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Chapter 21
“After using the power of the blessing and Clematis’s combat strength, I simply persuaded the monsters and received the materials from them.”
“By Clematis, do you mean that ill-tempered dryad?”
“You persuaded monsters?”
“So you didn’t collect the materials—you received them from the monsters?”
“Does that ability apply to all monsters?”
They were only trying to understand what had happened so far, but Pavl and Cita kept interrupting Bice’s explanation with questions. With each answer she gave, their faces gradually turned to shock.
“Um… if we get the chance, would it be possible for us to observe Lady Bice collecting materials in person?”
“Of course. I’m fine with tomorrow as well.”
And so, the mages who personally witnessed Bice receiving magical materials from monsters began calling that day’s scene a “miracle.”
It became the beginning of a legend of a goddess that would circulate for a long time in the future—and the person involved would come to despise hearing it more than anything else.
But apart from the events that would unfold in the future, Bice herself in the present was also deeply confused.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Please, Lady Bice.”
Cita suddenly collapsed to the ground and pleaded with Bice.
“Could you provide me with hydra venom once every three days?”
“Hydra venom?”
“I specialize in necromancy, and I’ve turned them into insects en masse. As you know, since they’re things that have already died once, reviving them makes them very difficult to handle, so they’re piled up in the underground lab.”
Seeing Bice’s expression at this sudden confession, Cita quickly added:
“Freshly extracted hydra venom works instantly against corpse toxins. Fire is too dangerous, so venom is the most effective for dealing with necromantic insects.”
“So that’s why you need hydra venom often.”
“Yes. Not continuously… I just need your help until I can artificially produce a long-lasting venom component!”
“I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you! And if it’s too much trouble, even just until I wipe out those annoying underground creatures… please?”
“I can manage that much, so please stand up.”
Unlike monsters that required negotiation, hydra venom was not particularly difficult to obtain.
You just had to place a bucket under Clematis’s jaw while commanding it to “wait” in front of a lump of meat, and it would be done.
“Is the young lady an angel?”
Hearing Cita’s question, Bice pretended not to hear and turned her head away.
“No.”
At that, Kenjis answered instead.
“The young lady is a goddess.”
“A… goddess.”
“Please stop him, Pavl.”
Unable to endure it, Bice muttered, and Pavl answered calmly.
“I’ve heard that mages do not believe in gods.”
“Good to know.”
“But judging from how you communicate with monsters and treat all people equally, I believe the title of goddess is not excessive.”
“……”
Unable to understand the nonsense praise, Bice turned away without looking back and left the scene.
“Where are you going, young lady! We’ll go with you!”
“We will follow you as well.”
“Let’s go together.”
Behind Kenjis, who had fallen completely under the blessing’s influence, Pavl and Cita trailed after Bice like ducks following a shadow.
One week later.
Bice, having been invited by Cassius, arrived directly at the reception room of the Magic Tower via teleportation. Not a laboratory or experiment room—but a reception room.
“Thanks to Pavl, it was a bit emotionally exhausting, but I didn’t expect I’d be able to discuss the blessing with the Tower Master this easily.”
Excited, Bice knocked on the door.
“Tower Master, may I come in?”
“Yes.”
Click.
When Bice entered the reception room, she immediately stepped back. There were two unfamiliar men inside with Cassius.
“You are beautiful.”
“To think such a perfect creation could exist in this world!”
Once again, men overwhelmed by the blessing had lost their senses. Bice hurriedly retreated from them and shouted:
“Why didn’t you warn the others in advance?!”
“About what?”
“My bless—”
—It would be better not to mention the blessing.
“Eek!”
Covering both ears, Bice screamed.
“What did you just do?!”
—I transmitted my voice directly into your mind.
“Why would you do something like that?!”
—We should avoid having a mage of the Tower dragged into a religious tribunal.
Cassius glanced at the two men.
One wore armor engraved with the imperial crest, and the other wore pure white robes embroidered with gold thread.
“A… priest?”
“If your ears hurt, I can heal you immediately!”
Even though Bice’s reaction looked like she had lost her mind, the two, swept up by the blessing, jumped up and moved to support her.
Even so, they probably wouldn’t accept something like “I am suffering from the power of divine blessing.”
In this world, some humans directly used divine power, and their faith was absolute.
If the priests believe it, it could end in a “saint imprisoned” route. If not, it might end in execution for blasphemy.
It was definitely better not to mention the blessing in front of priests. A chill ran down Bice’s spine as she forced a smile.
“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“I am truly relieved!”
“Just in case, we will escort you to your seat.”
A priest exhaled in relief, and beside him, an imperial knight quickly stepped forward to escort her—from the door to the table. Exactly four and a half steps.
“Thank you.”
“It is the eternal honor of House Redcliffe to serve the princess.”
So House Redcliffe got three seconds of glory out of this.
Bice blushed and glared at Cassius, who looked far too amused by the knight’s dazed expression.
“May I ask why you called me here, Tower Master?”
Bice deliberately shifted the attention away from herself.
“If you had informed me in advance about the guests, I would have had time to prepare mentally.”
“The guests requested to meet you ‘suddenly.’”
“I am deeply sorry!”
The knight bowed so low it looked like he would hit his head on the table.
“We heard that your ability might be helpful in resolving the current crisis occurring across the continent, so we came here urgently!”
“My ability?”
“We were told you can communicate with monsters.”
“Ah… yes.”
“I also heard you gained a special ability through a contract with dragons…”
“That is incorrect.”
Cassius interrupted.
“The young lady contracted with the spirit of monsters, and as a result, she gained the ability to speak their language.”
What is he talking about? Bice looked at Cassius in confusion. The knight also asked, bewildered:
“The spirit of monsters… does such a thing exist?”
“Yes.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Have you ever heard of a multi-dimensional spatial defense model creation spell?”
“As a knight, how could I have heard of such nonsense magic?”
“The spirit of monsters is the same thing.”
At Cassius’s dismissive tone, the knight ground his teeth.
The Tower Master really doesn’t discriminate when it comes to messing with people.
While Bice watched him with a sense of sympathy, the priest spoke.
“Of course. Someone as blessed as the princess would never do such a thing.”
“Pardon?”
“Dragons brought the original sin of magic into this land and were completely eradicated by divine punishment, were they not?”
Bice’s expression stiffened at the openly discriminatory remark in front of the Tower Master.
So that’s why he helped hide my contract with Arel!
She quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, why did the knight and priest seek me out?”
“I have not introduced myself yet! I am a priest serving Lord Solah—Helle Aspam, dispatched from the Holy See.”
Helle smiled with a gentle expression. But in Bice’s mind, he had already become a discriminator.
“I am Edwan Redcliffe, commander of the Third Imperial Knight Order.”
Still dazzled by the blessing and unable to take his eyes off Bice, the knight proudly introduced himself.
“We came after hearing rumors of your ability, in order to resolve the current monster rampage occurring across the entire continent.”
