“Ah~ That was good. I haven't had enough vegetables lately…”
Patch looked at Elianora who was reclining casually in her chair. Her hair and clothes were neat and her eyes were bright. She looked nothing like a person who was missing for two weeks.
The half elf sighed. “Well, first things first. Are the other two safe?”
“Nostel and Rudan? Yeah, they're home safe, just like me.”
“Sis, I'm so happy you're safe!”
Tears welled up in Olive’s smiling blue eyes, and Elianora raised the corners of her lips. Reaching over, she rubbed the girl’s messily braided head.
“Did you pray for me while I was gone, Olive?”
“Yes!” the girl nodded and clenched her fists cutely. “I prayed every day! With all of my heart!”
“Mm. What happened is definitely because of that.”
Patch watched the heartwarming scene between sisters for a moment longer, but he had to ask.
“Elly, what happened? Why did you disappear for two weeks?”
“Yep, I'll tell you. But let's move somewhere a little more comfortable. It's a really good story.”
Patch felt that the peaceful smile on her face was somewhat ominous.
***
After relocating to the living room, Patch and Olive eagerly pressed Elly for answers.
“So, it all started when Nostel, Rudan, and I accepted a certain mission from the guild. It was a Kobold subjugation request. We thought Nostel would help us avoid strong monsters, so we would be able to manage even without you, Patch.”
“Well, we didn't even make it to the Kobold nest before we were completely surrounded.”
“By what?!” Patch cried, fidgeting in anticipation.
“By tens of Orc hunters.”
““Wah!”” Patch and Olive cried out in unison, and Elly chuckled.
“But, they weren't normal Orcs. These Orcs were servants of the divine messenger!”
“Divine messenger?!” Olive’s eyes sparkled. “Then, my prayers worked?!”
“Yes. I'm sure the gods arranged our meeting thanks to your prayers, Olive.”
“What kind of divine messenger was it? Some kind of Holy Beast?” Somehow, Patch felt slightly skeptical.
“Not a Holy Beast at all. A monster.”
“Eh? A monster? But sis…”
“It sounds crazy, right? There’s never been a monster friendly to humans, and their bodies reject the holy attribute. But I saw it with my own eyes. The chief of that Orc tribe possessed the holy attribute. It's because it should be impossible that I'm convinced the gods had a direct hand in it.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
It was a strange story, but Patch decided to accept it for now.
“So, what happened after you were surrounded, exactly?”
“We were led to their village to meet with the chief. It was she who had given the order to bring us unharmed.”
“The chief was a woman? That's unusual…”
“Yes, she was very unusual. A Holy Orc seems to have different characteristics from normal ones. For example, she enjoyed domestic affairs as well as hunting, and she was even a scholar. She didn't overeat like other Orcs, and even though she was a female, she wasn't lustful. If I hadn't spent two weeks in her village, I wouldn't believe it exists.”
“Hold on, you didn't finish your request if you spent the whole time in the village. Won't we have to pay the cancellation fee?” Patch was already strapped for cash, having an expensive profession. This matter stood out to him as an immediate concern.
“No worries. The divine messenger sent her servants to subjugate the Kobolds on our behalf. We can turn in the proof at the guild tomorrow.”
“Hey, Elly, tell me more about the Holy Orc!” As a young priestess-in-training, this topic had already thoroughly excited Olive.
“Let’s see. Where should I start…” Elianora paused to think, adjusting her glasses as she did so.
“I know. Her name was Vyra.”
They continued talking long past sunset. Some of the stories were funny, particularly the ones about Nostel’s interactions with the Holy Orc. Near the end, Patch even felt that he would like to meet the Orcs in these stories. Finally, when he thought he wouldn't be able to hold back any longer, Olive saved him by asking exactly what he wanted to know.
“Hey, Elly, where is this Holy Orc village?”
Elianora’s face suddenly became stiff, then it loosened into an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, Olive. That’s the one thing Chief Vyra made us promise not to share.”
“Uu…” the young girl pouted. “Then, next time you go there, take me too!”
“Eh?” Elly looked surprised, and even Patch turned with a strange look.
“Um… well… As long as you're an official priestess, I guess it would be fine,” she tentatively promised.
“Maybe I'll come as well. That forest is a great place to gather herbs.”
“Ah!” Elianora clapped her hands at Patch’s words. “That reminds me! How did your advancement tests go, Patch?”
“Eh? That’s…”
Olive tugged on her sister’s robe. “Sis, Patch stopped his testing early so he could take care of me when you were gone.”
Patch felt bitter, thinking back to that time. Back then, this stupid girl… Olive had kept quiet about her sister going missing for three days before she came to find him. Being such a soft hearted girl, she didn't want to mess up his advancement test. For an eight year old human girl to have to groom and feed herself… Needless to say, she was barely holding herself together.
But, Elianora didn't know that, and they weren't going to tell her.
“Eh?! You stopped your tests?! But, what about your advancement? All of your skill slots are already full…”
“It's fine. They've been rescheduled. I picked new times so that Olive would be at the temple while I'm being tested. I'll be done in another three days.”
“That’s a relief. I might have to consider scheduling my next advancement with the Mage Guild soon.”
“Eh? Didn't you just become an official Mage almost a year ago? How are you already looking to advance again?”
“What can I say? Fiara’s insight into spellcasting is amazing. I can already successfully cast
“That’s… incredible.”
Elianora smiled. “We gathered some herbs for you when we were out. They’re in Rudan’s bag.”
“Ah, I don't need them right now, what with being in the middle of my advancement tests. But thanks, it helps a lot.”
**Author’s Aside**
While Elianora’s group is chatting about various things and Rudan is turning in to sleep, Nostel is miserably downing cups of ale at a local tavern.
“Oi, oi,” an acquaintance who noticed him hunched over all alone decided to stick his nose in. “Haven't seen you here in awhile. Did you get turned down by another girl?”
Sensing a friendly spirit, Nostel proceeded to complain in very drunken fashion about the biggest pair of breasts he’d ever seen, which he had completely and thoroughly missed out on. The intruding acquaintance proceeded to regret his life’s decisions.