The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Leona took water from the Kureha Fountain.

Once drunk, it gives the user immense power, but instead it is a poison that corrodes the body.

"If you desire it with greed and karma, your heart will be torn asunder, and your body will rot in pain.

I heard these words from the Lady Norn.

Greed and karma, I know that she did not intend to use the Kureha Fountain with such evil intentions.

Leona must have been prepared for this and asked Lady Farga for help.

...... Honestly, I don't know what to say to Leona.

Knowing her determination, should I stop her?

Do I confront her with my anger and force her to stop when she tries to confront Mr. Karon head-on?

I can't say anything about this until I talk to her more.

"Well then, tomorrow at noon we will start the battle with Kalon."

After the talk with Mr. Farga, a strategy meeting was held at night to prepare for the battle against Mr. Karon.

We gathered together: myself, Amako, Alc, Nair, Master Norn, and Leona.

The general plan for the battle to be held at noon tomorrow was as follows: I and Nair would take the lead in holding off Mr. Karon, while Leona and Mr. Alc would cover for me.

The first thing we have to do against Mr. Karon is to pull the axe made by Mr. Farga away from him.

This is a countermeasure to block his out-of-the-ordinary ice magic, which is one of the elements that make him such a threat.

After pulling the axe away from him, we will drive him to the point where he will be unable to fight. It will be very difficult to drive Mr. Karon out of combat, but it is not impossible if we work together.

And supporting us in the battle will be Master Norn, Amako, and Bulrin.

Norn-sama is in charge of setting up wards to prevent wild monsters from interfering with the battle between us and Mr. Karon, and Amako is in charge of predicting the danger to us and Mr. Karon's movement from outside the wards, and telling us about it.

Bulrin is in charge of Amako's protection.

I thought that if it was just me and Bulrin, but if I teamed up with Aruk and Leona, Bulrin would be more of a hindrance to us.

"What's wrong?　Usato?"

After the strategy meeting was over, everyone went back to their rooms, and Leona noticed my gaze and tilted her head.

I frowned at her expression of concern for me, which was the same as usual, and after I hurriedly pressed my mouth shut, I turned to her with an awkward smile.

"Ha-ha-ha, it's nothing."

"...... I see."

I don't know how to start.

I mean, I can't talk to Leona in this place where Master Norn is still there.

After I managed to fool Leona, I had no choice but to leave the room as if I were running away.

I had no choice but to leave the room as if I were running away.

I left my room and went to the training area, not to my room.

The darkened training hall was illuminated by the moonlight and the light from the magical tools leaking from the castle, and I sat down at the edge of the training hall with a chilly night breeze blowing.

"Huh."

Mr. Farga asked me to save Leona.

But I don't know how to stop her.

It is not simply a matter of confiscating the water from the Kureha Fountain that Leona has in her possession. If I do that, she will become desperate.

On the other hand, if we let her fight with Mr. Karon, Leona will not hesitate to use the water to fight with him.

"That's difficult."

To tell you the truth, why don't you rely on me!　but it's also my fault that I didn't realize it until I was in this situation.

"......!"

I clench my fists tightly against my own inadequacy.

I couldn't forgive myself for having trained so much together, for knowing Leona's problems, and still not being able to understand the anguish she was in.

"Usato, are you okay?"

"......!"

I heard a voice from behind me and turned to see Leona.

Unlike during training, she had taken off her armor and changed into a long black skirt.

"Leona-san, why ......"

"You've been acting a little strange. I was worried, so I came to check on you."

Leona smiles shyly.

She does not look as if she is prepared to die tomorrow.

"What's really wrong?　Don't tell me you have something on your mind about tomorrow.

"Lady Farga told me. That you took the water from the Kureha Fountain.

"......."

I stand up and approach Leona behind her.

She looks down at me awkwardly, and when I am close enough to reach her, I continue to spin my words.

"Leona-san. Are you going to have a fight with Mr. Karon?

"...... I thought Master Norn would come to stop me. ....... So it was you that Master Farga chose."

Leona smiles a self-mocking smile.

...... Though she didn't say it in words, her demeanor suggests that Lady Farga's words were true.

I knew it was not a lie, only for him, but I hoped it was a lie.

"He really knows. I can't believe he guessed the person I least wanted him to know. ......"

"The ...... you most didn't want me to know about?"

"You dazzled me with your straightness and your willingness to do the right thing more than anyone I've ever known. When I'm with you, I'm jealous of you somewhere and I wish I could be as straight as you. Every time I see you, I have the urge to throw away this water ......"

From the pocket of her skirt she pulls out a clear liquid in a small bottle.

Water from the spring of Kureha. The amount was quite small, but the vial had an unusual presence.

"I am a fool. For whatever reason, I reached for the forbidden spring. At that point I was seduced by its power.

That's not true.

I wanted to say that, but the words never made it into my voice.

She was right, Leona was the one who had reached out to the fountain for whatever reason. It was her own choice, her own decision.

We cannot twist that decision with words of consolation.

"Leona, will you please reconsider?　You don't have to give up your life. You've trained for tomorrow.

"......"

"And yet you are willing to give up your own life to defeat Mr. Karon. ...... Are you saying that all the training you have done with me and Mr. Aruk until today is in vain?"

I don't want to sound like I'm blaming you, but it can't be helped at this point.

I have to know what kind of will Leona-san had to make in order to be prepared to fight with me, even if I have to be a little aggressive.

Leona looked down silently at my words, but then smiled as if she had given up.

"I really ...... envy you the strength of your heart," she said.

"What?"

"My training days with you guys were not in vain. In fact, you've grown remarkably fast and strong, even to the point of being able to fight Kalon. I am sure that if you and I were to have a real fight today, you would win for sure."

"Then--"

"But that's not enough. No matter how good you are at fighting Kalon, if he gets stronger during the fight, even a stronger you will not be able to defeat him."

I can't say for sure that it's impossible.

In fact, when I fought Mr. Karon for the first time, he awakened and showed a glimpse of a dragon and overwhelmed me and Leona, even though there was still some time left.

There is no guarantee that something similar will not happen tomorrow.

"And even though we are ready to fight Kalon, the chances of defeating him remain slim. If tomorrow's operation doesn't work "decisively" on him, we will be left with nothing to do. ......

"So, you yourself are going to use the power of the Kureha Fountain to win the game ......?"

"Yes."

Leona's guess is not wrong.

It is true that I have the power to fight with Mr. Karon, but I do not have the decisive power to defeat him.

"The truth is, I was not without hope. There was a time when I thought that we might be able to defeat Kalon together with you guys. But when I thought of the worst-case scenario, my ...... feet naturally turned toward the fountain."

"...... Leona, you are ......"

"Usato, you are the one who should not die here. With the threat of the Demon King, a great battle is inevitable. In that battle, you are the one who can save many people, and you should not die here.

I'm just a kid who can only look forward, who's just a daredevil.

But Leona doesn't think so.

My words cannot reach her because of her firm will.

"But..."

"Usato. You have to understand. I'm ...... a brave man. ......!"

Just as I was about to say something to stop Leona, she grabbed me by the collar and pulled me toward her.

I was so startled that I closed my mouth, and Leona's eyes met mine.

Her eyes, which had been hidden by her bangs, were filled with tears.

"Please don't keep me any longer,......, every time I hear your words, it shakes my resolve,......!"

"Why did you go to such lengths ......?"

"I am the hero of this country, I must protect it!　I must protect Mearaq, the place where everyone can go home!　For that I must kill Kalon!"

You are not fighting alone!

Her words make me contradict her.

"Yes, I am, but ...... just because I'm not alone doesn't mean I can't win!　No matter how strong your body is, you are still a human being!　If you get beheaded, you're dead!"

"Why don't you just avoid getting beheaded!"

That's not the point!

What kind of problem is it then!　How can being a brave man be a reason to give up your life!

I could see that I was getting hotter and hotter.

I am angry at this person.

I am angry at this person who puts others first and never thinks about himself.

I am the same way, but this person has no will to live. That's what I can't stand.

I am a brave man!　I have to protect the place where everyone goes home! I don't want Master Norn, Master Falga, ...... Usato, I don't want you to die!"

"I feel the same way!　But I'm the only one who is not in the "place where everyone goes home" as you call it!　Isn't that too sad?

"......!"

What is a brave man?

I'm sure that Falga and Norn didn't choose you to be brave in order to force you to do such a thing.

Leona falls silent at my appeal. She looks dismayed, but I can see the stubborn determination in her tear-filled eyes.

She is not going to change her mind no matter what.

"You're willing to kill Mr. Karon in exchange for your life if you can stop ...... him?"

I'd be fine with that.

"Even if Mr. Karon has someone waiting for him?"

He told me about his wife.

I still remember Leona's nostalgic words. I am sure that this must have been a precious memory for Leona.

However, Leona's mouth twisted into a smile and she turned her head down.

"......Ah."

The moment I heard that response, my face lost all expression.

My heart, which had been empty for a moment, was filled with a different kind of anger.

"Enough!"

"......!"

"I don't give a shit!"

I yell at her, forgetting even the honorific.

I know I shouldn't force my ideas on her. I know that, but I can't keep quiet when she says something like that with that kind of expression on her face. ......!

I know that look. The girl in Samaritan, the girl under the curse, had the same look on her face.

Leona has the exact same expression as Eva, who was suppressing her emotions and forcing herself to accept her fading destiny.

"You must be really scared and unbearable!　You want to escape!　And you, you're the one who's ......!　You're going to kill Mr. Karon and die to make yourself comfortable!"

No, no, that's not ......!

"If I kill Mr. Karon and die, that's all I have to do!　I will be responsible for killing him and I will disappear!　Then peace will return to Mearaq, isn't that what you're saying?

I yank Leona's hand, which is gripping my chest, off with my left arm.

I look at Leona, who is startled by this, and I spit out my words with even more determination.

"No matter how much you accept death, I don't accept it. I will never let you throw your life away in front of me!

"......!"

Look me in the eye!

Leona's eyes flicker as she hears my words.

I will not allow her to look away from me here.

Once I have suppressed my feelings, taken a deep breath, and calmed down, I spin my words as if to say them to her.

"Ms. Leona, ....... I could not have made it to Mearaak by myself.

"What ......?"

"It was the same when I ran the battlefield for the first time, when I fought the evil dragon, and when I struggled to break the curse in Samaritan. I have moved forward with the help and support of others."

Rose, who saved me from being killed by a snake in the forest of Lingle.

The knight who saved me when I was about to be killed by a soldier of the demon king's army.

My friends who helped me to fight against the evil dragon and to break the curse of Samaritan.

Without them, I might have died somewhere.

"There is only so much one person can do. So you don't have to carry everything by yourself, it's okay to ask someone around you for help."

I released the hand that was still clutching my chest and reached out to Leona, who was sitting up.

"Here are Master Norn, the maids ......, everyone in the castle, and of course us. If you ask for help, everyone will give you a hand. So please reach out to us."

"...... hand?"

She looked up at me and stared at my hand, dumbfounded.

Her hand, which she had lifted to shoulder height, trembled as if she were wondering if she could hold on to it.

"Am I ...... allowed to ask for help?"

"Yes, you can ask for help as much as you want."

I grab Leona's shaking hand.

The cold touch of her hand startled me a little, but I looked at her and saw that she was still looking at my hand and shedding tears.

I wondered if I had changed her mind.

Rather, I feel guilty for making an older woman cry.

"Leona-san, can you stand up?"

Wiping her eyes and nodding silently, I helped her to her feet and took a glance at the vial she was holding.

......I should probably confiscate it or smash the vial right here and now, but there's no point if she goes back to fetching water from the spring.

"You can keep the water. You can keep the water, but don't use it as long as I am alive. Even if you break my limbs or destroy my body, I will stop you and help you.

"How did you ...... get there ......?"

You are a very kind and clumsy person.

I know people who are different in many ways, but who are similar in that way. Like that person who was violent, irrational, and devilishly scary, but had a certain gentleness about her.

This is all I have to say. I have nothing more to say to you. You can think about the rest at ...... and come up with your own answer."

After saying this without answering the question, I turned my back to Leona, who was looking at me puzzledly, and left the place.

I don't know how tonight's exchange will affect tomorrow.

If my words had not reached her, she would drink water from the fountain tomorrow. If that happens, she will turn into a monster who is only driven by her own power.

But if she changes her mind, she will fight against Mr. Karon without drinking water from the fountain. If Leona would then rely on us to fight her, she would be a very strong ally.

In the end, all I could do was to let her choose, not to save her.

"......I wish I could have said it better. ......"

As we left the training area and entered the entrance to the castle, he held his forehead and complained.

In the end, I just let my emotions get the better of me and I made Leona cry.

I may have hurt her with my words, and instead of trying to persuade her, I may have driven her into a corner.

Thinking of that, I'm getting fed up with my emotional self.

"It would be more like you if you didn't say such nice things.

"...... hmm?"

In my self-loathing, a figure appeared from the shadows near the entrance.

I looked at the figure and saw that it was Amako with an owl, Nair, on her head.

"As much as it pains me, Neah is right. Usato.

"Wait a minute, what's so funny?　Don't you like the fact that I agree with you?　Then I'm annoyed too.

"Shut up, furball."

"Ke, furball?　I'm a cute little owl, and you call me a hairball for nothing?

I don't know why they have Nair on their heads, but I have a pretty good idea why they're here.

......I'm sorry I made you worry again.

I chuckle inwardly and open my mouth to them as they start to bicker.

"Where's Aruk-san?"

"He was here a while ago, but after seeing the exchange between Leona and Usato, he felt relieved and went back to his room.

"Maybe he read the atmosphere? Usato looked very distressed.

"Aruk-san is always taking care of me. ......"

I really don't deserve a traveling companion like that.

...... not alone, huh.

I know I said it myself, but it's true.