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Don't let Falin's airheaded look fool you—when it comes to nerves, she's just as thick-skinned as Laios.
Since she also considered Marcille her dearest friend, of course she didn't want to imagine a future where age would separate them.
"Let's go. This isn't the right place," Rosen said, turning to lead the two of them toward a treehouse not far away.
Laios glanced once and then lost interest. Rosen was their savior; there was no way he'd harm Falin. Compared to that, what really occupied Laios's mind was something else entirely—he'd been itching to find out if goblins, those humanoid monsters, were edible!
The dungeon's second layer stretched out like a dense jungle. Tree hollows as wide as ground houses dotted the landscape, and many adventurers used them as resting spots. Of course, danger lurked in some hollows too—bat demons, man-eating plants, things you'd rather not stumble across.
Naturally, Rosen hadn't chosen one of those.
Once inside the tree hollow, he spoke calmly: "Take off your robe."
"Eh?"
Even if Falin was slow on the uptake, she wasn't clueless about men and women. Her pale cheeks flushed as she hesitated.
"You saved us, but… isn't this moving a little too fast?"
"W-what?!" Marcille gasped, her face turning crimson. She suddenly remembered a dark art from ancient magic—"dual cultivation." She didn't know the details, only that it was supposedly obscene beyond belief. For a half-elf like her, the thought alone felt horribly immoral.
"Don't overthink it," Rosen cut in. "You don't need to strip completely. Just uncover your stomach."
That somehow sounded even more suspicious!
While Marcille's mind was spiraling, Falin obediently lifted her loose mage's robe. Her smooth, pale belly shone like polished ivory.
Then, with a faint hum in the air, a jagged spear of light formed in Rosen's hand.
"I'll ask you one last time. Once you become my retainer, you'll have to obey my commands unconditionally. Do you understand?"
The question wasn't for show—if the subject wavered even a little, the holy seal couldn't be engraved.
"I understand. But I won't regret it. You saved me, Lord Rosen. This life already belongs to you."
Without hesitation, Falin answered firmly.
Rosen nodded, then drove the spear into her stomach.
Marcille clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream—only to blink in shock when no blood appeared. Instead, golden patterns spread from the point of contact, glowing across Falin's skin.
The holy seal strengthened her body, forcing oily impurities out through her pores. At the same time, Rosen's vision revealed her new status panel:
[Retainer: Falin]
[Rank: Novice Divine Envoy]
[Strength: 10 ]
| Endurance: 10 ]
| Dexterity: 10 ]
| Agility: 10 |
[Divine Power: 10]
[Skills]
Displacement Magic Consumes a large amount of divine power to teleport all allies within range to a chosen location. Maximum distance: 10 kilometers. Can be enhanced as power grows.
Restoration Magic Consumes divine power to heal and remove negative conditions. Can cure curses, burns, frostbite, plague, bleeding, and more—but not physical needs like hunger or thirst. Range and speed increase with growth.
Pillar of Warmth Slightly boosts the five core stats of all allies nearby.
Rosen's eyes lit up. Compared to his other three retainers, Falin's role was crystal clear: pure support. Every awakened skill centered on healing and strengthening allies, complete with an aura-type buff.
In a dungeon setting, she'd be the kind of retainer every god would fight to claim.
And that was just the headline abilities—her other magic hadn't vanished, it would just grow more slowly than these.
"How do you feel now?" Rosen asked, watching Falin fidget as if unused to her own body.
"I feel so strong! Amazing! I think I could even take on a dragon right now!"
She wasn't exaggerating much—her body was already built from dragon's flesh and blood. With the holy seal amplifying her further, her physical abilities had leapt to a whole new level.
"You'll get used to it in time," Rosen said, patting her head. With a gesture, he conjured a huge wooden tub brimming with steaming water.
"Go wash up. From now on, you're my retainer. You can come to me about anything."
"…Could you make my brother your retainer too?" she asked after a moment's thought.
"No."
Rosen shook his head. The system of his World Tree had no reaction to Laios—and even if it did, Rosen would never take a man as a retainer unless absolutely necessary.
"Oh, okay." Falin looked a little downcast, but her spirits bounced back quickly.
"Is that all there is to it?" Marcille asked curiously. "She doesn't look any different… just kind of, um, smelly."
"Marcille, I can wash that off right away! And I can feel it—Lord Rosen didn't trick me. Even though I'm human, I'll live for a very long time now~~~"
Then she turned with a bright smile. "Marcille, do you want to become Lord Rosen's retainer too?"
"Wha—me? No, no, I-I'll pass!"
Before anything else, Rosen's "Tree of Life" system didn't even react to Laios. And even if it had, Rosen would never—under any circumstances—take a man as one of his followers unless it was absolutely necessary.
"...Alright then."
Falin's voice carried a tinge of disappointment, but she quickly shook it off and brightened up again.
"So that's it? Is it done already?" Marcille asked curiously from the side.
"She doesn't look much different to me... just a little smellier."
"Marcille!" Falin pouted, but her tone was playful. "I can wash that off right away, you know. And besides, I can feel it—Lord Rosen wasn't lying to me. Even though I'm human, I can sense that now... now I can live for a really, really long time~~~"
Her eyes sparkled. Then she turned and added with a grin, "Hey, Marcille, why don't you become Lord Rosen's follower too?"
"Eh?! Me? No, uh... I-I'll pass."
"..."
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