Translator: Shizukuku

Editor: Lilia

Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 139 – Dispel the Curse!

[ I never thought I would be able to touch and interact with someone alive like this again. Thank you, young Pharmacist. ]

Our fingers entwined like lovers, and we slowly parted. It wasn’t a handshake, but since Jhal Gar-san looked so satisfied, I guess it was okay.

Jhal Gar-san’s legs began to turn to stone as he remained seated heavily. This time, he intended to become a seated statue.

“I’ll bring you some more alcohol next time I visit. And since no one can read the ancient magical language now, I’ll bring some accessories translated into our language next time.”

Jhal Gar-san laughed aloud when I said that.

[ I’d appreciate it if you could remove the ‘Legendary Hero’ part. ]

“I’ll think about it.”

Jhal Gar-san laughed even more at my answer.

I reached toward his completely petrified leg, saying, “Then, excuse me,” and touched it.

A chill ran through my body. 

So this was the curse.

When I glanced at my status, I saw that the negative status effect “Silence” was firmly attached.

“Mac, let’s get going.”

“……”

I tried to say “Okay,” but no sound came out. 

This curse would be fatal for a magic user. Fortunately, it didn’t affect me all that much. 

I mouthed silently to show Crash that I couldn’t speak, and he nodded, saying, “I get it, you don’t need to talk.”

Crash held my hand and we both waved to Jhal Gar-san.

Jhal Gar-san waved back at us, and we used Crash’s magic circle to jump to the church in the town of Tre. 

The people in the church seemed surprised by our sudden appearance.

In the early days, I had been to the church in the town of Uno once but hadn’t gone near one since. I wondered if the inside decorations might be different in each city.

The church in Uno was smaller and mostly white. It had white walls and the only thing that stood out was the stained glass windows. The only thing I really remembered was that stained glass.

The Tre town church was a bit more rustic; it was a wooden structure with a natural color scheme that was easy on the eyes.

The priests’ clothes were also subdued in color, so it didn’t feel like a church.

Uno’s priests were dressed in white, giving it a hospital-like atmosphere that didn’t really make me want to visit.

As I looked around inside the church, Crash held onto my hand and started talking to one of the priests.

“Excuse me, my companion has been cursed, and we’re hoping you can lift the curse.”

“A curse, that’s quite troublesome. Oh dear, but what should we do? The bishop who can perform the curse-lifting magic has gone to the next town today. The carriages have stopped running by this time, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“I see. The next town, is it Quattro?”

“Yes, it’s the church in Quattro.”

So, no curse-lifting items, just curse-lifting magic? 

I thought they sold things like holy water or something. I wasn’t sure, though, because I’d never bought it.

I opened my mouth to ask and was disappointed when I couldn’t speak.

I thought that being silenced wouldn’t be that serious, but this was worse than I’d expected.

“Understood. We’ll go to Quattro then.”

“Will you be alright? It’s quite far.”

“We’ll be fine, thank you.”

As I watched the priest put his hands together and bow his head, my surroundings changed again.

This time, we appeared in a church with a more mature atmosphere and dimmed lighting. A few people were seated on the long benches in the large hall.

They seemed to be praying to an impressive altar that stood solemnly at the back.

Everyone in the hall turned their attention to us as we suddenly appeared.

A man who appeared to be a priest approached us.

“What seems to be the problem? Is there something troubling you?”

“Excuse me, my companion has been cursed.”

I tried to say, “It’s me,” but only managed to mouth the words silently. Seeing this, the priest looked at me with a pained expression.

“Judging by your condition, it’s Silence. Understood. Please come this way. Could your companion wait here for a moment?”

“Got it.”

As I started to walk in the direction indicated, the door to the hall creaked open. Then, a familiar voice echoed through the hall, “Oh?”

“Regalo, it’s been a while.”

“Crash-kun. Did you close your shop today? You’ve become quite famous, I hear. My condolences. And Mac-kun too. What brings you here?”

“……”

Seeing me silently mouthing words, Regalo-san nodded and said, “Ah, I see.”

“Silence, is it? Well, it’s fortunate that you have a relatively mild curse. Right, Mac-kun, could you come to my shop later? I have some business to discuss.”

I was the one who had business with him, but he spoke up first. I wondered if Regalo-san also had something for me.

I nodded to indicate I understood, and the priest gestured for me to follow.

I waved to them and followed the priest, who led me to a door beside the altar at the back of the building.

Inside, there was a small altar and several long, narrow, bench-like objects similar to the simple cots found in a hospital examination room.

“This is where we lift curses. I will call for the person who can perform the curse-lifting magic, so please have a seat wherever you like and wait.”

“……”

Since I couldn’t speak, I nodded to indicate my agreement. 

Then, I sat in a chair where I had a good view of the small altar and directed my gaze towards where the priest had departed. 

Thick curtains hung in layers, completely blocking any view of the doors from here. It seemed they were designed so you couldn’t see them from any of the chairs.

The lighting was dim, and only the altar seemed to be illuminated, so one’s gaze was undeniably drawn to it.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, I discreetly appraised the altar and saw that it was an [ Altar Enveloped in Sacred Magic (small) ]. 

I wondered if ‘sacred magic’ referred to a type of magic like holy magic. Was it different from healing magic? I didn’t know much about magic, but it piqued my curiosity a bit.

When I tried using [ Detection ] this time, I sensed something warm, not just from the altar, but from the whole room. It was a comforting feeling, like sitting inside a snow hut, roasting rice cakes and drinking warm sake. Despite the cold outside, it felt warm in here, creating a sense of dependency that seemed almost addictive. It was pleasant, but at the same time, it was somewhat uncomfortable. I felt like I was being pushed into liking it, so I couldn’t truly enjoy it.

I waited anxiously for about five minutes.

Finally, the priest arrived.

He was wearing an even more impressive outfit than the person before, clearly marking him as a higher-up.

Come to think of it, they said in the town of Tre that only bishops could perform curse-lifting magic, so was this person a bishop?

“……”

I tried to say, “Please take care of me,” but couldn’t make a sound, so I had no choice but to bow my head instead.

The bishop smiled kindly.

“Be at ease. We will proceed with the curse-lifting now. It might be a little painful, but once it’s over, the curse will be lifted, so please relax.”

Ehh, it was painful? I was a little nervous about the pain, but I followed the bishop’s instructions and lay down on the long bench.

When the bishop saw me lie down, he opened the lid of an expensive-looking bottle he was holding and poured its contents onto his hand.

I wonder if that was the item that would lift the curse.

While observing his every move, I continued to appraise the items earnestly.

The liquid was labeled only as [ purified water ]. It wasn’t a curse-lifting item.

The bishop splashed the water onto my body and then closed the lid of the bottle.

Gently placing the bottle at his feet, he crossed his hands in front of his chest and spoke.

“O wicked creature that dwelleth in this body, I command thee in the holy name of God. Depart from this body and return to the earth. Dispel the curse.”

The moment the incantation finished, I felt as if something was being scraped off the entire surface of my body, causing a stinging sensation.

Ow ow ow ow!

Unable to speak, I screamed internally as my jaw clenched in agony.

It was sickeningly painful, like my skin was being peeled away.

Was this how curses were lifted? I never wanted to experience this again. It was painful and unsettling.

After a strange sensation of something deep inside me being pulled out by the roots, the pain finally subsided.

Wow, that drained a lot of stamina.

Curses are scary!

“You’re alright now. That curse has been lifted.”

“…Thank you very much…”

Out of breath, I sat up and ran my hands over my chest and stomach.

It felt odd that everything was normal.

While the curse on my status had definitely disappeared, I realized that curse-breaking was no small task in this day and age.

“Those who undergo curse-lifting magic tend to feel exhausted afterward, so please take it easy today.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the bishop withdrew to the back, the priest who had guided me before promptly appeared.

He then discussed donations with me, and I was quite surprised by the amount.

I knew it wasn’t charity, but wasn’t the cost of curse-breaking a bit high?

I could afford it now, but if I had just started out in ADO and gotten cursed, I would have either immediately gone into debt or been forced to continue operating under the curse.

I mean, it was about half the price of my workshop! So expensive!