“A warning?”

Lynen frowned at my question and said.

“I let that monster escape. Being a familiar, it will keep pursuing us until it fulfills its master’s orders.”

“But we’ve come so far from the capital. It won’t find us easily.”

Unfortunately, I still had the black stone in my possession. Since it might cause unpredictable problems if left alone, it was better that I kept it.

‘But this time I used a sealing magical tool.’

It was a storage device that prevented special energy from objects like magic stones from wastefully discharging.

Though not permanent, it should at least prevent tracking of the black stone while we’re here.

“My scent is strongly marked on it.”

Lynen gestured with his eyes toward his blackened arm.

“It will track this.”

“So it left its spit on you.”

“…”

This could be a bit dangerous.

The current Saint with rock-bottom faith would be torn like paper, and Lynen wasn’t in any condition to fight.

Lynen spoke with intense eyes.

“So hit me. I’ll try to suppress it with magic power as much as I can…”

“Hit…?”

That wasn’t my voice. It was Noah’s reaction beside us.

Only then noticing Noah’s presence, Lynen hurriedly tried to cover up to hide my ability.

“Uh, when Calliphe hits me, it gives me energy…”

“Duke, do you like getting hit?”

Lynen floundered before blurting out.

“Actually, Calliphe likes it too.”

“What kind of water ghost strategy is this!?”

Lynen avoided my gaze while Noah now looked at me.

I tried to act natural.

“It’s not like you haven’t seen me hit others before, why ask about this?”

“But the Duke isn’t a bad guy.”

“Huh?”

“Lady Calliphe only hits bad people.”

He thought of me that well?

‘This kid still has a long way to go.’

But I didn’t want to tell him the truth that I was someone who beat people up when things didn’t go my way.

“W-well, yes. I only hit bad people. But I also hit people I like.”

“Why hit them if you like them?”

“Because it’s my… way of showing affection?”

“…!”

Noah’s eyes sparkled like he’d realized something amazing and delightful.

“Is that why the Duke likes getting hit by Lady Calliphe?”

“That’s right. He loves my touch so much that if he goes a day without getting hit, his body gets all prickly. Right, honey?”

“Did thorns grow on your head?”

Lynen glared at me but I wasn’t scared at all.

“Then is there another reason?”

“…No, that’s right. Because it’s a show of affection, I like getting hit.”

It was absolutely thrilling when Lynen grudgingly agreed through gritted teeth.

Until then, I hadn’t realized.

What kind of misunderstanding these words would cause in Noah.

* * *

How much time had passed?

‘Oh, I must have dozed off.’

I stretched my body that had been lying face down.

It seems I had fallen asleep from exhaustion after continuously using my ability on Lynen.

Lynen too must have been tired, as he was now sound asleep.

‘But it seems to have had some effect.’

The poison that had been ominously writhing and expanding its territory was now stopped.

When I quietly closed the door and came out, I saw Noah setting the table for dinner.

“Why are you setting the table? Where’s the owner?”

“He just went out.”

“Is that so?”

It was already dark outside. The mountain’s eeriness could be felt.

‘He must have gone to look for White Ears. It’s what he did every night in <Marino> too.’

According to the original story, he would only meet and take revenge on White Ears after several months.

But I came all this way to help speed up that timeline.

‘Then shall we help with the revenge.’

It was unfortunate that Lynen was knocked out, but it was fine. The Saint had succeeded in his revenge sufficiently in the original story anyway.

All that remained was for me to lure White Ears in place of the High Cardinal.

I put the High Cardinal’s bracelet I had kept on my wrist and covered it with my sleeve.

‘Considering the familiar variable, now is our chance. The longer we wait, the easier it will be for that thing to find us.’

“I’ll go get the seaweed mister. Wait at home.”

I grabbed a spare lamp hanging by the door and went outside.

The good thing about it being dark is that lights are noticeable.

After walking for a while, I saw a lamp light in the distance. Hurrying closer, it was indeed Allen.

Allen, who had been crouching in front of a rabbit, was surprised to see me.

“Mother? Why did you come here…”

“M-mother?”

“Aren’t you Noah’s mother?”

“…Well, I suppose that’s technically right.”

Why do I want to punch Allen?

“Ahem. What’s with that rabbit?”

“Ah, I thought my usual food wouldn’t be much help for the patient.”

The still-living rabbit was sluggishly struggling, drugged.

Allen had a pained expression but instead of letting it go, he used holy power to subdue the rabbit.

He muttered, making an excuse.

“I didn’t want to cause fear as much as possible. Pathetic for a hunter, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh…”

His already hunched back curved even more inward. I brought my palm down on his rounded back.

Smack!

“Eek!?”

“Why act like that when it’s not even wrong? Stand up straight.”

I tilted my chin arrogantly.

“Are you going to stop if I criticize you for being pathetic? You won’t, right? If you’re going to do it anyway, do it proudly at least.”

Allen stared at me blankly before giving an awkward smile.

“You say the same things as my sister.”

“Must have been quite a cool sister.”

“Haha, yes. That’s right. She often scolded her lacking brother.”

Allen’s face turned apple-red when our eyes accidentally met while laughing.

He quickly lowered his gaze.

“E-every time, it felt like getting encouragement…”

[Using Villainess’s Nurturing Method on target ‘Alensis’.]

[Faith +1]

‘Huh? The ability activated a beat late.’

Did he take it as encouragement when I hit him without much thought?

Seems like the one who likes getting hit wasn’t Lynen but this guy.

‘But this is just a false positive.’

When he’s in a state of having abandoned his faith himself, if I intervene, he’ll immediately feel something’s off.

Far from being grateful, if he realizes his faith is being moved by someone else’s intervention, wouldn’t he become even more of a non-believer?

If that happens, it’s uncertain whether my ability will continue to work.

‘It’s surprising that the stat that increased was faith.’

Until now, my ability had increased the stats that the target desired.

Perhaps he misses his past when he had faith without doubt.

“Thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Thank you.”

“…Well, it’s nothing.”

I shook off the random thoughts that suddenly came to mind and plopped down in a crouch.

“But let’s rest a bit before going. My legs hurt from coming all the way here.”

“Ah, yes.”

Allen nodded readily. He seemed confident he could handle anything that might jump out in the mountains.

After dawdling for a few minutes while secretly shaking the bracelet without Allen noticing.

Grrrr…

‘It’s here!’

A pair of gleaming eyes in the darkness lunged at me.

“Allen!”

“…!”

Allen reacted quickly. His holy power created a solid barrier that deflected the attack.

Allen’s expression turned grim as he confirmed what had attacked.

“Finally, you’ve appeared. White Ears…”

As he slowly raised his hand, an incredible light flashed and shot toward the monster.

Kaboom!

The spot where the monster had been was cratered as dust flew up.

‘W-was this kind of attack possible with holy power?!’

He really is attack-specialized.

“How dare you dodge…”

Even his gloomy voice twisted with displeasure sounded more like a demon lord than a saint.

Anyway, the revenge target has appeared and the Saint is this powerful, so my job is done.

All that’s left is to take the Saint back to the capital after he completes his revenge!

As the thick dust settled, White Ears’ form gradually became visible.

The vicious monster that had devoured the Saint’s sister let out a fierce cry.

“Nghh…”