Chapter 5: Gift
That day, I obtained the power of a god.
Even though I’d just woken up like any other day, I could tell that the me of now had become a completely different existence from the me of yesterday.
I had turned seven and obtained a Gift.
“It’s not like I saw a dream of an angel or anything…”
Apparently, some people see dreams of angels or gods, but that didn’t happen to me. I think the game’s protagonist did.
This is where the real battle begins.
“Old Man! Old Man, are you there!?”
“Young Master, good morning. From the looks of it, you’ve obtained a Gift, haven’t you?”
“Yeah! It’s a Healing Gift!”
“Oh! A Healing Gift is rare, you know! Perhaps this will even earn you favor with a great noble-sama?”
“Maybe. But I plan to cure Cornelia’s illness with this!”
“Th-That is…”
It’s no wonder Old Man hesitated. No one’s ever heard of the Curse of the Evil God being cured.
“I’m going to do it!”
I have a chance of success. In the game from my previous life, I know an efficient way to level up Gifts. If I just have this knowledge…!
“I’m heading to the storehouse right away!”
“Young Master! Please change your clothes first!”
Ignoring Old Man’s words, I headed for the mansion’s storehouse.
◇
That room was so dim and stagnant, it almost felt like miasma.
Inside the room, numerous weapons, armor, and other items were haphazardly placed. Besides armaments, there were suspicious dolls and crystals. There was even a hand mirror. These were all cursed items.
And the one who had instructed for these cursed items to be gathered was me.
I picked up one of them. It was a double-edged sword that must have been magnificent when it was made. Now, its blade was cracked, and all the jewels that likely adorned it had been removed. It was like a worthless sword.
“Young Master! Those are cursed items! You mustn’t touch them!”
“Just watch.”
I immediately used the Healing power bestowed upon me.
When people hear “Healing Gift,” they probably imagine the power to heal wounds. But that’s merely one aspect of a Healing Gift’s power.
When I used my Healing power, the cursed sword shone with a white light.
The shining was unexpected, but the ominous and sinister aura the sword initially had was diminished.
“What in the world is this…!?”
“Healing power can also dispel curses. This sword still has about seventy percent of its curse remaining.”
“Such a thing is possible…!?”
I tried to use more Healing power, but this time, nothing happened at all.
“It seems I’ve used up all my power…”
To use up all my power and not even be able to dispel one curse… Well, I’m still level 1, so I guess this is to be expected.
In the game, MP was displayed, but it’s inconvenient without it.
And perhaps as a backlash from using up all my power, my body feels incredibly heavy.
“My body feels heavy…”
“You’ve run out of Holy Power. Let me lend you my shoulder. If you rest quietly in bed for a while, you’ll recover soon.”
Run out of Holy Power? What’s that? Isn’t it MP?
While thinking such things, I was returned to the bed in my room by Old Man.
◇
“Ria, I’m coming in.”
I made eye contact with Delia, the child I had newly hired as a maid.
Delia was a child who was particularly excellent in etiquette. When she saw me, Delia gave a small shake of her head and bowed gracefully.
As expected, it seemed Cornelia had not been granted a Gift.
Those afflicted by the Curse of the Evil God are not granted Gifts, and their lives do not last until adulthood.
If there truly is a god, then what is it about Cornelia that displeases them so much!
“Onii…sama…”
Does Cornelia not even have the strength to get up? She remained lying down. Even so, when I showed my face, she showed a faint, joyful smile. I felt like crying for no reason.
“…”
She’s gotten so thin… It’s not enough to say she’s emaciated yet, but Cornelia had become slender and frail. Her body was small too, as if only Cornelia had been left behind by time.
And yet, only the time Cornelia had left was ticking away, moment by moment.
How can such an absurdity be allowed!
I sat on the chair beside the bed and took Cornelia’s arm. It was white and slender. So thin that even the seven-year-old me felt like I could break it. It was a worrisome thinness.
Holding Cornelia’s hand, I forced a smile and spoke to her.
“Ria, were you able to eat?”
“Just a little…”
“I see. No need to rush. Let’s eat, even if it’s little by little. Black bread is hard, isn’t it? I’ll try my best so we can buy white bread soon.”
The business of buying and selling the children I’d educated was gradually getting on track. Being able to eat white bread probably wasn’t a distant future.
While talking with Cornelia, I gathered all my strength and used my Healing power.
However, what I got in return was the sensation of my Healing power being pushed back, not entering Cornelia’s body at all.
As I thought…
It’s probably because my Healing Gift’s level is too low.
I felt an immense sense of powerlessness, one that words couldn’t describe.