Chapter 10

The next morning.

As the blue light caressed my eyelids, I opened my eyes slightly and felt a terrible headache.

The fireplace was burning with logs, and the room was warm enough.

The bed sheets were pristine and of high quality. The blanket covering my body was comfortable, and I could feel that Abby had secured a good room for me.

“…Did I overdo it yesterday…?”

I had completely exhausted my divine power and was still feeling the aftereffects of magic sickness. My body was only at about seventy percent of its usual condition.

My head was spinning.

“…Zoi, wake up. I’m hungry. And I need a bath…”

I stopped talking there.

The one sleeping next to me was not the dwarf Zoi, but the pointy-eared Annette.

I instinctively shouted.

“Abby! Abby!! If you’re nearby, come here!”

I had no idea what was going on.

I didn’t understand why Zoi wasn’t there or why a pointy-eared person was in his place.

As I was thoroughly confused, Abby and the demon girl burst into the room as if they had kicked down the door.

“Deit! Are you okay!?”

I couldn’t grasp the situation and started shouting.

“What the hell is this woman doing here! Damn it, bring me some galangal!!”

That loud voice woke up the pointy-eared person.

“Wait, hold on….”

I shouted in a rage.

“Get lost, you whore! Did I ask you to take care of me? Abby! Ah, Abby!! I won’t forgive you, depending on your answer!!”

While shouting, I couldn’t understand why I was so angry.

My anger wouldn’t subside.

In front of me, Abby knelt as if bowing deeply.

“Oh, Deit, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you angry at all. But, it couldn’t be helped…!”

There were faint purple circles under Abby’s eyes, and she looked exhausted.

“Deit, Deit…! Calm down, okay…?”

For some reason, the demon girl intervened between Abby and me, trying to mediate.

I became even more enraged.

“What are you doing here! You’re so presumptuous! When did I ever call you! I entrusted my daily care to Zoi! Abby! Answer me!!”

The furious Deit Harth Becker was shouting inside me.

Unclean. Dirty. An unknown woman. An unwanted presence. An unfamiliar room. I hadn’t given permission for any of it. Everything was irritating.

My mother always loved the silence that reminded her of death.

Abby bowed almost to the ground.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Deit. Please, calm down. Look at me. Please spare me the ‘Thunderclap’….”

“…Thunderclap?”

At that moment, I vaguely understood.

The one who was angry at this situation was Deit. Unlike the newly formed me, he was almost a complete priest.

I would later learn that…

Most priests of Asclepius are conservative and dislike sudden changes in their daily routine. Meaningless changes are one thing, but early morning changes are like landmines. Many priests meditate or engage in other practices early in the morning. Deit was no exception and reacted excessively in the early morning.

Of course, there were other reasons, but the priests’ deep anger, which they call ‘Thunderclap,’ was a result of this.

Indeed, what I was doing right now was exactly that.

“…”

I let out a small breath.

I am Deit, but I am not Deit.

I am always ‘me.’

“……”

I repeated deep breaths, calming my breathing and my anger, and firmly thought to myself.

—Don’t toy with me!

I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled slowly through my mouth.

As my anger subsided, so did Deit’s frustration, but unfortunately, the disgust in my heart didn’t disappear.

I was uncomfortable with this situation, not just Deit, but myself as well.

“……”

While focusing on calming my anger, the room was enveloped in a terrifying silence.

That’s right.

The morning should always be a fresh silence that reminds one of death.

I am the same.

I like the cold, blue light of the morning.

The whispers of birds. The indifferent sound of passing car engines. The TV, where the usual female news anchor talks about the weather as usual.

There’s no need for change. Silence brings focus. The usual time promises the usual strength.

I took a shower, shaved, and tidied up.

In front of the mirror, there was the usual me.

◇◇

Talent is honed by silence.

Character is shaped by the rapids.

From the words of Asclepius.

◇◇

I wiped my face with my right hand.

“…Abby, I’m sorry for shouting….”

“…Yeah, yeah… I’m sorry too….”

“Tell Zoi to bring me some galangal. And prepare the bath. Then we’ll have breakfast.”

Saying that, I glared at the bed.

“Whore, don’t stare. I already told the muscle dummy not to show his face again.”

The pointy-eared person, who should be older than Abby, was looking at me with a fearful gaze.

She said in a trembling voice.

“I’m not a whore….”

“Don’t you know? A woman who enters a man’s bedroom without permission is called a whore.”

She is unclean. I don’t have a fetish for cleanliness, but I have no interest in sharing a bed with a stranger.

“…”

There was a strange silence.

The pointy-eared person’s face turned red, and her eyes narrowed.

“This is my room. Idiot. Just because I was nice, you got cocky!”

“…”

Oh, this is bad.

It seems there was a serious misunderstanding.

Well, the priest’s ‘Thunderclap’ often causes such troubles and worsens misunderstandings.

…Well, it’s early morning. It’s common to be groggy.

I ran my hand through my hair.

“I see… I apologize. Deit Harth Becker acknowledges his mistake and apologizes in the name of his mother.”

I made the holy sign with my right hand, placed my hand on my chest, and bowed my head quietly.

—A formal apology.

Well, it’s not guaranteed to be accepted.

“…”

Thus, I chose silence.

◇◇

The wise remain quietly silent.

From the words of Asclepius.

◇◇

When I closed my mouth and calmed my ‘Thunderclap,’ Abby finally spoke.

“This is Alex’s clan house.”

“Is that so….”

“Yesterday, you removed the warts, right? A lot happened after that.”

“A lot…?”

When I directed a look of disgust at her vague words, Abby seemed to agree and shook her head quietly.

“A lot is a lot… Anyway, you’re very particular about your bed, and the fact that you were in Annette’s room is because this is the best room, and it was out of Annette’s kindness….”

“I see… I see….”

Hearing that, I let out a deep sigh.

“…Annette, I’m sorry again….”

The pointy-eared person clicked her tongue and snorted loudly, as if to say, “Finally, you understand.”

Well, anyway…

“Abby, if you’re okay with it, that’s fine….”

The pointy-eared person, wrapped in a sheet, kept glaring at me.

“…You’re a brat, but you’re cheap and good at what you do….”

That’s not all. There must be other reasons. There must be a serious reason why Abby spoke vaguely about ‘a lot.’

First, I need to find out what that is.

“…Where is the muscle dummy? I want to talk to the muscle dummy….”

It had been bothering me.

Abby’s actions, which involved using my power to make money while hiding me, had a reason. That reason was probably why the old woman had to die.

I need to know more about the special nature of the ‘Priest’ class.

Well, let’s see if the hook I unintentionally cast has caught a big fish.

Or…

The first part, all 50 episodes, is already completed. Please read with peace of mind. If you are interested in the continuation and found it interesting, I would be very encouraged if you could bookmark it.