My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 52 & 53

Chapter 52: The Weight of What Was Lost (8)

Side: Rina Carhoi

The newspaper that arrived today ended up shredded in my hands.

(Hort Rubel Awarded Knighthood at Record Speed! The Kingdom Recognizes His Great Feat in the Slums!)

Asmo read the headline aloud, and it only made my irritation flare hotter.

Hort had risen to fame as a knight—an unprecedented ascent for someone who had only been a trainee.

He produced results.
He earned achievements.

And I…

♢

Standing before the door, I steadied my breathing.

When I knocked, a dry, withered voice answered from within.

“Come in.”

The voice sounded brittle.

I straightened my back and opened the door.

The scent of medicinal herbs and old parchment drifted through the room. 

Magic lamps cast a soft glow over the space. Stacks of parchment lay on the desk beside a carefully polished staff.

Elder Lohengram sat deep in her chair and slowly raised her face.

Her eyes were sharp.

When that gaze pierced me, even the excitement lingering in my chest—after passing—felt as though it were being peeled away, layer by layer.

“…Rina.”

At the sound of my name, I bowed.

“You called for me?”

“Congratulations on passing. I did not expect you to challenge spirit summoning a second time.”

“Thank you very much.”

For a fleeting moment, warmth blossomed deep within my chest.

I almost smiled—

Then Elder Lohengram continued.

“However, that is only the entrance. What you have achieved is merely the qualification to sit among the court magicians. At best, it is an experiment that even students are capable of succeeding at. It is something that should be accomplished as a matter of course.”

A student’s experiment.
Something that should be accomplished as a matter of course.

The words pierced sharply into my chest.

“Success as a court magician is only natural. You were the top of your class, were you not? You worked hard, I assume. Then all you have done is achieve the result expected of you. From here on, it only has meaning if you give something back to the kingdom as a court magician. Leave behind something useful. If possible, leave behind an achievement.”

My spine stiffened on its own.

Achievement.

That word cut deeper than anything else today.

The names splashed across the front page flashed through my mind.

Hort. The slums. A saint. A sweeping crackdown.

I bit my lip.

“…Yes.”

Elder Lohengram lightly tapped the papers on her desk with her fingertips.

“Let me ask you. With spirit summoning, what can you do?”

My chest tightened painfully.

I lowered my gaze, searching for words.

I could summon. I could form a contract.
…I did.

But that was all.

In truth, I had never truly formed a contract with a spirit. I had only faked it through a demon.

How would I use that?
How would I give it back to the kingdom?
How would I turn it into an achievement?

If I kept stacking lies—what would I even build?

My throat went dry.

“…I…”

The words would not come. They simply refused to.

Grand theories swirled neatly inside my head—yet nothing left my lips.

Elder Lohengram let out a slow sigh.

“If you have no answer, then your success is nothing more than an empty shell. Spirit summoning is not a stage trick. It is one of the techniques meant to advance the kingdom’s magic and save those who will carry its future. Break it down so anyone can use it. At the very least, attempt to accomplish that. That is all.”

It felt as though I had been struck across the back.

What did I even want?

To pass.
To avoid failing.
To cling to my seat.

That was all.

“…Excuse me.”

I bowed quickly—almost fleeing—and left the room.

♢

The hallway felt cold.

The sound of my shoes against the stone floor echoed louder than usual.

I pressed a hand to my chest.

With spirit summoning—what could I do? 

I had no answer.

Because I had never truly succeeded at spirit summoning. 

That truth hollowed me from within.

Then—

A shadow stood at the corner of the hallway.

I didn’t know how long it had been there. 

Its presence was faint.

A black cloak. A face hidden in darkness. Only a voice slid into my ears, thick and sticky.

“I ask thee. Have you obtained the Black Sheep?”

Black Sheep.

A chill ran down my spine.

The spine of the forbidden book. Black leather. Gold lettering. A sealing tag.

Written within it—demon summoning. Its symbol: the sheep.

My throat tightened.

“…Who…?”

Before I could finish, laughter rose from deep within my chest.

(Kukuku.)

Asmo?

The demon pretending to be a spirit—

Was laughing.

(I smell something foul. It seems to be the scent of a fellow.)

A fellow?

I clenched my teeth.

Stop it. Don’t laugh.

The moment the man heard that laughter, he froze.

His shoulders trembled.

Slowly, he pulled back his hood and revealed his face.

A frightening face. Tattoos carved across his skin. A shaved head. Sharp, piercing eyes.

Scary! Someone help me!

“Hort!”

My childhood friend’s name slipped out before I could stop myself.

But the man stepped closer—

And then suddenly dropped to his knees.

He bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the stone floor.

“O Priestess! At last, you have been born!”

That single declaration split the air.

Priestess? Me?

I inhaled sharply.

Without lifting his head, the man continued in a low voice.

“O chosen one of the Black Sheep. Our lord has bestowed his blessing. There is no doubt—you are the chosen maiden! Please, tell us the name of the Black Sheep!”

(Kukukuku…)

The demon laughed inside my chest.

My legs would not move.

I was terrified. I wanted to run—but I couldn’t.

(My name is Asmo.)

Wha—?!

Asmo introduced himself without my permission.

Because I constantly manifested him as a spirit, it had backfired.

“Wait—!”

“Ohhh! Asmo—the one among the Seven Kings!!!”

Huh?

A demon king?

Asmo?

The demon I summoned… was one of the kings?

“A priestess chosen by a king?”

“Yes! You are the very one we of the Black Ram have been searching for!”

The man who had terrified me moments ago was now worshiping me.

Yes.

This was who I truly was.

Respected. Revered. Acknowledged by someone.

(Kukuku, my dear master. This is becoming interesting, isn’t it? Use this man—and you will gain the fame you desire.)

Fame?
Achievements?
Recognition?

I could… obtain those?

“…And what exactly will you do for me?”

The fear from moments ago had completely vanished.

All that remained was temptation—the sweet promise of what I had always craved.

“O-Oh! How beautiful you are!!”

The man looked up at me, his face filled with pure ecstasy.

Chapter 53: A Cleric’s Healing Magic

Side: Hort Rubel

I managed to learn some important information from Sister Natasha.

But more than that, something else kept weighing on my mind.

The children—and the Sister—had endured terrifying experiences.

The threat of monsters.
Kidnappers.
Days of poverty.

Even if the things that frightened them were gone, the time they spent in fear didn’t simply disappear.

So I wondered.

Was there some way to lift their spirits?

Worrying about them with words was easy. But was there something I could actually do?

Suddenly, my sister’s voice echoed in the back of my mind.

—“Let them carry a burden. Gently taking care of someone isn’t the only way to show you care.”

If people stay busy, they have less time to sink into sadness.

And feeling that you’re useful to someone—it helps mend the heart.

Standing before the orphanage gate, I spoke briefly.

“…Could you come to the temporary ward tomorrow?”

“The temporary ward? You mean the place where I first came to see you, Lord Hort?”

“Yes. Please bring the children as well. There’s something I’d like to show you.”

Natasha hesitated for a moment—

Then gave a small nod.

“…Understood. I’ll bring the children.”

“Thank you! Also—can you use healing magic, Sister?”

“Eh? Yes. I learned it as part of my training when I became a member of the clergy. Although these days, most people go to clinics, so only a few come to the church for help.”

“If you can use even beginner-level healing magic, that’s more than enough! Then there’s something I’d like to ask of you tomorrow!”

After parting with the still-confused Sister, I began making preparations.

♢

The next day—

Around the temporary ward, several new buildings now stood.

Instead of eating outside, I had my brother-in-law build a roof and walls so the soup kitchen could function as a proper dining hall.

And then—

The small community school.

The walls weren’t perfectly straight. The wood wasn’t brand new. But there was a roof. There was a floor. The wind no longer blew through.

More than anything, the scent was different.

The smell of fresh timber lifted people’s spirits.

The gold coins I received from Gina had gone into these two buildings.

Steam. Firewood. Soap.

The school even had a large bath.

There was a place to rest. A place to sleep.

And more than that, you could feel the presence of people determined to survive in the slums gathering here.

“Hort! We’re running low on porridge over here!”

“On it!!”

Daut stirred a massive pot, while a dog-beastman knight lined up bowls.

A rat-beastman knight was teaching a child how to read, patting the kid’s head with a smile.

“Don’t run! You’ll trip!”

“Okaaay!”

A child answered cheerfully.

Just then—

Blue hair swayed at the entrance.

Sister Natasha stood there. Behind her, the orphanage children huddled together.

Their eyes were wide, filled with bewilderment.

I raised my hand.

“You came.”

“…Yes. But it’s much livelier than the last time I was here.”

While I had been investigating, my brother-in-law had built all of this.

“Yes! This is the starting point of the slums trying to change.”

“Trying to change…?”

Natasha’s voice was soft.

But her eyes kept moving.

The beds in the ward.
The line at the soup kitchen.
Children seated at desks, learning their letters.
Steam rising from the bathhouse.

In front of one of the desks, a Fifth Unit knight stood.

“Alright. This is ‘A.’ Write it like you’re opening your mouth wide.”

“‘A’…”

“Yeah, that’s it. Hey, not bad!”

“…A knight… is teaching them…”

Natasha’s lips trembled faintly.

“…I can’t believe this.”

I gave a small, awkward smile.

“Until now, the Fifth Unit knights were overwhelmed just patrolling the slums. But after the crackdown, we have a brief period of peace. Patrols are kept to a minimum, and the area is stable for now. That’s why we can focus on rebuilding.”

This hadn’t even been my idea.

Captain Oren had decided it.

“To protect the children… to make them smile…”

“Just protecting them isn’t enough. We have to connect them to the future. If we don’t fix things, the kingdom will only continue heading in the wrong direction.”

The moment I said that, Daut snorted from the side.

“Hah, Hort. Don’t try to sound cool.”

“You’re the one who’s the most embarrassed, Sir Daut.”

“S-Shut up!”

A child burst into laughter.

It was brief.

But it softened the entire atmosphere.

Natasha heard that laughter and lowered her eyes.

For a second, I thought she might cry. I had seen her tearful face so many times before.

But she didn’t.

She clenched her fist, drew in a deep breath, and lifted her face again.

“…Thank you very much.”

She bowed deeply.

“No, I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

I held out my hand.

“First, let’s eat. The children too.”

“…Yes.”

The children lined up in the dining hall.

Bowls were handed out.

Steam rose into the air.

The scent of porridge spread warmly.

Meat was placed onto their plates.

“…Warm.”

“…It’s good.”

When those words slipped out, I couldn’t help but smile.

When our eyes met, Natasha was smiling too—gently, happily.

After the meal, I let the children try studying at the community school.

While they were occupied, I led Natasha to the ward.

“Alright—don’t be too shocked, okay?”

“Yes!”

I opened the door.

On the beds lay thin, sick patients.

One with an arm in a sling.

Another staring blankly through a fever.

This was the limit of what I had barely managed to sustain with my healing magic.

“…Lord Hort.”

“Yes.”

“All of this… you handled it alone?”

“Not alone. The Fifth Unit helped. The slum residents helped. The adventurers helped. We’ve supported this together. But I wasn’t enough. Knights aren’t particularly skilled in healing magic. And we simply don’t have the funds to send everyone to a proper clinic.”

If we tried to have all of them treated elsewhere, the cost would be outrageous—more expensive than building this entire temporary ward.

My sister’s words returned to me.

—“Make them carry the burden. Let them be needed.”

I turned to Natasha.

“Sister Natasha. I have a request.”

“…Yes.”

“Would you help in the ward?”

Her shoulders trembled slightly.

“Me…?”

“Yes. My healing alone can’t keep up. …We need your strength. You said you can use healing magic, didn’t you?”

The moment I said it clearly, her eyes wavered.

Not in rejection.
Not in fear.

But in confusion—

At being needed.

“I can only… offer prayers…”

“Prayer is powerful. But that’s not all you have. You have magic too.”

Silence settled between us.

In the distance, the children’s laughter continued.

Natasha slowly nodded.

“…Understood. If there’s something I can do… then please, let me.”

“Thank you.”

She rolled up her sleeves.

Light gathered at her fingertips.

The air trembled.

…It was on a completely different level from my beginner magic.

“High Heal.”

The words were short.

But the light was deep and powerful.

The man who had been groaning from fever began breathing steadily. Color returned to his pale face.

The arm twisted from a fracture slowly shifted back into place—like time itself was rewinding.

“…Eh?”

“It… doesn’t hurt?”

One by one, the patients’ eyes widened.

Natasha simply wiped the sweat from her forehead, calm and composed.

Next—

She placed her hand over a patient whose skin had darkened.

“Holy Cleanse.”

The foul odor vanished instantly. Color returned to the man’s face. The purple tinge in his fingertips faded.

It was as if the poison was being drawn straight out of his body.

And she didn’t stop there.

She spread her hands over the beds—

“Purge!”

The air changed in an instant.

A wave of purification surged outward—equal to, no… even stronger than the Sanctuary I used. Light poured down over the patients, driving back curses.

The heavy, damp feeling that had lingered in the corners of the ward vanished.

In a kingdom where monsters and magic exist, curses exist as well. One of the patients we thought was simply ill had actually been wasting away under a curse.

Natasha’s magic cleansed it.

My Sanctuary could block harm—but it couldn’t save others like this.

I found myself able to breathe deeply again.

Without realizing it, I had been holding my breath.

“…That’s amazing.”

“…Eh?”

“That’s incredible, Natasha! You’re truly amazing. Thank you. You just saved so many people!”

It wasn’t just me. Applause broke out around us.

“Thank you!”

“You saved me!”

“Really, thank you so much!”

The patients who had been bedridden called out their gratitude.

Family members who had come to visit wept as they thanked her.

Their bodies weren’t completely healed yet.

But because of Natasha’s power, those who had seemed beyond saving now had a chance to live.

She had given them hope.

“Everyone!”

“This is your power, isn’t it, Natasha? If you’re willing… would you come help treat patients at the temporary ward from now on? We need your strength. Of course, the pay won’t be much—but I’ll make sure you’re compensated. If you’d prefer it as a donation to the church, we can arrange it that way.”

When I said that, Natasha looked stunned.

“You… need my power?”

“Yeah. We need you.”

“I’m… happy.”

She began walking between the beds.

To the next patient.
To the next wound.
To the next life.

The busier she became, the more her face lifted with resolve.

Watching her back, I finally understood something.

Saving the orphanage wasn’t just about protecting the building.

It was possible because she was someone who had the strength to keep protecting it.