第１３４５堀：気がつけば (Part1)
Chapter 1345: Before I Knew It
Before I knew it.
Side: Prol
I am Prol.
My current position is a dual role as department head of the Resident Affairs and Information Divisions at the Weed General Government Building.
My past is not something worth speaking of, but I did share it thoroughly with the wives to prove my reliability.
"I was nothing but trash on the street."
That was the only way to put it.
After all, before I came to Weed, I was on the verge of dying in the slums of the Litea Theocracy—the district commonly known as the "District of Apostates."
Before arriving in Litea, I believe I was just an ordinary villager, like anyone else.
The reason I came to Litea back then was simply because I followed my parents.
My parents believed in God.
They believed that if we came to Litea, where the Goddess Lilishe is enshrined, we would live a wealthy and fulfilling life.
Looking back now, it was foolish.
Nothing changes unless you take action yourself.
No, perhaps their hearts were indeed fulfilled.
After all, they believed that as long as they had faith in God, that was enough.
But Litea was a plutocracy at the time.
Those with money were prioritized, and those who couldn't pay taxes were cast aside.
Before I knew it, I was wandering the slums.
I don't remember what happened to my family.
Come to think of it, though it’s far too late now, I used to wonder how my family earned their living back then.
Perhaps they were trying to gain the protection of God...
No, let’s not dwell on that too deeply.
Regardless, I was in the slums, and before I knew it, I had fallen ill and was simply waiting for death.
I was in a place that barely kept the rain off, but breathing was painful, and I wasn't even sure if my eyes were open or closed.
"There is no such thing as God."
I felt that from the bottom of my heart.
This, too, is proof of my own stupidity.
I should have left the slums, or desperately searched for work to survive; it was the natural conclusion for someone who just lived day-to-day in the gutter.
Even if I made excuses about being a child, the result wouldn't have changed.
I should have tried harder, but I didn't. It was an end I deserved.
But then, someone reached out a hand.
Before I knew it, I had been carried away and was in a place I had never seen before.
I shook my head slightly and looked around, seeing many others lying there just like me, and somehow...
"Ah, corpses. Am I a corpse too?"
That’s what I thought.
I had seen people die in the slums all the time.
It was exactly the same.
Strictly speaking, I was still alive, but once you reached that state, death was inevitable.
A living corpse that couldn't be saved.
That was me at that time.
Breathing was already agonizing, and as I was about to close my eyes and let it end...
"Master, could you help over there? There are more critically injured people than I expected."
I heard a beautiful voice.
It sounded somewhat familiar...
Thinking that, I opened my eyes again.
"Hey. Are you conscious?"
I realized a man was peering down at me.
I couldn't even reply, and because it was so hard to breathe and I was so sleepy, I was about to close my eyes again when...
"Alright, just wait a second. I'm going to use recovery magic."
He said that to me.
I thought it was just empty comfort.
Recovery magic was something you could only get if you paid a fortune, and I assumed he was just trying to put me at ease.
But soon, I noticed my body growing warm.
And my hazy vision cleared, allowing me to see the person to whom I should dedicate my entire life to repaying the debt.
"You've pulled through. The priority now is to sleep in a bed and let your body heal. Recovery magic is just a stopgap. Eat well, exercise, and get healthy."
The one who said that was Yuki-sama.
The Prince Consort of Weed.
He reached out to me, someone who had done nothing for him.
That is why, to me, he is a being greater than any god.
That was Yuki-sama.
"...What a strange dream."
I muttered that to myself as I opened my eyes.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
I sat up and looked around.
"Sigh..."
"Munya..."
"Coo..."
Orelia, Hovis, Yayui, and two empty futons were all that remained.
Ah, that’s right. Yesterday, I stayed in a family bath room at the Super Sento to act as Yuki-sama's guard.
"Au..."
Thinking that far, my face grew hot.
Yes, being in a family bath meant I had bathed with Yuki-sama.
He has a sturdy physique and never neglects his training.
As expected of Yuki-sama.
No, no, that’s not the point right now.
When I was still ignorant of the truth, I heard baseless rumors about him being a womanizer, but I denied them.
I knew that the person who saved me and came for regular check-ups with Rurua-sama would never do such things.
No, rather, he wouldn't even have the time.
It was because I was doing things like that that Kirue-sama spoke to me, which led to me joining the Dark Division.
And through my hard work, I reached this point.
To the position of guarding him—my hero, if you could call him that.
Well, there were many surprises.
Yuki-sama is actually a true messenger of God.
It’s a laughingstock that I, who didn't believe in God, ended up believing in Yuki-sama, who is a messenger of God, but I also felt it was fate.
Yes, fate.
Thinking that, I turned my gaze back to the bed where Yuki-sama should have been sleeping...
"Wait, where is Yuki-sama!?"
Only then did I realize that the target I was supposed to be guarding was gone.
I jumped out of bed in a panic and checked the area, but there was no sign of Yuki-sama.
If he were in the restroom, Kirika-sama would be stationed there, so I could conclude he wasn't nearby.
This is bad, did he escape!?
I had heard from the wives that he does escape, and Kirika-sama had told me he wouldn't escape in a way that couldn't be tracked, but when it actually happens, it’s terrible for my heart.
Especially knowing Yuki-sama's position.
"Honestly, he's not a child!"
I found myself complaining to Yuki-sama naturally.
Normally, something like this would be impossible.
Even though it was clearly my own dereliction of duty...
Holding onto these confusing emotions, I decided to check the facilities provided in this family bath area to make a report.
First, in this room were Orelia, Hovis, and Yayui.
In the restroom... he wasn't there.
In that case, the bath?
I intuitively headed to the bathing area. The changing room was empty, but...
"There are clothes in the basket. Two sets. These belong to Yuki-sama and Kirika-sama."
I let out a sigh of relief.