Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 58: Special Soup and Reinforcements
Priests made holy water in Barbara’s ivy-marked pot. As in Kelvim, everyone gathered around it to pray. Because this occurred in the ducal villa’s garden, residents of the capital noticed and came to learn what was happening.
We added lightly roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables and simmered them thoroughly. Corn and onions sautéed in butter were mashed and stirred in to make a hearty corn soup. Gilbert, assigned to grind the mixture smooth, appeared proud of the result. He might possess a surprising talent for cooking.
As a precaution, the soup would be given not only to those swallowed by the Undead Mud, but to the young Ziemeld knights and city residents. We divided it among pots brought by the townspeople.
“This pot is amazing! No matter how much you ladle out, the soup doesn’t decrease!”
“I wonder if the contents are increasing…? It’s a mysterious pot.”
A little girl and a pregnant woman helping to serve exclaimed in surprise.
Everyone received Gilbert’s “Goddess-Blessed Purifying Soup” and prayed it would dispel the Undead Mud’s terrible effects. According to Barbara, the pot had never been in a better mood.
When priests examined the duke and knights the next morning, most signs of internal transformation had vanished completely. Gilbert and I clasped our hands in delight.
After observing for another half day, we decided to depart south along the Ureri River. During preparations, word arrived that ten mounted knights had entered the capital, although they didn’t belong to Ziemeld.
They rode directly to our camp in the villa garden. The moment they saw Lionel, they dismounted and knelt. Their shields had been painted black like his.
“You guys… you came.”
“When we heard our commander had resigned, we knew something must have happened. We wish to help, however little we can.”
They had left the Royal Order as soon as Lionel’s resignation was announced. Hearing he was in Kelvim, they sought directions and followed. Mud coating them showed how urgently they had crossed dangerous roads in bad weather.
After Lionel explained the situation, he led them to me. They apologized, apparently needing to settle their consciences. I no longer bore ill will, but accepted their sincerity.
“The truth is, I deeply regret how we treated you as his wife. I learned how ugly jealousy can be.”
A middle-aged high-ranking knight made the confession.
After I looked at Sir Lionel, somewhat perplexed, he continued speaking.
“The Royal Order mixes commoners and nobles. Some nobles come from distinguished houses; many others occupy precarious positions. They gather around those with influence, and achievements or success easily distort a person’s heart, regardless of rank. That excuses nothing…”
I smiled faintly at Lionel and nodded. I couldn’t decide whether this was right or wrong, but neither could I entirely reject the explanation. Noble society involved many competing motives.
More importantly, I remembered the previous day’s story of Ziemeld: a tragedy born when negative emotions tangled in glory’s shadow.
Feeling watched, I raised my eyes to Gilbert’s worried gaze. He always seemed to stand beside me. My grief, anxiety, and anger had disappeared. To me, Gilbert was a wondrous magic user too.
—At least I’m profoundly fortunate to have Chelsea, to have met Dolph and Barbara, and then to have met Gilbert.
As I was preparing lunch with Gilbert, as I had done yesterday, Barbara-san came over and sat next to me.
Since hearing the duke, Dolph and Barbara had been unusually quiet. Sadness still touched Barbara’s face.
“…Jealousy, inferiority, envy. Everyone feels them, but they’re troublesome emotions.”
Perhaps due to the previous conversation, she seemed rather downcast.
“Flora, before I told you, you had scarcely heard of selfless blessings, had you? Did that not strike you as strange?”
“Now that you mention it, yes. Sydney and the other clergy said the same. I accepted selfless blessings because old teachings mentioned them, but I truly knew little.”
Prayer, blessing, divine protection, and what they created all carried many meanings. In a country that worshiped the Goddess and relied upon her power, my ignorance was indeed strange.
“Prayers are invisible, while blessings can bestow overwhelming power. Such power appears only when circumstances demand it. Yet power born from one heart’s wish for another’s welfare can cloud other hearts in unexpected ways.”
Barbara murmured sadly while gazing toward the distant sky.
Dolph, who had been listening nearby, sat down next to her.
“The moment someone claims credit for giving a selfless blessing, its meaning changes. The same is true beyond blessings. Has someone ever said, ‘I did this for your sake’? In that instant, the deed loses its selflessness.”
Seeing Dolph and Barbara’s slumped shoulders, Sydney approached.
“Exactly. Even church teaching often avoids direct language. If people don’t recognize the truth themselves, it means nothing. Explain too much and misunderstandings arise; conceal it, and those unaware misunderstand for a different reason. It’s troublesome.”
Sydney sighed, met Dolph’s and Barbara’s eyes, then laughed until his wrinkles deepened. All three looked toward us, and Gilbert beside me flinched.
“Well, you two seem likely to manage.”
“As long as you keep thinking of one another, that should be enough.”
“Yes, yes. Call me whenever you need a priest.”
Their profound expressions and words made me uneasy. For the first time in a while, Gilbert and I behaved strangely together.