out the carrot end with a ptoo onto the ground.
'Ungrateful brat.'
Well... I already had a pretty good idea of what the guy was thinking...
'No reason not to try it.'
I activated the skill.
Commencing Animal Affinity
→ Target confirmed
Object Name: Dooli
Classification: Donkey
Age: 8 months
Traits: Stubborn, Picky Eater, Likes Carrots, Good Fur Condition
[...]
[..]
[.]
Affinity successful
→ Status check complete
Affinity target 'Dooli' looks down on you
Thanks to you, mood is good
'...Knew it.'
The guy perked up his ears and kicked the ground with a thud, looking dissatisfied. It seemed to point at the carrot end he'd spat out earlier.
'This guy's not to my taste either.'
Just then, a familiar boy's voice came from behind.
"All the carrots gone?"
"Yeah."
I turned to see Isaac approaching with a smile.
"Thanks for the help, Isaac."
"Nah, it was nothing."
"No, really. Without you, I'd have been wrestling this guy till dinner."
Isaac blushed a bit embarrassedly, then quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, let's head back and report in."
"Sure."
I nodded, brushing the dust off my habit. Then I paused, tilting my head.
"What's up?"
"Just curious... do people eat donkey meat?"
"Huh?"
Isaac's eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitated.
"...Well, sometimes... but donkeys are usually raised for carrying loads or transport, not really for food..."
"Ah, got it."
I nodded as if disappointed, and Isaac scratched his cheek with a wry smile.
"Teresa... were you thinking of eating donkey?"
"Nah. Got to thinking it'd probably be tough and tasteless."
Ding—
Dooli understands your words and feels great disappointment toward you
Dooli becomes highly wary of you
'Hah! I wasn't a fan of you either!'
After practice ended, I ran into Marie again near the end of dinner.
"..."
Isaac and the other kids had gone off to their own tasks, leaving me eating alone when Marie suddenly set her tray down beside me and sat naturally.
"You're late."
"...Yeah."
Unlike her usual self, she looked kinda down.
"Something wrong?"
"They made me take makeup classes for skipping yesterday..."
That reminded me of her waiting in front of the Room of Silence yesterday.
"Wait, did you skip class yesterday because of me?"
"I skipped on my own... no need for you to worry."
She said that, but the circumstances were obvious. She'd been so worried about me she couldn't go to class and waited by the Room of Silence.
'Not very honest, is she.'
I knew I shouldn't, but I wanted to tease that dishonest side of hers.
"Heh~ I see..."
I decided to mess with her a little.
"You skipped class worrying about me, but tell me not to worry about you?"
"Huh?"
I threw it out with a slight sarcastic edge, and Marie's eyes went wide in fluster.
"Don't like getting worried over by me...? Something like that?"
"No! It wouldn't be like that!?"
"Then what?"
"...Ugh... um... well... I didn't want you worrying needlessly..."
Her reaction was so cute. I thought about teasing more, but it might be risky.
'Don't wanna make a already down kid cry over a dumb prank.'
Feeling a bit sorry, I placed my hand on her head and gently stroked it.
"Eek!?"
She startled at first, but it didn't feel bad... she meekly lowered her head, accepting my touch deeply.
"Thanks for worrying. Appreciate it."
"Yeah..."
"Marie's such a good girl."
Her face flushed a little.
'Mood better now?'
I decided no more dumb pranks from now on.
On the way back to our room after dinner, the corridor was quiet, yellow light stretching long through the windows. The holy images on the walls glowed softly under the dim candlelight.
"Who'd have thought Marie was training to be a nun."
"Not yet. Just started theology. Still a novice nun. Long way to full nun."
Our footsteps echoed faintly down the silent hall.
"Learning theology means you can use healing magic and stuff?"
"Yeah. Still clumsy, but basic divine spells are okay."
Hearing that, she seemed impressive all over again. And one possibility flashed in my mind. Maybe she knew.
"Then... do you know about Restia's Blessing?"
"Of course."
"Really?!"
"It's the first divine spell you learn."
Then maybe—
"Wait... can you cast it on me now!?"
Marie blinked in confusion.
"Suddenly?"
"Can't you?"
She fidgeted with her fingers, smiling awkwardly.
"...N-no, it's not hard... just caught off guard..."
"Please!"
I grabbed both her hands tightly. She hesitated, then sighed softly.
"...O-okay... got it."
"Thanks!"
"First, sit here on the railing."
She sat me on the corridor railing to match heights, then carefully extended her hand over my head, almost but not quite touching.
"Whew... here goes?"
"Yeah, please."
Marie took a breath, closed her eyes, and whispered lowly.
"Lord of Light, like the first dawn piercing the darkness, breathe upon this soul..."
⟨ Restia's Blessing ⟩
At that moment, a soft yellow light bloomed around her. Wavy strands like heat haze gathered at her fingertips, flowing from her hand to my head like a warm breeze.
"...Let not a single shadow linger, and bless her with Your touch—"
As the last syllable left her lips, the yellow light enveloped me warmly before slowly seeping into my body.
Ding—
Restia's Blessing state applied
I hurriedly opened my status window to check the traits.
Status: Weakened (Minimal)
Category: Unknown
Description: An unidentified mark imprinted not on the body but the soul. Cannot be removed by ordinary means.
Beings with this mark are seen as 'prey' by monsters, keeping nearby monsters in constant spiritual hunger.
→ Monsters within range strongly focus on the user.
→ Some monsters lose reason and obsess over the target.
→ Certain monsters sense the mark and become wary or fearful.
→ The mark's effects gradually strengthen over time.
Not stopped, huh? 'Too bad...'
I looked down to check Restia's Blessing.
(By Marie)
Category: Blessing
Effect: Rejects all unclean things. (Duration: 15 minutes)
Description: Blessing earnestly prayed for to the Goddess of Light by Marie. Effect is minor depending on caster's ability, merely weakening unclean energies temporarily.
Seems like the effect varies a lot by the caster...