5. vivian and children (1)
While on the way to Agnes Monastery, he put Vivian on the carriage seat.
It was possible because they rented a wagon big enough for the four of them to ride.
I sat on the floor in the middle and kneaded Vivian’s arm to check her condition.
‘Mana waste has accumulated quite a bit.’
Compared to our first meeting, we have become incomparably stronger, but we still have a long way to go.
Since the king slime was sent in one shot, the firepower was sufficient.
So, for the time being, it would be enough to focus on mana handling only.
The mana circuit became more unstable than expected, but it was within the range of being able to stabilize it quickly.
Using a pseudo-ice barrier by forcibly growing ice crystals.
In the end, Felix impulsively uses magic.
Two unexpected factors must have destabilized the mana flow.
The reason why I came to know this information is kind of funny, but I realized it while rubbing my body against a tree to relieve muscle pain during the second playthrough because my body was sore.
Since then, I have been able to naturally sense the flow of mana and waste products from other people’s bodies.
In the 3rd round, I am using it to take care of other warriors besides myself.
Anyway, Vivian is still on the skinny side, but she’s put on a decent amount of weight.
In the future, you just have to follow it consistently.
But, um… .
Giving a massage to other places while sleeping is a bit dirty.
Why not create an uncomfortable situation later… .
“Mercy.”
“yes?”
“You will be in charge of the massage from now on.”
“Why? Don’t squat well.”
“… The choice of words is a bit uncomfortable.”
“Hehe.”
He smiled wickedly and switched places with me.
“But what should I do?”
“Just do what you normally do.”
Mercy also received a lot of massages from me.
It wasn’t that he was fighting or using magic, he just did it because it was cool.
“Um… . I’m not sure, but I’ll try!”
Mercy rolled up her sleeves and stared down at Vivian’s body.
“It’s clear that Ruby is Vivian’s heart… .”
“Don’t be fooled.”
“Sheesh. I’m at an age where I’m curious about that.”
While grumbling, Mercy rubbed and pressed Vivian’s body.
It’s a bit clumsy, but maybe it’s because I’ve had time to take it from me, so I follow it quite well.
By the way, I don’t know Mercy’s age either.
The lifespan of elves is unknown and impossible to estimate.
It wasn’t that important now, so I wasn’t particularly curious about it.
*
“Vivian, wake up.”
“Nuee… .”
Vivian stood up and covered her mouth in surprise.
The voice that had been unraveled seemed embarrassed.
“Ugh… .”
Even so, he cherished the magic stone he brought with both hands.
He laughed and got off first, followed by Vivian.
“… uh? here is?”
Vivian questioned whether she was expecting a training center or not after seeing the monastery.
“I will rest here today.”
“… ah.”
She answered briefly, as if she remembered the situation she was about to face.
After wandering for two years, she ran away and barely gave her heart to caring for the children.
It is the moment to reunite those children with a completely different look.
Perhaps from excitement or nervousness, Vivian’s hand trembled slightly.
I hugged her tighter to avoid dropping the magic stone.
“Let’s go, let’s go, the kids will be happy too!”
Mercy pushed her back, moving Vivian’s feet, which did not fall.
After that, Kati and I followed.
The abbot of Petra came out to meet me.
Her gaze first went to Vivian’s magic stone.
“You passed.”
Petra laughed softly.
“As much as you have worked hard for a long time, you have borne big and beautiful fruits.”
“ah… .”
As if those words had pushed a switch, tears flowed from Vivian’s eyes.
“Go, thank you… thank you… .”
Vivian struggled to answer in a voice that held back her tears.
Petra took her wrist and gently guided her inside.
“The children will be happy to see it.”
*
The children gathered in one place were surprised by the unexpected appearance of Vivian.
I was surprised twice by the changed clothes and atmosphere.
Hearing the explanation of the large magic stone in his hand, he was surprised once more and quickly became a mess.
Vivian broke down the tears she had been enduring, and shared the joy of the reunion with several children hugging each other.
Mercy comforted Vivian and told the children stories.
I watched it from a few steps away.
… It’s such an innocently moving scene that it stings my conscience.
To be honest, the reason I brought Vivian here right away was a bit wicked, but not without a shady side.
On the first day of achievement, if I let the children meet like today, wouldn’t they follow me better in the future… .
There was a calculation like that.
I did it because I wanted to eliminate as many anxiety factors as possible.
Something, I feel like a very bad person.
If you want to package it well, you could say it’s a strategy to encourage improvement, but… .
“Ian-sama is also very considerate.”
Petra’s pure praise stung her conscience even more.
“Uhm… . I’m not really that kind of person.”
“I couldn’t do this without someone like that. There is a saying that a person who can pretend to be good for the rest of his life is the same as a really good person.”
It’s more uncomfortable because I think I believe that I’m good without a doubt.
After all, it’s not a bad thing… .
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“More than that, you returned at the right time.”
Petra handed me a piece of dried parchment.
“Soon there will be an open exam at Magdalen Abbey.”
As I listened to her, I opened the parchment.
It was the content of welcoming various guests, such as officials or managers of each city or country who were interested in the public exam.
“I don’t know if there is a priest who can meet Ian’s expectations, but it won’t be bad if you go once. It’s something I’ve been preparing for quite some time.”
“Let’s visit once. By the way, this is the first time I’ve heard of an open exam. something?”
“This is the first time this has been implemented, so you will. To put it simply, it is to raise only the ‘priests’ who will belong to the party and take the test.”
The key was simple.
The divine power and miracles of priests are different from strengthening the body or magic using mana.
So, priests must be trained in a special environment that is different from them.
It is the role of the McDerlin Open Trial to implement and inform the results of that theory.
Those who pass this test are given the qualification of ‘temporary warrior’, and they can receive support from those who attended the test or be invited to a party.
The premise isn’t wrong.
I, who can use simple magic or witchcraft as well as body enhancement, can’t deal with miracles.
There is a case of Arya who lacks faith, so it is not simply a matter of faith.
I don’t know the exact reason either.
The basis of using mana is the same, so my training method is valid for priests as well.
Anyway, I feel that this public test is a battle of spirits between the Seonghwagyo and the imperial family… .
It’s none of my business.
It’s Magdalen Abbey.
I’m trying to see if I have any memories worth using for the second round.
“… yes?”
A few children came towards me.
They are literally children, much younger than the teenage Emma.
The kids who are about my pelvis look up at me.
Petra next to me just smiles graciously, but I’m a little embarrassed.
I don’t know how to treat my kids… .
“Hey, do you have something to say?”
Instead of answering, the children kept looking at me, then exchanged glances with each other and bowed their heads.
“Thank you~”
It was just an infinitely clear and transparent voice.
Vivian, who is with her children on the other side, looks at me and smiles contentedly.
Mercy behind him shook his shoulders with a mischievous smile.
… he sent it
“Uh, that, yes… .”
Fortunately, the children just said hello and went back quickly.
Petra next to him also moved his lips as if he was having fun.
“… Just have a good laugh.”
“Oh, no, hehe. sorry.”
Children are harder to deal with than good people.
I don’t know what to do.
In that respect, I like monsters and bad people because they are very easy to deal with.
… When I think about it like this, he seems like a human with some flaws in his personality.
*
Vivian and the children, and me, Mercy, and Kati.
A dining table was held where everyone gathered together.
Of course, the main focus was Vivian and the children.
I felt like I couldn’t even talk properly because I was crying earlier.
Now, chatter and chatter, they share their current situation and ask questions.
“Is everyone worth living here?”
“Yes! It’s so nice to be able to eat a lot and sleep comfortably.”
“If you want to go out and play, you can play, and there are no adults who hit us or curse at us!”
… What kind of life have you been living?
“Sister, sister. You know, last time Adele cried because she missed you?”
“Oh, really?”
“What, what… ? When did I do that!”
“uh? Did you cry yesterday too?”
“Seed… . Wasn’t it just me? Did Hannah do that too?”
“hey! I, no, why am I… ! it’s not me… !”
As usual, a war of nerves between children over Vivian also occurred.
“No! You cried because Vivian noona abandoned us!”
As if cold water had been poured into the hall, it suddenly became quiet.
Hannah, the person who said the story, blushed and lowered her head.
Adele, who had accused her of it, also averted her gaze, perhaps realizing that she had said something useless.
“… Adele.”
Emma, the eldest of the children, said in a cold voice.
“sorry… .”
He still had a smile on his face, but Vivian’s face was also filled with regret and sadness.
Vivian walked over and sat down next to Hannah.
“Hanna.”
“yes… .”
Vivian put Hannah on her lap and hugged her tightly.
“Your sister can’t do that.”
“I know, but… .”
Hannah was about to say something, but finally buried her head in Vivian’s shoulder and swallowed her tears.
“Sorry, sorry, sister… .”
“it’s okay.”
Vivian gently patted Hannah on the back.
Adele, who brought up the word for no reason, almost became a sinner and was glared at by the children.
After calming Hanna down safely, the conversation resumed.
In return for that cry, Hannah got the right to monopolize Vivian’s lap.
While the conversation was going on one by one, there were kids who looked at me.
His eyes full of curiosity pressured me with burden.
After a moment of silence, Hanna, who was sitting on Vivian’s lap, called me.
“brother.”
“yes.”
“Are you my sister’s boyfriend?”
“Pooh!”
Mercy, who was sitting in front, almost spewed food.
Kati, who was sitting next to her, stopped spooning.
I swallowed the food I was barely chewing.
“Hey, Hanna… ! what are you talking about… !”
Vivian scrambled to deal with it, but the children’s interest had already returned to me.
Pay attention to my answer regardless of gender.
… I feel like dying.
Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to be surrounded by a group of black knights?
“It’s not like that… . Everyone knows you’re a manager, right? That’s it.”
“Yeah, yes! Why are you in trouble, really… .”
“Enough. Unnie really likes it when she talks about her brother even a little bit, and she keeps laughing like an idiot when she and her eyes meet.”
“… … .”
“And again, I bought my sister such nice clothes and put them on. You said you only do that to people you like!”
I know you’re at an age where you’re interested in that kind of thing.
I know, but why did this happen to me… .
Vivian’s reddened eyes look at me in confusion, then turn around again.
“I cannot admit… . A guy who has so many pretty sisters like you is your boyfriend!”
At those words, the children’s eyes swept over Mercy and Kati.
Mercy is dying of laughter right now.
“Fu, puheuk… .”
Mercy, who swallowed her laughter, suddenly touched the calyx with her hand and smirked.
“How are you? The feeling of going around with pretty sisters.”
“… You are going to die in ecstasy.”
“Be more happy.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Puhihik!”
Look at those red ears.
Oh, that’s really nasty… .
“Hey, Hanna… ! then no… ! Well, since Ian is the manager, that’s it… . I, uh, smiled because you helped me like this, uh, like that… the poor. Those unnies are just good people who help out… .”
Even after Vivian explained, suspicion remained.
Each of the children sitting next to each other started evaluating me.
“It used to be when my mom and dad fought. Men say ability is the most important thing. If you don’t have the ability to earn money, go out and live in a fertilizer warehouse.”
“Then isn’t that the ability? I think I’m fine with my height and size.”
“The face looks a bit scary, but that’s its own way… .”
“Last time I saw you broke a knife with your bare hands.”
“Chit. Doesn’t that mean you’re taller than us? I hope your sister is safe… .”
“No, isn’t it possible to only visit such dangerous places?”
Hear it all, hear it all
Aside from my ears being particularly good in the first place, it whispers too loudly.
If you’re going to do this, say it out loud… .
“Guys, can we do it in moderation?”
It was only when Emma intervened that the children were quiet.
Apparently, he’s the real deal among the kids.
Vivian is a good person who listens well.
*
By the time the children were focusing on Vivian again, they slipped out of the restaurant.
I don’t have anything to say even if I have to stay with them all the time, and it’s burdensome to keep looking at them.
Mercy somehow fits well with me, but I don’t get along.
While preparing dessert in the kitchen, I chew on what I was eating.
who followed me
“Kati? Why aren’t you at the restaurant?”
Katie shook her head and sat down at the kitchen table.
Well, he’s there too, so there’s nothing to see.
Even when he’s with me, he’s a guy who doesn’t talk much.
Leaving the cackling Kati behind, he took a chunk of slime out of his pocket and scrubbed it with salt and running water.
While yellow slime is acidic, green slime is just a squishy organism and can be eaten.
Although it has no nutritional value.
He put the washed slime in a pot with water and sugar and stirred it with a spatula while boiling it over low heat.
Suddenly, another person entered the kitchen.
“Hey, can I help you?”
It was Emma.
“it’s okay. I still have a lot more to say than that, so can I leave my seat like this?”
“It would be better for the kids to talk than me. I’m all grown up now… .”
They are said to have been taken care of by Vivian, but in the end they are children separated from their parents.
Such children grow up earlier than their peers.
That precocity is not right.
Children need time to be children.
Emma grew up too soon.
“Everything the size of a pea is still old.”
When I first met Sylvia and Kati, they were exactly the age of Emma now.
“Go and ask for a hug, and that’s okay. You are still very young.”
“Um… . that’s kinda… .”
“I think Vivian would rather like it.”
Imagining that scene, Emma scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“All, next time… . Rather, I came because I felt I needed to say hello separately.”
“Greetings?”
“yes. I was surprised to see my sister today. Such a pretty, clean, ate a lot of food, improved look… I had never even imagined it. There were times when I sadly talked about it as if I was longing for the hero, but now it seems like I’m one step closer to that.”
Emma bowed respectfully.
Unlike those kids earlier, it was a sincere greeting.
“It’s all thanks to Ian. Thank you very much.”
I couldn’t be more than happy to see the courtesy that was not suitable for my age.
Emma was a child who was being trained by the village headman as a representative of the orphanage, and was also a promising prospect.
Under the pretext of the village chief’s vain expectations, Emma said that she had been protecting Vivian and the children as long as she could.
It was a greeting that conveyed the weight that this young guy had to carry in that orphanage.
I still see bruises on my hands, wrists, and nape that haven’t healed.
“Yeah, thank you for noticing. Now, take this.”
He took out a small, flat container from his pocket and handed it to him.
Emma asked, looking down at the macaron-like round thing.
“What’s this?”
“Once a day, apply to the bruise.”
It is an ointment for bruises.
It’s not very rare, but it’s not something Emma can get.
Emma took the ointment in her arms.
“thank you… . By the way, what were you making?”
Emma looked into the pot.
The translucent greenish sticky mucus radiated heat.
“this? sad… Just jelly.”
Some people hate the word slime, so there’s no need to tell them.
When the jellies that have become sufficiently firm are put out on a cutting board to cool.
someone came to me
“Ian?”
It was an unknown nun.
She held out the envelope to me with trembling hands.
A white seal on a red envelope.
Something has come.
“A messenger came and took this… .”
“Oh, thank you.”
Upon opening the seal and checking the contents, as expected, it was a letter from the emperor.
The content was simple.
It was an order to immediately come to the imperial palace and explain about the expulsion.
This is a letter addressed to ‘Philip’, who is known to the world.
I guess you just heard the news.