Chapter 581: I’m Saved… Am I?

After returning to the village, I was immediately carried straight into the village chief’s house without so much as a pause. And just as quickly, I had Fabienne change her clothes.

When she had collapsed earlier, her outfit had gotten dirty.

…Mostly because of me.

By the time Fabienne returned, now freshly changed, it was already lunchtime. Nero brought our meal up to the room, carefully setting everything in place.

Lionel was also present inside, standing by in case anything happened.

If I was going to apologize… now was the only chance.

Right now, Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama weren’t here. The moment they heard I’d collapsed, they’d probably rush straight into this room.

So, while eating, I decided to get it over with.

“I’m sorry, Fabienne. Nero, Lionel—you too.”

“…Why are you apologizing?” Fabienne tilted her head slightly, her voice gentle but puzzled. “There’s no need for such a thing.”

“No, there is. Earlier… I was just pretending to run out of mana.”

“…Eh?”

Fabienne froze.

Then, slowly—very slowly—her eyes narrowed.

Uh-oh.

That’s the furious Fabienne face.

“No, wait, that’s not it—listen, Fabienne! If I hadn’t pretended to collapse back there, things would’ve gotten really troublesome, right? Lionel, back me up here!”

“Indeed,” Lionel said calmly, nodding. “After casting magic of that magnitude, if you were still perfectly fine, anyone would find it unnatural. At that point… they might even believe you to be a divine apostle.”

“A—a divine apostle?! Lionel, what exactly are you saying?!”

I couldn’t help but panic.

Where did that even come from all of a sudden?

…Well, okay, maybe it’s not entirely wrong, but if that kind of thing gets accepted as truth, it’ll turn into a massive headache.

I glanced at Fabienne and Nero.

Both of them… were smiling.

Brightly.

…Ah.

So now even they’re suspicious.

Or rather, maybe they’ve already accepted Lionel’s words as plausible.

Either way, this situation is definitely not good.

Maybe I should’ve just kept my mouth shut…

But I don’t want to hide things from Fabienne if I can help it.

“Julius-sama is, after all…” Fabienne began, then paused, shaking her head lightly. “…No, it’s nothing. As long as you’re unharmed, that is all that matters.”

She smiled sweetly.

…Did I just get saved?

Glancing at Nero, I noticed he wasn’t writing anything in his notebook. That probably meant he’d judged this wasn’t something to report.

…Which, in other words, means he’s accepted the “divine apostle” idea, doesn’t it?

Lionel.

Buddy.

You’ve made this way more complicated than it needed to be.

Sure, it’s one thing if people think I’m a bit unusual—but being officially labeled a divine apostle? That’s crossing a line.

“Just to be clear,” I said firmly, looking at all three of them, “I am not a divine apostle.”

“Of course,” Fabienne replied with a serene smile.

“We understand,” Nero added calmly.

“Indeed, we do,” Lionel agreed.

“…You’re sure? Don’t go saying anything like that outside, okay?”

Their smiles…

Why do they feel so unsettling?

Still, there’s no point doubting them further. For now, I’ll just take their word for it and focus on eating.

I dug into lunch with determination, trying to shake off the lingering unease—when suddenly, there was a somewhat forceful knock at the door.

…Yeah.

That’s definitely them.

Exchanging a glance, Lionel stepped forward and called out.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Sophia. I heard that Julius-sama has collapsed.”

Her voice sounded urgent—strained with worry.

…This is bad.

If they walk in and see me happily stuffing my face, they’re definitely going to be confused.

Sophia-sama is clearly worried about me… but if I tell her the truth—the same thing I just told the others—she might start relying on me even more than before.

Please purify all the corrupted land with your magic.

If she asked something like that… I’d be in serious trouble.

Not only would it render everyone else’s efforts meaningless, but the one gaining all the recognition would be me—an outsider from another country.

That wouldn’t sit right.

So, I shook my head slightly at Lionel.

He understood immediately and gave a small nod.

“My apologies,” Lionel said through the door. “Julius-sama is currently resting. Could you please return after some time?”

“…I see. My apologies, then. I will come again later.”

Footsteps faded from the other side of the door.

…Ugh.

My chest hurts.

But it couldn’t be helped.

I have to avoid making things any more complicated than they already are. As for the defeat of the blackened giant tree… it should be fine to frame it as primarily the Forest Spirit’s doing. Anyone who saw that scene wouldn’t think I defeated it alone anyway.

“Julius-sama,” Lionel said with a faintly admonishing tone, “you have just lied to a princess of a nation. You must remain quietly in bed for the rest of the day.”

“I know, I know. I’ll lie down after lunch.”

For all his words, Lionel was clearly concerned about my condition. Even though I said I was fine, he didn’t fully believe me.

Fabienne and Nero seemed the same—they occasionally cast worried glances my way.

…I really am fine, though.

After finishing lunch, I did as instructed and lay down on the bed.

And almost immediately, drowsiness came crashing over me.

I am fine—but I guess I still used a fair bit of mana. Even after drinking a beginner-grade recovery potion, I hadn’t fully recovered.

Well… I’ll leave the rest to them.

With that thought, I let my consciousness drift away.

“…Julius-sama… Julius-sama, Sophia-sama has come to see you.”

“Mm…? Morning, Fabienne…”

“Good morning—no, that’s not it. Please wake up.”

I pushed myself upright in bed. Immediately, Fabienne slipped a pillow behind my back to support me.

…Yeah.

The fatigue is completely gone.

My mana’s fully restored too.

I should be able to keep going for a while.

…Though, if I got a little reward from Fabienne, I might be able to try even harder.

“Julius-sama, we’re coming in.”

“Yes, please.”

As if testing the waters, Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama quietly entered the room.

The moment they saw me sitting upright in bed, both of them softened their expressions, their brows knitting with concern.

…Ah.

I should’ve gotten out of bed and greeted them properly.

Now I’ve just made them worry more.

“How are you feeling?” Sophia asked gently.

“I’ve had plenty of rest,” I replied with a reassuring smile. “As you can see, I’m feeling much better now.”

I made sure to smile warmly—anything to keep them from worrying any further.