127 – symbol-5

“You have to sacrifice your life completely… What were you planning to do? It wouldn’t be common to say something that would answer such a condition.”

“That’s what I was trying to think about after we met.”

It was an act without a plan, but there was no other option.

In the first place, even meeting a unicorn in person was unsure. Despite the signs of divine beasts scattered throughout the forest, it could take days or even weeks to meet the unicorn.

If Nerwen hadn’t been there, the situation was so bleak that I wondered if I would have to do this and find another way.

“The food that unicorns like…”

It was also a bit strange to treat an intelligent body that spoke openly and clearly as a horse. I couldn’t help but be confused about how to treat this strange unicorn.

“I knew things like food and places, but it wasn’t going to solve the problem.”

The survival instinct is the desire of all animals. Regardless of the unicorn’s intelligence, there is no beast that would easily allow such a condition.

“Do you know what that means?”

I shook my head slowly.

I met a unicorn, but more than half of my plans were already shattered.

If a unicorn could have such a mature conversation, it wasn’t an existence that could be sacrificed like a horse or cow.

Even if it takes longer and the risks increase, you may have to find another way.

“Among the young unicorns, the curious show off their strength with the knights. They keep their innocence and annihilate evil, and the bond they create gives rise to children who completely trust humans.”

“…”

“A unicorn is created that genuinely believes that things such as empire and honor are incomprehensible to be valuable. Just because that companion considers them valuable. It makes them think it is worthwhile to give their lives.”

In a way, it may have been natural.

It is an empire. It is not simply giving one’s life for one’s master or one’s comrades.

It was no longer an ordinary act of words at the point of understanding such an abstract concept and being able to sacrifice for it.

“You’re going to do that? Artificially? There are many humans who rode unicorns, but few fought alongside them. Even fewer were men, and even fewer unicorns chose to sacrifice themselves for their companions.”

“…sorry.”

What I said was obviously rude. If an elf suddenly approaches a human village and says, ‘I came here because I need the corpse of a human who sacrificed his life’, how should he react?

At least, the attitude of the unicorn looking at me as if I was funny and stupid and trying to kindly and kindly explain why it didn’t work was overly mature.

“What is it for? It doesn’t look like it lacks power.”

I didn’t mean to cheat. If you affirm that, you really commit murder without any excuse.

“I want to go back. To where I was.”

“Hoo…”

The unicorn came towards me, sniffed and sniffed.

“Is it far away?”

“It’s a very far place.”

She smiled slightly and nodded.

“Then fine. Use me.”

And the unicorn said something completely incomprehensible.

To think that she, who had been explaining how outrageous that was and why she couldn’t accept it, accepted my words so easily.

It was incomprehensible. No, my actions should not be acknowledged.

I can’t sacrifice her for talking casually just a moment ago and even saving us even though it wasn’t necessary.

“no.”

“Don’t be too burdened. What will you do if you need it? I’m going to die soon anyway, so I’ll go with the belief that I’ll use it for something worthwhile.”

I didn’t know how long a unicorn’s lifespan was, but I heard that it’s not a creature that can’t die like a phoenix.

But is it okay to take her life so easily?

“I just needed the help of an outsider. If the price is my life, it’s a bit expensive, but I can’t help it if I need it.”

“There is no need to overdo it.”

“It doesn’t change if you live a little longer. If you live a long time, you will feel it even if you don’t want to feel it.”

However, after coming this far, I couldn’t go back empty-handed.

It’s really not like her life is going to be today or tomorrow, and if there’s not much time left, it doesn’t matter if she waits for a natural death.

First, I had to listen to her request.

“What do you want?”

She turned her head and looked back.

I could see mountains that stretched endlessly, literally rising high into the sky.

“I want you to go inside and do some cleaning.”

/////

Believing her words that she would explain the details later, the carriage moved forward slowly.

However, the forest became steeper, and even when he broke tree branches with his sword and removed heavy rocks, his limits were gradually revealed.

“I don’t think I can ride a wagon any longer.”

Eleanor, who took turns driving the carriage with Ceres, shook her head.

“Let’s camp here today. Will you be all right, Unicorn?”

“I don’t care. Are you okay, man?”

There was no need to run too fast. He needed time to plan for the future, and he needed time to figure out Celia’s problems.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Above all, it is not an extreme situation in which someone dies if I do not act immediately.

After preparing for camp, I immediately approached Celia.

/////

“Why can’t you just do that?”

Enerel, whose right arm was torn off and bleeding, glared at Celia with a resentful look.

“When I was at my worst, even though nothing was done…”

A corpse hit by an arrow turns its head. He was also Enerel.

“Why are you pretending to be sorry?”

Enerel, whose entire body was covered in bruises, spoke to her naked in the water.

Celia closed her eyes and ears. Of course, those fantasies did not go away.

But it wasn’t those easy fantasies that made her suffer. The fact that the fantasy did not disappear even if I closed my eyes meant that at least I could recognize that everything I saw now was an illusion.

But more voices came from the invisible void.

“Why did you do that?”

“What now…”

“It’s disgusting and selfish.”

The many voices coming from many directions confused her.

I knew that magic power was irregular. I also knew that her mind was becoming increasingly unstable.

But Celia thought she could bear it a little longer.

I didn’t know that I would pour recovery spells into empty illusions and panic and buy worries.

A white light passed by, and I could tell that there was a conversation.

Unlike Enerel’s voice, where dozens of words overlap, I could hear a little of what others were saying if I paid close attention.

Farseer asked if she was okay dozens of times, but Celia couldn’t bear to answer. Even if I said it was okay, they wouldn’t believe it.

The carriage moved, and after a while it stopped again. However, Enerel’s voice continued to criticize her.

I grabbed Farseer’s hand and got off the carriage, but I couldn’t bear to open my eyes.

At that moment, he felt a firm hand gripping Celia’s shoulder.

“Tell me straight, are you really okay?”

It was the real Enerel.

/////

“Tell me. What really happened?”

Celia’s condition was serious. Aside from dealing with the unicorn, the situation could not have progressed without calming her down.

Regardless of whether or not there was any personal affection left, she was the only cleric and healer in this party.

Even a small wound that can be healed with one stroke of her hand, it takes a lot of time to heal naturally. Even considering the strength of the hero, it would make me sting for a few hours.

In practice, being so distracted was extremely dangerous. The longer the fight and the more enemies, the exponentially lower combat power, and eventually you will be defeated.

Fortunately, once I put my hand on her shoulder, Celia’s breathing stabilized. I don’t know what this means.

“Enerel, Enerel, Enerel…”

After calling my name several times, Celia turned to look at me.

“Calm down. Calm down, tell me what you’re looking at.”

If you’re seeing an illusion, it’s dangerous. If she was under attack, or if she was shaken by the changes in nature itself, we could be next to her.

Celia, who had barely caught her breath, looked at me and smiled sadly.

“I’m sorry, I’ve become a useless person after all.”

“I don’t think now is the time to worry about that.”

“I see Enerel. Here, there, all over the place.”

“Don’t be shaken.”

“Unlike Enerel, who’s holding my hand now, he’s very fierce, and he honestly tells me what he doesn’t like…”

Her white hair had become a mess before she knew it.

“I’m scolding you so that I don’t dream in vain.”

Celia’s smile, as if she had given up on something, felt unwelcome.