Chapter 71

"Yuel, that's amazing!"

"Huh, Yuel is really something, isn't she?"

"To be able to use attack magic at this age... That's really impressive."

A few hours after returning to the lord's mansion, Yuel was blushing as she received praise from Fran, Ruruka, and Elise. On her left hand, a bright fireball was floating, the result of Fran's magic lesson.

"Even Fran, who was once hailed as a prodigy, didn't learn to use Fireball until two years after starting to study magic. I never thought that just a few magic lessons would be enough to use it..."

Sera, who was standing behind Fran, exclaimed in amazement at Yuel, who had just cast an attack spell. ...Once hailed as a prodigy, but not anymore, right? She's quite beautiful, and her magic skills are excellent, and she's the lord's daughter. Indeed, she does seem like a prodigy. ...Probably, the reason she's no longer hailed as one is due to her personality. I'm afraid I might be called a pervert soon and lose my status as well.

"Good job, Yuel."

"Thank you!"

Yuel smiled happily at the praise. By the way, I still can't use magic. Fran's lesson lasted for hours, but only Yuel managed to use attack magic. Yuel probably exceeded the minimum mana threshold required for attack magic by sleeping with me every day. The rapid improvement seems to be largely due to her talent and sensitivity in manipulating mana. She also seemed to have the potential to use healing magic.

"Yuel is a genius. I could hire her as my guard right now."

"Wow, she's really amazing. I've only been taught by Fran occasionally, and I still can't use it at all."

"Yuel might become a great mage in the future..."

"No, no, that's not true..."

Yuel, embarrassed by the continuous praise, started to hide her face behind her bangs. She's not used to being praised so much. She's so cute.

"Amazing, Yuel. You're my hero, as expected."

Of course, I should pat her head and praise her even more here.

-- However, I need to show my dignity as the master. It's embarrassing for Yuel to be able to use attack magic while I can't. The appraisal thing is already out, so I need to add some prestige as the master.

...But how do I channel mana? Even when I try to channel mana into the staff, it doesn't seem to work. I can easily cast healing magic, though.

...Do I need to memorize the incantation properly? ...Or do I need to visualize the attack magic more accurately?

Imagine, like, bringing some organic matter into the air and combining it with oxygen to ignite it, then accelerating it with mana...

-- Suddenly, I felt like a switch had been flipped.

"Whoa, ohh!?"

To put it in perspective, it felt like a mudslide. I intended to tilt a wine glass, but it was as if I had overturned a huge reservoir. I felt an overwhelming surge of mana flowing into the staff without any limit.

"This, this is...!"

...This is bad!

I tried to stop the flow of mana when I sensed the danger, but I couldn't control it with my will. ...What will happen if the spell completes with this much mana? This isn't the usual healing magic. I can't even imagine the scale or the power. Fireball is an attack magic that generates high-temperature flames.

-- Misfire.

That word flashed through my mind.

"Wait, this can't be good!!"

Suddenly, a hand from the side knocked the staff out of my hand. The staff fell to the ground, and the mana dissipated without manifesting.

"Shiki-sama, was that...? An attack spell...?"

It was the holy maiden. I didn't notice when she arrived. Maybe she just happened to pass by. She was breathing heavily and looking at me with a very worried expression.

"Thank you, Filene! That was dangerous!"

The flow of mana into the staff stopped when it fell. The mana that had been building up in my body gradually returned. It seems to have settled down. ...I really was saved. That was definitely a "bad" situation.

"I, I was just practicing magic..."

Fran, who must have sensed something unusual, was looking at me and the holy maiden with a frightened expression. It was like she was about to cross a street when a ten-ton truck sped past her at the last second. She probably sensed the abnormal and ominous flow of my mana. Yuel was slightly leaning forward as well.

Ruruka, Elise, and Sera were looking at Fran in confusion. It seems only I, Fran, Yuel, and the holy maiden realized the danger.

"I apologize, Shiki-sama. I should have warned you earlier."

The holy maiden glanced around and took a deep breath. She seemed to have grasped the situation and began to speak calmly.

"Shiki-sama's mana is not something that can be easily controlled. ...According to church records, the former saint once caused a misfire of an attack spell, which destroyed an entire mountain and led to their own demise. This information is kept secret from anyone other than high-ranking priests..."

An entire mountain. That description is probably not an exaggeration. With the power of the staff, my mana was amplified to a level where such a thing could happen. If I hadn't let go of the staff, this city might have been obliterated.

"...!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ruruka, Elise, and Sera were speechless.

"Shiki-sama, you should only use the magic you're good at. The former saint, before being summoned, was involved in sealing demons and could only use sealing magic, according to the records."

The former saint was probably a yin-yang practitioner or something. ...The torrent-like flow of mana I felt earlier. I've overpowered healing magic before, but this was on a completely different scale.

If I compare the flow of mana to water, the misfire of healing magic felt like turning the faucet to full blast. This time, it felt like the main water pipe burst when I tried to use a rusty, unused faucet.

I now understand that I can only handle healing magic, my area of expertise.

"Shiki-sama, you were probably already skilled in healing-related abilities. ...You should never use attack magic, which you have no aptitude for."

"Ah, I understand. I'll keep that in mind."

I feel bad for Fran, who tried to teach me magic, but I don't think I can use attack magic anymore. It's too dangerous. I'm certain I can't control it.

"Is it true that the former saint died from a magic misfire?"

Elise asked the holy maiden. For Elise, who trained in the church, this might have been a shocking fact.

"...Yes. You may know of a particularly potent sacred site near the capital. That place is said to be where the former saint died from a magic misfire. It's said that the saint's blood and flesh, now returned to the earth, are gathering mana from the surroundings. In the early days after the saint's death, the site was said to be dozens of times more effective than it is now..."

As she explained this to Elise, the holy maiden swayed. I quickly supported her with my hand.

"Whoa... Are you okay? You look unsteady."

"Thank you."

I hadn't noticed how pale she looked, probably due to the stress of the mana surge.

"Saint, you should really take a break! It's true that we need to defeat the succubus urgently, but if you collapse, it will be meaningless! The bishop's words are not worth worrying about!"

Aster, who had approached the holy maiden, said firmly. She must have been hiding her presence until now. She now looked very worried and was staring at the holy maiden earnestly.

...Now that I think about it, the holy maiden has been constantly on the move since the succubus was revived. She's giving orders to the knights and coordinating efforts, taking over from the lord, who lacks knowledge about the evil god. The succubus can't harm me or the holy maiden anymore, so I think she could relax a bit. The bishop Aster mentioned must be related to this.

"What do you mean by the bishop's words?"

"...Ah, yes. The reinforcements called from the capital to prepare for the battle against the succubus have just arrived in the city, and the capital's bishop came with them. I've been questioned about the succubus's revival and repeated escapes."

Reinforcements from the capital. I remember calling them, but they didn't arrive in time for the succubus battle.

"That's unjust! Only the holy maiden could see through and counter the high bishop's schemes! The bishop, who did nothing, has no right to criticize the holy maiden! That bishop is just looking for reasons to attack the holy maiden to take away her position as high bishop!"

Aster was fuming. ...I get it now. The holy maiden is from the capital. From what Aster said, she must hold a position like a high bishop, overseeing the area around the capital. The capital's bishop, who is trying to take her position, is using the succubus's revival as a reason to criticize her. It's a power struggle within the church.

"Ah, it sounds like a tough situation. But, maybe you should take a break? If you collapse, it will be pointless, as Aster said."

"No, there's a lot of work to be done before we catch the succubus. I've already let the succubus revive in front of me and allowed it to escape twice. Darno, who was supposed to take responsibility, is no longer here, and if anyone is to take responsibility for this, it will be me. ...If we don't catch the succubus, I might lose my position at the next bishop's meeting."

...Aster mentioned that the holy maiden, who has disciplined many corrupt priests, has many enemies. It seems that if she doesn't catch the succubus before the next bishop's meeting, her position will be in real danger.

"...Moreover, I can't trust that bishop. Although there's no solid evidence yet, my subordinates have reported the possibility of his collusion with slave traders. If that bishop becomes the high bishop, it would be disastrous."

Furthermore, the bishop from the capital, according to the holy maiden, is likely a corrupt priest. If such a person were to take a higher position, the holy maiden wouldn't even be able to protect herself.

"Corruption is rampant in the church now. Many orphanages and care facilities are struggling due to this, and innocent children are being sold into slavery against their will. ...This should not be allowed. Correcting this situation is something only I, as a descendant of the saint and someone with influence in the church, can do. Therefore, I cannot afford to lose my position as high bishop."

The holy maiden said this with a tired expression. ...I'm starting to understand this person. She wants to correct corruption and save the weak. I think she's genuinely doing this.

Thinking about it, her actions have been consistent with this. During the festival, she provided free treatment and gave a ring to an orphan who couldn't be treated. Using Sakura to gather faith might have been to boost her healing magic and help more people. The disciplinary actions against corrupt priests in the past, which probably didn't benefit her much, were likely done to help the weak.

The weak—like Yuel, for example. When I first saw Yuel, she was in a terrible state. An orphan turned slave, waiting to die without proper treatment. If the church's corruption isn't corrected, such cases will likely increase.

...It really seems like a tough situation. Yuel is looking back and forth between the holy maiden and me, looking worried.

There's no choice. I can't just stand by and do nothing when someone in front of Yuel looks troubled.

"You don't have to take on everything just because you're a descendant of the saint. There's a real saint here."

I'll help a bit. If the holy maiden collapses, it might cause problems for me as well.

"Is there anything I can do?"

I'll ask just in case. I can't command knights or coordinate with other cities, but there must be something I can do. ...Like, appraising magical items?

The holy maiden, surprised by the offer, looked at me with a shocked expression. Then, she seemed to make a decision and smiled at me.

"Yes! Of course, Shiki-sama! Please, join me in the bath to relieve your fatigue!"

"Wh, the bath!?"

Before I could respond, Elise and Ruruka's shocked voices echoed through the mansion.

The next update will be in about three days.