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Chapter 16
“I think I could just quickly use purification water to remove the host.”
“Young master. This time the host is inside a human body, not an animal or plant, so it is complicated. That’s why the lady came.”
“If it’s inside a human, then yeah, it’s complicated.”
Ellen scratched his head roughly.
Usually, the host parasitizes animals or plants, but very rarely it enters a human body. If it enters animals or plants, it is not difficult, but in humans it becomes tricky because it uses intelligence.
After finishing preparations, Ellen walked to the carriage and opened the door.
“Get out. Earn your keep.”
Orte, who had been sitting straight with her eyes closed, got down from the carriage.
“Hey, you know you have to call out the host, right?”
“Yes.”
Orte nodded while pulling down her slightly wrinkled clothes.
“Do it properly. It’s inside a human body, so it’s tricky. Don’t act on your own, and when it appears, just use fireworks immediately. If things get big because of you, I’ll report everything to Father.”
Ellen kept talking, but Orte did not really listen. She had experienced this kind of situation a few times before, since hosts occasionally entered human bodies.
Ellen, not realizing Orte wasn’t listening at all, kept speaking. Then a voice interrupted.
“Lady Orte!”
At the call, Orte turned her head.
There were unexpected people there.
Priests.
They smiled warmly and approached Orte, bowing respectfully.
“What brings you here?”
“This place is very close to the temple. We thought we could help so it might finish faster.”
Orte instinctively looked at Ellen’s expression.
Ellen also looked surprised, so he clearly didn’t know either.
“It’s good to see you again, Lady Orte.”
Orte looked at the priest’s smile and nodded.
They must have come because they knew she would participate in the purification.
Then Orte felt a gaze and turned her head.
Yones was there.
Even before seeing his face, she already knew who it was from the gaze.
When their eyes met, she lightly lowered her head in greeting, then quickly looked away without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Ellen and the priests exchanged greetings.
They were smiling, but the atmosphere was not very friendly.
Seeing that only one holy knight, Yones, was present, it did not seem like they truly came to help with purification as Johan had said.
Orte decided they were probably here to observe her.
Since it was still the very early stage where no monsters had appeared, Orte took fireworks and tried to enter the forest.
“Lady Orte. Are you going in yourself?”
A surprised priest grabbed her.
“Yes.”
“But without an escort…”
“If I have an escort, the host won’t show up.”
The priest hesitated, but Orte did not care and kept walking.
Even though it was black land, nature was still nature, so it felt calm. After walking for a while, her steps slowly slowed.
“Come out.”
Orte’s voice echoed through the quiet forest.
After some time, Orte turned her head.
There was no sign of anyone, but suddenly Yones was standing behind her.
“You.”
He approached her with his usual cold expression.
“What exactly are you planning?”
At that question, Orte sighed without realizing it.
‘So annoying.’
People who never cared about her suddenly came closer just because her attitude changed.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you suddenly throw away that disgusting way of addressing me?”
“Because you hated it.”
Every time Orte called him “older brother,” Yones showed clear disgust and even warned her several times not to use it.
But Orte had insisted, and Yones had simply ignored her.
Orte looked at the confused Yones and said,
“I don’t have any plan. I just realized a very small truth. I will no longer do anything that bothers Vice Captain. So you don’t need to pay attention to me anymore.”
Before turning away, Orte added,
“Don’t follow me.”
Then she walked deeper into the forest.
She checked for presence, but felt nothing. Even if someone was there, it didn’t matter.
The Duke of Weekend had not originally taken Orte on purification missions. But by chance, they discovered that the host reacted to Orte’s divine power.
Orte was very happy.
Because she was useful to the Duke of Weekend.
So she hid the secret and acted as they believed.
There was a secret Orte had never told anyone.
Orte took out a small dagger from her chest. The blade was so sharp that just looking at it made her palms sweat.
She moved her robe aside and rolled up her sleeve.
Then she cut her own arm.
Blood poured out immediately.
A secret no one knew.
Orte called the host using her own blood.
Flashback
Orte discovered this by complete accident.
It was the New Year Festival. After begging and pleasing them, she was finally allowed to go with them for the first time. But on the way, the carriage overturned because of black land.
Orte was badly injured and bleeding heavily.
“Father! Brother!”
She shouted with all her strength.
But what appeared was a strange black vine. Even though she was only eight years old, Orte realized it was the host.
“P-please… Father… save me…”
No matter how much she called, her family did not appear. Then she heard movement, and as the host turned away, Orte ran.
She was out of breath, but she did not stop.
Knowing she was not fast enough, she hid in nearby grass and held her breath.
Blood from her torn arm dripped to the ground.
Then she saw the host approaching and closed her eyes tightly before opening them again. The moving vines were following her blood on the ground.
A chill ran through her body.
Plants shouldn’t have a sense of smell. But the host inside the plant had tracked her through blood.
“The host ran this way!”
It was the Duke of Weekend’s voice.
Soon after, he arrived and purified the host using purification water. Orte, relieved, could not stand up from the grass.
She tried to call him.
“F-father… I’m here…”
“Father! We caught the host!”
Ellen ran in.
“Yes, it’s caught.”
“Good. By the way, where is my brother?”
“He will come soon.”
“Father.”
Before the Duke could finish, Cliff appeared.
“It’s the host. Good.”
“But why did it run here? What is here?”
Ellen looked around suspiciously.
“By the way, Worm said he wanted to come to the temple. Why did you allow that?”
Orte froze.
“I hope Worm got eaten by the host. It’s hard for me to kill him myself.”
“Ellen. When will you stop using such low words?”
“Why? Don’t you think it suits him? It’s a perfect nickname.”
Her beloved family wished she would die. And none of them denied it or corrected it.
Orte stood up and came out of the grass.
“Hey, Worm. Why are you here?”
Orte stood in front of the Duke of Weekend.
Without showing her injured arm, she said,
“Father, I called the host.”
“What?”
Orte smiled brightly.
“I think my divine power can attract hosts.”
