Volume 7 - CH 17

A silence fell, as if the stillness of the mountain was coming to the surface.

I was left with a blank stare and spun a few honest words.

“What? Is that so?”

“What ……?”

Rurumu stood up in the fountain with a jerk as if she was surprised.

I said, looking away from her white naked body.

“Wait, what is that? I didn’t know… or maybe you’re misunderstanding?”

“That can’t be!”

Rurumu denies it out loud.

“You’re not even aware of it yourself,……?　The presence of magic power you possess is not human. It’s more like a divine demon.”

“……  I don’t have any magic power. The magic I use is from another force. I’m not talking about a simple measurement with a grimoire, but the results of a measurement ritual, so I must be sure.”

“No.”

Rurumu shook her head.

“There is no such thing as a person without magic power. Whenever you eat and breathe, you produce magic power. Even if it is in such minute quantities that it is impossible to use magic.”

“And you can see it?”

“Yes.”

Rurumu nodded.

I pondered.

It seems that she can see a more subtle flow of power than I can …… see.

“I’m not sure I can deny it if you say so,……. I can’t say that my ancestors didn’t have a divine demon.”

“Ancestors?　No, no.”

Rurumu shook her head again.

“I don’t think it’s such a distant connection. Couldn’t one of your birth parents have been a divine demon?”

“Huh. ……?　No way. That’s impossible.”

This time I could be sure.

“I was born a nobleman. There’s no way I have demon blood in my veins.”

“Just tell me.”

There was a hint of desperation in Rurumu’s voice.

“What are your parents like?”

“…… father is a count of the empire. He has a fiefdom in the countryside far from here, and he studies magicology. My mother, I’m told, was a …… mistress, but I’ve never met her”

“…..!..”

Rurumu seemed to hold her breath.

“Well, your father…wasn’t he an adventurer in the past?”

“…!”

“That’s right!”

Rurumu asks as if to fold.

“Nearly 20 years ago, didn’t he visit the demon territory? In the land where divine demons live…”

“Twenty years ago? No, not at all.”

“eh……”

I explained the reason to Rurumu, who let out a confused voice.

“My father was an adventurer, if I remember correctly, long before he took over as head of the family. It must have been nearly 30 years ago, wasn’t it?　The location was also far south of here, near the center of the empire. Twenty years ago, it was just around the time my older brother was born, so there’s no way I was in the demon territory.”

“Th… yes, that’s… then, I wonder if it’s different…”

Rurumu suddenly became discouraged.

I involuntarily furrow my brow.

“What happened?”

“…I thought it might be you…the son of the person we’re looking for.”

She speaks slowly.

“He’s about your age. Her hair and eyes are the same color as yours. And you have our magic powers.”

“But I… don’t have the markings on my body.”

Rurumu shakes her head.

“That’s fine, because that person’s husband was a human.”

“…”

“He was an adventurer who wandered into our village. He also said he was born into a noble family.”

“…”

“That’s why Melosa’s child is a mixture of human and divine demon. Such demons often have strong human blood… so their appearance should be almost the same as humans.”

Rurumu continued to ramble on.

“Besides, there’s no other person with power like you…”

“…as far as I know”

I opened my mouth to interrupt her.

“I never heard that there were demons in my father’s territory. I’m sure my mother is a normal human being.”

I continued without waiting for Rurumu’s response.

“During the time of the Great War, there were also divine demons living in this country who were turned into slaves after being captives. It seems that there were also people who had it. My mother was a descendant of those people…I just happened to have a strong ancestral blood. Maybe, but I think that’s all.”

“… well… I’ve heard of something like that. Then… it’s different again.”

There, Rurumu laughed weakly and looked up at the night sky.

“Melosa… where are you now…?”

When I saw her profile from the edge of my vision, it looked like she was about to burst into tears.

She said sixteen years. It’s been sixteen years since Rurumu’s wanted person disappeared from the demon territory.

I wonder how long she’s been on a journey to find that divine demon named Melosa.

“… Are you related?”

“We’re not blood related. But… she was like my sister.”

“… What kind of appearance does she have? In human terms, how old would she  look?”

Rurumu blinked her eyes.

I continued, as if to make an excuse.

“I can’t go with you on your journey to find her,…… but if we ever meet in the future, I can at least tell her about you guys.”

“… Fufu. You… have a very complicated personality.”

Rurumu said with a small smile.

“Even though you’re actually very good-natured…it’s like you usually hold back from being nice to someone..”

“…I have the power”

He gently closes his eyes and says.

“But you can’t do anything with power alone. Even if you try to save everything, it will go bankrupt somewhere anyway. That’s why… I only help those who have loyalties and connections.”

“Hmm, that’s right… then does that mean that a bond has been formed between us?”

“… I don’t mean to force it. If you say you don’t need help, the story ends here.”

“Fufu… hey, Seika.”

Without answering my question

Rurumu spoke with a voice that seemed to be clear to the night sky.

“If I told you that we were really―――― on a journey to save the world, would you believe it?”