Chapter 9: – Responsibility Is Not Something That Is Forced Upon You. It’s Something You Have to Fulfill.
“This…. is the second time that Ed has seen me naked.”
Tia’s laugh reminded me of the past, but now was not the time to dwell on those memories.
“Answer me, Tia. What’s this all about?”
“All right. I’ll explain it to you…. But first, can I get changed?”
“Okay.”
Tia’s gaze landed on the fancy pink pajamas she was wearing when I arrived. I picked them up and lifted her arms as gently as I could before starting to dress her up.
“Um, Ed? I thought I said, ‘Wait until I finish changing.'”
“Ah!? Tha-that’s right. That’s right. Sorry.”
“Fufu~, That’s okay. I couldn’t get dressed by myself anyway. Can you just get me dressed and then put me on the… bed?”
“Okay.”
The face of Tia, smiling mischievously, was as young as the day we met. However, that youthfulness remained only till her neck up… and no further than the wrists and ankles, the parts that were usually visible. I wondered why she bothered changing into the clothes she wore when she was still at the hero’s party? Perhaps those clothes were the least revealing of her skin.
“That’ll do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, princess.”
“Eh!?”
I easily picked up Tia and carried her to the bed in a princess carry. Then, I laid her down quietly and pulled the covers over her, so she wouldn’t get cold. I pulled out a small chair nearby and sat down next to Tia, who was in a strangely good mood, buried up to her neck in the covers.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Ed would do something like this for me. 10 years goes by so fast for an elf, but 10 years for a human is different.”
“Haha. Yeah, I guess so.”
The average lifespan of an elf was about three hundred years. Humans, on the other hand, had a lifespan of about seventy years. The difference in the sense of their time was more than four times greater than ours, so there was no way to make up for the difference.
“So, how did your body become like this? What the hell happened to you?”
“……. Didn’t I just tell you? The porter escaped, and we fought like hell.”
“… Ah.”
When I saw Tia’s face sinking after she had regained her smile, I naturally let out a weak voice. And seeing me, Tia, for some reason, brightened up her expression a bit and continued talking.
“That’s when I used the secrets of spirit magic. It is a magic that is only passed down among elves and can only be used by elves. Using it to explosively increase the power of spirit magic, I fought the Demon Lord’s army….”
“So, you’re saying that your body paid the price for using it? But that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?”
“Really? It’s only been about five years…….”
“No, five years is a long time. I mean, you’re still suffering from the cost of magic from five years ago!”
“It’s not that there’s anything left. It’s just that this is what happens once I pay the price….”
Tia cut off her words and looked troubled. However, this didn’t fool me, as I continued to stare into her eyes, and eventually, she let out a small breath as if she had given up, and continued to speak.
“Fu~…The price is your life span. When one mixes one’s life with magic and uses spirit magic, it multiplies its power many times over.”
“――!!”
It was one of the worst guesses that came to my mind. I managed to stifle my voice that was about to yell at her, and Tia, still smiling, spoke further.
“Fufufu~, I knew I’d get that look…. But I had no choice, you know? If I hadn’t done that, I would have been beaten and killed right there.”
“It’s… well, maybe it is, but…….. no, wait. Wait a minute. Could it be that the magic that killed the dragon earlier was also……!?”
“… Yes. I used my lifespan to do it.”
“STOP SCREWING AROUND!!!!!”
This time, I couldn’t take it anymore and yelled at her.
“WHY!? Why did you do that!?”
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“Because if I hadn’t, Ed would have been in danger, you see?”
“….? Me in danger…?
” Of course. In ten years, you’ll probably have gotten a little stronger, but there’s no way you can beat a dragon.”
“………… Ah, ah ………………”
At the sight of Tia’s startled face, my entire body relaxed and I slumped back into my chair.
Right, right. You’re right. There was no way that I, who was banished from this world, could become strong enough to face a dragon in only a span of 10 years. Did I reduce Tia’s lifespan because I was ignorant of such an obvious thing…!?
“………… I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? I just wanted to help you, so you didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”
“No, no. No, it’s not…….”
Tia tilted her head curiously at my apology, which I squeezed out like I was coughing up blood. But no, that wasn’t it. I could have easily defeated a dragon like that.
What the hell am I doing? How pathetic do I have to be to give Tia such a hard time when she’s in such a bad state!?
“Ah! I’m sorry. In case you’re wondering, it wasn’t the magic that made me this way earlier, okay? It’s been like this for a long time.”
“But I…”
“Mou~ It’s fine. I don’t care! Just the fact that you got here in time is enough for me.”
“Just in time. ……?”
“Yes. I got to see Ed again while I was still alive.”
“…………”
Tia’s hand slowly reached out to my cheek as I trembled, desperately trying to hold back my tears. The feeling of her hand was so gentle, but cold.
“I can tell. I know it’s almost time and I’m going to be with Alexis and the others soon. That, in itself, doesn’t scare me. People live and will eventually die. It’s a natural part of life. However, there was something that bothered me. If, by any chance, Alexis and the others were alive and still waiting for my help, I couldn’t just die quietly and use these pajamas to control the magic around my body to keep me alive all these years. But that’s all over now. Thanks to Ed, I know that the place where Alexis and the others are waiting for me is not the Demon King’s castle, and I was able to finally talk to you…. Now, I have no more regrets….”
“DON’T SAY THAT! We’ve only just met again!”
Tia’s hand gently stroked my hand as I screamed like a selfish child.
“Fufu~. I’d love to listen to Ed if he’s being selfish, but this is all I’ve got――！？”
<<Dododozu~u~u~un! ! !>>
Interrupting Tia’s words, there was another loud noise that came from outside the house. The impact was nothing compared to the previous one, and I rushed to get out.
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“Wait!”
“Tia!? What the hell?”
“I’m coming with you.”
“What? What are you talking about? Tia, you need to stay here and rest――”
“Take me with you.”
Tia’s fingers tugged at the hem of my clothes. I could not shake her fingers, even though they were weak.
“… I don’t want to be alone.”
“… Okay.”
With Tia in my arms, I walked out of the house. Then, there was a huge metal giant waiting for me. So huge that I had to look up.
“Oh no, the Adamant Golem…!?”
The Adamant was the hardest metal in the world. Its black and purple glow, which made it impenetrable to any attack, had the strength that simply could not be defined as hard and heavy. If such a thing took a distorted human form, it would be able to beat the dragon to death while it was humming.
“We’re not even in the mine and it’s a goddamn natural golem! It’s like the dragon from earlier. What the hell is going on?”
“I’m sorry, Ed. It’s probably my fault.”
Tia, who was in my arms, answered, looking apologetic.
“In order to help me live as long as possible, I’ve placed magic circles around my house to gather magic power. I think that dragon from earlier was attracted to it and came here, and this golem… was born from the influence of it, perhaps?”
“No, no, no, that’s crazy!? If this is the kind of thing that gets attracted, you’re not going to live very long….”
“I’m usually fine because I sleep. But today, Ed came over and I have been up all day….”
“Oh….”
So, you were saying this was my fault, too. I understand, yes.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Ed. I’m sorry I got you into this mess…. I would have used up everything I had left just to get you out of here….”
“No, you don’t have to.”
Tia looked like she was about to cry, and I laughed lightly before lowering her body to the ground. That’s right. If it was my fault, then I should take the blame. I had the power to do so now.
“Watch this, Tia. This is the power I’ve acquired since I left… the hero’s party. Now, come on, scrap iron! I’ll banish you from this world with my own hands!”
The golem just silently swung its huge fist down at me as I smiled fearlessly.