Chapter 8

"Haru, are you sure the magic is definitely coming from the statue of the goddess?"

"Absolutely."

Victor stood there, his well-defined face deep in thought, but he had already received permission from Modal to move the statue. Since Modal also wanted to see, the three of us, including me, were now in the backyard.

"Then, I'll move it."

Victor lifted the statue with both hands. Huh? Isn't he going to use magic? As if he had heard my thoughts, Victor turned around and explained.

"In the past, I could have moved it without any trouble. But now, I can't generate as much magic as before."

"I didn't say anything."

"You're very expressive."

"That's rude."

I speak to him in a casual manner. It's allowed because it was one of Victor's requests for my stay, but Modal is nervous about it.

Victor moved the statue with both hands. A circular hole was carved into the stone base, and a flow of golden powder began to spill out from a low position, floating gently.

"This statue has a hole running from the soles of the feet to the back of the head. That's why the earth's magic comes out from the back of the head."

"The person who thought of this must have only seen the golden powder. Hey, Victor. If I receive this golden powder on my body, will it heal the severed meridians or whatever you mentioned?"

"Hmm? I've never thought about it, but why do you think so?"

"Well, whenever I bathe in the golden powder coming from here or the powder that comes from Victor's magic, my body feels warm and good. So, I think if Victor bathes in it, it might have a good result."

"Isn't that because you're from another world?"

"Hmm. If it doesn't feel good, we can stop, right? If it helps you regain your health and your summoner's power, it would be a bonus, wouldn't it?"

Victor's brown eyes fixed on me, making me feel uneasy.

"What is it?"

"Do you hate me, Haru?"

"At first, I did."

"Then why are you worried about me?"

I know my own character.

"I've always been meddlesome. I can't ignore people who are in trouble or weak. It's just self-satisfaction."

Victor still looked at my face.

"How about bringing a chair and reading a book while bathing in the golden powder? I think it's worth trying for a few days."

"O-Okay."

Oh, Victor actually listened to me.

"By the way, how old are you, Victor?"

"I'm twenty-three, but what's the point?"

"Twenty-three... the same age as my brother. I thought you were older because you always act so superior."

"Brother?"

"From now on, you can call me Haru-nee."

"W-Who would say such a thing?!"

Victor turned his face away, and his cheeks were red. He has his cute moments.

"Cough."

Oh, no. Modal is still here.

"Then, I'll get back to work. Put the statue back when you're done."

He winked as he left.

"Wait a moment. I'll go get a chair."

I asked Claire if I could use the chair stored in the storeroom and brought it to the backyard. Victor was crouching, staring intently at the hole in the base.

"I brought the chair. You see, the golden powder rises to about knee height from that hole and then gently falls around. I think it's more convenient to place the statue for bathing in the golden powder."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

When I tried to carry the statue back to the base, Victor hurriedly tried to do it himself. Our fingertips touched, and it felt a bit awkward.

"I'll do it."

"Okay, thank you."

When we placed the statue, the golden powder flowed through it and spurted out from the back of the head, floating gently in the air and slowly falling. I placed the chair in front of Victor and had him sit down. The golden powder danced around his shoulders, back, and waist, then disappeared.

"Yep, it's falling nicely on your body. Try it, even if you think I'm tricking you. Should I bring a book or some tea?"

"Can I ask for tea? Sorry, wasn't it your day off, Haru?"

"It's fine. I'll have another day off later."

I asked the cook, Miles, for an empty wooden box and made some tea. I laid a handkerchief on the wooden box as a tablecloth and placed the teacup on it.

"About what we were talking about earlier..."

"Hmm? What about it?"

"I don't hate you. You were just doing your job. And you must have tried your best, only to have everything nullified, right? I want you to feel better."

Victor looked surprised.

"As long as you're trapped in the past, you can't move forward. So, I've decided to stop being angry about being brought to this world. Victor, you must have had a lot to be angry about, but if you can, forget it and feel better."

My thoughts are mine. Whether he accepts them or not is up to Victor.

Well, back to work. I need to clean the guest rooms thoroughly. I left Victor, who was bathing in the golden powder, and returned to my work.