4. Cursing up to the Sky

 

 

The man’s sharp eyes were like a cat’s just about to scratch something.

Dialin flinched and took off her hand, which was pouring sacred power into the wound. 

“I was treating you.”

The man silently looked at Dialin’s face and his half-naked body alternately. A slightly longer gaze rested on the top that was obviously not naked by his own hands.

“……Really.”

Dialin expressed her resentment, but the man had no words. The headstart she should have created was already long gone to the underworld.

Dialin hesitated, then just released both hands.

“Shall I go?”

“…….”

It doesn’t seem like he hates it seeing as he is not attacking me…….

Dialin asked again, just in case.

“Shall we continue?”

The man shut his mouth again and closed his eyes.

The feeling of divine power permeating the body was quite good. It was warm and made one drowsy…….

It will also help to calm his sensitive mood.

Yes, there’s no way you don’t like it. 

Dialin regained some confidence.

Until now, she did not want to be sucked dry by the temple, so she had hidden her original strength.

But she instinctively knew that her divine power was no joke.

Even Dialin herself did not know what the limits of her divine power were. She was just guessing that she might be a genius who received special blessings from God.

After allegedly getting the man’s permission, Dialin was more active in pouring her divine power. Contrasted with the time of carefully healing in case she woke him up.

The man shrugged his shoulders as if surprised by the feeling and looked up at Dialin.

“It’s okay, I’m helping you get better.”

Then the tension was removed from his body.

Now, it was unlikely that he would attack suddenly.

“I’m Dialin.”

The man slowly opened his eyes.

‘Shut up’ didn’t come back.

“Is it less noisy now?” 

“…….”

Still, seeing that he wasn’t screaming, he looked fine.

“Are you going to be patient?”

“Yes.”

Oh oh oh! The-The-There’s an answer!

“You couldn’t stand it before?”

“Yes.”

It sounds like a good dog that can hold back if it’s bearable. How far this puppy could endure was something to be found from now on.

“What’s your name?”

Before you know how much patience a dog has, you need to know its name. Due to the noisy first meeting, there was no time to share a normal introduction.

“Ceres.”

“Ceres. That’s cool. Who named you?”

“I don’t know.”

“……I see, you don’t know.”

It was too difficult to connect a normal conversation.

How in the world are you going to make such a person a young master and make his debut in the social world?

Dialin looked up to the sky and swore with all her might.

Didn’t you purposely send me to rot and die in a place where no one was there, using the justification that I was helping the socialization of a war veteran, when in fact I’ll have to take care of this crazy person all my life? 

‘No, I don’t think so.’

Considering the popularity of Division 8, it would not be so.

It was the 8th Division that actually ended the war. As the war ended and the soldiers returned, rumors about them spread all over the empire.

Without the front line, it was difficult for people to know the exact news inside the military.

It was roughly said that the army was sent from a certain territory and that the Second Prince himself wielded a sword on the battlefield. Hearing these rumors, the rest was almost imaginary.

However, the words of the soldiers who were actually on the front line were different in weight. Moreover, attention was inevitably focused on the ones who had more strength.

Thanks to this, people’s curiosity was drawn to the 8th Division at once. Public opinion that war heroes should be properly compensated also exploded.

‘Ah, but this is too much.’

At the temple, when they receive money, it goes like, ‘Oh, thank you. We’ll do it,’ and they would have taken the job right away. They didn’t even know that the status of the 8th Division was like this.

The priest does the work, and the temple takes the money.

‘I’m the only one who’s going to dry up again.’

Damn it.

Dialin couldn’t cry, so she laughed.

At Dialin’s smile, Ceres stared at her as if she was looking at something strange.

“It’s because I’m glad to meet you.” 

“?”

“…It’s just what everyone says when they meet for the first time.”

“Yes.”

Yes? What the heck does that mean?

Are you saying that you know, that you are happy, or are you just saying it?

Still, I have to thank him for the reply.

“By the way, are you always like this?”

“?”

I felt that I couldn’t hear the specific answer from the blank returning gaze. Let’s be a little more kindly, at eye level.

“Ceres, what do you usually do?”

“Training.”

Oh, luckily it worked.

“And?”

“Sleep.”

“In addition?”

“Eat.”

“When you don’t do that?”

Ceres didn’t answer any further.

He said that there were only three things in life: training, sleep, and eating.

It wasn’t much different from Dialin herself, whose life was nothing but prayer, work, sleep, meals, and chatter. Sympathy arose for someone who had been living in a similar situation.

“You don’t you get as excited as before when you train?” 

“……Yes.”

This puppy is a breed that needs to be taken for a walk.

Another thing I just found out.

While we were talking, I finished treating his bloody wounds.

But there were more wounds left. It was the old wounds accumulated during the war. Thinking of whether I should even do it myself, I stretched out my hand to another wound.

It was the first time I had drawn that much divine power at once, so I was unaware of my condition.

But my body was honest.

Gurgling rumbling.

The stomach shouted to be filled with sugar stat.

“……Ugh.”

Ceres’ pupils sharply narrowed.

So far, I’ve been able to put up with the proper chatter, but the squeaks seem to be unbearable.

Dialin immediately removed her hand and stood up.

“Let’s eat.”

Ceres got up and sat down when Dialin got up.

The movement allowed her to see his back as well. There were wounds on the back, but it was in better condition than his front.

But I thought it would take quite a while to cure all of his hidden wounds. It wasn’t something that could be finished in one day.

It will take time. Quite so.

“Then, I’ll go down, eat, and get rid of the rumbling sound.”

I can’t be killed because the rumbling of my stomach is annoying.

Dialin, who got up from her seat, felt Ceres’ gaze blankly looking up at her. Come to think of it, it was also up to her to take care of Ceres’s meal. 

“…… Oh, are you hungry?”

“…….”

Blank eyes returned.

He didn’t look like he was going to eat right away by himself because of hunger.

But wouldn’t it be safer to feed him in advance? 

“If I bring some food, would you like to eat with me?”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, Ceres did not turn down the meal.

Dialin quickly stood up from her seat. It was quite draining of her mental strength to be next to someone she never knew when he would attack her.

She left the room with staggering legs and when she turned back, Ceres was looking at her as he was sitting down on the floor.

“……Go to bed to sit down.”

If it was Division 8, he would be fine even if he sat on a cushion of thorns, but it seemed sad for some reason, so she had no reason to interfere.

Surprisingly, Ceres got up from his seat at Dialin’s words.

Strangely, he was a crazy dog that listened well.

***

Dialin went down to the kitchen where she had just glanced past by when she arrived.

Dishes that seemed to have been prepared by the chef were lined up on the countertop.

As time passed, the food was not warm anymore. It looked like they had brought food while she was taking Ceres.

‘Oh, this is grand enough.’

They were great dishes that I had never even seen before.

Gorgeous decorated meat dishes that only appear at dinners, and bread that seems to melt in your mouth. Desserts shining like jewels were perfectly prepared.

‘Did they take care of me so that I can eat well because work is hard?’

The food given by the temple was enough to not die.

Welfare, where we can be fed well and sleep comfortably, was important. The extreme job I had been thinking about whether I had to run away from, was about to get a little better.

Dialin left the kitchen with food for the two of them.

The portion was sufficient, so even if they ate 5 servings per person, she thought they could eat it for a week.

“The meal is here.”

Dialin knocked on the door before opening it and waited for a long time.

There was no sound coming from inside, and she didn’t know what would happen if she just opened it. She put the tray down on the floor and knocked on the door again, clutching the whistle.

“Can I open the door?”

“……Yes.”

The answer came back softly like a heartbeat. Dialin breathed a small sigh of relief and opened the door.

Squeak!

“Ugh.”

Of all things, at such a crucial time, there was a sharp noise that had come from the door.

Dialin looked at Ceres with a batted breath. The room was as quiet as when she left. It looks like he didn’t have any seizures. It was worthwhile to move as quietly as possible.

“Can I go in……?”

“…… Yes.”

Still, she checked once and entered the room just in case. Ceres was seated on the bed the same way as when Dialin left.

It looked like he wasn’t even moving, but his eyes were a little blurry.

“If you’re sleepy, would you like to eat later?”

“……?”

Although it was a simple question, Ceres just stared at Dialin, as if he did not understand.

‘Ah.’

He’s not good at making his own choices.

When I say ‘Do you want to do it right now?’, it was unconditionally yes, but it was difficult for him if I asked, ‘Do you want to do it or not?’.

Oh, I had a long way to go. This is a drawing board where I first need to make a person before making a Young Master.

“Come on, let’s eat first.”

I’m sure it’ll work out later. 

Dialin first tried to make him a beast with a full tummy.

All the furniture was smashed except for the bed and there was no place to put the tray. Dialin looked around and had no choice but to arrange food on the floor.

“……Well.”

After finishing the display of the food, Dialin groaned at the result. Gorgeous food was laid out on a messy floor, it became a portion of splendid dog food.

I need to turn him into a Young Master, is it okay to give out food like this?

But pulling Ceres out of the room was too risky. I had no choice but to eat dog food together for today.

I can’t believe I’m eating dog food with this luxurious food. I felt complicated. 

“Please eat.”

Dialin held up the tableware and suggested.

Ceres hurriedly started eating as if he had been waiting. 

“…….”

Dialin lost her mind as she watched Ceres squeezing a full handful of food in his hands and squeezing it into his mouth.

I hope it’s not because I made it look like dog food.

It’s not like this normally, right? 

She tried to have a positive mind as much as possible, but she knew better than anyone that the truth was not what she wanted.

I’m doomed.

That was a baby beast.

‘No, maybe even bears can ride bikes in this world, right? If it’s like that even a dog can become a young master.’

Dialin had never been as deeply religious as this time. It seemed to her that clinging to God was the only answer.

“Eat slowly…”

It was a moment when I tried to teach calmly with the hope of a miracle.

Ceres’s eyes were filled with hostility.