Chapter 324

Episode 324: If only I could (10)

At first, I thought it was too much, but as I ate, I emptied most of the bowl.

I sipped the tea that came with dessert, once again admiring the size of this body’s stomach. The tea felt light and refreshing rather than heavy, perhaps considering that it would be difficult to digest after eating too much.

“I guess I’ll just have to go.”

“...Are you going?”

However, the Archmage, who checked the time before he finished drinking the tea, lifted his butt in surprise. It seemed like he had some urgent work to do, or he seemed like he didn’t know it would be this late.

“There’s still work left to do.”

If you listen to the story behind it, you will understand right away. After all, there is still some work left to do to restore the city.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

I took a mouthful of the tea I was drinking and asked. I’ve been treated to such a delicious meal, but there’s no benefit to staying still. I felt like I should do something instead.

“no. “You can just rest here.”

However, the Archmage struck down my will at once. The voice was so firm that it felt harsh.

“But...”

“It’s okay. “You deserve a break.”

“...Still, it’s a bit hard to stay still.”

It is said that I did the best job in catching the Great Evil, but that also applies to the Inquisitor. And they’re probably still working.

Then wouldn’t it be right for me to work too? Or are you a little reluctant because of my uniqueness?

“...no. “I guess I can help.”

Well... when I think about it, the Inquisitor and I were in very different situations. They have a lot of general-purpose skills like healing and purification, but I’m not a fan of combat skills.

So, the only way to use it is to replace guards or patrolmen... In that case, the temple may be stimulated. I guess I tend to cause discomfort to them just by existing.

“It’s better to wait than to scratch and end up in crumbs.”

To put it simply, it is high risk, low return. With that, I understood why I had to stay here. “No...” The Archmage’s expression became dumbfounded.

“Did you understand that the reason I asked you to rest was because of the possible friction with the temple?”

“...wasn’t it?”

Oh, wasn’t that it?

The Archmage looked at my answer with a straight face.

“That’s not why I told you to rest. “I told you to rest because you are in a situation where you have to rest and you are a person who can do that.”

“But...”

With things like this, is it really okay to take a break? At my hesitation, she held her head as if she were in trouble. Then he came over to me and sat me down on the chair again.

Grumble. The teacup I had finished drinking was refilled with iced tea.

“ruler. You were a person who was pushed to the edge of a cliff a while ago, and now you have barely escaped it. “In terms of trauma, he suffered fractures all over his body and ruptured internal organs, but he only had a bandage and some medicine applied.”

“That much...”

“Shut up and listen.”

The Archmage kindly picked up the refilled tea and placed it in my hand. I felt like I was a child as they held me tightly with both hands.

“I like your kindness. I think kindness is also really nice to see. It’s hard on yourself, but I think the nature of reaching out to others is even more beautiful. “Because there aren’t many people like that in the world.”

Grumble. She also moved her desk a bit. It was a structure where I was trapped between the desk and the chair, so I had to push the desk to get up.

“But I don’t think that’s what you’re good at. “It’s even more true now that I’m helping others by pampering myself.”

She even dragged a bowl of fruit and cookies prepared for dessert in front of me. Anyone who sees it will think I’m being greedy and trying to eat it all by myself.

“Didn’t I tell you one day? “The world exists because I exist, and I must build myself up to be able to support others.”

However, the two eyes I met were too warm to refuse these.

“But as I see you now, you are serving others without even building yourself up. “That’s really not good.”

“....”

I know that I will be criticized for being shameless. Now that there was a high probability that a problem would arise in the Great Battle, the adventurer’s powerful force was too good to miss.

As an Archmage, this is the best she can do.

It allows adventurers to enjoy the rest they deserve. Giving him the apples he deserves. No longer doubting him and accepting everything he has.

Even though I know that compared to what he did, this can’t even be considered repayment.

“God, please look after this poor person... Please don’t just sit back and do something about it.”

Therefore, she offered a profane prayer that she would not have entertained before. She didn’t worry as much as a grain of wheat that God would punish her.

After all, the world is full of people who blaspheme worse than her, so will she be the first to receive divine punishment?

By the time she receives divine punishment, the world will have become a clean world without devils and criminals.

If that were possible, the Archmage would be happy if I got punished for my profane remarks. No, I wish you could at least do that. Don’t leave all the work to humans.

“Huh...”

But he will never do that. The Archmage lamented that it was not unreasonable for an adventurer to be angry. Meanwhile, her steps have almost reached her intended destination.

“You’re here.”

“What is the situation?”

Let’s think about things that can’t be solved right away. She mingled with those who worked hard to help restore the city. Although it was necessary work, I was willing to work even harder since I was away until late afternoon.

“Now that the purification area has been confirmed and isolation has been completed, we only need to expand the purification area by treating people sequentially.”

“That’s a good thing.”

Administrators and wizards were split up to identify the number of people, soldiers stayed up all night for quarantine work, and priests worked hard for purification and treatment. It was worth it.

The Archmage smiled softly at the news that all he had to do was work according to his priorities step by step.

“In addition, communication with the outside world was finally successful. “I think we’ll probably hear some news about the outside world sometime tomorrow.”

“I see...”

However, the story behind it was a little different. The Archmage’s expression immediately became worried.

“I’m afraid of what news awaits me.”

There are reinforcements dispatched before they were even requested as part of the devil’s plan. So you don’t have to worry about the future of this city. Even if they are not in a hurry to notify them, there will definitely be reinforcements on the way.

“I hope there are no major problems...”

However, if you turn the situation around, the story is different.

The Archmage was worried about where the devastating news would come from outside and on what scale it would arrive. I didn’t even consider the possibility that it wasn’t. There were certainly things in the world that could be confirmed with just a strong belief.

“That’s right, the party said they had something to discuss with the Archmage...”

“The party...? “Are you talking about Meister?”

“No, the agent... told me to tell you that it’s not urgent, so you can just make time later.”

“Well, I get it first.”

Inquisitor? The Archmage wondered what would cause the Inquisitor to seek him out. Nothing else came to mind. At best... Even though the Inquisitor was active, he was still working without a break?

I am accepting it because she has an unstoppable power, but when the situation improves, I will have to let her rest well. I don’t think the honest Inquisitor would have called her out on that.

“How should I ask Him for forgiveness...? I...”

“I, too, what should I do...”

However, when she finished everything that day and faced the Inquisitor and the Deathbringer, the Archmage realized something she had not thought of before.

Among the things they did wrong to the adventurer was not just judging him based on his side, but also making a direct threat to him. The Archmage’s palm slapped her face.

“...First of all, it would be best for you two not to meet him for a while.”

If you think about it, she is one of the perpetrators, but unlike the Inquisitor, she has never directly tried to kill her. If she falls in, the only people left who can tell the adventurer to rest are the Meister or Inquisitor Daniel.

But how can I entrust this task to them? Daniel, the Heretic Questioner, has a suitable temperament, so I can’t bear to entrust him to him due to the circumstances, and Meister has a temperament... I’m wondering if it’s possible.

The Archmage looked helplessly at a situation where there were pitfalls no matter what he did, and presented what he believed to be the best decision.

“I’ll have to meet you someday and apologize, but it seems like neither he nor you are ready yet.”

Although she wasn’t sure if this was the right decision, she postponed their meeting for now. I hope this will bring about a positive future. The Archmage earnestly prayed to the god who does not work.