292 – Water Barrels

As I stare at the water barrel, the [Holy] skill springs to mind.
From what the Hero said, he was going to use [Holy] to avoid the muscas demilich’s curse.
It might be able to cleanse the curse that has been cast on the water which is giving everyone status conditions.

God’s Voice, just to be sure, show me its details.

【Normal Skill [Holy]】
【A magic skill that is attained by high ranking clergy following a long period of training.】
【The target is wrapped in a scared light, producing a warm feeling of happiness and also cleansing all curses.】
【Further, the target is bestowed the [Blessed] status condition, preventing them from being [Cursed] for a fixed period of time.】
【As an alternative use, it inflicts major damage to undead.】

It does just as I thought… M-major damage to undead… I need to be careful not to hit Aro with it by accident.
That reminds me, her default state is [Cursed].
I suppose if that goes away, it really would be bad.

Okay, partner, please fire [Holy] towards that water barrel.

『…It’d use a lot of MP.』

…That much?

『Yeah.
The water barrel is that big, after all…』

She’s been working hard casting [High Rest] on so many people, after all.
Waiting to recover MP would take a fair amount of time.

『Plus, I’m sure you know, but something smells off.』

Indeed, now that we know there are enemies lurking around… I want to conserve MP.
I’d like to buy some time by making a few curse-free water barrels… Then, I need to go after the source.
If my thoughts are correct, then at the riverside…Hibi was killed, and something was set up.

『Then, I’m firing off [Holy].』

She raises her head and cries out a single “Gaah”.
The water barrel is wrapped in light

“W-what? What is dragon-god-sama doing?”
“Aah, if only miko-sama were here… If only Bella-sama had not left the village…”

The surrounding Lithovars all wonder what we’re doing, tilting their heads as they ask questions.

Bella-sama? I wonder if she’s one of the dragon-god’s mikos.
As I’m thinking, the man who mentioned the name Bella is grabbed by the collar by another man.

“How dare you mention that traitor’s name at a time like this?! And what’s your intention in calling her -sama?!”

An awfully unsettling atmosphere descends.
I turn to look at them, and the grabbing man’s expression twists in embarrassment and releases his grip.
The grabbed man faces me and nervously bows.

……? Well, it’s okay not to worry about it for now.
More importantly, the water barrel.

The curse being gone is great and all, but… Its appearance hasn’t changed one bit.
Err…is it really safe to drink?

『….…It…should be good? I was planning on strengthening it by doing it a second time…』

…Why so unsure? I’ll try checking it again.

【[Blessed Water Barrel: Value C+]】

【A barrel filled with holy water that has been blessed by the dragon that rules over life and death.】
【Those that drink the water taste a faint sweetness and feel warmth.】
【It also has the effect of slightly relieving status conditions.】

That might be overdoing it slightly… No, I’m happy that it can relieve status conditions.

“Dragon-god-sama, what exactly…”

From the crowd of Lithovars, I hear the familiar voice of Baron, who was with Hibi earlier.
Taking the initiative, he takes a step forward.

I’d thought he’d been killed alongside Hibi, but it looks like the attendants that died with her were some other people.
Complicated feelings swell inside me, but seeing my acquaintance gives me a feeling of relief.

I indicate the water barrel with my jaw, then gesture towards the other water barrels.
I’d thought it’d be difficult to convey, but upon seeing my desperate gesturing, Baron’s eyes open wide.

“Gather the…water barrels?”

Baron says, moving his hand.

“GuOOOH”

I cry out, and the Lithovars raise cheers of joy.

“Dragon-god-sama has told us to gather the water barrels!”
“Could the poison be coming from them?”

“I can’t think anything else it could be from!”

The relatively healthy people run around, and a moment later, all the water barrels are gathered together.

『…All of them is impossible.』 

I nod my head.

I understand that.
I lie a portion of them sideways, then start opening the lid of the rest and pouring out their contents.
The Lithovars start copying me and join me in pouring them out.

Once the work is finished, I have my partner use [Holy] on the remaining water barrels.
Just to be sure, I check each of them in turn to be sure the curse is gone.

“Umm, what are…”

Baron asks again.
The other Lithovars are quiet.
He’s completely taken the role of the substitute miko.

I open the lid of a water barrel and bring my head close, then lightly taste it with my tongue.
Indeed, there’s a faint sweetness to it.
When I gulp it down, a feeling of warm contentedness spreads from my abdomen throughout my body.

Seeing me, my partner also brings her head closer, and we lightly bump heads.
It’s precious water, so please leave it for later.
Once this is all over, you can drink as much as you like.

Indicating it with my forelegs, I encourage Baron to try the water.

He falters, looking around at the surrounding Lithovars.
This is right after they concluded that the water’s poisoned, so it makes sense that he’d hesitate.
I was hoping that by drinking it first it’d clear that away… Well, a poison that’s enough to kill a human would only give me a slight stomach ache, after all…

“T-to drink water that dragon-god-sama has tasted…”

That’s the problem?!

I encourage him again with my foreleg, and he nods his head vigorously, then approaches the water barrel.

“I am most grateful for this happiness.
Th-then…”

Scooping the water with his hands, he brings it to his mouth.

“D-delicious… It’s delicious! Probably, that light earlier was dragon-god-sama removing the poison!”

Baron shouts, and everyone cries out in joy again… Though to be accurate, it’s not that the water was poisoned, it’s that it had a status condition-inflicting curse cast on it.

But I still haven’t dealt with the cause of the problem.
I need to deal with the source of the curse.
There should be something by the river.
But I also need to get them to understand the situation… It’d be a good idea to have one of them accompany me.

“Guoh”

I cry out, and Baron, who had been facing the others, turns to look at me.

“Y-yes! Umm… do you mean… me?”

He has no way of knowing what it is I want from him, but it looks like he was able to understand that I was calling on him.

I nod deeply, then turn to look at my partner.
I order to limit the magic power consumption, we’ve been only treating those in danger of losing their lives.
But if we’re having him accompany us, it’d be better to make sure he’s clear of status conditions.

“Gaaah!”

My partner gives Baron a [High Rest] with strengthened magic power.
After casting it once more, I confirm he’s clear of status conditions, then start walking towards the river.