The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

I was able to save Mr. Karon safely, and after healing Leona's and Aruk's injuries, I returned to the castle in Mialak to rest.

I should have immediately reported to the throne where Master Norn was ...... but when she learned that Mialark had been saved by saving Mr. Karon, she fell asleep with a big smile on her face. I heard.

Master Norn had been working tirelessly to keep the wards in place, and knowing that, we decided to wait for her to wake up.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist the intense sleepiness when I felt relieved. ......"

"We got some rest, and we don't mind at all.

Two days later, when we heard the news that Master Norn had awakened, we were summoned to the underground where the Fountain of Kureha was located, where Master Falga was.

Waiting for us at the fountain were Master Norn and Falga. They were Mr. Norn and Ms. Falga.

Thanks to your help, Mialak was saved. And you even saved Kalon's life, which was not supposed to be saved, and for that I can only say thank you.

"I thank you, too. Without you, we would not have been able to stop Kalon.

"Yeah, uh, ......, I'm so glad no one was killed!"

I reply shyly to Norn and Falga's words.

Looking back, I think we did something quite reckless this time.

Mr. Karon in his disintegrated state definitely had the power to kill me. Before that, without the help of Leona, Aruk, Amako, and Nair, I would not be here now.

I was able to pull off a paper-thin ending ...... that I could never have done on my own.

"Speaking of which, are the people from Mearaq going to be able to come back here?"

Yes. Yes. Yesterday the people of the castle sent word to their neighbors who are taking care of the people. They should be back here in two weeks.

"So you can go home. ......Good. ......"

After all, it must be hard not being able to go home for almost a month.

Norn-sama smiled at me with relief and took a piece of paper out of his pocket and showed it to me.

It was a letter that I had given to her when we visited Mearaq.

"At first I withheld my answer to the letter, but I have no doubt that you have done so much for this country. I, Norn Erad Mialak, as queen, will accept the letter."

"Um, ...... are you sure you're okay?"

I was more confused than pleased when Master Norn said that.

I was glad that he accepted the letter, but I wondered if I could easily accept the letter under the current circumstances in Mearaq.

Perhaps sensing my doubts, Falga, who is standing by Norn's side, slowly opens his mouth.

The Demon King is a powerful being. We must unite against him. Now that the crisis in Mialak is over, there is no reason to refuse the letter.

Does Lady Farga think that we should accept the contents of the letter because she knows the Demon King who fought against the previous heroes?

I wonder how strong a being the Demon King is. ......

It is certain that he was at least as strong as the previous generation of heroes, who were at least as strong as the previous generation of heroes who were at least as strong as the previous generation of heroes.

"You don't need to worry. The ice around the city is melting now that Kalon's power has been suppressed. It will take some time, but Mearaq will be able to return to its former vigorous state.

"If that's the case, you can visit ......."

As if to compose myself, I looked up and bowed to Norn and Falga, thanking them for accepting my letter.

This was the third time after Lukvis and Samaritan, but I still felt embarrassed.

Behind me, Nair said, "Wow, it doesn't suit you," but I'll hold it in for now and get back at her later.

"That's all I have to say about the letter, Usato, but I have something to tell you.

What is it?

The armaments of your friends, the two heroes.

"......!"

I saw Inukami-senpai and Kazuki in my memory, is it about the two armors that Master Farga makes?

"As soon as Mialark is restored, we will produce the weapons, but I thought I should tell you that unlike your baskets, they will be made from scratch, so it will take quite a while to make them."

"I understand. Please do not be too reckless, Mr. Farga.

The armor that Master Farga creates is a product of his power.

In other words, each time he creates a weapon, it is a burden on his body, so he should not be too hard on himself.

Perhaps sensing Norn's anxious look, Falga's mouth quirks into a smile.

"Don't worry. You will not die just because your strength is reduced. I will be here forever. And I told you.　I'll watch over you too. At least, I won't die until I see what happens to you."

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

What do I do, does it mean that Mr. Farga is paying attention to my every move?　Or is he watching what I do from now on?

I'm afraid of both.

"Usato, you are paid a lot of attention by unusual people, aren't you?

"I'm not normal myself, but..."

"You're not normal either, are you, little fox?"

A fight is about to break out behind me, but I can't help but be reminded of what Nair said.

I'm even beginning to think that most of the people I've met so far are somehow out of the ordinary.

There are also a lot of people with common sense, like Kazuki and Aruk-san, ......?

"Are you guys leaving here today?"

"Yes. I've received a reply to my letter and I'm well rested, so as soon as I've packed my bags, I'll be on my way to my next destination.

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

A disappointed Norn.

Even though Mr. Karon's outburst has stopped and peace has returned to Mearrauk, not everything is back to normal. We must rebuild the interior of the city, which has fallen into disrepair due to the loss of people.

We will only be a nuisance if we stay too long.

Our next stop is the land of the beastmen, right?

Yes.

I nodded to Mr. Farga's words.

The final goal of our journey, and the reason why Amako asked for my help---the land of the beastmen.

"You should be careful. Something strange is about to happen in that place.

"Strange, sir?"

I don't know what the beasts are doing. But I can tell you one thing, many of them still hate us. I'm sure you will be fine, but we must be careful.

Strange, huh?

Does it have something to do with the mysterious behavior of the beasts mentioned by Mr. Norn?

I hope it's not a bad thing,......, but we'll have to go there first.

If we're going to help Amako's mother, it's a given that we're going to the beastmen's country.

I'll keep that in mind.

"Mm."

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

"Usato. The end of your journey around the continent is near, but your adventure in this world is not over yet. In the process, you will be troubled and suffer, but I am confident that your heart will not be broken, as you have never given up and tried to save Kalon until the end."

Our journey ends when we reach the land of the beastmen.

After completing our mission of handing over the letter and saving Amaco's mother, we must return to the Kingdom of Lingle.

Not caring that I was a bit preoccupied, Falga-sama continued to speak.

"Once there was a man who suffered between hope and despair."

...... I think I have a vague idea of who the man is that Falga is talking about.

A hero who defeated the Demon King and a man who was betrayed by others.

I listen to his words silently.

"The man who continued to be betrayed by others, who continued to fight even though his heart was nearly broken, had come to hope not for the present, but for the future."

"You mean that even if the present sucks, the future will be different ......?　That's too vague. ......

"The man's situation was so bad that he knew it was right."

...... Yes, of course.

The curse that was consuming the royalty in Samaria was the souls of those whom the heroes had once saved in the battle against the evil dragon.

The people he saved were killed because of him.

That alone should have been tragic enough, but considering the circumstances surrounding the previous heroes, it is not surprising that something even worse happened.

"In his despair, the man put his hope in the future. But for him, that hope was--"

Then, as if to pause for a moment, Mr. Farga closes his eyes sadly.

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

"Usato, I want you to believe in people until the end. No matter how angry you may be, no matter how disappointed you may be, never let yourself fall into hatred and darkness."

"...... Yes."

I can't even imagine now what it's like to hate, but I'll keep Master Farga's words firmly in my mind.

Satisfied with my answer, Farga let out a sigh as if releasing the tension and shifted her gaze from me to Norn.

"Yes. I have nothing to say. Norn."

"Yes. Well, since you are leaving here today, I will at least give you something to help you on your journey."

"Oh, thank you."

Food and water are essential for traveling.

I hear it's a bit far to the land of the beastmen, so let's take what we can get.

"And I will arrange a ship for you to return to the Lingle Kingdom. The ice will have melted by the time you get here, and we can take the boat down the river and bring you closer to the Lingle Kingdom.

So the way back will be easier than the way there?　That would be nice, but first we have to get to the beastmen's country.

It has been a really long week.

But what I have realized here has not been in vain. I learned my own way of fighting, the cage that Mr. Farga made for me, and I learned how to strengthen the lineage of healing magic.

And Leona was able to follow her own path of heroism.

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

When I tilted my head and wondered why I had not seen her today, Norn-sama answered my question.

"I asked Leona to see you all off before you leave here.

"Is that so?"

You're going to see me off.

Good. We won't have to say goodbye without seeing each other at the end.

I wanted to thank her again for reminding me that I had forgotten something important as a person who helps people.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to do so, and after saying goodbye to Norn and Falga, I returned to the ground to prepare for my journey.

I was so relieved to have the opportunity to say goodbye to Master Norn and Master Farga.

After getting ready to leave for the land of the beastmen, we woke up Bulrin who was coasting in the stables by the castle, said goodbye to the maid who had taken care of us until today, and departed from the castle.

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

As soon as I went out to the place where I could see the gate, I noticed two figures at the inner door of the gate.

I thought Leona was the only one who came to see me off, but I wondered if there was another person there.

As I approached, I could clearly see Leona's figure and another person.

"......A"

Next to Ms. Leona was a man supporting himself with a cane.

The man looked familiar. Or rather, it was not only familiar, but it was Mr. Karon, the man with whom I had just had a mortal encounter the other day.

"Oh!　You're here!"

Mr. Karon, a man who had cut his long hair short, turned to us and waved his hand in our direction.

Leona saw him, pressed her forehead against his and sighed.

"Kalon, don't push yourself too hard. You just woke up today."

"I'm fine. I know."

Mr. Karon, who replied to Leona in such a way, was a person with a fresh atmosphere unlike when he was out of control.

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

"As you probably already know, I am Kalon. I used to be a knight of Mearaq. I am very sorry for what happened. And thank you, I would have destroyed my home with my own hands if it weren't for you."

"Uh, uh, ......, uh, are you all right?"

Mr. Karon bows his head deeply to me and I get flustered, so I quickly ask him if there is anything wrong with his body.

After all, I am not used to being thanked face to face.

"Thanks to your healing magic, I haven't been injured at all. I didn't expect to be beaten up while being healed by your healing magic. Ha-ha-ha."

"Did you have a memory of the fight?"

I ask him if he has any memory of the fight, upset that Mr. Karon remembers hitting him in the process of rescuing him.

He nodded to my question.

"Yes, I had a memory, though it was a very short one. I remember the damage you did to the people of Mearaq, the fight with Leona ......, and the way you tried to save me at the cost of your own life."

"......I was just being reckless. Leona and my friends have saved my life many times, and I couldn't have saved you alone.

"It's great to have friends who are willing to help you even when you're reckless."

What a pleasant personality!

I can see why Leona is an ideal knight.

Now that I know his personality, I ask him a question that has been on my mind.

"What are you going to do now, Mr. Karon?"

"Well, ...... first of all, I have to atone for my sins. I myself am the one who put Mearaq in danger, even if it was because of the dragon power that lies dormant inside me that went out of control. I will be punished accordingly after Mialak is restored."

It would be nice if the crisis in Mearaq was over, but Mr. Karon cannot be blamed for his outburst.

As a matter of fact, I'm sure Master Norn and Master Farga will make things easier for him because of the reason. .......

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

"What? Why?"

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

As I tilt my head, Mr. Karon shows me the staff in his hand.

"I can't knead magic anymore. Maybe that's why I can't walk properly without it. Well, it's not so hard to live a normal life, but my body has become too fragile to fight as a knight."

"...... I wonder if you mean that the temporary and forced awakening has put a tremendous strain on Kalon's body......?　It has even reached a stage where even Usato's lineage enhancement cannot heal it. ......"

I fall silent as Nea murmurs behind me.

If I had helped him earlier, this might not have happened. It may be arrogant of me, but that's what I think.

"It's not your fault. It was always a crazy idea for a man to turn into a dragon. I lost my power of magic after that change, that's all. ...... And besides, even without me you have someone to rely on. Like the serious lady knight next to me.

"Don't call me funny names."

Leona glared at Mr. Karon with a jealous look.

He turned his gaze away from her and put his hand on my shoulder.

"So, there is no need for you to worry. What you did was not wrong."

"...... yes."

"Okay!　That's it from me!　Leona. You had something you wanted to say to them too, didn't you?

"I was the one who was supposed to see them off in the first place. ......"

Leona took her hand off my shoulder and looked at Mr. Karon, who stepped back, as if she was disgusted with him, and stepped forward to replace him.

"......"

"......"

"......"

"...... uh."

Why are you silent ......?

The first time I saw him, he was looking straight at me, but his gaze gradually shifted downward.

"Leona-san?"

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

"Oh, come on, Leona. That's not true."

"Shut up, Kalon!

Leona yells at Mr. Karon, her face reddening.

I laugh at her and try to talk to her to relieve the tension.

"Your spear! It suits you very well.

"What?　Is that so?"

"Yes. Yes, it's very cool.

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

It is so much cooler than my too-simple baskets.

......If my armor were a spear instead of a basket hand,...... no, it would be better not to imagine it.

I can only imagine me wielding it with force.

"Or is it cool ......?"

"Was it wrong to be cool to women ......?"

"No!　I'm glad to hear that, but there's a little complication: ......

"Complicated ......?"

Should I have just said "beautiful" or "straight to the point"?　But it was so uncharacteristic of me to use such a harsh line that I would later writhe in shame.

Leona clears her throat.

Her voice trembled a little, but she opened her mouth.

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

Leona nodded her head and looked around at each of us.

"......I was lost when I first met you guys. A person like me was not fit to be a hero. But as a hero I must protect Mearaq. No matter where I went, it was a dead end. ...... It was in this situation that I met you."

"Me?"

"It was shocking. The way you fight, the strength of your heart. And the way he can communicate with beasts and demons. ......

"Can I honestly call you a freak?

"Hey, there are some things you can say and some things you can't. Okay?"

Nair nodded her head, holding her forehead as she smiled at me.

When I take my eyes off her, she says, "Hey, does it look like we're having a heart-to-heart?　Right? she pleaded to Leona with teary eyes, but Leona only smiled wryly.

"Seeing you like that, I had a selfish thought and tried to take measures without taking care of myself. I cannot let you die in the battle against Kalon. I did not want Norn, Falga, or the rest of the people in the castle to get hurt, so I decided to ...... give my life to defeat Kalon."

As Leona said these words, Kalon, who was standing behind her, put on a sorrowful expression and put strength into his hand holding his staff.

"I was ready to die and you were the one who stopped me. You are not alone, you need someone to help you. I didn't realize how simple it was, but now I do. Usato, you taught me to depend on you. If you can't do it alone, you can count on someone next to you. If someone is suffering, reach out to them. I am standing here today because of your words and your actions."

"Well..."

"No, I don't think so. I think you'd be modest about it."

Leona nailed me before I could say, "No, it's not true.

I wonder how she understood my words. ...... Are you that easy to understand?

Leona smiled at my silence.

"You are easy to understand, aren't you?

"Oh, easy to understand?　Amako, am I that obvious?"

"Yes. I can turn into an ogre or a person.

I think that's a mistake. It's not that he's prone to show his face, it's that he's changed.

I mean, is my face a mask or something?

Amako continues to speak to me as I am in a state of shock.

"Nah, I'm kidding. But Usato is easy to understand what you are thinking.

"That's how I see it from Amaco's point of view. ......"

"Ha-ha-ha, Mister Usato is very expressive."

A, even Mr. Aruk: .......

I thought I was good at making facial expressions, but I guess I'm not so good at it under normal circumstances.

"Well, I'm going to miss your interactions, ...... but it's time for me to say goodbye."

"Yes, I guess so."

I nodded to Leona's words.

We can't stay here talking forever.

Besides, we will be here again when we return to the Kingdom of Lingle, so it won't be a very long goodbye.

"I know you guys have a rough road ahead of you ......, but I still wish you all the best on your journey."

"Good luck to you too, Leona. Take care, Mr. Caron.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to the next time I see you."

After exchanging parting words with Leona and Karon, we leave them and walk out of Mearaq.

"Oh, yeah."

"?　What's wrong, Usato?"

"There was still something I forgot to tell Leona."

I stop, turn around, and look at Leona who is seeing me off.

Leona looked puzzled when I suddenly turned around, and I said to her the words I had been planning to say to her.

"Leona, you are a hero to me, too!

"......?

"Well then!"

Yesterday, I thought about what Leona had said.

But the answer came to me immediately. My dear friend ......, that's what she meant.

Leona looked surprised at my words and then turned her head down to hide her face with her bangs. I wanted to say this one last thing to her, so I turned around and walked away without waiting for her answer.

"I knew it, Usato is unaware."

"As much as it pains me, I agree. It's a kind of charade, isn't it?

"What did you just see that made you so sure?

Amako and Nair get along with each other only in such a situation, and I feel unreasonable.

The incarnation of the dragon that had been rampaging in Mearaq had been subdued, and peace had returned.

All that remains now is to wait for the people of Mearaq to return and rebuild.

But our journey is not over yet. Having completed our mission in Lukvis, Samariar, and Mialark, we are now headed for a place that is difficult for humans to enter---the land of the beastmen.

In order to deliver the letter and save Amako's mother, we are now on our way to our final destination.