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Chapter 56 Part 2

「Russell got seriously injured and Sybilla-san was so amazing as always… Once again, I couldn’t be of any help to them…!」

Emmy slashes the Blue Giants with her sword as she sends them flying.

As expected, her attack power is big enough to put a dent in that armor… but, it’s still not enough to do significant damage to the monsters with most of her attacks were simply bounced off the armor.

Armored Gigantes are just too much of a match for the current Emmy.

Perhaps because her mind is clouded, the light from her shield has become somewhat weaker. It also seems that enemies aren’t being blown away as much.

「I don’t want anyone to feel pain and I never wanted anyone to get hurt… That was the reason I became a Holy Knight, but despite that, I…!」

Hearing Emmy’s saddened face and her little mumbling…… opened the door to an old memory I had in my mind.

It was when I cut my finger while helping Frederica cook.

It wasn’t a serious injury, but Emmy started bawling when she saw it.

Both Frederica and I were so flustered by Emmy’s sudden emotional change that we forgot about the injury and then… right, I think at that time, Gemma Baa-san was also there and she healed my injury.

Emmy finally stopped crying when she saw this.

But even after it healed, Emmy kept asking if it hurt for a while that I thought she was being strangely persistent about it.

When I tried to help again the next time, Emmy hid the kitchen knife.

Frederica then asked Emmy, looking troubled.

『Emmy-chan, why did you hide the knife?』

『Because… Russell is going to cut his finger again… and I don’t want him to get hurt, even a little…』

『Russell-chan is? Not because Emmy-chan herself doesn’t like pain?』

『…Un…』

『My my my~ Fufufu, so Emmy-chan has turned into such a caring girl already, huh~?』

The face she’s making back then overlapped with the one she’s making right now.

Ahh…… I see, so that’s how it is.

Even if she wasn’t a person with the highest-ranking Job in the world.

Since that time, Emmy has always been my 【Holy Knight】, huh?

That’s why even though she knows I’m fine, she feels like any attack that would cause me even the slightest pain is her fault, and that causes her to be on the verge of crying.

Even though I have the toughness enough to endure Black Gigante’s attack even if it breaks my arm.

Seriously, just how kind can you be… no, not just that, you’re just so cool that your figure looks so dazzling to me…

I understand it now.

The reason you became the vanguard and I became the rearguard wasn’t because my will to 『step in the front and fight』 was weak, but because your will to 『step in the front and protect me』 was far stronger.

Emmy… you were always way ahead of me, weren’t you?

Among the stories that Jannet told Emmy, there was this one that she always liked.

It was the story of the Hero and the loving Saintess.

A story of a prince on a white horse who shows up at the princess’s peril.

It’s a bit troubling that the male and female roles are reversed but… I think we fit both roles.

But… is it really okay for me to always be the one who keeps being protected in a story about a prince and princess?

Emmy has become really strong, that’s a fact. But …… nothing has changed inside her since she was a child.

——I want to be the prince.

The reason for this was, well…… simply put, I just couldn’t stand still if there was a crying girl in front of me.

But, it’s true that Emmy looks like a princess with her tiara on…… and I knew best that, I’m not the kind of man who’s fit to be a prince.

After becoming a Saint, I immediately realized that I would never be able to be like the prince who protects the princess, or Emmy, the Holy Knight in this case.

Then, I suddenly remembered something that Jannet had said on a whim.

『These days, some women don’t even like this kind of story. There are more and more women who want to establish themselves, who don’t want to be a princess just to be protected… because it makes them feel like nothing but a dress-up doll. A prince may take good care of them and give them a lot of beautiful dresses, but they no longer care about such things.』

When I heard that story, the first thing that came to my mind was Emmy’s face, which is more princess-like than anyone else’s, yet more boyish than anyone else when she’s holding a wooden sword.

I thought I could never be a prince——

——Then there’s only one thing for me to do.

「Sybilla! Sorry, but can you put up more walls to block all attacks?」

「Do you know how unreasonable that sounds!? But alright, leave it to me! 《Stone Wall》!」

「Emmy! Come here!」

「Eh!? R-Russell?! O-okay!」

Hearing my voice, Emmy’s shield regained some of its glow and blew away two Blue Gigantes before rushing here and standing next to me.

Seeing her face soaking with sweat, I quickly cast chantless healing magic at her as I told her my feelings.

「I know that you always want to be of help to me, Emmy, and I’m grateful that you’ve saved me for so many times」

「Ah, that’s… but, the me right now is…」

「And after being your friend for a long time, I now understand that by helping me, you are also helping yourself. I truly think that you’re an amazing person.」

「…Eh?」

I walk around behind Emmy and wrap my arms around her.

A small shriek escaped from the girl in my arms as I hugged her from behind, but I ignored it for now.

「This time, let me save you… from your own heart.」

Something was corroding Emmy, the 【Holy Knight】 who boasts the world’s greatest defensive power.

That is Emmy herself.

I can protect the princess, Emmy, from the spiral of self-blame she’s subjecting herself to.

「《Enchant Darkness》!」

The mithril-coated Dragon Fang sword in Emmy’s hand let out a blackish light as it absorbed the dark attribute magic which I cast with double chant as if it swallowed every bit of it.

It has become the strongest sword with 『Complete Defense Nullification』 that without question will cut through Emmy’s shackles which binds her in a sense of helplessness as she’s on the verge of crying, like cutting through butter with a hot knife.

Emmy’s eyes, which had been wavering weakly until just a moment ago, were now dazzled by the sword glowing with black color.

She held her breath… and as she gripped the handle so tightly that it made a sound, a strong light shone brightly in her eyes.

There is not the slightest shadow of pessimism there anymore.

It doesn’t look like I can be the prince this time too.

Then, there’s only one thing that I need to do——

——I, will just have to surpass the prince in the story.