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Chapter 47

After defeating the thieves and inside the Adventurer’s Guild,

The elven receptionist, who had been temporarily assigned pending a decision by the Guild Master, cast a dissatisfied glance at me and Lilith.

「Do you really have any intention of holding back?」

Feeling unsure of how to respond, I replied,

「Well, to some extent.」

An awkward atmosphere filled the room.

「…」

「…」

「…」

The receptionist, with a mixture of sighs, asked,

「A mysterious, skilled swordsman defeated the B-rank thieves’ gang. And you found a mountain of corpses during the other mission… and claimed all the credit. Are you okay with this?」

「Yes, that’s right. As part of the request I took, I not only rescued the abducted noble’s daughter but also freed ten women and children who were going to be sold as slaves.」

Another awkward silence followed.

「…」

「…」

「…」

「Judging by the Guild’s evaluation, it’s a mission completed at the highest rank, right?」

「…」

「…」

「…」

Once again, an uncomfortable atmosphere permeated the room.

With a sigh, the receptionist said,

「I understand. There are no complaints. So, starting today, you’re an E-rank adventurer.」

As she spoke, she handed me several silver coins.

To put it into perspective, it was a reward three times the standard rate, equivalent to about 200,000 yen in Japanese currency.

「Here you go.」

「Thanks.」

I put the coins into my pocket and left the Adventurer’s Guild with Lilith.
We walked along the cobblestone street lined with food stalls.
The scent of grilled skewers was somewhat enticing, but Lilith and I headed towards our lodging.

「…By the way, Lute, did you really need the mask and eye cover? Masked or not, I would have killed all eyewitness.」

Lilith chuckled at my stunned look.
She then separated from my side, carrying some spare change, and purchased a skewer from one of the stalls.

「Are you hungry?」

Shaking her head with a smirk, Lilith offered me a skewer.

「…It’s you who’s hungry.」

Taking the skewer from Lilith, I gave a wry smile.

「I’ve been wondering, can you actually read my thoughts?」

Lilith shook her head.

「…Intuitive understanding.」

「Intuitive understanding?」

Lilith nodded approvingly.

「…It’s only natural for a married couple.」

「Who’s married, you idiot!」

I delivered a fist to Lilith’s head.

「…Ouch.」

She teared up, but her expression seemed rather joyful.
Then, a silence descended upon them.

「…」

「…」

Lilith, for some reason, looked at me with a greedy gaze.

「What’s wrong?」

「…More.」

「More?」

「…Yeah, more.」

「What do you mean by ‘more’?」

Blushing, Lilith sensually swayed her hips.
She looked up at me with a provocative expression.

「…So, I want you to… hit me more. Is that okay?」

「To be honest, you’re weird, Lilith.」

I responded with a kick to her rear.

「…Hehe… a kick, Lute’s kick… it’s heavy with love and pain. Hehe… Cordelia Allston has never been kicked by Lute… hehe… hehehe… this puts me one step ahead.」

It seemed like it had backfired.

「Seriously, you’re weird, Lilith.」

I couldn’t help but feel a little weirded out.
Lilith depended on me for many things.

While she had a mostly dominant personality, when it came to me, it seemed like she had a hidden submissive side.
I’d felt that for a while now.

So, various thoughts swirled in my mind.

As I pondered, Lilith and I turned into an alley.

「…I’d prefer if we avoided this route.」

The stench of ammonia wafted through the air.

Our inn, where the food was delicious, was situated in a somewhat unsavory location.
It was more of a slum or an area with questionable security and hygiene.

「Even if you say that, there’s no other way.」

「…I see.」

The road was littered with trash, and flies buzzed about.
Homeless people lying on straw mats on either side of the road directed hostile or even lecherous glances at Lilith.

There were even homeless people who, upon seeing Lilith’s appearance, felt lustful and couldn’t help but touch themselves.

It was a dire situation.

Even I felt uncomfortable in these conditions.
Lilith openly grimaces in disgust.

She reached out to me for support, offering her right hand.
I gently took Lilith’s hand and then spoke.

「…Today, it can’t be helped, but we’ll be in this town for a while… Should we change our lodging?」

After thinking for a moment, Lilith said,

「…No, it’s fine.」

「Even if you say it’s fine, you…」

「…Lute likes the food at that inn. I understand that we have other options. But, I can endure some inconveniences.」

At that moment, Lilith and I spotted something unsettling in our field of vision.

There, in a pitiful state, was a ragged, homeless child who appeared to be around ten years old, and it was impossible to tell if they were a boy or a girl.
They were severely malnourished, and their skin seemed afflicted, covered in spots or something like mold.

In such a lawless place, it seemed like they were not exposed to harm, probably out of fear of infection.

「Hey, Lilith?」

「…Don’t look. Lute has had a habit of picking up strange things since he was young. Just like when he picked me up.」

It was a harsh way to put it, but well, it was mostly true.
In fact, it was because of this aspect of my nature that you are now a high-level adventurer and, furthermore, can use a powerful technique…

Well, that’s not important.
However, as a Japanese person, I couldn’t overlook this situation.

I took a step towards the elf-eared girl lying on the mat.
I could hear Lilith sighing behind me, but I didn’t pay it any mind.

And that’s when I realized that this child was a girl.
Her face was hard to make out due to the dirt and grime, but one thing I could say for sure was that her pointed ears marked her as an elf.

But… the ragged girl’s chest was ever so slightly… just a little bit swollen.

「…Lute?」

「What is it?」

「…Seriously, you should consider not getting involved.」

「That’s something I’ll decide. It’s not for you to say.」

Just a little… There is just a little bit of anger in his voice.
At that, Lilith made a sad expression, and then she nodded obediently.

「…un.」

「What I do from now on is something I’ll do with my own power and according to my own will. So, there’s no reason for you to meddle, and I won’t force anything on you either.」

「…un.」

Lute held the wrist of the girl lying down and checked her pulse.
Next, she opened the eyelids to inspect the condition of her eyes.

「Hey, Lilith?」

When she turned around, Lilith sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

「…You don’t have to say it. The analytical magic circuits are connected through me. So, I’m also privy to the information. This is a kind of curse. Moreover, it’s quite a troublesome one.」

「A curse that leads to extreme debilitation, huh? It’s at the level of complexity similar to the one set to Saegusa.」

Lute then contemplated the situation for a while.

「Saegusa, I understand. It’s related to an internal conflict among nobles in one eastern nation, right? Court struggles and family disputes. Well, they probably have excellent staff and spend a lot of time and effort on it.」

Lilith nodded slightly.

「…Let’s leave her alone. Healing her, or even picking her up, should be avoided. No matter how you look at it, it’s going to be a troublesome matter.」

After some thought, Lute smiled wryly.

「Nevertheless, that’s not an option. Look at her; she’s clearly around ten years old, and for some unknown reason, she’s infected with high-level curse eradication spells, lying here in the slums.」

Without waiting for Lilith’s counterarguments, Lute placed her right hand on the girl’s forehead.

「Gluttonous King—Beelzebub.」

The gluttonous demon living within Lute began to dissolve the insidious curse enveloping the girl.

「Lilith, can you get the Noble Ether I’ve stored in your item box?」

At that moment, Lilith let out a deep sigh.

「…It’s not necessary. The curse has already been removed by Beelzebub. In this condition, there’s no need to use such a rare item. However, if you really want it, you only need to order me, Lute.」

「So, what do you mean?」

「…You simply need to order me to use healing magic.」

「Understood. Please help this child, Lilith.」

「I understand. 」

As soon as Lilith said that, the girl was enveloped in blue and green light.
Lilith wasn’t particularly skilled in healing magic, but she could manage a spell to temporarily alleviate weakness.

When the blue and green light dissipated from the girl, she immediately opened her slightly squinted eyes.
Moving her head slightly left and right, the moment she saw Lilith, the girl’s eyes widened.

「H-Himezu-onee-chan…? I’m so glad… I finally… finally found you…」