Chapter 264 : Chapter 264
Chapter 264. Latent Heat (1)
After the incident concluded, Enoch returned to the hotel.
The purpose was to rest for a while, separate from having received treatment from the Saintess.
Amelia had also strongly urged him to take at least a brief period of rest immediately after combat. And in the current situation, conserving his strength was the right choice.
All they had done for now was repel the Flying-Type Magical Beasts' assault.
Less than thirteen hours remained until the estimated arrival of the enemy's main force.
The underground shelter happened to be clearly visible from the hotel the squad had claimed as a temporary base, so everything happening in the vicinity was in plain sight.
After the last Master Class Magical Beast on the battlefield was killed, the situation was wrapped up quickly.
Nano and other Mages specializing in detection had thoroughly scouted the surrounding city, confirming that the Magical Beast assault force had been completely annihilated.
The people who had just experienced near-death situations in the underground shelter all emerged to the surface safely, following the freelancers' directions with hollow expressions.
At any rate, the incident had been settled for now.
But this had merely been intercepting an aerial assault sent by the enemy. The problem remained that they would soon have to face the real main force.
Enoch gazed out the hotel room window for a long while, quietly watching the scenery below.
In the distance, he could see Alicia warmly exchanging greetings with the little girl from the Outsourcing District who had introduced herself as Ella.
Judging by the fact that other children from the Underground were also with Ella, she appeared to be a non-mage as well.
Come to think of it, even the non-mage children who had been out and about preparing for the Lantern Festival seemed to have been caught up in this attack.
"If you get hurt this badly again, I won't have it."
The slightly scolding voice came out of nowhere, and Enoch turned his head to the side.
Lily, the young nun with tangerine-colored hair, was standing beside him, looking down at Enoch.
Her hand was planted firmly on her hip — a posture distinctly unlike her usual gentle self, suggesting she was well and truly angry this time.
"......Sister Lily."
"Do you have any idea? If the Saintess hadn't asked me to monitor your condition on her behalf for a while, I wouldn't have even considered nursing you like this!"
"Is that so. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Enoch offered a quiet apology, but Lily did not let go of her sulky expression so easily. She turned her head to the side and lifted her chin.
"Lord Enoch, have you ever — even once — considered that you might be far too reckless in all sorts of ways?"
Lily turned to look down at Enoch. At the corners of her eyes, transparent tears had gathered — whether from indignation or the relief of released tension, it was hard to say.
She clasped both hands tight and scolded earnestly.
"First of all! I kept telling you to rest, and you didn't listen! You pushed yourself that hard...! And in the end, the accumulated fatigue is what led to those terrible injuries, isn't it?"
"Because it had to be done."
"Ngh!"
Lily's eyes widened at that, and she leaned forward to grab his shoulder with a firm TAP.
Then she cried out in an even more heated tone.
"But no matter how tough your body is! If you keep acting so recklessly, someday you'll end up in an even worse state than this!"
"It's to survive. If necessary, I'll continue to act the same way."
"Lord Enoch!"
When Enoch replied flatly, Lily squeezed her eyes shut, tears glistening at the corners, and pleaded.
"I don't want you to die either! And I hate it when you get badly hurt!"
At that, Enoch slowly raised his head and looked at the still-dim sky.
He understood what the young nun before him was saying, but he couldn't make guarantees. It was impossible to expect he would emerge without a scratch from battles that teetered between life and death.
"I'll do my best."
"It's not about doing your best — you have to make it happen!"
Lily folded her arms and snapped her head to the side.
"Besides, there are w-weird rumors going around among the nuns at Holy Sejour too. Anyway, I really, really hate this, Lord Enoch!"
Enoch watched the fuming girl for a moment, then tilted his head.
"Is that so. That you hate me — that's unfortunate."
"Unfortunate? Hmph, being with you this time made it clear. You're the type who says things like that as empty words, aren't you?"
"No. Honestly, to be disliked by someone like you, Sister Lily — that would make me genuinely sad."
"Huh?"
Lily stared at Enoch, looking somewhat puzzled. Enoch continued as calmly as he could to soothe her.
"I've been relying on you countless times throughout the operation."
"O-on me?"
Lily stared at him in apparent disbelief and murmured.
"R-really? Truly......?"
"Of course. Especially since the Saintess's schedule at Holy Sejour limits how much she can support operations going forward, I've even been thinking about officially welcoming you into the squad, Sister Lily."
"Oh, that......"
Enoch nodded, meeting the gaze of the young nun who was looking up at him with innocent eyes. This time, at least, he wasn't lying.
He knew full well how much Lily had struggled on his behalf.
"If you hadn't helped before the Saintess arrived, I would have collapsed much sooner. Thank you for worrying about me."
At last, Lily hugged her staff to her chest and let out a deep sigh.
"I, I really was worried. Truly......"
Tears gathered faintly at the corners of her eyes, and Lily shook her head as if embarrassed by her own reaction.
"When you suddenly showed up that badly injured, do you have any idea how shocked I was? Honestly!"
Only then did Enoch understand why the young nun was reacting this way.
In the underground shelter, she had done her utmost as a healer, maintaining composure while trying to treat him. But behind that facade, she had been suppressing such a fragile heart all along.
Unlike her usual appearance — mature and calm beyond her years as she tended to people — she had been bottling up this kind of anxiety and emotion deep inside.
"It seems I caused you worry."
"......I won't deny that."
Lily murmured, averting her gaze slightly.
"When you were injured...... I know I couldn't have healed your wound perfectly like the Saintess. But I at least tried my hardest to stop the bleeding. And despite that......"
"I see."
Enoch felt something stir at those words and fell into thought, arms folded.
This incident had made it clear. His Magic Resistance was now growing to the point where it was beginning to surpass even Lily's healing ability.
Come to think of it, once this entire operation was over, he couldn't even begin to guess how much his Magic Resistance would have grown compared to before.
During his stay in Victoria's Outsourcing District, he had been attacked by Magical Beasts multiple times.
He could only surmise that, being creatures created by magic, they would count toward the reagent's resistance growth as in the original work. But in any case, it wasn't the time to leisurely assess his stat gains — the fighting wasn't over yet.
The enemy they had to face from here on — Anarchilon's main force — would be the greatest challenge of all.
Lost in such thoughts, Enoch got up to head downstairs to the hotel's first-floor lobby for a drink of water.
Lily trotted after him, nagging his ears off the whole way.
"Then at the very least, please make sure you rest from now on!"
Rest, huh. Enoch pulled a bottle of water from the lobby's refrigerator and was about to sit on the sofa when her words made him pause.
He almost felt like laughing, somehow.
He couldn't remember the last time he had properly rested. Training, inheritance, missions — an endless cycle. Looking at himself, barely even sleeping properly, Lily's concern might well be justified.
Enoch sank into the lobby sofa's backrest and nodded quietly.
"Understood. From now on, at least when I'm around you, Sister Lily, I'll make sure to rest properly like this."
"That alone isn't enough!"
What a hassle, Enoch thought with a deep sigh, closing his eyes.
"Understood. Then after any training or operations going forward, I'll take at least minimal rest. How about th—"
It was then that he felt a warm touch on his forehead.
Enoch's eyes flew open, and his body froze at the unexpected turn. Lily had gripped his shoulders as he sat on the sofa and pressed her forehead against his.
Caught off guard by her bold action, Enoch was still processing when Lily looked at him with a serious expression and said.
"It's a promise!"
"Understood."
"Good. That's our compromise!"
Lily said that, and at last, her usual self returned — she broke into a bright smile.
The scolding tone from moments ago had vanished completely, replaced by the familiar Lily. Watching her warm smile up close, Enoch voiced the thought that had been on his mind.
"......That said, there's one thing I'm curious about."
"Huh? Curious about what?"
"Is being this close to me right now acceptable for a nun of The Order? It seemed like you've been worrying about that quite a bit normally."
At Enoch's words, Lily's eyes went wide.
Only then did she seem to become aware of her own state.
A boy and a girl, foreheads pressed together at a distance where they could feel each other's breath — in that utterly boundary-less posture, Lily's cheeks flared scarlet.
"Ah! Th-that's. It's not like that at all!"
Lily yanked her head back and frantically fanned her burning cheeks with her hands. Enoch watched her impassively and said.
"For a nun of The Order who normally upholds the precept of male avoidance to come this close and make me promise — I'd better make absolutely sure to keep it."
"Th-that......! Don't tease me, seriously......!"
Lily protested, then seemed to recall something and murmured, "Ah, come to think of it."
Her expression turned somewhat serious as she rested a finger on her chin and fell into thought.
"Hmm. But even though you said you'd rest, it might be reassuring to decide in advance exactly how you'll rest......"
"......What is it this time?"
"Oh, w-well, the thing is."
Lily suddenly widened her eyes all on her own, fidgeted nervously, glanced at him several times, then finally seemed to make up her mind and spoke.
"I just thought of a way!"
"A way?"
Lily kept sneaking peeks at him and, for some reason with a red-tinged face, blurted out.
"Um...... Aah! Well. Wh-what if you came to Holy Sejour periodically in person?"
"Periodically to Holy Sejour? Me?"
"Yes. Normally, it w-wouldn't be allowed to invite a man for personal reasons, but. Since you might get seriously hurt like this so often, Lord Enoch, I could provide a certain degree of direct care...!"
"Oh my, Sister Lily. That's quite a fine idea."
Just then, a familiar woman's composed voice rang out.
Turning to look, standing at the entrance of the spacious hotel lobby was a girl whose mature figure was wrapped in vestments that revealed an almost precarious amount of skin — Amelia.
She wore an elegant smile, but Enoch couldn't shake the illusion that a faint shadow had fallen across the Saintess's expression.
Amelia shook her head as if mildly troubled and walked toward them with clicking steps.
"I stepped out briefly with some freelancers as escort to survey the area, and here you are again, seducing Sister Lily without fail, Lord Enoch? What exactly does one do to coax such words from the usually modest Sister Lily?"
Lily jolted in surprise, eyes flying wide.
"S-Saintess!! Th-there's some misunderstanding......!"
"My schedule of ceremonial events means I must stay at Holy Sejour for many periods, but at the same time, I have a great deal of free time between those events."
Instead of responding to Lily, Amelia walked straight toward him and stopped. The sweet fragrance rising from her golden hair, cascading like a waterfall to her thighs, wafted through the hotel lobby.
Amelia, Tin Staff braced against the floor, glanced at Enoch and spoke.
"Sister Lily is a formal, ordained nun, so inviting you could draw even more unwanted gossip than she already faces. So you need only come to me, your Follower Family."
From the side, Lily murmured in a tiny voice, "Th-those rumors, don't matter anymore. Not now......" Enoch watched with a slightly wry expression, then sighed deeply.
"You're offering to personally provide regular care for my body, Saintess?"
"Yes. As a member of a combat Main House, your body must be in terrible shape from missions and training. If you visit me regularly, I will personally treat you."
Amelia said that, narrowed her eyes slightly, and whispered with an undertone of allure.
"Especially for you, Lord Enoch, I have a particularly 'helpful' method of care."
"Hm? A helpful method of care?"
Enoch tilted his head.
He understood Amelia offering regular healing, but what exactly did she mean by 'care'? He combed through every scrap of knowledge from the original work in his mind, but nothing came up.
"That's a good offer, but what exactly is this care method you're describing?"
"That, you will learn when you visit Holy Sejour in person, Lord Enoch."
The Saintess smiled meaningfully and let her eyes curve in a gentle arc.
"Well, you may look forward to it. It will surely be something satisfying enough even for you, who works so hard, Lord Enoch."
The way Amelia's gaze curved with an almost unconsciously seductive allure left Enoch staring blankly, captivated before he even realized it.
Then Amelia slowly lowered her lashes, opened them again, and changed the subject.
"Come to think of it, I also had something to tell you when I came here — to check on your condition as well."
"What is it?"
"Getting to the main point — before coming here, I received a message from the young lady of SIEG Industry, who identified herself as your patron, Lord Enoch."
"A message? From Elena?"
That jogged Enoch's memory.
That's right. The searchlights installed by SIEG Industry atop the Outsourcing District's steel wall, dozens of meters tall. He had been told the batteries to power them were coming separately with personnel from Holy Sejour's side.
Without them, the operation Enoch had devised — 'Piercing Thrust' — which would certainly take place during the dead of night, simply could not function.
Identifying the enemy in pitch darkness would be impossible, after all.
Amelia nodded and added.
"However, there is one minor issue."
"An issue?"
The Saintess gazed at Enoch quietly.
"The batteries for the searchlights commissioned by SIEG Industry have not yet arrived here with me."