"In the past 300 years, many have suffered from the Yellow Stripe Disease. However, they have all been cured with the special medicine."
Saliella bit her lip and continued, her voice strained, "But this time, for some reason, the special medicine is not working. So, perhaps this disease is not the Yellow Stripe Disease. Or... perhaps I have made a mistake with the ingredients or the manufacturing method."
As she spoke, Saliella's voice caught in her throat. Seeing her in such distress, I couldn't help but try to reassure her.
"No, Saliella. There is no mistake in your medicine. It seems that over the long years, the disease has mutated."
Upon hearing my words, Saliella looked up, her face filled with surprise, and gripped my hand with both of hers. "Really? It's not because of my mistake that everyone is suffering? ...Oh, Great Saintess, thank you for telling me!"
With that, Saliella turned her gaze to the passage opposite the entrance we had come through. "This is the graveyard of the sick. This disease is incurable. Hundreds of my companions have already died, and those who have passed away are sent through that passage... The passage leads to the sea, so they are returned to the sea from there. We cannot bring the bodies back home, as we don't want the disease to spread to others."
Saliella, who had been pressing her hand to her chest, suddenly relaxed her expression and began to shed tears. "Oh, I'm so relieved that the Great Saintess has come. I didn't know what to do for a long, long time. Being a saintess was so difficult. You said the disease has mutated, but I don't even know if that's true. I can't do anything more..."
Feeling her gaze, I took a step forward.
I could understand Saliella's pain all too well. How sad it must be to be a saintess and yet unable to heal the sick before her. If there was something I could do...
However, Canopus stood in my way, preventing me from moving forward. Wondering why he was standing there, I glanced up at him and met his serious gaze.
"Miss Fee. ...Until just now, I intended to exterminate the impolite residents here and destroy your secret information along with them, but... if you have decided to spare them, I will call you 'Miss Fee' for caution's sake."
"Wait, impolite... exterminate...?"
I was about to protest at the extreme suggestion but thought it would be risky to discuss this in front of everyone, so I decided to postpone the conversation.
...Actually, most of my conversations with Canopus are postponed.
Is he really such an unconventional knight?
While thinking this, I decided to move the conversation forward by restraining my urge to argue and addressing Canopus, or rather, Captain Curtis.
"...I understand. Then, for caution's sake, I will call you 'Captain Curtis.'"
However, Captain Curtis objected to my words.
"The title 'Captain' is unnecessary. Please call me Curtis. And stop being so formal."
"But, but, as a mere knight, I can't do that!" I protested, then sighed.
...Really, Captain Curtis. Every time you stop, the conversation doesn't progress at all!
Besides, you lack common sense and don't understand your position at all!
Feeling exasperated, I glared at Captain Curtis, who calmly met my gaze and nodded.
"Then, I will resign from my position as captain and be called Curtis..."
" Curtis! Yes, Curtis, what is it!?"
I interrupted Captain Curtis, who had suggested an extreme solution.
...Oh, he's serious! Captain Curtis would really do it!
Looking at me as if it were the most natural thing, Captain Curtis nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well. ...What I wanted to ask is, are your priorities correct? Is what you are about to do consistent with the reason you are a knight?"
"...No, they are not."
After thinking for a moment, I admitted defeat, recognizing the correctness and calmness of Captain Curtis's words.
...That's right. If the right-hand man of the Demon King finds out that I have been reborn as a saintess, I will be killed.
From my actions so far, I know that using recovery magic without summoning spirits is unlikely to be detected by the Demon King's right-hand man. So, even if I heal the residents here with recovery magic, it won't be detected by the Demon King's right-hand man, but I will be recognized as the real saintess.
If that happens, I will be highly regarded and become very noticeable, and I might even be asked to summon spirits... Yes, it's only a matter of time before I am found out.
It's dangerous, very dangerous.
I almost lost sight of the bigger picture, swayed by the immediate needs of the sick. If I die, I won't be able to help when people need me.
While thinking this, I also felt sad that I couldn't be honest with Saliella, who was sincerely trying to fulfill her role as a saintess.
I sighed softly and glanced up at Captain Curtis.
...By the way, I haven't told Captain Curtis anything yet, but should I not tell him about the right-hand man of the Demon King?
He seemed to know that I died in the Demon King's castle, but he shouldn't know about the right-hand man, and there's no need to worry him unnecessarily.
If he hears about it, he might insist on guarding me and leave this place to follow me...
...No, I'll hold off. There's no immediate danger to me right now.
While thinking this, I decided to make the healing potion for the residents here as soon as possible.
If there's a problem with using magic directly to heal, I can use the potion to heal them indirectly.
Yes, I have a clear plan now, I nodded to myself, and our eyes met.
"...If you need new ingredients for the special medicine, I can go and get them..."
Hearing Captain Curtis's hesitant words, I was surprised.
Oh, he's still as incredibly capable as ever!
Even though I haven't said what I want to do, he has read my mind and is offering to help.
...But, wait. Where did Captain Curtis's suggestion come from?
I tilted my head and glanced up at him.
If he knows I have the power of a saintess, he could have suggested, "Just use recovery magic to heal them," but he stopped me from doing that earlier.
Does he know that I want to hide the fact that I am a saintess?
He doesn't know anything about the right-hand man of the Demon King, does he?
Calling him by his current name rather than my past name is also cautious, isn't it?
Hmm, what does Captain Curtis know?
Curious, I asked him in a low voice so that no one else could hear.
"Hey, Curtis. Do you know that I want to hide the fact that I am a saintess?"
"...I have the memories of living as Curtis. I am aware that you spent time as a knight and hid the fact that you are a saintess. And I understand that my role is to fully support your wishes."
Oh, he really is an excellent and capable knight.
And a bit too loyal.
"Um, aren't you a bit too extreme? Before, when I was wrong, you tried to correct me. To judge the correctness of an action, you need to understand the reason behind it. So, I think you should first ask me why I am hiding the fact that I am a saintess."
Thinking that blindly following my orders without understanding the reason would be mere blind obedience, I gave Captain Curtis some advice.
However, upon hearing my words, Captain Curtis furrowed his brow, looking troubled.
"...Miss Fee, please remember. In my previous life, I rarely asked you direct questions. It would be a burden to you."
"Huh?"
...Now that you mention it, that does sound familiar.
But then, how did Canopus gather information? He seemed to know more about me than I did.
Tilting my head, I looked at Canopus, who answered with a serious expression.
"I served by your side and gathered information from my surroundings to understand you. So, I wish to continue serving by your side."
"......"
Is this only for the time I am in Sazaland?
Hmm, he won't stick to me just because I don't tell him about the right-hand man of the Demon King, will he?
After all, the story of me being his princess and him being my guard knight was from 300 years ago. The current Captain Curtis is a completely different person.
...Ah, that's right, that's not the case.
Captain Curtis has his own life as Captain Curtis.
And I am no longer Princess Seraphina.
There is no reason for him to become my guard knight again.
Understanding that Captain Curtis's offer was only for the time I was in Sazaland, I responded easily.
"Hehe, thank you, Curtis."
Upon hearing my words, Captain Curtis took a deep knightly bow, as if he had seen a holy mark, looking extremely solemn and sacred.
...At that moment, I was captivated by the beauty of Captain Curtis's movements, which I hadn't seen in a long time, and was thinking idly about how he was a truly beautiful knight, having served a princess.
---Therefore, I did not notice the determined narrowing of Captain Curtis's eyes, nor did I understand the weight of my words to him.
Thank you for reading.
Starting from December 19th (Thursday), a comic adaptation by Mr. Aihata Mahito will begin on Comic Earth Star.
That is, starting today. I found it very interesting!
I have posted a link below, so please check it out if you are interested.