Chapter 19: The Road To Demon Realm (1)

“What are you doing…?”

“Appreciating.”

“Huh…?”

Opening my eyes, I saw Lilac sitting cross-legged. Since I was lying down, Lilac was looking down at me.

“Why are you like tha-.”

Trying to speak while lying down, something entered my mouth. It was hair.

“Ptooey ptooey.”

Too lazy to move my hand, I tried to push the hair out by spitting, but instead, it went further inside.

“Uwebep.”

To remove the hair that went deeper, I had no choice but to move my hand, but Lilac moved first.

Swoosh.

A few strands of hair came out from inside my mouth along with saliva.

My body shivered slightly at the sight of the silvery thread connected to the white hair from the corner of my mouth.

If seen wrongly, it looked like the process of making a large spiderweb.

Looking at the removed hair, I finally expressed my thanks.

“Thanks for taking it out… but that?”

“Hm? Is there a pwoblem?”

Isn’t it obvious there’s a problem if I trailed off like that?

She’s really not a pervert, so why would she do something like that?

“Why are you eating that?”

“Cuwious.”

Lilac, in my eyes, was currently chewing my hair. The very hair that just came out of my mouth with saliva.

She couldn’t even pronounce properly because she was chewing. What on earth was she curious about that made her chew my saliva-covered hair?

“It’s dirty. Stop chewing.”

“Not dirty.”

Normally, I would argue about why she was chewing it, but since I planned to wash anyway, I wasn’t angry.

I just told her to stop because it was dirty.

‘Why my saliva-covered…’

[This is unbelievable.]

For the first time, the Goddess and I were on the same page.

However, it was time to wash soon, so I couldn’t just keep watching like this.

Yank.

I grabbed and pulled out my hair that Lilac was munching on.

Originally, it was covered in my saliva, but now Lilac’s saliva was added too.

‘Why did she eat this dirty thing?’

“Ugh!”

Fearing a drop of saliva would fall from the pulled-out hair, I quickly entered the bathroom attached to the room.

“Tch. Shame.”

As I headed to the bathroom, a voice filled with disappointment came from behind.

What was so disappointing…

I took off my clothes in the bathroom and started washing.

While washing, I saw my reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t clear due to the steam, but there was a thin girl with somewhat developed breasts.

After looking briefly, I focused on washing again. I wasn’t particularly interested in my own nudity.

I wasn’t a narcissist, and even though I became a woman, it was still my body, so I didn’t feel sexually aroused.

There were things I was curious about, but I didn’t particularly want to know.

Shwaaaa-.

Water flowed from head to toe, washing away impurities from my body.

I stood under the water for a moment, spacing out.

There was a clear difference from when I first came to this world.

Less than a month had passed, but still.

Anyway, unlike then, I could now stand on my own two feet.

Now I could open doors and walk around without anyone’s help.

I could probably eat by myself too.

“Feels new.”

It feels new.

At first, I was just grateful to be alive.

Being able to walk on my own two legs like this felt blissful.

Something I took for granted in my past life.

They say you only realize the value of something you possessed when it breaks one day and becomes unusable.

Likewise, my current body was very precious to me now.

I never wanted to be treated like a doll and live like that again.

Sia had somehow regained her spirit.

Creak.

Finishing my shower and going outside, I saw Lilac holding clothes in one hand.

She had a somewhat sulky expression, but I ignored it and accepted the clothes.

“Turn around.”

Putting on the clothes roughly, I looked somewhat like a novice adventurer.

The material was soft enough that it probably wouldn’t hinder movement.

I heard the story.

I, too, as a Saintess, must fulfill my duty.

Meaning I also have to go to the Demon Realm and contribute to the battle to some extent.

Well, nominally, that is.

In reality, I was just going to gain some proficiency in divine power.

Because the divine power shouldn’t run rampant in my body.

Of course, even with practice and suppression, there might be times when it can’t be stopped.

But shouldn’t I at least try, rather than do nothing?

Lilac unfurled a white coat she brought from somewhere and turned my shoulders.

It looked expensive at first glance.

“Here.”

She then led me to stand in front of the full-length mirror in the room.

Since Lilac was behind me, the height difference between us was clearly felt.
Almost a full head taller.

At first glance, we looked like sisters.
Though age-wise, we were indeed older and younger sisters.

Trying to ignore the height difference, I checked my full body.

I wore a black dress, but in a way, it looked like priest robes.

The fabric was high-quality, and even though it was tailored to my body, there was leftover material, giving it a slightly loose feel.

‘The slightly protruding chest helps at times like this.’

Not just slightly.

But not large either.

The ambiguous mid-sized chest supports the dress, preventing it from slipping down.

Mostly black fabric with gold thread embroidered on the upper part gave it a simple yet somehow neat and sophisticated look.

Over it, a white coat with fur trim was added, creating an even more luxurious appearance.

The flaw was that the model was me.

If Lilac wore it, it would have looked much better.

Thinking that, I looked up at Lilac behind me, and she simply smiled and hugged me.

“I can walk now, you know. For 5 minutes.”

“I just want to be like this. Why, don’t you like it?”

“No…”

No matter how slightly healthier I became, I was still less than an average person.

I couldn’t defy Lilac’s words.

If Lilac wants to be like this, what can I do?

Resisting would only hurt me.

“Let’s go now. We need to leave after lunch.”

“Okay.”

After being held for a moment, Lilac picked me up and carried me out of the room.

I wondered if it was necessary to carry me, but decided not to question it.

It would only give me a headache.

Leaving the room, we finished our meal in the dining hall and headed outside where the carriage was.

I no longer needed Lilac’s hand for meals.

I told her I wanted to do it myself, and she agreed.

I suspected she wasn’t someone who agreed so easily.

As expected.

For seating, I still had to eat while being held.

But I didn’t complain.

Lilac’s embrace was cozy and warm, making meals feel like eating in bed with blankets.

Coming outside, Butler was inspecting the carriage.

It felt like I hadn’t seen him in a long time, but I didn’t show it.

Anyway, doesn’t the coachman usually inspect the carriage?

Why is Butler, the butler, doing such work?

The question didn’t last long.

Butler sensed Lilac’s and my presence, straightened his bent back and legs, and turned around.

His face was the same as when I last saw him.

‘Well, it would be strange if he changed in just a few days.’

Butler bowed his head, greeting Lilac and me.

Then he answered my unspoken question.

“I will be serving as the coachman during your journey.”

A butler as a coachman.

Something straight out of a romance fantasy novel happened.

Suddenly, I felt sorry for Butler.

He had many jobs.

Assassin, butler, and now coachman.

Poor Butler.

How did he end up serving such a master…

Looking at Butler with pity, I boarded the carriage.

Still held by Lilac, I sat on the seat.

Butler, having finished the inspection, climbed onto the driver’s seat, ready to depart.

And just then.

“Don’t leave me behind!!!”

Diana, running frantically, appeared beyond the window.

Face flushed, catching her breath, she reached the carriage door.

Clunk.

Diana boarded the carriage weakly, looking crestfallen.

At the sight, Lilac clicked her tongue briefly and spoke.

“If you were a little later, I would have left without you. Shame.”

Lilac seemed to find many things ‘shameful’ today.

“That’s mean…”

As expected of a Saintess, Diana recovered her breath quickly.

Her body, blessed by the Goddess, seemed to recover easily.

Diana, looking crestfallen, glanced at Lilac, then her gaze landed on my attire.

She gasped in shock.

“Th-that. Where…?”

“Lilac gave it to me?”

Telling the truth, Diana pressed her forehead and lamented.

“The previous Saintess’s clothes, how… I thought they were definitely lost.”

“…Huh?!”

Hastily looking up at Lilac, she looked back at me as if asking what the problem was.

Is this person dense or what?

“Why did you give me the previous Saintess’s clothes?”

“Those are my master’s clothes.”

“Eh…?”

“Whaaat?!”

A weak sound escaped my mouth.

Another gasp of astonishment came from Diana.

“Ah. Did I not mention it? My master was the previous Saintess.”

‘You tell me something that important only now?’

“Just that my master, having fulfilled her duty, cultivated mana instead of divine power and moved forward.”

“She was an amazing person. When she raised me, incompetent as I was, the qualities of a Saintess were clearly visible.”

“The mission was different back then compared to now, so I don’t know how she did it, but after fulfilling her duty, she taught me how to handle mana.”

“Those were days learning from my master, unaware even of her age. But one day, she suddenly disappeared.”

The carriage had already departed when Diana boarded.

Thus, the travel time was filled with interesting stories about Lilac’s master.

Listening, questions began to arise one by one.

Diana too.

“Then you don’t know where she is now?”

“No? I know.”

Huh?

“Didn’t you say she disappeared?”

“Back then, I was young and didn’t know better. Now I know where she is.”

I see.

There would be a difference in power between childhood and now.

Now, if she put her mind to it, it probably wouldn’t take Lilac long to find her master.

Diana asked a question.

“Have you met her since then?”

“No. Didn’t feel the need to.”

‘Were they on bad terms?’

Just as I thought about asking another question.

“We have arrived.”

Butler’s voice came from outside.

We had agreed to rest at a suitable village on the way to the Demon Realm.

It seems we’ll be talking a lot about Lilac’s master today.