The funeral for those who sacrificed themselves to seal the Witch of Gluttony has concluded.

Though the number of the fallen was not large, the implications surrounding their loss were too significant to be dismissed lightly, which compelled us to hastily hold the ceremony amidst our other responsibilities.

What awaited us after this ceremony was the aftermath left by the catastrophe that had surged forth.

“……Haaah.”

Sitting next to me, Sylvia let out a weary sigh.

“……Sylvia, are you okay?”

“……Yes. I’m just a little tired. It’s nothing to worry about.”

I expressed my concern, noticing her visibly unwell state, but Sylvia responded with a smile that seemed to brush off my worries, then continued the work she had been engaged in moments prior.

The task she was performing involved purifying the magic scattered by the Witch of Gluttony before her sealing.

If left unattended, not only would lesser demonic beasts continue to be spawned, but those nearby would flock towards the concentrated magic, so it was crucial to handle it as swiftly as possible.

However, most of the magic purification facilities were currently damaged, necessitating direct magical methods to cleanse the areas of residual magic.

This was the reason Sylvia, who had barely recovered from days of blood loss and collapse, had risen to work.

And that implied, of course, that her condition could not possibly be considered okay.

“You’re saying you’re fine, but your effective range is decreasing little by little. You’ve been pushing yourself hard since earlier to hide it, haven’t you? Did you think I wouldn’t notice that?”

“……That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.”

“……Tsk, Scarlet, you’re unnecessarily perceptive in situations like this.”

As I continued to point out her overexertion, Sylvia clicked her tongue in acknowledgment of having been found out.

Even though I had told her repeatedly not to push herself, it was clear she was doing just that, which made me a bit angry.

“Sylvia, didn’t I tell you earlier not to overdo it? If you collapse, that’s a far bigger problem! You’ve done enough work; go back and focus on recovering your health.”

If I were to choose the most crucial person in the city after the barriers and magic purification facilities had vanished, without a doubt, it would be Sylvia.

In an emergency, she was able to protect people from magic on her own, making her a veritable last bastion for the city.

If Sylvia were to overexert herself and collapse, that would be a significant crisis.

That’s why I, who spent the most time with her, had discreetly asked others to keep a watchful eye on her health.

I carried an obligation to prevent Sylvia from pushing herself unnecessarily.

Thus, I feigned anger in an attempt to deter her from overexertion.

Reality was that today, she had come out under the pretense of having rested sufficiently, although she had forced herself to do so.

And she insisted on this condition not to overdo it.

So, when I told her it was time to rest, as I expected, Sylvia stubbornly shook her head and replied.

“……But if I rest, it means you, Scarlet, and everyone else will have to work harder for a longer time. How could I rest easy while everyone else is suffering? I can’t do that. I don’t want others to suffer just because I want to rest…”

“……”

At her words, I found myself at a loss for a moment.

She was correct; if the purification of magic was delayed, it would be I and others who would have to deal with the resulting lesser demonic beasts.

While taking down those beasts was routine for us, the issue was that most of the heroes required rest after pushing their limits during the battle against the Witch of Gluttony.

For the others to rest, Sylvia needed to finish purifying the magic promptly.

However, rather than impose more burden on Sylvia, everyone agreed to take on the additional hardships themselves to allow her body to recover as quickly as possible.

Hence, Sylvia had come up and forced herself to work.

This was also why I could only pretend to be angry at her.

How could I genuinely scold someone who willingly takes on hardships rather than letting others suffer?

But that was one thing, and this was another, so I sighed slightly and said to the stubborn Sylvia.

“……Sylvia, I do understand your feeling of not wanting to rest easily.”

“……If you understand that, then why do you keep telling me to rest?”

“Nobody wants you to push yourself like this. I know it bothers you that everyone else is struggling while you’re resting, but nobody is complaining about you needing to take a break. Everyone understands how crucial you are to this city. So, if you genuinely think of the others, do go rest. If you continue this way, you’ll be a hassle for everyone instead.”

“……Do you really think I’m being a hassle, Scarlet?”

At my words, Sylvia made a hurt expression.

Seeing her reaction, I approached slowly with a serious face and said,

“What I just said was from a public standpoint.”

I hugged her from behind and added with a slight smile.

Sylvia looked a bit flustered by my sudden change in attitude and asked,

“Public standpoint…?”

“I was asked by everyone to pay attention to you so that you don’t overexert yourself. I’m in a position that holds responsibility for your health since they’ve made a request of me.”

“In that case…”

It seemed like Sylvia was hinting at whether my thoughts diverged from the public perspective, but I shook my head lightly while resting my chin on her shoulder and mumbled.

“No, even without the public standpoint, I genuinely want you to rest more.”

“……What do you mean? That makes it not any different from the public stance.”

“The reasons are different, you see.”

As I said that, I raised my left hand in front of Sylvia, who was pouting slightly.

She could see the friendship ring she had given me on my ring finger.

Though I took it off during combat for fear it might melt, I always wore it otherwise, symbolizing the bond between Sylvia and me. I held her left hand with the hand that bore the ring and said,

“I just don’t want to see my friend Sylvia overexerting herself.”

The warmth transmitted through our joined hands.

However, recalling how that warmth had almost slipped away, I occasionally felt a pang of dread.

I remembered when she collapsed, bleeding during the battle against the Witch of Gluttony, and spoke.

“When you collapsed and bled before, do you know how shocked I was? I was frightened thinking, what if something went wrong? And now, seeing you, who was once down like that, barely resting and working again, how do you think I feel?”

“……Is that something Scarlet should be saying? You constantly engage in far more dangerous acts without hesitation.”

“Uh, anyway… I’m worried about your health because we’re friends.”

I couldn’t deny that Sylvia’s words struck a chord, but still, I tightened my embrace around her.

Binding our hands, the rings clinked against each other.

I realized it was the sound of our rings and not that of another’s.

Thinking that maybe this sound might not be heard anymore made me terrified, and in that state, I whispered softly in Sylvia’s ear.

“……Honestly, I’d prefer it if you rested comfortably, regardless of how others are faring. I feel guilty towards others, yet my friend Sylvia matters more to me than anyone else. Well, I suppose that might sound selfish of me.”

Sylvia responded with a wry smile to my words.

“……Well, I don’t particularly have anything to say against that. To be honest, I also dislike imagining Scarlet suffering because of me, so I was planning to take a break. You’ve exerted yourself a lot too, haven’t you?”

“……Hmm, if it’s like that, I suppose it’s fine.”

Grinning at Sylvia’s words, I reached my right arm out beyond her shoulder.

Flames erupted towards the lesser demonic beasts sprinting toward us.

The intense flames, emitted with the same force as if I were in peak condition, incinerated the approaching demonic beasts to ashes.

I shrugged my shoulders, making a show of it, and said to Sylvia,

“I’m a witch, unlike someone who bleeds and collapses from overexertion. I can bounce back quickly even after pushing myself a little hard. Whatever it was that made me push myself back then, I’m completely fine now.”

“……Really?”

“Of course it is. You just saw it.”

As I answered, I proceeded to persuade Sylvia.

“Sylvia, do you understand now how foolish it is to say you want to take a break just to avoid seeing me struggle? In the first place, the reason I’m fighting the lesser beasts now is so that you can have time to rest. So, please, for my sake, don’t overdo it and focus on restoring your energy. That’s what I want. Leave it to me, your sturdy friend, for the time being.”

When I said that, Sylvia smiled as if she could not resist.

“Well, if you put it like that, I suppose there’s no fighting it. Understood. Then I’ll do my utmost to focus on resting while trusting you, Scarlet.”

“Yeah, you can count on me.”

With that, Sylvia turned to head deeper into the city to take her rest.

“……Is she gone?”

After watching Sylvia depart for a moment, I finally let out a groan as I slumped down to a sitting position when I was assured that no one was around.

“Ugh… I guess I pushed myself to seem okay… my whole body…”

Only once I confirmed no one was around did I let out a weary sigh.

What I had said earlier about being fully recovered was just a lie to make her rest.

No matter how quickly a witch like me recovered compared to an average person, bouncing back from having completely exhausted myself was impossible.

While one might think I could recover my strength by absorbing the magic scattered nearby, now that I had drained to the bottom, I understood all too well that absorbing magic wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

I recalled what Eve-sensei had explained to me about the barriers.

Magic comes in different types, and a witch’s heart serves as a filter that converts other forms of magic for personal use.

In simple terms, in order to absorb different types of magic, it must undergo that transformation process.

However, the magic left behind by the Witch of Gluttony was severely tricky, and it seemed that transformation would take a little longer.

To put it metaphorically, it would be like trying to squeeze a large mass of dough through a narrow opening to create thin noodles.

In any case, this also meant I needed rest just as much.

But I rose from my seat once more without rest.

If I endure just a bit longer, others can rest somewhat easier.

That was a good enough reason to suffer through this,

As it was the duty of those who remained to honor those who had sacrificed themselves.