Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
43. The creeping thing
Northeast of the royal capital, about three days north along the Ureri River, there was a small town. The town, though small in size, was lively and prosperous as a stopover for peddlers on their way to the royal capital.
However, with the first rains of the rainy season, the town gradually began to be plagued by eerie rumors.
“…Hey, the kids were making a fuss about seeing something strange again.”
“Did you hear that there was a dead animal that washed up on the riverbank?”
“Yeah, I heard. I heard it smelled terrible. The city’s military police retrieved it.”
“Hey, could It be …… an undead magical beast?”
“No way! The Holy Knight killed all the undead beasts, didn’t he?”
“But I heard that there was an undead magical beast near the capital just the other day.”
The townspeople look up anxiously at the sky as they gossip.
For nearly two years, the Royal Knights had been working in the north to defeat the undead, they knew this, but the undead had never appeared in the vicinity of this town, nor had such eerie whispers been circulated.
It must be our imagination, they all said at the end, but their expressions did not brighten.
“Hey! Something pitch black is floating down the river again!”
children, gazing out at the river said innocently. The residents were growing concerned as they watched from afar as a woman, who looked like their mother, led them home, careful to keep them away from the river.
The peddlers who had stopped by the town also looked gloomy as they watched the scene from afar.
“There’s something strange in the air,…… I have a strange uneasy feeling in my chest.”
“A businessman’s intuition, perhaps?”
The surrounding merchants turned their gazes towards the elderly peddler of daily necessities and the fruit seller who were engaged in idle chatter while filling their stomachs in front of a restaurant in the town.
“The wedding celebration between the Holy Knight and the Saint will be coming up soon, it’s a good opportunity to make some money, Isn’t it? So what are you doing here?”
“….. Oh, by the way, there’s some weird stuff going on with that saint of yours.”
“that one? Neither the priests nor the monks who returned from the battlefield, not・one・person had called her a saint.”
The young peddler frowned and muttered.
“My sister was a priest who went to the battlefield, so I asked her about the Saint. She said, ‘She’s an apprentice monk.’ She didn’t know anything more than that, and said that the knights just called her that.”
“But the saint lives in the royal castle now, doesn’t she?”
“The church is silent on the matter, too. I thought it was because they didn’t like to advertise or do anything flashy.”
The merchants looked at each other.
“If you think about it carefully, I’ve only heard stories about the Saint through rumors…”
“No, but, to invite her to live in the royal castle just for that is a bit much.”
“You’re right, I’m sure Duke Ziemeld is the one backing her.”
“Well, priests and monks aren’t the kind to gossip about other people to begin with.”
The conversation was concluded with a look of satisfaction on each side, but some of the merchants continued to ponder.
◆◆◆
In a room in the royal castle, Emily was handed several small bottles by Marianne.
“Make holy water, is it ……?”
“Yes, it was a request from the Royal Church. There are rumors that some of the undead beasts that have strayed from the northern search have drifted down the river. Just to be on the safe side, they want to prepare more holy water as a precaution, so we would appreciate your cooperation.”
Emily gave a fake smile to Marianne, who was all smiles as usual.
–Yeah, I’m not very good at making holy water though…
Still, unable to think of an excuse to refuse, she accepted the small vial of water. Then, in order to get it over with quickly, she placed her fingertips over the glass to use purification magic.
“…Huh? Lady Marianne, isn’t this already purified ……?”
“No, I’d just received the bottle from the priest, and then had my maid draw some water from a well here in the royal castle.”
“Eh? Is that so…”
Hearing this, Emily felt an unpleasant sweat form down her spine.
Usually, before water is purified, it appears as a black mist or hazy when purification magic is activated. This is what is called “impurity” or “miasma” that is usually present in any water. Purifying it transfers the blessing to the water.
Emily held her hand over the bottle again.
–No way… why…?
She felt her body temperature drop drastically. She couldn’t see anything in the water in the bottle and there wasn’t anything in her hands.
Marianne looked at Emily, who was acting a little strange, curiously.
“Marianne, um, I’m sorry. I’m not really feeling well at the moment…”
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t notice. We’ve been spending too much time on your etiquette lessons lately, haven’t we.”
Marianne continued in a calm voice.
“the holy water didn’t seem to be something that was urgent. You can make it when you have time, after you’ve taken a little break.”
“Yes. ……. Well, may I take the rest of the day off to pray to the Goddess?”
“Yes, of course. Prayer time is important too.”
After parting with Marianne, who cheerfully and willingly agreed, Emily rushed out to the cathedral in the royal castle.*
–Is it because I haven’t prayed In a while? Oh no, jeez, not now…*
With a sense of impatience in her heart, she entered the cathedral, faced the statue of the goddess, sat down on a chair, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands.
And as she did so, she desperately prayed for the power of blessings to return to her.