Inside the temple surrounded by splendid stained glass.
An old man in a priestly robe and a woman with a hooded robe are engaged in conversation.
“Here’s the report. ‘Alstein’.”
“Hmm… Is that so? It’s good that you made the follower use the ‘Raging Horn’, but there’s a lot to regret. Which sister went to investigate?”
“Regret my ass. I went myself. What? Is that a problem?”
The hooded woman grabbed the old man’s collar.
“Haha. No, not at all. I just hoped you would find out the beast’s weakness. It’s a pity you didn’t.”
“I’m telling you, that bitch noticed me, and I couldn’t do anything about it. By the way… are you insane? I was at least 300m away, how did she notice?”
The woman let go of his collar and clicked her tongue.
“Anyway, she’s extraordinary. You said she’s not in the prophecy, right? Plus, she’s holding hands with your precious shaman so the curse magic doesn’t work. Those two have no intention of letting go of each other. Damn it.”
“Well, it is what it is. We’ll have no choice but to send Sister Sharan for the rest.”
“Sharan? What can that loser wind mage do? Even if the beast is on the verge of dying after smashing countless monsters, Sharan will easily get killed!”
The old man chuckled softly.
“Even Sister Sharan’s weak wind is enough to catch the beast.”
“Fine, you do what you want. I’m leaving. Just thinking about what I have to do because of you… sigh… what kind of nonsense the elders will be getting into again…”
“Hahaha. I have no control over the mage tower situation. Good luck. ‘Firma’.”
“Sister my ass. Damn you.”
The woman, raising her middle finger, left the place with a torrent of curses.
Leaving behind only a faint trace of magical power.
“Still, it’s a relief we realized the beast’s existence early on.”
And the man left alone inside the temple.
With a grin that seemed ready to split his face, he prayed to the sky.
“Everything for Erdain.”
*
Confused Loholan was calmed by a single girl asleep in my arms.
Even though my body was a mess.
Even though my equipment was a wreck.
I dove into a sea of monsters.
Even if my arm twisted.
Even if my leg broke, and blood poured from my whole body.
I didn’t care and kept killing the monsters.
We too, to save Noah stuck among the monsters, kept slaying the endlessly pouring monsters.
But we couldn’t reach him.
No matter how many we killed.
New monsters kept blocking our path.
As Noah’s breath began to fade.
When there were no standing monsters left.
Only after the sun had risen.
Noah appeared.
Standing, bleeding profusely, and stumbling.
Swinging a sword with no shape left.
Tears streamed down my face.
I wanted to rush to Noah and embrace him.
But Noah still.
Waved his arms.
Unaware I approached.
Unaware that all the monsters lay dead.
Kept swinging, swinging, swinging.
Persistently swinging his arms…
I carefully dodged his swings and wrapped my arms around Noah.
Only then did he seem relieved.
Letting his strength fade away, he gently smiled.
And wiped my tears.
Not the distorted expression filled with fear he had shown before the fight.
But with a trustworthy smile, telling me not to feel guilty.
And then.
With that confident voice that promised to protect me for life and not to break.
He said let’s… let’s eat.
Reminded me of what he said before heading south.
Even in this messed-up state.
He spoke to reassure me…
That look was not one of fear.
Not one of distortion.
And thus.
My heart felt like it was being torn apart even more.
I sent divine power to Noah as if I were going crazy.
Knowing nothing would change.
Knowing he wouldn’t get better quickly.
Hoping he could sleep a little more comfortably.
Hoping he would suffer a little less.
“The condition is… critical.”
Heinzel approached me, his usual cheerful voice replaced by a deeply subdued tone.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Luchi, looking oddly angry, stepped forward.
I could hear the commotion among the villagers.
Still.
Still ungrateful voices were ringing.
As if saying how nice it would have been if they had done it right from the start.
Voices claiming we suffered because of those adventurers.
My teeth were grinding.
My hands were shaking.
I wanted to twist their necks right away.
But… these are the people Noah protected at this cost.
It shouldn’t have been like this.
“I… I admit I’ve made mistakes but… this treatment is a bit… unfair.”
“If you cause trouble here… not just the kiddo, we’ll have a lot of headaches with all the other things.”
“Stop talking nonsense, Heinzel.”
Luchi and Heinzel seemed to share the same feelings.
Gnashing their teeth while glaring around.
“Sigh… Miss Shaman. Take this.”
Suddenly, Luchi pulled out a glass vial filled with a purple liquid from his pocket.
“It’s an elixir.”
Hearing what was inside, I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.
“Y-You…?”
An elixir.
A peculiar liquid that only a single alchemist in the world could create, able to revive even the deceased.
A divine item that promotes the healing of all wounds and growth.
I had never seen an actual elixir ever since I became a shaman, only hearing of it through rumors.
Yet here it was, the elixir I thought existed only in legend, held in Luchi’s hand.
But…
“No, no… Noah’s condition is… serious, but with my divine power, I can somehow—”
“No. External wounds aside, the internal damage will be hard to recover.”
Luchi interrupted me as he knelt down.
“It’s similar to last time, but… looks like I’ll have to explain again. This boy overexerted his divine power. Did you see him swinging that great sword?”
“I-I saw…”
“Quite light movements, right? The great sword didn’t stop for that long time, nor did it snag on any monster bones or muscles. Do you know what that means?”
I shook my head.
“He only sliced the monsters’ weaknesses, the easiest places to kill. Using his divine power to pinpoint them, while it’s similar to last time, he pushed his limits this time.”
“Then… the aftereffects…”
“His brain was almost fried, likely to explode, or he’d fall into a state of coma… but instead, his organs melted. He lost an excessive amount of blood, and his brain probably melted a bit as well. Can this degree of injury be healed?”
Luchi handed me the elixir in his hand.
I could only nod silently and receive the elixir.
“Thank you… I’ll make sure to repay this somehow… in the name of the shaman… no, in the name of Rubia.”
“It’s nothing. I’m not giving it to you to receive anything back. It’s useless to me, so I’m giving it away.”
With that said, Luchi stood up and began checking his equipment.
I opened the lid carefully and slowly poured it into Noah’s mouth.
Noah’s body wrapped in warmth almost immediately, and color began returning to his face.
“The effect is… astonishing.”
His pulse returned to normal, and the wounds on his body started to gradually disappear.
The pace was much faster than my healing.
“If I hadn’t been able to get it from that old man, it would have been a disaster. Cough, cough… Let’s go inside and rest. I don’t know if there’s a place for that, though.”
“Even if it’s not us, we need to put the kiddo in a comfortable place. Hmm… Maybe… this is the best option.”
Heinzel, scratching his head, raised his fist.
“Oh, no. I’ll find the lodging. After all… I am a shaman. I should be able to manage somehow.”
I carefully stood up, cradling Noah in my arms.
“What the… Tch. No chance for food now. By the way, did you put up that barrier that blocks the wind?”
Muttering about needing to go to the blacksmith because my equipment was a mess, Luchi glanced around, speaking to me.
“Oh, yes. Just in case that the monsters come close and the villagers die… I created the barrier to block out the stench of blood, fearing it might awaken Carpen. It was what Noah told me, though.”
“This kiddo thought ahead? Not ordinary at all.”
“Indeed… was it that he couldn’t trust the adventurers? Or also… that he couldn’t trust us? Either way… I’m glad.”
Heinzel and Luchi looked at Noah, their expressions filled with pity as they clicked their tongues.
I could only hold Noah tighter and do nothing else.
Memories of my glare at the fleeing adventurers came to mind.
While also thinking about Noah saving those very adventurers.
Claiming that was his reason for existence, that he couldn’t live without doing this.
The distorted face appeared in my mind.
What kind of past does he hold?
The more I learned about Noah’s hidden side, the heavier my heart felt.
“Let’s go for now… if we head to the blacksmith, it should be the place Noah went before. I think they’ll welcome us warmly… hopefully.”
“Is there a decent blacksmith?”
“Yes, he’s someone blessed with a divine protector. Though, he focuses more on speed.”
Continuing the explanation, I pictured Hephaestus.
“He talks a lot, but he seems clear-headed and shouldn’t avoid us.”
“Well then, let’s head there. How far is it?”
“I’ll guide you. I think it’s better to leave Noah’s equipment there as well. The great sword… that won’t do either. I’ll need to order a new great sword.”
As I carried Noah, Luchi picked up all of Noah’s equipment instead of my missing arm.
While walking toward the blacksmith, Luchi suddenly wore a strange expression.
“Miss Shaman. Is the barrier really properly set up?”
“Yes. Once I set it up, it’ll remain until I remove it. Why do you ask?”
“I felt an odd flow of wind, so I asked. If it’s fine, then it’s fine. Let’s hurry; I’m getting hungry.”
“Hmm, is that so? I’ve got no hair at all so… I can’t feel a thing.”
“Heh-heh—Oh, ahem. My bad.”
I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Heinzel’s nonsense.
Until now, I thought of Heinzel as a slightly weird person.
But after seeing him in action, I realized…
He’s just someone trying to lighten the mood with jokes.
Both Luchi and Heinzel.
They are definitely good people.
Just like Noah, cradled in my arms.
It’s best I express my gratitude properly.
Even if not to Cartia, I promised to protect them until we cross the Karahan Mountain Range.
Just as I was about to smile and express my gratitude.
“Miss Shaman! Unleash your divine power!”
Luchi’s shout echoed out.
“Protect the kiddo first!”
Heinzel’s roar followed.
Right after that.
A strange wind began to sweep through Loholan.
The horrific howling of a beast echoed.
An intense killing intent wrapped around our bodies.
“What the hell…”
And then, from Luchi’s mouth.
Words that should not have come out.
A voice filled with an endless grudge.
A voice soaked in unrelenting fear.
Came flowing out.
“Carpen has awakened.”
