The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

We escaped from the Western-style house where Nair and his friends were staying and hid ourselves in the woods near the village.

The reason why we hid in the woods is because we thought that all the people in the village were under Nair's control.

If we carelessly returned to the village, the changed villagers might come to get us. No matter how unkillable the healing punch may be, the villagers are innocent people. Even if we can heal them, we don't want to hurt them as much as possible.

Besides, when I was on Bulrin's back, I was still bound by the spell Nair had cast on me.

Seeing my body still unable to move, I am reminded once again of the tremendous power of magic. At any rate, even my right arm and both legs, which would have broken the formula, could not be moved completely.

I ran away to the forest and decided to rest for the time being, since I could not help Mr. Aruk at this point.

I was tired from the exchange with Nair, and above all, I was overstrained from the excessive use of magic power when I broke the restraints.

And then..,

"Morning."

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Bulrin's face, drooling sloppily. I looked behind my head, which was enveloped in an unusually soft feeling, and saw that I was using the softness of Bullyn's back as a pillow.

Reflexively, I try to put out my hand to push away his face, but remembering what happened last night, I bring my hand to his head and stroke his head.

"Thanks, man. You saved my life."

"Guffaw."

Bullring moaned and sniffed pleasantly.

Satisfied with this, I pulled out my left hand that was stroking ...... my left hand?

"Oh, it's moving."

If you look closely, you can see that the patterns covering the body have disappeared.

Is it safe to assume that the binding spell will disappear with the passage of time?　I had imagined that the magic spells would be permanent, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I did not have to destroy the formulas one by one.

I get up and check my condition. There is nothing wrong with me, I don't feel like anything has been done to me except for the restraints, and I am feeling rather well.

"Haha, I don't think that magic can be trained like a restraint ......"

I thought it would be kind of nice to work out.

I'm not M, though.

So where's Amaco?　I thought she went into the forest with us, but did she go to the village by herself?

No, she hasn't traveled a long way by any means. She must have much more experience than me.

So I sat down by the burin again and decided to wait for Amako.

After a few minutes of waiting, Amako emerged from a nearby bush. I walked up to her, relieved to see her with leaves in her hair, but not injured or dirty in appearance.

"You're awake. ...... body move?"

"It's nothing to worry about anymore. I'm fine as you can see."

Amako, as relieved as I was, opened a package that seemed to be wrapped in a cloak in her hand.

Inside the package were several fruits resembling apples, and she took one of them and offered it to me.

"I thought you might be hungry. ......"

"!　Thank you."

If Amako brought me these, I should be fine. She used to work in a fruit shop, and she seems to know a lot about such things.

I wipe the surface of the fruit with my robe and bite into it, thanking Amako.

The sweet and sour taste of the fruit fills my mouth.

Yes, it's delicious. I tell her this, and Amako takes out a piece of fruit and bites into it too.

"......If it's okay for Usato to eat. I guess I'm okay too.

"You've got a great natural tongue!"

That's what happens when you take advantage of kindness.

Even if the healing magic cures you, what hurts still hurts, right?　Right?

Amako puts a piece of fruit near his face and sits down next to me.

"So, how are we going to save Aruk-san?"

"The zombies and the manipulated villagers are not the enemy. The problem is Nair's ability as a demon and his magic.

Half necromancer, half vampire.

No way...that's what I call an unexpected twist of fate.

She's been playing the village girl for 200 years. Her tearful words... Her words of gratitude... were all lies. It would be a lie if I say that I am not shocked by it, though it is natural for her to do so, since she has set it all up.

But the problem is that her own fighting ability is unknown.

So far we know that she is a necromancer and can control the dead.

And as a vampire, she can control the living with her blood. A charm that enchants those who make eye contact with her.

And last but not least, the ability to work magic.

"To be honest, even I had a hard time with the magic restraints that I spent so much time on. I think Brulin will be ...... just fine, but you might be able to stop him even with an improvised one."

"...... be careful."

"Yeah. I saw that there are conditions for that magic to work. She didn't say it herself, but I think it means you have to touch ...... the object."

Otherwise, he would not have gone to the trouble of hugging me. She definitely wanted to get me then. Then we can assume that she did what she did to make me more sure that she would let my guard down.

If that is the case, it's a simple matter.

All I have to do is not to be touched by her.

If they are in perfect condition, they can cope with any number of attacks by villagers and zombies.

The problem is that there is a possibility that the magic she possesses is not limited to [restraint] alone. If she has lived for 200 years, she can use at least one more magic.

"I don't know if I can use other magic. But we can't save Aruk-san if we are afraid. And even Aruk-san..."

"They could be manipulating us, turning us into their enemies, right?"

"...... yeah."

Nair will certainly manipulate Mr. Alc.

And if he can make suggestions to the villagers, he can make suggestions to Mr. Aruku. If we are not careful, we will have to consider a confrontation with Mr. Aruk in his full strength.

That would be a disaster.

...... Wait!　Mr. Alc is already bitten and under Nair's control. Would she use him only as a means to fight?

No, perhaps the first thing she will do is to search Mr. Alc's own memory under her control, and then..,

"Oh no. ......"

"What?"

"They know about you and me. ......"

I am a human caught up in an otherworldly summoning.

Amako as a beastman who can use a special kind of magic called precognition magic.

I have no idea what she will do when she finds out. The only thing I do know is that she has never given up on us after she found out about it.

"Huh. ......"

If she was just a healer with strong power, they would still underestimate us, but if they knew we were from another world, she would try desperately to catch us.

What a hassle!

"Well, whatever will be will be."

Grab another piece of fruit and eat.

Now get some rest and get yourself in good shape.

...... I remember that I have a notebook in my uniform that I brought from the Western-style house.

He picks up the fruit, puts his right hand into the pocket of his uniform, and takes the tattered notebook in his hand.

Amako tilted her head when she saw the notebook in my hand.

"What's that?"

"I think it's a book ...... that describes the previous generation of heroes."

I haven't checked the contents carefully, so I don't know if this is really about a brave man or not.

There is still time before night.

I don't want to think about it, but I might not be able to read it again, so I might as well look at least a little.

Without thinking, I start to flip through the notebook.

I started to flip through the notebook without any idea of what I was doing.

The first thing I have to note about him is that he does not like to have himself documented.

He does not like to be praised for his achievements.

For him, achievement means the number of lives he has taken.

It is unimaginably painful for him to be praised for having survived over so many corpses.

But I, a bystander, could not help but write about what happened to him because I knew that his wrong image would be passed on to future generations.

He was alone.

No friends, no one who understood.

No home, no hometown, no family, nowhere.

His hands are stained red with blood as he has walked the dark path alone, overcoming many corpses.

He will be called a hero by humans and subhumans alike.

But I hope someone reading this understands.

There are no heroes anywhere. A hero is a self-made idol. No matter how powerful he is... he is still a human being.

What I am about to write is the story of one man, and a record of our "sins" that will be atoned for in the distant future.

I am not a human being, but a human being who has no choice.

"There's too much of a reason for this. ......"

After reading that much, I took a breath.

What is this? The darkness of the brave is too deep. Even though I rolled up the pages at random and read through the parts that I could read, it consistently dwelled on the feelings of the brave man and the deeds he must have done.

I don't know who wrote this, but I can tell that he was very close to the previous heroes.

"I heard that the previous heroes also dealt with the Demon King, but I don't think it's quite the same now as it was then."

At least from what I can read in the memoirs, the old demon king's army did quite a lot of terrible things.

They used captured people as a source of magical power, brainwashing, bribing, and anyway, they mainly used surprise attacks instead of just advancing like they do now.

Wow, this is not just a village, but a country that is set up to be betrayed. Are the current and the old demon king really the same person?　What he's doing is so radical that it's almost heaven and earth.

He who is called the hero defeats every one of his schemes.

However, the text is not filled with joy or anything, but just describes what happened and the facts of the matter. This is similar to the feeling of reading a history book.

"It must have been a hard time. ...... really."

Well, I can only sympathize with them now, although I know the situation of those days.

But still, .......

"I guess the brave ones were loved by the subhumans."

"I heard so. I don't know about that, but back home, people hated humans, but I've never heard of anyone hating a brave man.

Amako's words prompted me to read the text of my notebook again.

I can't tell from this notebook what the heroes did to the people of Asia, but I guess it means that they did something that endeared them to the people of Asia.

"...... hmm?"

There is a small note inserted in the notebook.

When you open the page, you see a hand-drawn picture, and the words, though written, are almost illegible. However, it is not worm-eaten, so it is not impossible to read if an expert examines it.

"Crocodile? Lizard?　No, it has wings."

Its mouth, which is split into cheeks, spits out what looks like flames, and the wings that sprout from its back are drawn as sharp as blades.

It was not a skillful drawing, but the picture gave me a strange and eerie feeling.

There was a note on the page next to the picture, which was probably modified by the owner so that Nair could read it. I turned my attention to it.

I looked at it.

His breath corrupts everything, his claws crack the earth, his tail wags the mountains.

It is a monster, an evil dragon that walks the path of evil. When he passes through the forest, the vegetation dies and all living creatures are devoured. If he passes through the land, the water rots and all who live in it are slain without cause.

But the monster was defeated by him.

The battle took place in Samaria. Suddenly, the evil dragon descends upon him, spreading poison and destruction all around him.

As we have seen, his magic was extremely powerful, but his attacks were meaningless in front of the powerful scales of the evil dragon.

The battle continued for three days and three nights.

I myself did not see the battle during that time. But I saw the moment he put the finishing blow to the evil dragon.

He himself plunged into the dragon's mouth, and in its scale-less belly, he pierced its heart with the dagger that he had poured his power into, and ended its life. Or, to use his terminology, he contained it.

According to him, the creature cannot be killed now.

In fact, even after he was stabbed through the heart and died, that evil dragon, which had not disappeared but continued to exist as particles like a demon, could only be described as eerie.

I can't decide whether the evil dragon is a dangerous existence that he who has buried many demons and monsters says he can't kill it, or whether he who has driven the evil dragon to the point where it can't act should be called out of standard.

In the center of the square where rubbles were scattered, I looked up at the Evil Dragon who was standing upright and had died, and I had a certain concern.

I wondered if it was not that he could not be killed, but that he had not been killed.　It is a foolish question to even think about. .......

When I asked this question, he did not say anything.

I did not know what that silence meant.

I did not know what he meant by that silence.

"......"

An evil dragon on the path of evil.

It's a common existence in fantasy, but please don't let it appear in front of us. If what is written in this notebook is true, I am no match for him. Maybe I can't win even if my senpai and Kazuki are together.

Considering this, the hero who defeated this evil dragon by himself must have been really out of the ordinary.

......The previous generation of heroes were really cheat. Yeah, I'm sure there's a novel like this out there somewhere.

"Why was Nair researching such a thing?"

I don't know her well, but I don't understand why she would pinpoint this part of the story.

Or maybe she simply looked into it on a whim.

It doesn't matter.

"Usato."

"What's wrong?"

Suddenly Amako, the girl next to me, called out.

She put away her open notebook and turned to me.

Last night, didn't you see the hall in that pavilion?

"Yes, what about it?"

You mean that room on the third floor where we jumped off the roof.

I saw that room and I thought ......... It looked like the place I saw in the prediction. ......

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

Today's mission to rescue Mr. Aruk is going to be an uneasy one. Since only Amako can see the prediction, the hall she saw yesterday was not so disturbing to me, since I only know what she saw through word of mouth.

"Maybe I'm mistaken. The whole room was in shambles, and above all, I'm a bit fuzzy about that room myself ......."

That's why you were puzzled when you saw the room.

I was looking for a necromancer at the time, so I guess they were trying not to confuse me with careless words.

He is a clumsy boy to be so careful.

However, if the scene Amako saw and the location of that hall are the same, then she who seems to be the owner of that place is the one who was lying in front of me.

"So that means it's Nea who stabbed me. ......"

"Maybe ......"

I've decided. I'm going to disable that little b*tc* with a healing punch the moment I see her.

Amako's face turns down as she makes this decision in her mind.

"Usato said not to worry because she has healing magic, but ...... she can handle magic, so if she gets cursed ........."

"......"

Curse, huh?

Such a thought had never occurred to me.

I can understand Amako's concern, considering that I fell into her trap so easily yesterday.

But fear is not the only way to move forward. I know it is necessary to hesitate, but now that Mr. Aruk is trapped, we have to go to his rescue no matter what.

He smiles at her to cheer her up.

I can't be defeated by a curse, can I?　I managed it yesterday by brute force. Don't worry."

"......Usato is a freak, a freak who does things that normal people don't think about, but he's still a human being, so ...... I'm worried about him."

"Okay, you can worry about me a little longer."

This guy said that to me with a look of great concern on his face.

I let out a big sigh and lean against the still sleeping Bulrin.

"You're too tied up in your predictions," he said.

"......, but I've never been wrong."

Because I've never been wrong.

What you saw was a real and definite future. But it is your subjective vision.

I'm not denying what Amaco is saying, but I don't think it's right to be so pessimistic.

"You saw my blood dripping, but you didn't see me being stabbed directly, did you?　Maybe that blood was from the person who tried to stab me."

The man was sitting with his back against the wall, and you couldn't see him with your back to me, could you?

"You see, a prediction can unfold in any number of ways, depending on how you look at it."

"How many ......?"

"First of all, there is no way I could have avoided the knife that the wounded man pulled out. Even if it was about to stab me, I'm confident that I'd snap it off immediately.

I saw it and had enough time to avoid it.

I won't say whether it was my arm or my knife that broke, but I don't think that my current physical strength would have prevented me from doing so. Wounds and fatigue can be healed with healing magic, and I can react to Rose's fist even if she catches me by surprise, so I can deal with her after I have her in my sight.

"But, Usato might get stabbed, too, right?"

"Yes, that's right. That's one way to look at it. But don't you think there's still hope for <> from <>?"

"Ugh, that's ...... absurd."

He smiles at the unfaithful Amako.

To be honest, I can understand why Amako is worried.

It is not a pleasant feeling to be the only one who can see the future.

From the way she says it, the future she can see may not always be the one she wants. And you can't do anything about it. I am tormented by such a feeling of helplessness.

Amako, when she was in the Kingdom of Lingle, must have spent her days with such feelings.

But now she is not alone.

"Trust me. I believe in you."

"...... can I trust you that it's going to be okay?"

"Of course."

Inwardly, he nodded his head at Amako, slightly regretting that he had said something embarrassing, but not letting it show.

It is embarrassing to say these words, no matter how sincere they may be.

"......Then, I'll have a little more faith ...... in you."

He nodded in satisfaction at Amako's words.

Then, Amako suddenly stood up and looked at me with a serious expression.

"It's time to help Mr. Aruk, let's do that thing.

"What's that?"

"...... you said it yourself, don't you remember?"

I feel as if Amako's trust in me has been shattered.

I fold my arms and think under Amako's cold stare.

What is that thing?　When he says he is going to help Mr. Aruk, does that mean he has some kind of a plan?

"...... diversionary tactics?"

"No. ...... I, I, I ...... will ...... give Usato... ......"

Amako's cheeks are tinted and her lips are twisted, and I am puzzled.

I finally understood what she was trying to say when I thought that you had told me...

In other words, Amako is suggesting that we do something like the combination I mentioned.

"I see, that's it. I was kidding when I said that. ......"

"Are you kidding me, ......?"

Amako is shocked, and then she is shocked outright.

I was joking at the time, I'm sure. But it was a perfectly legitimate idea. However, Amako's will is indispensable to do it.

"No, not now. I don't think it's a bad strategy, considering what happened last night. If you're willing, of course.

"I want to help you, Aruk-san. Besides, I've decided to trust you."

"I see."

Then we're good.

If you and I work together, we can get to Nair in one fell swoop. And this time we'll have Bulrin with us, so we'll need him to do a lot of cleaving too.

We'll do it at night. We've got a plan. Now I'm just worried about how Nair will react when he finds out about me and Amako.

"Hmm. Oh, where did I go? ......"

I tilt my head as I go through the stacks of books in my study.

While searching for something missing in the study where Usato and Amako would have been yesterday, he noticed that a notebook was missing.

I know I was too careless to leave the room without turning off the light, since I had temporarily fainted due to exhaustion from making a binding spell for Usato and depletion of magic power, but I never thought I would have to go through such a trouble.

I emerge from the pile of books and give up looking for my notebook while adjusting my disheveled hair.

"It's one of the few records of my bravery. Did they take it? It's just a dirty little notebook to a normal person. Oh, God. I still wanted to look something up. ......"

I sit in my familiar old chair with my arms crossed, thinking.

I wonder why Usato, or maybe Amako, took my notebook with him.

"Out of curiosity?　The girl?　Not a book on magic, which would be worth more if sold, but a notebook of unknown authenticity with no historical value?"

Or was there enough in the notebook to make him interested?

Brave men are worshipped by mankind.

The hero who single-handedly defeated the resurrected Demon King and his army. I had heard that there was a country that worshipped such a being with delusion, but I am sure it was not the Kingdom of Lingle.

"It does not seem to me that he is delusional about heroes. He doesn't seem to be interested in such things. ...... Amaco is a possibility. Because he's a beast, and I don't know what he's thinking.

Either way, it's still taken.

Fortunately, I have a source who knows why they took the notebook with the information about the brave men.

Leaning back against the armrest, I relax and look at , who is diagonally behind me.

"Hey, what do you think?　"Hey, Mr. Aruk."

"........."

I call out to Aruk, who is standing with vacant eyes in front of the study door. Now that he is under my vampiric control, I can tell him anything.

I can ask him about births, experiences, friendships, everything.

It is better to ask him while he is conscious, but after two days of observation, I have learned that Alc is a man with a strong heart who never betrays his friends.

As a human being, he is likable, but as a demon, he is quite troublesome to me.

"Why do you think Usato was interested in the notebook of a brave man?"

I ask him, trying to make a suggestion.

He replies in a hushed voice.

"Usato-sama has a connection with the heroes.

"What about ............?"

I jumped up from my chair and knocked over a nearby stack of books with a mighty thud.

A connection to a brave man?　What's that? What's so interesting?

Is it that?　It's not some crackpot who's been given the nickname of "brave"?　I ask him in a trembling voice and he shakes his head.

"More details! ......Ah!　No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let me ask you about Amako first.

Let's get to know Amako first and then ask about Usato. His story is too stimulating for the knowledge I have had for the past two hundred years.

Let us start with Amako, a rare beastman.

"Amako is a beastman..."

I know that. Leave that part out.

She came to the Kingdom of Lingle to save her mother from ...... the land of the beastmen."

"Hmm. Mother."

My mother, it's a distant memory.

My mother, a necromancer, was killed by a human when I was old enough to remember her. So was my father, a vampire. I have nothing against humans, and I think it is worse to have done evil things that humans would have retaliated against me.

But aside from that, from that land, the Kingdom of Lingle.

I think she's a great girl, but that's all.

"The magic I work with is ......"

It's a sensing system, isn't it?　You left that out too...

No, it is a lie to deceive you.

"What, you were so good to them and they didn't trust you?"

I can't say anything now that I've been so deceitful.

I didn't feel that they had seen through me, but did you think that they had been on the lookout for me from that point on?

Then what's Amako's magic?

"She sees the future. She's a user of precognition magic.

"......"

No kidding?　I asked Aruk with an expression so contorted that even I knew it was him, but his answer remained the same.

Prediction magic is a rare strain of magic that only some of the beastmen can manifest. Those who possess this magic are valuable to the people of the country where the beastmen live, and are called the princess of the beastmen tribe who recites the future, the Time Wing.

A human who is related to a brave man and a princess of the Wing of Time?

What kind of combination is that? That's unusual.

In a voice trembling with elation, I ask Arukh a question that gets to the heart of the matter.

"Who are you people, or ...... Usato?　Are you human?

"Who are you, or rather, Usato-dono?

I am a human who came from another world with a brave warrior.

For a moment I did not understand Aruk's words.

Then a possibility surfaced in my mind.

.

The transfer magic, or should I say a ritual using magic in this case, that brings those with the qualities of heroes from other worlds to this world, which gave birth to heroes.

It took place.

"Ah!"

Another world. Another world, another world, another world.

What a wonderful unknown. Finally I understood why Usato was so stubborn about not talking to me.

It's a good thing he didn't.

If I had known this, I would never have let him go.

I would have tied him here like a treasure.

A world different from this one, a world full of mysteries that even I, living 300 years ago, cannot imagine.

At first it was just a sideshow. I thought it was just a doll to kill the boredom.

But after the first encounter, it turned into interest.

And now my feelings have turned into an obsession.

Tell me more about him.

"...... Yes."

Summoned to the Kingdom of Lingle with two brave men.

They joined an organization called the Life Company, where they underwent rigorous training.

He establishes a pure trusting relationship with the Blue Grizzly, a magical beast, without the use of a magical contract.

He goes into battle against the Demon King's army as a member of the Rescue Mission, and saves many people.

In the end, he neutralizes one of the main forces of the Demon Lord's army.

The more I hear about him, the more I want him.

The more I hear about him, the more I want to have him. It is unbelievable that this happened within the past year.

"We'll get him! Oh, but not zombies and villagers. Aruk-san, does Usato have any special magic?"

"Usato's weapon is pure physical strength. Healing magic is only an element of his body. The only person I know who surpasses him in physical ability is his master.

"Wow, that's great!"

When I came back to the house and saw a zombie with both arms shattered and a broken leg, I was honestly surprised.

If a zombie can be taken out in a split second without even a scream, a human with arms less strong than a zombie's would not last a second.

I could try to take some time to create a binding spell, but after what happened last night, I don't think they would play the same trick on me.

But can I go out there myself and win?　I can't.

My magic is not suited for battle, and above all, there is no way I can match such a strong man in strength.

"...... That's right. Why don't you use that thing?

It's the only collection of my late father's in the house.

The one that inspired me to look into the notebooks of the brave.

Unable to suppress my impulse, I run out of the study and down to the first floor at once. At the top of the stairs, there is a basement door that is closed tightly against the floor. I open the basement door, which is eerily illuminated by the sunlight from the sky, without any hesitation.

"I thought I'd never use it, but it's a monster that only you can catch, isn't it?

Muttering to myself, I jump down to the basement, look up at it exposed to the sunlight coming through the cracks in the ceiling, and sneer.

No zombies, no humans, no demons.

Then..,

"Ah!"

A huge body that could reach the ceiling.

A gaping maw.

Gouged out right eye.

Clipped wings.

The corpse of a one-winged, one-eyed monster stood calmly in front of me.