Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 20

Eir was looking at a new wound on his left shoulder when she belatedly raised her head. Of course, she immediately understood what he meant.

“Going to Granny’s grave?”

“Yes.”

“She said something terrible would happen if it became corrupted.”

“Of course that would be the case. No sane person would want to be buried somewhere that becomes corrupted and gives birth to monsters.”

Though his tone was refined, his irritation at being made to suffer through this rainy journey for such a trivial reason was clearly evident. Eir felt somehow intimidated in front of the man and tried hard to keep her shoulders straight.

“It’s not that kind of problem. I don’t even know exactly, but Granny’s grave…….”

But then her words stopped. She was the only one who knew that Granny had been a witch. She wasn’t sure how these deeply religious villagers, no, how this man would react if he learned that fact.

So Eir thought it would be better to play the role of a naive young lady.

“Anyway, I survived thanks to Granny, so I didn’t want her grave to become corrupted.”

The man’s face frowned even more.

“That’s nothing, a priest can come and purify it, and that’s that.”

“But you know what? Purification doesn’t return things to their original state.”

The man looked at her with irritated eyes as if to say ‘what nonsense is this?’ To explain simply, Eir poked at his bandages. Though he felt nothing due to the painkillers, he brushed her hand away as if the touch was unwelcome.

Eir continued explaining regardless.

“It’s similar to these wounds. When a wound heals, it looks like it returns to normal, but actually new flesh grows there. The land is the same. It changes. Forever.”

“So what? Nature changes everything.”

“But that happens gradually. Purifying something tainted by darkness requires dramatic change. Granny’s soul won’t be able to remain there anymore.”

“All this for such a trivial reason?”

“One person’s soul isn’t trivial.”

“It’s the soul of someone who will wander before going to God’s side anyway.”

“Granny…….”

Can’t do that.

If she could have said those words, would Rubel have understood her a little better?

Eir shrugged her shoulders and pretended to be foolish again, and this time Rubel noticed it. Their eyes met, and Eir belatedly looked away, pretending to be busy herself.

“How could Granny just go to God’s side like that? That person has many sins.”

“……You’re quite arrogant about someone else’s grandmother.”

“Then did you come to protect her grave because you’re her grandson?”

He glanced at her briefly before closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the chair. Exhaustion clung to him thickly.

“No. I came to save you.”

The yellow lamp light flickered in the darkness, creating shadows on his face before washing it in light again.

Eir was too surprised by his words to speak, and he continued into that silence.

“It’s because I live in the same house as you. Somehow, that’s what happens when you live together.”

As he spoke, he let his hand drop.

His palm was covered in wounds from fighting with the broken axe. The tired man soon fell asleep, and Eir stared at that hand for a long while before treating it.

The man’s words left an inexplicable resonance in her heart.

The next day when the man woke up late, the sky was clear, and on the bed were new clothes, a leather armor piece that could protect one shoulder, and a rather impressive-looking sword.

‘What kind of house only has an axe for a weapon?’

Perhaps she remembered how he had grumbled like that.

The man smiled slightly as he examined the armor piece first.

It was meant for the left shoulder. Yesterday when she had touched the wound on his shoulder, she’d seemed to do it thoughtlessly just for treatment, but it seemed she had figured out how he fought from seeing the shoulder wound.

“Maybe she’s not such a fool after all.”

The man had developed a habit of sacrificing his left shoulder when deflecting attacks as he fought by finding gaps and aiming for vital points.

Whether the woman had really figured this out or if it was coincidence, either way, the man gratefully put on the shoulder armor. Since it only protected one side, it was comfortable to move in.

Next, he picked up the sword and drew it from its scabbard, holding the blade up to the light. It gleamed cleanly, revealing its fine craftsmanship.

He lowered the sword, thinking he should buy a replacement for the axe he had broken.