Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Young Astal, and Adult Astal
Two eyes that had directly witnessed the patients' conditions made them look even more severe than what I had imagined in my head.
On faces contorted with pain, dried tears and drool stains clung, and to prevent the patients from biting their own tongues or injuring themselves with their nails, all four of their limbs were bound with cloth.
"Ah, ah─, ah…."
"Please, please, please, stop…."
"KillmepleasestopIdon'twanttolive"
The people groaning with bloodshot eyes were all writhing and suffering in agony.
Even after I burst through the door, not a single human looked at me with hope or asked to be saved.
'It feels like... I've stepped into hell with a living body.'
Clenching my molars tightly, I first tried to find and save Victoria's parents.
No matter how powerful a mage I was, there was no way to revive lives that were already dead.
"Ah, mister…. Can you really save all the people here?"
At that moment, a small tremor was felt beside me.
Victoria from her childhood, holding back tears yet steadfastly looking ahead, grabbing onto me—a stranger whose identity she didn't know—and making a request.
"……."
At Victoria's action, I momentarily realized what I was doing.
Since when had I become someone who picks and chooses whom to save?
Wasn't I the mage who bore the epithet 'Harmless Mage' and poured my body and soul into saving people?
"...So saving other people comes before saving your parents?"
"Yes, no matter what, the people here look like they're in tremendous pain…."
I asked the young Victoria a confirmatory question, and at her resolute expression, I could only bite my lower lip.
p>No matter how young, Victoria was still Victoria.
Despite having undoubtedly suffered indescribable pain due to the village chief's scheme, she was still putting others first.
"Alright, if that's your will…, then I'll have to try my best to save everyone all at once."
In response to the young Victoria's request, I overlapped several magic circles on my palm.
Magic, from the beginning, was about translating people's ideals into reality.
Then creating the reality Victoria wanted was the right thing to do.
The small form of 'Idea' that another me from a different worldline had created.
Using that, I felt a way to solve this predicament would come to mind.
It wasn't just anyone, but another me from a different worldline—there was no way he couldn't do it.
"Ah, just who are you─."
A rainbow-hued radiance that instantly filled the dark room.
Seeing that light, the young Victoria let out a surprised voice, her mouth agape.
Well, would you believe me if I said I'm your boyfriend from the far future?
Would you understand if I said I'm a foolish mage who, on a journey to defeat the Demon King, receives salvation from you?
"Well, curious?"
I deliberately didn't give the young Victoria a clear answer.
I felt that if I revealed my identity, the meaning would fade when we met later.
A meeting that started in the worst way, tangled with misunderstandings, ultimately resulted in the best outcome: understanding and loving each other more than anyone else.
"Try to figure it out on your own."
I chuckled and left the question with the young Victoria.
Aren't problems like this the most fun when solved by one's own power without hints?
"─O blueness that permits not a single impurity."
As I did so, I was creating the magic formula that rose in my mind directly on my hand.
"A blessing that should originally repel evil is tormenting innocent people."
What was most needed now was to draw out the holy water clogging the heart's blood vessels.
"In the name of Heavenly God Lumina, the lowly mage Astal Caisaros shall execute justice in her stead."
Using the divine magic Victoria had shown before and my specialty, water magic.
I had never believed in gods before, and had no desire to do so in the future.
But if it's the saint Victoria Everheart, I'm confident enough to stake my entire life and give everything.
If there was a god to me, it was this small, fragile girl beside me now.
"What should flow closer than the heart is a love heavier than lead."
Sluuuurp.
With each word I uttered, the holy water inside the people's bodies was being sucked into the 'Idea' as if drawn by a magnet.
"What drives away dark evil is the rising sun of dawn, so they must be distinguished."
This was precisely why mages were called oddballs or madmen by the world's people.
It lay in their curiosity and imagination, which diverged from ordinary people, and the tenacity to achieve what they desired using those traits.
"Woah, wooooah…."
The black liquid, writhing disgustingly as if alive, was gathering on my palm, contaminated to a level that could no longer be called holy water.
- This can't be happening. I'm Luna Willow, the genius alchemist who appears maybe once in a thousand years…!!!
The corrupted holy water spewed out a voice tinged with malice, like a scream.
- You, just who are you? What kind of dog-bone bastard are you, to even do something like this…!
The owner of that voice was the lingering resentment of the village chief who had died by my hand earlier.
Well, his true identity was a high-ranking demon wearing the village chief's skin, but still.
- I was going to gnaw away at the saint's divine power as much as possible and reduce her to a mere human…! And because of one damn mage bastard…!
He had transformed into a basilisk—a natural enemy of mages—to deal with me, but unfortunately, I'm the type who fights directly, unlike others.
- Ha, hahaha, I should have seen that despicable saint's belly swell up like livestock! In front of her dead parents' corpses, being horrifically gang-raped by demons or monsters….
Crunch.
The moment I heard it, feeling my ears were defiled, I immediately clenched my fist and crushed him flat.
Things like this bastard getting his way wouldn't happen from the start.
Even without me, the Paladin Order would come to rescue her, and if such a moment ever came, I'd shatter that future like this.
- Ah, aaaah…. Aaaargh…!!!
Even after hearing Luna Willow's tearing scream, I ground him under my foot to confirm the kill.
Because among monsters that gained intelligence or clever demons, some would fake their deaths to deceive people.
"They should be alright now. Well, they've had edema for a long time, so they won't recover overnight…."
I was treating the surrounding people, using all the potions I had and all the low-level divine magic I knew.
"…Mister, are you the Hero?"
Then the young Victoria scurried over to me, her eyes shining.
It seemed she thought I was the hero from fairy tales.
"Unfortunately, no."
Sadly, compared to a man named Kyle Dragonica, I had nothing to boast about.
Unlike the Hero who always shouted hope and boosted his comrades' morale to save the world.
"I'm a mage who's gloomier than anyone."
"Well, seeing you wear a mask, that seems possible…. I thought you were a scary person when I first saw you, after all."
Thump.
The young Victoria's innocence was saying words that stabbed straight into my heart.
"So, did you find your parents? I think they're over there."
To change the subject, I pointed out a woman with horns exactly like Victoria's.
Her appearance made one think of a Gold Dragon, but one of her horns was broken.
This was probably why the dragon offered no resistance to the demon.
"That's right…! Mom, Dad…!"
The young Victoria dashed like the wind towards her parents, and I cast a friction-increasing spell on her shoes, worried she might trip.
Judging by the young Victoria's state, she had been imprisoned by demons for at least several months.
"Our daughter…."
"Victoria, are you alright…?"
The figures who seemed to be Victoria's parents, upon regaining consciousness, immediately asked about her well-being.
Hmm, how should I start the conversation?
Having no prepared or pre-thought lines, I tried to secretly bring a cigarette to my hand when—
"…That mister over there saved us!"
The young Victoria from her childhood was making eye contact with me, focusing attention my way.
Dammit, now I can't even smoke a cigarette even after time-traveling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Eventually, after several days of recovery time had passed, Victoria's mother, Elizabeth Everheart, was looking at Astal with a strange gaze.
Why did such a strong dragon scent emanate from his body?
"Be honest. What's your relationship with our daughter?"
"I cannot answer that."
"…Then why does our Victoria's scent come from your body?"
"Probably because we've been close for quite a while after the rescue."
No, that's absolutely impossible.
Originally, this was about leaving a mark so one's betrothed wouldn't be taken by anyone else.
"Our daughter hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet."
That was originally a privilege only available to dragons who had undergone the coming-of-age ceremony.
"Take off that mask. Now."
Elizabeth's pupils narrowed sharply like a reptile's, glaring at Astal.
"If you're not our daughter's betrothed from the future, then you must be a slayer who lures dragons by scent to hunt them."
Inside the small parlor where they were talking privately, just in case.
Elizabeth's misunderstanding was growing bigger and bigger.