She Was Condemned as a Villain, But After Baking Bread She Changed Her Job To Become A Saint!? - Chapter 1.7

Chapter 1.8

The man looked up at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

“But potions are…”

Yeah, I get it. Potions can be pretty expensive, right?

I only have them prepared for emergencies. And when else would I use them if not for emergencies such as this?

“It’s okay! Just wait here!”

I shouted over my shoulder as I hurried home.

I quickly grabbed the potion from the cupboard and returned to the man.

“Here, drink this slowly.”

I opened the lid and put the bottle to his lips.

He seemed hesitant for a moment. I had already opened it, so there was no point in rejecting it now, or else the potion would go to waste. 

 “I’m sorry,” the man whispered before slowly drinking it down.

“Ugh…”

His body emitted a faint glow, but it was only for a moment. The glow faded quickly, and he inhaled deeply.

“Thank you.”

“…!”

My goodness. Now that he had a healthy glow, his face was even more devastatingly handsome.

He still looked a bit worn out, but there was something about his slightly languid demeanor that was incredibly sexual. I found myself blushing.

He examined his body before he stood gracefully.

“I feel a lot better. I should be able to fly to the Grand Temple with this.”

“Huh!?”

I was surprised by his words and proceeded to stand too.

“T-The Grand Temple? As in the Holy City!?”

The Holy City is a small city located northeast of the capital. Its official name is Vatican, but it is home to the largest temple, the Grand Temple, and also the World Tree, where the Grand Priest is said to reside. Vatican is a direct territory of the royal family, but it is also self-governed by the temple, and for these reasons, it is called the Holy City.

No way! It takes two weeks to get from here to the Holy City by carriage!

I’m not very knowledgeable about magic or anything like that since I don’t have any magical abilities, but even I know that flying from here to the Holy City is a crazy idea.

 He may have recovered somewhat with the potion, but he was out cold until just now.

“Yes. I am a holy knight, and I must report the completion of the subjugation. Then…”

He gently stroked the small leather bag on his waist.

“I must return my comrades’ souls to the Lord as soon as possible.”

His words and actions make me remember that he had lost his comrades…

He must want to quickly take their remains to the Grand Temple and then to their families for a proper burial. I can understand that feeling. I do understand, but…

“I apologize for the delay. My name is Allen. I am truly grateful for your aid. I will never forget this kindness.”

 He placed a hand on his chest and bowed respectfully. I wave my hands frantically.

“No, no need to thank me… You’re exaggerating. All I did was give you a potion…” I said as my hands moved about frantically.

“No, rather if there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

A-anything? Anything!? 

I tried not to make a notable gulp.

Well, I think it’s best not to say those words again with that face. As an otaku who had only been interested in 2D fictional characters and a withered-up single woman in my 30s, on the inside, I couldn’t help but force down my saliva.

I coughed once to clear my head before looking up at Allen again.

“Then why don’t you eat dinner here and rest for the night before heading to the temple.”

“Eh…?”

It was an unexpected request? Allen looked at me wide-eyed.

“Well, I can’t… It’s just…”

“Let’s make sure you’re fully recovered before you go. What if you run out of stamina or magic and end up in a different place? What if you pass out again? This time there might be no one to find you. Your life would be at stake and if that happens, your comrades’ souls wouldn’t be able to reach the Lord either.”

“Ugh…”

“Eating a meal and getting a good night’s rest should be enough to get your stamina back to where you can fly to the Grand Temple without any mishaps,'” I said, though I still think it’s a distance to cover.

“It’s definitely better to rest for the night and recover as much as possible instead of pushing yourself too hard when you’re not in top condition.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I understand your desire to deliver your comrades’ souls to the Lord as soon as possible, but I think your comrades care about you just as much as you care about them. Do you think they would be happy to see you pushing yourself to the point of death?”

Allen could barely utter another word.

You finally understand. You can’t push yourself to the point of collapse because your comrades are so important to you.

And there’s no way someone you care so much about would be indifferent to your reckless behavior. They couldn’t be so heartless and cold.

“Rest up. For the sake of your precious comrades.”