The reunion with Senior Elsi was brief.
Before I could say more than a few words, she dashed out of the room.
I had intended to ask if she was injured, but as always, she was her usual unpredictable self.
That reckless nature was part of Senior Elsi’s charm, I thought to myself as I glanced down at my abdominal wound.
The bandages were stained with pus.
Wounds inflicted by monsters do not heal easily, no matter how much divine power is poured into them. However, when it comes to a saint, things tend to be different; the fact that pus was still oozing out indicated one uncomfortable truth.
That monkey monster was strong.
It meant that even with the high purity divine power of a saint, time was needed to purify the magic. Naturally, I had no choice but to think that the magic used by the monster also had to be exceptionally potent.
No matter how stealthy my actions might have been, I couldn’t sense its presence at all. My senses had become extraordinarily keen recently, yet even they were at a level where they could be deceived.
I couldn’t help but think it might have been worthy of a name.
After all, one would have to feel a lethal threat to recognize it. According to the contents of the letter, it seemed I had been in a life-or-death struggle.
I clicked my tongue, yet my sad gaze couldn’t help but linger on my wound.
I’ve been overexerting myself lately. If my injuries accumulate like this, I might have to face the saint’s wrath yet again.
Although our relationship has soured, I thought as such.
“…Are you an idiot?”
Her voice was filled with irritation. My eyes darted towards the entrance of the hospital room.
There stood a woman with silver hair and pink eyes. She had striking bodily curves that were impressive.
She was the saint.
She bit her lip, then walked up to me without hesitation. Without delay, she grabbed me by my collar and whispered.
“I told you that you might not fully recover in the future, didn’t I?”
A sweet fragrance briefly brushed against my nose. Her eyelashes were trembling with anger, itching at my vision.
It was an unexpected reaction. I had thought it fortunate if she didn’t laugh sarcastically, but now she seemed genuinely angry.
It seemed that her personal feelings and her emotions towards a patient were entirely separate. I raised my hands in surrender against her overwhelming threat.
“…Still, we can’t let Senior Elsi die.”
“You should have been more careful!”
“I deeply reflect on that.”
After glaring at me with burning eyes for a while, she eventually clicked her tongue and released my collar as if dismissing me.
Her strength was no joke. According to Yulen, the saint was also training in martial arts, and it seemed her skill level was no small matter.
If I had my way, I would have liked to see her fighting skills.
But it was obvious that if I requested a duel, I would have to face her icy gaze. I also couldn’t recklessly challenge her; it was a tricky situation.
As I was licking my lips in disappointment, the saint spread her arms as if to say I was pitiful. Her palms facing the sky looked like flower petals.
“Hmph, you’re really no help at all. Whether it’s this person or that person, they all hurt themselves recklessly and then ask for treatment. Do they think I’m some divine power pocket…?”
Her muttering was laced with deep dissatisfaction. It was understandable that the saint had been through a lot.
However, “divine power pocket”—
My gaze subtly drifted below her neck. The generous presence and elasticity of her curves came to mind, reminiscent of the soft yet squishy sensation I felt the last time I brushed against her shoulder.
The saint’s eyes settled on me firmly.
“…What are you looking at?”
Cough, cough. I cleared my throat and barely managed to divert my gaze. The saint’s expression had shifted to one of utter disdain, and she spoke in a displeased voice.
“You have a deep abdominal puncture, and although it’s only a partial evisceration, you’re letting your eyes wander? Honestly, all men are the same—horny dogs.”
She clicked her tongue and openly displayed her contempt.
Nevertheless, as I averted my gaze and could not offer any defense, she grew even more frustrated and pushed her ample chest forward with her arms.
“Here, here! If you want to look, then look to your heart’s content! Really, it’s ridiculous….”
At this point, I started to feel a bit irritated myself.
While it was true that it was my fault for getting hurt recklessly, it was a choice I made to save Senior Elsi. I had no regrets, and strategically, it was the right decision.
Senior Elsi was the only combat mage among the orphans residing in the orphanage right now. Reto was also a mage, but he was a theoretical mage; once combat began, there was no one who could replace Senior Elsi.
Therefore, it made more sense for me to take the risk.
Of course, it was clearly my fault for peeping at her chest. But didn’t her ample bosom also carry some blame in attracting so much attention? After all, it was a creation of the heavenly deity Arus.
It was nonsensical reasoning. A typical perpetrator’s logic used to justify criminal behavior, yet I decided to momentarily forget that fact.
My voice came out gruff as I spoke.
“…Is that really the case?”
Hah, the saint scoffed incredulously. And again, I faced her scornful gaze.
“Yes, yes. Do as you please. Just don’t get hurt recklessly in the future.”
With that, the saint bent forward to flaunt her chest conspicuously. The curves of her torso, which already filled my view, became even more pronounced.
A strange competitive spirit ignited within me, and I took a stance to observe the saint’s bosom.
Indeed, it was large. I wondered how much elasticity was needed to maintain such a voluminous chest. It felt soft like flesh, yet there was a distinct texture unique to busts.
That sensation, which brushed past my clothes, proved it. While I would never get to directly experience the touch of the saint’s bosom, I had a knowledge of it indirectly.
Not only was it impressive in size, but the elasticity and feel were also remarkable. Just as I was examining her ample bosom from different angles,
What began as a regal posture of the saint glancing at me now slowly transformed into a rosy blush on her porcelain face as time passed.
After a few minutes of hesitation, her face turned bright red, and she covered her bosom with her arms.
“…D-Don’t look anymore.”
“No, you said I could look as much as I wanted, right?”
In a buoyant mood, while I admired the saint’s divine power pocket, I ended up asking that question, feeling like a child who had just lost their toy.
The saint’s pink eyes were long stained with shame. She stuttered.
“That’s… that’s enough to have seen!”
“If I set my mind to it, I could watch all day… Surely, the most beloved maiden of the heavenly deity wouldn’t lie to a poor saint, would she?”
“W-Who has ever been stared at like this?! If things continue like this, I’ll be… ‘not a maiden’ but ‘a fallen one’…!”
The saint, blushing and wavering, struggled with her words, but having sparked my competitive spirit, I had no intention of letting her go just yet.
At the very least, I wanted her to feel as much humiliation as the disdainful look she had given me.
I clicked my tongue and opened my mouth.
“Still, you wouldn’t want to break a promise, right? If you’re going to complain, blame the yourself from a few minutes ago. Now, please remove your arms… Aaaah!”
However, my words didn’t continue.
With a loud smack and a sound of leather striking, a palm exploded onto my back.
The force was so strong that the impact reached the wound, sending a numbing pain that scorched my brain white.
I immediately twisted my body and let out a scream. At that point, the one who was flustered was actually the saint.
“Are you okay?! J-Just bear the pain for now! Moving around might reopen your injury!”
While I groaned, a resentful gaze turned towards the saint. She quickly dodged my gaze.
The hesitant saint eventually yelled out.
“Who told you to stare so intently?!”
“No, you were the one who said to look…!”
“Anyway, that’s enough! If you bring this matter up again, I will charge you with blasphemy in a religious trial!”
I wore an aggrieved expression, but there was nothing I could do. The saint wielded tremendous authority bestowed by the heavenly deity, and here I was, just a second son of a country minor noble, left with no choice but to comply.
Nonetheless, the saint seemed a bit apologetic and treated my wound in a much gentler manner.
It seemed I could gradually move around. I turned to the saint, who was unwrapping the bandages around my injury, and asked.
“…Is that all you needed?”
Her hands suddenly paused.
Her pink eyes met mine. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, so I let out a sigh.
“I just wanted to ask if everything has been alright since.”
A fleeting moment of hesitation crossed her eyes. Then, she let out a long sigh as though she had no choice.
“…It hasn’t been long since you woke up from a state of unconsciousness, yet you’re feeling restless? There are plenty of people at the orphanage.”
“I need to take revenge.”
I said that while casting a glance at my still-healing abdomen.
Nobles had to repay debts in kind.
Be it grace or resentment, it was the same. If the other party left a stab wound in my belly, then I was obliged to repay them in kind.
The saint looked deeply into my eyes, which were filled with a dark determination, and eventually opened her mouth.
“…Sister Delphine encountered the monkey monster. In the forest.”
Fortunately, it seemed we had caught a lead.
That very day, I strapped a sword and hand axe to my waist and left the hospital room.
It was time to start my revenge.
After finishing my treatment and stepping out of the hospital room, it was already dusk.
It seemed I had spent several more hours being treated after Senior Elsi left.
That alone would have only been possible because of the saint; even a high-ranking priest from the Holy Kingdom would need at least a week to heal such injuries.
It was convenient to have a saint around. Especially for someone like me, who consistently got hurt, having a capable priest nearby was greatly beneficial.
Her joining us was a stroke of luck in many ways. Initially, it had been a bit annoying, but upon reflection, the saint was an exceptionally powerful asset.
Had she not been around, I would have met my demise two days ago. The closest temple from here would have taken at least half a day on horseback to reach.
I wasn’t in a condition to be moving with a punctured abdomen. I quietly moved forward, thanking the fortune bestowed upon me by the heavenly deity.
However, the orphanage was curiously quiet. The children were all observing the adults furtively, and neither Celin nor Ceria were in sight.
I tilted my head in confusion as I continued to walk.
Just then, as I was thinking it would be nice to run into someone, I spotted a bewildered-looking man. With curly brown hair, it was my close friend Reto.
He had his hand on his forehead as if he were in distress. I immediately raised my hand and called out to him.
“Reto!”
“…What’s up, I-an? You’re already out of the hospital?”
Hearing his somewhat weary voice made me feel confused, but first, I nodded to reassure him.
“It seems I can get by as long as I don’t overdo it, so I guess it’s fine?”
“And what if you hurt yourself again? Then Celin would be in an uproar.”
Though it sounded like a reprimand, it was just Reto’s way of expressing concern. He was a mage, and being twisted in nature, he couldn’t honestly convey his worries.
Knowing this well, I didn’t feel hurt. I merely had one question and quickly asked Reto.
“Speaking of which, where’s Celin? No, not just Celin, but where are all the adults? The children seem strangely quiet…”
At my words, Reto’s brow furrowed again. He groaned, pondering for a moment before finally telling me.
“Actually, Senior Delphine and Senior Elsi had a clash…”
“…What? How did that happen?”
It was like a bolt from the blue for someone who had just been going to find Senior Delphine. I had intended to gather information about the monkey monster from her, combining it with what I knew to find clues.
Yet, out of nowhere, Senior Delphine and Senior Elsi had clashed.
It had only been a few hours since Senior Elsi had left the hospital room and I exited mine.
As I looked on in confusion, Reto slowly began to recount the events.
“I don’t know the full details. But when I started watching…”
*
With a splash, water was scattered everywhere. The droplets sparkled in the pale afternoon sunlight.
The one who was unexpectedly drenched was a woman with golden hair. For a moment her eyes went blank.
As if unable to believe it, she cast a bloodshot gaze at a doll-like girl.
The girl was small, wearing a large hooded hat. Her blue eyes, well-matched with her brown hair, bore a fierce light. And her cute little lips were moving,
From which emerged an unbearably cold voice.
“…Who do you think you are, to dare insult Lord I-an?”
The two women revealed themselves as the academy’s greatest rivals, Delphine and Elsi.
