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Chapter 74: The Story of the Man Operating Behind the Scenes

1. The Story of the Man Operating Behind the Scenes

One is Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter. A girl scheduled to enroll as a first-year student at the Royal Kiralimake Academy this term. A beautiful, innocent peach-haired young lady.

The other is Kiskett Tóveil. A wandering healing sage who has been hired as a faculty member at the academy starting this new semester. A tall man with white hair and tanned skin.

Inside the rocking carriage, Sara seems to have grown tired of chattering and is now quietly snoozing with breaths of slumber. Seeing her like this, Kiskett lets out a relieved sigh.

(I somehow…somehow managed to bring the situation this far…)

Kiskett is a legendary wandering healing sage. His family home is the Count’s household in the country of Démès. Born into a noble bloodline, yet he abandoned that status entirely and ran away from home – an eccentric man. Loving freedom, bound to no one, a capricious fellow.

That is generally how Kiskett is evaluated by society, so the few acquaintances who heard he was taking a teaching position at the academy were all equally surprised. However, Kiskett the free spirit did not make that decision due to any change in his own mentality.

While people think his unrestrained behavior stems from his heart’s core desires and personality, the reality differs. He has a master – a supreme being he reveres, devoting his entire self to serve.

Nearly all of Kiskett’s actions since fleeing the Count’s household have been carried out under the instruction of his master. That master’s name is Allofa, the Fate Goddess. He is an apostle of the Fate Goddess.

It is said the Fate Goddess Allofa is a beautiful goddess with rainbow-colored hair, but she always appears before him in the form of a rainbow-glowing small bird. According to the Fate Goddess, that is her avatar for activities on the earth plane.

In any case, one day while Kiskett was resting at an inn, that rainbow-colored small bird appeared. Hurriedly opening the window to invite his master’s avatar inside, Kiskett prostrated himself before the hopping bird as it gave him a divine command:

<Go to the Salar Baron’s territory in the eastern part of the Teenidys Kingdom. Attack Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter there.>

Kiskett was stunned and perplexed. He took pride in being the Fate Goddess’s apostle, ready to carry out any of her orders. However, her previous instructions had always been to use his healing sage abilities to save someone’s life. He had never received an order to harm anyone before.

Naturally understanding his bewilderment, the rainbow-colored small bird continued with a more detailed explanation.

<I am not issuing this command out of hatred for her. Quite the opposite, this is a trial. A trial necessary for Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter, to awaken to her true power.>

Ah, put that way, Kiskett could not argue against it.

<Have a bandit hand over money and arrange an attack on her. By viewing her destiny, as a result, Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter will suffer a grave injury, but she will not die from it. For you will happen to pass by and heal her.>

In other words, instigate bandits to attack her, yet save her.

(W-Well, I wouldn’t mind a little matchpump action…but if that is what you need, Your Grace?)

<Yes…no, do not misunderstand. This is a necessary trial for her. My apostle Kiskett, you will do this, will you not?>

(Hahah…by the way, what becomes of the bandits after I rescue the young lady?)

<The bandits you will hire are the Megzam Thieves Band. They create no decent flow of destiny. Dispose of them without further ado before they can blab. I have already granted you the power to fight, the power to battle.>

(…………)

<You are also an adventurer, are you not? You have helped take down bandits before, have you not? It is the same. Kill them.>

(…………Hahah)

It is the god’s command.

Kiskett obediently accepted the divine order and resolutely began to act.

And then, on that day the bandits hired by Kiskett attacked the carriage carrying Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter…

Indeed, the young lady faced a life-threatening crisis.

One of the bandits raised a hatchet over his head.

And soon, it would come swinging down aimed at the young lady’s head.

She would likely twist her body instinctively to dodge. Thus avoiding a direct head strike, but still sustaining grave, if not immediately fatal, injuries.

At which point, it would be my turn to act.

That is surely how the situation would play out.

Why was I certain?

Because the Fate Goddess herself stated it would unfold that way.

While completely concealing his presence, hiding in the roadside bushes to observe, Kiskett had channeled magic energy through his body, preparing to fight in order to save the young lady.

However, at this point, an event occurred that was unforeseen even by Kiskett, and perhaps the Fate Goddess herself.

KABAAM!!!

With a tremendous explosion, the head of the bandit targeting the Baron’s daughter was blown clean off.

(Wha…!?)

In the midst of Kiskett’s confusion, the situation rapidly spiraled.

By the time he realized what happened, it was too late.

Aside from a few who fled, the bandits had all been massacred by a raggedy black-haired, black-eyed girl who had suddenly appeared.

On this day, Kiskett failed to carry out the divine command for the first time.

In response to Kiskett’s failure, the Fate Goddess swiftly took action.

That very evening, the rainbow-colored small bird descended upon the camping Kiskett.

<This failure was unavoidable. Destiny is like an ever-changing flow of water, its form never fixed. Even gods cannot predict the intrusion of irregular elements that occasionally occur.>

The small bird generously forgave Kiskett’s failure.

Or rather, since Kiskett had simply followed the bird’s instructions, his failure was inherently the bird’s own failure as well.

Her words carried a hint of self-justification.

<Nevertheless, my apostle Kiskett. I will not retract this divine command to provide a trial for Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter. From now on, you will remain near the Salar Baron’s estate unnoticed and await your chance.>

Kneeling, Kiskett accepted this new divine order and began his operations.

…Yet carrying out this command proved extremely difficult.

It seemed that raggedy girl who appeared had been hired as a maid by the Salar Baron’s household.

Whenever Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter went out, that girl was glued to her side.

Kiskett could not infiltrate the estate due to its barrier.

(….Damn it! Why the hell would they hire a cursed brat like that!?)

Hiding in the forest, Kiskett gritted his teeth as he watched Sara and the others practice magic.

That girl’s unusually high combat prowess, easily massacring all the bandits, was well apparent to Kiskett who had witnessed the scene.

As an apostle granted power, he could likely defeat her one-on-one…but if he did that, his existence would be noticed by Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter.

Then he could not complete the divine command.

Above all, he was a healing sage.

As unpleasant as that cursed girl was, unnecessarily harming her went against his principles.

WOOSH!!

At that moment, something shot by at tremendous speed just past Kiskett’s head, mowing down several trees behind him.

The cursed girl, for some reason urged on by the Baron’s daughter, had used 【Stone Throw】.

(Retreating! I’m retreating!!)

Face turned pale, Kiskett hurriedly fled from that place.

His 【Presence Concealment】 was perfect.

It wasn’t that he was detected – the 【Stone Throw】 had simply happened to come his way by chance.

Yet he still did not want to remain at that place.

If that pebble’s trajectory had been even slightly more askew, he would have died.

For the first time in a long while, Kiskett felt the fear of death.

It was the first time since becoming the Fate Goddess’s apostle.

Events moved forward about a week later.

As Kiskett continued camping out, his fatigue gradually building, the rainbow-colored small bird descended upon him once more.

Rather than chiding Kiskett for his lack of results, the bird cheerfully issued a new divine command in a pleasant mood.

<My apostle Kiskett. You shall now enter deep into the forest behind the estate, and climb the mountain there. Then, you must fell the large Kaliva tree growing at the peak. It is important that you dig up the roots thoroughly as well.>

(Eh? What about the trial for Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter?)

<By cutting down that tree, it shall become her trial.>

Well, what is the reason for that?

Though inwardly questioning it, Kiskett did as instructed.

It was far easier than carrying out the order to attack someone, after all.

Afterwards, following the small bird’s directions, he took lodging in the neighboring village to the one where the Salar estate was located, killing time by healing the villagers’ minor injuries.

Then, a few days later,

A maid from the Salar Baron’s household rushed in, face drained of color, to where Kiskett had been staying in the neighboring village.

Apparently, the Baron’s daughter had been exposed to a small amount of Poison topopolock venom and was now in critical unconscious condition.

It seemed the so-called “trial for the young lady” had truly been triggered by him cutting down that tree. Made no sense at all.

Well, the details didn’t really matter.

Given the situation, his task was simply to heal the young lady.

It had merely changed from treating cuts inflicted by bandits to venom poisoning.

The Salar Baron’s household was very well-liked among the nearby villagers, and the village chief who had hosted Kiskett readily saw him off as well.

“…By the way, aside from the young lady, were there any other venom victims?”

Along the way to the Baron’s estate, to ascertain the situation as a healer, Kiskett questioned the maid.

“W-Well, you see, the maid trainee shielded the young miss and took a direct 【Poison Breath】 hit.”

“Then…my condolences for her.”

The maid trainee was likely that cursed girl.

To take a direct 【Poison Breath】 from a Poisontopopolock, survival would be extremely difficult.

Though she had been the greatest obstacle to carrying out the divine command, hearing of her death still elicited feelings of pity.

“A-Ah, n-no, she did indeed lose consciousness, but her complexion looks healthy and vibrant somehow. She’s just sleeping soundly now.”

Just what in the world is that thing? A monster?

Upon arriving at the Baron’s estate, Kiskett was promptly shown to the room where the young lady lay and began treatment.

However, the young lady’s condition was quite severe.

There was simply no way Kiskett’s healing alone would be sufficient.

Yet Kiskett remained calm.

This part of the scenario had already been discussed with the Fate Goddess.

Despite Kiskett’s utmost efforts, Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter’s life would hang by a thread.

But then, the trajectory of the gods would manifest.

The young lady would be granted power by the gods, and then revive.

Then events would proceed from there.

That was the scenario the Fate Goddess had provided him.

Partway through, that accursed girl awoke and burst into the room.

He could no longer tolerate any further interference with the divine command.

“Don’t come any closer, cursed child.” His voice came out colder than intended.

In response, the scorching killing intent that cursed girl unleashed upon Kiskett was:

Intense, ferocious, an overwhelmingly potent killing intent.

(Hiii…!)

Kiskett could not help but let out a pitiful little shriek.

This was no good.

He could tell just from sensing that killing intent.

She felt nothing about killing people.

Her mentality was completely different from ordinary humans.

His prior analysis that he could likely defeat her one-on-one since he was granted power by the gods…how foolish that had been.

He did not wish to fight that thing.

As a healer at his core, Kiskett was in no position to trade lives with such a monster.

He was wholeheartedly grateful to the Baron for promptly placating the cursed child and defusing that situation.

Thus, the trial for Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter concluded, and she revived.

According to her family, she seemed to have some memory loss and slight personality changes, but nothing too major from what they said.

The rainbow-colored small bird had also dismissed it casually with <No need to worry about that>.

Well, nevermind that – what lies ahead will be quite troublesome.

Kiskett had previously been instructed by the rainbow-colored small bird to proceed with becoming a faculty member at the academy. However, he was informed yesterday that this was to provide support for Sara Salar the Baron’s daughter.

This young lady currently drooling and drowsily making a foolish sleeping face in the carriage headed to the academy…while silent, she is an idiot despite being a beautiful young lady.

At the Royal Kiralimake Academy where noble sons and daughters from across the nation gather, she will likely stand out as an outlandish character.

She will probably be mocked as a country bumpkin or something along those lines.

Furthermore, her words and actions are occasionally strange as well.

Listening to the soliloquies she sometimes mutters, it seems she regards Kiskett as a “helpful supporting character” of sorts.

A “helpful supporting character”…what is that supposed to mean?

True, Kiskett has received a divine command to support her, but she should have no knowledge of that, right…?

(Well, whatever. What I must do remains unchanged. Simply follow the divine command.)

Kiskett refocused his thoughts.

Through the carriage window, rather than a serene rural landscape, he now saw a bustling city street crowded with people.

The chatter of the masses filled the air, along with delicious aromas wafting from the food stalls.

Leaning slightly out the window, he could see an immense gate in the distance.

The main entrance to the Royal Kiralimake Academy.

The premier institute of learning in all of Teenidys.

Undoubtedly one of the largest academies on this entire continent, counted among the top handful.

The new workplace where he would be employed for at least the next 12 years.

Slapping his cheek, Kiskett psyched himself up.

In this divine command, he had committed the blunder of failing to carry it out.

For a hot-tempered god, such a failure would be grounds for immediate dismissal as an apostle – no, they might even kill him, that’s how egregious the failure was.

Yet the magnanimous Fate Goddess Allofa had graciously forgiven him and still valued him as her apostle.

To repay that kindness. To atone for his failure.

(I need to get fired up.)

Kiskett renewed his determination.

(Watch me, Fate Goddess Allofa. I, Kiskett, will surely demonstrate accomplishments worthy of being your apostle.)

Placing a hand over his chest, he offered a prayer to the goddess.

(….And, if I may be so shamefully presumptuous, Fate Goddess, I have one request.)

He then addressed the goddess further.

(If at all possible, may I never encounter that cursed child again.)

It seemed Emi had become Kiskett’s trauma.