Chapter 257

“You’re called Amelie-san, right? I’m Rubia, an adventurer of the clan 【Blue Wind】 . ”

“Oh, hello, Rubia-san . Nice to meet you . ”

Rubia chatted up Amelie .

“…It’s a bit sudden, but I wanted to see whether I can heal those eyes of yours . Is it okay for me to cast my healing on you?”

Oh, I see . Rubia can use chantless healing magic . Is her power, which seems to have the blessing of the spirit world goddess Meliady, going to work against a divine sin? If it’s the power of a divine child…

“Eh? My eyes?”

“I can use healing magic . ”

“Healing…so you’re someone related to the Holy Church? But, it probably won’t work . ”

Amelie timidly tried to turn down Rubia’s offer .

“I have been approved by the Holy Church worshiping Light God Lulodis-sama, but I’m not related to them . And, it might be that it won’t work as you’ve been saying . But, hearing your story…I’ve been deeply moved . There’s not many women who I respect like you! I also want to do whatever I can!”

Rubia said frankly, holding back nothing .

“Respect me…?”

“This is also a guidance by Light God Lulodis-sama . I feel sympathy with you as person who has also been saved by Shuuya-sama . ” Rubia declared while looking at me with her blond hair swaying .

She looked embarrassed .

“Saved by Shuuya-sama…I can relate . He’s a gentleman similar to the goddess of love . ” Amelie muttered .

Naomi-san and Tomas-san, who had been listening next to them, looked at me with eyes full of respect due Amelie’s and Rubia’s words . Oh damn, I give up…

At that point, “However! To be honest, this impairment is okay with me . ”

The powerful words of Amelie dominated the place .

“…You see, whether I’m worthy of respect…it might sound weird to you, but I have my own sense of values . Delighting Dad by getting my eyes healed would make me truly happy . It might also be a kind of salvation . But, I won’t be happy . I consider this impairment as freedom and a blessing given to me by the gods . It’s thanks to this divine sin that I can share the pain and bitterness of others . It’s the reason why I can give my life a worthwhile reason . And, precisely because of this divine sin I was able to meet with Shuuya-sama――”

Amelie let her eyes wander across the courtyard where the party was held, and then stopped right in the direction where I was .

Amazing, she turned her face towards me . I wonder whether she’s seeing me by some kind of sixth sense .

Still, Amelie is noble . No, I just consider her noble . For her it’s very natural…or instead, I guess it’s a phenomenon she has accepted .

Generosity and love . Those are the guiding principles of her life . Just as she mentioned her values, the blindness is a natural part of her . Humans naturally grow senile . That doesn’t change whether they’re able to see or not . It doesn’t change whether they’re rich or poor . That’s why she keeps living while accepting as if it’s very normal . She might have that kind of attitude .

Though that’s just the feeling I one-sidedly get from her .

“…I see…but…”

Rubia is gentle . The feeling of wanting to heal Amelie is only natural for her . However, that’s not what Amelie wishes for . I think Amelie spoke the truth .

After some time in silence passed, Amelie smiled, seemingly having changed her thinking after receiving Rubia’s kindness .

“…Rubia-san, I was even able to meet a gentle person like you . And, you seem to be a woman similar to the goddess of love . May I ask you to cast healing magic on me after all?”

“Ah, yes! Of course! Then, here I go . Are you ready?”

Amelie looked back at Rubia, who shyly asked for her permission, with her blind eyes, and threw out her chest .

“Yes, please!”, she answered powerfully .

Rubia smiled softly after seeing Amelie’s way of answering . While giving off the aura of a veteran healer albeit being a small girl, she drew close to Amelie, and held her hand up over Amelie’s head .

“…Greater Heal . ”

At the same time as Rubia’s bell-like voice reverberated, her eyes went from a blue to a crimson color . And just as I had seen before, a goddess, holding a bloodstained, shining wand of red and black colors with both hands, manifested above Rubia’s head .

The sublime goddess possessed three eyes, and revealed an affectionate expression . And, among those three eyes, the one in the middle moved, staring at me .

Eh? Why me?

The goddess put on a meaningful smile, and spoke . …ing? I won’t understand from just lip movements .

Then the goddess vanished, and at the same time, Rubia’s slender hand shone crimson . The red light released from Rubia’s hand wrapped up the whole body of Amelie . Immediately following, the light disappeared into her skin as if being soaked into it .

I think the Greater Heal had been cast on Amelie, but…her two pure white eyes remained unchanged .

“…It was no good . I’m sorry . ”

“No . Your feelings are more than plenty . And a deep love, I sensed a deep love that also possesses an unfathomable darkness . ”

A divine sin is powerful . I guess it won’t work out so conveniently . It looks like the sacred petal, which healed Melissa, in my item box won’t get it done either . I suppose it’s impossible with magic .

I haven’t spoken with her father, but if I turn her into my bloodkin… However, even if I turn her into a or a , should I drag her into my matters?

I feel like that would also be wrong . Above all, it’s not guaranteed that her eyes will be healed by her becoming my bloodkin . And it might twist her values, too .

Well, since I want to heal her, I will try to talk about it .

“Rubia, let me borrow Amelie for a moment . ”

“Oh, sure . ”

“――Shuuya-sama?”

I grabbed Amelie’s hand .

“Don’t worry . Come with me for a bit . I want to talk with you in private . ”

“Got it . ”

I led Amelie to my room . And there I told her about the blood of a Lucival . That her eyes might heal if she becomes immortal . And whether she wants to become my bloodkin .

“…Please keep what I told you just now a secret, but what do you think? Wanna have a try?”

“That’s an important secret . I won’t talk to anyone about it . And, Shuuya-sama, you really possess a kind heart . Just as I thought, you’re a gentleman similar to the goddess of love . I’m very happy about your feelings . But, I want to live normally, become a granny, and die . An old, blind granny with a hunched back and the bones sticking out through the skin…and while being surrounded by my grandchildren as I continue working for the benefit society for as long as I can, I want to save disabled children by sharing my happiness with everyone . That’s why…I don’t need immortality . ”

I was rejected . And she wants to become a granny, huh? Wow, those words pierced my heart like a needle .

To refuse immortality…how noble . She is far too pure .

With my heart trembling due to Amelie’s excessively solemnity, I unconsciously genuflected . I paid my respects to her by putting my hands together into a prayer pose .

In response, the chest part of Hal’Konk, which I was naturally wearing, opened up automatically to the left and right, exposing my left chest . And the cross mark carved into my chest there was clad in light .

“Huh? Light, cross…”

Eh? Amelie is looking in my direction .

“Just now I saw a cross of light . I knew that you’re there, Shuuya-san . Oh, but, the cross has vanished…”

Just as Amelie pointed out, the light of the cross on my left chest has already vanished .

“Your eyes haven’t been cured, huh?”

“Yes, it’s mysterious, isn’t it? I was just for an instant, but…I could truly see a cross . And I also feel like I heard the voice of Light God Lulodis-sama . ”

“Voice?”

I didn’t hear anything, though .

“He said, light, and blessing to this person, or something…”

I see…that kind of voice .

Looking closely at Amelie, light crosses were showing in her pure white eyes .

“Hey Amelie, you really can’t see?”

“No, it’s just as before . ”

Once Amelie blinked, the light crosses vanished .

Was I hallucinating? Otherwise it might truly be the birth of Saint Amelie . But, I feel like she’s believing in the goddess of love rather than the god of light… I wonder whether the gods of Seuros don’t pay attention to the smaller details .

Just as Rubia mentioned before, as long as there’s a belief, a church in your mind…

“…Shuuya-san, I want to talk with Rubia-san, so I will go back . ”

“Oh, sure, I will take you there . ”

“No, it’s okay . I will find my way back with my own hands . ”

With those words, Amelie extended her hand into empty air, and once she hit the wall with her finger, she nodded lightly . Immediately afterwards, she smoothly left my room with brisk steps .

Since I was worried, I followed her, just in case . However, it was unnecessary . She firmly walked onward along the corridor, heading to the living room .

“…Humph, I can’t believe that the girl just now turned down becoming your bloodkin…” Veronica said in the corridor .

I guess it’s because I’ve been always leaving the door of my room open . She had apparently seen our exchange just now . Her wrinkled eyebrow line twitched as she knitted them .

“It pissed me off! What’s with her!? How cheeky! What about granny!? Don’t ** with me, I, I…”

Oh **, having the difference in values thrust in front of her eyes put her in a bad mood . Well, it’s only natural eh? Normally they would never have anything to do with each other .

Both are my acquaintances, one on the light side, and the other on the dark side . However, this is also an expression of my chaos . I have to follow up on her…

She looks like she’s about to cry, and she’s in a bad mood, but if I talk with her about a certain matter…