We finished our hastily eaten snacks and moved on, led by Holy Spirit Serena.
To an outsider, we probably looked like adventurers chasing a stray fairy.
Spectators gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of the unusual fairy. We weaved through the crowd, hurrying along.
Fairy sightings were rare in this world, hence the gathering crowd.
“Ah!? Look, Mother! A fairy is flying in the sky! The adventurers are trying to catch it! Run, fairy, run!”
“My, my, seeing a fairy… It’s not often something like this happens. It must be a good omen.”
“Yes, Mother!”
The girl pointing at Holy Spirit Serena and her mother receded behind us. It was a heartwarming sight.
“Hey there, bro. Trying to catch something interesting, eh? We’ll help you out, so give us a cut!”
This time, a group of rough-looking men, likely adventurers, approached us.
“That fairy is our companion. We’re just guiding it to where our other party member is.”
“Tch! Is that so? We thought it was a chance to make some good money!”
“Damn, you’re right!”
The adventurers, apparently convinced by my explanation, stopped. Despite their intimidating appearance, they seemed to be decent people.
“Say, boy, if that fairy is your companion, I’ll buy it at your price! I need it as a magic catalyst!”
A man in a gloomy gray robe spoke up. He was likely a mage or an alchemist.
“I have no intention of parting with that fairy! It’s my companion.”
*Kiiin, Zukon!*
“This is heavenly punishment!”
“Ugyaaaaah!”
At that moment, Holy Spirit Serena suddenly changed direction, circled behind the man, and charged towards his backside. The man screamed and collapsed, his eyes rolling back as he fainted in a pose with his buttocks sticking out. To top it off, smoke was rising from the vicinity of his anus. Perhaps this man was of the dark attribute?
“What a magnificent ‘enema’!”
Swan Hilda calmly commented, observing the scene.
“I will not forgive those who mock me! Fuck you!”
It seemed she was angered by the conversation between the man and me. Unbeknownst to him, he had incurred the wrath of a Holy Element Spirit belonging to the celestial realm. Although her reaction was unusual for her, it was a relatively light punishment for someone from the heavens. But what did ‘fuck you!’ mean? Holy Spirit Serena made a strange gesture, sticking out her middle finger.
However, if her true identity were revealed, this wouldn’t just be a small disturbance. If one knew the true nature of this ‘erotic old man’ sex spirit, it would be laughable, but Holy Spirit Serena is a noble being created by God by solidifying most of the Holy Element Spirits existing in this world.
“Hal, it looks like we’re gaining another girl…”
Alicia, running beside me, said with a complicated expression. It hurt my heart when my fiancée, Alicia, looked so sad… Plus, it was too early to tell if she would join the ‘Princess Harem’.
“We were saved that way, you know~. But having more friends is a good thing!”
Swan Hilda wasn’t reprimanding Alicia’s concerns, just offering a wry smile. Edele and Miralca, following behind, seemed relieved that there was no argument. For them, I was an important being who could return demonkin to the human race. They were probably thinking of their brethren at St. Agnes Abbey. They were valuable assets who would be active in the future when the northern nations returned to their former human-inhabited state.
“Still, it’s never boring when I’m with Master Harem.”
Lulu, the ‘loli old woman’ in her child form, on the other side, looked expectant. It was unfair to blame me for all the trouble. Trouble always found us… And I had a feeling that the machinations of the Divine Realm were subtly involved.
“Master, Elise and the others are in the management hut of the green space park ahead. We’ll continue calling out to the third group from there.”
Mai had joined the second group, so it was likely easy to enter the management hut even if it was locked. Holy Spirit Serena, who had guided us, then flew off to call the third group. In situations like this, Holy Spirit Serena’s agility and flight capabilities were invaluable.
“Elise, how is she?”
“Hal, we’ve been waiting for you. I’ve laid down the girl we saved, but she hasn’t regained consciousness. Along with the bleeding from her head, please help her somehow.”
The management hut, built in a corner of the green space park, was small and filled with pruning and cleaning tools. However, it was equipped with a makeshift bed for overnight stays. The girl laid there was bleeding from the head and unconscious. Mai was earnestly casting a beginner’s ‘Healing Magic’ on her. However, Mai’s ‘Healing Magic’ could only maintain her current condition.
“Mai, good work.”
“N… *Phew*.”
When I spoke to Mai, her face, which had been tense as if at her wit’s end, suddenly relaxed with relief, and she exhaled deeply, releasing the tension from her body. She had likely been desperately casting ‘Healing Magic’ until I arrived to keep the rescued girl from dying.
“I’ll use ‘Healing Magic’ now.”
I rolled up my sleeves, cast ‘Healing Magic’, and healed the wound on her head. Then, looking at the girl again, I saw she was completely drenched and covered in bloodstains.
“Let’s clean her up with ‘Washing’ next.”
I cast the ‘Washing’ spell, which usually proved very useful after… intimate encounters. Her wet clothes dried, and the bloodstains were washed away. This ‘Washing’ magic was truly convenient.
Thus, the girl who attempted a suicide by jumping was, at least, restored to her pre-jump condition. Of course, her dress, torn during the fall, remained as it was, but as she was breathing steadily, I suppose it was reasonable to consider her fully healed.
I looked at the girl who had attempted suicide again. She had a cascade of glossy silver hair, styled in a roped curl. Her complexion had regained some color thanks to my ‘Healing Magic’, and she looked like she would regain consciousness soon. Her features were refined, and considering where she was found, she was likely a noblewoman. Her clothes were also luxurious dresses, suggesting a high status. She might even be related to Count Elgerblard.
What could have driven this girl to despair and attempt suicide? Although her external injuries were healed, there was a possibility of internal bleeding or damage to her organs from the impact. It was unfortunate, but I’d have to examine her completely unclothed. I grasped the hem of her dress, which had covered her down to her ankles, and began to slowly lift it.
“This girl is wearing luxurious clothing like a noblewoman, but her status is that of a slave.”
To my surprise, wrapped around the girl’s right ankle, hidden from view, was a Stigma, a slave band. At my bombshell statement, the gazes of the party members were fixed on the Stigma.
“Such a cute girl was a slave…”
Alicia murmured, tears welling up in her eyes. Alicia herself had experienced hardship when her father, Viscount Rendol’s family, fell into ruin and she was sold.
“She must have gone through something terrible to try and kill herself.”
Elise whispered, stroking the girl’s head. Elise’s usual assertive demeanor had softened.
“Falling into slavery is tough, isn’t it?”
Freya, Elise’s rival, placed a hand on Elise’s shoulder.
“There might be bruises under her clothes. I’ll undress her completely and examine her.”
As I made this declaration, and as they stepped back and lined up against the hut’s wall, we heard the sound of multiple people running from outside.
“You lot! What are you doing here?!”
Suddenly, an angry voice boomed from outside the management hut. Knights and soldiers entered, drawing their swords and menacing us.
“My name is Hal Harem Von Raymond. I am the Party Leader of the adventurer party ‘Princess Harem’. We received word from a party member about rescuing a woman and rushed here.”
After introducing myself and explaining the situation, I pointed to the girl lying on the makeshift bed.
“Princess Eringen Kuktar! What a pitiable sight! Come, take her to Elgerblard Castle.”
““Yes, sir.””
“Adventurers, please keep this matter confidential. This is a small token of our gratitude. Furthermore, we shall overlook your unauthorized entry into the management hut with special consideration.”
The knight ordered his soldiers to carry the girl, Eringen Kuktar, out of the hut. He then tossed three silver coins (equivalent to 30,000 yen) onto the empty bed as a reward and left, turning his back.
“That was quite a rushed development.”
As I stood there, bewildered, Alicia sighed.
“That girl seemed to be the mistress that Count Elgerblard dotes on. But why would the Count’s mistress try to commit suicide… Still, it’s not our place to meddle in other people’s affairs.”
But why would a mistress, supposedly loved by the Count, try to commit suicide?! And I thought I heard she had been freed from slavery… A heavy silence fell upon us.
“Th-this is terrible! M-Master, it’s terrible!”
Holy Spirit Serena burst into the silent management hut, her face pale with panic.
“What is it, Serena?!”
“Ly and Liliana were forced into a black carriage and kidnapped!”
What?! Ly and Liliana, party members, were kidnapped this time?!
“Serena, quickly, take me to where the third group is!”
“Master, understood!”
First, we save a girl rumored to be Count Elgerblard’s mistress, and now Ly and Liliana are kidnapped! What a whirlwind of events.
Thank you for reading.
This concludes the staggered release of episode 41.
The release of episode 42 will be announced in the activity report.
Episode 41, “Liliana VI and Ly IV: The Beauties Who Toppled Nations Suffer Continuous Misfortunes,” is scheduled for release on April 3rd at 0:00.
Please note that the staggered release and the full release contain the same content.
