I had known since my past life that there was a community among the Holy Sees.
I chuckled as I looked at the lively chat window.
“Yesterday’s broadcast must have been entertaining. That’s great.”
– Anonymous Holy See: …Can’t be more thrilled, can you?
– Anonymous Holy See: Don’t say anything to Astel! He’s naturally chic!
– Anonymous Holy See: If he acts all excited, then he’s not Astel.
– Anonymous Holy See: You should pay the subscription fee to watch this.
[System: Anonymous Holy See has donated 10,000 points.]
‘Points!’
I extended my thumb and reacted accordingly.
“Thank you for the 10,000 points. Boing-boing! Gyeomi gyeomi, a smile!”
– Anonymous Holy See: It’s here! Boing-boing!
– Anonymous Holy See: LOL, your reactions are so cute, LOL.
– Anonymous Holy See: I missed that so much, sniffle.
‘Fuck you…’
I placed my V-shaped finger on my temples and slowly lowered my head.
I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to strangle myself, but there was nothing I could do.
‘All you think about is points. Just points…’
Fortunately, the atmosphere among the Holy Sees was very favorable. At least they wouldn’t be stingy with their support.
‘It must be because of the fragments of memories. It feels like it was worth dying so pitifully.’
I contemplated while looking at the 10,000 points that had entered my inventory.
‘What can I buy with this tiny amount of points…’
At the moment, my stats were reset except for the skills I had mastered with my body.
‘First, I need to recover my lost ultimate technique.’
As I selected the shop icon, my vision plunged into darkness.
7-1
Tiny white letters continued endlessly on the black screen.
Even I, who had already experienced it in my previous life, felt so overwhelmed that I wanted to close it immediately.
Merchant Shop.
This place, known as the Hell Shop among hunters, is a space where various items can be purchased.
‘Sort. Ultimate Technique, Mana, Sword.’
The letters moved in unison, forming words according to the command.
Even after sorting by sword techniques that utilize mana, there was an enormous amount.
That’s why rookie hunters could only buy items based on the ultimate techniques at the top that matched their available points.
They didn’t even know what they needed, and there were so many types that it was impossible to search through them one by one.
’I have the advantage. I already know the items I need.’
With excited eyes, I purchased the items one by one.
‘Wow, this… I’m going to lose my mind.’
Wiping away the tears flowing down, I read through them for a while.
‘Ah, I found it!’
When I selected the item called ‘Explosion,’ a window popped up.
[System: Can Be Exchanged For 5,000 Points]
[Exchange] / [Decline]
I had plenty of mana, but I couldn’t handle complex special techniques or magic that required intricate formulas.
No matter how amazing the formulas were, they were like shiny toys to me.
That’s why in my previous life, I could only use a total of five special techniques.
Explosion, Fusion, Fire, Wave, Annihilation.
They were simple, low-level special techniques that anyone could use as long as they had enough mana.
‘Simple is best. It was the realization I gained after wasting countless points.’
“Exchange.”
[System: <You Have Obtained The Beginner Special Technique – Expulsion>]
“Phew…”
I closed the shop and wiped my teary eyes with the sleeve of my pajamas. I tugged on the loose thread several times, but no one came.
‘Even if Vivian doesn’t know, Genia should have come.’
As I thought that, I opened the bedroom door wide.
“Pricness.”
Genia was kneeling outside the bedroom, piled with dresses I had never seen before.
“These are the things I’ve stolen. Well, not all of them. I’ve already sold some… I wanted to find a way to save them, but it was impossible in my position. I’m sorry.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Since… dawn.”
“Do you think I’ll forgive you just because of this?”
“…I know. I don’t expect you to easily forgive the sins I’ve committed. I don’t even ask for it.”
I interrupted Genia’s words.
“That’s not it. It’s not that I have the intention to forgive you. It’s because I don’t resent or hate you. No matter what you’ve done, it’s the same. You mean nothing to me.”
“…”
“Caring about a meaningless existence like you is foolish. I won’t get angry or forgive just because a bug bit me.”
“…”
“I’ll just crush you.”
At the merciless words, Genia tightly bit her lip.
However, she didn’t flinch. Her brown eyes were filled with firm determination.
“Yesterday, I saw with my own two eyes how you defeated the monsters, Princess. And at dawn, the oracle was announced at the temple. It means that the trial of the gods has begun in this world.”
Orcacle, huh?
It might sound impressive, but to be frank, it wasn’t anything special.
Just a name given with a fitting ring to the impending invasion.
“But?”
“I pondered over it all night, and I came to one conclusion. If I stay by your side, I feel like I can survive even in the midst of the divine test.”
“So, you judged that you should impress me?”
“Even if you call me an opportunist, I can’t help it. Even if you scold and hit me for being shameless, I’ll endure it. Please let me live, Princess. I want to live.”
“Why should I do that? I already told you. You mean nothing to me.”
“Then please tell me what I should do to become someone meaningful to you. I’ll do anything you ask.”
Even in my previous life, countless people begged me to spare their lives.
However, this was the first time someone clung to me so desperately, revealing their true nature.
I couldn’t help but feel intrigued rather than repulsed by how audacious she was.
“It’s fine.”
I carefully observed Genia.
The intelligence to derive accurate results from limited information.
The drive to take action as soon as she was confident.
Even the sensitive instinct to recognize the other person.
Genia seemed like a decent companion to have by my side.
‘She was once the only person who treated Astel well, even if only for a short time…’
“Prove your worth. Kneeling and waiting for me to rise is not proof of worth; it’s a futile act.”
“Yes…? Oh, I understand!”
With a face filled with excitement, she stood up but then winced in pain. She must have been kneeling for a long time, as her legs seemed cramped.
I watched without offering any help as Genia struggled to regain her balance.
Finally steadying herself, Genia bowed her head and greeted me.
“Thank you for accepting me, Princess.”
“Don’t misunderstand. If I deem you useless, I’ll discard you without hesitation.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Shouldn’t you take a bath now?”
“No, let’s go for a walk first.”
“…A walk?”
“I want to survey the surroundings of the estate. Why?”
“I’ve never heard of a Princess going for a walk in the morning.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Ah… Then you’ll need comfortable clothes.”
“Not just comfortable clothes, but ones that can be discarded.”
“What? Oh, I understand. Will you take a bath after that?”
“Yeah, and breakfast too.”
“Yes! Please wait a moment!”
A little while later, I walked outside wearing a dress that could be discarded without any regrets.
As expected of the Luteous Duchy, a family that played a significant role in the empire’s founding, the estate was incredibly vast. It required carriages or horses to move around within the mansion.
Apart from my true nature and the separate building I resided in, there were twelve guest houses in total.
There were more than three large walking paths, horse riding areas, and expansive gardens scattered throughout the estate.
It was impossible to explore everything in a single day.
Abandoning my original intention to familiarize myself with the estate’s layout, I headed towards the main castle.
As I approached the castle, I noticed a pile of monster corpses on one side of the road. They seemed to have been cleared away to ensure unobstructed passage, as no method of disposal was apparent.
The stench permeated the air, already starting to decay in the warm weather.
I drew my sword.
‘Hey, folks, how about a horror movie?’
— Anonymous Holy See: Horror in the morning.
— Anonymous Holy See: Oh, are you going to document it?
— Anonymous Holy See: Yeah, let’s do everything we want with Astel.
— Anonymous Holy See: But the tools are useless.
— Anonymous Holy See: How about going to the shop??
‘Why would you spend a mere 5,000 points on a sword? You can just use what’s available. Let’s get started.’
I swiftly sliced through one of the monster corpses and cleanly removed the lower rib section.
And there, nestled among the flesh I precisely cut through, a black bead rolled out.
It was partially tarnished, but not severely. With a little more magic added, it would be usable.
I stored the core in my storage box and proceeded to pull in the next monster.
