Once she finished explaining the general nature of blessings, Olivia-sama paused briefly before continuing.
“...Now that the basic overview is complete, Mizuhara Kaori, allow me to explain the specific blessing I bestowed upon you. To begin, I shall outline exactly why I chose to grant you this gift in the first place.”
Both Kaori-san and I knew this well enough already, but Olivia-sama was serious to an almost painful degree. Since we had asked for an explanation, she clearly intended to be thorough, right down to the specific motivations behind her actions.
The story looked like it was going to be quite long, but Kaori-san and I were both eager to hear the details. There was always a chance that important information was tucked away in the parts we hadn’t heard yet. Besides, since this directly concerned Kaori-san's own body, it was only natural for her to want a complete picture.
“Ever since Kaito-sama introduced us, I have been keenly aware of the many ways in which Mizuhara Kaori has assisted me,” Olivia-sama said. “Regarding our meals at the restaurant, there is no issue, as I provide monetary compensation for the food. However, outside of that, Mizuhara Kaori has aided me in a wide variety of ways—seeking her counsel for personal matters, or having her provide explanations and demonstrations in areas where my own knowledge was lacking. I feel a profound sense of gratitude toward her.”
“N-no, I mean... it’s not that big a deal. We just happened to have a few chances to talk, that’s all...”
Kaori-san scratched her cheek bashfully. She was naturally the type to look after others, so she had apparently spent quite a bit of time acting as a consultant for Olivia-sama’s romantic endeavors. From Olivia-sama’s perspective, that help must have been invaluable.
“I spent a great deal of time considering how I might repay such kindness,” Olivia-sama continued. “Based on our daily conversations, I concluded that Mizuhara Kaori suffers primarily from anxieties regarding four areas: aging, her skin, her youth, and her romantic life. Regarding youth and romance, I decided that specific solutions were difficult to implement due to the abstract nature of the concepts, as well as my own personal immaturity and the physiological differences between our races. Therefore, I excluded those. I chose instead to focus on the aging and skin issues that Mizuhara Kaori finds so distressing, and looked for a way to resolve them with my power.”
“I-I see... U-um, Olivia-sama? When you analyze it with such clinical intensity, it’s, well... it’s a little embarrassing...”
“Mizuhara Kaori mentions her age and her skin quite often, but I noted a few specific points of frequent concern,” Olivia-sama said, pressing on. “First, the effects of aging. Regarding this, she has made multiple comments regarding a decline in physical ability—noting, for instance, that she cannot push herself as hard as she once did. When compared against the general characteristics of the human race, I felt the effects of aging were manifesting somewhat early in her case. However, I ultimately judged this to be within the range of individual variation. Next, regarding her skin, she mentioned concerns about deterioration due to age, as well as irritation caused by her external environment—specifically, work that involves handling water. However, as her remarks focused predominantly on aging as the primary cause, I was led to the conclusion that Mizuhara Kaori is more susceptible to the ravages of time than other members of the human race.”
“That’s not... H-hauuu... I-I’m going to die of shame...”
I wasn't sure what to say. Olivia-sama was speaking with the utmost sincerity, yet it felt like Kaori-san was being subjected to a public humiliation.
I’m sure the physical effects of age are real, but for Kaori-san, those comments were probably just casual small talk—the kind of "I'm getting older, huh" or "my skin isn't as firm as it was in my teens" or "all-nighters are harder than they used to be" remarks that most people make.
However, the ultra-serious Olivia-sama had taken those complaints as grave concerns. After cross-referencing them with her own knowledge, she had concluded that "Kaori-san has a constitution that is uniquely vulnerable to aging and is deeply troubled by it."
From Olivia-sama’s perspective, she likely thinks that human aging is something that only truly begins at the middle-aged or elderly stage.
That misunderstanding was unavoidable due to the difference in their races... but for Kaori-san, having her idle venting analyzed with such dead-serious rigor was mortifying. She covered her face with both hands, looking like she wanted to disappear.
“I wanted the blessing to provide a solution, but as I am ageless, I cannot personally judge the effects of deterioration. Furthermore, as I did not know Mizuhara Kaori’s previous condition, I could not accurately determine what her 'ideal' state would be. I decided the best course of action was to leave that judgment to Mizuhara Kaori herself. I linked the blessing to my Authority and tentatively bestowed an effect: 'While living within the Friendly City, conditions the subject identifies as an effect of aging will gradually return to their ideal state.'”
“...So, it’s not just a simple rejuvenation spell?” I asked.
“Correct. To use Mizuhara Kaori as an example, if her skin has become youthful again, it is because she perceived the previous state of her skin as being 'caused by aging.' Conversely, the reason her height and other features have not changed is because she herself perceives growing taller as 'growth,' rather than 'aging.' Furthermore, the effect manifests gradually, and the subject's own will plays a significant role. The fact that the effects on her skin are so prominent suggests that Mizuhara Kaori felt the burden of age upon her skin with exceptional intensity.”
“...It’s true... I was worried about my skin, but... hearing it stated so plainly by someone else... really... I’m going to die of embarrassment...”
Olivia-sama continued her clinical explanation of the blessing, but Kaori-san had turned red all the way to her ears now that her secret obsession with her skin had been inadvertently exposed.
Serious-senpai: [I think she’s mostly embarrassed because Kaito is listening. She’d talked about it with Akane and the others, but she made a point of never mentioning her desire to look younger in front of Kaito... Dammit, she’s acting like a total heroine!?]