The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Hinomoto, the land of the beastmen.

We were welcomed by Hayate, the assistant to the chief, and we were walking up a dimly lit hill, under the watchful eyes of the beastmen.

The path passed between houses, and it was a gradual ascent.

It sounds good to avoid being seen, but from a different perspective, it seems as if we are being taken somewhere. Hayate, who is leading the way, doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would think of trapping us, but having been deceived by Fegnis in Samaritan, it's dangerous to trust someone you've only met for a short time.

To be honest, it is quite painful to be deceived by someone you trusted.

Perhaps he could see my expression stiffen, but before I knew it, Bulrin, who was standing next to me, looked up at me.

"Guffaw!"

"...... are you worried about me?"

He pats her on the head.

This is no time to be regretting ...... our previous mistake.

I turn around and see a bright open space at the end of the dark road. It seems that this back road ends there.

Fearing what I might find at the end of the road, I headed for the lighted area and found myself in a wide open space, different from the road I had just taken. Moreover, in front of us was a building so large that we could look up at it.

Hayate-san, who had been guiding us, looked back at us.

This is the most important building for us beastmen. For you, it would be easier to describe it as a castle, wouldn't it?

The building is clearly different from the other houses, carefully constructed.

The white exterior and angular shape of the building gave it a different intensity from that of a castle.

While we were gawking at the white building, Hayate-san, with a proud smile on her face, continued to speak.

Please take a look at the back.

"Behind?"

When I looked back, I saw a view of Hinomoto from above.

Below me were many buildings and dotted with people.

The view from the castle in the Lingle Kingdom was Western-style, but the view from here was like stepping back in time to old Japan.

I've heard that the beastmen have developed a different culture from humans, and it's no wonder when I look at the whole country like this.

When I think that all the people I can see now are beastmen, I realize that I have finally arrived here.

"I miss ......."

"Have you been here before, Amaco?"

"Yes, my mother and I have been here ...... many times."

Amako's expression is somewhat uneasy as she speaks in a small mumble.

I casually glance sideways at Hayate, who awkwardly puts his hand on his neck.

Is there something he wants to do to ...... make you feel guilty?　Or is he simply feeling sorry for her? .......

"Okay, I'll take you on. Let's start with the horse and the blue grizzly. The owl on his shoulder is ......"

"Oh, he's my messenger. ...... is it okay if I let him in?"

"Hoo!"

Hayate-san looks a little worried, but soon turns his head toward us.

"...... is fine. But please don't leave your side.

"Don't worry about that. He's a quiet guy."

Neah nodded her head in agreement.

In truth, she's a far cry from quiet. In fact, I'd say she's a curious one.

Linka, who knows that Néa can take human form, looks doubtful, but her expression quickly returns to normal, as if it is nothing to worry about.

What about Hayate?　If I can't get in, I'll have to stay with Bulrin and the horses. .......

"That's all right then. Then follow me. We will take care of your luggage.

He nodded and urged us to follow him.

As I followed him, I looked again at the white building, which was high enough to look up at.

"......"

Everything around me is full of enemies...... not to say that the beastmen don't have a good impression of me, that's for sure. Hayate-san has been soft on me, but others are not so sure.

Worst case scenario, I might be sworn at, or accused of something unreasonable.

In response, I try not to be emotional as much as possible. Especially if it's a grudge against the beastmen who have been oppressed by them.

"...... what lies ahead, I guess."

Beastmen, Chief.

I walk forward with some apprehension at the prospect of meeting the person who holds the highest position among the beastmen I'm about to meet.

I was a little nervous as I walked along.

We were invited into the building after leaving Bullyn and his horse at the stables.

We were invited into the building. At that time, only Linka was separated from us. Well, I was the one who was going to talk to the chief, so I couldn't take Linka, who had nothing to do with this, to an important event.

But I was surprised when he took off his shoes as soon as he entered the room.

I was surprised at the fact that I had to take off my shoes to go up in the building, since it was common practice for me to wear shoes in the building due to the fact that I had been living in this world until now.

How much knowledge did the brave man give to the beastmen?　I am getting a little bit confused when the culture is so similar to ours.

First of all, let me take your weapons.

"Yes, sir."

Aruk-san's two swords are given to the soldiers.

My basket hand is ...... more of an armor than a weapon, so I guess it's okay. In the meantime, I'll leave some knives for cooking.

"...... hmm?"

Suddenly, I notice a rectangular object that looks out of place in the Japanese-style interior decorating the entrance.

I casually look at it and observe it.

It is about two meters in diameter.　Various black plates are assembled to form a square shape.

The structure of the object looks similar to the magical tools that I saw in an open-air market in Samaritan.

"Is it ...... magic?"

Nair tilts her head at my words. She looked puzzled.

Does Nair not understand it either? Or is it not a magic object in the first place, but an object to be placed here?

Either way, I don't mind the design.

"It was here before I left."

"Is that so?"

Yeah, it's been here as long as I can remember.

So this is just like an ornament.

"She's right, this is just like an ornament."

"Heh, ......."

Hayate-san, perhaps having heard our conversation, agrees with Amako's words.

However, there was a part of Hayate's words that bothered me a little.

"So, you mean that it was not originally an ornament?"

"......Yes, it used to be a magical tool, but no one used it and it was no longer needed. Normally, it would have been discarded, but since this is a rather special magical tool, it has been left here in this form.

"I see. ......"

Originally a magical tool, it is now an object without power.

I see, that explains why it looks like a magical tool.

"...... though it will never be used again."

"What?"

Okay, that's enough talk. Let's move on. The chief is waiting.

Uh, yes.

...... Hayate mumbled something small, but I couldn't catch it.

I regained consciousness from the black box and left my luggage, and followed Hayate-san who was going to the back of the room. The rooms inside the house are separated by sliding doors, and it seems to be quite spacious from the inside.

"I'll tell them while I'm here.

"What?"

Hayate suddenly spoke to me as we walked.

Without looking at me, he spoke in a rather heavy tone.

"Our chief does not think favorably of you, no, not of human beings," he said.

"...... No, we are the ones who suddenly barged in, so it's not surprising that they don't think favorably of us."

In fact, there is no way they would look at us favorably if we suddenly entered a place where no human being has ever set foot before.

"As far as I am concerned, I would like to end this conversation with you in a peaceful manner. So I will try my best to make things as smooth as possible.

Thank you.

Everything is different now that we are meeting with the chief of the beastmen tribe.

Gladys, headmistress of the Luxembourg Academy.

Mr. Lucas of the Kingdom of Samaritan.

Mr. Norn of the water city of Mialark.

All three of them are ordinary ...... ordinary ....... people everywhere.

"......"

......No, Gladys was a normal woman, but Master Lucas acted unexpectedly by asking me to succeed him, and Mr. Norn was drowning in potions when we first met, he was not a normal person, to put it mildly.

But what all three of them had in common was that they harbored no ill feelings toward us.

Lost in thought, we proceeded down the corridor where we could get a good view of the outside.

Then I saw a wide sliding door with a beast soldier with a spear standing in front of it.

When he saw me and Aruk-san, the soldier looked nervous and put his spear in his hand, but when Hayate-san stood in front of the sliding door, he moved to the side to make way for us.

"Chief, I have brought Amako and her human companions."

When I said so in front of the sliding door--,

"Come in."

--A low, cold voice.

The beast soldier nods and opens the sliding door.

In the room behind the sliding door, a man was sitting on a cushion. Behind him stood two women who seemed to be his attendants, but I was more surprised by the beastman sitting in front of me than I was by what was going on in the room.

He had round brown ears that reminded me of a bear and a muscular physique that I could recognize. I didn't even have to stand up to see it. It is no exaggeration to say that I have never seen such a large man in my life.

Hayate urges me to sit on the cushions that have been prepared in advance, and I introduce myself.

I am Usato of the Lingle Kingdom Rescue Mission. Thank you for inviting me.

"Beastmen, this is Chieftain Jinya."

"......"

He interrupts and briefly mentions his identity and name, leaving Mr. Jinya speechless.

......Yes, I'm not annoyed. But I do wish he would at least listen to the end of my poorly thought out words.

Jinya, with brownish-black hair reminiscent of a mane and a black kimono, looked around at us, then at Amako for the last time and let out a small sigh.

"I never thought that the daughter of Kanoko, who has been missing for some time, would come this way. And to bring a human with her. ......"

Next, he looks at me.

He stared at me silently, and when I was puzzled and did not know what to do, he laughed.

"I can't believe you made it this far. Have you really traveled this far?"

"What about ......?"

"Ho, ho."

I let out a dusky voice with a smile on my face, but I come to my senses when I hear the nea on my shoulder squeal.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I must not be disrespectful. In fact, he may even be trying to make us angry.

Jinya-san reacted with a bored expression as I held back my smile, and now he looked at Amako.

"So, Amako. Why did you come back here after all this time?"

"...... now?"

"Two years have passed since you disappeared. During that time we have done everything in our power to find you ...... but have failed in every endeavor. Some of us thought you had been captured by humans or were already dead."

If so, Amako's return may have caused a bit of confusion. And no wonder Hayate was so happy when she met Amako.

Amako looked at me as Jinya spoke, and I nodded my head. Rather than me explaining the situation, it would be better to leave it to Amako.

I came here to save my mother.

"Well, that's a good reason. Your mother hasn't woken up in two years. We've tried everything to cure her, but all of our attempts have failed. So you're back here now because you found a way to save her, is that right?"

Amako nodded at his questioning words.

I brought a healing wizard with me. Healing magic, the highest level of recovery magic, may be able to heal my mother.

"...... I see. If so, that man is a healing wizard, isn't he?"

He looks at me again, but his eyes are condescending, as if to say, "Your magic is as poor as it looks.

I'm used to it with Rose, but a normal person would have lost his temper with this.

I wonder why this person is so overbearing.

"We had never tried healing with healing magic before. In the first place, it was impossible for us to use the healing magic that only humans can use, but ...... I see, if you brought him here as a collaborator, the possibility of saving him is not small."

Jinya nodded in agreement.

"Fine. I'll take the healing wizard there to see your mother."

"Are you sure?"

"I understand the difficulty for a child of a beast to live in the human realm. In recognition of your energy, I will allow the healing wizard to heal you.

Amako was surprised that the request was granted so easily and unexpectedly.

I thought it would be more complicated than that too. .......

"......Now, my mother is ......"

"He's alive. He just hasn't woken up in two years."

...... why did Amaco's mother stop waking up?

There must be some reason, because it can't happen without knowing the reason. Well, maybe we can find out something if we actually meet her.

"Whether you save my mother or not... are you going to stay here?"

"......"

Amaco is silenced by the heavy, low words.

After a few seconds of silence, her gaze wanders as if lost, then she opens her mouth with determination.

No, I am not going to stay here.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the mission of the Time Wing?"

"Of course, I understand. But I can't ...... stay here.

I can't live normally.

Amako says no, and Jinya lets out a disappointed sigh.

"...... I see. Then, when you've done what you had to do, go away. If only something other than you had awakened to the magic of precognition,...... shame on you and your family."

"......ッ Long!"

Our country has no need of those who would abandon the mission of the Time Wing.

"Jinya!　You can't talk to me like that!　The reason this girl is leaving the country is because--"

Hayate raised her voice at Jinya's harsh words.

Mr. Jinya gave him a cold stare.

"You need to understand your position. Don't talk back to me like an aide."

"But ......!"

"I don't care how good her daughter is, she's useless. I don't know what he's been doing for two years, but ...... I didn't expect a beast who lived in the outside world to turn into such a useless thing."

Hayate was about to retort, but then, perhaps using her reason to control her anger, she became silent.

I myself was a little angry at Jinya-san for talking down to Amako and mocking her, but I tried to keep my composure so as not to let it show.

This is convenient in a way, despite the scorn.

If she followed his words, Amako would not be forced to live in the land of the beastmen, but could be brought back to the Kingdom of Lingle. Amako, perhaps knowing this, accepted his words with a blank expression on her face.

"It doesn't matter. We will leave this country as soon as my mother is healed.

"You'll have to do."

Jinya sat up, as if to end the conversation.

Amako's story is over, but he has not yet told mine, so I open my mouth to call him off in a hurry.

"I'm sorry, but I have something to say to you as well.

"It's ......."

"I have a letter for you from Mr. Lloyd Burgast Lingle of the Kingdom of Lingle."

He then pulls out a letter and shows it to Jinya.

I know it's impossible for me, but since I've come as an emissary of the Lingle Kingdom, I have to talk to you.

He grimly lets his attendants receive the letter and looks it over.

"The Witch King or ...... I refuse. I have no reason to cooperate."

"......"

I knew it.

Well, it can't be helped.

The war between demons and humans is of no importance to us. Even if we were to come to blows with the demons, it would only be after the humans have been destroyed.

"...... I will inform the king accordingly."

It's a good thing that the beastmen have been informed of the imminent threat of the Demon Lord's army.

Seeing that I didn't say anything more, Jinya stood up this time.

"I have a guest waiting for you. I'll leave the rest to you, Hayate.

"Yes, sir."

With that, Jinya-san stood up and walked out of the room with his attendants.

From the beginning to the end, his attitude remained strict.

It was like he was trying to keep us in the dark at all times.

But..,

Finally.

We will meet Amaco's mother, the beginning of our journey and our ultimate goal.

I know what that means.

It means that the end of our journey is near, nothing else.