The original Alios was in the 180 cm range.
Perhaps because the original was like that, female Alios is also over 170 cm.
On the other hand, I’m the small-built male Ceres, even though the original Ceres was fragile.
When Alios hugs me, I fit easily into her arms.
Right now, Alios is taking advantage of that and holding me while lowering her head to smell my hair.
Damn, it’s creepy!!!
Her actions are so off-putting that, even though she’s a beautiful blonde woman, I don’t feel happy at all.
If she were a man, like in the original, I would’ve made a scene and demanded she let go immediately.
“…Stop.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help myself because your scent is so nice.”
After I spoke, she realized her mistake and pulled away.
But her face showed a clear sense of regret.
I wanted to escape right away, but since I needed to move, I couldn’t do much. Should I bring a wheelchair next time and make her push me around if this happens again?
“Stop being weird and just take me to the next place.”
I shook off the uncomfortable feelings as best as I could and continued with what I was doing.
“My daughter hasn’t been able to move her lower body since she injured her back.”
“My mother has been bleeding continuously since she injured her abdomen while working!”
I visited the homes of the other two and treated them.
“My goodness, even the priests had given up!”
“Ceres, I will never forget this favor!”
This should be enough, right?
I treated them as requested, and based on their reactions, they were definitely grateful.
A witch.
No, since I’m a man, is it more like a demon?
Either way, it didn’t seem like I’d be forced into something similar anytime soon.
“Let’s go back.”
“Yes.”
I felt relieved as I was carried back home by Alios and carefully placed in bed. I said to her:
“I’m going to sleep, so you can go home or do whatever you want.”
“Oh, then can I sleep here as well? It’s already late since we’ve been out all day.”
“…You mean you want to use one of the empty rooms in this mansion, not my room, right?”
“Well, the empty room, but I don’t mind this room either.”
“…I’m tired.”
I shooed Alios away and fell into a deep sleep.
Then the next day.
“Please call for Ceres, young master.”
“We need his help!”
Other people came looking for help again.
I solved one problem and did some good deeds. Feeling a little proud, I fell asleep, but when I woke up, this was the situation.
“Count, please have mercy!”
“Stop joking and get lost!”
Ares, like yesterday, came to the front yard and shouted at the people kneeling, telling them to leave.
There were even more people than yesterday. There were nine in total, three times as many.
“What’s going on here?”
“I’m not sure.”
Alios, who had stayed at my house and woke up after spending the night, replied awkwardly.
“Maybe the word got out about what happened yesterday. Since Ceres treated some people, I think these people came here asking for help as well.”
“Do I need to treat these people too?”
“Well, that’s up to you, Ceres. If you don’t feel like treating them, you don’t have to.”
What do you mean “up to me”.
If I don’t do it, my reputation will go down, and I’ll be criticized!
“Alios, help me with this today too.”
“…Don’t push yourself too hard.”
With Alios supporting me, I followed the new people.
“My son is completely healed!”
“It was just as the rumors said!”
“This person is truly a saint…”
“It’s not much, but please accept this.”
I went and treated the people who couldn’t move, and they all thanked me.
Some even gave me money, but I couldn’t feel happy about it.
Things were starting to take a strange turn.
A bad feeling settled in, and I was right.
“Is Ceres here?”
“Please, help us!”
A few days later, more people came asking for treatment.
“Saint Ceres!”
“Please grant us your divine grace.”
Then, a few days after that, more people came asking for help.
“I knew this would happen!!!”
After the continuous cycle, Ares was disgusted.
“I knew that once I helped one person, they’d ignore my situation and keep asking for help. All they care about is their own illness, but my child’s pain is…”
“Because you won’t be able to see!”
“We know that Young Master Ceres is weak as well! But my family is on the verge of death, so we had no choice…”
“Shut up. Never show these people to me again. If anyone disobeys this order, I’ll take care of them as well!”
Ares, enraged, left with a fierce look, but while her words were kind, I still had to let them in.
“Mother, I’m fine.”
“Ceres…”
Ares looked at me with a sorrowful expression.
“Fine? What do you mean fine? How many times have you left the house when you can’t even move? This is why I wanted to hide it!”
Her words made me think of the original Ares.
When Ceres first used his healing powers, his father, Ares, tried to hide the fact.
Female Ares also tried to hide it the same way.
They never bragged about their child having extraordinary healing abilities and never asked the temple about it.
They were sure something bad would happen to me, and that’s exactly how things went.
“Ceres, refuse.”
Alios, who had just arrived, stiffened her face when she saw what had happened again.
“If you heal them, the same thing will happen again, and it will continue endlessly.”
That’s true. Honestly, it’s tough for me too.
Healing is easy, but going out often is physically exhausting.
As I pondered what to do, a brilliant idea came to me.
“Why don’t we treat all the sick people in the territory at once?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I treat them all at once, I won’t have to go out so often.”
And, if I treat enough people, even if a few spread bad rumors, it’ll be enough to cancel it out.
When I suggested this, both Alios and Ares looked dumbfounded.
“That’s impossible.”
“Don’t you know how many people live in this territory?”
I know. There are a lot.
The House of Hyperion is a very prosperous family with a vast territory, and many people live there.
“But there won’t be that many who need my treatment.”
“Even if there aren’t that many, you can’t go to all of them and treat them.”
“I don’t intend to do that. Mother, please spread the word across the territory. Tell everyone that I will treat them, and they should all gather in one place.”
“What about those like you who can’t move around easily?”
“Tell them to work together to bring those who need help.”
“…What’s in it for you if you go that far?”
What’s in it for me? My reputation and safety, of course.
I continued to persuade the opposing Ares.
When I realized she wasn’t going to change her mind, her eyes burned with determination.
“It’ll be just one week. Do you understand? I’ll allow this nonsense for just one week, but after that, even if you beg, I’ll make you stop!”
Fine.
Once that’s done, no one will slander me anymore, so I’m not complaining.
The instructions were sent out across the territory.
For the next week, I’ll treat people, and anyone with severe illness should come.
The location was a large plaza near our mansion.
Ares chose this place to make it easier for me to move, and many attendants were assigned to assist me.
Several dozen servants and even a hundred soldiers were there to guide the people who came.
“Please maintain order.”
“We will conduct body checks.”
They made sure everyone moved in an orderly manner and even checked for any dangerous items that might harm me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be by your side every day.”
Even Alios came every day to protect me.
While protecting me, she brought the patients to me, allowing me to treat them comfortably.
“My finger was cut off. Is there any way to fix it?”
“Here, it’s healed now.”
“My leg is gangrenous!”
“It’s healed now.”
Many people were in serious conditions.
Our territory is generally a good place to live, but seeing this made me shudder to think about how things were elsewhere.
It wasn’t just those with serious injuries who came.
“Ceres, please treat my arm!”
“No, you just broke your arm, right? If you wait, it’ll heal on its own.”
“I can’t wait! I’ll be fired from my job!”
Even though their injuries weren’t as serious, those in need desperately tried to get through, but the soldiers stopped them.
“Let them in.”
“But it’s not a serious injury.”
“I’ll treat anyone with serious circumstances as if it were a serious injury.”
Being on the verge of being fired counted as a serious issue, so I treated them without hesitation.
“Such mercy!”
“Beautiful appearance and an equally beautiful heart, with incredible divine power. You must be the legendary saint!”
“Our territory’s young master is truly a saint!”
Those who had received help called me a saint and rejoiced.
For the next five days, I continued treating people.
“Who is that?”
“Who’s there?”
While I was treating, the soldiers guarding the plaza suddenly shouted.
A group of about ten appeared in the plaza, but they didn’t look like patients.
They were wearing white robes and had a dignified air about them.
At a glance, they seemed to be of noble birth.
Among them, the leader was a woman with a blue short cut.
She was tall and had a good figure.
She was quite a beauty, but her face was expressionless and cold.
The woman spoke to the soldiers who were guarding her.
“I am the Archdeacon Hames. I’ve come to meet Ceres Hyperion of the House of Hyperion, so please lower your spears.”
When I heard the name, I stopped my treatment and looked at her seriously.
Hames.
The Archdeacon of the Celestial Church, the largest religious organization in the world.
And the one with the most powerful divine power, a “man” from the church.
And…
“Ceres, I’m sorry. I wanted to take you by any means.”
When Ceres was accused of being a witch, this Archdeacon didn’t help, but instead encouraged the situation, imprisoning him in the temple’s dungeon and spouting these ridiculous words.
He was one of the male leads in the story of Ceres, but now, she’s a woman!