Chapter 4: I have to earn

First of all, I need to earn money to survive.

I knew it was obvious, but then I tilted my head and said, “Huh”.

(How do I make money?)

The large reward has been given to my family for having made me a Saint.

My father and mother had been ripping off the tourists and the people to get “me” to come.

However, I have never made money on my own in my life.

(The only thing I can do is the prayer ritual as a Saint…)

But you can’t do that.

His Highness Alex said that from now on, Mary would be the Saint of this country.

I am no longer allowed to pray for this country as a Saint… In the first place, the price of the prayer ceremony is the peace of the country that is created by dispelling the miasma and keeping the demons away. It is not something that can be exchanged for money.

(Other than that, the only other thing I have is healing magic. My strength.)

…I don’t usually have a chance to use it much.

No, maybe this is a pretty good line?

It seems that healing magic has a very limited number of people who can use it, so I think there is a good demand for it.

And I am a former Saint, even if my powers are weakened.

I may not be as good as any healing wizard out there…No.

(Yeah, that’s it!)

Once that was decided, it was quick.

I immediately set out to walk around the royal city to get a feel for the terrain.

And after an hour of walking with great enthusiasm, I realized.

I realized that I couldn’t find anyone who was injured at all just by walking down the street.

(I mean, no one should be hurt.…!”)

I’d rather that no one gets hurt or sick, and that everyone is happy and healthy.

I thought about it from the bottom of my heart, but my stomach growled as I thought about it.

The world is at peace, and I’m starving to death. What should I do?

“…Ouch.”

“!”

As I was thinking about such stupid things, I heard a voice that sounded even louder.

Before I could even think about it, I started running in the direction of the voice.

Unlike the ambience of the main street, the back alleys are completely deserted.

When I peeked in there, I saw a boy’s back.

(Is he limping?)

“Um, are you alright……?”

As I approached, I tried to speak as calmly as possible so as not to startle him.

Shaking his shoulders, the boy turned around. I’m surprised!

The golden eyes of a fearless beast glare at me.

(Beautiful eyes)

While I was admiring him, the boy opened his mouth, revealing a strong sense of caution.

“……What are you.”

“Me? I’m Evelyn.”

“……Ha~”

I blinked as he let out a sigh at the mere mention of my name.

“I mean, the whole town is covered with those names. All those parents who shamelessly fawn over saints and such…”

(Is that so! ?”)

It seems that before I knew it, the royal capital had become full of Evelyn.

I’ve been hearing a lot of new information since I left the Great Temple.

I was tempted to ask him to elaborate a little more, but I didn’t have time for that, so I moved a little closer to the boy.

I muster up the courage to ask.

“I’m sorry I spoke to you so abruptly and startled you. I can use my healing magic. Can I use it on your leg?”

He didn’t respond for a while.

Eventually —just as I was beginning to fidget and cross my fingers restlessly —the boy whispered to me.

“……Even if it’s a joke, it’s a bad one.”

“Eh?”

“Healing magic is extremely rare…… and its users are always limited to the rich and noble.”

Then the boy grins and sneers gloomily.

“Or is there something you’d like to take away from this little kid?”

I look at him again at his words.

Although it was dimly lit, the boy’s outfit was quite dirty.

He wore clothes that looked like rags, or cloth covered with dirt and dust……

In addition, just looking at the skinny body that should be around the age of…… makes my heart creak.

(The Royal Palace, a short walk from here, is so glittering.)

And I’m about to — I’m about to tell such a child a hell of a lot of words.

Nevertheless, I was determined.

Because I myself am in an incredibly tight situation.

“If- If I could, I’d accept money as a reward for fixing your leg.”

The boy’s eyes narrowed coldly as if he knew.

Feeling discouraged, I bowed my head.

“One Rin(L) Copper coin) is enough, please. I’m in desperate need of money!”

“……Huh?”

(Ah…… he’s mad! ?)

I hurriedly reiterated.

“I guess 1 Rin is too high! ? Then of course I wouldn’t mind 1 Ran(S)Copper coin)!”

“Wait, wait…… I can’t keep up with what you’re saying.”

“I wonder if there was ever a smaller unit of money than a Ran! ?”

“There is no such thing! !”

The boy’s voice was extremely loud. I apologized unintentionally.

“You’re awfully naive, aren’t you! ?”

(That’s not true, right? Eh…… am I naive?)

Then I asked the boy, who seemed to know a lot more than I did, about something I was curious about.

“So, do you know how much money it costs to stay at an inn?”

“An inn? Depending on where you are, the cheapest place in the capital is about 1 Rune(Silver)…… per night, or about 10 Rin.”

(I see!)

This was a good thing to hear.

“So that means ten rounds of healing magic and I’ll have an inn for tonight!”

Finally, there was hope.

I was excited like that, but the boy saw me and said in a very small voice.

“……In case you’re wondering, 10 Rin doesn’t come with a meal.”

“…Eh~”

“With breakfast and dinner, you’re looking at 30 Rin.”

I collapsed on the spot.

“Mother Goddess…… Please forgive me for having the insolence to think, “I wonder if I’ll find thirty injured people in one day!”

Oh, mother goddess of fertility, mother goddess of beauty, I cried out, and the boy looked over at me with a shocked look on his face.

“Don’t fall down here! You’re beautiful, you can’t get dirty!”

“Ugh, thanks…… you’re so kind.”

For some reason, the boy’s face turned bright red when I smiled at him through my tears.

“No, you’re not. It’s the clothes that are beautiful, not you!”

“! !”

(I wasn’t under the impression that I was!)

I felt even more depressed.