I get on the train like always, and head to the dungeon.
Today I’m holding Fuuma under my arm so I don’t forget it.
I put it down, and casually head to the shopping mall.
It’s past noon, so there aren’t a lot of people walking around, but I see a group of about ten talking in the middle of the path.
I feel a somewhat tense atmosphere from them, and go around to avoid them. But then I see someone I recognize and head straight there.
Hi Mio, it’s been a while.
I ignore the tense air and call out to Daiko.
Everyone’s eyes gather on the sudden intruder, me.
I look at them, and see the people with Daiko are university students, but who are the ones facing them? They look like regular people, but they’re men and women of all ages, ranging from a grade school boy to an old woman.
The students look at me and ask who I am, and Daiko whispers it’s Tanaka. Then the hunks and Muco also remember me.
I ask what happened, and apparently they’re inviting her to join a religion. They’ve been trying to convince her every day.
…A religion?
That’s honestly among the things I’d least want to get myself into.
I believe in freedom of religion, and it’s up to the individual to spread it. I think it’s wrong to forcibly convert people, but I get why they’d be so insistent. You can’t have a religion without believers.
Anyway, Mio seems bothered, so I ask them to stop. But they say it has nothing to do with me and I should butt out.
And so, I turn to the woman that seems to be their representative.
Let’s calm down, what religion are you?
The Church of Minsule?
I’ve… heard of that. They tried to convert me too.
Why does Minsule want to convert Mio that badly? If she said no, shouldn’t they move on?
Don’t equate one chosen by god with regular people?
Who was chosen by god? Mio?
I look at Daiko, and she shakes her head.
I guess that’s not it.
What do you mean you understand even if she doesn’t? Aren’t you getting carried away here?
Do you have anything to show in terms of proof?
If Mio really was chosen by god or whatever, prove it.
You can? You can!?
Seriously!?
Are you serious, now I’m interested too.
Does Mio have a bruise somewhere in her body? That’d be disappointing if that was it.
No? Something more definitive?
What is it?
I gulp, and wait for her to speak as she looks at me like she’s elated.
And she speaks with an arrogant tone.
“Knowing Healing magic proves you were chosen by god.”
Yep, everyone disperse!
I wave my hand, signaling that it’s over.
Are you stupid? How does the Healing Magic skill prove someone was chosen by god?
You have a certain probability of getting it in the dungeon, so it can’t be that valuable. How many Healing Magic users do you think are out there? There’s a lot fewer people that won the lottery.
Even if it was one in ten thousand who had the Healing Magic skill and one in ten million who won the lottery, it’s clear what’s rarer.
And above all, that would mean I was chosen by god too.
…Kind of funny, right?
Being chosen by god… It’s kind of cool. Would everyone cheer for me?
What should I do? But as I think it all sounds silly, I look at the Minsule people and notice something.
I look at Daiko, and ask if she has the Healing Magic skill. She nods.
I turn back to the Minsule people.
I’m guessing something in their bodies isn’t working right. Or maybe it’s a family member.
The grade school boy has a cap low over his eyes, and he’s holding his mother. I’m thinking he might not be able to see.
Maybe it’s because I told them to disperse, but they’re glaring at me. They might be mad at me for making fun of their faith.
Then I ask something that pops into my mind.
I’m pretty sure the Church of Minsule has a unit of Healing Magic users called the Saintess Unit, so can’t they get them to heal them?
They all go quiet.
They’re not receiving that Healing Magic. It’s clear just by looking.
I wait for their response, and they say that unit is busy, and it will take time until it’s their turn.
Really, I ask, and they silently turn away again.
I look at Daiko again.
Make sure you protect her if anything happens.
Someone who might have joined their party.
Someone they wanted to save, and the person she asked to protect her.
The Church of Minsule wants Healing Magic users. I don’t know what for, but they’re not going to let Daiko go. So I need to turn them away from her.
I tell Daiko to leave it to me, and face the believers again.
I hold up my hand, and cast Healing Magic on the boy.
He’s enveloped in light, lets out a sound, and holds on tightly to his mother’s arm. The mother supposedly doesn’t understand what’s happening, but the warm light seems to soothe her.
Once the light fades, the boy staggers as he moves away from his mother, looks around, touches his face, and starts crying.
The mother asks what happened, and the emotional boy looks at her face.
“Mom! I can see! I can see!! My eyes can see!”
He explains the miracle that just happened with tears in his eyes.
So the boy really was blind.
I used Trace at the same time to look into that, and saw that his eyes weren’t working and weren’t reflecting the scenery. I remade his eyes much like how I traced my own and replicated it.
It’s the same thing I did to that heated old man, Gen’ichirō Honda. I used myself as a model, so I can’t say if it will work out, but the Healing Magic went well and his body should get used to it. I’d like to believe so anyway.
Still, he should get checked in a hospital, I think as I look at the crying boy, and the woman next to him speaks with a trembling voice.
Eh? Yes, Healing Magic.
It’s not a lie, you saw it.
I can also use Healing Magic, so does that mean I’ve been chosen by god too?
Eh? What? You too?
You’ll pay?
No way, I don’t need… Okay.
I start thinking of them, and cast Healing Magic.
They start praying and thanking me, which makes me feel sorry for them, so I smile with compassion and start treating them.
This doesn’t feel good at all.
I’m not excited about getting money.
But it is a little fun to be worshiped.
So… Worship more!
◇ ◇ ◇
Before I know it, I’m at the headquarters of the Church of Minsule.
I kind of remember how I got here. I started feeling good about the believers flattering me, and I got in a car after they told me to go to their house so they could get the reward.
I didn’t expect that to mean the church.
I’m frustrated about them getting me like that, and I’m offered poor tea and pretty nice sweets, so that elevates my mood a bit.
Fuuma is also here waiting. It was served carrots, showing how well it’s being treated.
I wonder who’s coming, as I reach for sweets and slap the mouth approaching them.
How much of a glutton is this horse?
I look exasperated and point at the carrots, and it bites my finger like it’s no big deal.
A bad cracking sound echoes throughout the room, and the pain hits me in the brain.
~~~!? What are you doing damn horse!?
I grab Fuuma to pry it off me, but it doesn’t budge. Also, I think it’s learning to hold back, because it used enough force to not break the bone but make me flustered with pressure and pain.
Its eyes are telling me I either give it sweets or it will break the bone.
What do I do with this horse?
I grab sweets and toss them into the carrot bowl, and it eats both.
So you are eating them, I think as I cast Healing Magic on my finger.
I feel frustrated, but then a blonde woman opens the door.
“Oh my, what a lively horse.”
“The woman is very very beautiful, and I have a bad feeling about her.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
