Chapter 6

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Contract to End It All

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"Our relationship ends right there. Let's make that contract."

[I can't even twitch a finger, and you'll be blinded by revenge, not giving a damn about consequences, just rampaging all over me however you please! Every single day without holidays or vacations, sleeping only three hours a night, unleashing all that pent-up frustration from your grueling workload on my beautiful body! I-I know all about it. Even while studying to be a saintess, I steadily picked up that kind of knowledge too! If you thought I wouldn't know, Stay, then you're seriously underestimating me!]

I'd skipped straight to the conclusion to avoid explaining, and May Luina's delusions came flooding out like a burst dam.

[I'm not letting my guard down. Now that you know you can hear my inner thoughts, I'll scream my lungs out to make a racket. I-I might speak softly and elegantly usually, but you have no idea how loud I can get. You better brace yourself. Even in this state, I'm still a saintess!]

"No, no, hold on a second. It's not like that, so calm down."

[Does this look like something to stay calm about? My saintess virginity's about to be taken by your revenge?]

Wait a minute, May Luina's a virgin?

Her sudden virginity declaration left me momentarily stunned, my mouth hanging open.

But then I belatedly remembered she was a saintess, and it finally clicked.

She'd been such a bitch to me until now, but yeah, she was a saintess.

May Luina was the kind of woman who vented all the stress from her saintess acting solely on me.

She was so thorough that she only showed her true colors to me, terrified of anyone else catching on that her benevolent saintess persona was fake. Thinking about it, her being a virgin wasn't all that strange.

If anything, it was only natural. She was a saintess, after all.

In this modern society, where strong Awakened form bonds to pass on their talents to future generations as a virtue, even a top hero like the saintess has no rule forcing her to stay pure.

But still, saintesses have that pure image, don't they?

She might not seem like a saintess to me at all, but to the world, she was "Light of Humanity," the epitome of a legendary saintess.

Given her personality—obsessed with maintaining that image—she wouldn't throw away her purity, ruining it all, unless she fell for someone she'd give everything up for without a second thought.

Once I thought it through like that, my startled heart finally settled from her abrupt declaration.

[Go ahead, touch any part of my body with those lewd, creepy hands! I'll curse you out like crazy. I'll hurl so many insults that'll shrivel up your pent-up lust on the spot! You know my real personality, Stay. If you wanna live pent-up forever, come at me!]

But this woman's delusions just wouldn't stop. What the hell is "pent-up forever" even mean?

I was wrong to jump straight to the conclusion too, but May Luina's over-the-top reaction to just the phrase "Infusion of Yang Energy" wasn't normal either.

And now she was threatening me by bringing up her real personality. So that apology earlier wasn't sincere after all.

I hadn't expected or even wanted a genuine apology and reflection from her, so I wasn't particularly moved, but it confirmed I could never like this woman.

Still, I couldn't just ignore her completely, so I explained the reason I had to do the Infusion of Yang Energy, which I'd skipped earlier.

"No, it's not like that. It's the only way to lift the curse on you."

[······Huh? C-Curse? This happening to me is because of a curse? W-Wait, even before this, the Papal Court couldn't figure out why I became a vegetable, and now you've not only found the cause but know how to fix it too? How is that even possible?]

Only after I mentioned lifting the curse did May Luina stop her delusions and actually ask me a question.

She'd ignored everything I said until it was info she needed, then suddenly wanted to talk. It was so her.

That was exactly why I could never grow attached to her.

Not that I'd ever want to get close to a bitch like this, obviously.

But to escape these women later, I'd need their cooperation once the treatment succeeded.

If I treated her alone and she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠later accused me of sexual assault, my life would be over.

So I had no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠choice but to answer May Luina's question kindly.

"I found out thanks to the Status Window. It's also because of the Status Window that I can talk to you like this."

[Oh, the Status Window·······. Now that you mention it, you said you had that ability, Stay.]

"Yeah, anyway, what did this to you is a curse called Eternal Prison. Since it completely erased the mana in your body, I could access your Status Window. And the description for 'Eternal Prison' in the Status Window lists Infusion of Yang Energy as the cure."

[I-I see······.]

After hearing my explanation, May Luina trailed off, probably embarrassed about her delusional freakout.

[Prying into someone else's Status Window like that······ I know you shouldn't, but it feels kinda weird.]

······This crazy bitch.

I silently cursed her sincerely in my mind before continuing.

"Before coming here, I signed a contract with someone from the Central Intelligence Department. It says I can't leave until the three heroes who saved the world—you included—wake up. Don't ask why I signed such an unfair deal; I didn't want to either."

[Oh, uh, okay.]

"So I have to cure you all. I don't wanna die tending to vegetables in a dump like this. This is all purely for my own sake, so don't feel any burden about the treatment—just take it. Think of it as good luck."

[That's······.]

I didn't want any ongoing relationship with May Luina or the other two heroes after the treatment.

Over the past four years in the ER, grinding away at my life, I'd learned my limits—and how precious a normal daily life was.

And this woman in front of me was one of the world's top heroes who'd saved humanity, as far from normal as it gets.

Setting aside her shitty personality, the moment any bond formed, my daily life would drift far from ordinary and peaceful.

"Well, someone as amazing as you probably wouldn't feel grateful to an F-rank Awakened nobody like me anyway."

Of course, the odds of this masked bitch feeling grateful after treatment and wanting to stay connected were slimmer than me becoming an S-rank hero.

We lived in different worlds. This caregiver-patient thing was just a freak coincidence.

[N-No, that's not true! I do feel grateful! No, for starters, I'm a saintess! I've received more thanks than anyone, so I know exactly how to express gratitude!]

But May Luina pushed back against my words.

She seemed stung by my saying she wouldn't feel grateful.

Had I said something unnecessary? Her fake apology must've irritated me subconsciously. Yeah, it was irritating—admitting her apology was bullshit just three minutes after giving it.

But arguing back here would just drag out pointless talk.

"Then pay off my debt when the treatment's done."

[Your debt?]

"The only good thing about babysitting you lot here is the fat salary. Even pigging out on it, it'd take over two years to pay off my debt. You don't wanna stay a vegetable that long, right? So I'll cure you as fast as I can, and if it works, just pay off my debt."

Instead of arguing, I decided to guide May Luina—who was itching to figure out how to thank me—toward my preferred repayment.

[That's all it takes? I'm a saintess, you know. May Luina the saintess. I know how to splurge when I need to······.]

"That's enough. Like I said, treating you is purely for my benefit."

[B-But······.]

Why was she clinging like this? Wouldn't a small repayment be better for her too?

"I said that's enough. This conversation ends here. Paying off my debt is all I need."

[Ugh······.]

I cut off May Luina's inexplicable clinging short.

"I'll lift the curse on you, and you'll pay off my debt the moment you're cured. Our relationship ends right there. Let's make that contract."

[Okay, if that's what you want, Stay······. It's an amazing deal for me anyway. Got it. I'll accept your proposal. Contract made.]

Once I drew a firm line, May Luina finally accepted and agreed to the contract.

But since she was in a vegetative state, she couldn't sign anything, so we settled on a verbal agreement (no proof).

※

[So, uh, you said we have to do that Infusion of Yang Energy thing. Is it... what I think it is?]

"Probably? It says the effect gets better the greater the physical and mental sexual arousal, so yeah."

[S-Sexual arousal the greater······ Eek!]

She could even hiccup from her inner thoughts?

I felt a strange mix of amusement at May Luina's mental hiccup and opened her Status Window.

"Yep, Infusion of Yang Energy. But what's this about having to infuse it into the imprint to lift the curse?"

I hadn't noticed earlier because of the alert about hearing her thoughts, but now I saw the line: the curse could only be lifted by infusing yang energy into the imprint.

"‘Status Window user can summon the imprint above the target's body upon desire’······ Should I try?"

I placed my hand on May Luina's Status Window and wished inwardly for the imprint to appear.

At the same time, a translucent blue alert filled the corner of my vision.

Swooooosh—

A pink imprint began to emerge above May Luina's body.