Protagonist Knows Everything

[Creak]

The door opened with an unusual sound.

“Hello.”

It was Kasha.

“So tell me, what’s the matter?”

At my question, Kasha tilted her head.  “Gah, how did you know?”

“Because today it wasn’t a bang, it was a creak.”

“What are you talking about?”

‘What are you talking about?’

It means that you’re an easy-to-understand kid. Just the sound of you opening the door gives away your intentions.

Kasha sat across from me on the couch and sighed. After fidgeting for a few moments she said, “Elena can’t come to work today.”

“And why is that?”

“She’s ill, she’s boiling up like crazy.”

“Huh?”

After the incident with Kasha’s curse I was quite worried that someone else might also get afflicted with something similar. And now all of a sudden Kasha came in saying that Elena was boiling up.

Reflexively I called up the records.

[Health condition: Caught a cold.]

‘Thank god.’

No, I was not happy that she had caught a cold.  It was quite unfortunate that she was sick. But it was good that it was not anything like magic or a curse. It was just a regular cold.

“You must be really worried then.”

“The seasons are changing, I told you to be careful didn’t I?! Huh?!”

“Kids tend to get sick during these times.”

“……”

“You never go to sleep on time, you don’t take care of yourself.  Honestly, you should be punished once.”

While I said so, Kasha’s face grew even more gloomy.  I clicked my tongue, realizing that scolding her wouldn’t make the situation better. 

I said, “Can’t you cure her with your magic?”

“I don’t know how to cure injuries and poisons to begin with. And curing illnesses is an advanced skill. Besides, those spell require proficiency in water mana, I can use it a little bit, but I can’t use advanced spells…”

So there hasn’t been much progress after the Braum quest.

“….”

“Well, sorry.”

‘Anyway, the therapist can help.’  We have someone like that in our guild.

[Creak]

With another creaking sound, someone entered.

“Hi.”

It was Ms. Jeriel.  I learned it from Kasha; strictly speaking, there’s no rule saying that adventurers need to work every single day.

“Yeah. Hi. Good morning.”

Unlike my plain voice, Kasha said in her gloomy voice, “Hello.”

“Ms. Kasha? Are you sick?”

“No. Not me……”

She told Jeriel what she told me.  Jeriel listened attentively and suddenly rolled up her sleeves.

“Then, let me help you!”

“Huh?”

“Uhhhh, you should’ve come to me right away. Let’s go right now.”

‘How’s she supposed to find you even before you came to the guild?’

Kasha just smiled bleakly and said, “Ah. No. No need to bother.”

“Ms. Kasha.”

“It’s just a mild cold. Besides, we decided to go to the clinic together during lunch.”

“Let me heal her.”

‘Hmmm..’

Jeriel’s expressions felt a bit odd.  Rather than just offering her help. It felt like she’s a bit fixated on healing her.

‘What is it?’  I called up the personnel register.

[Concerns: Worried that if Kasha’s sister isn’t healed then she’ll suffer the same fate as her.]

“……”

Looks like something is going on.  I thought for a moment and opened my mouth.

“Let her help, Kasha.”

“Huh? Uh, but.”

“You make it sound like it’s no big deal, but you’re really worried about it right?”

After fidgeting for a while, Kasha admitted it.  Then she bowed to Jeriel and said, “I am thankful for your kind offer. Please help me. Ms. Jeriel.”

“Yeah. Me… No! Trust the goddess.”

Whenever she said that, it felt like she was trying to evangelize.  

***

I avoided leaving my desk within working hours, except if I had field work.  But this outing was reasonable because it was… work.

Elena is a valuable employee. So it’s natural to visit her during distress.  It was completely fine.  

Jeriel and Kasha found it quite unusual that I was accompanying them.

“You look stiff.”

“Is Mr. Tay sick as well?”

“No. I just feel like I am doing something really wrong.”

“……?”

Jeriel didn’t say much but Kasha pinched on the sides.

“It’s because you’re away during working hours, right?”

“How did you know?”

“Tay goes to sleep and wakes up on time, always. Even while having lunch, Tay gets up as soon as his lunch is over and heads to his chamber.”

Jeriel jolts back in agreement, “Yes. I’ve also noticed that.”

“Isn’t it really amazing?”

“Yeah. It’s great.”

“It’s really cool too.”

“Yeah. ……Yeah? Huh?”

I ignored their conversation and kept moving.

Kasha’s house was small, but quite pretty.  The flowers in the small garden must’ve been taken care of by Elena.

While I was admiring the garden, Kasha spoke up, “Ah. He must be sick too.”

Saying so she pointed towards a flower that looked barely alive.  Of course, I didn’t know the name of the flower.

“It looks fine.”

“No. It looks sick. I’ll have to change the soil later.”

“You’re managing that?”

Reflexively, Kasha nodded her head.  Kasha didn’t look like someone who’d be taking care of flowers. Seems like looks can be deceptive.

Kasha screeched while leading us to Elena’s room.

“Don’t enter my room!”

“You say that like I was creepily looking for your room.”

“There’s a chance that you might do that.”

“Do you have some secret hidden in your room?”

“No, but can Tay show me his room?”

She tried to answer a question with a question, but before I could reply, Jeriel interrupted.  “Jui wants to speak to Mr. Tay.”

“Yeah?”

“After that, she didn’t say anything.”

……

‘Are you gonna interpret?’

Anyway, Kasha knocked on Elena’s door.

“Hmm. Who?”

“It’s me.”

“Sister? What are you doing in the house? Don’t you have work?”

“Adventurers don’t need to go to work everyday.”

Elena sounded a bit hurt, her throat must be sore due to the cold.

“I am coming in.”

Elena was amazed after seeing me and Jeriel.

“Uh, Welcome.”

“We came to see you.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Then let’s say the doctor is here.”

Elena tilted her head and tried to get up quickly.

“I have to serve something. Sister. Did we have any apples left?”

I waved my hand and stopped her.  Why is this kid so mature?

“It’s okay Elena. Rather than that, Ms. Jeriel.”

I called Jeriel.  But she didn’t answer.

Instead, her eyes looked determined and her sleeves were rolled up.  It may be too much of an exaggeration to say this, but I wondered if the Saints from 300 years ago had such a face while they were heading to face the demon lord.

‘It’s a cold. Just a cold you know. Why are you so serious?’

Then Jeriel opened her mouth.  “Please lie down.”

“But……”

“Lie down.”

Her unusually stern voice made Elena lie down.  Jeriel put her hand on Elena’s head and began her prayer.

“Goddess…”

I watched her and then whispered to Kasha, “Today, Ms. Jeriel is a little bit serious.”

“It’s not like that, Ms. Jeriel is always serious.”

“Do you really think so?”

“……”

‘Answer me. Kasha.’

At that time, a golden tint flowed out of Jeriel’s hand.

After a while she lifted her hand and asked, “How do you feel, Ms. Elena?”

“Ah. Well. Uh?”

Elena suddenly got up from her bed.

She ran around the room a few times and then said, “It’s gone! My head doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Phew. Seems like the goddess answered the prayers.”

“Thank you very much. Ms. Jeriel. Thank you for healing me!”

As expected, it was quite hard being sick.  Elena couldn’t hide her joyous face.  Soon Elena and Kasha started nagging each other.  

Listening to their conversation was quite useless so I turned to Jeriel who was standing in the corner.

“You’re sure having a hard time, Ms. Jeriel.”

“……”

“Jeriel?”

She held her hands together and with her eyes shut, she prayed.

After a while, opening her eyes, Jeriel said, “Did you call me?”

“You were praying?”

“Yeah. Prayer of thanks to the goddess. And… the prayer for atonement.”

I was a bit puzzled.  I understood that she’d thank the goddess for responding to her prayers. But I didn’t understand what she’d atone for.

Jeriel, who read my expression, said with a bitter smile, “Wait a bit.”

“……”

“Please wait for a few moments?”

“I understand, so please speak comfortably.”

“I was complaining to the goddess a bit.”

I had a slight grin on my face.  For Jeriel, the goddess wasn’t someone to be subjected to her complaints, or maybe it was Jui.

“And the complaint…”

“Just. I was thinking of some old memories.”

“……”

“Anyway, I’m glad she’s alright now. I am happy that I could help.”

She laughed wholeheartedly after that.

I pondered for a few moments and checked her personnel log.

[Concerns: Concerned about finding her brother’s pendant.]

‘Her brother….’

[Family relationship: None]

Now, family relations also indicated half siblings also, however the dead relatives weren’t mentioned.  In other words, Jeriel had a younger sibling who’s no longer of this world.

‘Uhh.’

I scratched my head.  But I decided not to ask her about her past.  There was no need to do that.

“Seems like you’ve suffered quite a lot.”

“No. Uh? Ugh?”

Jeriel made a strange noise.

After a short while, she opened her mouth and said, “I guess she’s done.”

Now she spoke about Jui much more casually. But still I acted a bit surprised and asked.

“Why?”

“I just asked her something and then she started nagging.”

I was expecting that to happen.

“I will boldly give up my skin care tonight.”

“……”

Please tell me “…… Do you know what she meant by that?”

If I said that I knew what it meant then it’d be quite a hassle.

So I just shrugged and said, “No. Not at all.”

‘But for sure that’s a weird way of saying something.’

***

Elena, who was now completely healed, returned to work.

While she entered the guild I politely told her, “Today, you can just rest.”

However, Elena eagerly replied, “No. I’m in good shape, I can’t rest now.”

“Ms. Elena.”

“Besides, my work will keep piling up for as long as I take a break.”

‘You’re a really good employee.’

Anyway, the afternoon working hours passed quite peacefully and I didn’t need to leave my desk.

But at night.

I was wondering when to visit. During my first two visits it was just Jeriel. As I reached Jeriel’s room almost near midnight, a question struck me.

‘Come to think of it, should I knock now?’  As I was struggling with such useless worries, I heard a voice from the inside.

“Come in. It’s already your third time, what are you thinking about now?”

I opened the door and entered.  Jeriel….. Goddess Parmel, was sitting on the bed with both legs crossed.

“You’re late.”

“I am not that late. I’d say I am right on time.”

“Late. Next time, come at 11 pm.”

“Yes. ……Huh? There’s gonna be a next time?”

Parmel ignored my questions and sighed.

Wait a minute.  That was the reaction of the new recruits just before I took their interview.

‘Am I interviewing a goddess right now?’

I am the HR manager after all so it wasn’t rare for me to take interviews.

(T/N: He’s talking about his previous life.)

“What’s going on anyway? It isn’t like you to call me directly.”

“I want to tell you a story.”  Parmel was speaking in a gloomy voice.  “I mean, she cured Elena today.”

“Yeah. Oh. Thank you for the help.”

“Although I helped. It was mostly Jeriel’s own power. It was all thanks to her.”

She smiled and continued, “Jeriel offered me a prayer of atonement today.”

“I heard. She said she complained to the goddess.”

“……”

Even if she was a goddess, judging from the momentum of the conversation, it’d be just right to ask this.

“Can I ask the reason behind that?”

Instead of answering, Parmel asked a question.

“Do you know about the time when I first met Jeriel?”

“No.”

‘How would I know when you met Jeriel? I was probably sitting in my office at that time.’

“It was on that day. The day her brother died.”

Admin Note: Only one PKE this week as I have only seen the status of the next couple of chapters as “Proofreading in Progress” so I will wait until they are ready. But please enjoy this chapter as well as the two Reader chapters this week. ~Makarovfey