Chapter 32 …
After finishing the meal.
As Allen was preparing to leave right away, I suggested that he stay the night instead.
Just as expected, Allen reacted in shock and hurriedly declined.
“No! I’ve already imposed on you far too much—I couldn’t possibly do that. I’m really fine….”
But outside, it was already dusk. Night would soon fall completely, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to set out alone.
Allen seemed to realize that too. He glanced out the window, and his expression darkened at once.
I grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the sofa, plopping him down. Then, placing a hand on the shoulder of the flustered Allen, I said firmly,
“Don’t be like that—stay for one night. If something were to happen to you, Allen, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy.”
“M-Muriel….”
Allen’s eyes welled up as if he were deeply moved. Trusting people so easily and opening his heart like that… he really was the type who’d get scammed anywhere he went.
I patted his back a couple of times to calm him, then brewed some tea and served it to him.
Allen sat quietly, took a sip, and exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow… this tea smells amazing. I know a little about herbs—is this lavender?”
“That’s right. It’s good for calming the mind and body.”
I’d bought the lavender tea leaves a few days ago at a general store because they were 90% off.
At the time, I wondered if it was an impulse buy, but it turned out to be a great purchase. They came in handy at just the right moment.
“Thank you so much for the tea too, Muriel.”
“It’s nothing.”
“After eating your cooking, Muriel, I feel like all my fatigue has just melted away and I’m full of energy. Is it because the food was so delicious? Haha.”
“……”
Actually, that was thanks to my cooking skill.
That’s right. Recently, the system had started attaching small skills to household chores as well—mainly things like Cooking and Cleaning.
Cooking (Lv. 4): Even ordinary food becomes a delicacy when it passes through your hands (Passive).
Sub-skill: Sacred Chef’s Touch (Lv. 2)
– If prepared with care and sincerity, a sacred effect is added to the dish.
Because of that, I was gradually becoming an all-purpose jack-of-all-trades.
At this rate, I won’t have to worry about making a living no matter where I go.
I chuckled to myself as I sipped my hot tea. Sitting across from me, Allen looked much more relaxed than before.
Thinking it was about time to bring it up, I set my teacup down and gently broached the subject.
“Allen, you saw the crops I grow on your way here, right?”
“Hk—cough, y-yes!”
“…You can answer slowly.”
“Y-yes…! Cough, cough!”
Allen seemed to choke and coughed for quite a while before finally calming down. Watching him with a sympathetic expression, I continued,
“This is a contaminated zone. Aren’t you curious how I’m able to grow such healthy crops here?”
“Of course I am. But….”
Rolling his eyes slightly, Allen glanced at Lysian, who was sitting beside me. He seemed afraid of upsetting him.
However, Lysian’s reaction remained indifferent.
He maintained an air of complete disinterest toward Allen. He didn’t seem inclined to act threatening like before, but at the same time, he clearly had no intention of treating him as a guest.
I quietly reached out and covered the back of Lysian’s hand with mine. He flinched slightly and turned to stare at me.
After giving him a small smile, I looked back at Allen and said,
“The truth is, Allen… I have the ability to purify.”
“W-what…? P-purification ability?!”
Allen’s eyes widened, his mouth falling open as he froze like a statue.
His lips trembled as he muttered in a voice full of disbelief,
“B-but purification ability users… none have appeared in a thousand years…?”
As far as I knew, that was true. Ninabel hadn’t been making a fuss about “the purifier who appeared after a thousand years” for nothing.
Because no purifier had been born, contaminated lands across the continent had been left neglected for a millennium, and the northern Grastea Empire, in particular, continued to suffer the greatest damage.
Still, thanks to revolutionary advances in magitech, the people of the Grastea Empire were enjoying relatively prosperous lives.
Though their food self-sufficiency rate was low, forcing them to import flour and grains from other countries.
“I know. But I really do have purification powers. It’ll be faster if you see it with your own eyes. Come with me, Allen.”
I led Allen to an area that hadn’t yet been fully purified.
Most of the land around the house had already been cleansed, but the contaminated zone was so vast that there were many places I hadn’t gotten to yet. This was one of them.
A few dull, withered weeds swayed in the night breeze atop the dark purple soil. As I always did, I stretched out my hand and called out in my heart,
Purify!
A radiant, opal-like glow burst forth from my fingertips.
The light draped over roughly four square meters of land like a veil, then gently scattered away like stardust.
“A-amazing…!”
Allen couldn’t hide his awe as he stared at the purified ground. He immediately dropped to his knees, scooping up soil with his hands to examine it from every angle, even smelling it.
Then he bent low to inspect the weeds up close.
After a moment, Allen slowly rose and turned to face me with an almost reverent posture. His eyes sparkled so brightly it was almost overwhelming.
“Lady Muriel…!”
…I’d just been promoted from “Muriel” to “Lady Muriel.”
“So you really are a purifier! To think I’d witness such a miracle in my lifetime… it’s truly an honor!”
At this rate, it looked like Allen might prostrate himself and start bowing right then and there.
His clasped hands and gaze were filled with pure reverence.
I’d expected a reaction like this, but it was far more intense than I’d imagined.
Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat and spoke,
“It’s not that amazing. There are limits to how often and how widely I can purify.”
“Even so, it’s an incredible power! As you know, not a single purifier has appeared until now. If this becomes known… great noble houses—no, even the imperial family—will try to take you in, Lady Muriel. And the Grand Temple would declare you a saintess!”
“……”
That kind of noisy life was exactly why I’d been hiding until now.
Of all things, a dungeon had to appear in the Winterberg territory….
…Well, even without the dungeon, I probably wouldn’t have been able to hide the fact that I’m a purifier forever.
So I should think of this as getting a preventive shot and start planning carefully for the future.
Lysian might worry about me being used by others, but I’m not that easy.
I’ll use my power when I want, for what I want.
꒰(っꈍ~ꈍς)꒱
What was that? A guardian angel?
I let out a brief, incredulous chuckle at the system’s inexplicable reaction, then erased it from my expression.
Alright. This is where it really matters.
I stepped closer to Allen and firmly grasped his shoulders.
“Allen, don’t call me ‘Lady Muriel.’”
“Pardon…?”
“Just call me Muriel.”
“Y-yes, understood!”
Allen replied in a rigid, disciplined posture, stiff as a board.
…Having our very first adventurer visitor be someone like this might actually be an incredible stroke of luck.
“Allen, I want to keep my abilities a secret for as long as possible—at least until they’re officially revealed to the world.”
“Yes, yes.”
“But someday, they’ll inevitably come to light. So before that happens, I want to find people I can cooperate with.”
“Cooperate…?”
I smiled brightly.
“I’m interested in your guild.”
“O-our guild?!”
Allen’s eyes went wide in shock as he asked again.
I was just about to answer—
“Found you!”
A loud, refreshing voice cut sharply through the air.
Both Allen and I jumped in surprise and hurriedly turned toward the sound. What looked like blazing red flames… on closer inspection, turned out to be someone’s hair.
With fiery red hair whipping behind her, a woman was charging toward us at a terrifying speed.
“Allen Moore! You’re in so much trouble!”
