Volume 2
Chapter 7
Caught Up with
Us
Translator : PolterGlast
【Sage's POV】
"Shougo!!"
One of the guards of
Akana, whom I was carrying, cried out.
Above my head, the
pink-haired woman, whom I had assumed wasn't following, was already there, and
her arm had extended from her body, turning into a tree trunk and piercing one
of the guards.
Since his body was
pierced by multiple tree trunks, so naturally, the man was dead. He was
spitting blood from his mouth, and his eyes were vacant.
I was more shocked
that the woman was manipulating the tree trunks than by the fact that the guard
was dead.
It's simply
impossible. As humans, the only means we have to move other things or cause
other phenomena is magic. Even with magic, it is impossible to directly
manipulate the shape of a living thing or change its form. There is also a
thing called necromancy, but that's just manipulating a body as an empty shell
after killing the target. Body strengthening is merely shaping something like
muscle fibers with mana to enlarge muscles, and weakening magic is merely using
mana to gain information about the other party or hinder their body movements.
It is impossible to
interfere with a living creature and manipulate it at will.
That woman was doing
it effortlessly. She had stepped into a realm that even I, a sage, could not
reach.
Not good... I was too
naive. I should have abandoned my foolish idea of escaping from her safely.
There's no other way.
I'll jump to the magic circle I marked outside the forest. I'll have to abandon
the guards... it can't be helped. They are people I have no deep connection
with.
───Teleport!
My body disappeared
instantly and jumped to the magic circle I had originally set up outside the
forest───
"───!?"
It didn't activate!
Why!?
Could it be... that
she saw through it? Was it destroyed beforehand...? All the magic circles I set
up!?
"Ngh..."
Sweat formed on my
temples. How many years has it been since I've been in such a crisis?
I extend the four
fingers of my left hand.
The guards of this
girl are all skilled. But at this moment, how many of them will notice?
I can't afford to
hesitate.
I used my four fingers
as a starting point───and created a light
source with maximum luminosity using magic.
The entire area in
front of me, and even the surroundings, was enveloped in a soft yellow light.
It was a level of light that would definitely rob anyone's vision if they
couldn't adapt.
I take this
opportunity to make my escape. I continue to jump from tree to tree in the same
direction.
"Sage!"
I heard a voice from
some distance away.
When I turned around,
one of the girl's guards, a woman, was running alongside me. Even though she
was the first to voice her dismay when her companion was killed, she quickly
switched gears and realized my intention in that instant.
"………You noticed
my intention well."
"Well, yeah. I
understood that you considered that woman to be quite dangerous."
"……"
Did she read my
thoughts and make a judgment based solely on the information that I considered
her dangerous? She's quite sharp and intelligent.
It's true that
fighting an opponent known to be dangerous is a foolish thing to do. From the
beginning, I had no choice but to run away. Even if she caught up with me, I
would only move on to a means of distancing myself.
If she instantly read
my thoughts and made a judgment like that... then she is───
"Sage"
"───! What is it?"
The woman's voice
pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Do you have any
means to break out of this situation?"
"……"
"If you have
something, I will do my best to support you. But, if you don't───"
"I don't."
"………I see."
The woman accepted my
words without changing her expression.
"Do you have
anything on you?"
"No,
unfortunately."
"I see. Then,
stop talking and just───"
"But, there's a
way to let you and Lady Akana-sama escape."
"………What do you
mean?"
I thought I would get
a negative answer, but I got an unexpected reply.
"We shadows are
still alive. We've all noticed your intention and are scattering in different
directions."
"───!"
"One person
stayed behind to stall───but they probably
won't last more than a few moments. She'll be back to search for us soon."
"………What are you
planning to do?"
"Right."
When I asked the woman
for her opinion, she gave her answer.
"We'll attack her
in turn. Sage, please keep running towards the edge of the forest."
"───!"
The choice the woman
made was to sacrifice her own life.
"………Are you
sane?"
"Yes."
"Why would you go
that far? For a stranger like me, and for this empty shell of a master?"
"……"
When I asked her why,
the woman closed her mouth for a moment.
"Why, huh?
Indeed, from your perspective, our actions may seem strange."
The woman smiled
wryly. Then, closing her eyes, she tightened her expression and explained.
"……Lady Akana is
a kind person. Since she was young, she has been concerned about her parents'
health and has greeted us guards with a smile. Even now that she has grown up,
she has not forgotten that kindness. At the same time, Lady Akana was also strong.
Even when her father, Lord Nine, whom she loved and admired, collapsed, she
didn't become discouraged. She sought out what she could do for the family and
went to the lord's territory alone. We know that Lady Akana is a great person.
Therefore, we can put our lives on the line."
"...She's an
empty shell now, though."
"Even if her
heart is broken now, I'm sure Lady Akana will get back on her feet. After all,
she is the daughter of Lord Nine and Lady Arie. She has seen their backs───someone like her can't
end like this."
"That's a blind
trust."
"Yes, it's blind.
We know that she is such a wonderful person. I'm sure Lady Akana will do
something incredible in the future. If I can be a pillar for that future, I
would be honored to give my life. That's all I need to be able to give my life
wholeheartedly."
"……"
"Lady Akana,
please remember this. We will always be with you. We won't disappear here, we
will continue to be in your heart. So please───please seize a good
future, a good happiness, Lady Akana. This is a temporary farewell, but... Lady
Akana, we love you."
Saying so, without
looking at me once, the woman left this place.
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