Chapter 153 – Shadow of Peace (1)
13th of Month of Hatsuhi, it has been a week since the encounter with those annoying apostles.
We were given entry to inside Spada, right now we are spending our peaceful holidays within an inn for adventurers.
It took 3 days to cross Galahad Mountain Range to reach Spada, after arriving it took many days to give the information about the Daedalus and Alsace defensive battle, it is only from today that we can relax without doing anything.
The report went through the guild, without any problems it was completed.
I had thought of things like torture interrogation, but it ended up as needles anxiety. I also want to refrain myself from using my divine protection with full power within Spada.
When saying the guild, our fight was performed in the form of an emergency quest.
The adventurer survivors are only 4, the refugees needed to be protected are almost near extinct with the dreadful death rate, the quest ended up as a failure, big failure.
But, maybe because they took the circumstances into consideration, we were paid a little reward money.
It’s not like we fought for money, but thinking about Kurono’s hardships, upon getting the really low reward money, I was about to get help from the fairy Queen.
Anyhow, like this the aftermath of battle got over.
We didn’t get anything, but I got to Spada with Kurono like I had thought, it is good.
However, it was outside my expectations that, that shrewd alchemist survived.
It would have been better if he died, but got saved……really, the passion of woman is a terrifying thing, because though being a person with rank 4 abilities, she was able to save him through the attack of an Apostle.
I am the person who knows the best of her, Susu’s feelings, so I don’t have any intention to complain her for doing useless things, I just can’t say anything.
I am half fairy, and I pay respect and admire a lovestruck maiden with pure heart, it really is nice.
However, it is another story if Simon gets saved and I need to feel unpleasant feelings.
That weak stick like man, was the one who made me feel jealousy, though I can ignore the bad feelings, but I can’t see him as a nice person.
No, I’ll put aside my complaints for now, that isn’t the problem that is worrying me now.
The most important pending issue is, the feelings of Kurono.
No matter of how many of refugees are sacrificed, I don’t give a shit, looking at the scores of other’s playing board game is more interesting than their dying numbers.
As for adventurers who fought with us, I will give them good evaluation, and I thought some were nice, but upon their death it’s not to the extent I would cry and be depressed, at most I only regret at the loss of excellent pawns.
But, it won’t go that way for kind-hearted Kurono, he can’t find a practical answer like the loss of pawns.
I know it from the time at Village of Irz, Kurono laments, mourns for, and worries about the loss of any person, even if it wasn’t because of him.
The second defeat, the fight this time, has given the damage which cannot be compared to the one of Village of Irz, Kurono has taken a severe shock due to it.
At this rate it will be bad, this time Kurono’s heart is near destruction, I have to somehow cheer him up.
Fortunately, there is time.
It’s good to comfort and heal Kurono’s injured heart, slowly, not anyone else, but me.
“……Fufufu”
“Oh, Lily-san, are you making an evil plot?”
Hearing the voice of Fiona, sitting on a seat around the circular table, I am brought back to reality from the ocean of thoughts.
“Don’t speak disgraceful things”
“I’m sorry, no matter how I looked, it was an evil smile, so unintentionally.”
I completely think that this woman doesn’t know to coat the words coming out of mouth.
But, if I get irritated at everything then I can’t accompany this airheaded witch, the idiotic rude remarks, I have already gotten used to them.
“Kurono-san is still not coming”
It would be better to say that you can’t wait anymore, she shows integrity at strange time.
To wait in front of a table with breakfast prepared, is like a torture to this glutton witch.
But even so she is bearing without complaining, maybe she is putting effort though being clumsy.
“Kurono is tired, wait quietly. Compared to Kurono you have quite a calm and composed face, I thought a normal human would be somewhat depressed.”
A little nasty question.
Fiona hasn’t taken any type of shock from this massive sacrifice just like me.
I’m curious about that thing a little.
Just what is this woman hiding inside her heart?
“Won’t Lily-san understand my heart with your telepathy.”
“You’ve got quite a nerve to say something like that after casting ‘protect’ on it”
Fiona’s true feelings, the innermost parts of her heart are being protected by a strong mind protect that my telepathy cannot break through.
I can only read her true feelings that she doesn’t want to hide, the outer surface only. I cannot reach to the feelings she wants keep as secret.
“It’s only natural for creating a wall around heart. for a witch”
“That’s why I’m asking like this, so, what is it?”
“Even if you ask what is it……”
At first she looks constantly expressionless, but I felt hesitation rising up on the surface of her heart.
“……I too have taken a shock, but, having a person who has taken even greater shock in front of me, it helps me to calm down.”
“I see, that might be right”
For a normal person, it is answer to consent on.
It is just like the situation when someone is about to get angry, but seeing his/her friend get angry, the anger subsides.
But, if it really was that reason,
“That’s why, I’m worried about Kurono-san‘
Then you won’t have that expressionless face, Fiona?
“That’s right, I too am worried, I need to cheer him up”
Now that I can’t read her true feelings, this is nothing more than a guess, but Fiona didn’t get any shock from the current situation at all.
If you say it’s like mine, then no it’s not, She has taken shock to the fact that ‘She didn’t get any shock’.
For a normal and decent person, it’s natural to grieve and moan like Kurono, but it didn’t go like that for her herself, even if the refugees died, the comrades who fought with us died, her heart didn’t waver.
Geez, having an half-assed moral is really a trouble, just why do people hesitate to sacrifice others for protecting your important person or thing.
Their feelings, are only natural that I can understand, but I won’t ever agree to them for eternity.
“Ah, Kurono-san came”
Fiona speaks in a somewhat happy voice, is she that happy to be able to eat food, no, why wouldn’t be this glutton happy to be able to eat good.
“Good Morning Kurono-san”
“Yeah, Good Morning, Sorry, for making you wait——”
Kurono came after exchanging salutations with Fiona, he doesn’t look any different from always.
But, the things he had lost in the fight have greatly changed the outward appearance of his.
He has lost his trademark as a black magician『Baphomet’s Embrace』, and now is only wearing a clean shirt and worn-out black-dyed leather pants, it’s a casual attire for a normal person.
If Kurono’s body was not filled with toned muscles and not having a iron plate card hanging from his neck, one wouldn’t know he is a adventurer.
But, the thing that firstly attracts attention is the eyepatch covering his left eye.
Due to the last attack of 8th Apostle Ai, Kurono lost his left eye, right now the thing inside his eye socket is the hardened black magic『Body Supplementation』as a substitute. A temporary fake eye, of course there is no eyesight in that.
Though there is high-grade healing magic to restore something that is lost, but Kurono didn’t seem like he cared much about it, and didn’t even ask for it.
Though the bandage which was painful to look at has been removed, but looking at Kurono wearing the white eyepatch for medical use, it looks like he is hurt and in pain, and my heart feels like it is about to break.
I’m sorry, I cannot heal it, the fairy drug cannot restore the eyeball……I’m regretting at my inadequacy.
“What happened Lily, are you sick?”
“No, not at all, I’m completely fine”
To Kurono’s worrying kind words, I reply with a cute smile.
Yeah, I’m fine, the one who is not fine, is Kurono.
How can you keep that calm face? I know Kurono’s deep anguish.
But still, during these normal days, you worry about me, smile, and be kind.
You don’t have to do that much, It’s alright, to be cooped up in the room, and cried the whole day, you can even rely on me too.
I will take care of you, I will keep on taking care of you.
That’s why stop pretending to be fine for not making me worried about you——but, you trying so hard for me, those feelings are unbearably pleasant, I can’t go against the pleasure of them tormenting my heart splendidly. [ET: S&M in one.?]
It’s bad, the person who needs to cheer up, is you and it’s my responsibility, but if you keep on doing that I will only be pampered.
I can’t be drowned in Kurono’s kindness, I have to be helpful to him, after all I’m his fellow partner, for now only.