Chapter 55

As the sunlight began to tilt.

Xiaoming and Lirisia were raiding the Undead Dungeon.

Actually, just by stepping into the enemy dungeon, anything below C-rank would vanish.

Even the stronger enemies moved slowly.

We easily cleared the dungeon.

The first dungeon was mainly weak skeletons and ghosts.

We cleared it easily and got one core.

The second one had Dullahan and Death Knights of B-rank and above, but they were no match for me.

I destroyed the dungeon core and got two cores.

We cleared it smoothly and efficiently.

---

Then, the device in my bag started to vibrate, and Kou's voice was heard.

"Master, a customer has come to the shop."

"Huh? What about Tety? Isn't she watching the shop?"

"Nope~. The customers are a mage and a cleric, Master."

"Oh, those two! Got it, I'll head back."

"Okay!"

I ended the call and told Lirisia.

"A female mage and a female cleric have come to the shop. We'll put off the third dungeon."

"Understood, Master!"

Xiaoming and Lirisia immediately returned to Kou's dungeon.

---

At the capital during twilight.

When we arrived at the shop, the two were already there.

Tety was serving tea to the female mage and the female cleric.

I approached the three and said,

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Hey, Alerk!"

"Ha... Alerk, it's been a while..."

The female mage, with her pointed hat, greeted me energetically, while the female cleric, with her hood covering her head, bowed her head and greeted me.

"Did the curse work?"

"Yeah, perfectly! I can walk this far now! -- Right, So-chan?"

"Yes... thank you, Alerk."

The female cleric bowed her head while still wearing her hood.

I turned to Lirisia and said,

"Then, Lirisia. Take care of her."

"Understood... this way."

Lirisia approached and helped the female cleric stand up.

She reached out hesitantly and held the female mage's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"May-chan..."

"It's okay, So-chan! Alerk's doing this, so there's nothing to worry about!"

I said to the female mage,

"Sorry, but I'll leave the rest to you."

"Okay! Then, please take care of So-chan."

She stood up, shaking her short skirt, and patted the female cleric's shoulder to encourage her.

Then, she walked out of the shop with her slender legs.

I nodded at Lirisia.

She led the female cleric to the wardrobe in the kitchen.

"Then, please go in here."

"Eh!? This is a dungeon!?"

The female cleric, in her monk's robe, looked confused.

Lirisia went in first and extended her hand.

The female cleric hesitantly grabbed her hand and went in.

Tety, shaking her head from side to side, said,

"Is it okay? Teaching the dungeon to someone else..."

"It's Lirisia, so it's fine—more importantly, can you handle the closing?"

"Sure, leave it to me!"

Tety jumped up from her chair and headed to the entrance, her dress swaying.

Seeing her back, I thought it would be fine and entered the dungeon.

---

At the forest mansion.

I was waiting in the living room.

Lirisia was currently helping the female cleric take a bath.

--- She was cursed badly, but the elixir bath should do the trick.

As I was thinking this, the device vibrated.

I took it out and spoke.

"What's up, Kou?"

"The lady is calling, the bath is in trouble! It's dangerous!"

"What, really! I'm coming right away!"

Without waiting for a reply, I ran out.

I ran down the hallway and burst into the bathroom.

"Are you okay, Lirisia!? -- Uh."

The beautiful blue-tiled bathroom was in a gruesome state.

Black droplets splattered the walls and ceiling, and the dark bathwater writhed like a living thing.

Lirisia, with her pure white wings spread, was desperately casting healing light into the bathtub.

She turned to me with a pained expression.

"Master! Please give me a lot of holy energy!"

"Got it, just like in battle!"

"Please, that's what I need!"

I drew my sword from my waist and held it in a ready stance.

"HaAAAAA—!"

As my bangs fluttered, a strong wind burst out around me.

Blue light sparkled.

The black water staining the walls and ceiling turned clear, emitting a blue-white light.

The writhing in the bathtub stopped, and the water turned clear.

The dirty bathroom was instantly restored.

In the silence that followed, I sheathed my sword and approached Lirisia.

"What happened?"

"As soon as she entered the elixir bath, the curse went berserk... The cause of the curse is me."

"Eh!? You? But you two never met, right?"

Lirisia shook her head sadly and looked at the woman lying in the white marble bathtub. Her silver hair shimmered beautifully.

I looked at her too.

The female cleric lay motionless with her slender body stretched out, her eyes closed. She seemed to be unconscious.

"It's because I received Master's favor... She probably liked Master."

"Huh, she didn't show any signs of that when we were together!?"

"She probably didn't realize her feelings... People usually realize the most important things after they lose them."

I approached the bathtub and tilted my head, looking at the naked female cleric.

Her beautiful, bowl-shaped breasts pointed upward, floating on the water.

"But, why did the curse activate? Who cursed her? It's not you, right?"

"No, it's not. She cursed herself... Specifically, out of jealousy towards me."

"I don't understand, but is that it... But cursing oneself sounds complicated."

Lirisia nodded deeply and looked at me with a sad expression.

"Master... It's painful, but to heal her as quickly as possible—please embrace her."

"Eh!?"

"By giving her a lot of Master's holy energy, I believe she will regain her true self."

"Does that mean... she was a fallen angel?"

Lirisia nodded seriously.

But I shook my head and looked at her seriously.

"I'm sorry, but I decided to love Lirisia completely. No matter how much it's for her, I can't do that... Is there any other way?"

If not, it can't be helped... Indeed, the female cleric, though smaller than Lirisia, had a good figure and was attractive.

...But.

Is there really a second angel to support the hero? Isn't she an angel for another hero? Is it right for me to take her?

Lirisia's eyes narrowed in a joyful smile.

"Ha... I'm happy... But, it will take a lot of time with just the elixir bath."

"How long exactly?"

Lirisia put her finger to her chin and thought.

"About 100 elixir baths for one intense session of Master's love..."

"Hmm... So, 100 baths would be the same as our first day?"

"Um, yes... But, you don't mean—"

Lirisia's violet eyes widened as she stared at me.

I scratched my chin, feeling puzzled.

"No, but, will the curse go berserk again during the 100 baths?"

"I don't think so, she's unconscious."

"I have one more question. Was she also sent to support me? Will I have two?"

"I don't think so. Only one guiding angel serves one hero."

"Then, she must be supporting another hero—got it!"

"What will you do?"

I took out the device and grinned.

"Then, let's do 100 baths!"

"Eh! Are you serious! It's a lot of work? If you embrace her while she's unconscious, she won't know, surely."

Lirisia's silver hair was disheveled as she was shocked.

I frowned and held the device to my ear.

"Isn't that a bit harsh? It would be dishonest to both Lirisia and her. As a last resort, but first, let's try the elixir! So, Kou, here's the plan. Fill the bathtub with empty water, and when the effect activates, dump it!"

"Aye aye, sir!"

The water in the bathtub was immediately replaced.

The female cleric's beautiful naked body was submerged in the clear water.

I put my hand in the bathtub and said to Lirisia.

"Close your eyes!"

"Ah, yes!"

"Ha!"

The water glowed intensely and turned into an elixir.

Immediately, the water began to bubble and turn murky.

I grunted as I dispelled the black stains and shouted with my eyes closed.

"Kou, next!"

"Aye! It's like a conveyor belt!"

The water disappeared, and new water filled the bathtub.

I focused and turned it into an elixir...

--- I was a bit curious about why dogs were involved.

We repeated this many times.

Over 100 times, and finally, the elixir bath stopped turning murky.

"Is it done...?"

The next moment, gray wings appeared from the female cleric's back.

The black spots on the wings were more numerous than Lirisia's at first.

The female cleric groaned and opened her eyes slightly, looking around.

She stopped at the sight of me and Lirisia, pulling her slender legs to hide them and covering her bowl-shaped breasts with both hands.

"Alerk... Eh!? Lirisia, you're an angel!?"

"You are too."

"Eh!?"

The female cleric turned around in a panic.

Seeing the gray wings on her back, she was stunned.

--- I can understand that feeling.

For a while, she touched her chest and flapped her wings.

Then, as if remembering something, she gasped.

"That's right! I was an angel! I was exiled for the sin of jealousy!"

"Indeed, you were jealous... But why did you become a cleric?"

"I had no memory. But I vaguely remembered that I had to believe in God..."

"Like Lirisia."

"Yes, not just me, but why do we all lose our memories?"

Lirisia, tilting her head, said with a frown.

"I vaguely remember... I feel like I was attacked by someone before being exiled from heaven and falling to earth..."

"\"Eh!?\""

Xiaoming and Lirisia exclaimed in surprise.

Lirisia leaned over the bathtub and asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Did you lose your memory by God's will!?"

"Probably not... Because the older fallen angels were aware of their sins and supported the hero."

"What a terrible thing... It must be the work of the Demon King or an evil being."

Lirisia's brows furrowed with anger.

I nodded in agreement.

"Probably... Because of that, I didn't meet Lirisia for 30 years. I have to find the culprit and make them pay."

"Yes, if not, the world will be in trouble."

A heavy silence fell.

Then, the female cleric made a splash in the bathtub, her slender body rippling in the water.

She blushed.

"Um... I'm okay now. ...Alerk, it's embarrassing..."

"Ah, sorry. Is it okay now?"

But Lirisia shook her head.

Looking at the female cleric's dirty wings, she said,

"No, she can't use angel magic yet. We need to do about 2100 more."

"Ugh... But, okay. I'll try."

"Feh... You can still see me...!"

The female cleric, with tears in her eyes, hugged her slender body to hide it. Her wings flapped heavily, and her well-shaped breasts were squished.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Sorry, but bear with it. It's for your own good—Kou, do it."

"Aye!"

"Ugh...!"

The cute sigh of the female cleric and the glowing water happened simultaneously, and we repeated the process many times.

But, despite her embarrassed demeanor, she smiled dreamily each time the elixir filled the bathtub.

Her flapping wings also became cleaner.

--- This bath must feel really good.

While continuing the work, I was very concerned about her expression.

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→ 55. Bath of Love