Volume 9 Chapter 13 The Fugitive And The Sleeping Beauty
I, who was called by Hinata, headed towards the entrance.
Suddenly, a man wearing a leather jacket with a hood pulled low visited our home.
At first glance, I knew.
He was a human from Asteris.
The quality of magic power is different between Earth humans and the people of Asteris. However, what's strange is that his manipulation of magic power is not that of a warrior. Perhaps, he is trying to release as little magic power as possible externally. The only magic power I can sense from him is the one flowing within his body for physical enhancement.
It is rare for a magician to keep their magic power so contained within themselves. If they were to gather magic power externally, it would become an invisible armor or a form of sight. Many magicians surround themselves with magic power to defend against or avoid unexpected attacks.
However, this man is the complete opposite. It's as if he's suppressing his magic power within his body, almost making his existence disappear.
He's a rare type. Magicians like him can be troublesome.
Everyone I've encountered so far has been an assassin.
Regardless of his background, he must be a guardian.
"Are you Silver Hero?"
The face he showed from under the hood was difficult to make out due to messy hair and stubble, but he appeared younger than I imagined. Perhaps similar to Lisha or even younger.
"There was a time when I was called that. Now I'm just an ordinary person."
"I'm Nest Anguise. ──Finally, we meet."
After introducing himself as Nest, the boy placed the large box he was carrying on the ground. The box was too big for storing weapons. Although the entrance of this house is quite spacious, it was still a tight fit.
But what surprised me wasn't its size. When Nest opened that box, I was left speechless.
In the dimly lit room, soft cushions reminiscent of bedding covered the floor. Resting upon them was a young girl.
Nest opened the lid and immediately dropped to his knees, his head colliding with the floor.
"She is the 'key,' Bertina. I am a coward who couldn't even protect her from the demons, let alone escape the enemy magician."
As I stood there, stunned by his words, Nest continued.
"I...I...abandoned Saint-sama——Mevia-sama...and fled all the way here."
"Did you...did you meet Mevia?"
I asked, my voice filled with astonishment.
Saint Mevia. One of the four heroes who journeyed with us to defeat the Demon Lord. She was the same Saint who had saved countless lives with her magic. I had heard that she had even rescued Kanami during the battle against Larkan on Earth. It seemed she had mentioned going to protect another 'key' at the time.
That must have been Nest and the others.
Nest kept rubbing his head as he replied.
"We arrived in this land together, only to be attacked by enemies. I found myself powerless, and Mevia-sama allowed our escape, urging us to depend on the Hero. Hence, we've tirelessly sought you and traversed this arduous journey."
In his mournful tone, there was deep regret.
The human designated as the guardian abandoned Mevia, the 'key,' and fled—a stark contradiction to their very purpose.
Despite such adversity, he successfully reached this point.
"Please, help Bertina... Her pulse is fading, and—"
"I understand."
As I intervened, Nest hastily raised his gaze.
Why the surprised expression? Anyone would respond that way.
"For now, come inside. It's difficult to talk here, and if you want to save her, we don't have time to waste in a place like this."
Roughly, I can't help her. Anything other than battle is beyond my expertise. Moreover, Mevia asked me for help. It must be something serious, not a normal injury or illness.
"...I'll show my gratitude."
I nodded at Nest's words.
This should be fine, Mevia.
Just wait for a bit.
* * *
We cleared the table and placed the box where Bertina slept.
Bertina, wrapped in a mixture of red and golden hair, was a charming girl with freckles.
The fact that she's a 'key' means she might be a Saint, possessing those qualities.
According to Nest's explanation during the bath, Bertina seems to be in a comatose state due to a demon's curse.
Mevia mentioned that, even for her, the curse nesting in Bertina's soul is something she can't deal with.
While I've dealt with parasites and spirits, curses are completely out of my league.
It's good that you declared it nicely to Nest, but it's better to ask an expert here.
"Lisha, do you know anything?"
According to Mevia, there seem to be individuals with the potential to break this curse, and Lisha might be one of them.
"I'm sorry. I can't do anything about it."
"Well, that's true. It seems to be a different field. Didn't you learn curse-breaking magic at the church?"
In Asteris, magic varies among individuals, but there are universally usable spells like healing and curse-breaking, mostly monopolized by the church.
According to Mevia, it is essential to have both personal aptitude and devotion to the goddess to use those spells. Lisha should know about them, but she shook her head.
"I have learned various types of magic in the church. I can also use curse-breaking magic, but if I can handle it with my magic, Mevia-sama would have already broken it."
"That's true."
When it comes to things like this, Mevia is the best in Asteris.
If she says she can't handle it, then this curse must be quite strong. There are many strong demons besides Lord Lord.
"So that means someone else has the magic to break this curse, right?"
"Yes, that seems to be the case. ...Why did Mevia-sama know about such things? I haven't heard any information about other Saints having that knowledge in the church."
"Ah, I don't know the details, but it seems to be highly classified information. I heard about it when Sharla mentioned the potential of being a Saint, but it seems Mevia didn't obtain the information through official channels either."
Saint is originally the church's black box. Saint herself and the information are, in principle, strictly confidential. Mevia, who was naturally traveling with us, is special.
Nevertheless, if that's the case, who can unravel this magic?
The 'keys' currently with us are Lisha, Sharla, and Bertina-san. Bertina-san is excluded since she can't lift curses on her own. Sharla's magic is 'Meikai,' so she's not the type to undo curses.
According to Mevia, there are six 'keys' aside from Mevia. From Kou and others, we heard that one person was killed in the early stages of the war. And Finn from the Sarnold Empire, allied with the Try Order.
That makes it five.
So, the last one is――.
"Ah."
A girl in my mind came up. Probably the youngest participant in this battle.
Yunea, a spiritual woman resembling her elder sister, gazed with ice-blue eyes and adorned snow-white hair.
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