Chapter 6

For a while, Revelin was unable to leave the mansion. Whenever she tried to move, her father and brother would grab her ankles like carpets laid out on the floor and make a huge fuss, insisting she needed to rest immediately.

Instead, she spent her time in the mansion’s library reading books related to purifiers. Naturally, none of the books contained any content stating that a purifier’s rank could be raised.

As expected, this only applies to me.

Afterward, she checked with the magical artifact time and time again, but her rank remained Level 5. Although she didn’t know the reason, she had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.

Then what was the condition for raising her rank? Revelin formulated several hypotheses. The one with the highest probability, given the circumstances, was the act of purification itself.

The most plausible theory is that the rank goes up the more you purify.

That was because her rank had risen after she purified Chedwin. If that were true, why hadn’t it gone up back when she purified the flower at the academy? Perhaps her contact with Chedwin had acted as a catalyst. But to verify this hypothesis, she needed to perform another purification.

Since she had become a Level 5 purifier, the act of purifying wasn’t difficult. The only problem was—

What on earth is there for me to purify?

There was nothing to purify!

When a contaminated zone broke out, knights or mercenaries were deployed first to deal with the magic beasts. Purifiers waited outside and only entered once the magic beasts had been cleared out. In the past, purifiers were sent in first for various reasons, but after the number of purifiers plummeted because they were torn apart and killed by magic beasts during purification, the procedure changed.

Of course, outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering during this process. It was impossible to slip past the vigilant knights and enter a contaminated zone undetected.

Because of this, she even thought about buying a fake identity matching her rank. Since some of the magic beast byproducts generated in contaminated zones were used as materials for healing potions or magical artifacts, some commoner purifiers sold their identities to “contamination poachers” for massive sums of money.

Since people will spare no expense if it means maintaining their youth or living a long time.

She had debated hiding her identity, borrowing someone else’s name, and sneaking into a contaminated zone, but she immediately abandoned the idea because she couldn’t hide her face inside a contaminated zone, and Revelin’s face was already far too well-known.

“Hmm.”

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no methods at all. Since she knew the information about the contaminated zones appearing in the original story, she could just make use of it. Since the female protagonist and male leads in the original story kept getting caught up in contamination for the sake of the 19+ novel’s plot convenience, she could just hang around the vicinity and get caught up in it along with them!

“The contaminated zone that’s about to break out is the exact place where it gets revealed that the female protagonist is a Level 2 purifier, marking the start of the original story. Ummm…”

Though she felt a bit guilty for stealing what the female protagonist was supposed to do and disrupting the start of the original story, her hesitation didn’t last long. She could just share a little bit of the contamination!

“It’s not like I can purify the entire contaminated zone all by myself anyway, and I have no intention of doing so!”

The danger level of a contaminated zone varied depending on the concentration of demonic energy, and the rank and number of purifiers dispatched were determined based on that danger level. The contaminated zone appearing for the grand introduction of the original female protagonist could not be purified by Revelin alone, as she was currently Level 5.

It was a contaminated zone that required at least a few Level 5 purifiers to clear. Of course, many minor contaminated zones would continue to pop up afterward, but there were no other contaminated zones this heavy with demonic energy and dangerous for a while.

Let’s just pretend I accidentally got caught up in the contaminated zone, and while the female protagonist purifies it, I’ll secretly purify just a tiny, really small bit myself to test my hypothesis!

Let’s leave the grand spotlight to the female protagonist. Anyway, this incident was just the beginning of the original story where the female protagonist burst onto the scene as a Level 2 purifier. Stepping in just a tiny bit shouldn’t change things all that much.

Or should I just go ahead and block the start of the original story altogether? No. She couldn’t ruin someone else’s future just to save her brother. It was the moment the commoner female protagonist was finally going to find happiness!

Revelin recalled the beginning of the original story. The female protagonist visited a small workshop while playing in the capital, and a contaminated zone broke out there, catching her in it. Wasn’t that said to be on the fifteenth day after Chedwin’s victory banquet ended?

Finished with her date calculations, Revelin nodded and stood up. Good. Original female protagonist, I’m sorry, but let’s share a little bit of that contamination!

Several days passed, and the day finally arrived.

Today, Revelin visited a small workshop that doubled as a general store used by commoners. She had lied to her maid and knights, telling them she was preparing a surprise gift for her family and that word mustn’t get out, before having them wait at a distance.

Fortunately, they all respected Revelin’s privacy. Revelin, hooded in a robe, made eye contact with the owner of the shop.

“Y-Y-Young Lady.”

The old man, leaning on a cane broken and bound with string, looked once at Revelin and then once at the money pouch Revelin had placed on the counter.

“D-Do you really mean that if I clear out of the shop for just today, you’ll give me all of this money?” “Yes.”

“But a small shop like this won’t have anything a young lady like you needs… Everything here is either secondhand goods someone used once and threw away or things I made myself.”

She knew that. She hadn’t come here to buy anything in the first place! Still, saying I came to a shop used by commoners for no reason would sound suspicious, right?

As Revelin pondered, a pocket watch caught her eye. “……I have a hobby of collecting antiques. Passing by this place, a pocket watch I happened to spot in the display case caught my eye. Since you run a workshop together, you must have repaired it yourself, right? I want to look around alone without any interruptions.”

The old man widened his eyes in surprise. Unable to find a suitable response, he remained silent for a long time before speaking with careful deliberation.

“To think my craftsmanship caught the young lady’s eye—I am merely embarrassed and deeply grateful.”

What? Had nobody ever told him he was good before? Why did he look so deeply moved? Revelin averted her gaze slightly. Clearing her throat, she hurriedly redirected the conversation by pointing at the money pouch with her eyes.

“Anyway, check the money. I prepared an amount equivalent to a full day’s revenue based on the shop with the highest sales in the capital.”

The small workshop was filled with cobwebs in the corners, and the desks and items looked like they were broken one by one. “Still, standards differ from shop to shop. If it’s not enough, I’ll prepare more money. I’m the one who asked you to clear out, after all.”

Noticing Revelin’s nonchalant urging, the old man hurriedly shook his head. “No, no. As you can see by looking at my shop, I hardly have any customers. The money you gave me right now is enough to keep me earning for several months.”

“Ah. Is that so? That’s great. Congratulations.” “It’s, it’s far too much compensation for clearing out the shop for just a single day.”

Revelin shook her head firmly. “You won’t be able to do business today, so it’s only fitting compensation.”

“But……” “It’s fine. More importantly, could you please clear out of the shop now?”

Repeatedly urged with gentle firmness, the old man had no choice but to hug the money pouch tightly to his chest. Leaving behind words that he had already moved the important items so she could do whatever she liked with the place, the old man headed out.

“That money probably still won’t be enough.” Revelin sat down on a relatively decent-looking chair and watched the old man’s back as he left.

A contaminated zone would break out right here today. And the workshop would collapse.

In the original story, the old man dies, but today would be different. “Please use that to help cover the repair costs for the shop.”

It would differ slightly from the start of the original story, but the shop owner wasn’t an important character to the plot anyway, so it didn’t matter. She was sitting quietly amidst the floating dust when—

Clatter. The workshop door opened.

“Um, hello…” They were here.

She knew just by hearing the voice. She’d recognize even a single strand of their hair. “The items on display are so pretty. Did you make all these yourself? Your craftsmanship is truly amazing. If you don’t mind, could I look around?”

The original female protagonist, Sophia, peeked her head in and stepped inside. Her brilliant blonde hair scattered as if it had absorbed all the sunlight.

“Yes.” At Revelin’s permission, Sophia stepped inside hesitantly. Glancing around as if looking for something, Sophia asked cautiously.

“Are you… the shop owner?” Revelin, who had become the owner of the shop for just today, gave a light nod.

So this meant her brother was going to fall head over heels for this woman? … Isn’t Sophia way, way too good for him?

She could fully understand why her brother said he’d even lay down his life in the original story. Lay down just his life? He should lay down everything.

Resting her chin on her hand, Revelin glanced sideways at Sophia, who was browsing the items in the shop.

Yet something was strange. “Wow. This is so pretty. This one is pretty, too.”

It wasn’t just Revelin glancing sideways; Sophia was also glancing sideways at Revelin. Sophia was praising the items while keeping a wary eye on Revelin’s reactions.

Why is she acting like that?

Her thoughts didn’t have to linger long. Suddenly, the beginning of the original story flashed through her mind—where Sophia looked around a shop, chatted with the owner, and then contamination broke out.

Revelin nodded to herself. Ah. She wants to talk to me!

She had no intention of getting entangled with the original protagonists, but Sophia was cute and pretty! Wouldn’t it be fine to chat for a little bit?

Revelin, who possessed zero social skills, racked her brain. What kind of conversation should she start with? Let’s start with the weather.

“I enjoyed looking around! Goodbye then!” Clatter.

She had only thought up to starting the conversation, but Sophia had already vanished. It was over before she could even say goodbye.

“……Excuse me?” There was no one there.

“……?” There hadn’t even been time to catch her. Glancing around the entrance casually, Sophia had simply run away with a greeting.

“Did she… just run away?” Left all alone in the shop, Revelin’s eyes darted back and forth.

No, she wasn’t supposed to leave like this?