Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts
When I first entered Romulus's mouth and succeeded in traveling back in time, I thought everything would go smoothly.
Yeah, for about three minutes.
'I didn't think I'd fly this far back into the past...'
My calculations were perfect.
I thought that using the Idea, I could withstand the flow of time even inside Romulus's body.
However, there was one unexpected variable.
"......?"
Just like the immature and delicate-looking girl currently maintaining her distance and slowly following behind me.
The woman who, the moment I jumped into Romulus's mouth, swore in an un-Saint-like manner and tried to save me.
Because I wrapped the Idea around Victoria Everhart's body to protect her, this variable ended up occurring.
"Why are you following so far behind? Don't you want to see your mom and dad?"
"N-no, that's not it...!"
I deliberately spoke coldly to the young Victoria.
Since the place I ended up stranded in the past happened to be Victoria's hometown, I had no choice but to choose to save her.
Of course, this was madness.
A gamble-like act that could cause my very existence to vanish or create an entirely new world line.
My body melting like liquid, or becoming a person who never existed... Those who attempted to defy heaven never met a good end.
There's a reason why time travel is considered taboo among mages.
But,
'Honestly, ignoring you and not saving you would have been the safest method...'
Afflicted with the disease called love, I couldn't not save Victoria.
Victoria always said she believed in me, and she kept saying the foolish story that if she ever went back to her childhood, I would come to save her.
Yeah, it was a truly foolish story.
'...But I thought I wouldn't deserve to be called the Harmless Mage otherwise.'
There was a man whose life was saved by that naive, innocent story.
And that man's name was Astal Cyseros.
"Then stick right to my back and follow. There might still be demons hiding in this village besides the chief."
I was speaking while wearing a mask to hide my face, just in case it might affect Victoria's future.
I'd changed my voice with magic too, and had only revealed my name.
Even before the time travel, Victoria said she'd heard my name or epithet before.
This much should be fine.
Because I didn't want to return to the present and become nothing to Victoria, with our connection erased.
I was deliberately acting in this contradictory manner.
"B-but... Everyone was kind and good people..."
"Do you really think that?"
"...Huh?"
I directed a harsh word toward Victoria, who still held hope in the world.
Saints and Heroes are always like this.
No matter how unfairly they're treated or weathered by the storms of the world, they try to believe in people to the very end.
The reason I was never chosen as a Hero no matter how strong I became was probably because I couldn't be as altruistic a person as Kyle.
"A village that always suffered cold damage due to the northern chill... the moment you disappeared, they started having a bumper harvest, calling it a miracle of the Earth Goddess..."
"......"
"They didn't even believe in the Earth Goddess Demeter here, you know."
I expected there was another accomplice besides the village chief who imprisoned Victoria and took her parents hostage.
Based on the information I'd seen in the forbidden library, I knew a fair amount about the circumstances surrounding Victoria's hometown.
But reality had far too many aspects that couldn't be expressed in a few characters.
"...Don't trust people too much either. If they were truly worried about you, they would have known you disappeared and come to save you."
I unconsciously spoke while gently stroking the young Victoria's head.
Oops, I shouldn't do that.
Was my comment too harsh?
The moment I saw tears welling up in Victoria's eyes, my hand moved reflexively.
It was a habit, something I always did when Victoria cried or was sad.
"...Like you, mister?"
Even though I told her not to call me mister.
Despite being told my name, the young Victoria stubbornly kept calling me mister.
"Yeah, so it's better to let go of the thought that the villagers are still on your side. Rescuing your parents and escaping is the best course."
"B-but...! I haven't even said goodbye to my friends yet, and I need to give treats to the puppy next door..."
"......"
Victoria shook her head while clutching my sleeve.
Well, a hometown is a place filled with memories and precious things for a person.
It was a fact I had forgotten long ago, having lost mine for so long.
"If you're worried about your friends, you can leave a letter, and as for a puppy, there are some in my hometown too."
"B-but...! The puppy next door just had babies a few days ago and they're incredibly cute...!"
I brought out a solution to placate the young Victoria, but she didn't seem to easily fall for the suspicious man's sweet talk.
Come to think of it, Victoria was the type who couldn't resist cute things.
Did her childhood preferences not change even after she grew up?
"They can't even open their eyes properly and wriggle around, it's super cute! I'm sure you'd like it too if you saw it, mister..."
One characteristic of children is that when they talk about something they like, they go on and on, naturally using difficult vocabulary.
I remember when I was young, I used to expound on the fun of magic to my friends in my hometown.
"Okay, let's definitely come see them later. For now, let's rescue your sick parents first."
I bent my knee to match Victoria's eye level and spoke gently.
It was strange to think that even she, who was tall for a girl and not much shorter than me, was once like this.
How on earth did such a pure and kind girl become a Saint with a sharp tongue and a blunt manner?
"Y-yes...!"
Victoria's face flushed momentarily as she nodded vigorously.
She definitely shouldn't have been able to read the expression behind the mask, but I felt something odd about her suddenly more favorable attitude.
Surely this wouldn't affect the future, would it?
Judging by the memories that kept surfacing in my mind—memories that shouldn't exist—it seemed like someone was already making a mess.
"Want to drink milk with me? Ah, your gaze is lewd. That wasn't my intention...♡" Victoria, please.
Don't say things like that while wearing nothing but an apron.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The young Victoria felt a strange emotion as she watched Astal walk silently ahead.
A strange feeling that made her heart flutter and her fingers fidget.
'I thought he was a scary person at first...'
The young Victoria raised the corner of her mouth as she recalled the sensation of his hand brushing her head earlier.
A rough, calloused touch.
Though it was a body part that felt slightly cold and cool to the touch, she could tell it was a gesture of goodwill extended to reassure her.
'...He might really be a trustworthy mister.'
The young Victoria was deliberately maintaining the term "mister" for Astal.
It was amusing because, while he remained unflappable in other aspects, he would react flustered whenever that word was mentioned.
When he fought the village chief who imprisoned her with his bare fists, it was truly suspicious what his identity was.
She thought mages used magic with a staff, so seeing movements akin to a martial artist was surprising.
'He's definitely not the Hero. He doesn't carry the Holy Sword...'
Who could he be?
Even the voice of the Heavenly God Lumina, who had been screaming just moments ago to call the Paladin Order, had fallen silent.
So he wasn't someone dispatched from the Holy Kingdom of Aurelium either.
How does he know my name?
'Am I not dreaming right now...?'
Victoria wondered if perhaps her long imprisonment was causing her to see hallucinations or dream.
Every night she dreamed of a prince on a white horse or a hero from a fairy tale coming to save her.
Yet what actually appeared was a blue-haired mage wearing a strange mask.
"Victoria."
"Y-yes...!"
A kind mage who even made shoes with magic for her, who was barefoot.
Even though there was a high probability of an ugly face hiding behind the mask, and his voice was grating like scraping metal and not to her liking.
In the end, what's inside a person is more important than their appearance. Yes, even if he's different from the ideal type she dreamed of, she shouldn't be so prejudiced.
"...Is this the place where the patients said to have the contagious disease are gathered?"
Astal pointed with his finger at the people beyond the window and asked Victoria a question.
People swollen and bloated like drowned corpses, groaning in pain.
"Yes, so you're not even supposed to approach..."
"It's fine, we're going in."
"W-wait a moment...!"
Bang—!
Despite the young Victoria's protests, Astal kicked the firmly locked door open hard and entered.
This wasn't a contagious disease from the start.
It was a symptom caused by demons using holy water to block the blood vessels leading to the heart.