The Villains I Taught Became Heroes

“Can you make me some holy water?”

I wanted to grab a drink since it’s been a while, but I couldn’t take the girl who came for work to a bar. So, I stuck by Serin, who was busy investigating, and said this, but she just looked at me like I was crazy.

“There’s a church here too, right? Can’t you just buy holy water there?”

“You know that the holy water I want isn’t some generic stuff.”

Right. The holy water I need for the elixir has to be packed full of divine power. A real holy water that even experienced priests take days to properly consecrate.

Serin frowned deeply and shook her head.

“If I had a little free time, I might help, but I’m here to work.”

“I know. Who said you were here for sightseeing?”

I expected this kind of response. I pulled out the heretic’s seal from my pocket.

Upon seeing it, Serin’s expression changed.

“That…!!”

“I’ll give you this.”

“Ugh…”

Conflict! Perfect. Just a little more pushing here, and I’d win.

“And I’ll help you with your investigation.”

“…Really?”

She’s already on my side. With her eyes narrowed in thought, Serin finally held out her hand. I placed the seal on her delicate white palm. Once Serin accepted it, she tucked it away and led me.

“Priest Lewalon.”

Lewalon was the middle-aged head priest of the church in the territory. He knew me and bowed politely at Serin beside me.

“Haha, isn’t this Priest Serin? Have you found anything?”

“Whether it’s a discovery or not… this friend gave me this.”

“That’s… the heretic’s seal, isn’t it?”

“Yes. With this, I can uncover the secret base of the heretics… I think I’ll be focusing on investigating this for a while.”

And I also need to concentrate on making that holy water.

Lewalon’s face looked troubled at Serin’s response. Who would be happy that a priest sent from the central church wasn’t doing the investigation they were supposed to?

“On the other hand… I’d like to leave my absence in your hands, Lee Hyun.”

“Master wishes to do so? Hmmm… But aren’t you quite busy? You’re so busy that you can’t even attend Mass on Sundays.”

Serin’s sharp gaze turned to me.

Well, if a person is busy, they might skip Mass. That’s only natural.

“No matter how busy I am, I won’t let a heretic performing human sacrifices go unchecked. Even though I haven’t been baptized yet, I maintain a good relationship with the church. I can’t just overlook this matter.”

“Whoa. If you genuinely think that way, I can’t ask for more. It’s said that you’ve been of great help in resolving this matter as well… Understood.”

As Lewalon headed inside to prepare some paperwork, Serin tapped my chest gently. Her eyes were sharper than usual.

“Do well.”

“Don’t worry.”

This is nothing compared to raising a disciple.

After finishing the investigation on the heretics with the church, I returned to the Eastern Trading Company. As I approached my quarters, I saw Sowol waiting for me.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re late. Did you enjoy a chat with Priest Serin?”

Feeling an inexplicable aura from Sowol, who tilted her head and smiled sweetly, I let out a sigh.

“Stop with the nonsense. I’ve been working.”

“Yes? What kind of work…?”

“Investigating the heretics. I was really put through the wringer by Priest Lewalon, it’s a miracle I’m still standing. Can you pour me some tea?”

“Oh. Sure.”

As Sowol poured the tea with a puzzled expression, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Now, shall we sort out what we investigated today?

So far, what we’ve uncovered is that the heretics are trying to settle here. Specifically, they’re aiming to spread their teachings in the back alleys, trying to create chaos in the territory.

But why?

Even with the enormous Eastern Trading Company, this territory isn’t particularly special. Sure, there’s a major city nearby, making the transport routes good, but that’s about it.

So why are the heretics trying to establish themselves here?

“Master?”

I looked at Sowol. Maybe it was because of my gaze? She tilted her head and stared back at me.

If there’s a reason, then it could be Sowol herself.

In the game, Sowol was a member of the heretics. Perhaps they’re trying to pull her in to utilize her overflowing talents? Or maybe they want to pull the next head of the Eastern Trading Company into their cult to exploit their resources?

Hmm. Then, maybe they plan to assassinate the current head of the trading company to do that.

If the head is around, they wouldn’t be able to use Sowol, no matter how hard they try to pull her in.

…Wait a minute.

Wasn’t it the heretics who killed the head in the game? I only knew that the head had been assassinated, but I never knew who was behind it or why.

If that’s true, then it means Sowol was just being used by the heretics…

“…Why do you look at me like I’m so pathetic?”

“Just because. You’re cute.”

“…Sigh. By the way, why are you investigating the heretics, Master?”

“Just helping Serin.”

“Why?”

“I asked her for a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Just some stuff. More importantly, I’ll be busy starting tomorrow, so I won’t be able to train you.”

“…What? But…”

“It’s only for a few days, so don’t make a fuss about it. Instead, I’ll give you some homework, so do that. Get up. I’ll give it to you now.”

Ah, she’s pouting. I could see her cheeks getting slightly puffed up, so I guessed my words hadn’t sat well with her.

But what can I do? I have to thoroughly prepare for the heretic investigation right now.

I raised the sulking Sowol and grabbed a wooden sword.

Though she was facing me with a sulky expression, she still took the wooden sword.

As I took my stance, she hesitated but soon began following my movements.

“You’re going to learn a sword technique that you’ll ultimately need to master. It’s called Moonlight Sword.”

“…Could it be that sword from before?”

“Yeah. The technique you tried to replicate. It consists of four forms, so remember them well.”

“But the sword dance you showed back then…”

“That’s just an application. The Moonlight Sword consists of four basic forms, but if you consider the related techniques as well, it can branch out into many more forms. Since you’ve learned how to channel mana, you should be able to use the basic forms now.”

I positioned the sword down and lifted it. Sowol, who had hesitated, started to mimic me.

“Now, focus your mana. Slowly, but don’t stop. The Moonlight Sword is like a blade of moonlight. To achieve that, you’ll need to continuously channel mana.”

I began teaching Sowol how to channel mana slowly.

She fumbled a bit, but since she already knew how to handle mana, she managed to pull off the first stance of the Moonlight Sword.

“This is the first stance of the Moonlight Sword: Moonlight Wave.”

In the game, it was an area attack that hit all enemies in front of you. The damage wasn’t bad, and if used correctly, it could temporarily blind enemies.

However, the Moonlight Wave Sowol executed looked quite pathetic, perhaps because she was still in the practice stage.

But that’s okay. With Sowol’s talent, she would surely master the Moonlight Wave in no time.

“Not easy, huh? Keeping your mana flowing continuously is the most important part. Practice channeling your mana whenever you have the time. I taught you how to do it, right?”

“Yes. You told me to breathe and absorb the mana from nature while meditating…”

“Exactly. It’s crucial, so don’t skip a day.”

“I understand.”

Seeing her nod seriously, I noticed the earlier sulkiness had completely vanished.

Alright. Teaching her how to elevate her mana through meditation is something I wouldn’t need to interfere with.

So for a few days, I’ll be able to move freely, right?

“But Master.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s your taste in women?”

Out of the blue, she asks about my taste in women?

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.”

Curiosity won’t cut it.

Since there’s nothing to hide, I just told her straightforwardly.

“A woman who’s pretty, tall, has a big chest, and is rich.”

*

‘A woman who’s pretty, tall, has a big chest, and is rich…’

After parting from Lee Hyun and finishing her meditation, Sowol reflected on his words.

‘Well, I have money…’

The wealth of the Eastern Trading Company is certainly not negligible. For Sowol, who is destined to inherit it after her father retires, money isn’t a significant issue.

‘As for being pretty… Well, I’m beautiful, right?’

The pink-haired maiden looking back at her in the mirror looked beautiful even to herself.

But then comes the real question.

Height. And chest size.

‘Height… I’ll grow taller.’

Thinking of her father, she figured she would surely grow taller. Alright, that’s settled!

Now, the chest…

‘My mother had a big chest.’

Remembering her mother from her memories and drawings, she felt hopeful for her future.

Of course, she could not be complacent. With the breast-enhancement exercises learned from her close maid, Laila, combined with good nutrition, she believed she could grow properly.

‘Not that I want to become the Master’s preference. But if I do, wouldn’t he focus more on teaching me? It’s just that.’

Convinced in her heart, Sowol glanced at the mirror again.

A faint smile graced the lips of the pink-haired maiden reflecting back at her.

---