Chapter 59
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 59
Translation: godsn
A giant mud-like creature was dragging Shai along by the noose it had looped around her. So that's why she couldn't make a sound. The child's limbs flailed weakly as she choked. But she was still alive. Without a second thought, she immediately charged forward and severed the giant's arm.
The severed arm fell with a splat, dissolving into mud that scattered across the ground. The giant wasn't particularly slow, but Echinacea was simply too fast—it only realized its arm had been cut off after she'd already caught Shai, noose and all.
First, Echinacea cut the noose from around Shai's neck. The girl gasped for air, tears welling in her eyes as she coughed violently.
"Kgh—khehk—!"
"Are you okay? Just hold on."
Echinacea shielded Shai behind her and turned to face the mud giant lumbering toward them. The right arm she had severed had already regenerated. The giant swung a fist the size of her head. The force of the punch was so strong it stirred up a gust of wind that sent her hair flying.
But to her, it was far too slow. Echinacea dodged effortlessly, slipping inside the giant's guard as if stepping into an embrace.
[Seeing it regenerate like that—is it a slime? A golem? Either way, just destroy the core, right?]
The Magic Sword muttered idly. Echinacea thought the same. Though this monster was unfamiliar, when had anything familiar ever emerged from a Node? Still, basic forms existed—for creatures that regenerated like this, destroying the core would suffice.
She could have traced the flow of mana to locate the core, but Echinacea had no need for that. The Magic Sword, specialized for slaughter, instinctively guided its wielder toward the most efficient path to kill.
'There—the solar plexus, between the chest and stomach.'
All she had to do was trust her intuition and thrust her sword. No need to channel mana. The blade sank smoothly into the mud with a squelch, piercing deep until it struck something within.
'Huh?'
The sensation at the tip of her sword was unnervingly familiar. The resistance of flesh and bone, the squish of organs. A shudder ran down her spine. Even so, her body moved with practiced ease, twisting the blade before yanking it free.
Bright red blood gushed from the wound as the mud giant collapsed. Echinacea stepped back, avoiding the spray of blood and mud. The giant's body crumbled away, the mud sloughing off until only the "core" she had stabbed remained.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
[Whoa, what's this? A surprise? He's dead! Dead!]
The Magic Sword cheered excitedly. The core was a human man. Blood gushed from the back of an elderly man with graying hair—the exact spot Echinacea had pierced. Her face paled as she crouched to examine him. Not an instant death, but he wouldn't last long. She had no medical training, but her extensive experience in killing told her as much.
Who was this man? Someone else swallowed by the Node? Why was there a person inside a monster? Had she killed another innocent? Again?
Nausea rose in her throat. The sticky sensation of blood clung to her sword hand, uninvited. Echinacea dropped Amethyst and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Ah... Mary's Grandfather...?"
From behind her, Shai's thin voice murmured. The girl stumbled forward on unsteady feet and placed her hands on the blood-soaked old man's back.
"H-H-He's... hurt...!"
Echinacea stared blankly as the girl fumbled in panic. Shai checked the wound, then turned to look at her, confusion written across her face. And then she asked:
"Can I heal him?"
"...What?"
"I-I-I can actually heal wounds. I can make illnesses go away. I can stop the pain. Isn't it weird? To you, Eki, I must seem like a witch, right? Am I really a witch?"
What kind of nonsense was that? How was healing wounds anything like being a witch? Eki was so stunned she couldn't respond right away. In that brief silence, Shai, still wearing a confused expression, nevertheless stretched out her hand with resolve.
"Y-you might hate it, but even so, even so... I don't like seeing people hurt. I wish no one had to suffer. Eki, I'm sorry, but I—I want to heal him..."
A faint light glowed from the tattered cloth over Shai's chest. Between the frayed edges of the girl's clothing, Eki caught sight of a distinct mark on her grimy skin—a pattern of pale green wood. From that mark, a small dagger sprang forth.
A silver dagger entwined with vines bearing red fruit. A blade forged by the Blacksmith with human mercy, sheathed in human love. A Giosa that chose its Owner without regard for swordsmanship. The Healing Sword, Elgiosa, revealed itself.
Shai gripped the dagger. Though Elgiosa was a small blade, Shai herself was so tiny that she had to clutch it with both hands. Trembling, she drove it into the wound. Even Eki, who knew of Elgiosa, flinched at the sight. Had that been an ordinary sword, the old man would have died instantly.
But the sword forged of compassion did not harm him. From where the blade pierced, faintly glowing green vines unfurled. They coiled around the wound, blossoming white flowers before bearing red fruit—then dissolved into light and vanished.
"Good heavens..."
It was a mesmerizing sight. Eki exhaled in awe. Shai slumped to the ground, still clutching Elgiosa. Not even a scar remained where the sword had struck. Even the wound Eki had inflicted was gone. Every injury had been perfectly healed. The old man would not die now.
[Tch. What a waste.]
The Magic Sword grumbled. Eki rubbed her face with trembling hands. She had been certain she was about to commit another unintended murder. But the old man had lived. Because of that child. A deep wave of relief spread through her, warmth returning to her fingertips.
Shai turned to Eki, her gray eyes brimming with tears, shivering violently. Before the girl could say anything, Eki stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. Burying her face in the small shoulder, she whispered with utter sincerity.
"Thank you, Shai. Thank you so much..."
"E-Eki?"
Shai flinched, startled, her body trembling. The voluminous folds of Eki's dress spilled around her, enveloping the girl. Shai sank into the frills. Eki smelled nice—like something sweet, like flowers.
Hesitant, Shai gingerly clutched the fabric of Eki's dress. The silk beneath her fingers was so soft it felt like it might melt. The arms holding her were strong, yet gentle. In a voice on the verge of tears, she asked:
"Y-you... you don't hate this? The villagers all said it was weird when people suddenly got better. They said I must've spread the plague, that I was definitely a witch..."
"I don't hate it at all. I'm grateful, actually. And Shai—you're not a witch."
Eki stroked Shai's dry, tangled hair. Lifting her head, she met the girl's eyes and smiled.
"You're a Giosa Owner, Shai."
"A... Giosa Owner?"
"Once we escape this place, no one will ever torment you again. No one will call you a witch. You'll become Agenka's Saintess."
"S-S-Saint... huh? Wh-what?"
Shai stammered, her face blank. She still didn't understand. Of course she wouldn't grasp it right away. Eki could explain it all properly later. Once they escaped the Node and returned to Agenka, there would be plenty of people far better at explaining than her.
"I—I couldn't possibly be someone so important! You must be mistaken!"
"There's no need to worry, Shai. I'll vouch for you. You're already the Saintess."
"Th-That can't be..."
The girl's wide, trembling eyes were both adorable and pitiful. On impulse, Echinacea planted a kiss on her round forehead. Shai's face flushed bright red.
"You'll understand once we get out. So for now, let's focus on leaving this place."
She gave Shai one last tight hug before releasing her and standing up. Then, she turned her gaze toward the elderly man lying unconscious but otherwise unharmed.
'A person inside a Mud Giant...'
Echinacea examined the old man closely. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him.
This was the first time she'd seen someone swallowed by a Node turn into a monster. Though she did recall reading records of such cases. Nodes were influenced by the location where they formed, and the strong emotions of that place were projected onto them. The Mud Giant with the noose resembled, from Shai's perspective, the image of the villagers who had tried to burn her alive—massive and terrifying.
"Shai, you said you knew this person, right? Who is he?"
"H-He's Mary's grandfather... from Goth Village."
Shai's hesitant reply came as her eyes lingered on Echinacea's left hand—the one tightly wrapped in cloth. Echinacea subtly hid it under her skirt before pressing further.
"So, was he one of the people who dragged you here?"
"Y-Yes."
Shai nodded. Just as she'd suspected. Echinacea pinched the bridge of her nose. So this old man had been among those who'd tried to brand a child as a witch and burn her alive. Even if she had accidentally killed him earlier, there'd have been no reason to regret it. She'd been startled, thinking he might've been some innocent passerby near the valley.
"...Shai. Weren't you angry at this grandfather?"
"Angry? Why would I be?"
"That man was—"
The words trying to burn you alive rose to the tip of her tongue. Echinacea held them back, but Shai seemed to have guessed anyway. Fidgeting with her fingers, the girl spoke softly.
"Everyone was going through something sad. They must've been hurting so much... I was scared, but I don't hate them."
"Something sad? Like what?"
"There was a plague. A lot of people died... Mom too... It wasn't until after Mom passed that I could use this strange dagger. And then I kept thinking—if only I'd gotten it sooner, Mom wouldn't have died. That made me hate myself for finding it too late. Why did I only discover this now?"
Shai rubbed her teary eyes with balled-up fists before continuing, her face still covered.
"The villagers must've felt the same way. They were so sad that they wanted to blame someone. If no one had been sick, none of this would've happened. So the sickness is the real villain, not them."
Echinacea stared blankly down at the little girl. She couldn't fathom thinking that way herself. Understanding the feelings of people who'd tried to burn her alive? Claiming they weren't to blame?
[Wow, what the hell? She scares me. How can a human live with a mindset like that? It's rare to find someone I can't use, but she's impossible.]
The Magic Sword's voice rang out in startled disbelief.
To become Valdergiosa's Owner, one needed to have harbored malice or murderous intent at least once. Since few humans went through life without ever entertaining wicked thoughts, most could wield a Magic Sword. The real problem was being controlled the moment they became an Owner.
But Shai? She'd never be able to hold one. She was too pure. Saving the life of someone who'd tried to kill her and not even hating them? At this point, it was less about virtue and more about being ill-suited for survival. For once, Echinacea found herself faintly agreeing with the Magic Sword's sentiments.