Chapter 43

"Cheater!"

"Guilty!"

Satou and I woke up the following day to accusations and accusing glares. I was a little embarrassed at first, but when my mind finally woke up, I remembered we had done nothing wrong. After the reception last night, Satou and I got invited to a late-night drinking session with Tolma and a few other nobles. By the time we got in, everyone else was fast asleep, and Satou and I were so tired we got into the same bed without thinking.

We only have to feel embarrassed that we both stripped down to our underwear before climbing into bed together. I must have been more tired than I thought last night to not question doing something like that. But we have seen more of each other in the past by accident. I shouldn't feel embarrassed after something like that, but my cheeks still burned after we got dressed. At least they cheer up when Satou gives them the good news.

"Yay! We can really spend the whole day together?"

"Yeah, of course,"

Arisa gleefully latched onto Satou's arm when he nodded. All our nobility-related business and socialising were done for the time being, so we could finally spend a day sightseeing and touring workshops together. It will be a much-needed break before returning to the noble life. Our first stop was the old capital's glass studio. I didn't think that glassmaking would be as interesting as it was.

"What is that, master? Candy?"

Lulu looked curiously at the small tube one of the workers used to create a glass vessel. A magic user had placed a cooling spell on the passage we were observing from so we weren't too hot. Still, it must be hot in there since I could see beads of sweat on the workers' faces.

"Candy?"

"Pochi loves candy because it's sweet, sir,"

Tama and Pochi drooled a little, and Liza moved behind them to catch the pair if they tried to escape.

"No, sillies. It's a tool for making glass,"

Arisa explained to the confused trio. The worker blew into the tube, and a bubble of glass formed at the end. It was much larger than I thought it would be. Looking closer, I realised the pipe was actually a magic tool.

"Weird?"

"He blew and made a circle, sir!"

"Calm down, you two,"

Liza had to scoop up the excited pair into her arms. Still, if the movement of her tail was anything to go by, I believe she was intrigued, too.

"Balloon?"

"Hero Kura, it formed a bubble, I report,"

As the glass vessel grew, Nana looked like she was about to stray from the passage for a closer look, so Mia and I held her back by the arms. Lulu, who'd been about to follow suit, turned a little red.

"Hero Kura, closer observation is necessary, I propose,"

"We have to observe from here, okay?"

"Be good," Mia chimed in.

In contrast with Nana's fascination, Arisa looked so bored that she was stifling a yawn. She was probably expecting something more than this. Since this was an orc glass workshop, I was expecting something a little more fantasy-like than this ordinary workshop.

"If you're interested, would you like to try it yourself once you've looked around?"

"Certainly, if that's all right,"

The head of the studio was giving us a tour. We were probably getting the VIP treatment because we were introduced to him by the head of the noble family who owned the studio. The next room he showed us was where the basic materials for the glass were processed. The labourers here had cloths covering their mouths and noses, probably to keep out dust.

"Here, we crush granite, quartzite, and other stones into powder. Then we mix it with this blue-grey powder made from orc stone and heat it up to form glass,"

Orc stone? That word got my attention. Satou must have also had his interest piqued because he curiously asked the workshop head about it.

"It's an ore that can be found near the Grapevine Mountains. If its powder is mixed with water, it forms bubbles and…."

Judging by the rest of his explanation, the orc stone was basically a natural soda. Satou must have been a great student at one point because he took everything in and could understand everything the workshop head told us. Meanwhile, The rest of us get lost at points and need Satou to tell us in simpler terms. Finally, we made it to the last room on our tour. It was a heavily fortified room, with guards stationed at the entrance and a sturdy-looking door.

"These are the magic tools we use to make sheet glass,"

The sizeable room was the size of a gymnasium, containing several large magic tools running side by side. It looks just like a modern factory. Apparently, these tools were left by the Orc Empire that stood here before the Shiga Kingdom.

"Reminds me of a hydraulic press,"

Arisa wasn't wrong. The red-hot glass was poured over a base about five feet by seven feet, then pressed by a mechanism above it to make plate glass. Satou has a look in his eyes. He's probably already planning on how to replicate the process.

In addition, they showed us the process of turning these glass sheets into mirrors, which involved silver nitrate. The finished mirror wasn't much different from what I used in my old world. We have the silver nitrate recipe in one of our alchemy books. If we got our hands on some orc stones, we could make mirrors ourselves. Then, after the tour...

"All right, let's see who can make the coolest glass!"

"Tama won't lose?"

"Pochi won't, either, sir,"

As usual, Arisa was getting Tama and Pochi way too worked up. Tama and Pochi breathed deeply and blew into the pipes as hard as possible. Unfortunately, their lung capacity proved too much for the swelling glass, which burst with a loud popping sound. Most of the other girls shrieked, startled by the loud noise. A few of them were silent, like Mia and Nana, but they still froze with their eyes wide. Liza and Pearl must have mistaken the sound for an attack because they reached for their weapon. It was a loud sound. It even made me jump.

Luckily, the hot glass only flew away from the group, so nobody was hurt. But it still made a mess, and we were fortunate that no one was hurt. Satou took Tama, Pochi, and the agitator, Arisa, to apologise to the head of the studio. The workers were just as startled as the rest of us, and some may have even messed up their work.

"Not at all. I'm simply relieved that none of you were injured. Still, normally the worst that happens if one blows too hard is that a hole opens in the glass and buckles, so I'm surprised it exploded like that...."

The man seemed bewildered, but at least he wasn't angry. After that, we followed the workers' directions, and everyone could make a glass piece. I was just happy that I got the Glass-Working skill in the process. As we were leaving, Satou tried to buy a mirror, but a full-length mirror had a two-year wait time, so we just left with a few hand mirrors.

"Your work must be very popular, then,"

"Yes, we're pretty fortunate. About half a year ago, we developed a technique for producing transparent glass at a low cost, and ever since then, we've been flooded with so many orders that our magic machines never get a rest,"

The reason for the long wait soon became apparent as Satou talked with the workshop head. So they have new products, then? The long wait must be from nobles wanting to get a hold of this new glass to show off their power and wealth.

<0>

"Whew, I'm stuffed!"

Arisa sighed contentedly, her belly full of crab hot pot and grilled crab. There was no such thing as crab forks in this world. We had to cut up the shells to make it easier to eat without them. Satou mentioned he would make some crab forks at some point.

"So full?"

"I can't eat another bite, sir,"

Tama and Pochi looked just as pleased as Arisa. The trio were leaning back in their chairs and happily rubbing their tummies.

"Oh, Arisa, you can be such a glutton,"

"Can you blame me? It was so good!"

Unfortunately for Lulu, her attempt to scold her sister failed to achieve anything. But Arisa really should listen. Unlike Pochi and Tama, who have training almost every day, Arisa is starting to put on some weight. She looked like she had seen a ghost when Satou mentioned making some scales.

"So what kind of workshop are we visiting next? Tell me it's not another silk workshop full of caterpillars or a smelly soy sauce factory?"

Arisa quickly changed the subject when Satou started muttering about the materials needed to make a scale. The jade-silk workshop was not her favourite, with its greenhouse full of puppy-size caterpillars munching away on mithril scraps. Arisa screamed when she saw the swarms of bugs. But the cloth made from these caterpillars' thread, called jade silk, was very high quality. This cloth had excellent magic conduction and cutability, not to mention incredible smoothness and glossiness.

Satou brought a small thread-spooling machine and an old-fashioned loom at that workshop, so maybe he will make us more comfortable dresses for parties sooner than I thought. Hopefully, I can wear them to the next party instead of those assassin's tools disguised as dresses.

"I was thinking of visiting an artist's atelier this afternoon. Would you prefer a magic-tool workshop or a barrier-post maker?"

"Pictures?"

"Do they make picture books, sir?"

"Interested,"

The other children all wanted to go to the atelier. In the end, Arisa had no choice but to give in.

"Now behold my watercolour magic!"

A young noble with a bright, friendly smile stood before a white canvas, holding not a brush but a short wand. This guy was the owner of this atelier and the most energetic owner we have met so far. The young man really loves his craft, and his talent is just as grand. We were watching just some regular artists at first, but once the owner found out we were there, he came to give us a demonstration of his speciality. Painting with magic.

"... Palette Control E No Gujizai!"

The owner finished a rather long chant, and an array of coloured water blobs appeared around his wand. A colourful picture appeared on the canvas with each wave of his arm. Whenever he spoke the name of a colour, the tip of his wand would change to match. He could even affect the nature of the brushstrokes with phrases like "vibrant" and "light as a feather." Bother the picture and the performance was a beautiful sight.

"Pretty?"

"It's amazing, sir!"

Once again held in Liza's arms, Tama and Pochi flailed excitedly. They had tried to catch the colourful blobs as soon as they appeared. Mia was the only one who looked disappointed since she had high standards for fine art, but the other girls all seemed very impressed. Pearl reacted strongly as I caught her wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Sorry," Pearl quickly recovers, acting like nothing happened. "It just reminded me of my home."

"Your home must have been beautiful,"

"It was…."

The picture was of a beautiful field by a picturesque lake. If Pearl's home really looked like this, I would have liked to have visited it. Unfortunately, judging by her tone, I doubt her home looks like that anymore. Meanwhile, Satou was talking with the atelier's owner.

"Phew. What do you think? Not too shabby, I hope?"

"No, that was wonderful,"

Though his words were humble, the owner looked very proud as he stood before the completed canvas.

"Sir, could you return to the office soon, please?"

"No, no, I must entertain Sir Pendragon...."

A butler-like figure dragged the owner away back to the work he'd apparently been shirking to entertain us.

"Sir Knight, we have a painting classroom as well. Would you and your associates like to try your hand?"

At the clerk's invitation, we all made paintings of our own. I managed to earn the painting skill after ten minutes, but I decided not to level it up and kept my painting skills on par with the others. Satou, on the other hand, must have maxed that skill out.

"I see you excel at painting as well as cooking, Sir Knight. Perhaps this is a picture of one of your esteemed family members?"

Satou painted a picture of a waving girl that looked realistic enough to have been a photograph. He must have copied that one painting. Satou told me he encountered a moving painting, and what he created today looks just as he described it.

"No, this is a reproduction of a painting I saw at the museum. It was fascinating since the girl in the picture actually waved at me. I think it must have been some kind of magic item,"

"A… a magic item that can make a painting move?"

So paintings like that don't exist. I don't think Satou would lie about something like that, and with his cheating immunities and resistances, I doubt anyone could have made him see things. But the lady acting as our guild doesn't know paintings like that could exist. Maybe I should look for that painting myself and investigate. No, it is probably nothing. Satou would have handled it if I needed to worry about something.

"Look, sir,"

Pochi, the first to finish her picture, quickly ran around, showing off her work. It wasn't polished, but it was very heartwarming.

"Wow, that looks great, Pochi,"

"This is Pochi and Master, sir. And over here is...."

Pochi pointed at each part of the painting and explained. It was a child's drawing, but her personality shone through. Pochi and Satou were depicted holding hands in the centre, with everyone else forming a circle around us. A big smile was on everyone's faces.

"Tama's done, too?"

It was so remarkably photorealistic that everyone was silent for a moment. Tama might even be better than Satou.

"Wow, very impressive,"

"Damn, Tama!"

"Wow,"

Peering over her shoulder, Arisa and Mia let out exclamations of surprise.

"It looks delicious, sir,"

Pochi drooled a little as she looked at the painting. Tama's subject of choice was a hamburg steak. It was a miracle Pochi didn't try to eat it. The painting was full of lifelike touches between the piping-hot steam and the demi-glace sauce dripping over the steak and onto the iron plate. The other children showed me their paintings in turn.

"What a pretty flower garden?"

Mia's painting depicted herself and me standing in a flower garden. It wasn't as good as Tama's, but still worthy of being placed in an art exhibit. We were holding hands and wearing crowns of flowers and white dresses.

"Mm. Wedding,"

I pretended not to hear that last part.

"Hero Kura, I would like your evaluation, I entreat,"

"It looks good to me,"

It looked like some kind of animal, but I couldn't tell what exactly it was.

"Chick?"

"Mia's query is correct, I affirm,"

A baby chick. Now that I know what I am looking at, I can start to see it. As for the others, Liza painted a picture of Tama and Pochi, while Lulu painted Arisa. While clumsily made, both were beautiful paintings that showed the artists' love for the subjects. Aside from Arisa, who had to be stopped from painting a nude picture of Satou, everyone finished their pictures and left the classroom happy.

On the way home, we stopped to buy art supplies. While we were doing that, Satou found a merchant who could carry a letter to Seiryuu City for him. This time, Tama and Pochi had letters to send as well. Their letters were addressed to young Yuni, their friend who worked at the Gatefront Inn in Seiryuu City. Tama's was only a single line, but Pochi wrote enough to fill a small novella. This is the first time I didn't have a letter to send. Henry and her mother were here in the old capital, so there was no need to write a letter or send a report.

Satou also added some old capital souvenirs for the people running the Gatefront Inn, including gifts for Yuni that Tama and Pochi picked out. Since the price of sending a letter in this parallel world was a bit high for children, Satou included some money for Yuni to reply with.

"Boy, you really splurged on that,"

"You think so? I only spent about three gold coins,"

Arisa looked astonished as Satou looked over the gifts. The jade-silk ribbons and hand mirrors were expensive, but the high-end hand creams, coral necklaces, tortoiseshell combs, and glass baubles weren't as expensive.

"Let's all make a picture book together!"

Arisa made this proposal after dinner. She must have liked the painting class more than I thought to purpose such an idea. While as long as she doesn't attempt to draw any more adult images of Satou, it should be a fun pastime.

"Picture book?" Mia tilted her head at Arisa as she sat on my lap.

"That's right! We'll decide on a story, and we'll each draw one of the pictures! It'll be fun!"

"That could be entertaining,"

Surprisingly, Liza seemed to be on board. Pearl looked interested, too, even if she didn't say anything.

"I'll draw,"

"I want to make a story, too, sir,"

"Arisa, please present the algorithm for picture book production. I request,"

Tama, Pochi, and Nana were interested too.

"Perhaps we should use the big table in the dining room, then?"

"Yeah!"

At Lulu's pragmatic proposal, everyone moved into the dining room. Satou was in charge of drawing the cover, while we all were given a page to draw. It didn't turn out to be a cohesive story, but it was a fun end to our day.

Satou and I did our own things once the girls wore themselves out. Putting them to bed, Satou headed for the underground maze to work on something while I bored a training area in the manor grounds. I decided against leaving the city this time and used targets meant for archery to practice aiming my holy sword Claidheamh Soluis. It was getting easier now. I could hit every target if I had nothing else to do. But my accuracy still drops when I engage in a second task. It's getting better, but I won't be able to guarantee a hit.

Still, I did make an important discovery. I could cast spells through Claidheamh Soluis as long as the floating blades were close to me then. This was a great discovery considering that I could knock Satou's shield away with the air hammer spell. If I concentrated, I could use different spells at once. I had one blade enchanted with lightning, while another had a fire enchantment, and the third was enchanted with air. I would need to leave the city to accurately see how far I could take this, but I was pleased with the results for now.

<0>

The following day I avoided waking up to accusations and embarrassing moments. For once, it looked like no one noticed Satou, and I didn't go to sleep with the others. This morning we had an important task we had been planning for a while. Karina came with us when we left to visit the Tenion Temple in the Noble district. Karina's younger brother, Orion, came too.

"Sir Pendragon, what brings you to the temple?"

"Kuro and my attendants here have never been baptised at a temple, so we thought we would contribute and ask one of the priests to baptise us,"

"Baptism? Really?"

Orion looked more surprised than I expected.

"Is that a problem?"

"N… no... Not a problem at all. Not at all...."

It sounded like a problem, but our real goal was to make sure my friends met the conditions of the Treasure of Resurrection just in case the worse was to happen. We didn't intend to back down even if there was a problem. It would have been better if they had the unique skill that brought me back to life, but this was the next best option.

Once we explained our business to the young priest who greeted us at the door, he ushered us into a waiting room. It was probably for nobles because the sofa was very plush, and the rest of the furniture was quite luxurious.

"What a pleasure to have you visit us today, Mr Satou, Hero Kura,"

"It's good to see you again, Lady Sara,"

"Lady Sara,"

Sara appeared in her shrine-maiden clothes. Behind her was a middle-aged priestess in charge of handling contributions. In a letter, we had already explained the situation to Sara, so we could undergo the ceremony without any problems.

"This way, please,"

Sara guided us farther into the temple. The windows of the corridor bathed everything in a pale blue light.

"My, what a mysterious atmosphere,"

"Mm. Pure,"

Mia and Arisa seemed a little uneasy in the holiness. Tama and Pochi, on the other hand, looked ready to fall asleep in Liza's arms.

"Hero Kura, it is a pleasure to see you again,"

"The pleasure is mine, lady Yu,"

It seemed that baptisms took place here in the sanctuary. The head priestess of the Tenion Temple greeted me in a soft voice. She looked much better than when I last saw her.

"Oh? So you're Sir Satou, are you?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I am Satou Pendragon, a hereditary knight and vassal of the Muno Barony,"

"Erm, Priestess?"

Sara prompted as, for some reason, lady Yu started staring at Satou. It last long enough for Arisa to call Satou a cheat again. But the priestess managed to hurriedly pull herself together.

"Hmm? I'm sorry… my mind must have been wandering,"

"You're acting like a maiden in love," Sara commented, but Lady Yu calmly turned to her.

"Pardon? A woman never loses her penchant for the romantic, you know," Lady Yu's response only made Sara giggle. "And who might you be in love with, Sara?"

"Wh…why, I'm not...."

Sara looked at me frantically as if pleading for help. I have to stay quiet. Any attempts to help her will only make things worse. Sara ended up going bright red by the time Lady Yu spoke again.

"Hee… hee. I suppose I shouldn't tease you too much," The smiling priestess turned her gaze from Sara to Satou. "Now then, Sir Satou. Thanks to your delicious soup, I've been feeling much better lately. So I would like to perform the ceremony for you to show my gratitude."

Savior Chef… Satou's earning that title more by the day. First, his food tastes good, and now it turns out Satou's cooking can help the sick feel better. Satou promised to make more soup by the time everything was set up.

"I'm terribly sorry, but as I am a future lord, I cannot be baptised at any temple,"

With that explanation, Orion moved away from where the ceremony was being conducted. I remember Arisa telling Satou and me that people who made contracts with City Cores, like kings and lords, couldn't be baptised. But since this didn't affect people like viceroys and constables, who were put in charge of cities and towns by their lords like Karina, Satou and I should be able to receive it. But unfortunately, I have to step away too.

"I'm sorry, but I can't participate either," I say as I move over to stand with Orion.

"Oh yes, I have heard the rumours," Lady Yu nods.

"Rumors?"

I quickly explain to Sara about my situation. Talk has come up about my future once the demon lords have all been defeated. Marriage, titles and potions have all come up. But I can't be baptised because the idea of me taking over a frontier territory besieged by monsters has also been discussed. That last one isn't so bad compared to some ideas, out of the way of noble life but with money and the freedom to do what I like with the land. If possible, I would love that future to come true.

"Oh, so you are going to become the lord of a territory,"

"Maybe, but it is only a suggestion right now, and things might change,"

As I explained the situation to Sara, Lady Yu gathered the others in the centre of the room. A gentle ray of light shines down on them as Lady Yu says a quick prayer.

"Now, please kneel and clear your minds," The head priestess looked at the group, speaking gently. "Now let us begin!.... Senrei Baptism."

When the priestess invoked the spell, beads of blue light fell over Satou and the group softly from the temple ceiling. Unfortunately, I would learn later that Satou and Arisa failed to be baptised. After discussing it, we came to the theory that it has something to do with Satou and Arisa being reincarnations.

"Priestess, I'm terribly sorry to trouble you with something else, but...."

Now that I could meet Lady Yu, he asked her if there was any way to break the Geis on Arisa and Lulu.

"That's quite a predicament... Geis is a very dangerous gift, you know. It's said that it was given to man by the god Urion to punish sinners,"

The priestess explained this as if putting together a long-forgotten memory. There were three ways to remove it: have it cancelled or overwritten by someone with the Geis gift, use a treasure passed down in the Urion Temple, or have a high-level priest erase it using Prayer Magic. The only known user of Geis was the dark sage who controlled various countries in the West. The royal mage who had placed the Geis on Arisa and Lulu was killed when the Kuvork Kingdom was invaded.

Unfortunately, the head priestess didn't know where in the world the Urion Temple was that held the secret treasure. The only priest on this continent publicly known to use Prayer Magic was Zarzaris in Parion Province. The head priestess herself had been able to use it long ago, but it required summoning the goddess herself into the user, a process that would take too high a toll on her aged and weakened body.

"I'm sorry. If only I were a bit younger...."

"It's fine. With Satou as their master, those two should be able to live happy lives even with Geis still affecting them,"

I assure Lady Yu as Satou thinks of his next move. It's not like Arisa and Lulu are endangered or forced to live the lives of slaves under Satou's care. Arisa and Lulu even backed me up, assuring Lady Yu they would be fine.

"Don't worry! I shall train until I can use Prayer Magic myself!"

"Thank you, Lady Sara,"

But as everything was happening, Sara stepped forward with a fire in her eyes.

"Oh my. Nothing can stop a maiden in love, eh?"

"P… Priestess!"

Sara's cheeks turned bright red as she protested the additional teasing while Lady Yu chuckled.

"Why, the first time I used Prayer Magic, it was out of love for the previous hero. I'm sure Goddess Tenion is rooting for you, too,"

Sara nodded her head with a determined look. But as we were leaving, I overheard Lady Yu raising some dangerous-sounding flags. I have a feeling my troubles are only just beginning.

"The demon lord, the giant monster fish... An uprising is surely coming, just as it did in the time of the ancestral king or the first emperor of the Saga Empire. I hope you'll save the world, just as you saved the old capital from destruction, Hero Kura...."

<0>

The next day, I went downtown with my group to the old capital's orphanage. Nana insisted on coming, and the others agreed. I must admit it was a nicer place than I was expecting, almost like the mansion of a noble. The staff members must have gotten to know Nana well since they all greeted her with a smile. The children, meanwhile, ran over as soon as they saw her.

"Miss Nana is really good with the children,"

I have to agree with Sara's comment. Nana is a natural when it comes to all things small and cute. We happened to run into Sara just outside the orphanage. It was a pleasant surprise as Sara told us she was volunteering to help at the orphanage today.

"All right, kids, gather round! We're gonna play shadow tag,"

"Arisa, what's shadow tag,"

"I don't get it,"

"Me neither,"

"Tama, too,"

"I've never heard of it, either, sir."

"Quiet down. I'm going to explain it now! Shadow tag is...."

Arisa, Tama, and Pochi played with the young children in the garden, with Liza watching them while Pearl played a ball game with a group of children. Nana and Lulu cared for the babies, while Mia helped them by playing a lullaby.

"Mr. Knight, ah these bwicks?"

"That's right. You stack them up, see?"

"Wow! It's a house!"

"Wemme twy, too!"

Satou, meanwhile, was playing with wooden blocks, helping the children build houses and castles. While everyone was playing, I was helping Sara with the second reason for her visit. Several children were sick, and Sara was here to cure them. We visited each room, and I kept Sara topped up with MP, thanks to my magic transfer skill.

It wasn't just children either. A small room had been prepared for Sara to heal the poor people in the area. Injured, sick and skinny people all line up for aid. I was shocked when I realised that most women here were being treated for sexually transmitted diseases. I knew it was common for women to sell their bodies in this world, but this is the first time I have seen the scale of it. By the time we got through treating a hundred ladies, only two didn't come here for that reason.

"Thanks for your help. I'll see you again next week, sweetie,"

The last customer was a beautiful red-haired woman with a chest to rival Nana and a friendly personality. She must be a regular and seems to have met Sara multiple times. She was a lovely lady, but her revealing outfit was too much. Sara was bright red when she left and struggled to look at the women throughout the treatment. I wasn't spared either, as she constantly tried to get me to give her some money. I might have done so if my appraisal skill hadn't revealed she was the wife of a viscount and lived in the lap of luxury.

"I swear that woman never changes," Sara muttered, shaking her head. "I had hoped she would have settled down once she got married, but she is still spending the nights in random men's beds."

"So she has always been trouble?"

"No. She just can't stay away from men. Even now that she is the third wife of an important noble, she is still… doing that kind of… thing…."

I took over after that, letting Sara take her time to calm down. It wasn't that hard of a job. I just had to smile and greet the person seeking treatment and heal them. Most people have simple injuries that take no time to heal, but a few require extra steps. The hardest part of the job is listening to the slaves try to cover up their master's abuse. It took everything I had not to leave and pay those slave owners a visit. Still, I quietly note their names, and I'm sure Satou will agree to avoid aiding them with me if we are ever asked.

Anyway, I was getting through the line at a good pass. There were more people than I expected, but nothing I couldn't handle. Kids, the elderly, slaves and beggars, I met people of all kinds today. Most of them were demi-humans, and I don't think it was coincidental that they were the worst injured of the group.

"Oh my,"

"Feeling better?"

Looking behind me, I see Sara has returned and looks much better. The redness is gone, and she seems to have calmed down.

"Yes. I am feeling much better now, but how could you treat so many people so quickly?"

"I haven't done anything special. I have just been using healing spells on them,"

I didn't even use that dangerous skill, magic overload, to improve the spell's effects. I don't think I have done anything that is out of the ordinary. But Sara looks at me as if I have performed some miracle.

"But how can you cast it so many times without taking a break? I was only able to last so long because you generously shared your magic with me,"

"I just have a fast recovery rate, thanks to a skill,"

"You really are amazing," Sara softly smiled lightly. "It looks like we have almost managed to treat everyone, thanks to you."

But before anyone could say another word, there was a commotion outside. It didn't sound like something terrible was happening. If anything, the people outside sounded excited.

"Hey, Satou. You helping out at the orphanage, too?"

"Yes, that's right,"

Hayato. No wonder people sounded excited outside. It reminded me of when some famous idol walked past the café I was eating lunch at back in Japan. I am nowhere near as famous as Hayato, but I can understand what he must go through.

"Sara, what are you doing hiding back here with, Kura?"

"Sister Rin...."

"Satou, the spirit of 'Yes, Lolita! No touching!' must always...."

So Hayato really says 'Yes, Lolita! No touching!' I had half expected Arisa to have been joking when she told us that. Rin wastes little time grabbing Sara's hand and leading her sister back to the main room. It looks like Hayato only came with Rin today, and we entered the room as Hayato stared enviously at the children clinging to Satou.

Hayato must be everything Arisa claimed he was and more. When we returned to the main room, Hayato lectured Satou with a serious expression. He's lucky he spoke in Japanese, or Hayato would have just destroyed his reputation.

"Sir Hero, let us join you!"

A horde of nobles' wives and merchants' daughters gathered around, already knowing Hayato was there. They had their attendants with them, too, so the orphanage was getting pretty packed. Ultimately, the hero decided he was doing the orphanage more harm than good and went off with his fans following close behind. Rin looked torn about what to do at first, not wanting to leave her sister while at the same time glaring at any woman that got too close to Hayato. In the end, she went with Hayato when one of the women started to cling onto Hayato's arm.

"Leaving again…."

I heard Sara mutter under her breath, but she pulled my arm towards her and led me back to the treatment room before I could question her. It is hard to miss the area she has me beet in when she holds my arm so close. Satou shoots me a jealous look, but it isn't my fault that Sara grabbed my arm this way.

"Hero Kura, let us finish treating the wounded,"

In the end, Sara and I managed to treat the long line of people, and Sara thanked me for the help saying today was the first time they hadn't had to turn people away. Besides catching Nana trying to sneak one of the babies home with her, today was peaceful.

"Hero Kura, please reconsider having larval around will make everyone happier, I insist,"

"Nana, it's too dangerous," I tell her as our carriage pulls further and further away. "Just wait. You can open your orphanage once the demon lords are defeated."

"My own larval paradise… I look forward to that day, I report,"

It should be easy to do. I imagine we will have enough power and influence to open up an orphanage after our battle ends. I'm sure Earl Seiryuu wouldn't mind if we opened up one in his city. Unfortunately, that maze will be making a few orphans in the future.