A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 9

Chapter 9   The First Blessed

“Just as expected of Lady Wind! The wound is healed!”

“Thank you, but the one truly deserving of praise isn’t me; it’s the person who received the blessing that became the basis of this skill. I never had a wish strong enough to be granted a blessing.”

The student who had collapsed after losing control of his skill and the saintess who healed him were surrounded by admirers praising her. Despite her royal status, she was genuinely compassionate and did not wield her position like a shield; she was a kind-hearted person who would heal the injured. Indeed, such a person might truly deserve to be called a “saintess.”

However, even in the face of this heartwarming scene, all I could do was frown.

“No way…”

No way… that can’t be… was the only thought in my mind.

But it’s not impossible. After all, her skill is also based on a blessing. I understand it—I can—but it’s not something I wanted to be true.

“An angel’s halo and a healing ability… it really makes ‘saintess’ seem like the perfect title. But wait, is your face turning red?”

“What? Really?”

Hearing that from Kiriya beside me, I touched my face, but there was no way to tell its color just by doing that. Still, I had a vague sense that his words were probably true.

“Yeah, you haven’t even used your skill yet, so it’s not like you’ve overexerted yourself.”

“No… it’s nothing.”

“Oh, come on. You’re not going to tell me you’ve fallen for the saintess, are you…?”

“That’s not it.”

No, that’s definitely not it. Sure, the saintess is beautiful—after all, she is royalty from a foreign country. But there’s no way I would fall for someone who’s called a “saintess.”

I mean, she’s someone who seems to genuinely believe that selfless acts of kindness are a wonderful thing. Someone like me, who thinks as long as things are good for me or us, that’s all that matters—there’s no way we’d get along. Being friends would be hard enough, let alone becoming lovers. Liking someone like her is simply impossible.

“You answered pretty fast, but your reaction seems genuine. So, are you really okay?”

Kiriya seemed worried, thinking my face was red because I wasn’t feeling well, but I’m fine. This isn’t that kind of thing.

“I’m fine. I just got a little excited about using my skill. Being able to do something like this, something like magic… it’d be a lie not to be excited.”

But since I couldn’t tell him the real reason, I gave a slight smile and brushed it off.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Normal people can’t use skills, so it’s natural for some people to feel that kind of admiration.”

“Aren’t you excited? It’s your first time using a skill, right?”

“Even if it’s my first time using a skill, it’s still just a ‘sword’ for me. I’ve held a real one before, and the fact that it’s a weapon used for cutting things doesn’t change.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Well, maybe that’s just how it is,” I thought.

But seeing everyone around me using their skills, it would seem strange if I were the only one not doing so. It might make people suspicious, so I should at least try it once here.

In my case, it’s not a “skill” but a “blessing,” but as long as I don’t use it seriously, I should be able to get away with it.

The problem is the wording—the incantation. Blessings don’t need any incantations, but skills do, so I need to figure something out. It would be fine if no one were listening, but with Kiriya next to me, I can’t just do it in silence.

“Um, ‘Re-enact’… uh… mumble, mumble… ‘<—This hand is for reaching someone else’s>’.”

In the end, I decided to say only the beginning and end out loud and mumble the rest under my breath. That way, it would seem like I’m saying something without anyone really understanding what it is… hopefully. Well, as long as I can fool Kiriya, I should be fine.

“What the… Is that a semi-transparent arm?”

“It seems I can extend it to grab things.”

“So, you end up with four arms?”

“Yeah, something like that. And it can extend a fair distance. It’s quite a handy ability.”

I can actually produce more than just two, but if I’m going to pass this off as a “skill” rather than a “blessing,” this much should do. Any more, and the halo would stop looking like a simple ring and start adding unnecessary decorations.

“Fighting someone who’s not used to facing a four-armed opponent could definitely give you an advantage. But, what did you say earlier?”

Ah… I thought I had fooled him, but apparently not.

“Well… don’t ask. Isn’t it embarrassing to use a skill while saying something like that?”

I muttered that as an excuse, but even though it’s necessary, chanting something so boldly is pretty embarrassing. Especially since, in my case, the incantation is based on my own “wish.” If it were someone else’s wish, it would be fine, but saying my own wish out loud is… a bit much.

“Yeah, I get it… I feel the same way. But still, if you have a special power, you should just accept that much.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

There will probably be more opportunities in future classes where I have to use “skills” in front of everyone, but what should I do then? Will I still have to chant something so embarrassing?

“By the way, how’s your little sister doing?”

“Just call me Inori. I don’t like being called ‘little sister,’ and I don’t need the honorific either. Just call me whatever you want.”

“Oh, really? Then, how did Inori do?”

“I used my skill normally. I mean, I just felt like I could move better than usual, nothing special.”

“Well, it’s body enhancement after all. No significant visible changes.”

With body enhancement-type skills, you can tell they’re in use because of the halo above the head, but until the person actually moves, it’s hard to know what specific ability it is.

But ultimately, it’s just enhancing physical abilities, so there isn’t much to talk about.

As the three of us were discussing our abilities, a commotion suddenly came from a certain direction.

When I looked in the direction of the noise, I saw a crowd had formed, and even those not in the crowd were directing their gazes there. Almost all of our classmates were staring intently in that direction.

And the person at the center of everyone’s attention was…

“Hm? The one over there is…”

“The princess of the Kujou family.”

In the center of the commotion was Sakura Kujou, a classmate who was not only descended from the imperial family but also the daughter of a major corporation’s owner—a true winner in life.

I wondered what was going on, but the reason quickly became clear.

“Opening Again <—I must repel evil>”

The words that Kujou spoke while extending her hand forward were a little different from those of the other classmates. The incantation was shorter, and more importantly, the initial phrase was different.

“‘Again,’ huh…”

“It looks like she’s a ‘Blessed’ one after all.”

While “Re-enact” is the necessary phrase to activate a skill, for a blessing, it’s “Opening Again.” Furthermore, unlike skills, blessings don’t require extra chanting; in fact, one can use the ability without reciting an incantation at all. Of course, doing so requires familiarity with using the blessing, and it reduces the ability’s effectiveness compared to when the phrase is spoken, so in combat, most people still say it.

There’s also the element of intimidation towards those around them. Hearing the chant lets others know whether someone is “Blessed.” It’s hard to hide it.

So, as expected, just like Kiriya had guessed at the beginning, Kujou turned out to be “Blessed.”

Looking closely, Kujou held a traditional Japanese bow that seemed both mysterious and somehow unsettling. Surely… no, certainly, that must be Kujou’s “Blessing.”

“Yeah… but ‘that person’?”

Since I’m also “Blessed,” I wasn’t particularly surprised to hear that Kujou was too. “Oh, so it was her,” was about the extent of it.

What bothered me more was the way Kiriya referred to Kujou. If he had said “that girl,” “that person,” or “she,” it would have made sense given Kiriya’s previous attitude. But instead, he referred to Kujou as “that person,” in a strangely formal manner. It felt odd and out of place.

Noticing my reaction, Kiriya widened his eyes slightly, looked a little flustered, and began to speak while avoiding eye contact.

“Oh, no, it’s just, you know… She’s part of a family that symbolizes our country, right? Even if she isn’t from the main family, it’s better to show some respect.”

His explanation made sense, but it also felt like an excuse. Still, there could be some truth to it. Kujou might be of imperial blood, but Kiriya comes from a distinguished family too. They might have met somewhere, or he might have been taught to act this way. Since it involves family matters, it might be best not to pry too deeply.

“Yeah, exactly. If they start complaining about how you speak to her, it’s not worth the hassle, and it doesn’t cost much to be polite,” Inori agreed, nodding along with Kiriya’s words. As she did, I prepared to nod as well—when suddenly—

“Kyah!”

A scream rang out. It sounded like a woman’s voice, probably coming from where Kujou and the others were. At the same time, something came hurtling toward us—or rather, toward me—with incredible speed from their direction.