The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 159: Nothing is going smoothly (14)

As I entered, the sharp-faced girl from last time was sitting there.

Kanna Temrane Shiodor.

She’s probably referred to as a “lady” because she’s the daughter of a duke's family. Also, I heard that she’s a bit of a cripple.

She’s a likely candidate for the Harvesting phase.

“Hello.”

“You’re truly consistent. Come, sit.”

As she suggested, I sat across from her, just like last time. Her clothes were different, but they were particularly long at the bottom and made from a material that hid the inside.

Definitely hiding her legs.

Because, at the Royal Academy, students casually show off their thighs. Even people from fairly high ranks do it without care, so the fashion here seems pretty free or maybe it’s a trend.

Since I don’t have enough information yet, I can’t comment.

The highest-ranking person in the Harvesting phase is Aurora, but she collapsed last year, so I’m not familiar with the latest trends.

There are also people from Vern City who lived in a sort of upper class, but either they’re older or they’re young children, so they aren’t up-to-date with the fashion in the capital right now.

Just as a side note, about 10 years ago, at the Royal Academy, even during the summer, dresses went down to the ankles, but they had low cuts all the way to the waist.

There were even people daring enough to wear clothes that exposed their tailbones. It seems the desire to flaunt oneself is universal.

It's still just a possibility, but now I can judge it.

If I turn the person in front of me into a Harvester, I’ll find out.

Thinking this, I waited for her to speak.

“I heard that last weekend, you went to the slums and changed a lot of people.”

That was just two days ago. If I think about the people I healed there, maybe she’s now ready to embrace the Harvesting phase herself?

“Yes.”

“Did the royal family order that?”

The royal family? If it’s a duke’s family, it’s not strange to be cautious of the royal family, but if I think about it simply, doesn’t it make sense that they don’t need to be so cautious?

“No. They asked for it.”

Part of that is true. The people there wished for it after seeing the first person who changed. The first person, however, never wanted anything like that.

They just wanted to enjoy procreation.

As the saying goes, "If you talk too much, you’re likely to mess up," the contract is powerful. It’s an informal promise, but once accepted, it’s irreversible.

Of course, even if I say that, if I don’t give myself to her, I won’t change, but it’s not like I wouldn’t give myself, right?

Give up warmth?

Just in front of me. All I need to do is grab her hand, right?

That’s impossible.

“So, the blessing means you can use it as you wish, right?”

Blessing. It sounds like something you’d read in the newspaper. At least, as far as I know, no one in broadcasting uses the term “blessing.” The newspapers call me a saint or claim it’s a miracle from God, plastering my photo all over the front page.

She must’ve read that.

“Do some people want to receive what they call a blessing?”

I don’t think of it as a blessing, so I added that clarification. Maybe they think they want me because it’s called a blessing.

She stares at me, and I return her gaze.

Kanna Temrane Shiodor.

She’s taller than me. But it’s not because this girl is big, I’m just small. Her height is average. Her hair is a yellowish color, closer to yellow than gold, and cut just above her shoulders. Above that, round ears stick out.

In a world from a faded memory, this type of person would be called a beastman, but here, they’re treated more like a family name than an ethnicity.

Of course, there’s no such thing as blue skin, so Harvesters with blue skin are considered very foreign.

She looks small in stature, but that’s because her body’s posture is bent. I now understand the purpose of the luxurious cane next to the chair I once thought was just an object.

It’s used for support when walking.

Her body’s balance is clearly off.

When I didn’t know her condition, I couldn’t see these things. She asked me in a quiet voice.

“What do you want?”

It’s a question about what I expect in exchange for doing this. Right. By this point, there’s no such thing as pure goodwill. Someone like her must know that very well.

But that’s a mistake.

“The one hoping for the contract is you. If you want it, we’ll do it. If not, we won’t.”

I’m always putting myself in the position of the one listening. So, if she asked what I stand to lose, I’d say it’s warmth.

Little by little, she seems filled with the desire to become a Harvester, so I asked her this:

“I’ll give myself to you. In exchange, after you finish everything later, I’ll take everything you’ve gained. How does that sound?”

The contract.

I ask this same question every time. It’s been featured in the newspapers and on TV too. When someone answers, they become a Harvester.

At least anyone who’s encountered me through the media knows this.

Nowhere in this is there a phrase about healing. The contract says that whatever you possess will be taken after you die. Nothing is taken while you're alive.

This works well for those living day-to-day, or those without a future...

“Taking everything I have when I die... isn’t that asking for too much?”

People like her, who have much to pass down to future generations, hesitate. Should I perform a trick to show that material resources are meaningless to me?

Hmm...

No.

That would be too much of a display of desire. I’d be trying to convince her to make a contract, wouldn’t I?

To maintain contracts with higher-ups in the future, the contract itself must not become something I desire.

“This is the contract. If you don’t want it, we won’t do it.”

She’s read the newspapers. She knows about the contract. After everyone answers, they become Harvesters, and there are no exceptions.

If she has information from the royal family and knows the moment Aurora made a contract, she’ll understand that this phrase is always the same.

I said, pretending to be calm, that if she doesn’t want the contract, we won’t do it. If I could grab her right now, maybe I’d have acted, but since the contract hasn’t been made yet, I can wait.

For the future, to gain more warmth consistently.

If not, once summoned, I could pour myself into this world and gain warmth altogether. But if that happens, I’ll be gone after.

If I cross that line, I won’t wait like this again.

Once I rise above this world, I’ll immediately break it and devour the warmth.

Like an addict to mind-altering substances, I’ll lose all reason and move on impulse.

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The heat at that time would truly be blissful...

Yes. My personality will melt away. Definitely.

So, I wait and endure. I’m not some fool who doesn’t understand it, my consciousness is intact. Yes.

This is definitely a broken path. I’ll be mad forever. Mad, thinking in a maddened state. Still...

With wisdom, I grit my teeth. I can never feel that infinite cold again. That eternal cold, which makes it impossible to die without a shred of warmth, never again.

While I’m making up my mind, the girl in front of me is in turmoil.

Her expression, though hidden, can’t be completely concealed—she’s human, after all. Her breath, heartbeat, and skin all betray her.

Moreover, there’s an unintentional time limit. I’ve already told her that the royal guard will come during lunch, so she knows.

When the royal guard arrives, maybe they’ll try to stop the contract?

I’m really lucky.

I just sit still, thinking of myself as a Harvester vending machine.

And eventually...

She answered.

“Alright. Let’s make the contract.”

The contract was formed.

I reached out with light, filling myself inside it.

At the same time, I acquired Kanna’s memories.

The Shiodor Duke family. I thought they were collateral to the royal family, but surprisingly, they’re from the northern Grand Duke line.

This country is shaped like a crescent moon. The left side is an empty circle. According to the map, the capital is at the top-left, and Vern City is at the bottom-left.

So, traveling by ship is the fastest. If you travel by land, it’s a long detour.

It’s a northern noble house, but it doesn’t meet a town where snow falls. It’s just a long border. If that’s all, they wouldn’t have called it the northern Grand Duke.

The family is a military clan. They value martial arts above all, regardless of age or gender. Because of that, Kanna wasn’t treated as a full member of the family.

Kanna was born with a leg problem. So, her mother abandoned her. In a military family, it’s natural to be ignored if you can’t move your body.

But it wasn’t cruel. She was raised by another mother, and she wasn’t a threat to her siblings, so she was treated kindly.

Of course, Kanna worked hard for that.

She really worked hard.

She mediated between her siblings, worked to create a harmonious family, and even succeeded.

But not being able to use her legs remained her inferiority complex. There were many things she had to give up because of her legs, from childhood to now.

And now...

“Truly, you can walk.”

Her skin cracked like porcelain, and dust fell off like dry sand, but Kanna moved her steps naturally.

Her yellow hair turned purple, and her skin became much whiter. But her broken legs were healed. They were even much better than the legs she would’ve had if they were normal.

She leapt up.

In that spot, she jumped high enough to touch the ceiling. It was about three times my height, but she reached it with a single jump.

And after trying out her newly healed legs, she moved around and soon stood still.

She didn’t cry out loud, but tears kept flowing from Kanna’s eyes.

The hardships that should have been impossible to overcome disappeared. It means that nothing now stands in her way.

When a person tastes desire, they seek the next thing.

What will this person do now?

Hehe.

I waited quietly at my seat until Kanna wiped her tears and sat down.

“Kanna Temrane Shiodor. I hope you live as you wish from now on. If there’s anything I want from you, that’s it.”

I put down my empty teacup in front of me and stood up before she could speak. Then I suddenly remembered something and spoke to Kanna.

“When you’re happy, you should smile.”

I walked toward the entrance and grabbed the doorknob. Normally, it’s not polite, but at times like this, it’s better to give someone time alone.

“But it’s okay to cry. If there’s any resentment, no one will say anything if you pour it out.”

I opened the door and left.

Shekal stared at me.

“Give her time to wipe her tears.”

I pointed behind me as I spoke, and walked out of the room. Then Shekal called out to me from behind.

“My name is Prizia Tavakian Shekal. Thank you, Bell.”

Despite her face and attitude, her greeting was refreshing, and I waved my hand before heading back to where I live.