The Priest of Complete Dispel ~ Every Time I Save a Cursed Beautiful Girl with My Status Abnormal Cure Skill, For Some Reason Her Dependence on Me Maxes Out ~

Chapter 52.1: Sharing Information

While Shu was breaking the curse on Erina, five people had gathered in the room where Iris and Medina were staying.

“…We finally get to settle down. Sorry, but let’s hold off on resting and share information first.”

The one who spoke was Glen.

His armor was worn through, and his shield bore several deep gashes. But thanks to Iris’s recovery magic, his body underneath was unharmed.

That said, the fatigue from the battle with Dorotheia ran deep, and everyone’s faces looked a bit pale except for Medina’s.

“First, Iris and Medina, thank you and sorry. …We really appreciate you saving us. And we’re sorry for moving without telling you. We should have gone back to the guild first.”

Glen bowed deeply from his chair.

Risia and Garo followed suit and quietly lowered their heads.

“No… It was tough trying to find you, but the fact that everyone is safe matters most. I sometimes charge ahead because of my sense of justice too, so I understand how you feel, Lord Glen.”

“That means a lot.”

In fact, Iris had been ready to rush into the underground facility on impulse.

But if she had, they might have fallen into a trap and that would have been the end, with no chance to capture Bulldog.

“――So, is this the recording magical tool?”

“Yeah. In the end, we couldn’t have gotten the recording without Medina… Let’s play it back.”

“Understood.”

Iris handed over a small magical tool the size of an earring.

Glen faced the wall and chanted <Record Playback>, and soft light spilled from the tool as images and sound emerged.

“――――”

What played back was footage of just a few minutes.

It showed Bulldog muttering to himself as he paced the office, then sitting on the sofa and falling asleep, the whole sequence.

“…I’m not sure if this will hold up as solid proof, but he said it himself… He can’t play dumb now. And――”

“The ledger.”

“Yes. This ledger that Lady Medina swiped for us lists trading partners and amounts in detail. If we take it to the Inquisition, it should be plenty of evidence.”

“Still, how much money is he making… The numbers are insane…”

“It’s possible he was pulling in profits that outstripped even the famous merchant guilds in Hares.”

Risia furrowed her brows as she looked at the ledger, and Iris nodded with a grim expression.

“For now, let’s hand these over to the guild master. …And next――about Dorotheia.”

The moment that name came up, the air in the room grew tense.

“She probably wasn’t even half serious. She meant to toy with us before killing us. That’s why we could buy so much time.”

“I agree. If she had been serious, we’d all be dead in an instant. …Getting underestimated might be our one stroke of luck.”

Garo picked up on Glen’s analysis.

“What made her tricky wasn’t just her strength and speed――it was the dark magic.”

“Yes. All the buffs I cast got nullified.”

The magic Dorotheia wielded was dark attribute.

It focused more on interference than attacks, with debuffs at its core that drained strength, defense, agility――every ability.

Even layered enhancements got overwritten, rendering them pointless in the end. It was a battle that truly showed the gap in their levels.

“――Even so.”

Iris, who had worn a pained expression until then, suddenly looked up.

Her eyes held a clear light of hope.

“I… believe Lord Shu can win.”

“Shu… can win?”

Glen furrowed his brows and repeated the name.

“Sure, he’s strong. But against her――”

“That’s way too reckless.”

“She’s on a whole different level from the Goblin Queen.”

The three voiced their doubts one after another.

But Iris’s resolve didn’t waver in the slightest.

“First, Lady Medina’s ‘Fire Poison Knife’ got through.”

“‘Fire Poison Knife’…?”

“Yes. It’s a weapon a blacksmith forged using special materials that Lord Shu had. Right before we pulled back, Lady Medina landed a slash. At that moment――Dorotheia’s claws melted.”

“…Melted? What kind of thing is that?”

“What I’m saying is, no matter how strong Dorotheia is, she’s not invincible. Attacks can land.”

A ray of hope――that was one basis Iris cited.

But it was still far from certainty.

“And the other is Dorotheia’s level.”

“Level fifty-nine――that’s just unfair. …How does that lead to a chance of winning?”

“Normally, levels get harder to raise the higher you go. Even demons who’ve lived for centuries top out at fifty-nine.”

“Tops out… Isn’t that still abnormal?”

Glen and the others listened to Iris’s words with puzzled expressions, not grasping the point.

“Lord Shu… is a special person. You were curious about his level before too, weren’t you, Lord Glen?”

“Yeah, with skills like that. I figure at least mid-forties…”

“It doesn’t seem like Lord Shu is hiding it, so I’ll tell you. Lord Shu’s level is――”