Fairy Tale - 4
Watching the woman I loved collapse before my eyes once again was, I can assure you, by no means a pleasant experience.
Why? Even after turning back time, it was as if fate itself had been carved in stone. Just like that day, under the moonlight, she spilled blood right in front of me—again.
I felt as though tears might come.
But I resolved not to cry.
First priority was checking her condition. Stay calm.
Yet my body refused to obey that thought in the slightest.
Tremble-tremble-tremble-tremble—
My hands and feet shook violently, betraying how completely I had lost my composure. Cold sweat poured down like rain, soaking my clothes through.
Click—clack—
My jaw trembled as if it might crack open a walnut shell.
I rushed to her fallen form and checked her body. It had gone cold as a corpse—cold like ice melting beneath a scorching sun. It felt as though her very life was melting away.
The only proof she still lived was the faint sound of her breathing and the black blood that kept flowing from her mouth.
Why, why, why, why, why.
Why had the stars allowed the woman they loved most to be born incomplete?
'Because that was the deal.'
It felt as if a young girl's voice drifted in from somewhere. Yet nowhere could I see the owner of that voice. It was simply that the Hero needed someone upon whom to vent his rage and resentment, and that someone happened to be the stars.
The stars had arbitrarily thrust a sword into his hands, arbitrarily granted him a second chance, arbitrarily stolen the Saintess's life, and arbitrarily forced him once more to watch her collapse, coughing blood, right before his eyes. Did the stars watching us from the heavens take pleasure in human suffering? Even that thought crossed his mind.
Yes—spewing such resentment into empty air would solve nothing.
Did I know any healing magic? The basic principle of using starlight was the same. If they could do it, then surely I could too. A body blessed by the Holy Sword could become anything.
Before turning back the clock, I had wielded the Holy Sword for half a year—far too little time to fully adapt to the power I commanded. But now I had no choice but to adapt.
Believe in me.
Just as she had once wrapped me in light, now it was my turn to wrap her in it.
The Hero gripped his sword and focused. A quiet incantation.
Heal
The stars had stood by while their most beloved girl coughed up blood, and so only starlight answered the Hero's chant, settling upon him.
Thus the quiet dawn passed.
Even so, the Hero gazed upon the Saintess in her pure-white nun's habit, which had somehow remained unstained. The bleeding had stopped, and her breathing had stabilized. Her skin, reflecting the dawn moonlight and appearing even whiter, was so translucent it resembled fragile glasswork that might shatter at a touch.
After cradling her in his arms, the Hero returned to the room with heavy footsteps and laid the Saintess upon the bed. He placed both hands over his face. Then he raked them irritably up over his head and swept them back down. Eyes that had seemed on the verge of tears settled, as if calmed, after his hands passed over them.
It's morning.
Another sun has risen to shine upon us. It was rather cheeky of that little square window to tickle my eyes awake, but I can forgive it with my generous heart!
After all, I'm the Saintess!
Hm!
The Hero is sitting in a chair, watching me. Hmm—his eyes are bloodshot as if he didn't sleep a wink, and dark circles stretch long beneath them. To be honest, it was a bit of a scary face. Looks like he needs some healing.
I murmured lightly to myself.
Heal
Hmm, much better now. Those features that always make me jealous with how handsome they are have reappeared.
'Tsk.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly without meaning to. Yes—to be honest, I was a petty person, and feeling jealous when seeing someone better than yourself is a universal human trait most people share.
The Hero kept looking at me quietly, then opened his mouth. Honestly, I'm a little scared of what might come out.
"Are you all right?"
Hmm, that was within what I'd expected. I casually picked up my pen and wrote my reply.
-Yes.-
Very short and concise, but an answer is an answer, right?
The Hero's mouth flapped open and closed for a moment as if he had so much to say, but in the end he said nothing more and kept his silence. A complex array of countless expressions flickered across his face in that brief time, like looking through the window of a subway car as another train passes opposite. Well, if someone collapses coughing blood right in front of you, you'd have plenty to say.
It was a little later that the Hero rose from his seat. Just before opening the door to leave, he spoke to me.
"We've arrived at the port."
Eh, already? Come to think of it, given that he arrived in a single day after hearing the news of the Hero's coming, it might be only natural.
"We should prepare to leave soon."
Whether he had reined in his emotions or was forcibly hiding them, he was truly clumsy at it. Because his feelings still showed so easily in his actions.
-Yes.-
After answering lightly, I gathered the only luggage I'd brought—my nun's habits, a pouch clinking with gold coins, and the golden Rosario—then followed him. A brown travel bag had appeared in my room at some point; I didn't know who had packed it. Perhaps the Holy Knight had prepared my things?
Anyway, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly. Compared to collapsing right in front of him yesterday, this had gone rather lightly, hadn't it? I had been certain he would interrogate me thoroughly. Since I'd already been found out, quite a few things would go awry. My head starts to ache. But this is the pain I must endure.
His back, hooded in black, looked rather large. I'd only thought of his face as having that pretty-boy look, so until now he'd seemed rather slight. In medieval times, a rural commoner boy having an above-average build must be game allowance.
I know muttering to myself like this might make me look crazy, but if I didn't do at least this much, I felt my mind might go strange. Without stopping my thoughts or my steps, I followed behind him as if entranced, and before I knew it we were at the entrance of the port, disembarking from the ship.
The port was quieter than I'd expected. That meant no crowds had gathered despite the big news of the Hero and Saintess arriving. Big news! I say. It wasn't that I'd particularly expected it, but that didn't mean I wasn't disappointed. I'd thought throngs of people would welcome us!
Hmph—
I'm about to pout. But I decided to understand with my generous heart. I'm the Saintess, after all!
Hm! Exemplary.
Since this was a medieval era without developed transportation or media, no one seemed to recognize us. They only knew that white nun's habits and a golden Rosario were symbols of high clergy, so there was a slight sense of wariness. Whether they disliked clergy or feared them for holding power comparable to most local lords, I couldn't tell. Since they couldn't harm me directly anyway, I decided not to care.
Indeed, outside the Holy Kingdom is so vast. It felt like I could finally breathe—a feeling as if I'd at last been freed from something, as if I'd spent an awfully long time in a very small church. The affairs of the church that had now become the past; in truth a time so short it was embarrassing to call it the past, yet at the same time an extremely long time. Something felt off about my sense of time, but it probably wasn't important!
First priority was arriving at the Imperial Capital.
Ah, come to think of it, where is Jerome?
Jerome—!
Even if I try to call out, I know my voice won't come. Ugh, I'm getting depressed. Don't look at me like I'm an idiot. Eh, no one was looking? That can't be.
Ah, there he is. He'd been wearing silver armor, but somehow he'd changed into white cloth clothes without a trace of where he'd hidden it. Did he use a subspace or something? Only I don't have a subspace! I felt a little unfairly treated.
I waved my hand energetically. Jerome made a slightly puzzled expression, then soon returned my greeting. Yes. How nice it looks when you smile brightly.
And so we arrived in the Empire. Now all that remained was heading to the Imperial Capital.