I feel bad for Olivier. It ended up being like I was foisting two problem children onto him. If Olivier had died and been brought to the church again, no matter the cause of death, I would have ripped open his stomach to check his condition. Depending on how he was, I even had an Olivier Escape END prepared, where I'd sneak him out the back door of the church.
"Rielle is amazing. She's smart and has a keen eye. Our adventures have become much easier."
Olivier, who hadn't visited the church in days, had a remarkably bright expression. I got worried and gave him a health check, but it seems he wasn't being controlled by magic. Despite her difficult personality, Rielle's skill as a hero was beyond my imagination. Was she actually doing surprisingly well? Perhaps Olivier was outside Rielle's effective range.
But Rielle's expression was grim. The cause was likely the coffin clinging to her back.
I peeked out from behind the altar at Rielle, shoulders slumped. Of course, I was holding the Goddess statue.
Rielle lamented.
"I promised I'd never let you die..."
"It can't be helped. No one can predict Katarina's actions. When I first met her, I even wondered if she had a death wish. It was only recently I realized she doesn't think at all."
Wow, what harsh words. Despite Olivier's criticism—or rather, his attempt at a follow-up—Rielle brought her hands to her eyes and trembled.
Olivier looked at me with a troubled expression.
"Why are you hiding? Come over here quickly."
Of course I'm hiding. That woman isn't even crying. A manipulative person who fakes tears is as dangerous as a mandrake tied to a dog.
"Come on, please resurrect her. I have the resurrection fee right here."
Tch, fine. Resurrection is a Priest's duty. I grudgingly stepped out of my safe zone, drawn to the offered coins. I placed the Goddess statue, which would only get in the way, on the altar.
But as I reached for the coffin, Rielle firmly grasped my hand.
"No..."
"Huh?"
"I don't want to see Julius resurrecting another woman."
Rielle stared intently at me, gauging my reaction. What kind of reaction is the correct one here? I don't understand her feelings. Besides, I resurrect dozens of people every day.
But I had to say something. Rielle's grip tightened, urging me to reply. Oh no, my hand is turning purple from lack of blood.
"Rielle, you did very well. Considering Katarina's previous death frequency, this is a remarkable achievement. To demand more of yourself would be beyond unreasonable—it would be arrogance. Of course, it's good to reflect, but if you let failure stop you in your tracks, it defeats the purpose. You heroes have the power to 'try again,' so you should fail as many times as you need to."
How was that...?
"...Okay."
Yes! The correct answer! I felt blood returning to my fingertips. Phew, that was close. I thought my God Hands were going to become necrotic.
With my freed hand, I reached for the coffin lid. But this time, Olivier spoke up.
"Ah, Priest-sama, please wait a moment."
Hm?
"Here, Rielle. You need to apologize to Priest-sama properly."
Olivier's whisper made me pause.
"Why? Oh, don't tell me you let the corpse rot? That would be troublesome, as decomposition makes the cleanup difficult..."
"No, that's not it. Actually, Rielle tried casting resurrection magic herself, imitating Priest-sama. She said she could handle a little healing magic."
It's not just us Priests who can use resurrection magic. Some heroes can too. But it's not something anyone can do; only healers who have trained considerably or certain Mages can achieve it. It consumes a significant amount of magic power, and if you're not used to it, it takes an incredibly long time and is exhausting. That's only natural. Resurrection is akin to assembling the intricate puzzle that is the human body. Unless they're deep in a dungeon, most heroes request resurrection at the church.
However... if Rielle could use resurrection magic. If Rielle could handle resurrecting Katarina, who became a corpse as a hobby every day, then...
"N-no! Don't say it, Olivier!"
Rielle fidgeted.
There would be some mistakes at first, of course. Maybe she wouldn't connect the nerves properly, or she'd resurrect them with their intestines twisted, causing them to writhe in agony the moment they revived. But it's through accumulating such failures that resurrection magic is perfected.
I eagerly opened the coffin lid, and then I screamed.
"What the hell is THIS!!"
"Nooo... it's embarrassing!"
Rielle covered her face, which was somehow flushed red. Katarina's entire body was fused together. Her eyelids, mouth, and nostrils were sealed shut. Her fingers were gone, and her hands looked like mittens. Katarina's smooth body resembled a doll carved from wood. How awful.
"What were you watching during my work!! I've never seen such a failure!"
"I just got too fired up," Rielle mumbled, fiddling with her fingers.
This is no good. I said it was okay to fail, but I don't want to be cleaning up after such high-level failures repeatedly. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I'll give up on Rielle resurrecting people.
"Why don't you two go somewhere else for a bit? This is going to take a while to resurrect."
"Eh?"
A shadow fell across Rielle's eyes. What is it now? Where are her emotional landmines? I need to appease her somehow, or things will get troublesome again. I opened my mouth to speak, then lost the words I was about to say.
"W-what...? What is this!?"
Olivier, flustered, drew his sword. Shadows drifted through the church, fluttering like thin curtains in the wind. Despite the clear sky outside, the church interior was unnaturally dark. A bone-chilling cold made my skin crawl.
"Undead...? Damn it, why in a holy church!?"
Olivier readied his sword, fending off the clinging spirits. But the spirits were like mist, lacking substance, and Olivier's sword struck only empty air.
"It's useless. Physical attacks don't work on spirits."
"Rielle! Do something!"
"Yes, Rielle!"
In the center of the swirling shadows, Rielle looked up at the sky and gave a faint smile. As soon as she spread her arms, the shadows swarmed towards her like children rushing to their mother. But these weren't human children. They were spiders. Spiderlings swarming their mother spider. Devouring Rielle.
"Rielle!"
"No!"
I stopped Olivier as he tried to rush forward. I shook my head quietly.
"No. It's too late."
"What!? No, Rielle... we just formed our party."
Olivier's lament echoed.
"I can't adventure with that death-seeker Katarina alone anymore!"
Just how dangerous is Katarina...
The Rielle being devoured looked at me. Only her pastel-colored irises shone within the shadows. There was no pain, no fear.
"Rielle, stop it. Send them back."
Rielle's lips curved into a smile. In the bone-chilling cold, her cheeks flushed a pastel pink.
Ah, it's too late. Her mind is already...
"I'm falling apart. It'll take time. Please fix me carefully, Julius."
Cracks appeared on Rielle's body. Like a dried clay doll losing moisture, Rielle's life-drained body began to disintegrate. As it did, the shadows of the undead also grew fainter. When the cold vanished from the church, all that remained was a coffin filled with the "dust" that was once Rielle.
Naturally. If the summoner dies and the magic ceases, they can no longer remain in this world.
Olivier stood there, sword still in hand, looking around blankly.
"What was that just now...?"
I replied.
"An elaborate suicide."
Notes:
• Olivier - A male adventurer burdened by the constant deaths of his companion Katarina.
• Rielle - A female hero dressed in garish pastel colors, hopelessly in love with Julius and persistently pestering him, known for her necromantic abilities and erratic behavior..
• Katarina - A female adventurer known for her cheerful demeanor but cursed with a tendency to die repeatedly.
• Julius - The Main Character.