[412] One more person means one more connection

Chapter 412: One more person means one more connection

However, watching her mother's face turn crimson and her labored breathing, Erina couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Suddenly, the girl seemed to remember something.

Yes, it was just like this back on the beach before. She also felt a surge of warmth coursing through her body, and it was only then that she made those kinds of sounds. Could it be that back then, that guy Hachiman also secretly used Holy Light?

Damn, this jerk. He actually used such despicable means to make me make those embarrassing sounds.

But... was she also making that kind of expression back then?

Seeing her own mother now, with her eyes glazed over, Erina's face also flushed slightly.

The girl had indeed guessed right. Back then, Hachiman had indeed used Holy Light when he helped her apply sunscreen. But for her, it had its benefits too.

Hachiman had mentioned before that Holy Light had strong healing and purifying abilities, so when he used it back then, it was also helping Erina rid herself of some hidden ailments.

As for the sounds she made back then and her body's reactions...

Well, it could only be considered a side effect of the treatment, just like the current situation with Mana.

However, Hachiman now frowned because he had been using Holy Light for a while, but in his view, the black aura lingering at the base of Mana's tongue had still not disappeared. It had only lightened in color to a grayish hue.

This puzzled him.

Was his proficiency with the Holy Light module still insufficient?

It had been about three to four months since he acquired Holy Light, and with the full level of the Learning module, the Holy Light module had smoothly reached level four.

Without exaggeration, Hachiman's proficiency with Holy Light was now comparable to that of Gabriel and Raphiel, the two bona fide angels.

But he hadn't expected that this level of Holy Light wouldn't be enough to dispel the curse of the God Tongue, only weaken it.

However, seeing Mana's current condition, he couldn't continue the treatment, and if he did, something terrible might happen.

It wouldn't be a problem if it were the girls, but Mana was his ostensible mother-in-law.

Well, let's leave it at that for now.

With that in mind, Hachiman dissipated the Holy Light in his hands.

As the stimulation of the Holy Light faded away, Mana's sense of relief also disappeared. It was as if she had suddenly plummeted from a peak to a valley, and a hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes.

"Why... why did you stop?" she murmured.

"Let's call it a day for now. If we continue, you won't be able to bear it," Hachiman replied calmly.

Hearing this, the blush on Mana's face deepened. She had indeed felt something about to happen just now, and if they had continued...

At that moment, Senzaemon interrupted her thoughts.

"So, Hachiman-kun, did the Holy Light work?"

At this, everyone's hearts leaped, eager to hear the answer from Hachiman.

"The Holy Light did have some effect," Hachiman nodded first, then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, with my current level of Holy Light, I can't completely eradicate the cause of Aunt Mana's illness. I can only alleviate the symptoms to a certain extent."

"Can't eradicate, only alleviate symptoms."

Upon hearing Hachiman's words, disappointment appeared on everyone's faces.

Seeing their expressions, Hachiman smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, even if it can only alleviate symptoms, it's still much better than before."

Then he turned to Erina. "Erina, go make a dish. It doesn't have to be too complicated, something simple."

"Okay... sure."

Although Erina was puzzled, she followed Hachiman's orders and left the study.

Before long, she returned with a plate of tempura-fried shrimp.

"Here."

Taking the dish, Hachiman nodded and placed it in front of Mana.

"Aunt Mana, give it a try."

Seeing it was just a plate of tempura-fried shrimp, Mana instinctively hesitated. But complying with Hachiman's request, she picked up a piece with her chopsticks and reluctantly put it in her mouth.

*Crunch.*

As the crispy coating shattered, the imagined disgust didn't surface. The God Tongue fulfilled its function perfectly, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the dish.

Mana widened her eyes in surprise and exclaimed, "It's edible. Although this dish still has many flaws, I can still eat it."

Hearing this, excitement appeared on everyone's faces.

Knowing that Erina's cooking skills were far inferior to Hachiman's, let alone his expertise in perfect cuisine.

Yet, Mana could eat it all without any issue. Did this mean she could eat normally in the future? This was fantastic news.

But while they rejoiced, Mana continued to taste the dish and offer her critique.

"Mm... the batter is too thick, and it's been fried for too long. Quite poor, Erina, this tempura you made is just terrible, nowhere near Hachiman's level."

Hearing her mother's assessment, Erina's smile froze on her face.

Seriously? I was just trying to help, and she's criticizing me like this. How infuriating.

At this point, Hachiman chimed in with a smile, "Exactly. As you can see, even with less-than-perfect cooking, Auntie can still eat it perfectly fine now that her symptoms have eased."

But this comment only irked Erina even more.

Is that even a humane thing to say? Talking as if my cooking is so terrible.

Damn it, Hachiman, just because you're good at cooking doesn't mean you're superior.

Thinking this, the girl glared at Hachiman with annoyance.

However, Hachiman paid no mind to Erina's angry stare. He covered his eyes with Holy Light once more and looked at the black aura at the base of Mana's tongue.

Though it didn't appear much different from before, it still had that dull, grayish look. But with Hachiman's keen vision, he could tell it had deepened slightly.

Seeing this, Hachiman's expression turned grim, and he muttered softly to himself, "As I thought..."

Hearing this, Erina couldn't help but interrupt her anger and ask, "What do you mean 'as I thought'? Has something else happened?"

After a moment of contemplation, Hachiman spoke up, "I checked again just now. After eating the imperfect dish, Auntie's symptoms worsened slightly."

"What? How can that be?"

Erina exclaimed in shock, quickly grabbing the chopsticks from Mana's hand.

"Mom, don't eat anymore."

Seeing the girl's concern, Hachiman reassured her with a smile, "Don't worry, it's not as serious as you think. It's just a slight worsening, and from what I can tell, the tastier the dish, the less severe the worsening."

"It seems that's why perfect dishes can be accepted because they don't worsen Auntie's condition, even pseudo-perfect ones."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, with the current influence of the Nakiri family, finding delicious dishes wouldn't be difficult.

There were the Ten Elite of Totsuki Culinary Academy, not to mention the alumni.

Although their cooking skills couldn't match Hachiman's, they were still quite exceptional.

But then Senzaemon raised a concern, "What if consuming these imperfect dishes for a long time leads back to the situation where she can't eat anything?"

"Yes, if it's as you said, Senzaemon-sama," Hachiman nodded, confirming Senzaemon's suspicion.

"How long until she reverts to being unable to eat anything?" Erina asked anxiously.

"I can't say for sure because the burden added by dishes of different deliciousness levels varies," Hachiman shook his head, then reassured the girl, "But don't worry. Even if she returns to her previous condition, there's still me, right?"

"As long as we conduct another treatment at that time, Auntie will be able to eat normally again. And I believe there will definitely be a method to completely cure it in the future."

"You have to trust me, Erina. Remember, I'm a hero. There's nothing I can't overcome if I set my mind to it."

"...," Erina fell silent.

Indeed, even though the current Level 4 Holy Light couldn't cure it, it didn't mean it couldn't be done in the future. He couldn't believe that maxed out Holy Light wouldn't be able to solve this minor curse.

Hearing Hachiman's words, Erina, who had been worried, also felt relieved.

Yes, she had to trust Hachiman. They had known each other for so long, and he had never let her down.

Indeed, he must have a way to completely cure Mom.

Thinking this, a smile spread across the girl's face.

"Yes, I believe in you. You can do it."

Hachiman returned the same reassuring smile.

Watching the two of them gaze at each other affectionately, Alice, standing nearby, felt a bit unhappy.

Damn it, Erina, you're flirting with my Hachiman again.

But Senzaemon, seeing this scene, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

He had planned to match Hachiman and Erina together from the beginning, and from the current situation, the plan was going smoothly, and the two had already developed feelings for each other.

However, what surprised him was that Alice seemed to have also fallen for Hachiman, which made things a bit complicated.

Wait a minute, maybe this is also beneficial.

After all, Hachiman is a hero. If he could leave behind the bloodline of a hero, the Nakiri family would definitely prosper even more.

Having witnessed Hachiman's many miraculous abilities, Senzaemon had unwavering faith in his identity as a hero.

And if he truly was, as Hachiman claimed, the protagonist of this world, the chosen one of destiny, then his future achievements would be immeasurable.

One more person would strengthen his connection with the Nakiri family.

Thinking this, Senzaemon seemed to have made up his mind about something.