The Sleeping Devil

"Father, the priest seems quite tired. Could we have him rest here for a few days?"

"That's fine. We'll inform the temple. Sheriel is truly a kind child, isn't she?"

During the baptism ceremony, the personnel dispatched formally become guests of the child receiving baptism. Of course, the parents take care of requesting the dispatch and preparing the guest room.

I instructed Mary to prepare a bath and a simple sports drink for the priest and reminded her not to let him stay in the bath for too long.

By the way, the incident of the failed baptism has been swept under the rug.

Without the ability to use magic, I can't attend magic classes even if I go to the Orausteria Noble Academy, and I can't work as a maid either.

As for a political marriage, it seems unlikely since there is no benefit for other families. Come to think of it, why was I engaged to the second prince in that dream?

...Well, never mind.

Today, there is no class, so I decided to go visit Guri-chan.

Without fail, Didier is still accompanying me, and Marcel somehow ended up walking at the back.

"Guri-chan, long time no see! Ahh, you're so cute! I wonder if you've been well."

I hugged Guri-chan with my slightly grown body, and she responded by rubbing her head against me.

"You remember me~ Guri-chan is smart~ You're a good girl~"

As I was being comforted by Guri-chan for my failed baptism, the adults behind us were engaged in some conversation.

"Hermes-sama, what is that?"

"Hm? That's my adorable granddaughter, isn't it?"

"Oh, no, I know that, but... That magical beast isn't Sheriel-sama's familiar, is it?"

"Oh, that's my familiar. Somehow, it has taken a liking to Sheriel. Didier is cautious, but I can carry it on my back as long as I'm there."

"Marcel-sama, a familiar refers to a tamed magical beast, right? Didier-sama is just disliked by him because he once threatened to have Guri-chan for dinner."

"I still intend to do so. If I don't keep an eye on things, who knows when Sheriel might get injured."

Furthermore, they were glaring at each other, but it seems that this morning, Hermes also let Didier ride with him, so I'll make sure to praise him properly.

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"Even though he said such things, you let Didier ride as well, Guri-chan, you're such a good girl."

"I shouldn't have done that... A familiar is a magical beast trained through a contract and one's own magical power. Although they can be taught not to harm humans, I have never heard of a magical beast becoming attached to anyone other than its owner."

"Is that so? Guri-chan must be an exceptionally kind girl."

"Oh, and she's also become fond of Kurumi, but doesn't listen to me."

Kurumi, the yellow parrot, eats and chats with me, but she doesn't respond to tricks or requests.

Apparently, Sergio is her only master.

"Kurumi? As in nuts?"

"No, she's Sergio's magical bird. It seems Sheriel named her."

"A name for a magic bird? Your granddaughter has peculiar hobbies."

"What's wrong with that? She's the best granddaughter, isn't she? Hey, has your head turned into muscles too?"

Originally, I made a promise to ride Guri-chan after successfully completing the baptism, but since it failed, I couldn't ride her anymore.

Since magical beasts also use magic, it seems dangerous to ride them if the body is not prepared through baptism.

"I'm sorry, Guri-chan. I thought we could go for a ride together."

"Grrrrah."

"Really? Guri-chan is so kind. But can I have a bit more fluffiness?"

"Sheriel-sama!! Can you talk to magical beasts!?"

When a thunderous voice startled the magical beast, Guri-chan enveloped Sheriel with her wings. In response to this movement, Didier even raised his staff, causing a very troublesome situation.

Sheriel poked her head out from the large wings, and Marcel was staring at them with sweat on his forehead.

"Well, it's just something I made up." Sheriel said.

"This is why the Beriards..."

"Marcel, you have quite the courage," said Hermes.

"Since I startled Guri-chan, I want Grandfather to scold me properly."

"Did you know Grandfather and Marcel-sama already knew each other?"

"Oh, yes. I've been indebted to Hermes-sama since I joined the Order. Magicians are prone to mental illness due to subjugation and war. Well, I've been training myself constantly, so I've never lost to impurity! Hahahaha!"

"Sheriel, I told you that high intelligence prevents madness, didn't I?"

"Hmm? Does that mean Grandfather is a mental doctor?"

"Hehe, it's a matter of how you put it. It was beneficial for me to have good research material. Occasionally, people from the knights still come to me."

"Hermes-sama, is that true? Then please examine members of the Magician's Guild as well! Recently, the impurities seem to have become stronger, and more people are suffering from mental illnesses."

Sheriel, witnessing firsthand the depth of Hermes' popularity, began to admire and idolize him even more.

Hermes is always the role model in Sheriel's classes on human emotions and socializing.

Marcel seems to have a lot of trust in Hermes, passionately discussing recent events, the state of the Magician's Guild, and even his belief that magicians should learn from knights and train their bodies more.

"The Magician's Guild and the Knights' Order have a good relationship, don't they?"

"The temple is filled with gloomy types, but the Knights' Order undergoes daily training! There are no villains among those who admire muscles!"

"You think the temple sees the Magician's Guild as a gloomy group, huh? Is the temple still the same?"

"It's worse than before. Whenever something happens, they only think about money and power, using words like 'divine spirits.' They monopolize the power of healing and do as they please. Well, I can't say it applies to all of them, but the voices of that minority are loud and troublesome!"

Seeing his increasingly agitated tone, it seems he has a poor relationship with the temple.

However, he never showed any signs of such animosity towards the ashen-haired priest, so he must be a genuinely kind person with straightforward emotions.

"They even approached me about it."

"That's awful! If Didier were to enter the temple, who would succeed the Beriard territory?"

Children with the Life attribute are often encouraged to enter the temple.

There used to be a belief that the power of healing should be shared equally among noble families and factions.

Listening to the current situation, it may sound like an extreme argument, but except for the eldest child who cannot inherit the land or title, it seems that even being a priest alone brings favorable treatment, so they willingly enter the temple.

Moreover, there is the advantage of being able to treat severe injuries that cannot be healed by a single person, but require multiple people.

"They probably sent such a weak priest as a form of ridicule. Sheriel, it's not my fault, but sorry about something, okay? Should I burn down the temple?"

"No, that's fine, Didier. Just go back to the academy quietly."

"What's with you? You've entered your rebellious phase, huh?"

Guri-chan growled at Didier, who was softly poking my cheek.

"Is that priest alright? I think the failure of the ritual is probably my fault. Could you talk to him a little?"

"If it's Sheriel's wish, I'd be happy to. I actually have something on my mind as well. I'll come and examine him later."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

When Sheriel returned to her room, Mary had a troubled look on her face and tightly clenched her fist.

"Is something wrong, Mary? Taking care of the guests was tough, wasn't it? Take a rest for a while."

"No, it's just..."

Mary, who usually speaks openly and clearly, seemed unusually hesitant to speak.

"Did something unpleasant happen?"

"No, it's not that. This might not be something I should mention... but, actually... that person has multiple wounds on their body..."

"Wounds? You mean marks from torture or abuse?"

I feel bad for making judgments based on appearances, but I can't imagine that he's capable of fighting. Given Mary's expression and her frightened demeanor today, it's natural to assume that someone hurt him.

"There were cuts, bruises, and even burn marks... I can't bear to see those wounds on him."

"Alright, I'll ask Mother's servant about it. Thank you for letting me know."

"I apologize, Miss Sheriel."

Mary is a kind person, so even knowing about someone else's wounds or difficult circumstances can weigh heavily on her and accumulate impurities.

But still, abuse? Did Grandfather mention examining him because he noticed this?

Since he's at the temple, he should be able to receive immediate treatment for simple injuries. If it's a minor wound, it won't leave a scar if treated promptly. It implies that the injuries must be severe and have been left untreated without any medical attention.

Just then, there was a knock on the door to the room.

Grandfather is quick, I thought, as I asked Mary to open the door. But to my surprise, Sergio was standing there.

"Sheriel, I've come up with a brilliant idea. This is the will of the gods. Now, let's practice swordsmanship."

"Huh?"