5
The next day, as I had declared to Iria, I set about resolving the various conflicts arising from the Orc bounty. I gathered the village chief and elderly villagers to urge caution, then rode Clau-Solas to deliver stern warnings to neighboring villages. I also alerted them about the emergence of a new deadly poison and the occurrence of magical beast rampages, advising that this was no time for inter-village disputes.
To be honest, I had expected some resistance. It’s human nature to want more once you’ve got something.
However, surprisingly, every village was completely compliant.
Maybe they didn’t want to incur the wrath of a dragon knight, or perhaps they were intimidated by the mere mention of Duke Dragnot’s name. Or it could have been the imposing presence of Clau-Solas up close. For those who looked displeased, I spoke with full force, so maybe that was the reason. Heh heh.
Well, it’s far better than the opposite outcome.
If they were to repeat the same mistakes after I left, I’d just have to take different measures next time.
Having settled this matter in less than a day, I decided to have a one-on-one talk with Priestess Sarah.
Originally, my purpose for coming to Melte village was to warn Iria, Priestess Sarah, and the three kids about the magical beast rampage and the deadly poison, and then to evacuate them to either the Empire or the Holy Kingdom.
However, if I were to say this honestly, the other villagers wouldn’t stay quiet, and the priestess herself would likely refuse. So I had planned to create a pretext of “reinforcements to counter the magical beast rampage” to cleverly escort Priestess Sarah out of Melte village.
But thinking about it calmly, it seemed unlikely that my deception would work on a priestess of the Law God, who could be entrusted with official trials.
Moreover, now that I had secured Iria as a soul supplier, inviting her mother, the priestess, to the same house was dangerous in many ways.
I had already revealed to Priestess Sarah about the same-source beings to prove the effectiveness of the antidote. Although I hadn’t mentioned the soul-eating characteristic, someone as sharp as Priestess Sarah might deduce the truth from my reactions and those around me.
If that happened, I’m not naive enough to think that Priestess Sarah would still treat me favorably.
Considering this, perhaps I should be satisfied with just taking Iria along, without resorting to any tricks.
The magical beast rampage could be stopped in Ishka, and we had confirmed the effectiveness of the new antidote against the deadly poison, so the risk of fatal situations in the future was low.
Yeah, that’s right. I was thinking smugly about how humans always want more once they get something – but this applies to me too, doesn’t it?
Right now, I’ve got one thing and I’m wanting another.
To avoid becoming what Iria calls “a disgraceful human with an insatiable greed,” I should exercise self-control here – that’s what I was thinking, tightening the reins on my heart, when Priestess Sarah’s first words left me dumbfounded: “Please take me to Ishka.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“…Huh? Um, what did you just say?”
“When you return to Ishka, could you please take me along? I’d like to assist you, Sora-san.”
Priestess Sarah repeated her previous words verbatim with a serious expression.
Well, it seems it wasn’t an auditory hallucination born from my intense desires – I thought, still in a daze.
Seeing my reaction, Priestess Sarah lowered the corners of her eyebrows sadly.
“Of course, I’m not insisting. If you think I’ll be a burden, please say so.”
Snapping back to my senses upon hearing this, I frantically shook my head from side to side.
“N-no, not a burden at all! In fact, I was thinking of asking you myself… But, are you sure about this?”
Priestess Sarah’s role in Melte village goes without saying. In case of an epidemic, she would single-handedly take charge of treatment, and in case of disputes, she would be the first to be called upon as a mediator, working tirelessly on all fronts.
If word got out that Priestess Sarah was leaving the village, there would surely be those who would try to stop her. At worst, she might even be accused of “trying to abandon the village.”
That’s why I had been racking my brains on how to escort Priestess Sarah out of the village as quietly as possible.
Just as I had finally given up on this scheme, I never expected to hear from her own mouth asking to be taken along.
Of course, Priestess Sarah wasn’t saying, “I’ll follow you forever from now on.” I should assume she’s offering her help for a limited time until the magical beast rampage is contained.
Still, it meant she would have to be away from the village for a considerable period.
What could have driven Priestess Sarah to this decision?
As I carefully chose my words to inquire, Priestess Sarah blinked her eyes in puzzlement, then smiled gently.
“Someone to whom I owe a debt of gratitude is facing danger. Isn’t it natural to want to be of help? This isn’t just my thinking, but that of the village residents as well. I’ve already obtained the village chief’s permission for me to go to Ishka.”
“Y-you’re well-prepared, aren’t you?”
“Once a magical beast rampage occurs, the situation could change drastically at any moment. Every minute, every second counts now. I judged it better to persuade the village chief first and then ask for your permission, rather than the other way around.”
Hearing this, I nodded in understanding while quietly observing her face. Her way of speaking was as if she had experienced a magical beast rampage herself, which intrigued me.
Noticing my gaze, Priestess Sarah accurately read my thoughts and responded.
“Do you know, Sora-san? This country experienced a magical beast rampage once, twenty years ago.”
“Ah, I believe it was caused by volcanic activity at Mount Skim…”
“That’s right. At that time, my husband and I were adventurers, and we fought against hordes of frenzied magical beasts for three days and nights.”
Priestess Sarah spoke with a distant look in her eyes.
It was Guildmaster Elgart who had told me about the magical beast rampage from twenty years ago. Come to think of it, Priestess Sarah is about the same age as Elgart. It’s not surprising that she would have experienced the rampage.
I’ve heard that Ishka didn’t have the current city walls back then. Without a defensive stronghold, they had no choice but to confront the massive horde of frenzied magical beasts head-on. The battle must have been brutal.
Seeing pain and mourning in Priestess Sarah’s eyes, I realized that my unnecessary curiosity had reopened old wounds, and I hurriedly bowed my head in apology.
“Please forgive me.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Sora. I was the one who spoke without asking. But please understand this—I know what it means when a magical beast goes on a rampage. I didn’t offer to accompany you without being fully prepared for the dangers.”
Seeing me nod without hesitation, Priestess Sarah smiled gently and continued.
“You asked me what made me decide to go to Ishka, and the answer is the beast rampage.”
“Yes.”
“But that’s not the whole answer.”
“Huh?”
“Even if I hadn’t experienced a beast rampage before, I would still have offered to go with you. In that sense, the rampage isn’t even part of the real reason. The truth is, you were the one who made me decide, Sora.”
“Huh?”
My voice came out dumbfounded, and Priestess Sarah chuckled softly at my reaction.
When I blushed and looked down, she stifled her laughter and spoke more seriously.
“You brought knowledge and medicine to this village, which was suffering from an unknown plague. You brought countless smiles to the children’s faces. You saved not just this village, but possibly all of the southern region from the threat of monsters. And once again, you were the first to rush to our aid. I don’t think I could have saved Lars-kun without you. I’m truly grateful, from the bottom of my heart.”
Hearing her deep expression of gratitude made me feel both happy and embarrassed, and I couldn’t help but stare at the ground.
However, when she mentioned Lars’ name, I felt a pang of irritation.
Of course, I didn’t need to think too hard about it. As Iria’s childhood friend, there’s no way Priestess Sarah wouldn’t know Lars. And besides, in a village as small as this one, it’s easy to imagine they’ve known each other for a long time.
So, it’s not strange that she would call him “Lars-kun,” but the familiarity in her tone made me feel a twinge of jealousy. I know it’s petty, but still.
While I was silently grumbling to myself, her gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.
“I heard from Iria. She said that you went around the other villages today to lighten my workload.”
“Wha—!?”
I let out another dumbfounded sound at her unexpected words. Iria, why did you have to tell your mother that!?
As I floundered, Priestess Sarah continued sincerely.
“The village chief also apologized to me. He said he was sorry for making me work so hard until today. When I asked him why he suddenly said that, he told me that the Dragon Knight strongly advised him to.”
“I—I don’t think I was that harsh…”
“But the village chief was trembling with fear. I’m truly grateful that you care for me, but it wouldn’t do if that led to you getting a bad reputation. The hero who defeated the orcs, the Azure Dragon Knight—your words carry more weight than you might realize. Please, remember that.”
With her clear, earnest gaze fixed on me,
I had no choice but to nod.
“I—I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Yes, please do. Now, back to what we were discussing.”
“Yes?”
“It would be too painful for me to just stay in the village, praying for your safety, after everything you’ve done for us. I’m still a warrior priestess like Iria. I haven’t forgotten how to fight, and I’m confident my healing skills haven’t dulled. So please, I ask you once more—let me accompany you to Ishka. I promise I won’t be a burden. I want to repay you for all the kindness you’ve shown us.”
Once again, with that clear, sincere gaze fixed on me, I found myself unable to do anything but nod.
The poll is open again, please vote!!!
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
