Chapter 166
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Not Bedside Care -5-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Was Gleipnir's greeting effective?
Eclair's face showed surprise at its cuteness—utterly unbelievable for something that looked like a chain—and she reached out to touch its solid form.
Chirak-!
"Hmm?"
As Eclair's hand drew near, Gleipnir retreated by the same distance.
The motion resembled dodging a human hand when trying to pet a stray cat,
or like the repulsion between matching poles of magnets.
Dodging left then right, it displayed a clear resolve never to let itself be caught by Eclair's hand—a sight perplexing even to me.
It had acted the same way when I'd shown it to Rike.
I could sense it didn't take kindly to anyone but me trying to touch it.
"It doesn't seem like the type to appreciate being grabbed forcibly with strength or speed just because it's dodging."
"Probably...?"
Watching Gleipnir slyly maintain a steady distance as it retreated, Eclair narrowed her eyes in displeasure, then straightened her back and smoothed her outer garments.
"Whatever—never mind. We'll talk details when I get back."
"Take care. I eat anything, so just get whatever Kitty's craving."
Her attitude, clearly aimed at putting me at ease, left me raising both hands in surrender, and I resolved to wait at the Church.
"Roman."
"Yeah?"
She hesitated, lips working silently as if debating what to say, then spoke with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"I'll be back soon, so don't cry from loneliness."
Thud!
Her uncharacteristically playful quip as she closed the door behind her had me bursting into laughter only after quite some time had passed.
'Rike and Eclair both have charms without end.'
Beyond the amusement, the novelty of her attempt—and the embarrassed look on her face even after saying it—lingered in my mind, even as I lay there.
Chirak-
Gleipnir, which had been standing rigidly in playful greeting, suddenly collapsed and flowed across onto my stomach.
Oddly, it didn't feel like hefty, rigid metal dropping down; it was more like soft fabric fluttering lightly over my body.
"You hate being touched by others that much? I'll keep it in mind next time."
I stroked Gleipnir as it slowly, silently slithered toward my hand, just like always.
Tsurr-
At some point, the tension drained from the chain, leaving it limp and slack.
I didn't know the exact reason, but it happened occasionally, so there was no cause for alarm.
'Even so, it's still a chain—surely it doesn't actually sleep...?'
I lightly lifted the heavy, dangling Gleipnir and nudged it back into its original spot in the empty air, beginning my wait for Eclair.
...
'Not hungry, but thinking about dinner... I should eat something.'
I idly thumped the bed with my heel, killing time blankly in the room.
I was looking forward to seeing what Eclair would bring for dinner.
Given her concerns about my health that she'd mentioned to me, and considering her tastes, she'd probably go for something clean and light rather than greasy or spicy fare.
Even if she bought whatever she herself wanted, I wouldn't mind.
I wasn't picky about food anyway.
Knock knock-! Knock knock-!
I'd been waiting for Eclair, but it was someone else who arrived.
A forceful knock, restraint nowhere in evidence—just like that morning.
One action was all it took to identify the visitor; no need to focus my senses.
"Come in."
Creak-
It was the same duo as that morning, but their condition was different.
The Saintess entered accompanied by the burly woman, her fatigue visibly compounded compared to earlier—likely the result of a grueling schedule.
Her smile was the same shape as that morning, but it felt heavier somehow.
She was trying not to show it, but her frail constitution seemed to be taking more of a toll than expected.
"Sorry to intrude so late. I've spoken with the Knight both at the palace and just now briefly."
Her voice was oddly subdued, perhaps from exhaustion.
"I see. What brings you? You look quite tired—shouldn't you be resting?"
Her upturned lips quivered at my direct mention of her fatigue.
"After the Knight departed, the Church and palace held further consultations, so I passed that along to her."
Just hearing about it gave me a headache.
I felt glad I'd given Eclair a chance to catch her breath in bed.
"If it's information I need to hear, I'll get it from her later. No need for the busy Saintess to come all this way."
She expressed her thanks at my words, erased her smile, and continued in a voice even softer.
"Thank you... Actually, I stopped by because there's something I'd like to ask the adventurer. Would that be alright?"
In the earnest atmosphere, I nodded readily.
It was better for both sides that she ask directly rather than conduct some pointless background check.
"Even for the Saintess, I might not be able to answer if it's too sensitive a topic?"
"Of course I understand that. Thank you so much for giving me the chance."
"It's a bit scary getting thanks already when the odds of me not answering are high."
Not her habitual quirked smile, but a faint one on a genuinely weary face—then she posed her question.
"Among the adventurer's family relations, is there anyone connected to the Church? I'd like to ask if there's a Holy Knight or priest in your lineage."
"No...? My parents were farmers. Not sure about now, though."
The Saintess let out a short hum at my answer, pondered briefly, then probed a step deeper.
"What about further back in your family tree?"
"Lineage... As commoners, I don't know exactly. But from the time I lived with my parents—the furthest back I remember—I've never heard stories about a grandfather or other blood relatives."
"Ah... I see."
I could tell what she wanted to ask me.
I had no idea what she—a master of holy magic—had sensed from my white flames,
but she seemed to be trying to establish some connection through external means.
There had to be endless curiosity about an adventurer capable of overwhelming and purifying a mighty demon with immense resistance to ordinary physical force.
But the most promising and glaring avenue for inference had just been sealed—what now?
'No matter how curious, she won't ask outright.'
Even a lofty Saintess wouldn't boldly inquire what skills or artifacts an adventurer possessed; that was beyond the realm of possibility from the start.
Even if pressed, I had no reason to show them readily.
To her, playing the oblivious adventurer while mulling her next question, I turned the tables.
"Saintess. What exactly are you curious about regarding me?"
As if she'd prepared in advance—like deploying a magic tool—she answered swiftly.
"Your battle against that great evil was so valiant that I wished to learn the secret behind it."
Unlike Eclair's straightforwardness, she drifted through many circles with one foot in politics—did that turn one into such a master of circumlocution?
It was an art form.
"Not valiant—just ignorant and thus fearless. Most adventurers are the same."
"...Is that so? This is my first time meeting a Platinum-rank adventurer, so perhaps that's why I sensed something extraordinary."
It was a surprising fact.
Even if calling it extraordinary was flowery lip service, for someone of the Saintess's stature to have never met a Platinum before...
"If you're doing missionary work outside, you'd have a higher chance than in the capital, no?"
Platinums like me, hunkered down in the capital and haunting the guild tavern, were the rarity.
In fact, among Platinums, I was the only one.
The others probably lived like fate-cursed wanderers, doing all sorts of things befitting the name 'adventurer.'
Even Sapphires were hard to spot in taverns, barring lunatics like Nottingham.
Your odds of encountering high-rank adventurers were far higher outside the capital.
"I've crossed paths with a few Sapphire-ranks."
But no Platinums.
"An honor. That the Saintess's first Platinum is me."
"The honor is mine—"
Knock-
Someone who could have entered without knocking read the room's disarray and politely rapped instead.
Mazella, who positioned herself as the lowest here, checked the Saintess's and my intentions once each before opening the door.
As the door swung open, Eclair gave the Saintess a curt nod.
"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation."
Eclair appeared, one hand clutching a paper bag and the other carrying a pot from somewhere. The Saintess turned to her with a smile and a greeting.
"Perfect timing—my business is concluded, and I was just leaving. Then, peace to you both, adventurer and Knight..."
Eclair entered as the Saintess and her aide departed the room.
Creak-
Confirming the door shut, Eclair unpacked the food onto the table and asked me,
"Did I barge in on an important talk with the Saintess?"
"No. Perfect timing. It wasn't anything major."
"Hmm..."
"She's probably got tons of questions about my demon fight. She'll summon me properly for an 'investigation' sometime."
"High likelihood, but it won't take long. The broad strokes have already been settled internally."
"That's a relief... You worked hard fetching this—I'll handle prep, so sit."
I patted Eclair's hip; she let out a snicker but didn't pause her hands.
We unpacked the food onto the table together, took our seats, and began a light meal of creamy stew with ingredients simmered to perfection.
"It's nearly bedtime, so something soft is best. The bread in the bag is for morning."
"Looks great."
Grateful for Eclair's forethought all the way to breakfast, I spent the time not merely eating, but focused on our conversation.
..
..
"Innocence."
Piiing-
Round motes like particles of light gathered in her hand, forming a solid, keen-edged sword.
What a romantic way to manifest.
"The sensation just from looking? Solemn? Holy? Something like that."
"Not wrong. Innocence's power... is the invocation of holy magic."
"You gained a skill that channels through the sword?"
This was an external detail the game hadn't revealed—highly intriguing.
In Rike's case, the heroine of Akarite, she'd learned blood magic through Vanitas.
Even if Eclair wasn't the game's actual heroine, the possibility of her acquiring skills was ample.
"It's not that I wield it directly. When holding Innocence, holy magic activates continuously at my will—so it's a bit different from learning a skill."
"What kind of holy magic?"
Rather than explain, she demonstrated: raising the sword before her and closing her eyes.
"...When I focus on this sword, I hear a voice."
"Purity and an innocent heart shall be forged into a single sword, mimicking the blessings of the divine. This sword shall safeguard you, steeling your heart and faith against the influences of power, greed, ambition, and corruption."
⟨ The Lion's Heart ⟩
```