Episode 14.15-16-17

The next day, Lecan visited Shira since his work at medical center finished early.

According to Shira, Eda was there up until noon. Seems like she's been making a nice progress on <Sleep>.

Shira has been staying all day at home lately. She's probably doing some suspicious research in her basement.

Lecan finally succeeded on casting <Lightning> that day. However, he couldn't get a grip on the sensation of deploying the spell around his body's perimeter.

He had to hold down the spell power to the very minimum since he was practicing at Shira's house garden. It was actually harder to cast the spell that way. However, Shira said that was the correct way to learn magic control.

The day after, Norma's medical center had an off day, thus Lecan went to the orphanage. It's his fourth service day.

During a break after the usual tumult at the beginning, an elderly priestess apprentice came by.

"I don't see Archie and Sirima around."

"They both have left to work on their own, Archie at a bucket maker, Shirima at a farmer in Patts village. I'm really glad they managed to find work before they turned 15."

"I see."

"They asked me to send their regards to you, Lecan-san."

"I see."

"They wanted to ride on your back one last time."

"I see."

"Now now. Cheer up."

"I don't need any cheering."

"Now now. Don't look so lonely there. We should be happy for them."

"I'm not lonely."

"Now now."

"Listen you."

That day, Lecan prepared a big ball made of ivy and soft leaves to play a game of throw where players aren't allowed to let the ball touch the ground. The ball ended up in tatter at the end thus he made a promise to bring a new one next time.

The next day he went to the medical center, the orphanage the day after, then another day after, he went to the medical center in the morning, and to Shira's house in the afternoon. Eda was present at the time, and Lecan was made a guinea pig for her <Sleep>. Eda managed to cast working <Sleep> without having her hand touching the target. For the last test, Shira told Lecan to remove his silver ring and he ended up losing consciousness when Eda cast <Sleep> on him.

"Have you come to, Lecan."

"I have. But I felt something weird with the way I woke up."

"That's cause I had Eda rouse you up."

"What? Are you saying Eda made me fall asleep with her <Sleep> and then woke me up herself?"

How exactly did she do that to Lecan who was sleeping due to an abnormal status.

"It's a bit of a secret skill, y'see. Those who have learned any one spell of mind magic for real can also employ a trick to undo an abnormal status afflicted on someone."

"Hou."

"Of course, even though Eda-chan has built up resistance against mind magic, it won't work against someone with strength and skill above her. She can't undo an abnormal status whose strength exceeds hers. That said, there aren't going that many people who surpass the size of Eda-chan's mana pool."

"I see."

Lecan may have equipment to counter abnormal statuses, but having a comrade who can also do that is reassuring. Arios will surely show his worth right away, and that ability should help her join any party in the future.

"For now she'd better off furthering <Sleep> than learning other mind magic spells. Once she's able to cast it from a distance, it'll even work on magic beasts. Lots of magic beasts on deeper floors are resistant against mind magic though."

In that case, she's going to be a powerful asset. What a delightful miscalculation.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

The next day was a full day house call, and the day after was an orphanage visit. On that day, the vice temple head called Lecan in to the back.

"Lecan-san. I have received the estimated cost for the statue rebuilt. It will be three gold coins."

Lecan paid the amount.

Lecan has no idea how much architectural structures cost.

However, he feels three gold coins are pretty cheap for such a statue. It's likely not the full cost.

The vice temple head gave Lecan her blessing by grandly drawing a holy mark in the air, before continuing her talk.

"Lecan-san, you cast <Recovery> on Bazrig-san, didn't you?"

"Yea."

It was in one of the house calls the day before yesterday.

"That person, you see, was under the care of our temple for years. Care which includes Recovery naturally."

"I see."

Lecan gives zero crap about that.

"Thanks to that, his condition itself never went too bad. However, the pain never truly left his side."

"Seems so."

"But then his condition saw a remarkable improvement after receiving your <Recovery>."

"Yea."

"Has Bazrig-san's illness been healed, I wonder?"

"No, apparently not. But since he had been given strong herb prescription for use during this period of improved condition, he wouldn't deteriorate back to his previously terrible condition, said Norma."

"That's a very good thing. Thank you, Lecan-san."

"It's a job."

"But it's not all sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately."

"Hou."

"Bazrig-san appeared to be dissatisfied by the fact that one single cast of Lecan-san's <Recovery> would bring such a huge change when years of temple <Recovery> changed nothing."

"That's not my problem."

"He's been spreading rumors all over the place about how our temple has been raking in huge profits with less effective Recovery."

"People are free to share their impressions to others on stuff they paid money for."

"My, shocking. Did you have a formal education?"

"No. Was a regulation in the previous country I was in."

"Oh, is that so. But does that also apply to slanders that are far from mere impressions?"

"If that's how the person concerned truly feels."

"Suppose a fruit store, they're selling Yelconte fuirt for two copper coin each. Another store nearby is selling Yelconte fruit for one copper coin each, what do you think is going to happen?"

"The first store won't sell those fruits."

"Right it won't. It's going to be left unsold and go bad. They'll then suffer heavy loss and might even fall in debt."

"The first fruit store can just sell it for one copper coin."

"That's the issue, Lecan-san. You need money to stock up fruit and for the labor. Also true for the carriage and horse feeds. There are proper reasons for that price of two copper coins."

"We ask five silver coins for a <Recovery>. The same price point as the temple's. Using your analogy, we're also selling Yelconte fruit for two copper coins. What's the problem?"

"That's where you're wrong, Lecan-san. The class of <Recovery> you deploy is worth one gold coin of offerings at the temple, no, possibly much more. Add to that your large mana pool. You can't tell me it costs the same."

"<Recovery> won't go unsold nor go bad."

"The monetary offerings the temple received from <Recovery> are used to purchase medicinal herbs and to treat the poor. We don't ask monetary exchange to those who truly cannot afford it. We even take care of those who require treatment from the day we receive them to their death. It also covers the cost of running this orphanage. Same with food distribution for the needy, and our services that provide housings and job mediations to widows. Having unsold <Recovery> would mean no more soup for the children here."

That wording is just unfair, thought Lecan.

However, he's got no doubt that the vice temple head is telling the truth.

Besides, the biggest issue is most likely the damage on temple's influence, yet vice temple head said nothing regarding that.

She went to a great length talking in a way that would pull Lecan's heart strings. That didn't go unnoticed to Lecan.

"What do you want me to do."

"Please consult with Norma-san regarding that. I believe in you and that person finding the right path. It's a shame that this has come to a point I have to talk to you about this. Please forgive me, Lecan."

"Then reduce my orphanage service day quota."

"No can do."