Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Journey Is Going Extremely Smoothly

Angelina’s journey was going extremely smoothly.

She had deliberately limited the range of her power of warding to herself and a radius of ten meters around her. Thanks to that, she could ensure her own safety while allowing magical beasts to appear outside that range—an arrangement that was extraordinarily convenient for her.

With this, no one would ever think she was the Saintess of Warding!

“…I’m really glad things worked out even without a trial run,” Angelina muttered.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Gilberto asked.

“Oh, nothing at all—it’s just to myself,” she replied quickly, laughing awkwardly to cover it up.

“Captain! A worm has appeared in our path! No—three of them!”

Ugh, not those.
Worms were caterpillar-like magical beasts covered in poisonous bristles. Her grandmother had once shown her pictures of them in an illustrated guidebook, and their appearance alone was enough to make one’s skin crawl. They were large, but slow-moving and not particularly strong. A single one was easy to deal with, but when they attacked in groups, they became troublesome.

“I’ll take care of it,” Gilberto said.

“Oh—please wait a moment, Captain Gilberto! There’s some loose thread stuck to the tip of your scabbard!”

“I see. My apologies.”

“Not at all! Please do your best!”

Pretending to remove the thread, Angelina discreetly enchanted his sword.
Weakening. Poison nullification.
The blade would cut cleanly, and its wielder would suffer no ill effects from poison. With this, the fight would be over in no time.

She watched the captain dash toward the front lines, then turned to one of the soldiers nearby.

“My, my—you’re injured. Let me tend to that while we have the chance.”

“No, this barely counts as an injury.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate the poison of magical beasts. If it becomes inflamed, it could cost you your life.”

This was no exaggeration—it was the truth. Angelina poured water over the wound on his arm to wash away the poison… and while she was at it, she quickly cast magic, then placed a cloth over the injury and wrapped it with a bandage. To anyone watching, it would look no different from ordinary first aid using medical tools.

Perfect cover work.
Could it be that I’m a genius?!

“There, that should be fine.”

“Thank you! It was hurting terribly earlier, but now it feels much better!”

“I’m glad—please keep up the good work!”

She smiled brightly, and the soldier’s cheeks flushed red.

“Anju, you’re just like a Saintess.”

“W–What?!”

Angelina went pale.
What? No—why? How did he figure it out? When did I give myself away?!

“My name is Sabino. When we reach the Rovaldia Kingdom, I’d love to—”

“You seem rather relaxed for someone on the front lines.”

“V–Vice Captain!”

“Since your treatment is finished, return to your post immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Turning around, Angelina saw Feres, the vice captain, standing there with a pleasant smile. Sabino froze stiff. With time short, Angelina quietly cast only poison nullification on him. That should ensure he wouldn’t be affected again.

“If you have that much spare energy, perhaps you’d like to experience a training regimen straight out of hell.”

“I-I’m very sorry!”

Sabino bolted away at full speed. Yes, he certainly looked healthy—good for him.

Watching him go, Vice Captain Feres let out a deep sigh.

“Honestly, there’s never a moment to relax.”

“Are you on a different assignment, Vice Captain Feres?”

“Yes. My main role is rear support, so unless something unusual happens, I don’t participate in combat. When the soldiers are fighting like that, I secure rest areas and prepare meals.”

“I’ll help!”

“Eh? No, asking a civilian to help with that is—”

“No, no! If my safety and status are guaranteed until we reach the kingdom, it’s actually very convenient for me… ahem. You’ve all helped me so much, so please let me assist!”

Ideally, she wanted to continue traveling with them and pass through immigration without trouble. That would be the best outcome of all.

Vice Captain Feres narrowed his eyes gently.

“You really are a hard worker, Anju. Very well—please help.”

“Yes!”

For the sake of a happy future, she would work as hard as she could.

Following his instructions, Angelina borrowed some tools and began chopping ingredients.

“You’re surprisingly skilled.”

“Yes! I can peel a potato in one second flat!”

Perhaps it was the head cook’s preference, but potatoes were used often in temple meals. She had peeled mountains of them every single day, acquiring a skill completely unrelated to magic. Maybe when she reached the Rovaldia Kingdom, she could work at an eatery.

Angelina’s special soup was simple: chopped vegetables simmered with dried meat, seasoned with salt and pepper.

“That looks delicious.”

Sensing someone peering over her shoulder, she turned around to find Captain Gilberto there.

Vice Captain Feres’ eyes widened.

“Oh? You’re back quickly.”

“The enemies were weaker than usual. It was over quickly.”

“Are you injured?”

“No. I wasn’t affected by poison either.”

Of course you weren’t. I’m glad I could help.

Angelina stirred the pot with care.
Be delicious, be delicious.
There—she finished adding recovery magic. As a bonus, she also included detoxification.

“By the way, is there anyone else who needs treatment?”

“There are a few, but they can manage on their own. No need to go that far.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean treatment. I used quite a bit of water while cooking, so I thought I’d go draw some more.”

“I see. Then I’ll come with you.”

“No, no—please enjoy the soup while it’s still hot!”

After all, she hadn’t actually participated in combat—she was the most energetic one there. Still, she was persuaded, and the two of them each carried a small barrel down to the stream.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, making the water’s surface sparkle. The fragrant scent of wood filled the air, and delicate flowers swayed gently. This—this was the kind of scenery she had always wanted to see.

Angelina took a deep breath of the forest air.

“I’d heard this forest was terrifying, but there are such peaceful places too!”

“Today, encounters with magical beasts are relatively rare. That may be why you feel that way.”

Captain Gilberto narrowed his eyes softly and took some river water into his mouth.

“No poison. It seems safe.”

At the mention of poison, Angelina’s complexion darkened.

“Does river water sometimes contain poison?”

“Rarely, when poisonous species are nearby—like earlier. It’s unclear whether it seeps from bodily fluids or from claws and fangs. If your tongue tingles when you taste it, it’s best not to drink.”

She hadn’t known that. Knowledge gained from experience, not books.

Angelina’s shoulders slumped.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m reflecting deeply on how much I still have to learn.”

“Since there are no magical beasts in the Centrea Kingdom, it’s understandable.”

He wasn’t blaming her. As he filled the barrel, he smiled awkwardly.

“You’re young, Anju. Not knowing everything is natural. You learn what you don’t know and apply it next time—that’s enough.”

“…You don’t think I’m incompetent or useless?”

“Not at all. You’re hardworking, and you learn well in practice. You’re good at reading the atmosphere, and you’re considerate of everyone around you. That kind of quality is wonderful—something you should be proud of.”

Angelina felt as though her chest had been struck. No one had ever said such things to her before.

She wanted to thank him, but the words wouldn’t come.
She had never been praised by anyone other than her grandmother.

As her gaze wandered, the bucket vanished from her hands. In its place, a flower was offered to her. Slender deep-green leaves framed clusters of small purple blossoms. The edges of the petals were soft and frilled, like lace.

“Wow… what a beautiful flower.”

“This is Phiranium. It blooms year-round, and its leaves are used in cooking and medicine.”

“I’ve seen dried leaves before, but this is my first time seeing it in bloom.”

Phiranium’s leaves were the useful part—used to remove odors from meat, as an antidote, and to suppress inflammation. At the temple, there had been a Saintess specializing in compounding medicines. Though she often looked displeased, she always explained things thoroughly when asked. Angelina remembered enjoying helping her.

She held the flower up to the sunlight.

“The clear purple color is so beautiful. And freshly picked, the scent feels even richer.”

“In the Rovaldia Kingdom, Phiranium blooms everywhere. It’s considered a flower of great vitality—one that blooms again no matter how often it’s trampled.”

“I see!”

As she gazed at it without tiring, Captain Gilberto smiled gently.

“This flower suits you well. Purple flowers have a sense of dignity, and the color is gentle—just like your eyes.”

Dignified. Gentle. Those words slowly spread through her chest.

Why did her heart hurt even though she was happy?

Clutching the Phiranium tightly, Angelina stood there at a loss, unsure of what this feeling meant.