I was able to save Charon safely, and after healing Leona and Aluk's injuries, I returned to the castle of Mialak to rest.

Normally, I should have reported to the throne where the Norn is right away...... When she learns that Miarak has been saved by helping Charon, she has a big smile on her face and apparently falls asleep.

The Norn had been working tirelessly to keep the barrier up, and knowing this, we decided to wait for her to wake up.

 

"I'm sorry, I can't resist the intense drowsiness when ...... relieved."

"We've had a break, so we don't mind it at all."

 

Two days later, when we heard the news that the Norns had woken up, we were summoned to the basement where the Kureha Fountain was located.

Waiting for us at the fountain were two (?) Norn and Farga. Was.

 

"Thanks to your help, I can only thank you for saving Mialak, and for saving Charon's life, which I couldn't have saved."

"I also express my gratitude, because without you, I would not have been able to stop Charon."

"Uh, uh...... I'm so glad no one was sacrificed!"

 

I replied shyly to the words of Norn and Falga.

Looking back, I think I did a lot of recklessness this time.

Charon, who was in a state of collapse, definitely had the power to kill me. Before that, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for the help of Leona, Aluk, Amako, and Nea.

I was forced to do a paper-thin ending...... I would never have been able to do it alone.

 

"Speaking of which, can the people of Mialak go back here?"

"Yes, yesterday I sent a message to the neighbouring country where the people of the castle are taking care of their people. In two weeks, I'll be back here."

"You can go home...... It ...... good."

 

After all, it must be painful not to be able to go home for nearly a month.

With a look of relief on his face, the Norn smiled and took out a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to me.

It was a letter that we had given her when we visited Mealark.

 

"At first, I withheld the answer to the letter, but I have no doubt that you have done so much for this country, and I, Norn Elad Miarak, as Queen, will accept the letter."

"Uh...... Are you okay?"

 

At the words of the Norn, I felt more bewilderment than joy.

I'm glad to receive the letter, but I'm wondering if it's easy to accept the letter in the current situation of Mearrak.

Perhaps sensing my question, Falga-sama, who was beside the Norn-sama, slowly opened his mouth.

 

"The Demon King is a powerful being, and we must unite to stand against him. Now that the crisis in Mearlark has passed, there is no reason to turn down the letter."

 

Does Falga-sama think that because he knows the Demon King who fought the previous hero, he should accept the contents of the letter?

...... How strong is the Demon King?

At the very least, he was certainly as good as his predecessor, who had foul strength.

 

"You don't have to worry, the ice around the city is melting now that Charon's power has been suppressed, so it will take some time, but Mialak will be able to return to its original lively form."

"If that's what you'...... meant."

 

As if to regain my bearings, I looked up and bowed to the Norns and Farga, thanking them for receiving the letter.

It's the third time I've done it after Luxvis and Samariar, but it's still embarrassing.

Behind me, Nea was saying, "Wow, you look good," but I'll put up with it for now and get my revenge later.

 

"That's the end of the letter, but I have something to tell you, Usato."

"What is it?"

"Your friend, about the armor of the two braves."

「......!」

 

Is it about the two weapons made by Farga-sama who saw Inugami-senpai and Kazuki in my memory?

 

"I'll generate the armor as soon as the Miarak is restored, but I thought I'd tell you that unlike your gauntlet, it will take a lot of time to build it from scratch."

"Okay, Master Falga, please don't be too rash."

 

The armor created by Falga-sama is the result of his power.

In other words, every time he creates a weapon, his body is strained, so I don't want him to overdo it.

Perhaps sensing the anxious gaze of the Norn-sama, Farga-sama twisted the corner of her mouth and smiled.

 

"Heh, don't worry, you won't die just because your strength is gone. I'm going to stay here for the rest of my life. Didn't I tell you that? I will also watch over your fate with my shards. At least I won't die until I see where you're going."

 

Eh, were you serious about that......?

What should I do, does it mean that Falga-sama is paying attention to my every move? Or are you paying attention to what I'm going to do in the future?

I'm scared of both.

 

"Usato gets a lot of attention for being quite unusual."

"It's not normal for him to say that."

"You're not normal either, little fox."

 

There's a fight going on in the background, but there's too much in Nea's words that I can think of.

In fact, most of the people I've met so far have even seemed to be out of the ordinary.

...... Or Kazuki, Alc, and quite a few people with common sense, right?

 

"Are you going to leave here today?"

"Yes, now that I've received a reply to my letter and have rested well, I'm going to head to my next destination as soon as I pack my bags."

"I'm sorry, I wanted to thank you for everything......

 

Norn looks disappointed.

Even though Charon's outburst has subsided and peace has returned to Mearrak, not everything has returned to normal. We must rebuild the interior of the city, which has become desolate due to the loss of people.

If we stay too long, it will only be a nuisance.

 

"Your next destination was the Land of the Beastmen, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

 

I nodded at Falga's words.

The ultimate goal of our journey, and the reason why Amako asked me for help: the land of the beastmen.

 

"You better be careful, something strange is about to happen in that place right now."

"Strange, isn't it?"

"I don't know what the beastmen are doing, but one thing I can tell you is that many of the beastmen still hate the existence of humans. I'm sure you'll be fine, but it's better to be cautious."

 

Strange thing, huh?

Could it have something to do with the inexplicable behavior of the beastmen that the Norns were talking about?

I hope it's not a bad thing, ...... for now, I'll have to go.

In order to help Amako's mother, it is a decision to go to the land of the beastmen.

 

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Hmm."

 

He nodded at my words, and his beautiful blue eyes widened.

 

"Usato, your journey across the continent is near, but your adventures in this world are far from over. In the process, there will be troubles and sufferings, but I am sure that if you have the heart to save Charon without giving up until the end, you will not be able to break."

 

When we go to the land of the beastmen, our journey ends.

After completing his duties as a letter handover and saving Amako's mother, he must return to the Kingdom of Ringle.

Regardless of my slight thought, Falga-sama continued to weave his words.

 

"There was once a man who was torn between hope and despair."

 

...... Somehow, I feel like I know who the man Farga is talking about.

A hero who defeated the previous hero, the Demon King, and a human who continued to be betrayed by people.

I listen to his words in silence.

 

"The man who kept being betrayed by people and kept fighting even though his heart was about to break, had come to have hope for the future, not the present."

"Even if it's the worst now, it's not going to be in the future...... Is that what you mean? That's too ambiguous...... isn't it?"

"The situation he was in was so bad that he knew it was right."

 

...... Yes, I guess.

The true identity of the curse that had plagued the royal family in Samaria was the souls of the people who were once supposed to have been saved by the hero in the battle against the evil dragon.

The person I helped was killed because of me.

That alone should be tragic enough, but considering the circumstances surrounding the previous hero, it is not surprising that it could have been worse.

 

"In despair, the man pinned his hopes on the future, but for the man, that hope—"

 

Lady Farga pauses and closes her eyes sadly.

The next words he uttered when he opened his eyes were not directed at the hero, but at me.

 

"Usato, I want you to believe in people until the end, no matter how angry or disappointed you are, never fall into darkness with hatred."

「...... Yes."

 

I can't imagine hatred now, but I will keep Falga-sama's words firmly in my heart.

Satisfied with my reply, Mistress Farga let out a sigh as if to release her tension, and then shifted her gaze from me to Mistress Norn.

 

"Well, I have nothing to say. Norn"

"Yes, and since we are leaving here by the end of the day, I will at least give you what you need for the journey ahead."

"Oh, that helps."

 

Food and water are essential for traveling.

It seems that the land of the beastmen is a little far away, so let's get what we can.

 

"Also, when we return to the Ringle Kingdom, I'll arrange a boat for you, the ice will have melted by the time you come, and we can take a boat down the river to the vicinity of the Lingle Kingdom."

 

Does that mean that the return trip will be easier than the way out? That would be a good thing, but first you have to go to the land of the beastmen.

Anyway, it's been a really long week.

But what I realized here was not in vain. My own way of fighting, the gauntlet made by Falga-sama, and the ability to strengthen the line of healing magic.

Besides, Leona was able to follow her own path of heroism.

 

"Oh, by the way, where is Leona?"

 

As I tilted my head at the fact that I hadn't seen her today, the Norn answered my question.

 

"I've asked Leona to see you off as you leave here."

"Really?"

 

Will you see me off?

Good. At the last minute, we didn't break up without seeing each other.

I wanted to thank her again for making me realize that I had forgotten what was important as a person who helped people.

Fortunately, I was relieved to have the opportunity, and after saying goodbye to the Norns and Farga, I returned to the surface to prepare for my journey.

 

●

 

Preparing to head to the land of the beastmen, we woke up Bullin, who had been coasting in the stables by the castle, said goodbye to the maid who had taken care of us until today, and left the castle.

According to the maid, Leona is waiting for her at the castle gate.

As soon as you get to the place where you can see the castle gate, you notice two figures on the inner door of the gate.

I thought Leona was the only one who would come to see me off, but was there anyone else?

As I approached with my doubts, I could clearly see Leona's figure and the figure of another person.

 

「...... Ahh

 

Next to Leona was a man who supported himself with a cane.

The man looked familiar. Rather, it was not a familiar person, but a person who had fought to the death just the other day, Mr. Charon.

 

"Oh! You're here!"

 

Charon, a man with his hair cut short, turned to us and waved his hand widely.

Seeing him like that, Leona pressed her forehead and sighed.

 

"Charon, don't push yourself too hard, you just woke up today."

"It's okay, I know."

 

Charon, who replied to Leona, was a person with a refreshing atmosphere, unlike when he was out of control.

He glanced at us as we arrived at the gate and smiled a friendly smile.

 

"As you probably already know, I'm Charon, and I'm a former knight of Mialark. I'm really sorry for this time. And thank you, without you I would have destroyed my home with my own hands."

"Uh, uh...... Was your body okay?"

 

I panicked at Mr. Charon, who bowed deeply, and asked him if there was anything wrong with his body.

After all, I'm not used to being thanked face-to-face.

 

"Thanks to your healing magic, I don't get hurt, I didn't expect to be hit by a healing spell. Hahaha"

"Did you have any memories of when you were fighting?"

 

Upset at Charon, who remembers beating him in the process of helping him, she checks to see if he has any memories.

He nodded in response to my question.

 

"Ah, it was choppy, but I had memories, such as the damage I had done to the people of Myalak and the battle with Leona...... And I remember you desperately trying to save me."

「...... I just did something reckless. Leona and her friends saved my life many times, and I couldn't have saved you alone."

"Having a friend who can help you when you're doing something crazy is a wonderful thing in itself."

 

I mean, he's a pleasant person.

I feel like I can understand that Leona is the ideal knight.

Now that you know his personality, ask him what he was interested in.

 

"What are you going to do now?"

"Yes...... First of all, we must atone for our sins. Even if it is because the power of the dragon that lies dormant in me has gone out of control, it is none other than myself who has put Mialak in danger. He will be punished appropriately after Mialak is rehabilitated."

 

It would be nice if the crisis of Mialak could be over, but it is not without blame for the runaway Charon.

As expected, it seems that the Norn and Farga will take advantage of the reason ...... reason.

 

"Besides, I can't be a knight anymore."

"What, why?"

 

You can't be a knight, ......?

As I tilt my head, Mr. Charon shows me the cane in his hand.

 

"I can't train my magic anymore, and that's why I can't walk properly without a cane. Well, it wouldn't be too hard for me to live normally, but my body was too fragile to fight as a knight."

「...... The temporary unreasonable awakening took a tremendous toll on Charon's body...... Is that what you mean? That's to the point where even Usato's lineage can......t be healed."

 

Nea's muttering behind me makes me speechless.

If I had helped him sooner, this might have happened. Maybe I'm being arrogant, but that's what I thought.

 

"It's not your fault, it was ridiculous for a person to become a dragon. As a result of that change, I lost the ability to handle magic, that's all. ...... Besides, there is someone you can rely on without me. Like the serious female knight next to you."

"Don't call me by my strange name."

 

Leona glared at Charon with jito eyes.

He turned his gaze back to me as if to escape his gaze and put his hand on my shoulder.

 

"So, you don't have to worry about it, what you did wasn't wrong."

「...... Yes."

"Okay! That's all I have to say! Leona. You had something to say to them, didn't you?"

"I've always been in charge of seeing you off......

 

Leona took her hand off my shoulder and looked at Charon in dismay as she stepped back, and stepped forward in front of us as if to replace him.

 

「......」

「......」

「......」

「...... Uh-huh."

 

Why are you silent ......?

Perhaps he was nervous in front of us, but his gaze, which had been looking straight at us, gradually moved diagonally downward.

 

"Leona?"

「...... Oh, I'm sorry! The words I was thinking about ...... disappeared in my head!"

"Come on, Leona, you don't have that."

"Oh, noisy, Charon!!"

 

Leona blushes and yells at Charon.

I smiled bitterly at her and talked to her to relieve her tension.

 

"That spear, it looks great."

"What!? Oh, really?"

"yes, it's very cool."

 

In Leona's hands, the weapon has changed into the shape of a spear.

Its coolness is incomparable to my gauntlet, which is too simple.

...... What if my armor was a spear instead of a gauntlet...... No, it's hard to imagine.

I can only imagine that it is spinning by force.

 

"Oh, that's cool...... How?"

"Wasn't it okay to be cool with women......?"

"Nope! I'm glad to hear that, but it's a bit complicated ......."

"...... complicated?"

 

After all, should I have said it was beautiful or straight? However, it's a bad line that doesn't look like me, and I'll be writhing in shame later.

Leona clears her throat.

The tension seemed to have melted away, and he opened his mouth, although his voice trembled slightly.

 

"Well, I wanted to talk to you guys for the last time."

 

Nodding at his words, Leona looked around at us one by one.

 

「...... When I first met you, I was at a loss. People like me don't deserve to be brave. But as a hero, you have to protect Miarak. Dead ends everywhere you go...... That's how I met you."

"Me?"

"It was shocking, the way he fought that overturned conventional wisdom, the strength of his mind. He also communicates with beastmen and demons...... It's wacky."

"Is it okay to say that I'm an honest weirdo!?"

"Nea, there are good things to say and bad things to say, okay?"

 

Nea generates a healing magic bullet on her index finger and nods her head to me as she smiles.

When I took my eyes off her, she said, "Hey, this looks like you're communicating!? Hey!?" I was appealing to Leona with tears in my eyes, but Leona only smiled wryly.

 

"Seeing you like that, I have a complacent thought, and I have tried to take any means to protect myself, and I must not let you die in the battle with Charon. I didn't want the Norns, Falga, or anyone left in the castle to get hurt...... He wanted to sacrifice his life to defeat Charon."

 

At Leona's words, Charon, who was behind her, had a sad expression on her face and squeezed her hand to hold her wand.

 

"You are the one who stopped me from dying, not alone, but someone for help. I didn't realize it was that simple, but now it's different. Usato, you taught me to rely on me. If you can't do it alone, you can rely on someone next to you. If someone is suffering, reach out. I am standing here today because of your words and actions."

"So--"

"I don't think so, you'd be humble."

 

Before I could say that it wasn't going to happen, Leona nailed me.

...... How did he understand my words? Do you have such an easy-to-understand personality?

Leona looks at me in silence and smiles.

 

"It's easy to understand, sir."

"Eh, is it easy to understand? Amako, am I that easy to face?

"Yes, I'm turning into a demon or a person."

 

It's not easy to show up in your face, it's a mistake to change suddenly.

Or rather, my face is a mask or something.

I'm soberly shocked, but Amako continues to weave words.

 

"yes, just kidding, but Usato knows what he's thinking."

"That's what Amako ...... look like."

"Hahaha, Lord Usato-dono is expressive."

 

Ah, even Mr. Alc .......

I thought I was good at making my own facial expressions, but it seems that I don't do that in normal times.

 

"Heh, I'm sad I won't be able to see your interactions...... It's time to say goodbye."

"That's right."

 

I nodded at Leona's words.

We can't talk about it here all the time.

Besides, when I return to the Lingle Kingdom, I will come here again, so it will not be such a long goodbye.

 

"I know you're going to have a tough road...... I know, but I still wish you all the best in your journey."

"Good luck Leona, and Charon is well."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing you next time."

 

After saying goodbye to Leona and Charon, we separated from them and walked out of Mialak.

 

"Oh, yes."

「? What's the matter, Usato?"

"There was something I forgot to tell Leona."

 

I stopped in my tracks and turned around to see Leona seeing me off.

I didn't care about Leona, who looked confused at me who suddenly turned her back, and I threw the words I was going to say to her.

 

"Leona is a hero to me!"

「...... Huh!?"

"That's it!"

 

Yesterday, I thought a lot about Leona's words.

But without even thinking about it, the answer came quickly. An important companion for me...... I mean, that's what it's all about.

Leona gave me a surprised look at my words, and then looked down to hide her face with her bangs. At the last minute, I wanted to say this, so I turned around and walked away without waiting for her response.

 

"After all, Usato is unaware."

"It's a tantrum, but I agree, it's kind of a person."

"Where did you look at it now and make that decision!?"

 

I shrugged my shoulders because I felt unreasonable in the words of Amako and Nea, who only get along at times like this.

The dragon incarnation that had been rampaging in Miarak was quelled, and peace was restored.

All that remains is for the people of Mearlark to return and wait for reconstruction.

But our journey isn't over yet. After completing our mission in Luxvis, Samariar and Mialak, we will head to a place where it is difficult for humans to set foot - the land of the beastmen.

We walk to our final destination to deliver the letter and save Amako's mother.

 

______________________________________

 

This concludes Chapter 5.

I'd like to update a couple of episodes before moving on to chapter six.