Priestess-chan arrived wearing her usual robes, with a single mantle thrown over her shoulders. She looked as though she had rushed over the instant she heard the news, barely taking the time to prepare.

"Priestess-sama!"

"Ah, Jirou-san! Everyone! Thank goodness... you're all safe."

Safe and sound, yeah.

She arrived out of breath, and everyone was just sitting around laughing and drinking.

Priestess-chan collapsed onto the floor. She probably received a frantic message from Diana—something like "It's super bad!"—and had hurried over, either on horseback or via some magical means.

And yet... this was the scene she encountered.

Well, there's no problem since everything had ended safely, but still...

"Now, now, Priestess-sama, have a drink too. Please, help yourself."

"Eh...? Y-Yes. Thank you."

She looks like a kid, but her actual age is... well, let's just say she's definitely old enough to drink. She must have been parched, because she downed the lukewarm ale in one go. Whoa... she can definitely hold her liquor.

"Pwah. Thank you so much, Jirou-san. Still... according to Diana-sama, a Hitotsuzuki-level entity appeared... You defeated it... is that right? It's all over now...?"

"Yes. This group right here handled it. We had some luck on our side, too."

Quite a bit of luck, actually. Or rather, you could say we were unlucky that such a thing spawned in the first place. A blessing in disguise, perhaps.

Priestess-chan murmured, "Incredible... simply incredible," as she scanned the room.

Everyone appeared to be drinking while enjoying the sight of the cute priestess.

Then, her gaze froze on one specific spot.

"—!? A demon!"

"...Hm?"

Noticing Shamash-san, Priestess-chan immediately tensed up. Ah... so there really is a mysterious rivalry between elves and demons?

As for Shamash-san, she was just absentmindedly rubbing her horns. She'd been drinking quite a bit; maybe she was the type to get dizzy and mellow when drunk.

"Why is there a demon here? And... that person over there... is that a prison crest...?"

Next to Shamash-san sat Ion-san, showing her prison crest without reservation. At first glance, it was certainly quite a striking combination.

I guess I have no choice but to explain.

We need Priestess-chan to remove Ion-san's prison crest anyway.

Should I keep Ion-san's true identity a secret? There was still a chance she was listed as a fugitive.

Priestess-chan might keep it a secret if we ask, but she's basically a public servant, right? So there's a risk she'd report it.

Wait... if I think about it that way, the Empire might have already issued secret orders like, "Princess Lucreion might come to have her prison crest removed; report immediately if that happens."

But only elves can cleanse prison crests...

"What's the matter, Jirou-san?"

Priestess-chan tilted her head. Her cheeks were slightly flushed; she might be weaker to alcohol than expected.

Hmm...

Well, she'd already seen Ion-san. I just had to trust her. Besides, cleansing a prison crest might require a formal report anyway. It would be better for everyone's peace of mind to just be honest.

...Actually, I didn't need to explain everything right here and now.

"Priestess-sama. There are some details I'd like to discuss in private... do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"N-No, I don't."

"Then tonight... could you come with me? I have some other important matters to discuss as well."

I lowered my voice as I spoke.

She could perform the prison-crest cleansing there as well. With a private room at an inn, there would be no issue.

I could even book another room if necessary. She probably wasn't rushing straight back to Erishe anyway, and besides, I was the one who called her here, so I could arrange that much.

"E-Eh? Um... well... that's a bit..."

She held her glass with both hands, glancing shyly at Diana before looking up at me.

"...I'm happy you feel that way, Jirou-san, but without Diana-sama's permission, I..."

...? What?

"Hey, Diana. I'm having the Priestess-sama come to the inn tonight; that's okay, right?"

"Eh? Yes, it's fine nodesu."

"E-Ehhhh!? It's okay!?"

Good. I wanted to get everyone—Shamash-san and Ion-san included—into a quiet place to make sure we were all on the same page. I didn't know why Priestess-chan looked so shocked... I guess Diana does have a bit of a "strict" reputation.

"That aside, Priestess-sama, can I ask you something?"

"Eh? Yes, of course."

"How far can your healing magic go? What can you actually treat?"

"That depends on the severity... But with a Spirit Stone, I can heal almost anything..."

So a Spirit Stone was necessary. That was within my expectations.

"Did someone get hurt?"

"Yeah. Well... hurt, or rather..."

I looked over at Marco's sister, who was quietly sipping her glass. Her leg was paralyzed from an injury during a cave-in years ago.

Her leg was impaired due to an accident years ago from a landslide. One leg no longer worked properly.

Spirit stones are miraculous. With one, you can do almost anything. They can even grant rejuvenation. They fixed Aurica's eyesight in a snap. Healing a leg that wouldn't move should be child's play.

I'm not a particularly kind person, but since I've gotten to know them, it can't be helped. I don't have the mentality to ignore it when I have the means to help—for better or worse.

"I'd like you to heal that girl's leg. I have spirit stones."

"I understand."

Priestess-sama nodded and sat down next to Marco's sister. She exchanged a few words with her, then began to examine her leg. I see... so priests function as doctors in this world, too—albeit ones specialized in high-cost medical care.

"Jirou-san. This is no problem at all. I can heal it right away."

I felt relieved at her words. Giving someone hope and then failing is the worst kind of cruelty.

I handed Priestess-chan a Spirit Stone. Marco just watched with a blank expression; he clearly didn't grasp the situation. His sister, perhaps a bit tipsy herself, was just calmly drinking.

They probably couldn't imagine someone would just use a Spirit Stone out of the blue to help them. In their drunken minds, they probably just thought, "What are they doing?" I didn't care about making them feel indebted to me, so it was fine.

Priestess-chan held the stone and chanted a prayer. Instantly, a blindingly brilliant light burst forth—the glow of spirit magic.

For a moment, the noisy room fell silent. But the drunkards probably didn't care much, and the previous ruckus resumed shortly after.

Ion-san's eyes widened, perhaps surprised that I'd use such a valuable stone without hesitation.

"S-So? Did it succeed?"

I asked timidly. I don't really know how to judge magical success.

"Yes. Of course it did."

"Ooh!"

Marco and his sister still looked dazed. It's hard to tell what's happening just by looking. I figured I should explain.

"Marco."

"Eh? Yeah? Onii-san, what did you just do?"

"You've never seen spirit magic before?"

No way he hasn't.

There's a temple attached to the guild—they refine mithril and everything. Injured people probably get healed by elves there all the time.

"I mean... yeah, but... Eh? Was that Spirit Magic just now? For my sister...? What kind...?"

He was totally lost. A bit slow on the uptake, this one.

Maybe I should have announced it before healing her? No, that would have been awkward.

"Anyway, your sister's leg should be fixed now. Make sure to thank Priestess-sama."

"E-Ehh, Jirou-san! You're the one who provided the stone..."

"Without magic, it's just a stone."

Marco looked even more stunned. He might just be too drunk to process it. Maybe doing this at a party was a bad idea? Or maybe it was the perfect time.

"Little sister-san. Your leg should be healed. Try moving it."

"...Eh? Really? Now that you mention it... why? My leg feels a bit warm..."

She tried to move the leg she had been dangling from the chair.

"Huh? Ah... it moves... i-it moves!"

With a look of pure shock, she started swinging her leg much more vigorously than I expected.

Then, she stood up. "It's healed! It's healed!" She began walking—no, pacing—around the room. She even started skipping with little hops.

Indeed... this was true magic. Muscles, nerves—all the minor details were bypassed. It was healed... so it was healed. Truly, Incredible.

Marco watched her with his mouth hanging wide open.

I waited to see what he'd say to her, but he just started foaming at the mouth and keeled over.

"H-Hey!"

"Waaah... my sister is walking... going round and round..."

"He's a goner."

He was already on the verge of collapsing from the booze; seeing his sister skip was the final straw for his brain. Healing her was just a side quest, but I actually had things to discuss with Marco regarding that metal. Oh well—tomorrow is fine.

The dwarves drank with such ferocity that the booze ran out quickly, and the party broke up shortly after. It was just past 8:00 PM. I'd definitely overdrank. But the most important talk was still ahead of us.

I led our group back to the inn: Diana, Marina, Rebecca-san, Elepipi, Etowa, Ion-san, Shamash-san, and Priestess-chan. I asked for one extra bed in our room. It was the only one they had left, but we could make it work by squeezing together. I could always rent a separate room for myself if needed.

* * *

After getting out of the bath, we all sat down on the beds.

Everyone looked sleepy. We had done a lot of exercise today, and then there was the drinking party on top of it.

"Once again, everyone, thank you for your hard work today. Now then... uh, where should we start?"

There was a lot to cover. Shamash-san, Ion-san, our future plans. And above all, things about myself.

"Before that, Jirou-san... may I go first?"

Priestess-chan raised her hand. When I nodded, she stood in front of Rebecca-san.

"Rebecca. Your hand, please."

"Eh? Priestess-sama, what is it?"

Rebecca-san tilted her head curiously as Priestess-chan took her hand. Holding it in both of hers, Priestess-chan's expression softened into a smile.

"Congratulations, Rebecca. I can feel the bud of a new talent within you."

"Eh... you mean...?"

"Yes. A Class Change. I don't know what Vocation you'll receive, but it's said that a Class Change always results in a rarer one. What do you think? Shall we do it right now? Will you accept it?"

Whoaaa! Rebecca-san is getting a Class Change too! No—it's more like a Class Up!

She did take down a lot of monsters and even landed the finishing blow on Arges. Even without that, she probably had a lot of "experience points" from her mercenary days.

So, what will she become...? Priestess-chan called it a "Class Change," but it was essentially a "Class Up." They avoid using the word "Up" officially because that would be like admitting some Vocations are superior to others.

Therefore, it shouldn't turn into a completely unrelated Vocation. That meant one of Rebecca-san's roles—Knight or Scout—was about to hit the next tier.

Wait... what's the advanced form of a Knight? Is it... a Paladin?

I looked at her sword leaning against the wall.

The [Holy Sword Ascalon]... The odds seemed high.

"Before we do that... may I ask something?"

"Yes? Oh, Jirou-san, you've already undergone a Class Change. Congratulations. What Vocation did you—ah, wait, asking that is bad manners, isn't it?"

"No, it's fine. I'll talk about my Vocation later. More importantly... regarding Rebecca-san's Class Change. What happens if she becomes a Paladin?"

"...Ah."

Exactly. This was something we needed to discuss first. In this country, women with the [Knight] Vocation aren't allowed to serve as official knights.

But [Paladins] are different.

Even if they are women, the state will hire them—and with incredible benefits.

Paladins are so rare that only a few are born each year, and almost all of them basically end up working for the kingdom. Cases like Isaac, who led a private mercenary group, are extremely rare.

Not just Rebecca-san, but all women with the Knight vocation have tasted bitterness, being treated as "talentless" despite their skills... But if she becomes a Paladin, all of that flips 180 degrees. She'll get wealth and fame.

I didn't want to chain a Paladin-tier Rebecca-san to a backwater Knight Corps like mine. I wanted her to shine in a grander arena. Because she's kind, she'd definitely say she wants to stay. But that wouldn't be right.

That's why—

"Priestess-sama. If someone with the Knight vocation undergoes a Class Change, don't most of them actually become Paladins?"

"E-Eh? Well, few people ever reach the point of a Class Change, but as you say, many of those who do are granted the Vocation of Paladin."

"Wait, is that true, Priestess-sama?"

"It's true, Rebecca. There is a very high probability you will become a Paladin."

I knew it.

"Rebecca-san. If you become a Paladin—"

The words wouldn't come out. I knew saying this might hurt her, but I had to say it.

"Jirou. I'm not going to work for the country."

She shot me down before I could even finish.

She's really sharp.

"But... Rebecca-san, you've felt that frustration of being a Knight, right? If you become a Paladin, all of that changes. Staying in a ragtag group like ours has almost no benefit for you... I don't even pay you a salary yet. Well, I mean, I plan to eventually, but still..."

It was a matter of her whole life. It would be like keeping a Major Leaguer on a local sandlot team and letting them rot just because we're friends.

But Rebecca-san just shrugged.

"Don't be silly, Jirou. Sure, being a Paladin is impressive. You get a private room in the castle, you rarely have to go to actual war, and as a member of the Royal Guard, you get close to the imperial family. You'd be part of the country's elite... But you heard Princess Lucreion's story, didn't you? Even without that, there's what happened to Isaac. There's no way I'm serving as a Royal Guard in a place like that."

I see... that's true. No matter how good the benefits, for Rebecca-san, that place represents the people responsible for the death of the man she loved. There was no way she could work there.

"Sorry. That was thoughtless of me..."

"It's fine. You were worried I'd feel obligated to stay and make the wrong choice, right? ...Jirou, you're too kind."

It was embarrassing having her see right through me.

But yeah—that's exactly it.

Even if not this country—there were other nations. A Holy Knight would have no shortage of offers. But maybe Rebecca-san hadn't thought that far. Or rather—this all just dropped on her suddenly. Once things settle down, she might see other options. For now, it was enough that she knew I wouldn't hold her back.

"Well, anyway, let's go ahead with the Class Change. There's a chance you won't even be a Paladin."

"Y-Yeah. Right... Hm? Priestess-sama?"

Priestess-chan had a complicated look on her face, glancing repeatedly at Ion-san.

Then, she whispered:

"...Princess Lucreion? The real one?"

"......"

So it had come to this, huh....

"S-So you knew Princess Lucreion, Priestess-sama?"

I asked hurriedly. I might be stirring up a hornets' nest here.

"No... I've only seen her from a distance. But I had heard that she eloped."

"Well, that's a long story... but before we get into it, I need you to swear. Swear that you won't speak a word of this to anyone. I know I'm asking a lot, but still..."

I leaned in close to her.

Come to think of it, Priestess-chan has Spirit Communication. She could be broadcasting a 『Breaking News! Princess Lucreion Found!』 signal right this second. Diana or Shamash-san would probably notice if she did, but I don't think they could "jam" her signal.

"O-Okay... Jirou-san. I understand, so please calm down and explain everything from the beginning."

"Right."

I explained the situation with Ion-san and Shamash-san to Priestess-chan. No lies, just the straight truth. At this point, there was no use trying to hide it. Besides, if we're going to live in Elise, we'll definitely need her help.

I asked Ion-san to take over the explanation; it was better coming from her. As Ion-san told her tale, Priestess-chan reacted with shock and eventually tears. At the very least, she seemed sympathetic.

"I see... I understand the circumstances. I'd already heard about the 'Scarlet Wedge' from Rebecca and Shello... Besides, I came here today not as a Priestess, but as a fellow elf. It's okay... everything discussed here will stay in my heart."

Priestess-chan gave us a gentle smile.

But the "secret talk" wasn't over yet. Once everything was settled, I'd have her enter a Spirit Contract to ensure she wouldn't talk. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but if there was a betrayal, the consequences would be too critical for everyone involved.

"So, what shall we do? We're going to cleanse the Prison Crest, right?"

"Yes... Actually, can we do Rebecca-san's Class Change first?"

It didn't really matter which went first, but the Class Change seemed simpler. Even Diana could do it, after all. Priestess-chan took Rebecca-san's hand. With the usual brilliant flash of light, the Class Change was finished in an instant.

"...How is it, Rebecca?"

"I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if it really is Paladin."

"Captain-dono is incredible, de-arimasu! Can Marina do a Class Change someday, too?"

"...Is it Paladin?"

Everyone was buzzing with anticipation. Rebecca-san silently summoned her Vocation Board. She quietly checked her new Vocation.

Her eyes widened.

"H-How was it...? If it's something you don't want to say, you don't have to..."

"Eh? N-No, it's not that, ahaha... My Knight vocation is gone. It changed."

"Yes?"

"It says... Dragon Knight."

...For real?