The Art of Healing Baking (1)
Finally.
The entrance to the longed-for mansion came into view.
"We've arrived."
Of course, Zeke had just had breakfast with Selena at the mansion this morning, but his mind was in such a state that he couldn't relax.
'From now until class tomorrow, I'm not doing anything. I'm just going to sleep.'
With the Lost Hope appearing, he could no longer afford to teach the students leisurely as he had before.
The appearance of those bastards meant that the chances of his delicate little Soi Spoon dying had increased.
Zeke still didn't know how the romance fantasy novel, [The Secret Girl of Ramielli Academy], and the previous dark fantasy world were connected.
All he knew was that they were somehow linked, whether in the past or the future.
He didn't even know if he'd have to defeat the Demon King again, or even catch that crazy bastard, the Bard of the Beginning.
However, Zeke's goal remained unchanged.
After all, the reason he became possessed was because of a comment he made on a romance fantasy novel.
To raise Soi, give her the strength to avoid death flags, and ensure she had a happy ending.
To strengthen the other students along with Soi and quickly secure her safety.
At the same time, he had to pay attention to the Demon King's movements and secretly take him out if he appeared.
Zeke solidified his objectives.
'But that's then, and today I'm going to rest.'
Normally, his body wouldn't even allow him to take a nap, but now that the restrictions were lifted, it wouldn't hurt to slack off a little.
'Just for today! I'm going to be lazy! I'm going to lie in bed, eat delicious food, and enjoy life!'
Zeke nodded with an utterly serious expression towards that pathetic goal.
But.
"Lady Selena! Master Zeke! M-Miss Iriel, she..."
Seeing the butler running towards them, his face pale, it seemed that plan was down the drain.
"Instructor, could you put me down for a moment?"
"Sure."
Zeke gently placed Selena on the ground.
"What's going on?"
"M-Miss Iriel, she's started to harm herself."
"Harm herself?"
Selena frowned at the words that didn't go together, Iriel and self-harm.
"Yes, she's been strangling herself and scratching her entire body with her nails until it bleeds."
"……And what's the situation now?"
"……We've restrained her hands and secured her to the bed."
"We need to see her right away."
Zeke headed towards Iriel's room with Selena.
***
"Aaaaaaaaagh!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the room as soon as they opened the door.
Even the maids attending to her cowered, unsure of what to do.
Selena took in Iriel's appearance.
Her red hair was a tangled mess.
Her complexion was pale, as if she hadn't been eating properly.
Her lips were chapped and white.
Her vibrant red eyes seemed devoid of light.
The sight of her tied to the bedpost, both wrists bound, was so pitiful that it was hard to reconcile with the Iriel she knew.
"Uuugh!! Uuuugh!!!"
Iriel thrashed, desperately trying to free herself from the ropes binding her wrists.
Blood seeped from the already crimson-stained ropes, trailing down her wrists.
Even Selena, who disliked Iriel, couldn't bring herself to smirk at this horrific sight.
"Wh-what's wrong with her? Since when has she been like this...?"
"She's been like this since you left this morning, Lady Selena."
"She wasn't this bad before... What did the doctor say?"
Selena asked the butler, her voice strained.
"He said it was a psychological shock... but he seemed unsure of his diagnosis."
"……So, are we just supposed to leave her like this?"
"No. I was going to inform you as soon as you arrived, Lady Selena."
"……Is there a way…?"
The butler let out a long sigh.
"Lady Selena."
He looked at Iriel with a complicated expression, then met Selena's eyes with a newfound resolve.
"What does Miss Iriel represent to you, Lady Selena?"
"Why… why are you asking that…?"
"I apologize for saying this, but… Eustia is our enemy."
Yes, the butler's words were true. However, Selena couldn't simply agree.
"Just tell me what we can do."
"Yes. The first option is to leave her be, as you suggested."
"But that's…"
"Then, we can easily eliminate one of your rivals. We simply need to force-feed her enough to keep her alive."
"B-But then, Eustia will…"
"Eustia sent Miss Iriel to us without any notice. So, we could secretly send her back to Eustia. They wouldn't be able to accuse us of anything since they sent her in the same manner."
Selena swallowed dryly at the butler's ruthless words.
"There's no other way?"
"If we send her back to Eustia, they'll likely do what we're considering."
"What's that?"
"An exorcism."
"An exorcism?"
Selena's eyes widened.
"Yes. The physician couldn't make a definite diagnosis, but he speculated that she might be possessed by something."
"B-But that's!"
"Indeed. If she undergoes an exorcism, Miss Iriel will no longer be able to participate in society."
Exorcism.
A ritual performed by the Central Holy Church to expel evil spirits.
However, it required a significant amount of money, and even if the exorcism was successful, the subject would be ostracized from society for being possessed.
"It would be difficult to keep it a secret, wouldn't it…?"
"If the ritual fails…. It wouldn't be difficult. The Central Holy Church would want to cover up their failure."
"And if it succeeds?"
"They would publicize it widely to enhance their reputation."
"Then there's no way to avoid suspicion that we forced Iriel to undergo an exorcism."
"Indeed. So, to be blunt, the second option doesn't benefit us. It would be better to hand her back to Eustia and let them handle it."
Selena bit her lip.
There were two entities in the Empire that were immune to power.
One was the Northern Duke, who defended against the monsters advancing from the south.
The other was the Central Holy Church, which governed faith.
No matter how she looked at it, there was no solution.
Confining Iriel to the mansion or performing the exorcism ourselves would only raise Yohaiden's suspicions.
It was a situation with countless disadvantages and no benefits.
Well, it wasn't that there were no benefits. If Iriel could recover as a result, Selena might have considered it...
However, Selena knew all too well that the rumors of exorcisms being a cure were nothing but lies.
'Is it really the best option to quickly hand her back to Eustia…?'
But something felt heavy in her chest, a nagging feeling of guilt.
'If only I hadn't suggested holding the banquet at the Eustia mansion….'
Exhausted from screaming, Iriel had fallen asleep.
Her tear-stained face came into Selena's view.
"……Then, to the Eustia mansion……."
"Wait."
Zeke cut Selena off.
***
Zeke frowned as he examined Iriel.
'Her condition is quite serious.'
Ugh. Zeke winced internally, his conscience pricking him.
He had a pretty good idea what was wrong with Iriel.
It was none other than exposure to his Release.
Even ordinary creatures would feel fear and flee from it, but she had experienced it directly, right beside him. It was no wonder she wasn't in her right mind.
She probably wouldn't be able to eat properly for a while due to the trauma, and it would take quite a long time for her to return to a normal life.
'The problem is, there's no solution to this except waiting it out….'
There were occasional cases in the Dave Continent where people couldn't overcome their curiosity and approached Zeke during his Release, only to lose their minds.
However, because their reality was so harsh, mental fortitude was a basic passive trait for them, so they usually regained their senses after about a month of recuperation.
However, Iriel, who had lived in a world of warmth and plenty, seemed to have no immunity to this kind of existential fear.
'Oh, and I walked in this morning practically radiating killing intent.'
An average person might have just felt a different level of pressure, but Iriel, in her weakened state, was likely to have been highly sensitive to his killing intent.
It might take her a year to recover from this.
Ultimately, this was all his fault.
As he was concluding his thoughts, a strange word caught his ear.
'What? Exorcism?'
Zeke scoffed at the butler's words.
As if that would solve anything.
This wasn't a case of possession by an evil spirit, but classic symptoms of panic disorder.
She had faced an insurmountable fear and was desperately trying to escape the deeply ingrained terror.
That's why she couldn't stay still, screaming and hurting herself.
It would be better to give her mild sedatives and provide counseling to gradually ease her mind.
'Sedatives… I wonder if it's okay to get some drugs here and give them to her?'
Then, the face of the future drug lord, the protagonist of the romance fantasy novel, popped into Zeke's head.
"Wait."
"Yes, Instructor? Do you perhaps know something about Iriel's condition…?"
"Yes. Call Soi Spoon… No, bring Elise here."
"Elise?"
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