The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

I asked Eiri to look after Eva and Lucas left the house, and we met up with Fegnis and the four knights who were waiting for us outside the boundary.

"Usato-sama, where should we go now?"

The curse is near the throne. The curse is located near the throne, so let's move closer to the throne. Mr. Fagunis, would it be all right if I ask you to show me the way?　Actually, I'm not sure how to get to ...... the throne. ......"

"...... understand."

When Mr. Fegnis came up to me and Master Lucas, he gave instructions to the knights behind him and they started walking toward the castle with him in the lead.

We entered the castle through the warding garden and walked along the passageway illuminated by the lights of the magic tools.

"Usato, it's a little late to ask this, but what does ...... the curse look like?　Eiri told me about it, but it's too abstract for me to understand at this point.

"Yes, ......."

I looked at Eva with a sideways glance at Mr. Lucas's question and then thought back to last night.

The skeletons were ...... simply put, skeletons with only the upper half of their bodies, with collars around their necks and chains extending from them.

"Poor souls in chains......?

"Chains, is that the curse the sorcerer has placed on us?"

"Perhaps, yes. They want the living bodies of Eva's ...... Samaritan royalty. Their resentment is so strong because they were deprived of their lives for selfish reasons, and at the same time they want to be free from the curse that binds them to the land of Samaria for hundreds of years. These two wishes have muddled together and Eva is now in this state. ......"

When I said these words, Eva looked sad.

"Poor people."

"...... I guess so."

I said the same thing as Nair, but in her case, it has a different meaning since her life is in danger from those poor people.

I guess it's her kindness that she still feels sorry for me.

"One last thing. This is what I found out while I was fighting them, they were looking for a brave man. If they could capture a brave man, their souls would be freed and they would be free.

"Will that set you free?"

"I don't know. But if that happens, there is a strong possibility that I, who am mistaken for a hero, will be bound to Samaritan and Eva will disappear as well.

"......"

Master Lucas, his face contorted as if he didn't want to imagine it, reasserts his hold on Eva.

"Hmm?　Wait a minute, you may have extraordinary power, but you are not a brave man. Why did the curse react?"

"That's ......"

Are you sure?　I'm saying this in his presence.

Nair told me not to stir things up until we go destroy the curse. ...... No, the opposite is true. I have to say it here.

I show Master Lucas the small sword at my belt.

The reason is this.

Usato, why do you have that?

"......"

Mr. Lucas looks astonished.

Seeing his reaction, I call out to Mr. Fegnis, who is walking in front of me.

"Mr. Fegnis, I told you before, didn't I?　This is an out-of-this-world sword."

"......Yes, indeed."

"Ha-ha-ha. Hey, hey, hey, Fegnis. Did you give it to him?　Usato may be a trusted guest, but he's not from this country. And it's unheard of for a man to return a weapon in a castle.

Mr. Lucas laughs as he talks to Mr. Fegnis, but he still doesn't look back at him.

I turn to Mr. Lucas again.

"Master Lucas, let me check. Is this the knife you authorized me to give you?

"No, no, but ......?"

So I can return it without your permission?

"I trust you, but Eva is nearby. I trust you, but Eva is nearby. I can't just give it to her without permission.

In other words, Mr. Fegnis is acting on his own.

...... should be on the lookout. The knights around us can't be trusted if they work for Mr. Faegnis.

Sir Lucas, please step back.

Hmm? What's going on?

......

He stops Mr. Lucas with his hand and stops his footsteps.

His eyes never leave Mr. Fegnis, who has stopped as we did.

"Usato, aren't we going to destroy the curse now?　What the hell is going on? ......

"The situation has changed. Please hold on to Eva tightly, because things could get rough."

Slowly and cautiously, he backs away from Mr. Fegnis and the knights.

The knights seem to be upset, but I can't tell if it is because of my behavior or something else.

"Please stay away from us, too. If you approach us, we will beat you up without question.

He doesn't take a stance and only uses words to threaten.

Still no hostility toward the knights. The only clear suspect now is Mr. Fegnis, who still turns his back on us.

"Usato-san, are you okay ......?"

Eva, who was standing behind me, spoke to me uneasily.

I reply as gently as I can without looking back.

"Yes, don't worry. No matter what happens from now on, I will protect you and Mr. Lucas.

In truth, it would be better if Nea were wrong.

But if Mr. Fegnis is doing what Nair says, I can never trust him to have my back.

That's why I'm going to find out now if he's a friend or a foe.

"The suspicions I have about you now may just be a mistake. I wish I were, too, but my suspicions are deepened by what Mr. Lucas just said at ......."

Why did he return the knife to me without permission?

It was unusual. Even if I was recognized as a trustworthy person, it's not normal to give swords to someone in a castle.

Especially when I was near Eva, the princess.

Why did you give me back the sword?

"......"

"Perhaps you understood more deeply than Lucas-sama about the curse of the evil dragon and the heroes ...... no, the curse?"

"......"

"......If we assume that you know that and you returned this to me: ...... you were willing to let Eva fall into danger?"

"......"

Silence on all questions.

Even Lucas and Eva, who had been sent to the back of the room, seem to have finally grasped the situation and are holding their breath, muttering in disbelief.

"Did you give this to me on your own initiative or did you really give it to me out of kindness? If you don't make that clear to me right here and now... I can't trust you.

He says this with his eyes downcast.

Then Mr. Fegnis put his hand over his eyes.

"Before that, may I ask you a question?"

"What is ......?"

Is it real?

"......"

I think we've established that. The fact that Mr. Fegnis wants to know the identity of this small knife, rather than words to prove his innocence, is because he has a reason and value enough to ask it.

I thrust the small sword in my hand forward and open my mouth.

"This is a sword that was handled by a true hero.

"......!　......Kuku,KukuKuku."

Mr. Fegnis' shoulders tremble as he turns his back to us.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!　I see, I see!　I was right after all!"

I was horrified to see him laughing with joy, unlike his previous calm and polite appearance.

"At first, I was only speculating. The sword he was handling!　A sword that had been missing for hundreds of years, I never thought it would turn up like this. ......!"

"Usato,...... am I ...... dreaming?"

Master Lucas is shocked to see Mr. Fegnis in a different state of mind.

Even I, who only saw it from the sidelines, could see that there was a solid relationship of trust between Master Lucas and Mr. Feknis. It must have looked strange to Mr. Lucas to see Mr. Fegnis, whom he trusts so much, laughing like he has lost his usual calmness.

"No, Master Lucas. This is not a dream."

Now Mr. Fegnis has a negative side that even Mr. Lucas did not know.

Now that he has been revealed..,

"Mr. Fegnis intentionally set the curse in motion. He is our enemy."

I clench my fists and glare at him, still exultant in front of me.

He is shaking with joy and doesn't seem to care that we are upset.

"That's great, ......!　My family's long-cherished dream finally comes true!　A man from the same hometown as the hero was chosen!　And in my generation!　I've never been so lucky!

"My family, or ......"

Not the king who tried to bind the brave to the country .......

Then there is only one answer.

You are the descendant of the sorcerer who tried to cast a spell on the brave?

Yes, that is correct. Yes, that's right. You are a man of valor. You have a wonderful eye.

A sorcerer who was executed after his magic was invoked.

According to Lucas's story, only the king of the time was enchanted by the hero, but there was no way that a sorcerer who invoked magic with sacrifices could be ordinary.

There was another who had been seduced by the power of the brave.

"Hey ......, don't tell me ...... you're ........."

"I was not deceiving you. I was not learning magic just because I am a descendant. ...... If I may say so, my father kept telling me about the greatness of the heroes since I was a child."

Mr. Fegnis turns around after saying this to the astonished Mr. Lucas.

His face, eyes wide open and teeth bared in a smile, was a look that could not be imagined from his usual calm and collected appearance.

"Our family respects brave men. Because we respect them, we want them to be the hope of Samaritan. It is for this hope that we have kept the curse alive. And then, in my generation, you appeared."

Mr. Fegnis pointing at me.　

"Master Usato, you are the one this kingdom needs. You carry the sword of the brave, and you stand against the curse. You are worthy of the name of hero.

"...... I am not a brave man."

"But I have the qualities. It is true that the curse reacted to your sword. But it was your power that overpowered the curse and even pulled it away from the princess.

You saw me fight with the curse.

I guess I was lucky that she didn't know I was talking to Nair and that I was using magic on her.

"And the curse successfully recognized you as a brave man. ....... If you had been an ordinary person, easily trapped, I would have waited for the next brave man to appear. But you showed your fighting spirit and fought!　To save the princess!　What would you call this if you did not call it noble?　I'm convinced!　You are absolutely necessary for this kingdom!

His voice got louder and louder, and I felt a bad sweat.

He is a fanatic. He is seeking only his own purpose without considering the damage to others around him.

So this is the true nature of Mr. Fegnis. I can't deny that he's gullible, like Nair said. I wish it was just a bad guy who came out of the woodwork.

But this guy doesn't think he's evil. That's what's really bad.

"Why ...... why ...... why ...... fegnis."

A very upset Mr. Lucas asked Mr. Fegnis with a tremor in his voice.

Hearing these words, Mr. Feknis calmed his agitated feelings and smiled softly.

"My king. I have done nothing wrong. He is what Samaritan needs. For the sake of this country, I have decided that he should be bound by a curse.

That is not for you to judge!

Mr. Lucas shouted at Mr. Fegnis, raising his voice.

He is in shock that Mr. Fegnis, whom he trusted, has betrayed him.

It is understandable that he cannot keep his cool.

"Did you know about the curse?"

"Yes, it is our family's duty to protect the curse.

"......ッ"

Master Lucas looked a little hesitant before continuing with his question.

"Were you able to save Eliza?　Knowing the curse that even the royal family had never known, didn't you know the means to ...... eliminate that curse?"

Mr. Fegnis did not argue with these words, only a sad expression appeared on his face.

"I was also deeply saddened by what happened to Lady Eliza."

...... What the hell, that's...

The attitude and expression on her face as if to say that Eva's mother's disappearance was inevitable.

I wondered if Master Lucas felt the same way as I did, and his hand trembled as he held Eva in his arms, and he raised his voice.

"...... Is that all?　You, who were the closest to me,......!　You who watched her life disappear!　You who knew everything and just watched!　Don't play with me, Fegnis!　Eliza was murdered by a zealot blinded by valor!　You stole the mother from this child!!!!"

"Curses are not evil. They just want to be freed. If you are bound to this land, your captive souls will be freed. And they will forgive the royal family of Samaritan and the curse will disappear. All will be well."

"I don't give a d*mn about that nonsense!　What about my daughter?

I'm afraid there's nothing we can do.

Eva's hands tremble as she grips Master Lucas's clothes.

......This man is definitely not compatible with me.

Just the fact that he's smiling so faintly in front of me right now gives me the urge to wipe him out of my sight.

"Ah!"

Don't let your ...... emotions get the better of you.

You shouldn't have to fight.

Clenching his fists tightly, he desperately suppresses his emotions..,

"O king, don't think so big about breaking the curse. The princess is a necessary sacrifice for the future of Samaritan.

"Oh?"

---But with those words, I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer.

What did he just say?

Did he just say "necessary sacrifice"?

Of all people, he's abandoning her with such convenient words?

"If you're going to put her through any more pain, let's just leave her happy..."

I silently punch the stone wall that was within my reach.

With a loud bang, a large crack appears and the window shatters. With that, Mr. Fagunis shut his mouth and put his hand on the sword at his waist.

"You're still happy, aren't you?"

"......!"

His voice is surprisingly low, and Mr. Fegnis and the knights around him shudder as they lower their heads.

I don't care if he's a knight-errant or not.

I tried to convince him to cooperate with us, but that's enough.

That fool who says it's a necessary sacrifice, he'll never be the same after you beat him up, will he?

Then I'll beat the rottenness out of him.

"......"

I'm sure I have an angry look on my face right now.

I was so mad that I knew it even if no one pointed it out to me.

"Usato, wait!

Just as I was about to clench my fists and advance toward Mr. Fegnis without question, a voice from behind me stopped me in my tracks.

I looked behind me and saw Mr. Lucas with a surprisingly calm expression on his face.

"Thank you for getting angry with me for Eva's sake. But I have to answer for this.

"...... sorry, I couldn't stay calm."

"Ha-ha-ha, it's okay. To be honest, I was almost furious too, but thanks to you, who was even more furious than I was, I was able to keep my cool. ......I'm so glad you're on my side. I am so glad that you are on my side.

He cools his head at Master Lucas's words and shifts to the side so that he can get a good look at Mr. Fegnis.

Holding Eva up in his arms, Master Lucas slowly took a step in front of me and began to speak in a strong tone of voice.

"Fegnis. I did not become king for Samaritan. I became king for Eliza. I became king because of her. I became king because she told me that she loved this country. So, when she disappeared, ...... I was not supposed to be king."

Master Lucas' gaze turns to Eva in his arms.

"But she was born. I knew that a hard fate awaited her, but I am so glad that she was born. That's why I decided to do my best as king once again for her sake. I hoped she would smile like Eliza. I hope she will be happy in this country.

"Father ......"

"Right now, he's the reason I should be king. Not for Samaritan, by any means."

Is that why Master Lucas became king?

I don't know if it's a bit rude of me to think that it's just like him, but from my point of view, the image of Master Lucas seemed to overlap with that of the king of Lingle, whom he described as an ideal king.

"Faegnis, you are my enemy. You have been my right hand man for many years, and I am sorry to say it, but from this day on you are a traitor."

"You don't think I'm going to change my mind?"

Don't make me say it again. Don't make me say it again. I, the king, give you permission. When I'm done with that nuisance, I'll go destroy the curse.

I was a little disappointed when Mr. Lucas quickly stepped back and started to say so.

I don't mind at all, since I don't intend to make him fight at all.　

"Even if it's ......, it's impossible to break the curse. Even if Usato-sama had mastered magic, the magic here is very special.

"You won't know unless you try."

I crossed my arms and said this, and Mr. Fegnis looked at me with pitying eyes.

"It's true that you can do most things on your own. You have the strength and will to do it, but you can't control this ---- because you are all alone.

Mr. Fégnis raised his hand above his head, and the knights around him drew their swords silently.

I knew that the knights who followed him were the ones who were under the control of Mr. Fegnis.

Well, I knew that when I had been watching Mr. Fagunis' story without being surprised.

"No matter how powerful you are, you can only do so much on your own."

"Ha, ha ha ha ......"

Oh, yeah. He thinks I'm going to deal with the curse all by myself.

That's why he was being so strangely bull-headed earlier.

I'm sure he's just assuming that I'm incapable of destroying the curse, and that he's going to concentrate on Lucas-sama and Eva in order to defeat me when I show an opening, but... he's being too naive.

"hahahahaha ......"

"Usato?"

"Usato, did you get too angry and go crazy?"

"No, I'm not mad or anything, it's just a real masterpiece. ......"

Eva and Mr. Lucas look forward, waving their hands to the side in confusion and assuring them that there is nothing to worry about.

It's true, I can't do everything by myself. When I feel like I'm going to lose, I always need someone else's help.

The same goes for this curse.

If it were up to me alone, I would have been trapped by the curse along with Eva by now.

The only reason I'm not now is because I have my friends.

What's so funny?

What's funny?　One minute you're talking nonsense, and the next you're using force?　What a family, these are the ones who kept the vicious curse alive. All this talk about Samaritan's cause and all they want to do is fulfill their own desires, how can this not be funny?"

"......!"

What a brave man.

What a family mission.

What's in it for Samaritan.

You're sacrificing the most precious thing in your life for it.

Mr. Fagunis, you're making three mistakes.

What's that?

First, there is no such thing as a necessary sacrifice.

Sacrifices that cause someone to grieve are not called necessary.

I would never have peace based on sacrifice.

"And secondly, I am not a brave man.

Why should I be the brave one when there are real brave ones?

I'm best suited for the lifeguard corps.

"......What's the third thing?"

I was about to answer when a black owl jumped onto my shoulder from the darkness behind me.

I smiled at the owl that hooted and hooted, and looked at Mr. Phegnis again.

"That means I'm not alone."

At that moment, a red light, different from the moonlight, shone through the window on the side of Mr. Fegnis and me.

Mr. Fagunis and the knights, whose eyes widened in astonishment, looked ahead to see the huge bell on the tower of Samaritan, which had been cut in half with a bright red heat.

I smiled wickedly at the sight of Mr. Fagunis and the knights in dismay and..,

"Now, I've destroyed your precious 'hope'. Can you still afford to look so smug?"

---I said.