SSBF 05

Posted by zahid, Released on July 30, 2026

Chapter 5

There were beings that made this prison-like vagrant dormitory seem even more like a prison.

The people lounging and chatting on the lawn.

It felt as if they were desperately out on the lawn because they hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time.

“Phew…”

I nervously chose the group that looked the easiest to approach.

Two elderly men and one woman.

“Oh my, hello. I’m Dorothy, here for the first time today.”

“Hmm? Ah, the young lady. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s all so unfamiliar since it’s my first time. Please take care of me.”

“Oh, we’d be grateful if you’d spend time with old folks like us.”

Their hearty smiles seemed quite gentle. Perfect.

I naturally squeezed in and sat among them.

The three vagrants made space for me.

They were my targets for today.

“The world is changing now that His Majesty has ascended the throne. Miss, if you were wandering the streets, aren’t you very grateful to His Majesty?”

“Oh, of course.”

The conversation continued smoothly, even after I joined.

They didn’t seem shy.

I observed them carefully.

[Agatha, who here has the deepest worries?]

[Look at the woman’s legs, Dorothy.]

I shifted my gaze and was startled. A dark, smoky something was clinging to the woman’s legs.

[Those legs… is there something wrong with them?]

[You can see it too, Dorothy? Yes, that’s right. There’s some kind of bad energy…]

Contrary to her kind smile, the woman’s complexion was very poor.

[What should we do, Agatha?]

[Her skin is starting to rot… Her belongings. Her belongings are the problem.]

[What?]

[She has something… something sinister!]

Sinister…?

Could it be… like when my mother would sometimes say, “That house needs to cut down the persimmon tree in the yard!”?

This was perfect. If there was something ‘sinister,’ wouldn’t the visible effect be significant?

Helping someone in need and promoting myself at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone.

Agatha told me a lot of important information. I organized it in my head.

“Lynette, are your legs alright?”

Once I had grasped the situation, I spoke to her in a concerned voice. I didn’t forget to use the name Agatha had told me.

The three of them fell silent.

“Did I… mention my name?”

“Is it that obvious that my legs hurt?”

“No way. How could you tell just by sitting here? They look fine.”

The three whispered among themselves and then looked at me.

Curiosity filled their eyes.

“It must be difficult since all the doctors say it’s of unknown cause.”

“What? Did you hear that from the doctor?”

“Oh dear. The skin is turning black and rotting, so she can’t sleep well.”

“What? Lynette, has it progressed that far?”

Lynette’s pupils dilated.

It seemed her friends didn’t know about it.

Good, this is it.

I shuffled closer to Lynette on my knees.

At the same time, I quickly asked Agatha,

“Lynette, would you like to come to my room for a moment? I have something important to tell you.”

“What? Why?”

Lynette’s eyes wavered, perhaps feeling uneasy since I had guessed everything so far.

“I need to talk to you about a… red stone.”

Lynette had found a fake ruby by chance at a tavern and cherished it secretly. Unfortunately, the jewel was filled with bad energy.

“…Th-That’s…”

Lynette stammered, glancing at her friends.

Her face showed fear of her secret being revealed.

“Or would it be alright to talk here?”

“I-I’ll go. Let’s go.”

I’m sorry, but it seemed I needed to add more personal details to confuse Lynette.

She readily nodded. Her face was filled with bewilderment and shock.

A week after I persuaded a skeptical Lynette to throw the fake ruby into the flowing river, her complexion improved.

Everyone seemed surprised to see the woman, who had been limping due to an illness of unknown cause, walking around energetically with a bright face.

Since vagrants tended to have ailments, everyone asked Lynette about it.

She answered them exactly as I had instructed, including the precise location.

‘It’s thanks to the Saintess named Dorothy who recently arrived in room 302.’

Thus, I solved the big and small worries of the people who came to me.

There were also those who visited me out of curiosity, were surprised by how much I knew, and then left.

Those people spread my story further.

Most of the people in this building came to call me “Saintess,” and my schedule for the week was packed with visitors seeking consultations.

[This is the first time I’ve seen someone solve individual problems one by one like this. Priests don’t have the ability to receive such detailed information. This is something only you can do, Dorothy. It was a really good idea. Helping people and raising your reputation.]

[You’re right. I never thought I’d use this method.]

Agatha was quite amazed and pleased.

Even though I was doing something similar to the shaman work I hated so much, I didn’t feel bad.

I felt a sense of accomplishment seeing people freed from their pain.

[I’m glad it seems to ease their suffering when they visit you.]

[Yes. It might take a while to achieve my goal, but… I’m quite content.]

Agatha was right. A slight sense of accomplishment welled up within me.

This method would undoubtedly take a long time to meet the Emperor.

To build a reputation that would act as a ‘shield,’ I needed to impress more influential people with my existence. Fame within the vagrant dormitory wasn’t enough.

For example… nobles. Priests or clergymen in the capital.

I wondered if there was any way. I was feeling frustrated.

“Excuse me, Saintess Dorothy.”

“Ah, yes.”

Just then, someone approached me. It was one of the residents of the dormitory.

“There are people here who came after hearing the rumors.”

“Who-”

“Move aside. Is this the woman?”

Before I could properly face the woman and finish my question, she was shoved aside.

“Eek…!”

“Oh my, are you alright?!”

“Are you the Saintess?”

Three men appeared, knocking the woman to the ground.

The clothes of the man standing between the two burly figures looked more luxurious than anyone else’s I had seen so far.

[Such rudeness.]

Agatha’s harsh curse, despite her usual gentle demeanor, echoed in my mind.

Anger boiled inside me.

“My wife is a bit of a handful, so I want you to tone down her temper. It’s fine if you make her unable to speak, but it would be even better if you could make her personality more docile. A Saintess should be able to do that, right?”

“…What?”

“I came here because you seem somewhat gifted. I have an interest in these… occult things.”

Judging by his clothes, he was the kind of client I was hoping for.

I hesitated for a moment.

‘I don’t want to help him. But what if he’s my only chance?’

“Why aren’t you answering? Tsk. I can’t believe I had to come to a filthy place like this myself. Let’s finish this quickly and leave.”

However, the contempt on the man’s face as he scanned the vagrant dormitory infuriated me.

He barged in, pushed someone over without apologizing, and looked at where people lived with such disdain.

“I don’t take requests like that.”

I answered, mustering all my patience, and bent down to help the woman who had fallen to the floor.

At that moment, the burly man next to the ugly mustache grabbed my arm.

[That son of a-.]

Agatha’s string of curses continued.

“Are you ignoring me while I’m talking?”

[Dorothy! That man, that, that scoundrel! That… oh? He became a viscount thanks to his wife’s family, but he got caught cheating. So he’s trying to silence his wife so his father-in-law doesn’t find out and he can keep his title. That bastard-.]

Aha. So that’s how it is.

I glared at Mustache, my eyes flashing.

“Are you afraid of your father-in-law, but not your wife? Do you think silencing your wife will solve everything?”

Mustache’s face paled rapidly.

“And you came to me because you don’t want to lose everything. Right?”

“That’s… that’s absurd! How could you!”

Mustache panicked and then slapped the shoulders of the two burly men beside him, urging them to intimidate me.

He looked like a fool, startled at having his secret revealed.

The two men stepped forward.

[Where do they think they’re going! Ugh. Don’t worry, Dorothy. If I connect with you, I can use divine power-]

“Do you think no one else knows about your sins besides your wife? You’re naive and foolish.”

Agatha was rambling on about something, but my mouth, filled with irritation, moved on its own.