PMEVBO 39

As I climbed the ladder to the room, Iser was already standing in front of the cabinet.

I couldn’t even meet his eyes and stammered out an apology.

“I’m sorry. That thing… it’s all my fault.”

“……What?”

My mouth went completely dry. My fingertips trembled slightly, so I quickly clenched my fists.

“Well… when I found out you’d been kidnapped, I lost control of my divine power. I was fine until I left the hideout, but after that, I guess I couldn’t handle the shock and broke down. …I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“…….”

I felt so sorry and embarrassed.

I kept my head bowed, waiting for Iser’s reaction, then I heard a soft, muffled chuckle. Startled, I looked up, but he was already covering his mouth.

I asked cautiously.

“……Did you just laugh?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Iser slowly nodded. Then, composing his expression, he said softly.

“I’m sorry for laughing.”

The apology I heard from Iser for the first time was surprisingly earnest. So Iser, this kind-hearted kid, was worried that I might be upset because he laughed. But I wasn’t upset. In fact, his laughter had softened the air, and I felt relieved.

Even before climbing the ladder, I’d imagined the worst-case scenario. That worst-case scenario was Iser being disappointed in me for destroying the hideout and regretting his decision to stay here. Fortunately, Iser, who was watching me closely, didn’t look disappointed.

“You don’t need to apologize. Can you tell me why you laughed?”

Iser lowered his gaze for a moment, then lifted his head and looked up at me. Then, looking slightly embarrassed, he chuckled.

“I laughed because I was happy.”

“…You laughed because you were happy?”

“Yes. …Divine power is a force that responds to anger, right? Even though you hardly ever get angry, you got so angry for me… I liked that.”

I was speechless at this unexpected answer. While I fumbled for the right words, Iser asked with a resigned look.

“……Is that weird?”

I exhaled and shook my head.

“Weird? Not at all.”

……More than weird, it’s sad.

***

I felt sticky from sweating a bit while immersed in performance art on the bed. But I let Iser use the bathroom first. Even if his body smelled sweet, he’d probably want to wash quickly after wearing bloodstained clothes for so long.

More importantly, I was now faced with a matter of urgent importance.

You ask if it’s about how to clear the praise quest?

No. I have a far more crucial problem.

Damn it… How am I supposed to handle meals from now on?

I’ve said it before, but no matter how desperate things get, I have to feed the kid.

And whether it was food or the praise quest, the core problem was the same when you looked at the bigger picture. It was about how to ensure Iser’s safety while I was out of the room handling business. I had to solve that before moving on to the next step.

Just locking the door won’t be enough.

This kidnapping incident made me acutely aware of how complacent I’d been all this time.

And now, even the hideout is in ruins…

The pile of rocks blocking the path to the hideout could probably be cleared by using divine power to destroy it. But using it again in a place where the walls and ceiling were already weakened was far too reckless. …Besides, there was no guarantee the hideout I’d worked so hard to clear would be even intact.

..Honestly, the hideout probably got wrecked the worst. It literally took a direct hit from the divine power explosion.

Recalling the chaos I’d caused at the hideout early this morning, I slammed my head onto the table. Iser had forgiven me, but I couldn’t forgive myself. To cause such a massive accident just because I couldn’t control my own power properly… What a pathetic bastard I am.

“Ah, come to think of it, there was that.”

Speaking of divine power, something came to mind.

I rummaged through my pants pocket and pulled out a piercing.

‘Priest Nebella, please take this.’

‘A piercing. …Isn’t this the same as yours?’

‘Yes, it is. This piercing is made from the same material as the talicord. It aids in controlling divine power. You already seem quite skilled at control, but it will definitely be a great help. However…’

Tykvana’s tightly sealed lips parted again a moment later.

‘Do not place too much blind faith in it. Divine power is, after all, the power of God.’

Her stern expression was still vivid in my mind.

I became a slave to my divine power multiple times just today. Even after witnessing that pathetic display firsthand, she still praised my control. She really was generous with compliments. Isn’t that the kind of person who should be on a praise quest?

‘Well, Tykvana doesn’t know that I wasn’t even aware when I destroyed the hideout because I couldn’t control the divine power, let alone when I knocked Atsula down with it…’

If she had known, she wouldn’t have even bothered to say I had excellent control, even if it was just lip service.

Since I’d made such a grand promise to use it well and gratefully, I was determined to wear the piercing.

Besides, it’ll be better for Iser’s safety too.

That said, this was my first piercing…

“The earlobe is definitely the safest bet.”

Without even looking in the mirror, I roughly placed the piercing against my earlobe. Then I pressed down.

The sound of flesh tearing was followed by an intense, stinging pain.

“This hurts more than I thought…”

I squinted briefly at the unfamiliar pain, then gasped in awe.

“Oh.”

A whole new world had opened up.

If it was about detecting whose residual divine power lingered near me, I’d already done that this morning. That’s how I found out the kidnapper of Iser was Atsula.

But now, with the piercing in place, my detection range had widened. I could feel every trace of residual divine power spread throughout Hayut Castle clearly. Especially when it was my own divine power, I could do even more.

I detonated divine power bombs in two places this morning: the hideout and Atsula’s room. In Atsula’s room, I detected the presence of two people within that space.

Seems I can detect presence at least within areas where my divine power remains.

I muttered while tightening the bolt at the back of the piercing.

“This is pretty good.”

If I left just a tiny bit of divine power behind before leaving, I’d know the instant any presence other than Iser’s was in this room, no matter where I was in the castle.

Besides, what I intended to use wasn’t divine power itself, but residual divine power. To draw an analogy, residual divine power is like the ashes left after a fire burns out. So, there was no way Iser could get hurt by it.

That was when the bathroom door opened. Iser, drying his wet hair with a towel as he emerged, froze in horror.

“You… what on earth did you do to your ears…?”

“Huh?”

Only then did I turn toward the full-length mirror. And I was flustered by my reflection.

“Oh.”

What is all this blood…

I hadn’t noticed because there wasn’t much on my hands, but it was bleeding more than I thought. Drops of blood trickling from my earlobe had stained my shoulder red. If anyone saw this, they’d think I’d stuck a metal chopstick in my ear instead of getting a piercing.

To hide my panic and embarrassment, I deliberately put on a nonchalant act.

“Just pierced my ear for a change of pace. How’s it look? Pretty?”

Iser looked momentarily speechless, then bit his lip a beat later.

…Maybe flipping my hair behind my ear and winking was too much?

I sheepishly lowered my hand. My arms automatically snapped into a salute position. Iser, watching me with an unusually stern expression, sighed and said quietly.

“…You got hurt. You’re not pretty at all.”

Iser walked over and grabbed my right hand. I’d long since removed the glove on that hand because it had gotten in the way of getting the piercing.

I felt the cold touch of his hand as we interlocked fingers. Yet, there was no pain.

……Because he was biting the back of his other hand, taking the pain for me instead.

A bright red drop of blood trickled down Iser’s snow-white jaw and fell onto the marble floor. The pain I’d felt in my earlobe had vanished without a trace. Covering his bloodied mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes crinkled like crescent moons and he said.

“You look prettier now.”

I froze, unable to say a word. It took me a long while to come to my senses.

“Hey, I told you not to do this…! Let me see!”

I reached out my gloved hand toward Iser. He obediently handed me the hand that had been covering his mouth. Fortunately, the back of Iser’s hand was as clean as if it had been washed.

After wiping the blood from the back of his hand, I gently wiped the blood from the corners of Iser’s mouth too. …he must have bitten the back of hid hand so hard that the corners of his mouth were completely smeared with blood.

“…You’re really going to be the death of me.”

I scolded him in frustration, and Iser, who had been quietly accepting my touch, tilted his head slightly.

“Is that so? I live because of you.”

“What?”

I stared at Iser, forgetting even to wipe his mouth. Looking me as if studying me, he gave a faint smile.

“I’m joking.”

That casual tone bothered me for some reason.