Goodwill
Ian opened her mouth wide and her eyes widened in surprise.
Sugar had cheerfully agreed to help with volunteer work after school, but there was an unexpected person there.
“Got the key to the underground prison. Let’s go quickly!”
Sugar hung the key on her finger and spun it, leading the way with Ryly.
“It’ll fly away.”
“It won’t fly away.”
The moment she said that, the key flew off.
Ryly grabbed Sugar’s head and shoved it down.
“Ouch!”
Sugar, crying, bent over to pick up the key.
Among this familiar scene, there was an unfamiliar person.
“You… you came too. Leon.”
Ian forced herself to speak, and Leon answered with a hesitant “Yeah…”
What on earth is going on? She had been worrying about “I have to move rooms after school!” or “I have to live with Leon for a while!” but…
“No, rather, it’s better to get used to it quickly…”
She didn’t know how to deal with men her age.
With Ryly, she always had him by her side, so “Um, I guess standing next to Sugar is fine.”
But when alone with other men, she had no idea what to do.
The men she met in Seongdo were all middle-aged uncles or grandfathers. Originally, she couldn’t even approach normal men.
Then she finally came out of Seongdo.
The problem was that Ian had only learned about male-female relationships from romance novels or always having a lewd couple next to her.
She didn’t know about friendship between men and women. She knew such relationships existed, but she didn’t know how to get close.
What would be the correct way? How to greet in the morning? After school? Before bed?
Originally, Ian was a man now. She had to treat men as men, her male roommate as a man.
“Saintess…”
If she’s praying, please tell me the answer.
She looked up at the starry sky that wasn’t visible during the day and prayed desperately. Of course, even at night it wouldn’t be visible. Why? Because the two of you are underground right now.
Hearing that there’s an underground prison in the school is eerie, but in the old days of lawlessness, they would catch students or mages who caused trouble.
There, “trouble” meant killing or using forbidden magic. All were ominous.
It shows the status of the magic school, which served as an educational institution and also the region’s law enforcement.
Now, the organization has been reorganized, and there’s an agency in the Floating Island that maintains the safety and order of the region for mages.
Therefore, the underground prison of Stille in the current era only has traces left. It seems they’re going to clear it and turn it into a research lab.
So, someone is needed to clean it up.
Kiaaaaa—
Huiiiii—
Ghost cleaning.
Or cleaning cursed items or lost property.
Just looking at it, necklaces that seem cursed if touched, daggers that haven’t dried blood even after a long time.
Someone is needed to clean such strange things.
“Since I received the cleaning manual, I’ll recite it. First, never pick up lost items with bare hands… put them in the prepared pocket using mana. Ghosts should be dealt with using mana itself rather than elemental magic… if you light up the light, they run away, so use it appropriately… too bright light will only make them run, so be careful. And… the highest caution. If you feel a vibration like the body is shaking, immediately escape from there.”
There are mages and saints, so there shouldn’t be ghosts.
It’s not really the soul of the dead, but rather the lingering thoughts of the land, thoughts left on objects, that materialize and wander. Mages who aren’t mages might not see them.
It’s not a big problem if left alone, but it’s better to get rid of them because they make strange noises and cause disturbances or headaches.
“Okay. Let’s start. Pair up two by two. If you feel ‘Ugh, this is really not it’, call another team.”
Sugar naturally teamed up with Ryly. Naturally, Ian and Leon became one team.
The cleaning started like that.
“Ryly. Look at this… the dagger still hasn’t dried the blood…”
“You’re not going to kill someone with this and run away, right?”
“Actually, yes… There was a woman I didn’t like. Her eyes looking at you were too lewd.”
“Oh. You should confess.”
“Are you coming to visit?”
“I’ll go every day.”
“Ryly…”
“Sugar…”
“Clean up, you guys!”
Ian jumped up next to her.
“Ian-nim. I deliberately said that to lighten the mood. With a new friend in this dark place, we should go lightly…… But! What kind of lewd thing are you doing, Ryly! I accepted it, but!”
Sugar hit Ryly with her hand, but looked around. The ceiling was damp and full of mold. Rusty iron bars and creaking sounds everywhere. But, just that. No expected things.
“Speaking of which… I don’t see any ghosts.”
“Ghosts? Originally, I haven’t seen a ghost in my life, so… I know they exist.”
Ian answered while passing by.
“That’s because Ian-nim has lived your whole life in Seongdo…”
“Huh? So that’s why? Because there’s a Saintess who inherited the Saint’s blood?”
In a world without “divine power” or such, but there are ranks. Such poor things probably can’t handle the mana of the Saint’s blood. Without a self, they follow instincts. Rather, because they’re simple, they might see through human essence better.
“Then, all the people here…”
Saintess. Owner of the Saint’s staff. Owner of the grimoire. Saintess of the Evil God.
Ugh. The ghosts might leave their positions in mourning.
Ghost cleaning is after cleaning the cursed items, no matter how you think, just tell the assistant to do it later. For now, I decided to postpone it. They’ll come back if they leave.
For now, carefully put the cursed lost items into specially treated pockets. Around the time when seeing them alone would drive a person crazy, there was a teasing incident where Ryly hit Sugar’s head, but no big problem.
Suddenly, looking beside, there was a Saint combo that was matching breaths to pick up the lost items.
“…Eh?”
Her eyes went somewhere. Looking closely, Leon’s staff was ordinary. Not the pure white birch staff, but a dark-colored wooden staff that you can see often.
“Leon. Aren’t you using the Saint’s staff?”
“Why would I use it noticeably.”
“If I keep using it, it will get used to my hand.”
The staff grows with the owner. Exactly, the power in the staff gradually opens its eyes, but as the protagonist grows mentally and physically, the staff responds to it.
“There’s an already familiar staff that I’ve been using since I was little. I don’t need to use it.”
But Leon doesn’t seem to think he’ll be the protagonist of a growth story.
“Then, will you keep not using that staff? In the future too?”
“Probably. It won’t be needed.”
“That’s a waste…”
“But, why do you keep having interest in the staff? Before that… maybe…?”
“…Maybe what?”
What are you trying to say? As the protagonist, do you know something?
Sugar looked at Leon with slight tension.
But, really. Like before, she keeps giving unexpected answers.
“Do you want that staff?”
“What?”
“You want to transfer ownership? Take it anytime. It’s a bit unreliable, but you’re someone who came from Seongdo. At least religiously, it should be verified.”
Sugar blinked in a daze. She couldn’t imagine hearing such words from his mouth.
“…No. I have it because Ryly gave it to me. I’ll use this for the rest of my life.”
Slightly flustered, answering, and Ryly suddenly grabbed his chest and made a “kuk, ugh” sound. Since he does this occasionally, she just left it.
“And… transfer won’t be blocked in Stille. For now, I entrusted it to you as the owner.”
“What are you… Understood. I get the meaning.”
The short conversation ended. Silence settled in the underground prison.
Because Sugar, who usually talks a lot, kept her mouth shut. Ian was also one who talks, but there was tension, and the atmosphere wasn’t right, so she kept her mouth shut too.
“…It seems this is the end too. Should we start tearing? We’ll go left, Ian-nim.”
“Ah. Okay. Then we’ll go right.”
The two teams split after Sugar’s suggestion that broke the silence.
Sugar waved her hand with a bright smile and even said “See you later.”
While doing so, swallowing the disappointment in her heart, she approached Ryly.
“I didn’t know you’d treat it as a useless thing to that extent…”
The shock from Leon’s transfer statement was huge. But he’s the protagonist. In some world, he beautifully saved everyone. No matter how cynical his reaction, there was a thought “In the end, he’ll do it?”
Clearly, he’ll help us. He’ll extend his hand.
Ryly knows that Leon didn’t deliberately explain the situation in the church. He must have walked around outside and seen something. She knows that’s all out of consideration for her.
She wanted to help Ryly somehow. She wanted to make a reliable colleague.
Like the Leon in some world who, with his colleagues, defeated evil. A colleague they could trust, rely on, and lean on each other.
But, right now, they are still only each other.
If she asks Ian for help, she’ll help, but thinking logically, she shouldn’t be on the front line.
There are guardians close to Seongdo, but they basically have Seongdo defense or missions. They can’t focus on helping those living in Stille. Originally, they received a lot of help just by training them.
Therefore, she thought there was no colleague like Leon. The hero of the new era. The light of Stille.
Of course, if he doesn’t like it, there’s nothing to do. If the one forcibly chosen as a hero says he wants to walk a quiet and peaceful path instead of the path of pain and glory, who would say anything. There might be people who would say something, but at least Sugar wouldn’t be one to blame.
With that written heart, Sugar approached Ryly. She gently looked up at his face. And when she smiled with mixed apology, Ryly stroked her cheek with the hand not holding the staff.
“So. What did you expect so much.”
“Wow… exactly.”
“Of course I know… you. What basis did you believe in? Such things, the one who has the qualification doesn’t get them. After getting them, they make the qualification. But look. You don’t think that way. You have no sense of responsibility.”
“…It’s quite an interesting thing to say.”
“Why didn’t you choose the most outstanding me?”
This was the thought Ryly had when seeing Leon chosen in some world. It’s completely the opposite of what he said.
Sugar let out a small breath and scanned the man in front of her.
Stroking the cheek, hugging, joking in emotional exchange. The values themselves are different. It’s nothing like the “Ryly” in the “world where Leon is the hero”.
Sugar’s Ryly.
“Still. I want to believe.”
“So what basis.”
“You.”
Sugar pointed at Ryly with her finger.
Humans basically believe there’s goodwill in people’s hearts and don’t doubt it. She wants to.
Seeing the evidence in front of her, the disappointment slowly fades and hope rises.
In some world, a cold hand that was soaked with the blood of innocent people. Now, it’s just warm.
“Even now, the time when you came to save me is vivid. That winter mountain. The feeling at that time was… really indescribably moving.”
The day I saw the grimoire in your hand and realized everything.
And the day I believed in you like that.
The emotion from that time still remains deeply and strongly. Every time I see Ryly who has grown up, my heart pounds and shows its presence.
Is it wrong to want to look at the world based on that surging emotion.
“Even when Rubshi left the church for us. When Ian-nim conveyed her heart to me and revealed the secret. I… want to believe that there’s something made with goodwill in human connections.”
“…”
“Of course, I know there are people who aren’t like that. Evil, evil people, such groups… all well known. Still, Ryly. At least the people around me, the people I chose with my eyes, are good people.”
“…You’ll regret it.”
“I’ll see once.”
You became like this.
Because you became my hero.
The important thing is the process. Whether you can show that goodwill or not. Also, whether it gets twisted or not. All in the process.
Leon hasn’t gone through that “process” yet, right? Just sleeping without the goodwill disappearing or turning black.
Then, what Sugar has to do is simple. Guide him. When he faces difficult situations, help with Ryly, and show goodwill first.
Our goodwill reaches him.
His goodwill reaches another person.
It will color the hearts.
Of course, even if it misses the expectations, she won’t be disappointed.
Because no one forces it. The weight a hero must bear is too heavy.
“At that time, I just need to support Ryly more diligently.”
Sugar finished speaking, closed her eyes, and leaned into Ryly’s arms.
Ryly sighed and accepted such Sugar.