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Chapter 125: If I Could Leave (7)
Chapter 125: If I Could Leave (7)
Chapter 125: If I Could Leave (7)
?Guest, guest!?
The Archmage was abruptly awakened by the sudden arrival of people. The Demon Knight? He reflexively turned around to indeed see the Demon Knight.
?Wounds!?
But he was in a near-death state, being carried by others.
“Wh-What happened…?”
He could see a red stain between the crimson vest and the white shirt. And it was near the heart area.
For a moment, his heart sank.
?Everyone except those holding him, step back!?
If his heart had truly been pierced, time was of the essence. The Archmage hurriedly tore open his clothes, cut the bandages vertically, and examined the wound.
There was one near his collarbone and two near his heart. The cuts weren’t clean but jagged, causing blood to gush out of them uncontrollably.“What in the—”
Seeing the severity of the wounds made his head spin.
Given how much blood he was losing, it seemed the subclavian artery near his shoulder had been narrowly avoided, but the wounds near his heart were undeniably critical. The only reason he was still alive was because he’d avoided a direct hit.
?We need cloth to stop the bleeding!?
He had to do everything he could. Leaving only those needed to stabilize him, he cast his magic.
He didn’t know how someone as powerful as the Demon Knight had ended up like this. Saving him was the priority right now.
“How, how did this happen…?”
Maintaining his spell while pressing down on the wounds, his white fur soaking up the blood, he lamented that the Demon Knight’s armor, which he’d never considered thin because he’d never seen him so injured, seemed increasingly inadequate today.
Although he couldn’t wear heavy armor like the Inquisitor, it would have been nice if he at least had some light armor, even if it was just around the vital areas—
“…!”
Amidst all his frantic thoughts, the Archmage suddenly realized something, and his breath stopped.
He did have one—a piece of armor.
One designed to protect his heart.
…Something he had secretly stolen from the Demon Knight.
Krrk.
Clenching his teeth, he felt a surge of overwhelming regret stemming from possibilities he hadn’t considered.
“…If only I had known.”
Aah. If only he had known that it would come to this. If he had known that the Demon Knight would get attacked like this, that he would get stabbed close to his heart, bringing him to death’s door.
He would have, would have…
No. Even knowing this, he would have still taken it.
If he had known the Demon Knight would get attacked, he could have just crafted a new chest protector or ensured he wouldn’t get ambushed to begin with.
Thus, the regret surging up from his heart was ultimately pointless. The incident that had occurred and his removing the chest protector, which was actually a bomb made by White Wind, were entirely separate matters. His regret held no true significance.
How could he have known this would happen when he took away the protector?
He’d merely hoped this man wouldn’t continue carrying a bomb on his chest. He believed it to be better to remove it than risk detonating it himself, even if that meant leaving his heart vulnerable.
It wasn’t like he wanted these injuries to get worse than they were now.
This was simply bad luck. As good intentions didn’t always lead to favorable outcomes, this time, too, misfortune had triumphed over goodwill.
That was all…
“Dear God.”
That was all, and yet…
“This man isn’t to blame for harboring this darkness within him, so please show mercy.”
Still, he couldn’t help but envision a different future where the Demon Knight had sustained fewer injuries because he hadn’t removed this device that nominally functioned as a heart protector.
“Please show mercy.”
Tears flowed from the eyes of the wise elder.
Crack.
“…?”
At that moment, a cracking sound reached his ears. His teary gaze turned toward its source.
?Roll up his shirt.?
Had they broken a bone while stabilizing him? But that sound had been far too distinct for that.
He watched as the person securing his right arm peeled away the gauntlet, coat sleeve, and shirt.
The critical question was whether his spell’s healing effect could outpace the rate at which his body was losing strength. As long as he kept the spell active, he could afford to divert his attention elsewhere for a moment.
“…!”
However, the arm they uncovered was uninjured. The problem lay with the black fragments that had fallen from his sleeve as it was removed.
Those were fragments of the seal. He swallowed hard.
?Should we remove the bandages, as well??
?No. Leave them as they are.?
Although he wondered how the seal got broken, if there were no signs of the Demon taking over, his priority was still his treatment.
Moreover… Those bandages served more than one purpose: not only did they help stop the bleeding, but they also preserved some of the Demon Knight’s secrets. He focused on the wound near his heart.
“Gasp!”
However, before he could heal the wound, and less than ten seconds after he’d discovered the broken seal, the Demon Knight awakened with a gasp.
Given the amount of blood he’d lost, his face was ghostly pale, making him look like a reanimated corpse or as if a soul had just entered a lifeless body.
“The… child.”
“…! Don’t talk, no. Keep talking. That’s better than falling unconscious again!”
“The child.”
Whether he’d understood or was just speaking in his delirious state, only talking about things he deemed important, was unclear.
Regardless, the Demon Knight coughed up words together with blood.
“The child… that came… with me.”
“The child that came with you?”
It was hard to grasp the whole situation with just these words. He turned his attention to the people who’d brought the Demon Knight here.
?Was there a child with the Demon Knight??
They looked at each other with troubled expressions.
?Erm, there was a child who broke out…?
?So, we sent the child… back to the prison.?
?Broke out??
“The child… was also hurt…”
A child who broke out? And they were also injured?
?Bring that child here, as well.?
It was still too confusing, no matter how much he tried to understand.
However, the Demon Knight would surely not be pleased to learn that an injured child had been sent to prison.
Moreover, it seemed the child’s injuries were somehow related to the Demon Knight’s. He decided it would be better to hear what had happened from the child.
He continued channeling Arcane Power into the Demon Knight’s wounds.
?Yes, yes.?
Though the others were rather hesitant, none of them refused. Or rather, they couldn’t.
After insisting firmly, the Archmage glanced at those who ran to fetch the child before focusing on healing again.
He felt infuriated, seeing those people drag their feet in such an urgent situation.
“…?”
However, there was still one more problem awaiting him.
When he turned his attention back to the wounds, an eerie sight unfolded before him.
Black energy, black Demonic Energy, was gathering around the injuries.
“What is this…?”
He wanted to understand what was happening here, but there was no immediate way to find out. For now, he could only focus on healing, branding this scene into his mind.
As always.
The Demon Knight’s stubborn tenacity allowed him to cling to life, ultimately escaping death.
* * *
– What do you make of this phenomenon? –
In response to this question, White Wind twirled his fingers.
According to the Archmage, the Demon Knight’s recovery rate wasn’t anything abnormal.
Compared to an average person, yes, but it was still within the realm of what one could expect from a user of Arcane Power.
However, surviving such heavy injuries was another matter. Even Arcane Power users had their limits.
How could he survive being stabbed near the heart, walk for hours on end without proper treatment, and still be relatively fine?
Moreover, after losing that much blood, he woke up and spoke relatively normally in under thirty minutes.
That was, without a doubt, abnormal.
“There are no results without a cause, no endings without beginnings.”
– …Indeed. –
“There must be a reason for the Demon Knight's tenacity. Could the Demon be influencing his body? Maybe the Demon dies if the Demon Knight does?”
– That's what I think, too. –
“Hmm.”
For that to be true… hadn’t things ended too easily? The Demon could have taken advantage of the situation and possessed his body, but it instead merely healed the body and disappeared? That wasn't very Demon-like, now, was it?
“You mentioned that the seal shattered?”
– Yes. –
If the Demon had truly done the healing, things wouldn't have ended so calmly. White Wind started to think about it from a different perspective.
“…Arcane Power can substitute for the energy of one's body.”
The Demon Knight’s seal breaking was often due to output issues. Of course, after some experimenting, they’d gotten it able to withstand more…
However, seeing how it had broken several times already, it was clear it still couldn't withstand excessive power.
Could this have happened for the same reasons?
– Arcane Power users are more resilient than ordinary people, but isn’t this a bit too much? –
“That’s true for ordinary Arcane Power users. However, the Demon Knight’s Arcane reserves are exceptionally large, you know?”
– Are you suggesting that if the amount of Arcane Power within someone exceeds a certain limit… they can even delay death? –
“It’s already a proven fact that the more Arcane Power one has, the more one can endure. It’s just that we’ve never seen anyone with as much Arcane Power as the Demon Knight.”
– …That’s a possibility. –
“It’s more convincing than the Demon healing him and leaving quietly.”
Considering how close he’d come to death, even if the Demon did something, it might not have had enough power left to take over his body, so it just ended up saving him.
However, another possibility was that while the Demon was still suppressed, the Demon Knight unconsciously shattered the seal and drew upon that power to survive.
Both scenarios seemed plausible.
“We should look into this further.”
If the latter were true, that would be fortunate. If it were the former, that would be quite dangerous.
Wondering whether the Demon Knight would be willing to answer if questioned about it, White Wind asked about his current state.
– He’s still asleep. –
“I see. It’s surprising he even managed to wake up briefly.”
That he’d woken up, said something, and then fallen unconscious again was rather unusual. White Wind leaned back on his chair rather nonchalantly.
The chair he’d brought from the Magic Tower was comfortable, something he couldn’t say about the tribe’s sedentary culture.
“Ah, how did the Demon Knight get injured in the first place? Did a dragon appear? Or did he fight the Mountain Lord? Did he get into a brawl?”
– …No, he got hurt saving a child. –
“Around the heart, of all places?”
– That’s… Ah. It seems he’s waking up. I need to step away for a bit. –
“Alright.”
There wasn't much else he could do. White Wind chose to wait for a follow-up rather than getting up and going somewhere else, knowing the Archmage would be back.
Not long after, the communicator buzzed again.
“So, what’s the matter?”
– Do you have any spare seals? –
“Huh?”
Why was he asking for a spare seal? White Wind pondered for a moment but replied rather quickly.
“I do.”
With nothing else to do, White Wind had brought along a few spare seals to pass some time by working to improve them. He could also quickly make more if needed, as he had all the materials in his subspace bag.
“But why? Don’t you have some spares?”
– …Apparently, the one we had was used recently. –
“When?”
– The day he was poisoned and slept for half a day. It seemed it broke then, as well. –
“Really? Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
– …I only just found out about it myself. Perhaps it was broken by the snake’s venom. –
Could that be it? It didn’t quite add up, though…
Sensing something was off about this but unable to put his finger on it, White Wind couldn’t help but frown.
“Alright. I’ll send one over immediately.”
However, that doubt was fleeting. White Wind didn’t dwell on such things for long.
“The Jatav still haven't given up. Who should I send to handle this…”
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Excuse me. Your wizards caused another incident…”
“Berserk didn't cause an incident.”
“Shut up, Miss Fighter. It's not that you didn't cause trouble, but that I stopped you from causing any. Anyway… What's with that look on your face?”
Coincidentally, the perfect candidates for this task had arrived before him.
White Wind smiled wide.
“I'll send them over.”
– Right. –
“Huh?”
The gofers had been chosen.
* * *
* * *
I had completely forgotten…
Looking at the amount of Arcane Power exceeded well over 2,000, I felt rather strange.
Of course, I didn't really intend to sneak away and get a spare from White Wind. I had just thought of doing that because I was very upset at the time.
But… I had completely forgotten about this…
I cautiously checked the Archmage's state.
The bandages he’d cut open to treat me were back in place, as was the shirt that had been removed.
?I'm sorry, I'm sorry…?
The kid who’d attacked me… Well. It looks like she received proper treatment. The injured area was well bandaged, and she was wearing a splint. She seemed a bit more wounded than I remembered, but she surely couldn’t have gotten even more hurt after returning to the village, right? It had been dark, and the situation was rather chaotic, so I must have just seen it wrong.
What really concerned me was something else.
I mean, since she had returned to the village and gotten seriously injured, if she had a guardian, they definitely would have been here with her… But since no one was here, I was guessing she didn’t have one? Siiigh.
I almost patted the head of the crying kid before me, but I realized that this would be seriously out of character.
Fortunately, only the kid saw my true nature during that chaos…
Still, one could never know. If the kid had told anyone what had happened, she might have mentioned what I’d told her—but then again, she couldn’t even understand my language.
For the first time, I was seriously glad we couldn’t understand each other. No matter what I said, no one could tell if I was acting out of character.
Still, the meaning of crying was universally understood. Since she’d also seen that, I needed to be more careful for now. Patting her head would definitely be out of character.
So, I just leaned against the wall, holding my right arm. Maybe it was because my wound hadn’t fully healed yet, but I felt strangely tired.
Or maybe I’d spent more time near that waterfall than I thought? Or perhaps because I woke up too early from my passed-out state?
“Can we talk?”
However, I still had many hurdles to overcome before I could rest properly.
The consequences of putting off telling him about the seal had finally caught up with me. Damn it.
“…Your injuries… No, I mean, is the wound okay?”
Wouldn’t the person who’d treated me know that better than I would? I looked at my HP bar with a blank expression.
In my extensive experience, I’d found that the HP bar was somewhat unreliable, but it was still pretty intuitive since it displayed my state in numbers. As long as it was full, I knew I wouldn’t die, at least.
In that sense, I could say I was fine.
Although my shoulder wound was still covered in herbs and bandages, and the wound near my heart was obviously covered with new flesh, and my HP was still fluctuating a little, but it wasn’t declining!
So, at least it wasn’t getting worse, right? That should be good enough. These wounds would heal properly over time.
Unlike the scars imprinted on one’s mind and soul, these would heal as time passed.
“…I heard the child attacked you.”
“So?”
Was he really jumping straight to talking about punishing the child?
Of course, even though I forgave her, attempting to kill someone was still wrong. Proper discipline was necessary. If we let it slide, it would set a bad precedent for the kid.
However, the punishment here… probably wouldn’t be anything I would approve of, right? This world was a lot harsher, and the punishments were severe.
Given that this was an attempted murder, it certainly warranted punishment, but I hoped to avoid anything as extreme as execution, especially since the child seemed to understand that she’d done something wrong.
Ah, seriously, did this kid really have no guardian? Ideally, this should be discussed with her guardian.
“What do you think we should do?”
While I was thinking about these things, the Archmage asked me this after carefully choosing his words. I was quite surprised since I expected him to ask why I saved the child or something else along those lines.
“If we hand this child over to the tribe, they will probably administer their internal punishments. Execution is the most likely outcome.”
The Archmage also seemed to think that the child might get executed.
“I’ll follow your lead since you’re the one who was harmed.”
True. It’s impossible not to realize this much. The people who’d come in here with various items during my treatment all seemed more than eager to take the child away, and there was no way the Archmage would have missed the hostility contained in their actions.
He probably sent everyone else out of the room before I woke up properly to protect the child until the situation became clearer.
“The child says she’s sorry.”
As I looked at the child while lost in thought, the Archmage seemed to interpret that as curiosity. I didn’t really want to know that, though.
Although I couldn’t understand what she said, the nuance was pretty clear, so I kind of figured that was what she’d said.
“…Or are you curious about why the child attacked you?”
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
“Then…”
“Tell her.”
Above all else, I…
“Apologies are meaningless.”
Of course, I was curious about the reason, but given how my character was set up, it would be a bit difficult to ask. I never wanted her to apologize anyway. Honestly, there was no way such a young child would attack me for no reason.
So, either I’d done something wrong, or someone else put her up to it.
Both scenarios were pretty easy to imagine. Considering this child had no guardian, she could be the daughter of someone who got executed because of me. Or, if someone put her up to it, it might be Atarte, whose pride I utterly smashed to pieces not too long ago.
So, I just, just…
“There won’t be a second chance.”
I hoped this child would receive a fitting punishment to ensure they wouldn’t make the same mistake again and grow into a better person because of it.
Just as many adults had.
“Are you forgiving this child?”
“If she tries again, I’ll kill her. That’s all.”
“…Then, should I hand her over to the tribe?”
“I said I would kill her if she tried again.”
“I see.”
I hoped the Archmage would understand what I meant, even if I spoke rather unorthodoxly.
He understood, right? He had to. In this situation where handing over the child to the tribe would mean her death, he had to have some inkling as to what kind of decision we needed to make.
?…He says you should make sure not to repeat the same mistake rather than just apologizing here.?
?B-But still…?
?Yes, yes. You’re wondering how he could possibly forgive you. But we understand your feelings. Your resentment is valid, regardless of right or wrong. It’s justified… and I’m trying to understand.?
?…How… How could you possibly understand me? I-I lost everything…!?
?Yes. Because of us.?
?And knowing that…!?
?But your parents tried to kill other people’s children.?
?…!!?
?That’s why he drew his sword, to save the weak. The children who were captured at that time… They were the only reason he got involved in your affairs.?
?…Th-That’s.?
Meanwhile, I wondered what the Archmage was saying to make her cry even more. What were they discussing for so long?
?We’re not telling you not to resent us. No matter what your parents did, we had no right to take them from you. You can resent us. It’s only natural that you do. Even if you pick up your blade to enact vengeance again… We would understand. But… it seems to me that you already know that much.?
?…I know. I know, and yet… even though I know. I heard my dad and mom talking all night…!?
?Yes, yes.?
?But… But I still feel so angry…!?
?It’s not your fault. Your anger is justified.?
?Daaaddy…!?
I really had no idea what they were talking about. I didn’t understand why the child, who had already been sobbing, started crying even harder.
?We are sorry. Truly.?
But she seemed to be finding some sort of comfort in his words, so I felt relieved.
?…Why must children suffer because of adults’ greed??
I briefly closed my eyes.
* * *
“Hmm. Looks like she’s asleep.”
Having confirmed that the wailing child had fallen asleep, the Archmage laid her gently down to one side.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much else he could do. The Demon Knight was also asleep.
“He must have been very tired.”
It was rather unusual for him to fall asleep in the presence of others.
The Archmage took a blanket placed nearby and covered him with it.
His peacefully sleeping face didn’t look like that of someone who had been stabbed in the heart not too long ago, nor like someone who had just forgiven the one responsible.
Yes. It was just an ordinary face, like that of a young shepherd from pastoral scenes.
“…Even after nearly dying, he still granted her another chance.”
So, did that make him akin to those saints wandering the world in the guise of shepherds? Or had he already become a saint long ago?
To forgive her without even asking why the child did what she did, such tolerance was something only a saint could have…
“Hah.”
Of course, that couldn’t be the case.
Their merciless God would never appoint someone who harbored a Demon as a saint. A Demon Knight who held a Great Demon within himself could never be selected as one.
However, if he wasn't a saint, how else could his actions be explained?
The Archmage had heard her situation and chosen to refrain from punishing her out of pity and to avoid inflicting any unnecessary guilt, but…
To forgive her without even hearing the reason, what kind of person would that make him?
He wasn't foolishly kind or naive, so he must have had some sort of idea of her situation and still chose to forgive her.
Yes. He must have known and still let it go.
“If you weren't the vessel of a Demon, perhaps we would have met in a Temple.”
And that made him wonder. If he could give a second chance to a child in this situation as the Demon Knight, just what kind of person would he have been had he led a more peaceful and ordinary life?
“No. It's difficult to make any assumptions without knowing his past. I noticed he had some form of swordsmanship training, going by his fighting style, so perhaps he belonged to a Knight family.”
His thoughts wandered further, reaching for the Demon Knight's past.
Had he always been this seemingly indifferent yet kind person even before becoming the Demon's vessel? Or was he once bright and lively?
These thoughts came to him, showing his desire to know more about the Demon Knight's past—questions that would never reach the Demon Knight's ears and thus likely remain unanswered forever.
Buzz.
Just then, the communicator buzzed.
“Ah, just in time. Could you see if the Serhan tribe could perhaps take in a child—?”
– Sure, sure. I'll ask. But I have to tell you something first. –
At White Wind's words, the Archmage perked up his ears.
“Is something wrong?”
Could something have happened to the thief kid or the warrior lady he’d sent? He felt a bit tense.
– The Serhan chief said that during the Katina period, one absolutely cannot meet the Mountain Lord, or more precisely, the priests of the swamp who serve him. Any contact during that time might be seen as an attempt to acquire the position of warchief illegitimately, so no matter what connections one might have, none may approach them during the Katina period. –
“…Is that really true?”
If it was, then what about the promise the Vigabol chief had made them?
– I don't know. Maybe the Vigabol chief thought he could do it despite knowing this, or he was just lying, but the Serhan chief and the priests were pretty clear. The priests of the swamp absolutely won't allow any contact during this period. What are you going to do now? –
It could be that the Serhan's influence was just too weak, making it seem impossible for them.
However, it was also very possible that the Vigabol chief had lied.
“…I think it's the latter.”
– You also think he was lying? –
“Tsk. What a waste of time.”
That meant every moment they’d spent here and all the assistance they’d provided the Vigabol chief might as well be worthless.
The Archmage, whose mind had been clouded by a chance to meet the Mountain Lord, shook his head, blaming himself for not suspecting anything.
“It's best we leave immediately if we can.”
– Hmm. Okay. So, we don't need to come to you anymore? But what about those two who just left? They don't have a wizard with them, so I can't contact them. –
“…We'll regroup with them here after resting for a bit and prepare to leave.”
– Got it. –
They’d already left? Sometimes, being too quick could also be troublesome.
Entertaining these thoughts, the Archmage began calculating where to meet those two who’d already started making their way here.
However, he, too, was rather sleep-deprived.
Unable to overcome his own fatigue, he also fell asleep.
He planned to think about this more after getting a bit of rest.