Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 43: Something Creeping Closer
Three days north of the royal capital along the Ureri River lay a small town. Though modest in size, it prospered as a stop for peddlers traveling to the capital.
With the wet season’s first rain, however, eerie rumors gradually began to trouble it.
“…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?”
“Yes. Apparently it smelled terrible. The town watch collected it.”
“Could it have been… an undead beast?”
“Impossible! The Holy Knight destroyed them all, didn’t he?”
“But I heard that there was an undead magical beast near the capital just the other day.”
The townspeople glanced anxiously at the sky as they gossiped.
They knew the Royal Order had fought undead beasts in the north for nearly two years. Yet none had ever appeared near this town, nor had such unsettling whispers circulated.
Everyone eventually dismissed the matter as imagination, but no expression brightened.
“Look! Something pitch black is floating down the river again!”
Children pointed innocently. Their mother hurried them home while keeping them far from the water, and the watching residents’ concern deepened.
Peddlers stopping in town also watched grimly.
“Something feels wrong. I have a strange unease in my chest.”
“A businessman’s intuition, perhaps?”
Nearby merchants turned toward an elderly peddler of household goods and a fruit seller chatting idly while eating outside a restaurant.
“The Holy Knight and Saint will marry soon. The celebration offers an excellent chance for profit, so why are you still here?”
“…Speaking of which, something is odd about that Saint.”
“Her? Not one priest or cleric returning from the battlefield called her a saint.”
The young peddler frowned and muttered.
“My sister served on the battlefield as a priest. When I asked about the Saint, she said only, ‘She’s an apprentice cleric.’ Apparently the knights alone called her anything more.”
“But the saint lives in the royal castle now, doesn’t she?”
“The church has remained silent. I assumed clergy simply disliked publicity and spectacle.”
The merchants exchanged glances.
“Now that I think carefully, everything I’ve heard about the Saint came through rumor…”
“But surely they wouldn’t invite her to live at the castle for no reason.”
“True. Duke Ziemeld must be supporting her.”
“Besides, priests and clerics aren’t inclined to gossip.”
The discussion ended with general satisfaction, but several merchants remained thoughtful.
◆◆◆
In a royal-castle chamber, Marianne handed Emily several small bottles.
“You want me to make holy water?”
“Yes. The Grand Church requested it. Rumors say undead beasts overlooked during the northern cleanup may have drifted downriver. They wish to prepare extra holy water as a precaution and would appreciate your cooperation.”
Emily gave the ever-smiling Marianne a false smile.
—I’m not very good at making holy water…
Unable to invent a refusal, she accepted a vial of water. Hoping to finish quickly, she held her fingertips over the glass and attempted purification magic.
“…What? Marianne, has this water already been purified?”
“No. A priest supplied the bottles, and my maid drew the water from a castle well.”
“Eh? Is that so…”
An unpleasant sweat ran down Emily’s back.
Ordinarily, activating purification magic revealed unpurified water as black mist or haze. This was the impurity or miasma naturally present in any water; removing it transferred a blessing into the liquid.
Emily held her hand over the vial again.
—No. Why?
Her body went cold. No haze appeared in the water, and no power gathered in her hand.
Marianne watched Emily’s strange behavior with curiosity.
“Marianne, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel very well…”
“Oh, forgive me for failing to notice. Perhaps we’ve spent too much time on etiquette lessons lately.”
Marianne continued calmly.
“The holy water isn’t urgently required. Rest first and make it when you have time.”
“Thank you. May I have the rest of today free to pray to the Goddess?”
“Yes, of course. Prayer time is important too.”
After Marianne readily agreed, Emily rushed toward the castle cathedral.
—Is this because I haven’t prayed lately? Oh no—not now!
Driven by panic, she entered the cathedral, sat facing the statue of the Goddess, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands.
She desperately prayed for the power of blessing to return.