Chapter 21 (2/2)

After all, we finally managed to save a very young life.

G.o.d, I thank You for Your mercy.

[Leone! It's dangerous!!]

Along with the voice, I can feel an impact on my body, and a roaring voice can be heard.

When I realized it, I was already kneeling on the floor.

On my back, I can feel something heavy on it.

[Uhh&h.e.l.lip; What?]

When I opened my eyes, what got on top of my body was Emilia.

Not knowing what just happened, I turn to look at the place where I was standing at.

Over there, pinned under the debris was Rou's figure.

[Rou! It's a lie, right? Why?!]

I crawl out under Emilia and after placing her on the floor, I run with all my might to where Rou was.

I try to move the materials that lies on top of Rou, but it's not moving an inch.

This is a lie.

This has got to be a lie! An illusion!!

No, no, no!!

[Ple&h.e.l.lip;ase calm down, Leone. Hurry&h.e.l.lip; run&h.e.l.lip; from h-here.]

A support beam presses against Rou's torso, and he lets out a voice full of pain.

[No! No!! Rou, you were protecting me. Sorry. I'm sorry. It would have been better if you hadn't protected me! It would be better if it was me who got pinned down!!]

I shake my head while hugging Rou who is collapsed, lying face-down.

[I'm here&h.e.l.lip; to protect&h.e.l.lip; you. It's&h.e.l.lip; a given. Go. You have&h.e.l.lip; to go.]

Rou pushes me away weakly.

Feeling like I don't want to leave Rou for even a moment , I hold both of his hands.

I try to look at Rou's face but I can't see him through the tears that started falling from my eyes without my noticing.

This is the result that I reaped.

The one receiving the punishment is me.

That's why, please.

Rou&h.e.l.lip; please save Rou, G.o.d.

[We are always together, right? If I am not with Rou, then I won't get out of this place. Sorry, Rou. If only I didn't say that I would remain in this village, then this kind of thing would have never happened. But it's all right now. I am going to save Rou. Now, I am going to do healing magic on you.]

[Stop it!!]

Rou who let out only weak voice until now, suddenly lets out a big voice.

Rou understands.

My magical power is on the verge of exhaustion, and if I use it again, I will end up dead.

[&h.e.l.lip;E, Emila&h.e.l.lip; how is she?]

[That's right.]

It's not only Rou and I here, there is a young life that needs to be saved, namely Emilia.

She cannot escape from this place alone because she's become so weak.

[The Leone I know&h.e.l.lip; wouldn't abandon, any of the&h.e.l.lip; villagers. &h.e.l.lip;Leone is, always, the type of person&h.e.l.lip; that would stand up, to anything. Leone's decision&h.e.l.lip; is not wrong. Leone&h.e.l.lip; save&h.e.l.lip; Emilia&h.e.l.lip;]

Hey, Rou. Because Rou was always there besides me, I was not afraid of anything.

What I'm afraid of the most is, that I am to lose Rou.

That is why, don't say things like that.

Rou continues to talk into my ear, as if n.o.body can hear him.

At those words, I cannot hold back my tears.

[I really want to return your words, Rou. But, if I return it, it will seem like a farewell, so I won't say it now. I will absolutely return and say it. That's why, please wait, Rou. After taking Emilia out to a safe place, I will definitely return.]

As if trying to sever away my emotions, I let go of Rou's hand.

Even though I felt like I should never let go.

In order to return to Rou's side as quickly as possible, I hurriedly carry Emilia on my back and run away from the flames.

My mind is filled with thoughts of Rou.

I want to look back, but I didn't want to waste time doing even that, so I just focused on running away from the fire.

Emilia and I finally managed to escape to a place where the flames couldn't reach us.

[Emilia, I am going to return to Rou's side. It's possible that&h.e.l.lip; I won't be able to return. Even so, Emilia is a strong child. If someone comes, please ask them for help like you asked me. But, you cannot be found by the Lord. Because I am sure the Lord will do cruel things to Emilia. Sorry, Emilia. Sorry for not being able to protect you until the end.]

I am such a terrible person.

In order to satisfy my need to stay by Rou's side, I made a choice equal to sentencing this helpless girl to death.

Even though the only one that's able to protect this girl is me.

You don't have to forgive this selfish me, Emilia.

[Unn&h.e.l.lip; Onee-chan, you need to go back. I'm&h.e.l.lip; okay being alone. I will call for help, and I will also go and save both Onee-chan and Onii-chan. &h.e.l.lip;that's why, hurry and go, Onee-chan.]

Emilia is trembling while being covered in the blanket.

I understand that her trembling is by no means due to the cold temperature, even so&h.e.l.lip;

[Emilia&h.e.l.lip; I pray for G.o.d to protect you.]

Goodbye, Emilia.

I am going to be by Rou's side.

You still have a future to spin.

In the end, even if I wish to save, I cannot save even a single person.

I wonder what in the world is my role.

In the end, I am just a helpless woman who cannot do anything.

I turn back and go by the road that I came from.

Rou, Rou, Rou.

At the very least, I want to protect the vow from back then.

I want to return your words, so please be safe.

It happened when I finally arrived in front of Emilia's house.

[Found you. You are the healer Leone-sama, right? We implore you come along with us.]

Being surprised by the voice that comes from behind my back, I turn around.

Standing there are six knights clothed in knights' outfits that are embroidered with the feudal lord's crest.

The feudal lord's subordinates?!

The ones who set this village on fire, the humans who look more like heartless demons.

Even so, perhaps these people might be able to save Rou.

After all, Selia-sama said that us, the healers, and our escorts, got the permission to leave the village.

Which means, even if they will kill the villagers they find, they will save Rou and I.

It's good that I was found out after I let Emilia escape.

Emilia, please don't get found by these people.

[My escort still remains inside this house! Please, save him!!]

The knights shake their heads to the right and left.

[Please, I'm begging you! Rou&h.e.l.lip; please save Rou!!]

[We cannot do that. Even if we received the order to save the healer Leone-sama and her escort, the most important thing is, Leone-sama's life. The escort is just an add on. Besides, inside this blaze of flames, no one will be able to survive it, right?]

Add on?! Rou is Rou! He's not some kind of add on!!

[That cannot be! Rou is still alive! He is waiting for me! If you don't save Rou, then I won't be coming with you!]

The knights and I exchange glares.

Time spent here is time spent wasted for me right now.

I'm begging you, please try and save Rou!!

[It cannot be helped.]

[You're going to save Rou, right! Then, this way–]

At the moment I was about to guide the knights to Rou's place, I feel an impact on the back of my head, and watch as embers fall in front of me.

During the time my consciousness is fading, my ears heard some cruel words.

[We received the order to protect your life, but we weren't told that we should keep you uninjured.]

No&h.e.l.lip; I need&h.e.l.lip; to Rou's side&h.e.l.lip;

Against my will, I lost consciousness.

Next time I woke up, the night already ended, and the village is already burned up, everything was over.

That day, I left Rou, and Rou has gone away from me.

The fire burned everything and returned everything to dust.

And thus, the small village disappeared from the world.

Even when I tried to go and search at the place I left Emilia, she was nowhere to be found.

I lost everything.

[Noooooooo--------------–!!]

What remains in my ears were the last words Rou told me.

I was taken to the feudal lord's castle and was house arrested.

What foolish people.

Obviously I always keep a knife on me to be able to protect myself.

I take out the knife from my bosom and pull off the sheath.

With this, I can go to Rou's side.

I have to protect my last promise to you, Rou.

It is said that when people die, they are taken to the realms of death governed by the G.o.ddess of the other world, and their soul will receive final judgment.

At the judgment, the souls will go to 2 separate places based on the good and evil.

The evil souls, will receive torture as punishment, and they will go to the country of the Earth, where the demons live.

The good souls will be welcomed with G.o.d's eternal blessings, and they will go to the country of the heavens, where the G.o.ds live.

I am thinking.

This world where people live in, it feels like the Earthen country in which the demons live.

That's why, I am sure Rou will go to the heavens.

It was when I took the knife to my neck&h.e.l.lip;

[Miss?! Don't be so reckless!!]

The moment the door opened, Selia-sama appeared.

[Please don't come over here, Selia-sama!!]

Even so, Selia-sama still slowly approaches me.

[Selia-sama, why didn't you tell me everything?!]

[People are weak. When people get scared, they will not hesitate to resort to anything. We are of a foolish species that cannot help but to commit acts of evil because of it. That's why, it was decided from the beginning to set that village to fire. But, if we were to tell you about that decision, you will surely resist it, Miss. That's why, I lied and told you that we were going to block it off. Even so, I was fl.u.s.tered when you said you were going to return to the village. But, I asked the Lord's knights to escort Rou and you back, Miss, and I waited in relief&h.e.l.lip;]

[What do you take human life for?!]

Her bitter feelings are shown on her face..

[This is the path that all healers must go through. Miss, I just want you to look at the reality of what being a healer is like. Miss, you don't know the sad fate of healers. That's why, I felt you should learn it for yourself. But while this may only sound like an excuse, this is not the result I expected! I did something inexcusable to Rou&h.e.l.lip;]

[A sad&h.e.l.lip; fate?]

The truth of being a healer.

A sad fate.

I have never heard of such a thing.

In the first place, the number of healers are only a few.

Selia-sama was the first fellow healer I have ever met.

[We healers are just people with a stronger wish to save others. There's nothing special about it. But people think that it's special, and they cling to it. And then, there come times when our power isn't enough, there are illnesses that we cannot cure. When it comes to that, people's att.i.tude towards us make a 180 and they blame us healers. And so, the healers start to feel disappointed by their own power's limit, and they grow to distrust people. As the cycle repeats, they feel despair towards humanity, and the heart that wished to save starts to die out, and the majority lose the power to heal altogether. Even if they still have their power, there are people who decide to isolate themselves from other people. That's why, the light known as 'healing techniques' fades without being pa.s.sed on to others.. The creatures known as humans are truly, terribly ugly beings.]

Selia-sama continues to talk without averting her eyes from mine.

I wonder if Selia-sama has repeatedly felt what I am feeling.

Her eyes, wavering from sadness, tell me that.

However, Selia-sama, now an old woman, continues to use her healing magic without having lost any of her power even now.

This person is really strong.

[That's enough! Selia-sama! I am going to protect the promise I made with Rou!!]

[Miss!!]

With all my strength, I cut myself with my knife.

Selia-sama rushes over to me and hugs my body.

[I'm so glad. That you are safe. Miss, you hold life so precious, there is no way you can cut your own life that easily. You do not allow your will to be bent over, you had a strong sense of justice, Miss. You accepted the reality without averting your eyes from it. You have graduated from being ”Miss”, Leone. Leone, you are a splendid healer.]

The thing that I cut.

It was my own hair.

On the floor, my yellow-colored hair is scattered all around.

Hair is a girl's life.

That's why, when women lose their partner, they cut their hair, and it is seen as a sacrifice that will accompany their partner.

With this, I have returned to Rou's side.

[Selia-sama, would you please cut my hair?]

I'm going to let Selia-sama cut my remaining hair.

I close my eyes as I feel the sensation of my hair being cut.

Swish, swish, as the knife cuts my hair, I feel much lighter.

It's as if I'm being separated from the world of man, and ascending to heaven.

[Leone&h.e.l.lip; it's done&h.e.l.lip;]

I slowly open my closed eyes.

But, the precious person who's always been there besides me is no longer here.

This is not the heaven where Rou is.

Hey, Rou. Please, just take me away with you.

The truth is, I want to go to Rou's side.

But, the last words that Rou said to me has completely bound me to this world of man.

[Leone&h.e.l.lip; live. Please show&h.e.l.lip; the light of hope to people. &h.e.l.lip;someday, just like&h.e.l.lip; what I declared at the hill. Leone&h.e.l.lip; is just like dandelion. Just like&h.e.l.lip; how their fluff flies&h.e.l.lip; sow the seed of hopes. For my part, too&h.e.l.lip; live. &h.e.l.lip;and, I love you.]

For leaving me behind, how unfair.

Even so, Rou is still my beloved person.

I want to return Rou's words.

But, believing that I will be able to see Rou again, I will treasure those words.

Hey, Rou. Did you know?

The meaning of the flower that Rou said I'm similar to in the language of flowers.

Sincere love, G.o.d's revelation, separation.

And then, until the day we meet again.

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