Solution spread her palm and pulled out the scroll that she kept stored in her body.
This scroll wasn’t the only thing Solution kept in her body. On top of consumable magic items like the scroll, she also had various weapons and armor. Considering that she could easily swallow several humans, something like that was not out of the norm.
Solution stared at the unconscious girl.
She had no interest in the girl’s appearance. Rather, only one thought crossed her mind.
This human did not look tasty.
The empty shell of a body did not seem like it would thrash around very much even if she were to melt it with acid.
“Though I could understand his actions if he wanted to give this to me as a toy after it recovered…”
Knowing his personality, she knew he would not allow it. Aside from when they were attacked during their travels, Sebas, the boss of Battle Maid Pleiades would never permit feeding on humans.
“If the Supreme Being had ordered that the girl be saved, I would have no choice but to accept it... But are the likes of humans truly worth saving even at the cost of a valuable treasure granted by the Supreme Being?”
Solution shook her head and thought out loud.
“…I may just devour you before Sebas-sama returns.”
She released the seal and opened the scroll. The magic contained within it was ‘Heal’, a tier 6 healing spell that greatly restored health and removed bad status effects like diseases.
A normal scroll could only be used if the person possessed a class that could use the same branch of magic as the scroll. In other words, in order to use a scroll of a faith based magic caster like a priest, one had to obtain a faith based class. To explain further, the spell had to exist on the list of learnable magic for that class. However, some thief based classes have a skill that can disguise this list and deceive the scroll.
As an assassin, Solution possessed several thief based classes. It was why she was able to use the ‘Heal’ scroll that she would normally be barred from.
“First, put her into a coma just in case, then…”
Solution used a skill to combine a powerful poison that induced sleep and a muscle relaxing poison. She then moved to cover the girl’s body.
♦ ♦ ♦
Mid Fire Month ( 8th Month , Day 26, 19:37
Sebas returned with the meal just as Solution stepped out of the room. She held a steaming bucket of water in both hands, with several towels in each bucket.
The water in both buckets was dark and the towels were dirty as well, showing just what sort of unsanitary conditions the girl lived in.
“You’ve worked hard. The recovery… it seems that it was completed without a hitch.”
“Yes, there were no problems, only that there was no suitable clothing for her so I changed her into whatever we had on hand. Was that acceptable?”
“Of course, it does not matter.”
“Is that so… The effects of the sleeping poison should have worn off by now. … If there is nothing else then I will take my leave.”
“Good work, Solution.”
Solution bowed and walked past Sebas.
Sebas saw her off, and then knocked on the door. Although there was no reply, he felt movement from within and quietly opened the door.
Inside, a girl was sitting up on the bed. She wore a vacant expression, as if she had woken only recently.
She was truly unrecognizable.
The dirty and withered blonde hair now shined with a beautiful luster. In that short amount of time, her sunken, scrawny face had been vitalized and regained its original appearance. Her once shriveled, cracked lips now shone with a pink glint.
To describe her appearance as a whole, rather than calling her beautiful, it was more fitting to call her as a girl who possessed an adorable charm.
It was also easy to get a general idea of her age. Although she looked like she should be in her late teens, her hellish daily life gave her face a dignity that extended past her years.
Solution had put her into a white negligee. However, it was of a simple design, lacking the usual laces and frills that were the norm.
“You should have recovered completely, but how is your condition?”
There was no reply. Her vacant eyes did not show any signs of looking in his direction.
However, as if he did not take that to heart, Sebas waited for her to speak. No, he did not expect much from the beginning. He had realized that her vacant expression was that of a person whose heart was no longer here.
“Are you hungry? I’ve brought you a meal.”
He had purchased it from a restaurant, bowl and all.
The wooden bowl held a stew that was made from slightly seasoned meat broth. The oil added to the stew to accentuate its scent released a smell that stimulated the appetite.
Her face moved slightly, responding to the smell.
“Please help yourself.”
Sebas thought that she had not yet completely walled herself off in her own world. He held out the bowl along with the wooden spoon in front of her.
Even when the girl did not move, Sebas did not try to force her.
After a certain amount of time had passed, enough to make others feel anxious, the girl slowly moved her arm. Her movement was nervous, one that feared pain. Even if her injuries had been healed completely, the memory of the pain remained untouched.
She held the wooden spoon and lifted a small amount of the stew. She then brought it to her mouth and swallowed.
The stew was watery and thin. Sebas had intentionally ordered it to be prepared that way, thinly slicing fourteen types of ingredients and cooking them for a long time so that there would not be a need to chew.
Her throat moved and the stew traveled down into her stomach.
The girl’s eyes moved ever so slightly. That tiniest of movements was the transformation from an elaborate doll to a human being. Her other hand moved, trembling as it accepted the bowl from Sebas.
While carrying the bowl, Sebas moved it to the place where she seemed to want it placed.
The girl stuck the wooden spoon into the stew, hugging the bowl closer to her with her other arm, and ate with an overflowing vigor.