12 – I saw a girl 2

I told Erill about everything I could.

Even though she is not related by blood, as she is a daughter, she wanted to hide the story about Elua…….

Rather, she thought it would be closer to the truth she wanted to know, so she told it openly.

“… ….”

She stood there blankly for several minutes with an expression that said she was at a loss for words.

Then she asked if what she had heard was really real.

“That’s right, Susu. The reason why the devil has awakened now…… Is it because the emperor banished the hero?”

“Yes. I don’t want to reward myself for saving the world.”

“Uh, how? How…… Something like that.”

Everyone will react like this.

If all living things in the world are in danger of perishing because of greedy people doing troll things like dogs.

It was like scoring an own goal in an attempt to perish what had already been solved by hitting the goal.

Ilil’s mouth didn’t know that she would shut it up.

“There…… Did my mother do that? That’s a lie.”

“There is no reason to lie about something like this.”

“Ah… ….”

Even thinking about this, she had no reason to lie.

Rather, she seemed to put a puzzle together.

That guilt-filled expression must have been because of that.

At the same time, numerous questions came to mind.

There’s no way that kind mother would do that…….

I’ve never heard of a fiancee again.

If you didn’t really love the hero, why are you crying like that?

She had no way of knowing.

“So, what are your impressions after hearing it all?”

“…… I feel so sorry for the warrior.”

He didn’t want to receive her sympathy, but Chaejin felt that her mood improved a little after hearing her sincere words.

Indeed, it was very little.

“What do you think it would be like if you were a warrior? No matter what the betrayal is, the world is in danger again, so if you ask me to save the world again.”

“If I were a hero… ….”

Iril pondered and answered.

“I hate it, I really hate it, but I think I will. Because I want to protect my precious people, and I don’t want innocent people to suffer.”

“Maybe I did too. If only there was a person who was precious to me. There was once, but I was betrayed by all of them.”

“… ….”

When she first saw Chaejin’s back, she thought that her back was very broad and dependable.

I don’t know if it’s because of this full ring, but I was able to intuit it at a glance.

That person is a warrior.

I was saved by that back figure…….

It was definitely like that, but when I think about it again, it seems like it looks small, shabby, and lonely.

The hero who was thought to be the second greatest in the world after the goddess was also just a human being.

“Leil, do you want me to come back and save the world?”

“…… Yes.”

For some reason I felt shameless, but Iril struggled to squeeze her voice out.

Because I want to live.

Her mother, who was born cursed and took care of herself, whom she thought was useless, and her younger siblings, who treated her without prejudice even after knowing that she was cursed.

Because I wanted to live…….

“But what? I don’t know why I should save the world. I don’t want to protect anything, but I don’t have the motivation to go through that hardship. Rather, it is full of people who betrayed me and made me miserable. I don’t even have myself there. That demon has reawakened and is much stronger than before.”

“Then I can’t help it…… It’s just that I don’t like it because I’ve been through such things.”

“Hmm, giving up quickly. Without hanging around a little longer.”

“Uh, that, that. Too shy to do that…… The hero is in a position that doesn’t matter even if the world perishes. I want the world to be saved, but I can’t leave my greed to the hero.”

Did Elua teach her well, or was it her natural nature?

I like the answer quite a bit.

It wasn’t enough to make her heart sing, but it was enough to make her likeable.

“As you may have heard just now, it is practically impossible to defeat that demon without the protection of the goddess. If this continues, the world will probably end. In my opinion, definitely. Everyone dies.”

“Ooh… ….”

Tears began to flow from Iril’s eyes.

She did not intend to cry, if she said that, she would have no conscience.

He felt sorry, but Chaejin didn’t stop talking.

“Under these circumstances, how are you going to live the rest of your time?”

“I, I…… I’m going to fight. To the end.”

“Are you going to fight? How can you, who seems not to be strong and even in poor health?”

“Hey, even if you are weak, you can still fight! The result is not very good, but…… Still, you can do a meat shield or a chore. If that’s how we can delay destruction even by a second…… !”

When she said that, her voice was filled with fear and spleen.

For some reason, Chaejin was so desperate that she had to put up with her bloody laugh.

‘She knows that she will perish for nothing, but she will fight to the end. Without clinging to the hero in front of her…….’

Isn’t that a pretty noble spirit?

However, I feel that this is not enough.

The Goddess told her to find a human with a will that is brilliant and noble enough to move her heart.

But I still can’t feel anything that moves my heart.

It didn’t matter if I handed over this blessing to Iril, but Chaejin didn’t know how to hand over her blessing.

She is something the goddess did not specifically tell.

She guesses that if she has the right person she will know…… With that thought in mind, Chaejin continued to drive the girl in front of her.

“Well then. If there is a way that the world can be saved by your dying, are you willing to give your life?”

“The way my death will save the world…… ?”

“Yes. Although you will no longer be in a world that has become peaceful.”

“I… ….”

Iril blurting her horse’s tail.

She wondered if she was worried, but she wasn’t.

“I want to do it right away! If there was such a way, I would do it right now!”

Call immediately.

I was just collecting her voice.

‘This guy, even if she asks to sacrifice alone, is she ready to sacrifice her one and only self at any time?’

Throbbing… !

As if I had been attacked by surprise, I felt a sense of ‘moving my heart’ for a moment.

Hwaak-

Chaejin, noticing that something energy was radiating from her shoulder, looked at her bare wrist.

Her pure white, shiny tattoo-like things covered her hands before she knew it.

Could this be the materialized form of ‘God’s Protection’?

Seeing that Illil in front of me couldn’t see this, it seemed certain.

Slowly….

The light of the tattoo soon faded.

As if it’s still not enough.

Chaejin glanced at it and opened her mouth again.

“…… Why are you so excited I was just giving an example.”

“Oh…… ! I thought it was real because it was the words of the hero…….”

“Saving the world couldn’t be that simple.”

“I heard and saw it. Well, there’s no way a life like that would have such value. It was just too presumptuous.”

“There is a way to become a hero instead.”

“I, really!”

“Do you want to become a hero?”

“Yes, yes! I want to become a warrior! I want to become a hero and save everyone!”

Chaejin deliberately explained with a mischievous smile.

“If you become a hero, even if your head is cut off and your heart explodes, you won’t die instantly with the power of divine protection, right? Even if you receive recovery magic very well, your internal organs will come out and your limbs will be cut off, you will recover quickly and have to fight. It doesn’t lessen the pain though, so it really hurts terribly. After repeating such a fight countless times, I have to fight the devil alone, and I don’t know if I can win or not. Even now, that demon is in a much stronger state than the first time I dealt with it. Even if you fight, you will probably die.”

The more he listened to Chaejin’s words, the more Iril’s face became covered with fear and astonishment.

‘Hero, even after going through such things, you were betrayed, called back, and forced to do those things again…….’

And in that feeling, there was also compassion for Chaejin.

“Even if you grit your teeth and endure and do everything, in a peaceful world, a hero might be betrayed in the name of danger. How is it? Do you still want to become a hero?”

It was definitely a scary and terrifying story.

A hero with the power to save the world.

Countless lives must be carried on its back.

She had no idea what her name would weigh on her.

You may go crazy under the pressure.

Even so, she wanted to become a warrior.

Because that was the most perfect way to prove that you were born into this world and not useless.

If he, who was born cursed and despised even by his real parents, becomes a warrior to save the world, he will surely be called a great person.

For that, she felt like she could overcome any ordeal.

Iril cleared her mind and answered.

“Yes. I want to become a warrior.”

Hwaak-

Once again, the tattoo on Chaejin’s skin starts to glow.

Now it covers almost the entire upper body.

An idea popped into his head as if someone was pitching a topic.

There is still a final test left.

She must pass through it before she can pass on this protection.

No, not exactly.

Chaejin’s heart, which was extremely disappointed in the existence of a human being, would melt and be able to move again.

Chaejin sat down in front of her and extended her finger towards the sword behind her.

“Hey, do you see that sword?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Pick that up and stab me in the chest as hard as I can.”

“Yes!? Uh, why?!”

“That way I can hand over the Divine Protection to you. The way to become a hero is to kill the former hero with your own hands.”

Iril’s body stiffened.

“Such, how…… How is that?”

“Why? He said he wanted to become a warrior.”

“But, still, I can’t kill the hero with my own hands…… !”

“Then you can’t be a hero? Like I said before, I have no intention of saving the world. If someone doesn’t become a hero, the world will perish and all the things you wanted to protect will die and disappear.”

“… ….”

Taking her steps, Iril gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.

Chaejin felt a well-forged blade pointed at his back.

“Go ahead and stab me. Just in time, I am tired of living.”

Iril doesn’t know that even if Chaejin dies, he will only return to his original world.

She was at a crossroads of her choice.

“I, Hero, I… ….”

Finally, Erill closed her eyes.