The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

After breaking the curse, I returned from the altar to the hall where the throne was located, probably due to exhaustion, and soon after I fell asleep and passed out.

When I next awoke, it was the sixth night.

When I awoke, I found Amako by my bed, looking at me anxiously, and Alc and Nair sitting a little further away from me.

It seems that Amako and the others were allowed to enter the castle after that, and they had been watching me in the room where I was sleeping.

I was glad that breaking the bell was not a crime.

However, Amako told me that I was too reckless and that I should not be overconfident no matter how sturdy I am.

I accepted her words and apologized firmly to Amako and Mr. Aruk.

I really owe you a big debt, and I can't thank you enough.

I did it on my own."

The morning after the day I woke up, we were in the hall where the throne was located.

The wall I had broken was hidden by a cloth, and in front of it sat Master Lucas on his throne, with Eva next to him.

The reason we are here is to greet our departure today from Samaritan to the next country --- the floating city of Mearraq.

Amako and Alc were sitting next to me, and Nair was dozing on my shoulder as an owl.

"You're going to have a hard time now, aren't you Lucas-sama?"

I would like to say that there is a happy ending with no more people suffering from the curse, but it is not all right to break the main body of the curse.

Unless something is done about Mr. Fegnis's family and those who were inspired by them, such as the knights under his command, the same kind of thing might happen again.

"Ha ha, it's a lot easier than it used to be. We have captured Fegnis and his knights, who were the first to administer the curse. All we have to do now is to find out who was involved in this.

"Mr. Fegnis and ....... How are you doing now?"

He's the one who relied on the curse so much.

I wonder how he reacted when he found out it was broken.

"...... He was, you know, a shell of a man when he found out that the curse was broken. And he was devastated to learn that it was his own ancestors who had been responsible for it all, who had used the souls of countless people. He is locked up in the dungeon for now, but it will take time for him to recover."

"I see. ......"

It must be hard for you, Master Lucas.

To have to treat someone you have trusted for so many years as a traitor who has deceived you overnight.

"...... Let's change the subject. As for the letter, Samaritan will cooperate with the Kingdom of Lingle, as I said in my first answer. Let's protect this continent from the Demon Lord's army together.

"Thank you very much!"

I felt happier than when I first received the letter.

Maybe it was because I had gotten to know Master Lucas' personality over the past seven days, or maybe I was just happy to hear his sincere words.

Either way, it means that I have successfully fulfilled one of my tasks.

"Usato, thanks to you I did not lose my Eva. Without you, I probably would have given up my duties as king in desperation. Thank you so much."

I did what I wanted to do and I did it.

I didn't do it for payback or anything.

I just did what I really wanted to do.

"Humble" doesn't begin to cover it. That's who you are. Yeah, yeah, that's who you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're the guy I can trust."

"...... can I trust you?"

I don't know, I suddenly have a bad feeling about this. .......

What does "trustworthy" mean?

Nodding his head, Lucas relaxed his shoulders, looked at Eva, and then looked at me.

"So, Usato, this is the main question: ......"

"Thank you for the past seven days. I'll be on my way soon, so..."

I guessed.

I had a great guess.

Sensing that I was in danger in more ways than one, I smiled, bowed, and turned around.

Amako and Aruk-san were following me, looking puzzled, but I was in too much of a hurry to answer their questions.

But Lucas-sama must have anticipated this, because with a snap of his fingers, the maids stand in front of me.

"No, no, no, Usato. "No, no, Usato. There's no need to rush. It wouldn't hurt to hear the story out, would it?"

There is a saying in my world that time is money. In other words, time is worth more than money.

Well, that's a good word. But what I'm about to tell you is well worth it.

I try to pass between the maids while explaining a proverb I've already memorized, but they smile and refuse to let me pass.

What is it that drives them to such an extent?

If they were knights, I could force my way through .......

d*mn, that's Lucas! He knows my character and he knows how to deal with me. ......!

"Hey, Usato. What's wrong?"

Amako, I need your help. If you don't help me, I may be trapped in a situation worse than a curse.

"Huh?　What are you talking about?

Of course. If someone said that to you, you'd tilt your head back, wouldn't you?

While I was tilting my head at Amako, Master Lucas, who had just stepped down from the throne, came over to talk to me.

"Usato, I have talked about bringing you into my country, but I'm not going to do that.

"...... what?　...... is, yes."

Not what I expected ......?

He stops and turns to Master Lucas, who grins and raises a clenched fist.

"Usato, are you going to be Eva's son-in-law and follow in my footsteps?

.......

"......I don't mean to be rude. What the hell do you think you're doing?

I used to be a knight myself. I used to be one of the knights.　If you don't have the guts, you can't do the job!

You can't be the king with such force!

"Oh, come on, I'm right here in front of you to prove it!"

The conversation is taking a funny turn.

Why did he go from pulling me in to asking me to take over?

While I was at a loss as to how to react, Amako tugged at the hem of my troupe uniform.

"Hey, Usato. What do you mean?　What are you talking about?　Explain it to me!"

"Calm down, Amako."

I'm calm. I'm very, very calm. I couldn't be more calm.

Amako looks up at me with a blank expression on her face.

"Ha ha ha. You're good, Usato-sama."

Mr. Aruk just laughs.

He seems to be having fun thinking it's someone else's problem. ....... I can't laugh because I feel like I'm being pushed into a corner more and more.

"Usato-san......"

"Eva. You should say something to her, too!　You don't want to get engaged out of the blue, do you?

"Don't you like me, Usato?"

"......?

Are you ready for it?

She asked me with a very anxious look on her face, which confused me even more.

To be honest, I'm glad that she likes me, but it's too risky for me to agree with her because she's dangerous in many ways. ......!

Amako's sharp eyes and Lucas's expectant glances only intensify.

"But it's okay."

"...... what?"

She intertwines her fingers in front of her chest and smiles a flowery smile.

"I don't care if you don't like me. It doesn't matter if you don't like me, because what I do won't change.

"What do you mean, you won't change?"

What?　Is this déjà vu?

"I'll do my best until you like me. That's the solution."

Instead of a solution, I'm about to enter the labyrinth that is the graveyard of life.

It's more like a manly confession that's gone full circle. .......

"I really want to accompany you on your journey and see things with you. But that would be a nuisance to you. So, this is goodbye for now. The next time we meet, I would like to touch many things that I have never touched before, and I would like to grow up more."

She smiles, and I don't know what to do.

My mind is racing with thoughts of the days I spent in the same place with her.

Confused, I bow deeply to Eva who smiles at me.

"And friends first, please!"

What kind of a response is this, like a girl rejecting a boy's confession?

It's not that I don't appreciate her straightforwardness.

But now that we are engaged, I have no choice but to give this chicken-shit answer, considering the future developments and the mission that I have to fulfill now.

On the one hand, I am self-deprecating, thinking what a coward I am, and on the other hand, I am hoping that it is just a suspension bridge effect.

"Yes, that's right. It's insane to suddenly get engaged. It's important to start with something small. I don't mind if it starts with a friend ......."

I don't know, Eva's words scare me a little.

It's like a predator with an eagle eye.

Master Lucas is also muttering with a faraway look in his eyes, "Oh, she is just like Eliza.

"Well then, we'd better get going!"

"Oh, wait, Usato!"

I bow deeply to her and to Lucas-sama, and then, with a rather serious step, I pass through the maid's gap and try to quickly walk out of the throne.

"Oh my God, Master Lucas!"

But before he can do so, Eiri, the butler, enters the throne from the entrance holding several sheets of paper.

As he enters the throne, my shoulder bumps into his, and the paper slips out of his hand and falls at my feet.

I picked it up and was about to hand it to Mr. Eiri when I saw the words written in large letters on the paper.

"What the hell is this?

I screamed loudly, which is not like me, and stiffened on the spot with the paper in my hand.

Amako and the others who were behind me saw what was wrong with me and hurriedly looked at the paper in their hands, and they stiffened as I did.

The text that astonished us was...

---Prince's proposal of marriage is refused!　The rumored female heroine is in love with the healer wizard Usato! ---The prince's love interest is Usato, a healer and magician!

It was Inukami-senpai's covering fire from afar.

He brilliantly helped to accelerate my critical situation.

"What are you doing, that senpai... ......"

What the hell are you doing, senpai?　What are you really doing?

Why did you mention my name there, no matter how much trouble you were in because of his marriage proposal?　I'm in the same situation myself, so I understand how you feel!

I'm sure it's not my imagination that I saw the smiling face of my senpai in my mind.

"And is that me?　Is it me?

Underneath the large headline was what looked like a portrait of me.

But the only thing that matched was my hair style, and from the hair down, the rest of my face had been sculpted into an astonishingly beautiful shape. This rose-sucking nobleman has a nose so sharp that he looks like he could punch a hole in the wall.

Moreover, my trademark, if I may say so, is the aristocrat-like decoration on my uniform, which is almost unmodern. .......

"If the leader and the strongmen of the lifeguard corps see this, they will make fun of me. ......"

And now there's Nack in the rescue squad.

His reaction when he sees this is too frightening.

Mainly because of his dignity as a master.

Rose, I'm sure he's going to grin when he sees this.

"Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God... ......"

"Usato, it's okay. Usato now is better than this. This picture doesn't look ferocious at all, he's just a human being.

I wonder if Amako is following me.

I feel like he is telling me, in a roundabout way, that it would be more correct to draw me like an ogre.

"Ho-ho-ho, I see, Eva, it seems that you have to defeat your rival in order to win him.

I'll still do my best!

"Ha-ha-ha, that's the spirit!　I'll be happy to help you.

Lucas-sama, who looked over the other piece of paper, perhaps having received it from Eiri-san, is also escalating in a manner that shows his parental stupidity.

"Hmmm, you're annoying,...... I'm still tired, so don't make a fuss,......, hmm?　Usato, what's that paper..."

Mini healing magic bullet!

"Bgyafu!"

Nair wakes up on his shoulder and is knocked unconscious by a healing magic bullet that is sent flying in the air like a decapitation.

I'm sorry, but I can't let you know about this portrait.

"You can't be here. ......"

Unable to stand still any longer, I run out of the castle to get away from the situation.

Behind me, Master Lucas and Eva are waving me off with bright smiles on their faces. Part of me is happy to see them both smiling from the bottom of their hearts, but the last thing I want to do is get engaged or follow in their footsteps or any of the other ridiculous things that have happened in the last few days.

I don't know what to do!

"Usato!　Nair's eyes are white and she's sticking to your clothes, is she all right?　Hey!

Even though I had broken a curse that had lasted for hundreds of years with my friends, there are still some things that are beyond my control.

I realize this keenly as I fly out of the castle and look up at the sky.