“Umm… so that happened.”
The unknown woman who defeated the knights and saved me.
She introduced herself as Lily.
We were camping in the middle of a faraway forest, having escaped from the empire’s knights.
Lily asked me why I had been captured by them.
I explained everything that had happened to her.
“So that happened… my story is sadder, right?”
Tight hug.
She wrapped her arms around me.
And I remained in her embrace.
“They were total scum. I should have just killed them all and come back.”
“No… I don’t care about that anymore.”
I slipped out of her embrace.
Then she returned to her spot.
After all, there’s no meaning in living anymore.
There’s nothing to do alive, and no one knows me.
Is there even a reason to be alive?
“There’s no reason to be alive, you say!”
Suddenly,
Lily jumped up in surprise.
“You’re so young! You shouldn’t say that!”
She looked like my mother scolding me when I did something wrong.
“How many people have never even gotten a chance to live?”
She came closer, knelt down, and met my eyes.
“This time, I’ll tell you my story. What happened to me.”
*
The empire’s sacrifice… like, seriously?
I had been surviving on purpose as part of a god… only for that god to die and yet I still haven’t been freed and was sent to another world?
“Well, it looks different from the empire that hurt you.”
Wait, even worse… being sacrificed at a young age… eaten?
“That’s… even more painful than what I went through.”
“That’s why I said I need to live. I wanted to live, but I died.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it like that…”
Lily, gazing at me, chuckled softly.
“I know that’s not what you meant. You suffered through such painful experiences at a young age. I understand why you’d think that way.”
She wrapped her arms around me again.
“I’ll be your mother.”
“…What?”
“So let’s live. I have a purpose to live for.”
“Purpose?”
“Yeah. To go back to my original world… and meet my friend. The problem is, the divine power in me is running out…”
“Divine?”
“Ah, think of divine power as the power of a god.”
“You said you were part of a god… does that mean you’re a god?”
With overwhelming strength, she took down all those knights in an instant.
Is Lily a god?
“Ahaha. To put it accurately… I don’t really know either. I passed all my divine power to my friend at the last moment and then dissolved… and when I came to, I found myself in this world with some divine power left inside me.”
“So the reason you defeated the empire’s knights was…”
“Yep. It was all due to that divine power. The problem is that the divine power left in me keeps being used up and doesn’t regenerate…”
“Divine power doesn’t regenerate?”
“I’m not a god, so I’m not sure. It feels like it just keeps disappearing.”
“Then I’ll help you, Lily.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll help regenerate your divine power. And help you go back to your original world. But take me with you.”
…After my mother passed away.
I had no reason to live in this world.
But… with Lily, maybe it’d be okay to stay together.
“Deus.”
She smiled brightly at me.
“Thank you, Deus. So, shall we go together?”
Lily showed me her shining smile.
But deep down, she probably knew.
That the little bit of divine power remaining was keeping her survival, even though she was fated to dissolve.
And unless she gained new divine power… her end was near.
*
“Squeak.”
“Lily! I’ve put the water in!”
“Really? Should we go in together?”
Not long after I decided to be with Lily, we built a small hut somewhere in a mountain valley and began our research.
Lily taught me the knowledge about the magical powers she gained while she was part of a god.
I began to grow my skills using my blood as a ‘witch’ while working on our research together.
With divine power, she could literally use the powers of a god, just like when she took down the previous empire’s knights.
If she gained such power, we could make progress in our research.
But using the divine power like that would mean it couldn’t be regained.
So, we proceeded with our research relying on my strength and Lily’s knowledge, not using her divine power.
Ten years with Lily.
As promised, she treated me like a mother.
She fulfilled the role of the mother I was lacking.
I also did my best to fulfill her wishes.
But even after ten years, we couldn’t find a clue about divine power.
What this divine energy really was, or how to supplement her divine power, we couldn’t figure it out.
Consequently, our research to return her to her original world was stagnating.
As time passed, Lily gradually began to wither away.
Looking back now, it must have been because her divine power was depleting.
She was meant to dissolve originally, but for some reason, her divine power kept her existence in this world.
“Deus. Flowers have bloomed beautifully outside, should we go see them together?”
Lily, aware that her time was running short, knew she was destined to die if things continued like this.
So, it seems she wanted to spend her last moments with me.
“No. Let’s finish our research today. We’ll go later.”
“…Really?”
But I grew anxious as I watched her wither, and immersed myself in my research.
Without realizing what was really important.
Blindedly.
“Deus! Let’s go on an outing today with mom…”
“Enough! If you’re going to say that, get out! You’re distracting me from my research!”
“Sorry. Mom will just go get some food.”
I even said some hurtful things to her.
Words that would sting.
On that last day.
“I found it. The witch’s house.”
Boom!
While she had stepped out to get food for a moment, we were attacked at our base.
A huge explosion hit the hut.
Among the smoke and debris… there were the empire’s knights and the prince.
It was that prince I saw before.
Though time had passed, his face had changed a lot… but it was definitely him.
“I’ve had a hard time searching for you.”
“…What are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing? Is that something to say to His Imperial Majesty of the empire?”
Crash!
He stomped his foot hard.
A tremendous surge of magical energy emanated from him.
He had gotten stronger, just as I had.
“In the past, I was humiliated because of you and that woman. But today is different.”
Tak!
Surrounding him were six knights.
“I brought the empire’s best sword masters with me. Ah, how long I’ve waited for this day.”
Sword masters.
Powerful warriors who have mastered the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
I couldn’t handle six sword masters with just my strength.
Just my luck…
What do I do?
“Catch that woman. Don’t kill her.”
“As His Majesty commands!”
As a formation, they began attacking me.
These were indeed sword masters.
Their renowned names were not just for show; their power was incredible.
I had been accumulating magical power, but it was no match.
Once again, I was dragged before the emperor, shackled just like before.
“Ah, finally this day has come. The day I confront the woman who brought me shame!”
The crazed emperor looked down at me.
“How much I suffered being pushed out of the succession due to you and that woman while I pathetically lost! I nearly didn’t become emperor!”
Flame!
A black flame flowed down the emperor’s arms.
It gave off an incredibly ominous feeling… a dark flame for sure.
“If it weren’t for this power, it would have been impossible. So. Where is that other woman?”
Is he looking for Lily?
“Where did she go?!”
“Ha. Just kill me already.”
“Oh, you dare to speak to me like that?”
Crunch!
“Ahhh!”
He stomped hard on my foot.
“How dare you speak to the emperor like that!”
Just as he was about to crush my foot with force…
-Stop.
Lily appeared.
…wrapped in divine power.
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