I Was Deemed a Worthless Saint Without a Level-Up Blessing and Was Sent Off to Marry a Neighboring Country, but It Turns Out My Blessing Was Actually Level Cap Removal - Episode 55

“Nice to meet you. My name is Ilk. It is an honor to meet the legendary saint.”

After finishing the report on the expedition to the king, queen, and crown prince with Alvent and Robes, Ferulina, who was guided by Alvent and Robes, was introduced to a young man who was the pharmacist attached to the knight order.

Although he is still under thirty years old, his potion-making skills are highly regarded.

“Rumors, you say…?”

I wonder what kind of rumor it is.

To Ferulina’s hesitant question, Ilk responded with a bright laugh.

“Yes, I’ve heard various things. Not only Prince Alvent, but all the members of the group are completely smitten, saying they can’t help but admire you, and that you possess wonderful powers as a saint. At this rate, I might end up getting fired.”

“Ehhh…!?”

A strange sound involuntarily escaped my lips at Ilk’s casually outrageous remark. A bitter voice immediately followed from Alvent, who was standing next to me.

“Ilk. Don’t scare Ferulina. Even if Ferulina comes, the fact that you are an important pharmacist to the knight order won’t change in the future. There’s no way we would fire you.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Ferulina. It was a joke.”

Ilk easily goes back on his word.

“Lady Ferulina, I am just as grateful for your visit. To be honest, I want to dedicate myself more to researching herbs, but the knight order uses a considerable amount of potions, so I can’t make much progress on my research because I’m busy making them… However, thanks to Lady Ferulina’s visit, we didn’t use any potions on this expedition, none at all! Moreover, you even brought back the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit…! I can’t thank you enough, Lady Ferulina!”

“Uh, um…!?”

“Hey!”

Alvent slaps away Ilk’s hands, which were trying to grasp Ferulina’s hand.

“Ouch!”

“Didn’t I tell you not to surprise Ferulina!?”

“I didn’t mean to surprise you. I just wanted to express my gratitude. Or rather…”

Ilk lifts his lips in a cheerful grin.

“The rumor that the captain is head over heels for Lady Ferulina was true, huh? Not just his neck, but he’s completely smitten from head to toe…! We have to spread this to the other members too!”

“Stop it!”

“As the captain says.”

To the cheerful announcement from Ilk, Alvent’s voice immediately followed. The one who followed with an extremely calm voice was Robes.

“Stop doing pointless things. Even if you don’t do them, the members already know everything.”

At the calmly spoken words, Ilk burst out laughing, and Alvent grimaced fiercely, his dignified expression faltering.

Ferulina didn’t know what to say and just fumbled around. Even without looking in the mirror, she knew her face must be bright red.

Robes, with an unchanging expression, continued speaking.

“Rather than wasting time on such trivial matters, I would like you to process the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit.”

“Understood.”

Ilk, having stifled his laughter, agrees with a serious expression.

Ferulina hesitantly asked Ilk about something that had been on her mind for a long time.

“Um, Ilk-san. Do you think we could make a poison that works on dragons using the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit…?”

It was Ferulina’s idea that put the members in danger. If they say, “Unfortunately, it’s impossible,” I would feel too sorry.

To the visibly anxious Ferulina, Ilk responded with a smile, saying, “It’ll probably be fine.”

“They say the poison from the poison treant is quite powerful and should be handled with care! We won’t know how effective it is against dragons until we actually use it, but I think it might weaken them a bit. The real problem is figuring out how to get the poison to the dragon…”

Hmm, Ilk furrowed his brows and directed his gaze towards Alvent. Following suit, Ferulina also looked up at Alvent beside her.

As if Ilk’s expression had been contagious, Alvent and Robes also wore bitter faces.

“Indeed, that’s the biggest problem. Even if we try to poison its food, I can’t imagine a highly intelligent dragon would eat poisoned bait. That leaves us with no choice but to forcibly inject it into the dragon’s body, but I doubt we can pierce its scales with an arrow… Spreading it in the air is another option, but if it gets diluted, I wonder how effective it would be, and it would be troublesome if it affects the surroundings. For now, applying it to the blade

“Captain! Even though Lady Ferulina is here, please don’t overdo it! Have you forgotten that you were on the brink of life and death three years ago!?”

Robes narrowed his eyes at Alvent, who had complained with a scowl on his face.

Ilk, who had been watching the two with a wry smile, gently intervened.

“Well then, although the purpose has not yet been determined, would it be alright to process it into a powder for now? If it’s in powder form, it can be kneaded into pills or dissolved into a liquid, so it can be processed immediately according to its intended use.”

“Um, is there anything I can help you with…!?”

Ferulina involuntarily offers to Ilk.

“If the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit is something to handle with care, isn’t Ilk-san, who is mixing it, also in danger? If I’m here, I can quickly neutralize the poison if something happens…!”

If we don’t defeat the dragon, the curse placed on Alvent won’t be lifted.

Now that I know the curse is progressing, if there’s even the slightest chance of gaining an advantage in the dragon battle, I’m willing to do anything.

“You don’t need to help Ilk.”

Before Ilk could answer, it was Alvent who held him back with a bitter expression.

“I told you to rest well and recover from the fatigue of the expedition, didn’t I? That goes for you too, no exceptions.”

“However, unlike everyone else, I was allowed to ride in the carriage even while traveling…”

“However, while the other members have been on this expedition for years, this is your first expedition in an unfamiliar environment. There is no guarantee that you won’t be more fatigued than the others. More importantly, if anything were to happen to you, the only saint, it would affect the safety of the entire knight order. This is a command from the captain. Please, take your time to rest.”

Ferulina bit her lip at Alvent’s gentle admonition.

I know that Alvent is worried about Ferulina and is saying it.

However, now that I have actually seen Alvent’s cursed wound, I want to take every possible measure to lift the curse.

“Even just a little bit is fine! Please, let me help! I’m begging you…!”

“Ah, well then, how about this?”

The voice of Ilk reaches Ferulina’s ears as she bows deeply.

“How about having Lady Ferulina stay by my side while I crack the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit? Since it’s my first time handling the Poison Treant’s toxic fruit, I’m worried that I might accidentally apply too much force and cause the contents to splatter everywhere. Having Lady Ferulina there would put my mind at ease. After that, I can manage the rest of the tasks without needing any help, so would it be alright for Lady Ferulina to return and rest?”

While alternating glances between Alvent and Ferulina, Ferulina nods vigorously at Ilk’s proposal.

“Yes, I will keep a close watch on it! This much should be fine, right!?”

When I turned around vigorously to Alvent, a resigned sigh came back.

“Understood. If you’re going to say that much, then I’ll help. But!”

A sharp light glimmers in the black eyes.

“After helping out, make sure to rest right away, okay!? Ilk too, alright!? Don’t push Ferulina too hard, okay!?”

Thank you very much!

“Of course, I am aware.”

Alvent let out another sigh at Ferulina, who thanked him with a cheerful voice, and Ilk, who took on the task with a smile.

“If possible, I would like to stay with you… but sorry, I still have things to do. I can’t accompany you. I can send Nanette and Chelsea instead, though…”

“I’m sorry to trouble both of you. If it’s me, I’ll be fine on my own, so please go ahead and take care of your own matters, Alvent-sama.”

When I shook my head in response, Alvent gave a wry smile.

“That’s so like you. I wish you’d take care of yourself as much as you do for others… Really, don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll be careful. However, please don’t overexert yourself either, Alvent-sama.”

Looking up at the tall figure and speaking as if in prayer, a gentle smile descended as he replied, “Of course.”

“……Even though we look so different on the outside, we surprisingly make a similar couple on the inside, don’t we……”

“Isn’t it good that you get along well?”

Ilk laughed at Robes’ voice, which sounded somewhat exasperated.

Feeling embarrassed by the two gazes that seemed to be looking at something heartwarming, Ferulina involuntarily lowered her face.