"Thank you very much for welcoming me, even letting me stay the night."
It was the next day, the sun had risen for a while.
It was only this morning that I had realized something… I was leeching off of someone else's money.
Damn it. I mean, it can't be helped, right? I've been living on burnt fishes and rough beddings.
Having a real meal and beds would inadvertently lead to me accepting it as it is. Who would ever want to return back to the wild?
Technological improvements were literally made to improve human lives, even if some people did take advantage of their wealth to lock access to some of them.
In other words, no human of the modern era could return back to their primal state without putting in the effort in doing so.
I'm no different. As a person of the modern era, I've practically gotten used to the accessibility of public facilities.
"I'm happy to be of help. In the future, don't be afraid to approach me whenever you feel like it."
While saying so, she still kept the poker face going. It's unfortunate that I've never seen her expression changed, but I can't really force her to show them.
Perhaps the easiest emotion to bring out would be anger?
Ah, I should stop thinking now. She's my benefactor, and now I'm thinking of making her angry…
"Before you go, do beware that your mana reserves have yet to be of full capacity. Try to avoid using any magic for the time being as it could lead to irreversible damages."
"I understand. Thank you very much for your help!"
Bowing down, I genuinely gave a heartfelt thank you. Rachel had given me so much already.
Money, clothing, portable storage unit, even some food that could last me a couple of days. Perhaps by the time it ran out, I would've found a reliable occupation already.
After giving Rachel a final goodbye, I turned around while waving my hand. Although she wouldn't have been able to see it, she did say something about being able to make out the shapes of things surrounding her.
With that in mind, I thought it was quite a shame someone as kind as her had lost one of their five senses.
God truly is awful. Not only did they take me away from my world, they even took away a good Samaritan's sight…
Perhaps, if I were given the chance to encounter god in the future, I would give them a good hit on the head…
Hehe…
—
Rachel watched as the body of mana slowly made its way away from her. After a while, the mana signature finally got out of her range. Confirming this, she let out a sigh of relief.
'What a peculiar person…'
A mana signature she'd never seen before. There's a bit of a dark kind of hue to it when compared to others' pure color. Although it was a little bit concerning, she's confident she would be able to deal with it had it shown any hostility towards her.
Covering her face using her hands, she inhaled.
'That was so nerve wracking…'
She hasn't felt so nervous in so long. Perhaps the last time she's felt such emotions was 15 years back. Even then, it was due to the enemy standing in front of her.
Though fortunately, she's able to keep her emotion in check, otherwise she might have already sent an attack towards her.
In full honesty, the individual named 'Aria', or so she herself had introduced herself as, is extremely suspicious.
As the Saintess, she has privileges bestowed upon her.
One such privilege is… lie detection.
It's an ability that's unconventionally active at all times. Not once did she ever successfully turn it off.
Although it had helped her in many scenarios before, having an alarm like sound blaring at her every time she talked to a cunning individual could never be pleasant.
Thinking back to the previous conversations before… 'Aria' had only told her a couple of lies.
Although they were lies, they were lies at places with no importance. The most prominent one was her 'name'.
'Aria' was not her real name.
Due to that fact, she could not search for information through her other abilities.
Rachel could've just pushed Aria to tell her real name, but then she'd be revealing one of her abilities.
Even while partying with the Hero, she did not fully show off her abilities, more so to a completely stranger.
But that raises another question.
Although lying about her name was a problem, Rachel could tell she did not do it with bad intention.
What's of most importance was the 'Truth' she had heard,
Aria, she may not be amnesiac, but she truly does lack the general knowledge about this world, be it mana or magical devices.
Plus…
'A forest full of faced trees'
That's no doubt the Great Harson Forest.
One of the very few places in this world that has yet to be fully explored due to the difficulty.
It burned overnight.
An incredible feat not even the Hero could confidently say he could do. Perhaps with some effort, but not easily.
Rachel walked towards one of the empty couches and sat down. Widening the range of her [Sight], she caught wind of more information.
On the board pasted full of commissions, one read:
'Investigate the pillar of flame that appeared towards the North.'
She has no idea who commissioned it, nor the amount of rewards that would be given.
'...Idiotic.'
What she does know is that the commissioner is an idiot.
Such a widespread knowledge in which everybody already knows and yet still commissioned the task.
Though, isn't it quite fortunate that nobody was looking at the board at the moment due to the commotion from that night?
If the commissioner had even an inkling of intellect in them, they would quickly put down the request.
Meanwhile, Rachel herself might not have been able to see the giant pillar of flame that everyone has been talking about, but she felt it.
A power comparable to the Demon King that was defeated 15 years back.
Was it really... hers?