The Regressor and the Blind Saintess - Chapter 58

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈

Chapter 58: Rebirth - 2

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One week after receiving Aidrin’s fruit.

Rumble!

As the tremendous roar rang out, Rene felt her whole body vibrate and asked Vera,

“Vera, is everything going well?”

“Yes. Aidrin is collapsing smoothly.”

“Is anyone getting hurt...?”

“No.”

A smile appeared on Rene’s lips.

“That’s a relief.”

The sound came from Aidrin’s collapse, now that its essence had been drained. They were clearing the space to plant Aidrin’s new seed.

According to Freide, Aidrin’s corpse would be used as material for the elves’ homes, bows, and other things.

Rene recalled Freide saying, “We’ll shape Mother’s corpse into houses,” and gave an awkward smile at how strange it had sounded.

“...Elves really are fascinating.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just... doing things with their mother’s body.”

“It is a cultural difference. What they worship is not the tree, but Aidrin’s soul.”

At Vera’s unconcerned response, Rene nodded, wondering if she alone was being overly sensitive.

“How long will it take?”

“It should be finished today. The elves work remarkably fast.”

Vera watched the elves digging up Aidrin’s roots, with only the stump remaining, and quietly marveled at their ability.

They looked frail, yet they carried heavy objects without difficulty and used sorcery to pull out the roots.

What particularly caught Vera’s attention was Freide’s work.

The Mystery of Wind, was it?

The most primitive supernatural ability, said to allow only the chosen to commune with nature.

Freide was using that mystery, which they had only used to fire blasts of wind, for this work.

Throughout the work, they raised winds to cut away Aidrin’s upper trunk, shape the wood, and carve apart the roots. The speed was truly astonishing.

“At that speed, Freide would be welcomed as a laborer anywhere outside the Great Forest.”

It explained something.

Why the elves, who numbered only around three hundred even including the Noier, had been able to form such a prosperous society. It must have been because of their work capacity.

As Vera and Rene chatted about the ongoing work...

“Everyone, break for food!”

Mari’s shout rang out.

“Ah!”

Rene also cried out.

Vera felt conflicted as he saw Rene brighten at the word “food.”

He simply could not understand how Rene could eat such a bizarre meal, which he could not even bring himself to eat, with more relish than he had ever seen.

“Vera, let’s go too.”

“...Yes.”

Of course, he could not say that aloud.

Vera merely hoped they would leave the Great Forest soon, so he would not have to look at that strange soup again.

* * *

“Oh, Saintess, aren’t you just a delight to watch eat!”

At Mari’s words, Rene’s cheeks reddened.

“Hehe... It’s nothing.”

For some reason, Rene felt embarrassed. She was only eating with such relish because it was truly delicious, but being praised for it made her feel awkward.

Lowering her head in embarrassment, Rene moved her spoon again. Then she suddenly remembered something she had wanted to ask Mari.

“Oh, Mari, are you returning to the Holy Kingdom now? The work here is all finished.”

“Hm? No, I’ll stay here until the seed properly takes root. Once that’s done, I’ll go see my family for a while.”

“Your family?”

Rene tilted her head.

She wondered whether Mari’s family did not live in the Holy Kingdom.

Seeing Rene’s puzzled expression, Mari answered in a hearty tone.

“My husband works as an inspector in the Empire.”

“Ah.”

“Goodness, I haven’t seen the man in ten years. I’m worried sick that he might’ve been fooling around!”

Cheating.

Mari had said it jokingly, but for some reason, Rene felt her nerves prickle at those words.

“C-Cheating is bad!”

“Hm? Right, it is.”

“Yes! Cheating is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not allowed!”

The words burst out because they struck too close to home. As Rene said them, all her attention was focused on Vera.

Mari burst into laughter at Rene’s obvious feelings, then added,

“Well, he can’t even get it up, so who would have him?”

Vera flinched. Narrowing his eyes, he rebuked Mari.

“...Mari.”

“Oh dear, how thoughtless of me.”

Mari covered her mouth and put on a startled expression. Yet Mari’s face was full of mischief.

“Can’t get it up? Get what up?”

Rene was unfamiliar with sexual jokes and could not understand what Mari meant. At her question, Vera let out a Ugh and hurriedly explained.

“Mari was making a joke. It is not something you need to know.”

Rene tilted her head.

Glaring at Mari for saying needless things, Vera once again reminded himself that none of the Apostles were normal.

* * *

The day of their departure arrived.

Aidrin’s seed was buried in a carefully chosen patch of earth. Soil covered it, Mari’s divine power enveloped the ground, and everything was complete.

As Vera watched Freide approach after finishing the work, he suddenly recalled the moment Freide had beheaded Gilly and felt a small surge of irritation.

He had needed to learn about the dagger, but Freide had simply cut off Gilly’s head.

Vera frowned, then let out a deep sigh and shook away the thought.

...No. Even if Freide had not killed Gilly, I would not have learned anything.

Half of Gilly’s body had been blown apart, leaving Gilly at death’s door. Furthermore, Gilly had shown no sign of revealing anything until the end.

Vera knew nothing would change by being angry over something that had already passed.

“So, you’re leaving now?”

Rene answered the voice.

“Yes, thank you for everything.”

“Thank us? We elves are the ones indebted to you. Thank you for saving us.”

“No. I only did it because I could.”

Feeling shy, Rene lowered her head.

Receiving someone’s sincere gratitude made her feel embarrassed, and somehow ticklish inside.

“Where will you go now?”

“We plan to look around the Alliance of Kingdoms.”

“Ah, the land of the beastfolk.”

Freide gave a small nod at Rene’s answer, then seemed to think for a moment before giving instructions to the elves.

“Could you wait a moment? I would like to repay you somehow.”

“Yes?”

“I happen to have a suitable gift.”

Freide smiled.

* * *

After some time, the elves who had left returned carrying several pieces of finely shaped timber and a rather heavy-looking bundle.

Vera looked at Freide and asked,

“What is this?”

Freide smiled faintly and explained the things they had brought.

“This timber was made from Mother’s strongest branches. That bundle contains Proden.”

Vera’s eyes widened at the word “Proden.”

Proden, commonly called the Flower of the Snowfields, was one of the continent’s most valuable minerals. A single piece cost as much as an entire mansion.

“A guest who came several hundred years ago left it as a gift... As you know, we elves cannot work minerals. Since your sword is broken, I thought it would make a fine gift.”

Freide added this while looking at Vera’s surprised face.

Freide’s expression carried a slightly bitter air.

“I am sorry about Gilly. I believe you wanted to learn something from them, but I acted too emotionally.”

Emotionally. Why did that word sound so awkward?

Freide gave a small smile at the thought that arose as they spoke, then continued.

“When you reach the Alliance of Kingdoms, seek out Dovan in the Keloi Mountains. Dovan will be able to work Proden.”

At Freide’s continued words, Vera swallowed his surprise and nodded.

“...I will use it well.”

“I would be grateful if you did. Ah, and.”

Was there more?

As Vera looked at Freide with that thought, Freide took a small bundle from their clothes and held it out to Rene.

Rene, who had been listening to the conversation, felt the weight of what landed in her hand and asked,

“What is this?”

“Mother’s flesh. We needed the seed, so should the flesh not go to the Saintess who caused the fruit to bloom?”

“Ah.”

“Please eat it. It tastes good, but Mother’s flesh is also an exceptionally potent elixir. Only one fruit grows every thousand years, so you will not be disappointed.”

Rene flinched.

The thought she had had while waiting for Aidrin to be cut down came back to her.

Mother’s flesh. In other words... being told to eat Mother somehow felt strange. Rene gave an awkward smile, hugged it to her chest with trembling hands, and lowered her head.

“Th-thank you...”

As Rene thought she might never understand elven culture, Mari said her farewell.

“Saintess, take care of yourself, all right?”

“Ah, yes. Mari, please stay healthy too... Will we see each other again in the Holy Kingdom?”

“Hm? Well...”

Mari seemed to consider Rene’s words for a moment. Then Mari took a notebook from her clothes, wrote something down, and handed it to Rene.

“For now, yes. But if you visit the Empire, would you come find this place on First Street?”

Rene accepted Mari’s note and recalled what Mari had said the day before.

“Ah, Mari’s house?”

“That’s right. If I’m home then, I’ll treat you to a grand meal.”

“Thank you. I’ll definitely visit.”

“Good. Travel safely.”

“Yes.”

At last, all farewells were over.

Turning toward the edge of the Great Forest, Rene smiled deeply at the elves’ parting words behind her.

Since the light of the world had been taken from her, Rene felt a swelling sense of accomplishment at having done something through her own strength for the first time.

* * *

Inside the carriage headed for the Alliance of Kingdoms, Rene fiddled with Aidrin’s flesh before holding it out to Vera.

“Vera, would you like it?”

She had thought about it for a long time, but she still could not eat it.

It was not because of any other problem. She could not eat it because of what Freide had said when handing it over.

If she had simply been told to eat it, she would have. But of all things, Freide had called it “Mother’s flesh.” Was she not being asked to eat someone else’s mother?

It was purely a matter of feeling! Still, Rene could not gather the courage to eat it because of the aversion that rose within her.

Vera looked at the Aidrin flesh Rene offered him and asked in a hesitant voice,

“I would be grateful if you gave it to me, but are you sure? If the elves are so confident in this elixir, its effects cannot be ordinary.”

“It’s fine.”

Her answer was firm.

Rene held the flesh out toward Vera again and urged him on.

“Please eat it.”

Please.

It feels strange to keep holding it.

Rene swallowed the words she could not bring herself to say and kept her arm outstretched until Vera accepted it.

At Rene’s resolute attitude, Vera accepted the flesh with some hesitation.

“...Thank you.”