The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

It is the fifth day since Usato went to the castle.

It was also the day after Nair went to see Usato.

Aruk and I stayed in the room of the inn to avoid going out as much as possible, but we were worried about Usato who did not come back for a long time.

"Usato, I wonder if he is okay. ......"

"I think he can handle most things, but if he doesn't come back for five days, you might want to consider that something is wrong."

Usually we are in separate rooms, but when we talk like this we sit at the end of the big dining room on the first floor.

Nea is away with Usato right now, but I told the workers that she is resting in her room because she is not feeling well, so there is no problem.

But..,

"I'm worried about Usato, but this situation is also strange. I'm worried about Usato too, but this situation is also strange. And yet, no one is kicking me out or telling the knights."

"Aside from Nair, the fact that he knows who Lord Amaco is and does nothing about it suggests ...... that King Samaritan knew about us in advance."

Mr. Arque puts his hand on his chin thoughtfully and says so, keeping his voice down so that others cannot hear him.

In addition, Mr. Alc said that the purpose of the king of Samaritan might be Usat.

"But that probably doesn't mean that he doesn't know about the Kingdom of Lingle and our actions up to Lukvis --- and about the ne'er-do-wells we made friends with on our journey."

"...... I know it's annoying, but I guess that means he's been working in places we didn't expect him to."

You have to admit that the fact that a loud, brazen vampire with a friendly attitude toward Usato is helpful.

The image of Nair's taunting smile flashed in my mind, and I pressed my temples to calm myself down.

"Anyway, we'll just have to wait for Nair to come back ......"

"Yes, sir. If we know that Usato is being held prisoner, then we may consider going to the castle. It is only a last resort. ......

"Can Usato be captured?"

"....... hahahahaha, even Usato-dono is a human being."

I wonder what the pause is now.

But Usato is not a man who can be captured by ordinary means.

He is fast, strong, and very stubborn.

He has the guts to fight even against an evil dragon.

If he has a weakness, it is .......

"He can't turn a blind eye, or ......"

I, Nack, the victims of the evil dragon, and Nair cannot turn a blind eye.

He may deny that he is such a good-natured person, but he cannot ignore the calls for help. And he can't just overlook those who are suffering.

I think this is what is dangerous about Usato.

"...... Maybe he is being seduced by the Princess of Samaritan, just like Lady Kazuki. I overheard that she is quite beautiful. Ha-ha-ha."

"......"

"Oh, yes, I'm kidding. I'm sorry."

Aruk-san's cheerful smile, intended to cheer me up after I had become somber, unintentionally caused me to lose my facial expression.

"Usato is not so fashionable because strange people like him."

Kazuki and Welshy, Kiriha and some others are normal and kind people, but Suzune, Halfa, Nea, and maybe Rose and the people of the rescue squad are liked by people who are a little dangerous in many ways, so what Alc said is not impossible.

"I hope I'm not in trouble. ......"

"That's what it's already become, isn't it?"

"!!!?"

I look up at the third person's voice and turn in its direction.

There, Nair, who had gone to the castle in the form of an owl, was standing in front of the entrance to the dining hall, smiling and waving at me in the form of a village girl.

Nair, who had gone to Usato's place, returns.

She looked somewhat languid as she approached the table where Mr. Alc and I were sitting, and she sat down on the chair that Mr. Alc had pulled out without hesitation, and leaned her body against the table as if she had lost her strength.

I call out to her.

"So, what happened?"

"Well, I don't know. I should tell her, but I'm too tired...".

.......

"Hmph."

"Ow!"

He silently formed his hand into a hand-knife and slammed it down on Nair's head with a rather serious effort.

Nair fell down from the chair holding his head and fell down.

"What are you doing????I was just trying to make fun of you!

"I don't need that, just talk to me. Next time I'll put my tail between your legs.

"Puncture? You're really starting to get on my nerves, aren't you?

I think it's understandable to be annoyed when he makes it clear that he's in trouble, and then he makes it sound like he doesn't want to talk about it.???

"Now, now, now, please calm down. Nair is probably tired, so why don't we talk over lunch for now?

"Yes, yes. I've been working so hard and I'm hungry and I'm tired. So why don't you get your hands off me ......!"

"......"

I nodded reluctantly at Mr. Aruk's words, sat back in my chair, and put my cloak on deeply again.

It's no use. He certainly looks tired.

Mr. Aruk asked the innkeeper for lunch, and a hot lunch for three people was soon brought to the table, as if he had prepared it beforehand.

"So, about Usato, he is now involved in some trouble, to tell you the truth. And a rather troublesome one at that.

I held my forehead as Nea poked at her salad with a fork and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Why are you getting into trouble while we're just a few minutes away from ......usato.

What's going on?

Have you heard of the Princess of Samaritan?

...... only by rumor. She's the daughter of King Samaritan, who has never been seen?

"Yes. Usato lived with her for four days until yesterday. By arrangement with the King of Samaritan.

What are you doing, Usato ......!

This time, he is holding his head and feeling inexpressible to Usato in the castle. How is he supposed to live with the princess of a country? At least, that's not the way an emissary is treated.

Nair explained briefly why Usato had been invited to the castle.

"I see, so the reason you invited Usato to the castle was to extract him ......?"

"Yes, that's right. He refused to be extracted. Instead, he had to stay at the castle for a few days.

It's about Usato. He must have agreed to the letter for some reason, like he couldn't ignore the other party's kindness after he had accepted the letter.

"That's not important. The problem is the princess-Eva Urd-Samarial.

"What's wrong with her????Don't tell me that the princess has fallen in love with Usato-dono ......?"

"If she had, she'd still be cute!"

Nair slowly shakes her head at Mr. Aruku's half-smiling words.

"She was cursed. A troublesome curse that neither healing magic nor curing spells can do anything about.

"Curse ....... Is it like the magic of Neah?"

"It's more ghoulish than witchcraft. Curses, made up in ways that most sane minds would not dream of doing, are poisoning her body."

"...... Usato, are you trying to help that person?"

When I ask this, the woman in front of me slumps her shoulders in disgust.

Somehow I could tell by the way she looked at him that she knew what he was doing.

"I implicitly told him to leave me alone, but he wanted to help me like a child, so I've been scrambling around the castle until now. He's never learned his lesson even though he's been attacked by a curse once.

"Attacked by the ...... curse????Do you mean that the curse has a will?"

"Well, that's the complicated part. Well, this is something I have to explain. I need to know it in order for you to help me.

Help?

Does Nair's return have a purpose other than to explain Usato's situation?

"From now on, I will tell you the true nature of the curse that has been affecting Eva Ould Samaritan. Then you will help me with my perfect plan to destroy the curse once and for all."

??????

"Dear Lucas, I'm going to be direct with you. I am trying to break the Eva curse. So please tell me what the curse is.

"What?"

That's too direct!???I'm not the only one who thought that.

I was astonished by Usato's first words when I visited him to find out from Lucas the true nature of the curse of Eva Ould Samaritan.

Lucas, the man in front of me who seemed to be the king of Samaritan, also turned his back and opened his mouth in shock at Usato's sudden words.

"Usato, what are you talking about all of a sudden????I was so surprised that I forgot why I called you here!

"I don't mean to make a joke."

When Usato says this in a quiet voice, Lucas's expression changes from surprise to a serious one. He had been sitting in front of the grave and slowly stood up, locking eyes with Usato.

"...... what do you mean? Does breaking the curse mean saving Eva?"

"I will help her."

"This is not a problem that can be solved by brute force. You know that best, don't you, who have faced the curse?"

"Yes, I know that it is not something that can be solved by brute force alone. That's why I have this.

Usato looked at me and raised his fist.

I read his intention and cast a spell on Usato's hand. Lucas rolled his eyes at the purple pattern that appeared on his hand.

"Is that, by any chance, ...... magic?"

"Did you know that ....... I'm using my own magic, but... me and this guy can break even curses.

It was as if he could break the curse with me, which made me feel a little funny.

Does it mean that Usato trusts me that much?

As I was feeling a little proud, Lucas, who was standing in front of me, sat down slowly on the ground with a stunned look on his face and gave a small laugh.

"Ha, ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha... My country's information network is still not up to scratch either. ....... I never dreamed that you could handle magic. Does this mean that Eva is alive today thanks to your magic?"

"Yes. But that's only a stopgap measure. The only way to break the root cause is to destroy the curse itself.

"So you want to ask me what the curse is."

When Usato nodded his head, Lucas covered his forehead with his hand.

"To be honest, I didn't think you would survive. She will disappear from my life just like she did. Yes, I thought I was prepared for that. ......"

Then he breaks off and continues to speak, his voice shaking a little.

But I still can't do it. I can't give up, forever and ever, the image of Eliza who couldn't say goodbye flickers in my mind. But if she is gone too, I no longer need to be king... I will hate her and the country she loved, Samariar... ..."

I think I might understand this man's feelings a little.

Human life is short, and for me, having spent all my life in that village disguised as a human being, death comes to me suddenly one day.

Old age, illness, being attacked by demons, or losing one's life, there are many reasons, but no matter which one it is, it is always painful to lose someone who lived so close to you.

I would never say such a thing in front of Usato and his friends. ......

Usato listened to his monologue in silence. Lucas turned his eyes from the weak appearance he had earlier and opened them with a look of power.

"Usato, what I am about to tell you is a disgrace to the royal family of Samaritan. It is the story of a fool who was possessed by greed, who was only looking for immediate profit, and who ended up binding not only himself but also his children and grandchildren with the curse of death. But I don't know if this story will help you. Do you still want to hear it?

"Yes, because it is necessary."

Lucas finally felt ready to talk and sat cross-legged facing Usato.

"Do you know that several hundred years ago, Samaria suffered a great disaster?"

The battle between the evil dragon and the brave warrior?

...... doesn't surprise me anymore. I would have thought you'd know that much. I know."

Lucas spun his words with a slight pout on his cheeks at the knowledge that Usato already knew about the evil dragon and the heroes.

"The battle between the heroes and the evil dragon ended with the heroes' victory---this is the history that people in the castle know to some extent. This is the end of the history known to some people in the castle. The problem is what happens after that.

"Beyond: ......"

"After the battle, all that was left were ruins, wounded and poisoned people and knights who could not move properly. Aside from the buildings, it is said that the wounded were injured enough to be able to move again, if not completely, if they were treated immediately."

Still, there must have been many deaths.

If brave men had not appeared, the country of Samaritan might not be here today.

"But then, the king did not see the broken city or the injured people.

"If he didn't see ......, what did he see?"

The king of a country did not care about his ruined country or his wounded people. That is an unbecoming behavior for a king. A king in a normal state of mind would never do such a foolish thing.

Then there must be a good reason.

For example..,

"Brave man. The king was fascinated by the power of the superhuman who defeated the evil dragon who wielded overwhelming power."

--- the power to mesmerize others.

The hero's appearance must have seemed more divine and fascinating than anything else, as he defeated the monster that was so out of the ordinary, an evil dragon in a state of full health, a power beyond human understanding.

With power, no one can defeat you, with power, you will not be overrun, with power, you will not be frightened...with power, no one can defeat you, with power, you will not be overrun, with power, you will not be frightened. The child's logic led the king to desire the power of a brave man. But the king could not keep the heroes in the country by ordinary means, and when it was impossible to persuade or restrain them, he thought of another way.

"Magic."

Yes, witchcraft. It's a lost art now, but back then there were human magicians everywhere. There was only one sorcerer in Samaritan. The king wanted to use him to create a spell to bind the heroes to the kingdom.

"Ho ......"

What a stupid idea.

Witchcraft is not something that should be in the realm of easy access by humans. Any attempt to change the nature of magic, even if one could handle it, would invite danger.

In order to prevent this, there is an insurance policy called liberation magic.

...... Hmm????Lost?

"Ho, ho?"

"What is it, Nea? I'm talking to you now, please be quiet."

Well, I think I just heard Lucas say something I can't quite make out.

I tapped him lightly on the shoulder with my wing, but he rebuked me in a low voice.

Without noticing our exchange, Lucas spun the rest of his speech.

"But there is no way that a monster the size of a hero can be bound by ordinary magic. After all, the most powerful being who has defeated even an evil dragon should not be able to resist the magic of a single sorcerer.

"Well, he's slaying an evil dragon, isn't he?"

I myself know firsthand the fear of evil dragons.

It was so strong even when it had been deteriorating as a corpse for many years. It is not surprising to think that in its fully recovered state, it has the power to easily overrun even a single country.

"Normally, I would have given up the plan right there. Even if they were attracted by the power, they would have known that it was impossible to capture a brave man. It should have been, but the king was literally not normal."

What the hell did this king do?

"If you don't have enough power, increase it. If it's not big enough, make it bigger. To bind the overwhelming number of brave men, a suitable price must be paid... and for that, the king did the most foolish and unwise thing he could have done.

"The thing you should not do most...... consideration...... No way!"

To rule a mighty power, one must have the power to match.

If the power of a single sorcerer alone is not enough to subdue the might of a hero... then the means are naturally limited.

Sacrifice.

Well, I guess you're right.

Human life has more energy than magic. Dozens or hundreds of them together would be a tremendous force.

I was thinking calmly, but Usato was not so calm. He was clenching his fists and shaking his shoulders in anger.

"A large number of wounded people, as many as five hundred, who had been damaged by the evil dragon, were used alive as dependents to strengthen the magic. The souls of men and women, young and old, were taken from them, and they all died as mute bodies. ......

"This is ridiculous ......!"

"I agree. But in his quest for power, the king has misplaced the priorities of those he protects. A country is only as good as its people, and the king sacrificed the people he was supposed to protect in favor of the prosperity of the country.

"So, did you catch the heroes?"

"No, they didn't catch him.

"What's that, that sounds like ......."

"Dogs die, don't they????That's the right word. The king's plan to capture the heroes has been defeated, and all that remains are hundreds of corpses and the magic that continues to be invoked without accomplishing its goal. And the sorcery turned into a curse that consumed the royal family.

That is the true nature of the curse that was consuming the girl.

Perhaps those skeletons are the souls of the people of Samaria who were sacrificed to capture the heroes, and the magician who chained them up was the magician who bound their souls to Samaria.

What happened to the sorcerer who created the curse?

"He was executed. He was the one who had the Samaritan's Tower built under the guise of restoration after the spell failed. ....... The king who executed the sorcerer also disappeared because of a curse.

That's not what Usato told me.

I heard that the tower was built by the king of Samaritan, but he says it was built by a sorcerer. Maybe Usato heard wrong, but the difference is huge.

If the king made it, we are still in the doubtful stage, but if the sorcerer had it made, it means something.

"......Nea, what have you found out?"

Usato asked in a hushed voice.

I looked at him, nodded my head, and squeaked.

I know what the curse is.

I had thought that it was the same curse that had taken her body and soul, but I was wrong.

It was the people of Samaria who had sacrificed her body, and it was the people of Samaria who had taken her soul---no, it was the curse of witchcraft that had bound her to this place called Samaria, to be exact.

If my binding spells are those that bind the body, then the magic that the sorcerers of Samaria mastered hundreds of years ago is the magic that binds the soul. What a vicious magic you have learned!

That's all I know about curses.

Thank you for telling me.

I'm the one who should thank you. You showed me hope when I had given up. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know and I will do my best to help you. ......

USATO thanked Lukas once more, bowed deeply, and left the room.

"Anyway, next, let's find the location of the curse's main body."

I'll take care of that. It's easier for me to move around alone, and more importantly, Usato needs to be in good shape first.

"...... got it. You got it? I'm counting on you."

He nodded confidently to Usato, and his thoughts were racing.

Now that he is completely sure of the curse's true nature, he does not need Usato's help in what to do next.

First of all---let's start by looking for the curse itself, just as Usato said.

I am sure that you will be able to find it.

That's why.

"The curse of Samaritan's people. That's quite a messy story.

We now have a better understanding of the nature of the curse that Usato and Nair are attempting to deal with.

However, I have one question after listening to Nair's story.

Why are you here????Aren't you supposed to be looking for the curse right now?"

"Of course I would have found it right away. You know what????I'm an expert on curses.???I'm here for another reason.

"...... Then what is it????What's the reason?"

Nair cowered his shoulders in disgust, and although I was a little irritated, I calmly asked him a question.

Nair put down her fork and put on a proud expression on her face and pointed out the window.

"There it is."

"...... that?"

I look in the direction she points and see a white tower rising in the center of the country.

It is the tower of Samaria, which rings a bell that I have heard many times since I came to this country. I wonder what is on it, which is seen as an object of prayer by the people living in Samariyar.

How could the curse remain in force for hundreds of years? The answer is close at hand, and it's so simple. Well, Usato can't leave because he has to break the curse on the castle. So I've decided to do this job with you.

"......Nea, what the hell are you doing?"

Nea smiled wickedly at Aruk-san's words and said...,

"Tonight, we're going to destroy the symbol of hope in Samaritan."

He said such a preposterous thing.