Original Sin (3)

Though I wanted to move right away, I needed to think rationally.

While I had regained some holy power naturally while sleeping, it wasn’t enough yet to fully heal my body.

It would be more efficient to apply minimal treatment and heal the rest all at once. Until then, I decided to resolve the long-standing issue with Claire.

“72 points. And remember what I said about question 28 – it’s the type I told you to be careful not to make mistakes on?”

“Tch…”

Resolving our grudge is one thing, but education is another. Claire needs to at least complete her basic education.

Having lived essentially imprisoned in the mansion for so long, she’s fallen behind others in knowledge.

“Did you just clicked your tongue? What were you going to say after that? This won’t do. I’ll have to double your etiquette lessons.”

“…I wish you would die.”

“Make that triple.”

“…”

This is all for her own good.

I may have been someone who just wandered back alleys, but Claire is different. Though fallen, she’s still a noble lady.

Even if not now, someday she’ll live a life befitting that position.

I’ll make sure of it.

I’ll turn her from a free bottom-feeder into an oppressed, suffering noble!

“By the way…”

“Over here this time. This is a math problem sheet to test your comprehension, not memorization. Solve it. You have 10 minutes.”

“I just said ‘by the way’!”

“Fine, 5 minutes break. If you have something to say, finish it during that time.”

Rest is important.

Since she seems stressed, I decided to give her a break.

Of course, I immediately start timing it.

The pocket watch Linea bought me has been very helpful.

“I never thought I’d come to hate unnie…”

“Children tend to have big emotional swings at your age. You may curse at me now, but later you’ll understand everything I did was for your sake.”

Let’s start with getting a doctorate. Then she’ll understand my intentions.

“…You know, I’ve been thinking – you’re surprisingly good at making problems.”

“You think so? I thought you just hadn’t had many educational opportunities-”

“Since Linea-unnie said so too, don’t try to blame it on my educational background.”

“Oh? Then you’re agreeing that I make good problems.”

Unlike Claire who lacks basic education, Linea has already earned her doctorate. She’s not a doctor for nothing.

Having received systematic education since childhood, unlike Claire, she should be able to objectively evaluate the problems I make.

“Your teaching personality is terrible, but the content and explanations themselves have no issues, she said.”

“Is that meant to be a compliment?”

“I think so?”

With Linea’s endorsement, I have to acknowledge it myself.

I’m smarter than I thought. Not in terms of cunning, but actual knowledge.

“Could it be that you, Lost, were also nobility?”

“Well, since Morpheus took my memories, I’m not sure about that…”

“Ah, right…”

“But I don’t think my knowledge has anything to do with nobility?”

“Is that so?”

“I had a good teacher.”

While my master taught me swordsmanship, my teacher was the one who taught me general social knowledge.

My master was, well… not great at socializing.

I suspect the reason they holed up in the mountains was because they didn’t know how to talk to people.

Back then, my teacher basically handled all aspects of daily life.

Things like meals, clothing, education.

“She was a bit strict, but definitely capable, I think.”

The fact that I can pass on what I learned to Claire proves that. My teacher didn’t just make me memorize knowledge, but also taught me how to apply it.

That must be why.

Why I can remember those memories in such detail.

“Was she a good person?”

“Well… surprisingly, I might not have thought well of my teacher. She was quite strict, after all.”

The type who was scary because she would smile while calmly scolding you.

Personally, I like her. She helped significantly in making me who I am today. That’s why the doubts that naturally arise are painful.

“The fact that I remember my teacher and my master might mean those moments weren’t precious enough…”

I encountered the <Dreamer> Morpheus not long after coming into this world.

Trials are difficult to understand even with knowledge.

My memories must have already had holes by then.

Yet the fact that I remember those two might mean…

“Perhaps they kidnapped me and forced harsh training or education on me.”

“That’s…”

I think the memories in my recollection weren’t bad.

But remembering something as a fond memory and the emotions at that time are different things.

Considering that Morpheus didn’t touch those memories, it raises questions.

My teacher and my master were both excellent guardians to me, undoubtedly.

That’s what I want to think.

Therefore.

“I’ll go back and talk to them someday.”

“Losing memories seems much more cruel than I thought.”

I want to believe they were my benefactors. That’s why even while wandering the back alleys after losing my memories, I never returned to my original home.

Because I was scared.

I hoped these few remaining happy memories weren’t actually moments of harsh suffering.

“Five minutes are up. Open your book.”

“One more thing. What was your teacher’s name?”

“Revenna. Teacher Revenna.”

“I see. I’ll remember it. If you’re too scared, I could check first.”

“Don’t get cheeky trying to look out for adults.”

I’m not that weak of a person. Maybe before, but not now.

Now that I’m gradually throwing away my bitter, painful, yet precious memories one by one.

“Now really open your book.”

Claire quietly opened her book.

The conversation had gotten a bit heavy, so she probably couldn’t resist.

Well, that works out fine. It’s not something I worry much about anymore anyway.

If Claire feels that burden and studies hard, I can play the pitiful card as much as needed.

We continued Claire’s education for a while after that. Though Claire followed the lessons enthusiastically…

“Reaching your concentration limit?”

“Yes.”

“You must really hate this if you’re answering so honestly.”

Look at her speaking plainly.

Given there’s not a hint of hesitation or empty words, she must really detest it.

“Then we’ll stop here for today and I should head out soon.”

“In your condition?”

“I’m fine now.”

I removed the casts long ago, not long after waking up.

I’ve gathered enough holy power now that moving isn’t a problem.

“What if you get attacked?”

“Someone who recklessly charges into a place where 80% of Rubia’s hunters are gathered – if they wanted to attack, they would have done it while I was unconscious.”

The fact that they didn’t suggests things didn’t end well for them either.

I’m worried about Titan going missing with that kid but…

It’s hard to imagine that monster dying.

If he judged he couldn’t hold out, he would have at least fled.

He’s not foolish enough to stubbornly die a pointless death.

“Maybe they failed and will be more careful now? Like targeting you when you’re alone?”

“I’m not planning to go alone. If I’m up now, Kruud must be too. He’s tougher than me after all.”

“You seem awfully comfortable ordering around the hunter’s guild master.”

“When our companion is their lifesaver, they should at least grant this much.”

Plus his loose lips are what led to this situation.

If he has any sense of responsibility, he can’t ignore it since no one’s been injured as badly as me until now.

“Linea-unnie is the one who cared for the hunters, how can you be so shameless…”

“Linea would understand.”

“If Linea-unnie were here, I think she would have gotten angry the moment you mentioned going out.”

I can’t argue with that.

It’s obvious I would have been stopped at the premise.

First of all, she’s a beastkin so I can’t match her raw strength.

If she pins me down to prevent me from leaving, there’s nothing I can do.

In my current state, I probably couldn’t escape no matter what I tried.

A doctor’s mindset is tougher than expected.

“Then all the more reason to go while Linea’s not here.”

Better to quickly go check things out and return before Linea gets back.

*     *     *

As expected, Kruud couldn’t refuse my request.

“Damn it.”

With such a joyful heart.

Men naturally swear when they’re happy and swear when they’re excited.

He must be happy at the thought of atoning for his mistakes.

“A patient should be quietly resting in bed.”

“We need to thoroughly gather information since we don’t know when she might return.”

“Tch.”

There’s nothing wrong with what I said.

The reason the kid isn’t attacking must be due to the damage she took.

She faced multiple hunters and at the end, Titan, whose physical prowess is second to none, personally blocked her path.

Moreover, some people say he showed confidence and composure while blocking – he must have had some hidden card.

If not? Well, would that be a problem?

Even in that situation, that kid couldn’t kill me.

Of course, I know that’s thanks to others’ efforts. But she made an offer to spare my life.

An offer to spare me, a priest of the Pantheon Temple she hate so much.

That means she has a strong aversion to killing.

Thinking about it that way, the possibility of Titan being dead is extremely low.

Well, worst case he might be captured and tortured somewhere, but at least he’s probably not dead…

“First, tell me the name. That damn kid. She didn’t even know how to introduce themselves – did you hear anything separately?”

“Ah, right. The name is Lilia. No surname. I thought she was a commoner… but now I’m not even sure if she’s human.”

“Doesn’t suit her.”

“I think so too.”

Lilia – isn’t that too delicate a name for that mad dog?

Well, her fashion was strange from the start.

“Wearing ridiculously short clothes for comfort while stubbornly keeping that fur-trimmed coat in this rain – the crazy girl makes the name feel even more mismatched.”

“You’re quite angry, priest friend.”

“Having your limbs crushed underfoot breeds hatred even where there was none. Still, as a devout priest, I’ve decided to forgive that damn crazy girl.”

“Your words and actions don’t match?”

“People naturally have different outsides and insides. Repenting for that is the penance we must perform.”

“Then why don’t you do some penance?”

“Isn’t that why I’m searching?”

Why else would I be looking for information about that damn kid on a rainy day like this?

First priority is gathering information. We need to find where that missing person is as soon as possible.

If she ends up leaving Rubia and getting killed by some unknown person, it would be a repeat of before my regression.

We need to catch her here at least.

“Now tell me about her forces. How are things on that side?”

A third force. That is, Lilia possessed enough power alone to be considered a force.

But if that were the case, they wouldn’t have called it a force in the first place.

“Where are all those troublemakers who cater to that kid now?”

“Well…”

There are many opportunists in this world, and such people naturally draw others’ antipathy.

Which means…

“We’ve locked them all up in the guild’s detention cells.”

The hunters and merchants who had suffered so much wouldn’t have left those directionless troublemakers alone.

“Learn anything?”

“They answered plenty without even being asked, so that was convenient.”

“Any useful information?”

“No. The kid had no consistent behavioral patterns to begin with.”

“Then we pound the pavement. Like this, right now. Let’s work, Master.”

Kruud’s expression crumpled. It must have been a while since he’d done such menial work after becoming master.

“Lost!!”

As we were searching through the city, Linea, who had gone to gather herbs, spotted me from afar and came running while waving.

“No, patients shouldn’t escape on their own!”

“Right, I got it. Let’s go back.”

I was planning to go back quietly. But Linea seemed to have different ideas.

“I can’t live like this, really!”

Linea, who had been waving back, frowned and started repeatedly striking my back.

“Kuhp?!”

Though her actions seem cute,

Linea doesn’t seem to realize how powerful her strength is.

As I writhed in pain without even being able to open my mouth,

Kruud showed his first bright smile of the day and said.

“Ah, that’s satisfying to watch.”