Chapter 89

After plucking the curse skeleton that was eroding Eva’s body with the magic of Neah, I brought her to the bedroom as directed by Eiri .

She’s sleeping with on sound at all, but she is breathing properly .

…… However, it is visibly weak .

“…Will she wake up?”

Eiri-san went to the palace to inform the King about this, so he is not here .

When I saw the moonlight shining through the window illuminating her, I slowly closed my eyes and talked to Neah .

“Neah, how much resistance magic does she have left?”

“About half a day, but I’ll keep it as long as I can if I add magic . But then—–“

“It won’t solve the actual issue… . right?”

Neah nodded at my words .

Now, Eva is safe because she has the resistance to repel the curse by the resistance magic . However, once that’s gone, she’ll become more and more debilitating——essentially disappearing .

“Even if she regains her consciousness, she can’t live properly . And Usato can’t stay in this country forever . ”

“…Yes . We don’t have much time . ”

That is why it is desirable to settle in a short period of time .

Luckily, I caught the opponent’s tail . Even in the previous battle, the skeleton was talking about strange things, and Neah seems to have noticed something .

“Neah, you said you knew what this curse was . Can you please tell me?”

“That’s not a problem, but I’m not sure I know everything either . ”

“It doesn’t matter . ”

What I need now is that skeleton information .

Any small detail is fine, I just want to know .

“Listen here Usato, that’s a curse, but not really a curse as well . I wonder if it’s a curse at all? Then again, if you include the secondary effects, that might be true, but then the main problem is… . . ”

“…Hmm…I’m sorry, I don’t understand a single thing . ”

Please at least break it down so I can understand .

I still don’t have enough understanding of curses and things like that .

“I did say I know about it, but it’s not a hundred percent . One thing for sure is that those skeletons are the souls that lost their bodies . ”

“Souls that lost its body?”

“Maybe if I say this, you’ll understand? They’re ghosts . ”

“…Eh? Sorry, what did you say just now?”

“? Ghost . Ghost, an entity that has the intention of wandering in search of a physical body . ”

“……”

This doesn’t change much even after knowing about it .

In other words, are those guys just ghosts? I punched as much as I could, but now that I know they’re ghosts, I became less scared……

Without realizing that I was smiling, Neah continued .

“They cursed Usato, who they’ve mistaken you for the hero of the royal family, because there was some resentment . ”

“… . . I can tell based on their movements, but why in my case they said things like they’ll be free if I’m caught?”

“There it is, that’s the important part . ”

Neah uses her wings pointing at me as if pointing a finger .

What’s important? The skeleton’s words?

“You said that the soul without a physical body can’t stay in this world, but that skeleton stays . That means that there is “something” that binds the skeleton’s soul to this world . “

“What… so what you’re saying is if I smash that “something”, the skeletons that are eroding Eva can also be released?”

“It’s a rough statement, but yeah . If you’re lucky, there’s a chance that the stolen beings and souls will come back . ”

Retrospectively, those skeletons had a collar fitted and tied to a chain .

――Is that what it means to bind the skeletons?

“What I don’t understand is what kind of method is used to bind the soul to this world . ”

“Isn’t it just magic? I mean, I can’t think of anything else…”

“It’s funny precisely because it’s magic . Normally, it won’t last that long . ”

“You told me before that magic will disappear over time, or it will continue to function semi-permanently . ”

Indeed, before visiting Samaria——-that’s what she said when she was told about the dispel magic .

“Yeah, but it takes fuel to power magic to work for that long . Magic of about years and years is needed . ”

“…Isn’t it just that? A demon that can use magic like you is involved in this curse?”

“There is that possibility . ”

……Is it possible that monsters other than Neah are involved .

It can be said that it is easier for me to have a clear enemy, but I have to think about the damage to my surroundings .

While worried about adjusting to my strength, the story wasn’t over yet, and I knew it wasn’t over, and Neah, who turned to me, bent her wings and raised her index finger .

“There is another possibility . ”

“One more?”

“It is to create a mechanism that can supply magic from the outside without an operator . Basically, magic can be activated by anyone’s magic so as long as it has a framework, so even if you throw in appropriate magic from the outside, you can continue moving freely . Once you create a mechanism, it will never disappear and you can continue to use magic almost permanently . ”

“……So that’s it . ”

I had no idea .

So if you create a system that will supply magic power that will be used as fuel, the magic will not disappear, but will that work without an operator?

“…I don’t know if it’s the same demon such as I, or it’s a mechanism created by someone in the past . Such a sad being . ”

“…You mean Eva?”

“Yeah, that soul . ”

The skeleton?

She had a suspicious voice in her words, but Neah sadly looked out the window and muttered like a soliloquy .

“Because the soul who lost the body wants to be released . I want to be released, I want the body, I want to live again—–For example, hundreds of duplicate thoughts have become distorted thoughts and are attacking this cursed daughter . ”

“… Are they taking away Eva’s existence because they want a living body?”

The fact that they are looking for a living body means that they were originally a human being . In retrospect, when I was fighting off the skeletons, they looked like they were scared of me, and when I thought about it, it was a reaction similar to a human .

In addition, the words that echoed in my head when I was bitten―-Among them was the voice of a child .

With the voice begging for help .

“A hero . ”

I take out the sword of the previous hero from the waist and place it on my hand to look at it .

“When I touched her hand, it trembled, like reacting to something . ”

“Isn’t it just a coincidence?”

“It certainly was trembling, and after that, the skeletons overflowed from Eva and its surroundings, and the battle started . Maybe this is it . They probably called me a hero because of this sword, otherwise it won’t make sense . ”

I am not a hero .

I can say that for sure . This is because two heroes have already been summoned besides me, and at the time of summoning, I haven’t heard the sound of the bell that can only be heard by the summoned person .

“Sigh, it’s not only the Wicked Dragon but also ghosts are calling me a hero… . Which I’m not . ”

“From my point of view, you’re as heroic as can be, with that strength and all . ”

Kiriha said something similar .

The hero in this world has two meanings .

A hero who was summoned from a different world, like Kazuki and Inugami senpai, and a man who was recognized for his bravery in this world and was given a title and became known as a hero .

“Either way, I don’t want a hero title . If it causes so much trouble right now, I don’t know what annoyances will come in the future . ”

“Certainly… Usato is the type that gets caught by anything no matter what, and also the type who sticks his head in any trouble . It might be better not to be a hero . ”

“I didn’t want you to agree…”

I relax my shoulders with the words of Neah .

Well, I can’t argue with you this time because it’ll just bite me back .

…… Well, let’s get our thoughts back .

After all, it was this sword that triggered the Eva curse . I personally grabbed her hand while holding it, so I can say it’s my fault .

Thinking so, I was disappointed with my carelessness, but I got some benefits .

I think of the contents of the notebook I left in my room .

“You still remember the story of the Wicked Dragon who was in danger of destroying Samaria and the previous hero who defeated it, right?”

“The contents of that notebook”

“Yeah… this story definitely happened, and I think this event is strongly tied to Eva’s curse . ”

“…I want to deny it, but yeah, if you think about it that way, it doesn’t have to be irrelevant… Ah, why don’t you forget about that Wicked dragon, why must you bring it up . ”

“I don’t even want to remember it as well . ”

I had a lot of pain and had a hard time .

Neah was also dying from it .

However, this is not the time to turn a blind eye . I heard the voice of the Wicked dragon that Neah revived—–no one in my memory was as loud, envious, and overpowered as the Wicked dragon .

“Fegnis-san also said that Samaria suffered a great disaster in ancient times . There is no mistake . Certainly the dragon and the previous hero are associated with Eva’s curse . ”

“Fegnis? Who’s that?”

Oh, didn’t you know Neah?

I explained Fegnis-san to her tilted head . Neah had a disgusting look, perhaps because she recalled that he took me to the palace .

He’s not a bad person, so when I told her that she explained about Samaria and the tower, and gave me back the sword, she began to growl further .

“…Usato, don’t let that thing get close to me . ”

“I know”

“After that, be more alert . Be more doubtful of others . ”

“You’re speaking more and more like Amako . ”

“Tower of Samaria . I see, it was made in hope of recovery after the Wicked dragon was defeated… . Being a king with a lot of responsibilities…”

Neah who decided to ignore my retorts and thought about something .

I think she’s getting too rude, but I was deceived by the owl in front of me, and as a result, I was forced to fight against the armed man who was manipulated, Ark-san .

Remembering that, slowly droop my shoulders .

……Hmm?

「―――― Neah, someone’s coming, keep quiet . 」

“Okei~”

Neah was muttering something, but when she heard the footsteps rushing up, she shouted, “Hoot” and jumped around on my shoulder and played an owl as a familiar demon .

Immediately after that, people from the palace, doctors and magicians like Welsey enter the room through the door . Probably they’re called to see Eva’s condition .

I went out so that I would not get in the way, I put my back on the wall next to the door and relaxed my shoulder .

Then, from the stairs leading to the lower floor, Eiri-san slowly walked up to us .

“… Usato”

“Yes?”

“Lucas-sama wishes to see you . ”

“……I understand”

Well, guess I’m being called .

Even if he didn’t call me, I would have visited from here .

According to Eiri-san, Lucas-sama seems to be inside the barrier and is waiting outside . Does she not want to see Eva’s condition?

“I think Lucas-sama is also shocked . ”

—–He continued .

Shock, huh . That’s usually the case when your important daughter is unconscious .

The current question was a little too redundant .

“Were you the one who gave the Princess the patterns?”

“…!”

I couldn’t hide the agitation from the sudden question .

I gaze at Eiri-san walking in front of me and suddenly stopping his track, but when Neah on my shoulder taps on my cheek, I return to myself and start walking again .

Right, Eiri-san was watching the magic works from Eva . It’s not strange if he notices it .

……What to do now .

I can’t stop now, should I explain the situation here?

“Don’t worry . I don’t blame you for it . I understand somehow . That pattern is now protecting the life of the princess…”

“…”

“In the first place, it’s completely different from the curse I know . After seeing the princess’s hair regaining her original color, I can tell that the pattern keeps the curse away from her . ”

Eiri-san, who knows her mother who was suffering from the same curse like Eva, may be aware of the magic of Neah that seems to be a different condition than before .

To be honest, I’m glad he didn’t think I was harming Eva . Worst case, she wouldn’t be moving and I couldn’t help her .

“The curse that erodes the princess’s body is a horrifying curse that robs her of color, her presence, and at the end everything disappears . When she is attacked by such a curse, she suddenly returns to her original form . Nothing has ever happened like that before . ”

“Does her original appearance mean her childhood hair?”

“Yeah, she had beautiful hair from Eliza-san, and she looked as if she was alive, and she looked great with a smile . ”

Eiri-san said as he was immersed in memories .

However, his foot stopped in front of the door leading to the outside .

“Eiri-san?” 

“…I really didn’t think I’d ever see the same princess as when she was a kid . Like Eliza-san, she couldn’t say goodbye to anyone and disappeared . ”

She disappears without anyone knowing it—–I think it’s very painful .

For both that person and those around her . . ‥ .

“I can do nothing as a butler . I am a weak man who has never taken magic or a sword in his thirty years . Still, as a butler, the princess can live without any inconvenience . But now I have nothing to do for the princess…I regret it…”

“…Eiri-san is not a weak person . ”

I denied his words that shook his voice .

In the past few days, I know a lot about Eiri-san .

A person who is good at cooking and can do any housework, and who cares very much about Eva .

He couldn’t be dismissed as a weak person as someone who kept watching her growth for a long time .

“Even if you don’t fight, it’s a fact that you’ve been supporting Eva to this day . So, please pray for Eva’s safety . ”

“Usato…”

“And then, as a meat-headed person, I’ll break her curse . ”

“Eh… break? But, how…?”

I went in front of and crossed next to him .

All we have to do now is move forward .

However, the owl on my shoulder patted me with her wings, so when I turned sideways, there was a fluffy beaked Nea pointing at me with her wings .

“Hoot!”

“Ah, sorry, I’m not the only one . ”

While laughing at this confident girl, I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned around to the back .

“Her curse, we’ll do something about it . ”

I said so, and opened the door leading to the outside with Eiri-san who had a surprised expression .

Outside is a pitch-dark garden, and a view of the place that was lit by the turmoil .

I didn’t hesitate to proceed and move to Eva’s mother―–in front of the grave of Lucas’s wife, Eliza’s wife .

“…So you came?”

He was sitting cross-legged in front of the grave as before .

I turned to him without turning around, approached without hesitation and opened my mouth without hesitation .

“Lucas-sama, I have something to say . ”