Chapter 601: Rachel’s Situation
Chapter 601: Rachel’s Situation
“Does that mean you’re okay with it? But are you really? I mean… from your position as a Cardinal.”
“What does being a Cardinal have to to with it? Just because I’m a Cardinal doesn’t mean I have the right to judge the morality of such an act. How could a mere cleric, not the Goddess herself, have such authority? Besides, you’re the one closest to the Goddess in the first place, aren’t you?”
No. I don’t think a Cardinal is just ‘some cleric’.
Not that I have any room to talk, having never once treated her like one.
And she says I’m the one closest to the Goddess. Well, I suppose I have been going around calling myself her messenger.
Before I came to this world, I didn’t even know the Goddess existed, let alone followed her teachings… Does playing the game count as following her teachings?
“So there’s nothing more for me to say. My personal judgment… is the same as Leia’s. You promised you wouldn’t do it again, so I have nothing more to add.”
Just as she had with Leia, Matilda pouted as if she found the whole thing boring, but her words served as forgiveness for my actions.
“And if you’re worried about positions, shouldn’t you be more concerned about Silvia than me? Unlike me, who is just a cleric, Silvia is a knight who serves the country.”
Gasp! Sh-She’s right!
Was it because of Silvia’s usual demeanor? Did I subconsciously think she’d forgive me no matter what I did?
The thought that Silvia might not forgive me had never even crossed my mind.
But now that I thought about it, she was a knight. In terms of my original world, she was basically a police officer and a soldier rolled into one.
Matilda’s point made all our eyes turn to Silvia at once.
And Silvia herself, who must have never imagined she’d become the center of attention, flinched and trembled with a startled expression.
“…I-I… cast aside my position as a knight the moment I came to Sir Guwon’s side…”
And then, she began to declare the very thing I’d feared: her renunciation of her knighthood.
No, Silvia. I know you’re incredibly soft on me, but you don’t have to throw away your knighthood for it.
“Hey, Royal Guard Knight. Don’t go trying to abandon your post.”
“B-But, really…!”
“That was back when you asked me to take you as a sex slave, wasn’t it? Who here doesn’t know that the princess helped you keep your position after we worked things out? Officially, you’re on assignment here.”
“Augh… B-But…”
When I cautioned Silvia for trying to forsake her duty as a knight, she clutched her head and fell into deep thought.
Does her reaction mean that while she personally forgives my actions, she can’t accept them as a knight?
“Is it really that hard for you to accept what I did, as a knight?”
If, by some chance, Silvia the knight decided she couldn’t accept my actions and chose to leave my side… The thought alone made me feel depressed.
But there was nothing I could do about it. The past couldn’t be changed.
And to be honest, even if I could go back in time, I’d probably do the exact same thing.
I told Leia and Matilda I wouldn’t do it again, but that’s only because there’s no one else left to do it to.
That bastard didn’t just do something trivial; he dared to try and rape my woman.
“N-Not at all! It’s no problem whatsoever! A murderer and rapist like him would have been executed anyway, even if he was just captured! Since you, the Goddess’s messenger, helped carry out that sentence, there’s no issue at all!”
Perhaps sensing my gloom, Silvia frantically waved her hands back and forth as if to soothe me.
“…Back then, I wasn’t the renowned messenger of the Goddess that everyone knows now, though?”
“You came to this world as the Goddess’s messenger from the very beginning, so there is no problem!”
“…Isn’t that a rather convenient interpretation? If I’d been properly caught, it would have been a problem, right?”
Since Silvia was going out of her way to defend me, I really didn’t need to ask these questions. No, I should have been grateful.
But seeing her flustered and panicking was somehow amusing, so I reflexively kept teasing her with more questions.
And this time, it seemed my question finally stumped her. Silvia thought for a moment, then clenched her fists and muttered.
“I-It’s fine! With the power of my, of our Barbet family…”
“Hey. Don’t suddenly start acting like a corrupt noble.”
“Aheut…!”
In the end, I had no choice but to lightly tap Silvia on the head to stop her.
At my touch, Silvia recoiled as if she’d been struck.
She was clutching her forehead, so my palm must have brushed against it by chance.
To react like that to a touch on the forehead, of all places. Did I put the Apostle’s Seal in the wrong spot? No, well, it seems she’s fine as long as I’m not the one touching it.
“He is right. To say such a thing… Your mother would be disappointed in you.”
Beside me, Diana added a word of admonishment to Silvia.
Come to think of it, didn’t she say she’d been a private tutor for Felicia and Silvia when they were young?
“B-But for Sir Guwon’s sake…!”
“Tsk, tsk. Young Silvia. You cannot tarnish the name of your mother, who is famous for her integrity and impartiality.”
As if she had reverted to a child being taught by her tutor, Silvia clutched her forehead and continued to whine.
And Diana, too, continued her stern lecture as if she had become that tutor once more.
It was a rather heartwarming scene.
Just as I thought that, Silvia suddenly launched a counterattack.
“B-But Lady Diana, you tried to start a coup d'état…!”
I never expected Silvia to attack Diana like that.
Did she go into a panic because I touched her forehead? Well, considering she was shocked enough to faint earlier, I guess it wasn’t that strange.
“Eek! Th-That’s completely different from this!”
Diana, who must have never imagined Silvia would turn on her like that, began to flail her arms in a tremendous panic.
This might get a little dangerous if I let it continue.
I had been enjoying their squabble with a smile, but it seemed it was time for me to step in.
“Both of you, stop. The point is that I just need to behave myself so you won’t have to do things like that, right? It won’t happen again.”
“Indeed! You are the problem!”
Huh? Wait? I was just trying to mediate, so why am I suddenly the target of a concentrated attack?!
I felt like someone who tried to break up a fight between two friends in a classroom, only to get punched by both of them.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was going to join the fight like a child.
“Right, right. I get it. When it comes to me, you’ll both throw away your honor and everything else to get things done.”
“Hngh…”
As I muttered that, Diana silently patted me over and over, while Silvia let out a strange noise, went to the corner of the room, and squatted down to face the wall.
Silvia. I know you’re so embarrassed you want to crawl into a hole, but that’s not going to make you disappear.
“Anyway, that’s all I had to say. Thanks for understanding, everyone.”
“Thank you so much.”
As I concluded the conversation, Sara also bowed her head to everyone.
To be honest, her revenge hadn’t gone according to our plan, and she hadn’t been able to hide her lingering unease afterward.
Just getting it off her chest and having the others understand seemed to have lifted a great weight from her shoulders.
“It’s okay. You must have had a hard time too, Sara. I’m sorry we didn’t realize it sooner.”
Moreover, sharing the secret seemed to have deepened the bond between us.
And Leia is an angel.
“In any case, if something like that happens again, you must tell me first. Do you understand?”
“So you can start a coup for me?”
Diana had spoken like a mature adult, but my joke made her lunge at me again, resuming her pat-pat attack.
“I would! You got a problem with that?!”
“Didn’t you just lecture Silvia not to do that?”
“Unlike the Barbets, I have no honor to uphold!”
“Hey. Idol of all mages. Great Archmage. What are you talking about right now?”
“My business!”
Oops. Did I tease her too much? Diana’s lost all reason.
Normally, she wouldn’t get this worked up from a little teasing.
I guess getting hit with that unexpected blow from Silvia really did a number on her.
“Alright, alright. Calm down. That hurts.”
“If you’re going to say that, at least pretend it hurts!”
“Ow! Ow!”
“Are you mocking me now?!”
No. You told me to pretend it hurt, so I did. What do you want from me?
In the end, it took me just as long to calm Diana down as it did to explain the whole story about Sara’s revenge.
Anyway, after the conversation finally wrapped up, I was at last free to go see Rachel.
We’d had an earlier lunch than usual, so it was still only around 2:30 PM.
Thankfully, I had more than enough time to go see her.
It was a huge relief. Seeing as she kept bringing the fruit basket herself, I felt I couldn’t put it off any longer.
And so, I decided to head to Rachel immediately.
“Um… guys? Is it okay if I go out for a bit? You know, for a person to be healthy, they need to get some fresh air…”
Of course, I had to get permission first.
“Go on.”
Fortunately, Diana, who I’d already spoken to about Paulson and assured there was nothing to worry about, gave me her permission to leave.
Her voice was quite weary, though, perhaps because she was tired from patting me so much just a moment ago.
That’s Diana for you. So mature. I love her.
“Alright, Sara. Let’s go!”
“I’m good.”
Having received permission, I tried to quickly grab Sara and disappear before anyone else could object, but Sara remained seated, refusing to follow me.
“D-Does that mean… you don’t approve of me going out?”
“Idiot. It’s not that. I already said it was fine, didn’t I? Just go by yourself. I’m a little tired from that last conversation.”
“But… will you be okay? Yesterday, you also…”
“Y-Yesterday was because I thought my necklace was broken! I’m fine! I’ve stayed here alone until you got back before, haven’t I?!”
“You should remember what happened right after that. And just so you know, it’s Diana’s turn today.”
“I-I know that!? I’m really fine, so just hurry up and go!”
Sara pointedly ignored the amused glances from the others and pushed me on the back as if to shoo me away.
Is she really going to be okay?
Well, it’s not like I’ll be gone all day like before. I’ll be back before dinner at the latest. She says she’s fine, so it’ll probably be alright.
Though I was a little anxious, I ended up heading to Rachel alone.
“Guwon!”
I went straight to the Guild, but I didn’t even need to go to Rachel’s reception desk.
The moment I stepped inside, she called my name and rushed over to me.
And seeing her, I couldn’t help but be stunned.
Rachel, who was always the very model of a receptionist, maintaining her intelligent and tidy appearance, looked completely haggard, as if she hadn’t slept in days.
Of course, her fundamental beauty was still there, so even this look had the charm of a frail, beautiful woman.
“E-Elder Sister? Are you okay?”
“That’s what I want to ask you! Guwon! Are you okay?!”
…Asking if I’m okay. It must be about that, right?
Silvia. Didn’t you say you explained things properly?
What on earth did you tell her to make her react this intensely?
“Ah… um… Yes. I’m fine?”
“Thank goodness!”
As I nodded, slightly bewildered, she immediately threw her arms around my neck and gave me a deep kiss.
Elder Sister. This is your workplace, you know. Everyone’s watching.
I could feel the particularly sharp glares from the few male adventurers in the Guild who seemed to be fans of hers.
The only small comfort was the female adventurer who had been talking to Rachel at her desk just moments ago, now watching us with an amused expression after being abandoned mid-conversation.
Uh… sorry for interrupting your Magic Stone transaction.