Chapter 57
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 57
"Your Holiness, your lips are trembling."
I held back the urge to shout at them to take their fight to the Training Ground instead of destroying my room, when Genric leaned over and whispered to me with subtle amusement.
This bastard has sharp instincts.
Truth be told, I wasn't entirely displeased.
I never expected Lana to get so angry on my behalf.
Since she still couldn't look at me properly, I'd assumed she was still afraid of me.
People had been keeping their distance from me ever since the assassination attempt, which had been disheartening, so Lana's genuine concern brought me real joy.
"Thank you for worrying about me, Lana."
Lana, who had been pulling at Jeremy, startled at my words and released her grip.
Jeremy's clothes were wrinkled beyond recognition—had she held on even a moment longer, the new outfit would have been completely torn to shreds.
"I, I'm so sorry for the commotion...."
Lana fidgeted with her fingers timidly, as if mortified at having mangled someone else's garments.
Why apologize when I'm the one thanking you? Now I feel worse.
"...Are you, are you feeling alright?"
Wow.... Now this is truly surprising.
Lana spoke to me with words beyond mere pleasantries. I was genuinely moved.
"I'm fine. The High Priest said I just need to rest for a while."
"Th, that's a relief. And, um, there, th, this...."
Lana handed me something with trembling hands.
It was a vial containing a liquid the color of tender grass shoots freshly sprouted from earth.
"It's a nutritional supplement. I was researching, and, and I ended up creating one...."
At this point, I'm moved to the point of lethal overdose.
"Thank you. But it seems too precious—how am I supposed to drink this?"
"You have to drink all of it! You must drink every last drop for it to have the greatest effect!"
I'd only made a light joke, but Lana suddenly raised her voice.
I really have no talent for humor.
"I, I'm sorry for shouting...."
When I looked at her in surprise, she misinterpreted my expression and quickly lowered her eyes in apology.
Sensing the need to shift the mood, I immediately uncorked the supplement and drank it.
A sharp, tangy flavor like the vitamin supplements I used to take in my past life coated my tongue.
"Oh, it tastes good."
"Lana spent her spare time researching that while making potions, all so she could prepare it for Your Holiness."
Genric casually mentioned this from beside me, and Lana hit his forearm as if to say he shouldn't have said such a thing.
The sound rang out—not a thwack, but a sharp *smack*.
I looked at Genric with sympathy as his face went pale.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I'll be able to spend today feeling refreshed."
When I smiled at Lana, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
It was quite amusing compared to Genric beside her, who was being supported by Wolfgang while clutching his arm.
The three of them left my room once their task was complete.
I sent Victoria, Monica, and Jeremy out as well.
I needed to use Blessing on a thousand bottles of potion.
I'd coughed up blood when blessing five hundred bottles, and this time it's double that—plus my body's in terrible condition, so I'll probably cough up even more, won't I?
But I can't skip using Blessing either, so I'll just have to push through until today's done.
【Activating skill 'Blessing'.】
A reddish tint began mixing into the luminous crimson liquid.
The sight of nearly a thousand bottles all turning sunset-colored at once was truly magnificent, but...
"Cough! Hack!"
I had no time to admire that breathtaking spectacle.
I quickly covered my mouth with a cloth I'd prepared beforehand.
The blood was definitely pouring out twice as much as last time.
"Ugh. Damn it, why won't it stop? Cough! Please, just stop!"
It was harder to be careful not to stain my saint's robe with its flowing sleeves.
After nearly a minute passed, the coughing finally subsided.
The cloth was dyed bright red—it looked a bit horrifying, honestly.
At this rate, it'll be hard to wash. What do I do? It's still autumn, so I can't use the fireplace to burn it.
I need some way to dispose of it without anyone knowing...
Click.
"Saint, are you dying?"
But at that very moment, something dark suddenly dropped from the ceiling!
"What the—!"
Startled beyond measure, I swung my divine power without thinking.
"Ah, ow. Ahhhhh."
Whatever it was that got hit by my divine power let out a shriek and tumbled to the floor.
The thing writhing on the ground with its face covered was none other than Jeremy.
Seriously! I thought he'd passed out!
"What are you doing? Why are you coming out of there?"
"You told me to protect you, Saint."
Jeremy answered calmly, his pale face bearing a reddish mark from my attack.
I pressed my forehead with my hand.
"So you didn't leave and hid in the ceiling instead? How did you even get up there?"
"It's the only place where I can protect you quietly without being noticed."
I sighed and rubbed Jeremy's cheek.
I wanted to heal him, but I'd just used Blessing heavily, so my body was in the worst condition—I couldn't do it.
"Still, hiding in such a filthy place..."
"No. It's far more comfortable than where I stayed at the Grand Temple of Sea God."
"A dirty ceiling...?"
What kind of place was he living in there?
"A narrow room where I couldn't even lie down comfortably. And all around me, divine seals that bound my entire body were carved into every surface."
"...."
The hand rubbing my cheek came to an abrupt halt.
I had no idea about such detailed circumstances—they never appeared in the original work.
"That's why I'm truly grateful that you accepted me, Saint."
Now I understood why Jeremy had said it was fine to be locked in the Prison.
There was no divine curse binding him, and a Prison spacious enough to stretch his legs comfortably was far superior to the room he'd inhabited before.
Those Sea God Temple bastards were truly garbage.
"...If you wish for anything, you can have it. Once the curse is lifted, you're free to leave and live as you please. Do whatever you desire."
"I prefer it here for now."
I nodded at Jeremy's words.
If he preferred it here, I'd let him stay even if it meant fighting the Sea God Temple.
Besides, I'd already burned bridges with those bastards—things couldn't get much worse.
"However, if you're to remain here, you must follow certain rules."
"What kind?"
"Don't reveal anything about me to anyone else."
"For example, like this?"
Jeremy gestured with his eyes toward the blood-stained cloth I held. I nodded.
"Yes, exactly like this. Everything I do when no one's watching. Even if you happen to see something, you must keep it absolutely secret."
Until I reveal it myself.
"Understood."
Jeremy agreed without even asking why. He seemed to think I'd cast him out if he broke his promise.
I had no such intention, but I saw no reason to dispel that misunderstanding.
I simply had to protect my secrets by any means necessary.
"Then dispose of this without anyone knowing."
It was an unexpected situation, but since things had come to this, I decided to make good use of my newly acquired helper.
After Jeremy took the blood-stained cloth and disappeared back through the ceiling, I washed my hands and opened the window to air out the room.
I kept it open a bit longer, remembering how close I'd come to being discovered last time.
Thanks to that precaution, Victoria didn't suspect a thing this time.
After seeing off Victoria and Monica as they left with the trolley, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Phew, I really need to rest now. I'm exhausted.
* * *
The nutritional supplement Lana gave me was remarkably effective.
Ever since I'd partially lifted the curse, I'd been exhausted every day, but considering I'd coughed up blood today, my condition was surprisingly decent.
Even when I'd lived on energy drinks during my detective days, my condition had never recovered this well.
"If I sold this, I'd make quite a profit."
Hadn't modern people proven the necessity of fatigue recovery supplements with their very bodies?
Moreover, since this contained neither divine power nor alchemy, it could be sold at a much lower price.
Whether noble or commoner, anyone could enjoy it regardless of their financial means.
I should make a serious proposal to Lana about this.
But first, let me handle the immediate matters at hand.
"So you're saying the Count and Countess sent all these people?"
At the entrance of the Temple of the Sun God.
Monica was making a fuss, and I rolled out of bed to see what lay before us—I couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
"Yes! These are workers to help with repairs to the Temple of the Sun God. And here are the cooks, along with provisions for the kitchen."
Count Hindel and his wife had discerned at a glance what the impoverished Temple of the Sun God needed most urgently, and sent it all.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org