Even Getting Scolded Makes Me Happy!
I, getting scolded and yet so happy! Cecilia silently poured her holy power into my right arm.
I wanted to ask if it couldn't be healed or if something had gone wrong, but I wasn't that stupid—I could tell she was concentrating.
And she's the Saintess, after all.
It hadn't happened yet, but she'd saved Ern later when he was practically a corpse.
No way she couldn't fix a arm frozen solid.
I trusted her and quietly watched as my arm healed.
Even though the nerves should have been frozen solid with no sensation, I could feel a warm energy flowing in from my right arm.
"…Hngh."
The gentle blessing coursed through my veins, sweeping away the screaming pain that had been raging through my body.
Torn meridians sealed shut, the chill deep in my bones faded.
Vitality surged through my whole body except for my right arm.
And that wasn't all. It even drove out the stench.
As I let out a sigh of relief, finally feeling like I could live, my right arm was still that eerie blue crystal color.
…Huh?
Why's it still like this?
Shouldn't it be healing by now?
Cecilia was still pouring holy power into my arm while weaving some kind of ritual formula, totally focused, but I couldn't hold back my anxiety anymore.
"…Is it bad?"
I couldn't straight-up ask if she couldn't heal it, so I went with "does it look tough?"
"It's the worst injury I've ever seen."
Her answer was basically a yes.
That bad?
Dad had fixed it easily before, so I figured Cecilia could handle it no problem.
Apparently not.
Weird. Dad made it look effortless.
As I tilted my head in confusion and growing worry, she told me not to fret.
"It's not beyond healing… but this is my first time with something like this. I was just caught off guard. Alright, let's begin. Raise your hand if it hurts."
Usually when people say that, they don't actually stop even if you do.
I felt uneasy inside, but since it was Cecilia, she'd handle it well, right? I nodded.
The moment I did, she closed her eyes and whispered words I couldn't understand.
A cubic ritual formula materialized in the air, then started drawing blue ether out of my arm.
As the blue energy drained from my arm, sensation slowly returned to it.
And the pain, too.
"Urgh…!"
The more feeling came back, the more it felt like my arm hadn't gotten frostbite—it was like a burn.
Looking at my blackened exposed hand, maybe it was.
The returning sensation made it feel like I'd shoved my arm into a pit of fire.
"It hurts, wait… hngh…!"
I gasped for breath, staring at her desperately to stop or do something.
But Cecilia just looked down at me silently, saying nothing.
"Does it hurt? That's a good sign. It means the nerves haven't suffered irreversible damage."
I locked eyes with her intensely as my arm burned like fire, but she just gazed down at me with pity.
"…I could erase the pain, but not this time. I want you to never push yourself this hard again."
Her not helping while it hurt was one thing, but those words shocked me even more.
For a moment, they made me forget the agony.
She'd never been this strict before.
Even when Ern was a mangled corpse, she hadn't gone this far. So why with me?
Special treatment? My heart fluttered a bit, but then confusion hit—why me, of all people?
"Ilisha. Your body isn't disposable. Just because it can be healed doesn't mean you can wreck it recklessly. Didn't I tell you? Lots of people would be sad if you got hurt. Including me."
I wanted to argue it was unavoidable, that I had to push myself, but her expression stopped me cold.
"…Yeah."
Forgetting the pain in my arm, I meekly watched her restore it.
The frostbitten arm gradually returned to normal, flesh regrowing where it had been shredded blocking that sword.
When she finally stopped pouring holy power, only a mild frostbite remained.
"…That's it. Ilisha, take it easy on your right arm for the next few days. If you injure it again in that time, I can't guarantee it'll be fine even for me."
Oh.
That was it?
My expression stiffened involuntarily, and she looked at me sadly still.
"Why'd you go that far?"
"To… protect Ern…"
I mumbled a timid defense, but it didn't soften her.
"Self-sacrifice? Some might call it noble, worthy of praise. But… someone gets hurt."
She held my gaze and kept going.
"I hate seeing anyone hurt. No matter the reason, those wounds aren't beautiful to me. I'm the one facing them. So I hope no one gets hurt. Even if it's a distant wish."
Her words left me speechless.
So saintly.
Only someone who truly cared for others could say that.
Only a genuinely good person.
I bit my inner lip to stay quiet.
Otherwise…
I'd laugh.
Cecilia was watching me.
Cecilia was grieving for me.
Cecilia was worrying about me, her eyes solely on me.
Fireworks exploded in a corner of my mind like a festival.
Facing her saintly side made me want to die from happiness.
God, it felt so good. Even better than digging into Ern's heart.
With my body somewhat restored by her blessing, I might even drool a little.
So I apologized.
"…Sorry, Cecilia."
Meaning sorry for getting hurt, and sorry for getting turned on by your noble concern.
She gazed at me quietly, sighed softly, and smiled faintly.
"If you're really sorry, cherish your body more next time."
Hmm. That might depend on the situation.
"I'll try…"
"Yes. Please do."
I was dying of happiness even while getting scolded.
Dying in front of her would make her sad, though, and I didn't want that. No, I did, but I hated seeing her sad.
Lost in that looping thought, she told me to move my right arm.
"…It's a bit heavy."
"It'll improve with time. And, Ern."
"Yes?"
Ern flinched at his sudden mention, shoulders twitching in surprise.
"Would you explain? Why you came with Ilisha."
"…Yes. Understood."
Ern explained the whole incident to Cecilia.
He glanced at me when mentioning the demon worshippers, but since I was already involved, he mentioned acquiring their plan too.
"So you just happened to meet Ilisha…"
"It's true, Saintess."
"Ern's right. Total coincidence. And following him into the sewers was my stubborn choice."
Cecilia eyed us both suspiciously, then sighed deeply.
"…I get the gist. Rest up, both of you. It'll be a while before the rewards are handed out."
Before sending us off, she gave us each a cup of warm milk.
It was just plain and warm, but it tasted oddly sweet.
Whether from her care or driving a nail into Ern's heart…
I didn't judge.
This sewer trip was a huge success.
If I can wedge into Ern's plans next time, I will.
Ern glanced at me, then stood first.
"Saintess. Thank you for today."
"No need for thanks. Just spare your bodies next time instead."
"I'll try."
Outside the temple, I told Ern the day had been fun.
"…Fun."
"Yeah. Like an… adventure? First time in my life. My heart was racing."
Ern stared at me quietly, then said it was late and rushed off.
I waved at his back, then headed to my dorm.
Feet light thinking of telling Ainshel everything.
Wonder what tomorrow brings.
Ilisha—was she an enemy? No, not quite. If anything, an ally.
But trustworthy? Not at all.
Just look at how she'd "coincidentally" waited at the sewer entrance.
She'd bulldozed her way along without revealing a thing about her motives.
…Thanks to that, I survived, but it didn't sit right.
She, whom I'd sworn to protect, had ended up protecting me.
If I'd been stronger, her arm wouldn't have frozen.
Recalling her shattered frozen arm, my fist clenched.
…I had to get stronger.
Stronger than her. So she wouldn't have to protect me.
So she wouldn't fight throwing her body away.
I had to get stronger.
With that resolve, I turned not toward my dorm, but elsewhere.
I needed power now—something with immediate effect.
Starting with salamander blood, maybe.