Chapter 22

Two days later, as night fell, Yuma's parents, as usual, came to the tavern, cloaked. This time, Yuma was with them. I was somewhat surprised, as I hadn't expected her to come.

"Thank you very much for your help with the request."

"Thank you for bringing my daughter back to her usual self. I don't know how to express my gratitude..."

"Regarding the reward, I would appreciate it if you could consider it within your means. The guild master of our guild has informed me of this."

I have a feeling that I can't take money from friends' parents. Grenadin offered 500 gold coins, but I instructed Verlene to accept only 200. It's enough that we got that mansion, and with 200 gold coins, we can still make a profit of nearly 150 after expenses.

While Yuma's parents were talking to Verlene, Yuma came over. She was wearing a blouse and skirt under her cloak, different from the casual clothes she wore when she stayed overnight.

"It's been a while, Dick. Can I sit next to you?"

"Yeah. Yuma, you look much better."

"Yes, thanks to you..."

"No, no. I didn't do anything. I just listened to your story..."

I should have realized when Yuma came here that I couldn't get away with just saying I listened to her story.

"Then, let's leave it at that. But... the one who saw me naked was you, Dick."

She hit the nail on the head. If I said I didn't see her, even Yuma, who is a universalist, would think I was being dishonest.

"...Damn. I surrender. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it."

"Your soul is impossible to hide from me. For the past five years, I've been thinking about calming your soul every day..."

I thought it was just a greeting for Yuma. As a crazy psycho priest, she must want to calm everyone's souls, right?

But it seems that my soul is special to her, even compared to others. I realized this after five years.

Even without drinking a drop of alcohol, Yuma's eyes looked as if they were drunk, soft and seductive. Verlene says my magic is comfortable, but maybe Yuma is intoxicated by the soul's vibrations.

"Still, Lady Yufiel's power is extraordinary. By performing a soul calming ritual, she purified the entire capital..."

"Yes... I perform the purification of undead spirits for the training of the priests, but I can't do it anymore. The church received donations for each purification, though."

"I asked you not to perform soul calming for the training of the priests... But since you were holding back, we'll think of other training methods."

"I'm sorry, Father, Mother... From now on, I will only perform soul calming in the capital when it's really necessary."

It makes sense that she was asked not to perform soul calming. If Yuma does it, other priests will lose their jobs, as in this case.

However, undead spirits will gradually gather as long as people live, so they will appear again after a short period. But if Yuma calms them, the entire capital will be purified again.

There are a few options for what to do. For that, I need Yuma to agree to certain conditions.

"Will you collapse again if you don't perform soul calming? ...No, it seems you have a plan."

"Yes. I had an idea through this experience."

Yuma took out a familiar mask from her bag, but it wasn't the one I used.

She leaned in close to me, so her parents couldn't hear, and whispered. Her gentle voice, which usually lulls you to sleep, changes when whispered in your ear. It's a sweet, intoxicating tone that makes you want to devote yourself to a god.

"If it's known that I'm a priest of the Albein Church, I will receive donations when I perform soul calming... So, I will use this mask and become a masked priest. That way, I can perform soul calming without receiving money."

"...Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. I will go out of the capital as a masked priest and regularly help villages troubled by undead spirits. But that will leave the orphanage unattended, so I need to prepare first."

Yuma, who was weak and had no intention of leaving the orphanage or the church, seems to have changed her mind. If Yuma is willing, I will do everything I can to help. I decided to talk to the archbishop and his wife through Verlene about Yuma's future.

"Lady Yufiel can maintain her health by performing soul calming. If that's the case, she should go out of the capital regularly and perform soul calming in limited areas to prevent it from spreading too widely."

"I see... But is that okay? Yufiel, what about the children?"

"If the orphanage is short-staffed, we will send appropriate personnel to ensure the children's safety even when Lady Yufiel is absent. We will also provide her with a guard when she goes out of the capital."

"To receive such thorough consideration... Thank you very much."

Yuma's mother, Fenna, bowed her head. Grenadin followed suit and then took something out of his pocket.

"This is...?"

"This is a 'talisman' given to organizations and institutions with deep ties to the Albein Church. We have not given it to the capital's adventurer guilds, but we would like to present it to the 'Silver Water Bottle Inn.'"

--- The talisman of the Albein Church. With it, the 'Silver Water Bottle Inn' will be in a position to prioritize requests from the Albein Church.

Until now, requests have been given to the 'White Goat Inn' based on reputation, but from now on, our guild will be prioritized. Of course, we can choose whether to accept each request.

We can take on important requests exclusively while passing on some jobs to other guilds to avoid drawing too much attention. Everything in moderation, of course.

"Then, we will gratefully accept it."

"That would be appreciated. As expected of Sir Dick Silver... Your guild is not well-known, but it is extremely excellent. A former hero, and a top-notch guild master."

"Please, sir, keep that conversation confidential. Achieving requests is a given, and boasting about it is not the guild master's intention."

Neither Grenadin nor Fenna know that I am Dick. Yuma giggles at the two of them but looks a bit apologetic for keeping the secret.

"Humility is the first virtue in the Albein Church. If possible, I would like my daughter to choose a man like Sir Dick."

"Wha... Cough, cough!"

I nearly choked on my drink at the unexpected comment. Yuma patted my back, concerned.

"You know, Yufiel is only 14. It's too early for marriage."

"Ah, that's true. But two years will pass in no time. It was the same for me and your mother."

"Ah, you... saying such things in public. How embarrassing."

Yuma blushed as if it were her own situation, listening to her parents' affectionate banter.

"S-Sorry... Father seems happy that I'm feeling better... I've never seen him this cheerful before."

"Is that so..."

I was asked if I would marry Yuma, but there's no way I could ask her what she thinks about it. However, Yuma, who was touching her ear and brushing her hair behind her ear, seemed very flustered.

The archbishop and his wife, as before, took a drink that even priests can consume, then stood up.

"Then, we will take our leave. Please convey our regards to Sir Dick."

"Yes, I will. Please be careful on your way home."

"Thank you. If anything comes up, we will consult you again."

Yuma left with her parents. She turned back to me and waved her hand.

"Drunkard, congratulations on being recognized as a potential groom for Yuma! Let's drink tonight!"

"Whoa... Aileen, you were here?"

She put her arm around my shoulder, and her ample bosom pressed against me. Already tipsy, she sat next to me and poured me a drink from the bottle she was holding.

"Hey, hey, I didn't ask you earlier, but how did you share your essence with Bear?"

"Y-You were thinking about that... We just slept in the same bed, and nothing happened."

"That's inefficient. You should have increased the surface area of contact... Can you tell me more, sir? For future reference."

Verlene, wiping the glass, said. I don't want to be their drinking conversation, but it's hard to escape now.

There's no point in dodging, so I decided to explain. I have nothing to hide, so there shouldn't be any problem.

"Verlene is right. When sharing essence, you need to increase the surface area of contact. In other words..."

They listened to my explanation with serious faces. Of course, it was just about sleeping in the same bed with clothes on.

As I talked, Aileen's body, which was pressed against mine, started to heat up, and Verlene's eyes began to shine with a moist glow.

"...You did something more enviable than I thought, sir."

"Does that make you feel weird? Dick, maybe you're not interested in girls?"

"Sharing essence is just that. It's not good to be overly conscious of it. Besides, Aileen, you touching me like this is just as bold."

"R-Really? Is that so... Then, maybe I should give you a bit more service♪"

"Lady Aileen, you seem to be in a good mood... Would you mind switching places with me and the owner?"

Verlene, who looked disappointed, wanted to do something after the shop closed. I hoped she would settle for a pillow on my lap, but I also had to consider what to do if that didn't work.

◆◇◆

--- Two weeks later.

In a village located southwest of the capital Alvinas, a masked priest, a mage, and a martial artist appeared.

They saved the villagers troubled by undead spirits, defeated nearby monsters, and left without revealing their names.

They would continue to appear in villages around the capital about once a month.

It was a little-known fact that a fourth masked person watched over them from a distance.