Chapter 189: Rumor

Translator: Tseirp

When I left the room after talking with the Wind Spirit about the Twin Dragons, I arrived at the archive that was called the Magic Archive.

I was feeling surprised that the real Magic Archive was actually the room of forbidden texts when the Wind Spirit called out to me as I was going to return to my own room.

“Luciel, if it’s the current you, I can allow you entry to this place if you want?”

“There’s no need for that at the moment. I did not visit Nelldal to seek power.”

“I see. Then will you be returning to the surface?”

“There’s something I am troubled about so I will return after resolving that.”

“I’ll help if it’s something I can help with?”

” … Then, just one thing. A magic stone-like nucleus and a return magic circle will definitely appear in all the labyrinths I’ve been to release the Dragons from their seals but even though Nelldal resembles a labyrinth, this time those items did not appear.”

“Umu, what about that are you bothered with?”

“The return magic circle won’t pose any problems but because touching the nucleus that resembles an enormous magic circle will cause the Evil G.o.d to appear, I advise you to never touch it if you ever go to a place where that nucleus is likely to be at.”

” … Even if I find it, I will make sure n.o.body will approach it.”

“Thank you.”

The Wind Spirit looked like it began to think about something so I headed to my own room.

When I exited from the Magic Archive, the corridor was dyed in an orange color.

“Dusk … now that I think about it, I’m feeling hungry.”

My feet carried me towards the canteen instead of my own room.

“Maybe I’ll make something simple … rather than that, now that I can once again use Purification, I guess it is fine no matter how messily I dismantle the stuff.”

It was my first time cooking after I recovered my Holy Attribute Magic so I was troubled with what to make as I arrived at the canteen and noticed that there were people I did not expect waiting there.

It was the Earl’s daughter Elinas Meinrich from the Princ.i.p.ality of Blange who recently borrowed money from me as well as her followers.

“Luciel-sama, where have you been these few days? There’s been an emergency so I have been searching for you the whole time.”

It felt like she was panicking but it was the same feeling every time I met her so I first asked her about the issue.

“Sorry, I had to seclude myself a bit for a task … what’s the emergency?”

The three of them looked like it was something that was difficult to talk about when I asked so I thought that they came to borrow money once again but just the other day they were overjoyed about how their research was going well, perhaps it was premature?

However, my thought process stopped for a brief second after hearing the words that came from the Earl daughter’s mouth.

“Erm … A rumor has been going around in my country that Luciel-sama has been punished by the G.o.ds, resulting in the loss of his Healer job and he can no longer use Holy Attribute Magic so I was told to look for accurate information.”

Leaving aside the point as to whether an S-rank Healer was punished by the G.o.ds, the fact that the knowledge of how I lost my job and the usage of Holy Attribute Magic was spread to the other countries was the more serious problem.

Even though three months has pa.s.sed since I came here, normally it would be impossible for other countries to know that.

One of the reasons why my thinking stopped was because the number of people who knew about it was limited.

Who was it exactly? I was getting lost in a vortex of thought but I realized that the Earl’s daughter was looking at me and in the first place, she was ordered by her country to investigate me but why did she directly ask me? I wanted to know.

” … Just now you mentioned that you were told to investigate right? If it was a command from your country, why did you directly come to inform me?”

When I asked that, she smiled and pa.s.sed me a leather bag as she replied.

“I don’t wish to return evil for good. Thanks to Luciel-sama, I’ve proven the result of my research and I can continue to stay in Nelldal this year too. Ah, this is the gold you lent me. Truly, thank you very much.”

… It looks like she wasn’t just a brazen and deplorable person.

I guess she really was quite desperate that time.

I totally did not see her as a person who would value righteousness but I apologized in my heart for that judgment.

” … It was because Nadia and Lydia asked me so please thank them when you meet them. More importantly, what was the source of that information.”

“Does that mean you really lost your Healer job and can’t use Holy Attribute Magic anymore?”

Without answering my question about the source of the information, she looked at me with extremely anxious eyes as she asked if I lost my Healer job and whether I could or could not use Holy Attribute Magic.

I felt that she was genuinely worried about me.

“It’s true that I’m no longer a Healer.”

” … I told my country that that wasn’t the case but what are your prospects of using Holy Attribute Magic then?”

She gave a look of despair when she heard my reply and immediately asked if there is hope for me to use Holy Attribute Magic.

“I can use it. 「Middle Heal」.”

I cast Middle Heal on the Earl Daughter with a smile.

She was worried as her hands and skin were dry due to continued research and she appealed to me to use Holy Attribute Magic so I treated her.

“Ah, how pleasant … as expected, the rumor that you can’t use Holy Attribute Magic was a hoax after all.”

Unlike before, the Earl’s daughter and her two followers looked like they were somewhat relieved.

Who exactly are these people? While thinking about that, I asked if there were any other news.

” … Were there any other interesting reports?”

“There were reports of Demons appearing in the Princ.i.p.ality of Blange. Because of that, I heard that there was a request to dispatch the Paladin Corps.”

If she’s referring to Paladin Corps that can be sent for an expedition, does it mean it’s Lumina-san and the others? They’ve probably been dispatched before.

However, the problem is would Lumina-san and the others win if they fought with the Demons?

“Was that a recent report too?”

“Yeah. That was received three days ago. I asked the other researchers if Demons only appeared in my country but it seems like there have been reports of Demons appearing in various countries.”

I felt uncomfortable knowing that the Paladins were on the move but the n.o.bles probably don’t want to die so they most likely have already hired mercenaries and private troops and the Princ.i.p.ality of Blange also have their own army so they would probably not have a joint operation with the Paladins so soon.

Nevertheless, Demons huh …

“So what about the damages?”

“None, it seems like there were only sightings. But such reports have been spreading everywhere so the situation on the surface is getting suspicious.”

“I see …”

I took a deep breath and calmed my mind before organizing the information.

At times like these, if I don’t make a priority list and take action, I would fall behind on all fronts.

Firstly, those at the location who knew about the loss of my Healer job and my inability to use Holy Attribute Magic were s.h.i.+sho, Lionel, Cathy, Kefin, Nadia, and Lydia.

The others would be Pope-sama … and Catherine-san.

I don’t want to suspect them but it’s certain that somebody leaked the information.

If this turns into a negative campaign, it would once again cause the Church to fall into ruin.

If that is the opponent’s aim, for example, if I am part of the Demon race … if I am in the position to command the Demon race, I would probably gather information around the vicinity of the areas where the Demon race have not achieved results.

In that case, they would naturally obtain and search for information about me who can become their natural enemy.

a.s.suming if there was information of a possibility that I can’t use Holy Attribute Magic within the reports, maybe they would try to slip into the Saint Schull Church to verify the information?

Or they might place spies to bring back information … with transformation abilities like Orford-san, anything might be possible.

As the Demon race is at war with the Church, they might attempt to measure the Church’s war potential.

Well, that’s a.s.suming that the enemy really is the Empire … this time, I felt uneasy about something but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

If this was a strategy to decrease the number of Paladins even a little, then the true target would be the Saint Schull Allied Nations but as long as we can’t grasp the real ident.i.ty of the enemy, there is still a need for information from the surface.

Well, if they were attacked by the Demon race, they would naturally contact me … ah, n.o.body knows that I’ve changed from a Healer to a Sage and can once again use Holy Attribute Magic huh.

If I’m someone they deem will get in the way even if I come to their aid, then won’t the possibility of them contacting me be infinitely small?

“Excuse me?”

I was lost in thought and realized that I once again forgot about the Earl’s daughter.

“Erm Luciel-sama, would you be heading towards the surface?”

” … I might have to. Plunging into a fight, getting embroiled in a conspiracy or having people aiming for my life, I absolutely hate it but … even so, I still have things that I wish to protect.”

” … If that’s the case, please hold onto this.”

She offered me a decorated dagger.

“This is?”

“In the Princ.i.p.ality, bloodlines take precedence over all else. This is my protection sword, those of pedigree below that of the Earl rank do not hold the qualifications to order a person holding this sword.”

” … Isn’t it an extremely important item then?”

“Yes. That’s why, please come return it to me one day. If you hold onto that, I believe I won’t leave Nadia and Lydia with unpleasant memories of me.”

” … I don’t know if I will go to Blange but I will gratefully accept this.”

“I look forward to meeting again.”

“Yes.”

The three of them left the canteen right after they finished their business.

“I didn’t expect a time to come when I would feel it was a great choice to help them at that time … well then, maybe I’ll think about what to do from now while cooking.”

I decided to first fill my stomach as I prayed that if possible, I would like to avoid combat on the surface.

Author’s note:

Thank you for reading.