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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Your Saliva is Pure
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That was about as leisurely as lunchtime at the orphanage got.
In a vacant lot behind one of the less-trafficked buildings, a secretive meeting was underway.
"Here you go."
A woman handed me a small leather pouch.
She had brown, curly hair that cascaded down past her shoulders.
A faint scattering of freckles dusted the bridge of her nose, but rather than detracting, they only added to her delicate charm.
"Thank you, Senior Isabel."
I took the pouch from her and carefully checked its contents.
Blue moss, sleepweed, dried licorice root, and most importantly, petals from the Silver Flower Herb. All the necessary ingredients were there.
"You know... you can just call me Sister."
The woman, whose figure boasted impressively mature curves, propped her chin on her hand and let out a small sigh with a smile.
Her name was Isabel.
She was the oldest girl at Dayren Orphanage and, aside from the Director, the real driving force behind caring for the kids.
With a significant age gap, even the other children tended to listen to her without much fuss.
And above all, she was an indispensable, capable ally in my grand plans.
"Want to borrow my room?"
"Please."
We slipped away from prying eyes and headed quietly to Isabel's room.
Unlike the other kids who crammed together in shared rooms, Isabel had a private bedroom all to herself.
Which meant we could work here without any of the other children peeking in.
I spread out newspaper on the floor and laid out the ingredients neatly.
I gently brushed off the dirt from the earthier ones with my fingertips, inspecting each one carefully.
I folded slender sleepweed stems into small hoops, then carefully layered the remaining herbs on top.
For the Silver Flower Herb petals, I rubbed them softly between my palms.
As a faint grassy scent began to rise, I placed them on the sleepweed hoops and gently covered them with blue moss to keep the aroma from escaping.
Soon, the finished bundles went one by one into tin cans.
These were a kind of medicine—a bundle of herbs known as Sleep Incense.
When burned, the smoke and scent relaxed the body and were excellent for inducing restful sleep.
Anyone else would probably find it odd.
A girl raised in an orphanage since birth shouldn't know about things like this.
It all came from knowledge of the Kairen Chronicles world.
From foods that subtly boosted stats, to scented candles that raised player affinity, and even high-end potions sold for top prices on the black market—I was familiar with most of the ingredients.
I'd made countless batches to boost NPC favorability and clear dungeons.
Of course, in my current situation, gathering materials for luxury potions was out of the question, but something like these beneficial herb bundles? I could make them anytime.
"All done."
I gazed contentedly at the cans neatly packed with bundles.
If I could sell these well, I'd easily meet today's quota.
"Bella, you know what?"
Isabel, lounging comfortably on the bed and watching me intently, spoke up softly.
"What?"
"When you're focused like that, you look really pretty."
Pretty? It was a pretty out-of-the-blue compliment.
Could a mere eight-year-old even be pretty?
Besides, I'd rather hear "cool" or "awesome" than "pretty."
"Thank you, Senior. You're pretty too."
Still, compliments were always welcome, so I returned the sentiment sincerely.
"Hehe, thanks. If only other guys thought so too."
Isabel stretched languidly on the bed, murmuring in an even softer voice.
"It's about finding a husband, right?"
"Yeah... I'm getting to that age where I should start thinking about marriage."
She was nearing twenty this year—what people called marriageable age.
"Not many guys catch my eye. They all just stare at my body."
A hint of complaint puffed out her cheeks at the end.
Of course, it wasn't entirely their fault. Honestly, even I had to admire Isabel's figure.
Sometimes my eyes wandered down her neckline without me realizing.
"Isn't there anyone decent out there...?"
At her sigh-tinged musing, I flashed a confident grin and pretended to offer my hand playfully.
"If you can't find anyone, marry me instead."
Isabel's lips quirked up oddly.
"Oh? A little kid like you?"
"I'm a kid now, but I'll be someone amazing later."
"You can't even hold my hand properly yet."
"...There's a reason for that. Anyway, I'll definitely succeed."
Isabel had no idea.
My dreams weren't some modest goal of scraping by in this small backwater village.
"When that happens, I'll make you a special member of my harem."
At my bright smile, she narrowed her eyes at me.
"Isn't that just declaring you'll cheat outright?"
"Successful guys always have multiple women. Don't you know?"
"...Sometimes I wonder if you're really only eight."
She let out an incredulous laugh at my unwavering confidence.
"Already so bold... It worries me in all sorts of ways, little sister."
Leaning against the bed with her chin propped up, she gave me a deep, sultry smile.
"But still... I hope you grow up big and strong, Bella. Nice and mature, in every way."
There was a strangely sticky undertone to her voice, like a teasing joke.
"Ah, already this late."
The clock hands pointed to two in the afternoon.
If I dawdled any longer, I wouldn't sell these carefully made bundles in time.
"I should head out now, Senior."
"Okay, see you later."
With her leisurely send-off, I carefully packed the herbs into a basket and hugged it to my chest.
Then I stepped out into the sunlit outdoors.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Can't you knock a little off the price?"
"No way. Any lower and I won't make a dime."
"...Sometimes looking at you, you seem less like a kid and more like a sly merchant husband."
Same thing Senior Isabel said.
Well, half-true, I suppose.
The middle-aged woman, exuding a mature air, sighed with a chuckle and finally pressed three coppery coins into my hand.
I pocketed the hard-earned coins and handed her the tin of medicine.
"Your husband will love it, I'm sure."
"Hehe, yeah. Keep up the good business."
With a gentle smile, she turned and left.
She'd given me 3 runes.
One rune was worth about a thousand won.
And now that I'd sold all the bundles I'd prepared today—including a tip for doing well—I had a total of fifty runes in hand.
A small but definite achievement.
"Thanks again today, Uncle Hans."
I looked at the middle-aged man who'd been watching over me.
"No trouble at all. I get to lounge around and earn money—what's not to like? You seem extra chipper today, though."
"Yeah. Today's the Divine Power assessment."
"Oh ho, already that age, huh?"
Uncle Hans stroked his beard thoughtfully, showing interest.
"Want me to escort you to the temple? No charge, don't worry."
"I'm good. I can handle that much on my own."
"Alright then..."
I pulled 15 runes from my earnings and handed them to Uncle Hans.
Fair pay for protecting my little self.
5 runes went to Senior Isabel for always fetching the petals.
After that, I was left with about 30 runes.
Not a huge sum, but enough to meet my daily quota.
"Don't get your hopes up too much. Divine Powers aren't that common."
Uncle Hans cautioned gently.
"You never know, right?"
He shrugged with a smile at my reply.
"True enough. Life's full of surprises. Good luck."
The first step toward joining the Hero Party.
And that foundation was enrollment at the academy.
By the current year and my age, it lined up perfectly—I could attend at the same time as the Hero.
The empire's most prestigious educational institution.
Solentia Academy.
Even royals scrambled to get their kids in.
True to its reputation, Solentia Academy couldn't be entered on willpower alone.
To enroll, you had to prove exceptional potential in at least one field: academics or combat.
That was the purpose of the entrance exam.
Fail it—even if you were royalty—and no entry.
Then came the massive enrollment fee.
Why I'd been scrimping and saving since such a young age.
Solentia ran on two semesters per year, and tuition per semester was a whopping ten thousand runes.
Pay that, and you'd barely step inside.
And that was only for commoners.
Nobles paid several times more.
Even with those perks, ten thousand runes was no small sum for a commoner.
To ease the burden, various systems existed.
First: sponsorship by a noble.
A noble backs a talented commoner kid, who later joins their house after graduation.
Usually for those with standout swordsmanship or magic talent.
Sponsored students attended for free and got knight or mage jobs post-graduation.
A paved path to success.
Second: scholarships.
Top performers in a grade got partial or full tuition waivers.
Just like university scholarships we know.
And that's what I was aiming for.
Assuming a thousand runes a year from herb sales, by enrollment I'd have about seventy thousand.
Minus living expenses and miscellany, around fifty thousand usable.
That covered enrollment, dorms, and extras for two years' tuition.
The last year? Scholarships for sure.
Even among prodigies, hard work could snag at least half off, I believed.
You might wonder why not chase sponsorship as a reincarnator.
Eight years here taught me one thing.
This body had zero physical talent. Utterly worthless.
I'd tried every training from game lore—results were disastrously consistent.
Couldn't even handle basic mana flow, and weapons turned me into a klutz.
Hopelessly inept.
Other protagonists get reincarnation perks like genius in one area. Not me.
That's why I couldn't chase game opportunities either.
Specs-boosting ones were everywhere, but nothing's free.
Monsters like orcs or wyverns—black demons.
Deadly traps that shredded you for one misstep.
Brave them all for a shot at one.
In-game, death meant retry. Here? Permanent.
Throwing this pathetic body into danger was suicide.
Noble kids had knight escorts or connections. Orphan me? Nothing.
But it was fine.
Even if the sky falls, there's always a way out.
No talent in magic or physical prowess? There's a third path.
Divine Power.
A mysterious, unproven force.
Unlike mana, innate only—pure congenital gift.
And one strong Divine Power guaranteed academy entry.
Due to its rarity, the academy classified it as must-manage.
The story featured several wielders.
Prime example: the player protagonist.
He or she got different ones by starting background.
Noble start? Sword path Divine Power.
Farmer's kid? Immunity to mental attacks.
Three more options—protagonist privileges.
The hidden boss, Blood Witch, had a powerful one too.
All were named characters.
But only for strong ones.
Odds: one in a thousand have any.
Only ten percent impactful.
Rest? Barely worth calling Divine Powers.
But I believed without doubt.
I had to have a protagonist-level one.
Scoff at baseless confidence? I had reasons.
I'm a reincarnator.
More special than the protagonist, right?
No perks for me? Impossible.
This mana-blind, weapon-fumbling weak body.
Maybe balance for a mighty Divine Power.
That made sense.
Strong Divine Power plus magic/sword genius? Balance-breaking glitch.
I didn't even want that.
'What could it be?'
Divine Powers manifest after eight years.
Me now? Exactly eight.
One way to check: high priest at any temple altar.
In-game, holy water dip popped up the description.
How in reality?
Excitement bubbling, I hurried home to prepare.
This weekend.
Time to confirm if I had one.
If it was strong...
This grueling orphanage life would finally end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
On a quiet hill overlooking a remote village.
At the altar of a small, serene temple.
Pure white light flashed brilliantly, bathing everything in radiance.
"Oh...!"
The elderly priest exclaimed in awe.
His face shone with emotion and surprise.
"Congratulations, child. You... have a Divine Power."
"R-Really?"
My heart raced.
I couldn't help but get excited.
My half-doubted hypothesis was spot on.
"Yes, let's see... your Divine Power is..."
Like a girl meeting her first love, my heart fluttered uncontrollably.
God hadn't abandoned me.
Born an orphan in this second life, I'd felt a bit resentful... but this healed it all.
What was it?
Control over fire?
Who hasn't dreamed of flames dancing from their fingertips?
Or an indestructible body.
Not my style, but it'd fit the Hero Party fine.
"Your Divine Power is..."
Inverting foes' senses?
Commanding spirits?
Or artisan's blessing for mastering any weapon?
"You can make a flower bloom from your hand!"
"Oh."
"And, um... your saliva makes the flower even purer."
Saliva, huh.
Did it have to be saliva?
Maybe plant-based.
Control all flora freely?
"And?"
I asked, voice laced with anticipation.
But the priest's expression was lukewarm, not matching my hype.
"Hm? That's it."
"...What?"
"Exactly as I said. That's all. Now off you go."
I stared blankly at the old priest turning away indifferently.
"Wait, no way. It's a Divine Power, right?"
"Some sweat excessively from their hands. Yours is better by comparison. Go home, no complaints."
My vision faded to white.
The brilliant light from moments ago had vanished without a trace.
As if he'd lost all interest in me.
"...You're serious?"
"Of course. Would I lie in this temple?"
"..."
"Don't complain. Having any Divine Power means you're already blessed."
A Divine Power to bloom one flower in your hand.
How grateful.
"This won't get me into the academy, will it?"
"Academy? Open a flower shop. Perfect fit, heh heh."
Yeah, figured.
No choice now but save up and aim for academics.