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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: A Perfect Business Partner
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“What… did you just say…”
Lute’s voice trembled slightly.
It was the exact same tone he’d used when the relic first freed him from his pain.
“I said I’ll look for a way to cure you completely. After all, it’s dangerous to keep the relic on you at all times. If it gets lost or destroyed, the pain will start all over again.”
“…”
“And you have to receive my blessing every month, but what if circumstances prevent you from doing so?”
His hand twitched, a sign that Lute, too, had considered this concern.
“That’s why we have to cure the illness completely. You need to gain absolute freedom from the pain.”
“Is a cure… possible? Is there really a way to be fully healed?”
Lute was trembling even more now than when he had first grasped the lifeline that was the relic.
After all, he had only just obtained a method to erase his agony.
The look on his face, showing he hadn't dared to hope for a complete cure, was truly heartbreaking.
“I’ve been thinking about it ever since you left the temple, Your Grace. First, there are the blemishes on your body that only I, the Saintess of the Sun God, can see.”
The dark stains had certainly diminished since the last time I saw them.
But if you were to ask if the number of stains had significantly decreased, the answer would be no.
It was as if they were merely being suppressed.
If he were to take off the relic, those stains would surely reactivate at once.
“And then there’s the pain that vanished as if washed away the moment you put on the holy—no, the blessed relic containing my blessing.”
“…Ah.”
“It’s possible that the Sun God’s divine power—specifically, my power as the Saintess—might be able to completely cure your illness, Your Grace.”
Having said that much, I hastily added another remark, fearing he might become too reliant on my divine power alone.
“Of course, it could fail, but based on the current situation, it’s the most likely possibility.”
In the original novel, there was a monologue from Idella where she mused that the Sun God’s divine power might have been able to cure him.
However, at that point, Lute’s body was already too corrupted, and he couldn’t be saved in the end.
But now?
As long as he wears the healing relic imbued with my blessing, the chances of him turning into a villain are very low.
This world had already diverged completely from the world of *The Holy Idella*, so I believed that his cure was entirely possible.
“Curing you right away is impossible. If I could, I would have healed you on the spot, become your definite benefactor, and milked you for all you’re worth…”
If that had been the case, I would have demanded 10 billion—that is, 100,000 gold—as payment. That would solve everything.
But what if I took the money first on the pretext of a cure?
If I were to fail, the consequences would be terrifying.
I didn’t want to take that kind of gamble.
“To be honest, my abilities are quite lacking for a Saintess. That’s why the blessing needs to be recharged every month.”
Since it had come to this, I decided to just lay all my cards on the table.
Besides, I could trust Lute, as he couldn’t betray me, not when he needed the blessing recharged.
“The reason I am the Saintess, despite all that, is because my divine power grows stronger over time.”
Of course, I was embellishing it a bit. But it wasn’t a lie, was it?
“It grows stronger?”
“Yes. Right now, I can’t even hold a candle to the Saintess and Saint of the Great Sea God, but that’s only for now. One day, I will definitely surpass them both.”
In the original novel, Idella was indeed stronger than the Saintess and Saint of the Great Sea God.
Once I reached 100% divine power, I too would gain strength that was second to none.
Of course, unless 10 billion fell from the sky, I would never reach 100%.
“By then, I’ll be able to cure your illness for certain.”
And if I fail, well, I can just ask Idella.
“For your reference, as my power grows, my blessings will also become stronger. Eventually, I’ll be able to give you blessings that last two or three months, not just one. It means you won’t have to come to the temple as often as you do now.”
“…”
Lute, who had been staring at me as if mesmerized, suddenly frowned.
He looked rather displeased.
What now? Does he not believe me?
“…If you’re doubtful, I can’t help it. I can only explain with words; I don’t have any proof to offer.”
If he really didn't believe me, then we could just go with a 70-30 split… but 60-40 was out of the question.
Since it would be troublesome for us, not just him, if things went sour with Lute now, I mumbled out a compromise.
Right, I couldn’t just kill the goose that lays the golden eggs for a bit of extra profit now.
“…If I insist on 60-40, will you simply leave my illness untreated, even when you find a way to cure it, Saintess?”
Lute asked after a long silence.
H-How could he ask that so bluntly?
I looked at Lute, then at the ceiling, then at the floor, my gaze darting around for a long moment.
Finally, I clenched my fists and forced the words out.
“…I wouldn’t do that.”
If Lute were an irredeemable villain at this point, I wouldn’t have cared if he lived or died and would have squeezed everything I could from him.
The one thing I learned from my life as a detective was that there was no need to give second chances to those who intentionally committed the worst of crimes.
When you give those bastards a chance, they tend to see it as permission to commit more crimes.
But the Lute before me now was different.
In fact, thanks to his help, everyone at the Grand Temple had eaten their fill for the first time in a long while.
They had been able to rejoice while eating high-quality food.
When you thought about it, it wasn't just me who was his salvation; he was our salvation, too. How could I turn my back on him?
Ha, right. Trying to raise the profit share by holding his life hostage was a bit much.
“It was wrong of me to use your cure as a bargaining chip. I apologize.”
Since it seemed we would continue as business partners, there was no point in leaving a bad taste in each other’s mouths, so I decided to back down.
“…You hold a definite weapon, Saintess, yet you have no intention of wielding it.”
Lute murmured, looking at me with an unreadable expression.
Why was he saying something so strange again?
“Well, it depends on the weapon. Something like this can’t be a weapon, so I won’t wield it.”
Was I crazy enough to brandish a cure for a life-threatening illness as a weapon?
As I looked at him in disbelief, Lute let out a dry laugh.
He seemed amused, yet also angry, and in a way, even cheerful.
I couldn’t read his emotions at all.
I suppose he was no longer just a character in a novel, but a living, breathing person standing before me.
“…Very well. Let’s compromise and proceed with a 70-30 split. And this is a small signing bonus I have prepared.”
Lute took a pouch from his coat.
“My goodness. You truly are the perfect business partner, Your Grace.”
A signing bonus? I hadn't even considered it.
With no reason to refuse, I quickly accepted the pouch.
I wonder how much is in it?
【It’s 3,000 gold.】
“…”
I was just thinking it would be nice if it was around 100 million since he’s so generous, but what I received was a whopping 300 million—3,000 gold.
Oh, my. And I tried to bargain with such a good person over his life.
Tsk, shame on me.
“…I’ll be sure to keep any weapons I acquire quietly tucked away. Thank you, Your Grace. I love you, Your Grace.”
“Love me to your heart’s content. My generosity is as handsome as my face.”
Of course, how could it be otherwise? Anyway, everything you say is right.
As I grinned foolishly and rubbed my face against the pouch of 3,000 gold, Lute let out a short laugh.
It was a smile that seemed more genuinely pleased than any I had seen from him before.
* * *
A few days later, the two alchemists that Lute and Monica had each found arrived at the Grand Temple.
How strange.
Facing the two alchemists in the reception room, I let my eyes wander.
One was a man with curly brown hair and mischievous orange eyes.
The other was a man with straight, jet-black hair and stubborn green eyes hidden behind glasses.
The former was found by Monica, the latter by Lute, and their appearances were so completely opposite it was as if they had planned it.
“First, could you please tell me your names?”
At my question, the brown-haired man exclaimed as if he had been waiting.
“Zenric Rouen. I’m a twenty-nine-year-old genius alchemist, both by my own admission and that of others. When you think of creativity, the foundation of alchemy, you think of me!”
…He certainly seemed confident. Whether he was a true genius or just a self-proclaimed one remained to be seen.
“Creativity?”
“I specialize in things like shortening commonly used recipes or discovering new, previously non-existent alchemical formulas. That sort of thing is my forte!”
So, he was good at application.
If true, he was certainly a talent worth recruiting by Monica.
Our goal, after all, was to develop a new potion that combined divine power and alchemy.
Next, it was the black-haired man’s turn to introduce himself.
“Wolfgang Schmidt. My specialty is designing alchemical formulas. I was interested when I heard about creating a new potion that combines divine power and alchemy, so I applied.”
Oh, so Wolfgang’s specialty was establishing formulas, and Zenric’s was applying them.
Wow, how did they manage to find two people whose specialties were as opposite as their appearances?
If this worked out, the synergy could be incredible. My heart was already fluttering with anticipation.
