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Volume 6 Chapter 6 Part 4

Translation and editing by Team Foxsunes

｢That, that’s too cruel!｣ The man explained it indifferently, but there was no way I could swallow it right away. It wasn’t only I who felt that way, the man who was explaining it must have felt the same. I could see how he would have forgiven the current situation from his tone which was a mix of annoyance and anger. That’s how it should be. No matter how many times this man insults her, he wouldn’t be honest and admit but the princess is one of the important friends he has. He must be irritated right now since all he could do was watch while the princess was in danger. 

｢Agedilus-dono!｣

In midst of water splashing around, the youth Heinrich came rushing and his usual composure was nowhere to be seen. He slammed the turban out of irritation, the turban was heavy and had soaked up a lot of water. He was away from the water dragon’s harm thanks to the barrier but his face was filled with haste. 

｢Agedilus-dono, I’ll take all the responsibility so you can do whatever you can. Please, save the princess…..!｣

He sounded as if he was about to cough out blood. His voice hinted that if he could’ve been able to help and that he would’ve helped even if it meant giving up his own life for it. I could see that the man quietly tightened his grip around the staff he held in his arm after hearing the youth’s plea saying that he was powerless and all he could do was to depend on the man, depending one someone was the best thing he could do. The man seemed to have silently made up his resolve and that sight suddenly made me anxious. I put my hand over the man’s hand holding the staff and he looked down at me with his sunrise-tinted eyes. I stared back at them. 

｢Edi, what are you planning to do?｣

｢I’m going to exterminate the water dragon, we can’t exchange it for the princess’ life｣

｢Please, I beg of you. I’ll―Heinrich Jado Roberts will take the dishonor of the spirit killing. No matter who it is, I wouldn’t allow them to criticize you or Filmina-dono. ｣

As I gasped at what the man had said, Heinrich made a contract by swearing upon his name. In this country where people have an immense importance to the spirits, murdering a spirit with one’s own powers isn’t something that was about your status or how people viewed you, it was a great sin that could even inflict some sort of impact on your soul. Heinrich said that he’d take such a sin without any hesitation but to that, the man shook his head. 

｢No, Heinrich-dono, this is something I’m doing out of my own will. I want you to support the princess after this.It would make no difference to me since I am already considered a monster, demon lord slayer, and spirit slayer, sounds wonderful to me.｣

The youth Heinrich stared at the man with surprise for saying something like that in a calm tone. That was a completely normal reaction to it. There was no way this man, who is a magician, doesn’t understand what it means to kill a spirit. Albeit knowing that, he’s saying that he has no intention of making someone else take the burden of spirit killing. Ah, heavens. This is why I say that this man is dumb. He really is hopeless and dense, my dear person. 

｢Edi｣

｢What is it?｣

｢Please don’t forget that if you are going to commit a sin then that sin is mine too.｣

I wouldn’t let him take the burden all alone, even if he begs for it. 

Upon hearing my words he smiled, his smile was really beautiful and kind. 

｢You are an idiot｣ he muttered and I laughed back and said ｢That can be said for both of us｣ now… .let us same the princess. The staff in the man’s hand got lifted up, high in the air. The magical orb shone brighter than before, the water dragon moved its neck towards us as if it had noticed a change in atmosphere. But, it’s too late now. As the blade of light was to be shot from the magical orb, a huge scream caused my eardrums to vibrate. 

｢Stop it!｣

The medium came running towards us desperately, ignoring everyone trying to stop him. And with that vigor he clung to the man’s arm holding the staff. The orb stopped shining probably because the man lost his concentration. Edi and Heinrich gave a dreadful stare at the medium and they seemed as if they were going to click their tongue. But the medium didn’t get intimidated by that and he raised his voice desperately ｢Please, please do reconsider it, Agedilus. That water dragon has brought prosperity to this land since I was young, it’s my important friend! If my friend disappears then the prosperity from this land would disappear too! And more than that, I don’t want to lose my friend!!｣

His screams were far too painful to be referred to as stubbornness of a child. He was raised by the surrounding as someone who should be respected and someone who shouldn’t be approached lightly, so for him the spirit must be irreplaceable. There was no way he could’ve stayed quiet to witness his friend perish. His heart that wishes for his friend to live on, it is something that I can relate to. 

｢―Edi｣

I called out his name and his eyes that were looking at the medium annoyingly got directed towards me. He might’ve noticed that my feelings had changed. The man’s beautiful face was warped due to a frown. I gently brushed his cheek once and smiled. 

｢If we could suppress the princess’ divine aura then we could suppress the water dragon’s power right?｣

｢Yeah, what about it…..?｣

｢Then you probably haven’t forgotten that my body doesn’t get affected by the power of the spirits right?｣

I deepened my smile at the man who looked down at me, as if to ask what I meant by all that. It was an awkward and ugly smile but even so, a smile is a smile. A smile can even be turned into strength. For the person smiling and as well as for the person to whom it is directed. That’s why I’ll smile. I’ll keep smiling. Previously, when a year had passed from the slaying of the demon lord, during the festival ceremony, I had physically destroyed the barrier set by a spirit when this man’s half brother was kidnapped. That’s because the spirit was frightened and ran away due to the presence of the high tier flame spirit left on the scar on by back and if that’s how it is then. The man seems to have understood what I meant. He gazed at me as his face grew paler. 

｢Filmina, you aren’t going to…..｣

｢I’ll take my leave now!｣

｢Oi!!｣

I escaped from his arm when the time was ripe. I dodged his hand that was immediately extended towards me, and with thay energy I ran towards the princess. I thanked from the depths of my heart that I wasn’t wearing a dress, but pants. If it was a dress then I wouldn’t be able to move this swiftly. The whirls of water that was attacking others didn’t hit me as expected thanks to the barrier that the man put on. The water that flew out of the body of the enraged water dragon that coiled around the princess’ made my body cold and wet mercilessly but it wasn’t the time to worry about such things. There were important things, far more than this, something that I cannot afford to lose. I created a path through the water dragon’s body by force and kneeled before the princess trying not to fall down. 

｢Princess!｣ 

｢Fil,mina…..?｣

Princess’ voice calling my name wasn’t elegant and strong as it always is, it was rather very feeble. Her eyes were shining brightly but they weren’t beautiful at all. Nobody’s going to accept such brightness that was against the princess’ will. Without hesitating, I hugged her. She widened her eyes with surprise and then she began to twist her body in order to be freed from my arms.

｢Do, don’t. Get away from me, quick!｣ 

｢I don’t want to.｣

｢Filmina…..?｣

Come to think of it, I had seldom opposed the princess. It was partly because her opinions were always right, and partly because I was scared that she would hate me if I opposed her. But now, I can’t be bothered by something like that. There was no other option than denying her. Even if it was a request, even if it was an order, I can’t obey it. 

｢Things I can do are insignificant and I know very well that I am useless. But, I think of you as an irreplaceable friend. Princess, I can’t afford to lose you. Please, let me take your burden and let me carry it with you.｣

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