“Ugh…”
I said if I did it for three days, why not four?
Turns out, I couldn’t do it.
I hate the me of yesterday who bravely shouted, “Bring it on!”
Even Captain Americano said he could do it all day, not four days straight.
The women, seemingly satisfied, were lying unconscious with their glossy, glowing skin. I staggered up from among them.
Innate magic power? The elixirs I’ve consumed? The blessing of the Sun God? They were all useless when sped up five times.
…Still, it’s my victory for surviving until the end!
Pop!
The cork came off with a cheerful sound. This time, Faye had made a lemon-flavored carbonated potion.
Surprisingly, despite adding flavor and carbonation, the effect remained the same. It seemed only low-grade potions could handle carbonation so far, but still, carbonation was something.
I took a sip of the potion as the morning sunlight bathed my body.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ahhh….”
When tired, the sour taste spreads through your body. The unique, refreshing sensation of carbonation made my mouth and throat feel good.
As the sunlight started to activate the recovery power of the blessing, energy began to surge through me like water to a withered plant.
A few hours of this, and I’d be fully recovered.
As I basked in the sunlight like a photosynthesizing plant, a languid voice came from beside me.
“Ah… Junior. Are you planning to sleep there?”
“Yes. It seems this would be better for my recovery.”
“That’s right. Junior has a blessing, right? Then you’ll need this.”
Faye crawled over to where her discarded clothes were. Her plump bottom wiggled cutely.
I covered my lower half with a smirk, though there wasn’t much to show, as Faye pulled something from her robe and tossed it.
I caught it using magic and saw it was the tanning cream she had made earlier.
“This is…?”
“Fufufu. You know it, right? Apply that before you sleep. And make sure to wear underwear. The contrast makes it better!”
“……”
Even though I had satisfied her all night, Faye smiled lewdly, looking forward to tomorrow.
I silently looked out the window. The sky was blue, and the sun was bright.
I wondered how things would have turned out without the blessing of the Sun God…
As I silently offered a prayer of thanks to the Righteous Radiance, I applied the tanning cream generously.
“…Brother Yandel? What is with that appearance?”
“The sunlight in Solaris, where the Grand Church of the God of Righteous Radiance is located, is very strong. So, I decided to get a tan.”
Helena’s golden eyes shook violently as I shrugged my shoulders.
Yeah… I know. I look like a total black sun right now. When I woke up, everyone was laughing…
Just you wait. I have plenty of tanning cream, so I’ll make sure they all get a tan too.
Especially Faye. I planned to make her wear only a microbikini and get a tan.
As I scratched my head irritably, Helena, trying hard to suppress her laughter, cleared her throat.
“Hmm. Your image has changed from usual. The perfectly bronzed skin is really–”
“Helena? Did you just drool…?”
“You must be mistaken. How could I, at my age, be drooling?”
“No, I saw it. Look at your lips.”
As I tried to lift her chin and look closely, Helena wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
“See? You did drool! That’s why you’re trying to get rid of the evidence!”
“It’s a false accusation! A Saintess doesn’t drool!”
“What are you saying? Why not go ahead and claim saints don’t even use the bathroom?”
“Exactly! Saintesses don’t use the bathroom!”
“…Lies! I need to verify this immediately. Let’s go to the bathroom!”
“Ah, ah… that’s…!”
Remembering what happened in the chapel, Helena awkwardly backed away, wincing.
Well, considering how many times she squirted in front of me, it was understandable that she’d react instinctively.
With a sly smile, I pressed Helena.
For every step I took forward, she took a step back, and when I took two steps, she took two steps back.
Eventually, Helena was cornered against the wall in the hallway. I put my hand on the wall beside her.
It was a wall-slam pose that Carla loved and had asked me to do many times, so I was quite used to it.
Helena, unable to look me in the eye, rolled her eyes around nervously as I whispered to her.
“Choose, Helena. Will you tell me the truth, or will you go to the bathroom with me to prove your innocence?”
“Uh…”
Helena twitched for a while before finally closing her eyes tightly, as if making a decision.
“Yes, it’s true! I was embarrassed and drooled when I saw you! But what can I do? Showing me such tantalizingly tanned skin…!”
“Huh.”
I hesitated for a moment at her sudden outburst, and Helena didn’t miss the chance, taking a step towards me instead.
“Do you know, Brother Yandel? This perfectly tanned skin is filled with the marks of the Righteous Radiance, who is also the Sun God.”
“What does that–?”
“Oh my! To be tanned so beautifully without a single injury, and instead with a glowing sheen! How vexing and envious…!”
Helena stepped closer, now so close that our foreheads were touching, and we could feel each other’s breath.
It felt like just a slight tilt of my head would make our lips touch.
In that position, Helena sighed deeply. For some reason, a pleasant scent, like freshly dried laundry, wafted from her.
“Followers of the Righteous Radiance do not tan in the sunlight. So, many of us have a fascination with tanned skin.”
“I see.”
“Yes. So please, do not show this look to other priestesses.”
“…….”
“I mean… not the women who came with you. I’m talking about other new ones.”
“Oh.”
Helena’s face turned red as she started rambling, now seeming embarrassed. Realizing something, I asked.
“Telling me not to show it to other priestesses… are you perhaps jealous, Helena?”
“Gasp!”
Helena widened her eyes and shut her mouth tightly, looking down like a scolded child.
“How cute.”
I gently lifted her chin and bent down.
Smooch.
A light kiss, like a bird pecking. Helena, flustered and unsure how to react, heard me whisper in her ear.
“Helena, you can get along well with my other women, right?”
“That…”
Helena looked unsure whether to be happy or not. I kissed her forehead one more time and released the wall-slam pose.
“Do you have time today?”
“Huh? Yes, I think the meeting will end soon since we have clear tasks and enough funds. I might not make it by lunch, but dinner should be fine.”
I nodded and said to the still slightly dazed Helena.
“Then please come to my room this evening. Everyone was wondering how to get closer to you, and now we have a good reason.”
“Ah… yes. I’ll come by after dinner.”
“Great. See you then… but you’re busy now, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“It can’t be helped. Finish your work and see you in the evening.”
“Will do.”
With a pat on her shoulder, I smiled. Helena responded with a soft smile as well.
We continued to walk down the corridor, engaging in light conversation.
But soon, we reached a fork in the path. As Helena headed to the conference room for another meeting, I asked.
“Ah, Helena. Is there a place here where I can practice magic?”
“Of course. Unlike the other priests, the paladins need a space to move their bodies.”
Helena explained in detail how to reach the training grounds reserved for high-ranking paladins.
“I’m glad. I can practice intermediate magic without worrying about others watching, but is it really okay for me to use it as I please?”
“Fufu. Don’t worry, Brother Yandel. I’m a Saintess now, right? I can authorize something like that without any problem.”
Helena winked and smiled confidently.
That’s right. Helena was now a Saintess. Higher in rank than the Pope, so lending training facilities was no big deal.
“Thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”
With that, I parted ways with Helena and returned to the VIP room, gathering the others to head to the training ground.
And Elisha reached the rank of intermediate magician.
“Huh.”