Episode 12: Our New Goal
“Putting that aside. Mizuha, I’m going to dispel your curse. I’ll do it every day if I can.”
“Huh? Akito-kun, you dispelled the curse that had accumulated in me yesterday, right? It’s not like it would build up again in just one day.”
“According to the original setting, Mizuha was supposed to live for ten years after retiring as a Saintess. But because she used her power, that was cut to less than half. In other words, she only has ten years left even if she does nothing. That means a curse is gradually accumulating even if she does nothing, right?”
“Well, a little, I guess. But it’s not something to worry about too much. It’s fine if you purify me occasionally.”
“No. It’s not fine. The thought that Mizuha is getting one step closer to death even as we speak is unbearable. Please. Let me purify you every day, as much as possible.”
“You’re exaggerating… but I’m happy with that feeling of yours, so I’ll let you do it every day!”
Mizuha smiled brightly and sat upright on the bed.
I placed my hands on her shoulders and washed away the curse.
As she said, there was hardly any curse left. I tried absorbing it into my magical power, but it was so minuscule that I couldn’t really tell.
At this rate, once a week, or even once a month, would be enough.
But I’ll do it every day. I want to do everything I can for Mizuha.
“All done.”
“I feel refreshed. Even if my life isn’t in danger, it feels like there’s a point to doing this.”
“That’s good. Now that you’re refreshed, let’s go earn some daily bread.”
“Akito-kun, are you short on money?”
“No. I was an adventurer in the Royal Capital, so I have a decent amount. Though, it’s probably nothing compared to Mizuha, who was a Saintess for a hundred years.”
Saintesses are properly paid. And it’s a considerable amount. On top of that, the True Holy Order takes care of their food, clothing, and housing, so the Saintesses either save up a lot of money or spend it lavishly.
In the original story, Mizuha was supposed to have left her salary in the bank run by the Order.
“Ah… I don’t have as much as the original me, either…”
Mizuha’s eyes darted around.
“Is that so? It’s none of my business what Mizuha does with her salary, but… that expression, do you have something to feel guilty about?”
“N-no, I don’t!?”
That’s the same as saying she does.
“Wouldn’t it make you feel better if you confessed here?”
“Ugh… I did my best, you know? I tried my best to stay true to the setting, to not change the flow of the original story. But… after overcoming such difficult battles… to just live the bare minimum without touching my salary is too self-sacrificing! The Mizuha in the original story was too much of a Saintess!”
“Even if you say that to the original author…”
“Even if it was a battle to meet Akito-kun… I wanted some joy in my daily life! But, I was busy going west today, east tomorrow. I couldn’t do any time-consuming hobbies. And then I thought of it. If I’m moving around for missions, I can just eat delicious food from all over! Of course, at first, I was eating around with restraint, you know? But one day, the dam broke… and once it broke, I couldn’t stop… I didn’t care about the money, and I said ‘another one for the dessert stomach, and another one for the dessert stomach’…”
Mizuha confessed her sins with an expression as if she had committed a terrible crime.
But for me, it was a more trivial sin than I had expected, so I couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
“I didn’t have the image of you eating that much in the past.”
“The old me was a sickly girl. But now I’m a superhuman called a Saintess, right? I have a body that can withstand a monster’s attack, so overeating is nothing to me, right? What’s more, I don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat, right? And when I indulged in that, before I knew it, the money was gone?”
“No, it’s fine, you don’t have to make excuses. Rather, it’s good that you have a hobby. I’m glad to know that Mizuha didn’t spend a hundred years just suffering. Really.”
I really mean that from the bottom of my heart.
“Akito-kun has forgiven me. Even if God doesn’t forgive me, it’s okay if Akito-kun forgives me. Hey, since we’re here, tell me what you were doing in this world.”
“Well… for the past year or so, I’ve been hunting bandits.”
“Not monster hunting, but bandit hunting?”
“Yeah. To absorb Evil Spirits and strengthen my magical power. Let’s talk about that on the way to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Before that, breakfast!”
“Yes, yes. But, eat with restraint, okay?”
“That’s fine. Because Akito-kun is next to me. I don’t need to fill the loneliness of not having Akito-kun with food anymore.”
Mizuha’s cheeks flushed, and she spoke a little shyly, but in a clear voice.
When she says things like that, I get embarrassed too.
But, of course, I’m happy, so I want her to say more.
“Then I have to stay by your side so Mizuha doesn’t overeat.”
“That’s right. Always. As long as Akito-kun is dispelling my curse, I have no lifespan, right? And I don’t want to die again, right?”
“I know. I don’t want to die again either. I’ll use every means to live forever with Mizuha.”
That’s my, our, new goal.