Volume 1, Chapter 35 – A Precious Promise

The sight that met our eyes as we descended into the catacombs was utterly gruesome.

Bloodstains were splattered all across the area; these likely belonged to Joseph.

And there, hovering above a blood-stained headstone, was the faint, translucent figure of Angelica-san.

Her arms and legs were bound by reddish-black chains.

Those chains were anchored to the ceiling and the floor respectively, forcing her limbs outward into an X-shape.

Cruelly crucified, her head hung limply, and her body was enveloped in a reddish-black mist that writhed as if it were caressing her.

“A-Ange!”

Charlotte-san let out a scream at the horrific sight, but Angelica-san did not react.

“This is… most likely the resentment of that evil spirit, Joseph. He has bound Angelica-sama’s soul to the living world in such a cruel manner.”

Ah, so he really was a stalker with a one-sided crush after all.

“They say that a soul trapped by resentment will eventually be consumed by it and turn into an evil spirit itself. Please, you must release Angelica-sama quickly.”

“But, if we let Ange ascend like this…!”

“Yes. She might be sent to hell as an evil spirit. However, it would be better than letting her lose her mind and pile up more sins…”

Hm? Is that how the system works?

“In that case, we just need to do something about these chains and the mist, right?”

“Eh? There’s no way you could—”

“Fiene-sama, can you really do something?”

“Eh, is it that difficult? Normally, I just have to purify these chains and strip away the mist, right?”

“I-If such a thing could be done so easily, no one would ever struggle!”

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Ah, I see. Apparently, this is supposed to be difficult.

“Hmm, I’ve never tried it before, but I’ll give it a go.”

——Let’s see, first, purify the chains. Keep the output low and be careful around the limbs…

A faint light enveloped the chains, and then they were purified and vanished.

Angelica-san slumped to the ground.

“Okay, next is this mist.”

As I prepared to use Purification Magic, I realized something. Because it was constantly writhing, even the slightest slip in control might damage Angelica-san’s soul along with it.

“Ah, I see. This looks a bit tough. If I do it the normal way, I might end up burning Angelica-san’s soul too.”

“Ah, I knew it,” Charlotte-san said, her voice dropping with disappointment.

——Use Dark Magic to move this black mist…

Now, let’s see.

My Dark Magic Skill Level is only 1, so I can’t use powerful spells, but I should be able to at least move and gather something that’s just clinging to her, right?

After watching for a while, the clinging mist gradually began to move.

“There we go, that’s it. Come over here.”

After a short while, I Managed to gather all the reddish-black mist at the tip of Angelica-san’s left middle finger. From there, I moved it even further, right to the very edge of her fingernail.

“Charlotte-san, could you purify this reddish-black stuff? If I try handling the purification part too, I feel like I might mess it up.”

When I called out to her, Charlotte-san jumped as if startled before approaching.

“H-Hmph. It is for Ange’s sake, after all. I shall lend you my strength just this once.”

Oh? Is this what they call a “tsundere”?

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“O Gods! Cleanse this unearthly defilement. Purification!”

Charlotte-san chanted her Purification Magic. The light purified the reddish-black mist.

——Come to think of it, I think this is the first time I’ve seen a proper incantation.

As Charlotte-san’s light of purification faded, the mist covering Angelica-san’s body vanished completely, and the malevolent presence was gone.

“Phew, we Managed somehow. That was impressive, Charlotte-san. Thank you.”

“H-Hmph. It was for Ange. It was certainly not for your sake, Fiene!”

“Yes, yes.”

Yep, a total tsundere. And she started calling me by my name. Alright then, let’s provide a little extra service. It’s okay, I’m sure I can do this.

——Dark Magic, bring Angelica-san’s soul back to its senses and let her speak…

A tiny amount of dark Mana—almost too faint to see—was absorbed into Angelica-san’s soul.

“…Ah, uh, Char? Why am I…?”

Nice, it worked. Angelica-san’s soul has woken up.

“A-Ange!!”

“Huh? I thought I died? Why…?”

“Ange, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you hated hearing stories about the outside world so much! I hurt you! And yet, I acted like I was your best friend…!”

Angelica-san looked bewildered.

“Char, that’s not true at all. I was always looking forward to your visits, you know? The stories about the outside world, the stories about all those social events—I enjoyed all of them. I couldn’t go because my body was weak, but because you always told me about them, I felt like I was there with you. Thank you for everything, Char.”

“A-A-A-Angeeeeeee!”

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“Hey, Char, do you remember? The promise we made when we were little. That one day you’d become a real Saint and heal me.”

“Of course! There is no way I could ever forget!”

“Yeah. That precious promise is what kept me going all this time. Char, you’re my beloved best friend—the one I’m proudest of.”

Charlotte-san was wailing. Yeah, I’m glad I gave them that little extra service.

“Ah, Char. But I’m sorry. Since I died… I can’t anymore—”

“A-Ange, no! Don’t go! Don’t leave me behind! Surely, surely there must be a way! Ah, that’s right! I was chosen by Hugues-sama to be a Saint Candidate! Look, these are the robe and rosary that prove it!”

“Congratulations, Char. I knew you’d make it.”

“So, just, just a little longer…”

“I can’t. If the soul of the dead stays in this world for too long, they eventually become a vengeful spirit, you know?”

“But! Even so! I…!”

“Thank you, Char. I love you. But… that’s why, Char, will you be the one to send me to the Gods?”

Charlotte-san gasped.

Her expression was one of confusion, and she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Ah…”

“Ange!? Ange!”

“Sorry, it looks like I’m at my limit. But, promise me, okay? I’ll be gone, but you have to become a Saint. You’re my precious best friend, someone I’ve always been proud of. You’ve always been so kind to someone as frail as me.  I’m sure you’ll become an amazing Saint! I’ll be cheering for you from heaven, forever and ever. So… so… Char… bye-bye… … …uh…”

“Ange, Angeeeee!”

The final words were whispered so softly they were barely audible. I wonder if they reached Charlotte-san.

Angelica-san’s soul gradually lost its shape, turning into a faint mist. Charlotte-san stared at the mist, tears streaming down her face.

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After a moment of silence, Charlotte-san made a gentle declaration, her voice thick with tears.

“Ange, I will surely become a Saint. And then, I shall save the world. So, so, please watch over me from heaven. You are my irreplaceable, precious friend.”

Then, she dropped to one knee in a prayerful stance.

Her eyes were fixed steadily on Angelica-san’s soul, which was on the verge of vanishing.

“O Gods. Lead this wandering soul to Your side. Grant her soul eternal peace. Funeral Magic.”

And then, Charlotte-san activated her Funeral Magic.

I see, so that’s how you send off the souls of the dead. You can’t just purify everything willy-nilly.

Angelica-san’s soul was enveloped in a holy light.

And with that, Angelica-san’s soul ascended to heaven.

Then, Charlotte-san looked at me and declared firmly:

“Fiene, no matter how superior a user of Holy Magic you may be, I will absolutely not lose to you. I will be the one chosen as the Saint. You are… well, I suppose I could call you my rival.”

“Right…”

“Oh, what a half-hearted response. Even after I went to the trouble of acknowledging you as my rival. I see, Fiene, do you perhaps believe you are more suited to be the Saint? You may be more capable for now, but I shall surely overtake you one day. Wash your neck and wait.”

With a brilliant smile, Charlotte-san knelt before Angelica-san’s grave and offered a prayer.

Seeing that, I decided to follow her lead and pray beside her.

——I hope Charlotte-san can become a Saint.

Translator Note

Funeral Magic is weird but the original raw was 葬送魔法, literally Funeral Magic.