Chapter 5 – 05. No Way Home (5)

-Midnight on January 2, 325 in the Uruk calendar-

It felt like I had a good sleep for the first time in a long time.

As soon as I opened my eyes, waiting for me were Lucy, who was constantly watching me, and Anna, my exclusive maid. The blue eyes of brown hair, the soft gaze of Anna dressed in a neat maid uniform, her hands and feet scrubbed.

Did Anna wash it while you were sleeping?

After looking at her hands and feet, which have become soft for the first time in a long time, I realize that I am back once again.

And there was warm water filled in a wooden bucket, as if it had been prepared in advance. And the image of Anna preparing clothes for me to change into next to the wooden barrel. And along with Anna, there was also Lucy who was staring at me intently.

And secretly, Anna and Lucy are having a war of nerves…What should I say.

Anna seems to have decided to roast and boil Lucy, the suspicious dragon next to her, rather than reject her.

There were food crumbs all over Lucy’s mouth, behind them were piles of bread and baked goods that Anna had made, and bread in Lucy’s hands.

…Wow, it looks like you really ate quite a bit.

After looking at the number of empty baskets, I could tell how much Lucy had eaten.

Anna was strong no matter what she looked like, and if she were to argue with Lucy, she would be the one who gets tired first due to the weight of the crowd.

To be honest, I don’t want to wonder who is stronger, so I hope I don’t have to worry about it.

Anna may not know it, but even in Magia, she will be stronger than Ralof, the shitty head of Waitley.

And the reason I was able to survive until now after being wanted was probably because Anna chose to avoid me rather than fight directly.

If a fairy decides to hide, it will be impossible to find her with her magical talents.

My blurred vision becomes clear, and Anna and Lucy look at me and speak.

And, as soon as I woke up, Nia climbed on my shoulder as if she had been waiting for me. At the same time, the chunk of meat on Nia’s front leg showed that Anna had also fed Nia. And as if she was glad that I had woken up, Nia also greeted me by tapping my cheek with her front leg.

“Are you coughing, master?”

“Cough…? I don’t know. Are your eyes open, Clark?”

“…First of all. But, it seems like we’ve become very close without even knowing each other.”

“Hehe, because it was the master who harvested it. I am also a body that was harvested by the master’s hands, and it is impossible to reject someone who has received and received the master’s grace.”

“…Aren’t you going to ask me how I got there?”

“I will wait for the master to speak directly.”

…

There are various circumstances that make it difficult to talk about. A lot has happened to me in the past 7 years, 5 years of expeditions, 2 years of chase, and time on the run.

I had really suffered a lot during that time, but I didn’t want to pass on this pain to Anna.

“I’m sorry, Anna.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. It really hurt me when my master left me seven years ago.”

“…Sorry.”

“You know what you said the second time, right?”

Even so, that was the only thing I could say to Anna. The energy of magical power felt in Anna now. At best, before leaving here, I could feel that she had become so powerful that she was no different from me, who was an Arch Mage.

“…Even though I canceled the contract, you still call me master, Anna. I can’t even use magic properly anymore.”

The Demon King was powerful. As powerful as it was, the party had to prepare for annihilation, and in return, I overloaded the magic circuit, so I can’t even use magic properly right now.

At best, I can only hold my weapon, the ‘hammer’, in my hand and swing it, throw it, or throw it so that it comes back.

And in a state where he couldn’t use magic, he fought and competed with Dick Nom many times. That guy doesn’t work on magic.

If it doesn’t work, I just have to become stronger to stand up to that powerful body, and that’s all that’s left now.

Not a wizard.

And, compared to him, Anna became a powerful wizard.

I made it that way, and I taught her, but she will become a better wizard than me, even though she can’t use magic anymore.

…

That’s enough.

That’s it.

My father said.

If a person can leave something behind in the world, that alone is a successful life.

Anna didn’t care if I could use magic or not, she smiled softly and held my hand tightly. The warm warmth and touch were melting my cold, frozen heart that had walked through the thorny field.

“Well, the person I decided to take as my master from the beginning was a ‘man’ named Clark – Dawn Bringer. Also, don’t even think about sending me out again. Do you understand?”

“You don’t choose to be incarcerated.”

“How could I imprison the master? The master is an active person, and he can restore the magic circuit once again and walk the path of a wizard once again.”

“…I showed it to a high-ranking ‘monster’, and he said that I would never be able to restore my power at my current level.”

“…A monster?”

“She was the monster that gave me this fur and mask. If it weren’t for her, she would have been much more involved in the Order than she is now, and she would have fought even with the ‘hounds’ of Magia.”

“…I see. Someday, I guess I’ll have to wipe out all of Magia as well.”

“…Stop it, the Demon King is not a monster you can deal with. She is that woman. She is a monster.”

“That kind of monster didn’t step up and drove my master, a master who was much younger than me, into battle. And yet you’re telling me to put up with it?”

“I’ll borrow a saying from a friend of mine. If you explode in anger right away, you’re a fool, and if you forget, you’re a slave. I won’t explode right away, and I won’t forget either. And I’ll pay the price I deserve. I’ll imprison my father and let this situation go. “I will make you pay for causing this.”

What can I do in my current situation where I can’t use magic?

“…Head of the Waitley family, Ralof Waitley. I will subdue that son of a bitch.”

“I do not recommend that, master. It seems that you are aiming to ‘rob the magic circuit,’ but the current master cannot withstand the ‘impurities’ filled with his magic circuit.”

…It’s damn true. Now that Anna has also been taught the knowledge of magic, she seems to have predicted to some extent what I can do and what I will do. She framed her father and stole the magic circuit from that old bastard who was trying to steal the Dawn Bringer family’s assets. I was thinking of doing it too.

He was also an Archmage, but if he fought Anna now, he would definitely lose.

“Secondly, Lavinia, she has a large group of priests. Among those priests, there are people who are powerful enough to be compared to me, including the Inquisitors, and there is also an extermination squad. I think she will go find her fiancee. , And Lavinia will think of that and greet her master with a smile…”

“Yeah, he’s probably going to hit me on the back of the head like that.”

In the end, even going there was blocked.

“…For that reason, it is not a good idea to target Ralof, the head of the Waitley family. However, he will not steal Lady Waitley’s magic circuit.”

“Why do you think I can’t do it?”

“…Then why didn’t you take me, who tried so hard to follow you, to the end? If you had at least used me as a shield, my master wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“…There’s no way I could do that.”

It’s a natural thing.

I brought it, and it is my responsibility. And with my hands, she was able to use magic and became a great wizard, but that didn’t mean I could completely rip off her future path. Of course, Anna smiled at that, came up to me who had just woken up, hugged my head tightly, pulled me into her arms, and stroked my hair.

“…Look at that. For the sake of the young child, to protect the young child who was about to go to battle, the master went into that limbo. He could have pretended not to know, but he didn’t. So, the master can’t do that. “That Lavinia Waitley, you bitch…”

What, what?

And Anna’s sad voice is soon overshadowed by Lucy’s blank voice.

“…Yes, that’s right. Clark, step back.”

And Lucy, who was eating bread next to her, added to it.

There were young children who needed to be protected, monsters that looked like children, and wizards who came disguised as children. If Lucy hadn’t sensed them first and killed them with a spear knife, I would have died several times.

“The appearance of children, but the murderous and dirty desire felt within them. It’s too strong. Clark doesn’t know that. I can’t forgive those who take on the appearance of innocent children and rush to kill them.”

And as if remembering that, Lucy’s mouth fills with fire once again. And hits the floor with his tail. When I think about that time, he would have died without Lucy, and for that, I express my gratitude to Lucy.

“…Thank you, Lucy. Thanks to you, I was able to survive this far.”

“First of all, master, warm water is ready. Would you like to wash?”

“…Please.”

And while saying that, I approach the wooden bucket filled with warm water. I put on the screen and feel the heat that warms my whole body. When I took off the clothes that were no better than rags that I had worn for a long time, they came off as if they were torn, and looking at them, I thought that I had worn them for a really long time.

The sound of another piece of clothing flowing down can be heard through the screen.

And as soon as I entered the wooden barrel first, Anna, who covered herself with a towel, brought toiletries with a sponge in her hand. There was no particular objection to this, and Anna had already been waiting for me to take a bath.

I could have done it on my own, but Anna had been doing it for me since I was little.

Did Dick hear that story? I did it? Although she did ask, the fact that she considers the maid to be her sexual object in the first place is nothing short of crazy. I have a contractual relationship with her, and according to her contract, I cannot disrespect her while working.

And Anna carefully pours warm water over my head, making sure not to get it into my eyes, and pours the water over my body.

Lucy…Is still eating bread.

…Perhaps if I hadn’t roasted and boiled it to eat, I wouldn’t still be here now?

Long hair, long flowing hair, I wash it with water, and then I caress the hair carefully, soak it in soapy water and wash my hair, wash my hair the same way, making sure not to get the soapy water into my eyes.

While she was cleaning my body with a soft sponge, Anna carefully caressed the scars all over my body.

“Isn’t it ugly?”

“…Master.”

Anna’s soft fingers were trembling. Did he read my scars and the desolation that filled them?

Funny enough, there weren’t many injuries from the monsters.

Mostly…

No, almost all of them are injuries inflicted by humans.

“…On my way to kill monsters and their king, the Demon King. I didn’t particularly have any grudge against them, but I was prepared to do it because it was what I said I would do. It was what I said I would do to save my disciple. It was something I didn’t plan on doing. “They were allowed to kill humans and be hurt by things that looked like children.”

…

I remember those nightmarish moments. They wanted to kill me somehow, and I had to survive them. The most elite troops organized to kill the warriors who defeated the Demon King.

Ironically, wouldn’t it have been easier to kill the Demon King if he had that army?

They were powerful enough to make you think, and they weren’t so soft that you could break through them with just a hammer.

As if to prove that I was a frog in a well, I fought with unknown and famous strongmen here and there, smashing their heads, running away, and running away again.

“…It’s okay, master. From now on, I’ll be with you.”

“…Thank you.”

Because I needed her help, I wasn’t smart enough to refuse her help.

And Anna, who continued to wash my body, spoke to me.

“…I called Mira. As per the plan, you should have arrived within midnight today.”

“…Seeing as you couldn’t come, it looks like there’s a problem.”

“…Master, it is said that the church and a large army of Magia wizards have moved to the south.”

“…”

“You’ll be fine. Of course, Mr. Dick told me. As long as the master doesn’t die.”

“You’re not asking for money for that?”

“He said he had no intention of playing with such important facts.”

I thought it was just an old miser.

Once again, I revise my assessment of Dick in my mind. Well, he was always that kind of guy. He is a guy who helps people whenever he feels like it, even if he asks for money and the other person is unable to pay.

He’s a self-indulgent bastard, and he accepts other things in return.

…

Okay, so that means I just don’t have to die?

“Is the secret warehouse safe?”

And then change the plan.

Secret warehouse. And that place was created by me. That location is none other than the birthplace of my student, Lorraine.

The underground warehouse of the ‘Lion Heart’ family.

Of course, when I asked why I hid it in my student’s house rather than in my own warehouse, I worked hard to make it, but my father said that these were inhumanely evil artifacts and magic scrolls. So, throw it away. My father would forgive me if I made any magical inventions or caused any accidents, but of course he did not allow magic that destroyed human ‘dignity’.

That’s why he told me to throw it away, but instead of throwing it away, I stored it in the basement of my student’s house.

“Yes, I’m safe. Are you going to use everything there?”

“…The things I made for fun are all things I told you to throw away, but if I can make a mess of it, if I can save my father with it, I think he will forgive me.”

…If you get scolded later, that’s it.

Yes, if I can save my father from getting scolded.

If only I could save my father.

To be scolded is only if your father is alive.

Therefore…

So please forgive me this time, father.

If I get scolded for using it, I want to get scolded by my father.

“More than that, Lorraine, my student. Is he safe?”

“…That is-“

“…”

“…After the master was declared a heretic – the disciple…”

And the story I heard after that.

…

You damn disciple.

“…He said he was taking revenge on the church and that he needed strength, and then he left Magia.”

“Where did you go?”

“…He said he was going to Camelot.”

…The further you go, the more mountainous it becomes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could at least tell me where you went and your whereabouts?