The Witch Cannot Be With the Heroes (2)
“What did you ask me to decide?”
I kept talking while staring blankly at the crackling campfire.
“I’m going to head home first. … I don’t think the last thing Zophy said was a lie. If Mother is somewhere in the Imperial Capital, I should start by looking at the house……”
Zophy had said she sold her to a brothel, and Mother would have lost all her memories thanks to Time Rewinding, but twenty-five years ago was after she had already met Father. They were childhood friends, after all.
So even if Mother had become younger, she would still remember the bakery Father had inherited.
“It’s the Imperial Capital. The place where assassins trying to kill you have been lurking from the start, and where reports about the annihilation of the ducal house would arrive first. They’ll begin the search for you there as well.”
I gave the elf a deliberately bright smile.
“If we leave tomorrow morning, it should be fine. There’s still time for news to reach the capital. This is a big city, after all. So whether they’re merchants or nobles, it won’t be unusual to see caravans heading for the capital from dawn. To those people……”
I lifted the edge of the robe finished with fine fabric. It was one I had taken from Zophy’s wardrobe.
Inside the robe hung several small spellbooks and blank magic tomes for recording spells that I had stolen from Zophy’s bookshelf. To avoid looking too conspicuous, I had put on a simple everyday dress I found in the maid’s closet underneath the robe.
“I’ll boldly reveal my identity and ask to travel together. I am Kaira, the mage who was part of the hero’s party. If you need a mage, I’ll take on guard duty.”
Mervin’s expression was not bright.
“That is foolish and dangerous. Your whereabouts will be exposed in an instant.”
Azalea agreed.
“That’s right. Given the nature of the incident, the report to the Emperor will be sent by the fastest courier horse. They might even send a pigeon instead of a horse, or use magic to transmit the news outright. Your information could reach the capital faster than any caravan.”
But I did not back down.
“It will take an entire day, or longer, just to figure out what kind of incident occurred……. There’s no former duke left to lead the investigation from the front, and the only survivor who could give testimony, Duke Mittenburg, won’t be in his right mind.”
“Hey, former heroes.”
Kadros cut in.
“Just let her go. Our mage isn’t a child. The kid knows exactly what she’s trying to do. I get that you’re worried, but let her do what she wants. So she won’t have regrets. … Even if what waits at the end is death.”
“The little dwarf is right. Glazalus also believes in Kaira. Sorry, Kaira. I believe in you, but I cannot help you.”
I smiled once at each of them, feeling their hearts. … I tried my best to smile. Mervin, who had been silently watching me, let out a deep, long sigh, hesitated for a long while, then opened his mouth.
“I have one question. Since it’s the last time, I’ll ask a cold question that might make you lose all affection for me. … A question that’s unusually long, even for me.”
“Don’t feel burdened. Please ask, Sir Mervin.”
“You are already living a second life. Even if the mother you are looking for is the one who gave birth to this body, if the memories of two lives are mixed together, any familial bond would be faint. If she has even lost her memories, she is essentially a stranger. Is it still necessary to risk visiting the capital?”
I gave him a bitter smile.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable for you to say that. But… no matter what, I can’t return to my previous world. No matter how vivid and precious the memories I built there are. … I’ve become a person of this world now. No matter how much I rewind time with my ability, I can’t go back to the world I left……”
The moment I mentioned Earth, moisture welled up in my eyes. I forced back the tears and continued.
“And… I don’t know much about elven family values, but to me, my parents are… my parents. They’re the only family I met in this world, the only ones I could rely on……. Even if they have no memories.”
“I see.”
Mervin closed his eyes for a moment.
“Unless you take your own life or are killed, you will probably live a long life. Because you have that ability. You might even live longer than I will.”
Mervin slightly turned his gaze toward the sky. I followed his line of sight. A sky full of stars. The Milky Way spread like a band.
“What you did is an incident too great to be undone. As you said, even I cannot forgive you ethically. My people will never hide you.”
I gave a wry smile.
“But even that will be forgotten with time. Once the shock of today’s events fades and the Empire forgets you, then you may come. When that day comes, give this cowardly elf who is tucking his tail between his legs right now… the chance to welcome you into our people’s forest and treat you.”
Kadros pushed the apologetic elf aside and stepped forward, shouting.
“Typical narrow-minded elf! What’s the big deal about wiping out one noble house? We’re rotten butchers who killed countless humans while marching to slay the Demon King!”
It was hard to tell if the dwarf’s words were a joke or serious, but Kadros had said it to comfort me.
“Andrak the White Hammer’s son Kadros has a broader heart than any elf. Our kin in the mountain fortress don’t care about the opinions of human scum! No matter what foolish humans whisper, come visit anytime. I’ll pour you as much of the liquor you can only taste in our mountain fortress, free of charge!”
I felt like I might cry at the dwarf’s kindness, but I quietly refused.
“Andrak the White Hammer’s son, Sir Kadros. Thank you for the invitation. I will definitely visit someday. After I find Mother… and after the Empire forgets this incident.”
The ogre recited in an unusually gloomy voice.
“I… am sorry. Pretty mage. I have become very afraid of Kaira. I cannot say the same as my dwarf friend. If Kaira comes to our tribe, we will drive her out.”
That was probably the most sensible reaction. I nodded while looking at Glazalus’s face, trying not to lose my smile. So that he wouldn’t feel sad.
“But you are still an old friend. I don’t want an old friend to die. Live well, Kaira.”
In the end, I couldn’t hold back and shed tears while still smiling.
“Thank you, everyone……. Thank you.”
“Kaira.”
The saint called out as if grabbing me.
“Yes, Lady Saint……”
“Is the Kaira I knew gone forever……?”
After staring for a long time at Azalea, who asked with a desperate expression as if she might burst into tears, I gave a short answer.
“That’s right. What you said… is correct.”
Azalea burst into tears and rushed at me, hugging me tightly.
“This won’t do. It really won’t do like this. This isn’t right, this kind of thing… isn’t me! Diplomacy or whatever, I don’t care. Kaira, let’s go together…. Huh? Please, come with me. I’ll protect you no matter what happens, in the name of the saint……!!”
Perhaps because her emotions were heightened, the saint’s body, which was embracing me, began to blaze with bright light.
At that moment,
“Ugh, ugh……!!”
I felt pain as if my entire body was burning and pushed Azalea away.
“K-Kaira……?”
Azalea looked at me with wide, surprised eyes. I was just as startled.
“I-I’m sorry, Lady Saint. Suddenly…. When you hugged me, it hurt like my whole body was on fire……. I didn’t mean to……”
“That can’t be! My light… may not be able to heal people, but it doesn’t burn innocent people. It only has power against obstacles or evil that I do not permit……”
Azalea began to speak in a voice that grew smaller, as if she had realized something.
“It activates…, but……”
The saint closed her mouth after saying that much, because she knew what it meant.
Glazalus spoke in a heavy voice in place of the saint.
“It’s frightening. Even the saint… finds the little mage frightening. Just like me……”
Mervin added to the ogre’s clumsy words.
“What Kaira did was an evil act. In the end, even the saint has come to define Kaira as evil in her heart.”
After muttering dwarf curses for about five seconds, Kadros cut everyone off.
“Damn it, every single one of you has no sense of camaraderie! In the name of my great father, Andrak the White Hammer, Kadros welcomes Kaira! That level of revenge is only natural in our society! Come on, kid! Leave these bastards behind and come with me. Let’s go to the mountain fortress, right now! A place where you can hide, far from the capital or whatever.”
Listening to the dwarf’s rough but kind words, I reddened my eyes but still refused that kindness.
“No, Sir Kadros. I can’t worsen the relationship between the mountain folk and the human empire because of me alone. My sins… must be borne by me.”
Kadros furrowed his brows so deeply that a huge crease formed between them and spat out incomprehensible dwarf words for nearly a minute, but eventually gave in with a sad expression.
“I understand, kid. … Take care of yourself. Stay healthy. The mountain folk do not forget grudges or favors, nor do they go back on their word. If you ever change your mind, come find us. We will welcome you.”
“Thank you……”
At that moment, a quiet, despairing murmur mixed with a sigh reached my ears.
“Kaira, I’m sorry…, Kaira, Kaira……”
Azalea, who seemed to have received a great wound to her heart, kept apologizing to me while clutching her head. I forcibly pulled her hand and shook it.
A weak sizzling sensation came, as if my flesh was burning, but I endured it. So as not to hurt my friend. From the hand burned by the saint’s light, the smell of baking bread rose. As if it were some cruel black comedy.
“Lady Azalea. I won’t forget. Thank you for always caring about me.”
I lightly pressed my lips against hers, who was still trembling with fear and guilt.
Sizzle.
My lips seemed to have burned a little, but it didn’t matter.
She had been my friend.
I gave light kisses to the dwarf, the elf, and the ogre as well. Even Kadros, who had pitied me until the end, and Glazalus, who was afraid of me, did not avoid the final kiss.
Eventually the campfire went out, and it was time for everyone, who had finished a long day, to sleep.
The hero’s party disbanded just like that.
The next morning, I left through the gate leading toward the capital early and stopped a merchant caravan, offering to guard them.
Thanks to the Emperor holding such a splendid triumphal ceremony, the rumor of the hero Kaira was known to many. The caravan leader, who had seen the ceremony from afar at the time, recognized my light-brown hair like freshly baked bread and my bright red eyes.
After beginning the journey with the delighted caravan and traveling for a day and a half, about twenty bandits appeared on the roadside where our caravan was camping, and all the outnumbered caravan members were brutally killed.
Leaving only me behind, whose life they had spared because they wanted to rape me.