Seirei no Moribito

"Ha... ha..."

How much the hell have you been running? My breath was rising as I continued to walk with all my strength once in my life, and gradually he stopped. No matter how many deep breaths I take, my heart beats painfully... and every time I feel that beating, I feel safe that I didn't die. But at the same time, it annoyed everyone in the village - the resentment of the village chief torments me.

I'm purely glad he helped me. But I was so angry with myself for involving him... and about the same time, the relief freed from “fear of death” flows down in tears.

"... ugh,... ugh..."

Pity. He said he was so ready, but I ended up - sweet.

Speaking my own words... I betrayed the village chief and made him wear the “treason” stigma.

You should never be allowed to do this... and yet I... I...

"... Laura"

breathing deeply but exhaling roughly, he approaches me sinking in self-loathing,

"... yes, now, you can see, right?

He unbandaged the bandage that was covering his eyes and peered into my face.

The first thing I felt - glare. Yes, one of the sights I haven't seen in a week has not changed.

The sun shoots down, the trees spiral, and the wind carries the smell. Tell my favorite routine...... very warm view. I thought I'd never see it again... Oh, I'm cash.

I'm so happy to be alive.

And he'll be next door. Kind and hospitable...... but full of stuff I don't have, Leo.

Maybe I'm laughing crying right now.

Because seeing his smile makes me laugh naturally and zero... out of guilt, I get zero tears.

"... Idiot... Leo's, Idiot..."

I don't know how you helped me.

But you know, when you came... you were so, so happy, right?

When I was in trouble, when I wanted help, like you always reached out to me, you helped me again this time. Protected me.

... because it's a word you should never, ever say. I'll say it in my heart.

Thanks for coming. Thanks for your help. Thanks for not abandoning me like this, Leo. And... get involved, I'm sorry, Leo.

"... Hey, Leo.... How did you do that...? I became a" tribute ”as a“ witch ”. If you help me... it's the same thing that fought the Spirit Tree and fought the war. Sure, Leo is strong. But I'm... weak. I'll be stuck. Hey, Leo. Why me? Was it me?

What I ask instead is that you have always wondered.

Because there's no reason why he should help me. To me too...... to him too.

As the comforting silence characteristic of nature descended, he said breathlessly and quietly.

"... with all of you, I told you to talk to me last night. I can free everyone from the“ tribute ”position. So why don't you come with me? - Yeah, I went to ask."

He is:

"Then we all said the same thing." I want you to help Laura because my business is good... if the day comes when Laura will have to perform her last duties as a "witch"... save Laura ". That's what they all said. No one, no exception... Nina did the same thing."

"... that's what everyone said? Really... do that...?

"Yeah. I've been making things hard as a" witch ”since I was born. So I want you to help me do my job sometimes. As just one woman, I want her to have a normal life..."

"... I didn't say one thing before me."

"Naturally. Everyone didn't want Laura to be sad. That's why I didn't tell you anything. I wasn't scared. Their fear returns to Laura as punishment."

... Yeah, you are.

If anyone blamed me, if I cried... I must have been crushed by the consciousness of sin.

He became an empty doll with no contents and did evil trespasses.

So everyone... you always laughed at them all.

"Laura, be happy"

Such a wish... you told me.

The tears that were about to stop continue to flow.

Was I such a crybaby?

"... of course, I have a good reason too. Originally I was a" leftover. "I just stayed there because I wanted to protect the people who accepted such leftovers happily. But they're all gone... so I thought I'd take Laura, the last one, and run away."

Plus, I don't mind fighting the "Spirit Tree” all over again, I'll laugh and add.

"The destination is the back of the northwest mountain from the center (Central)... from here, just in the south direction? There's a hiding place where spirits and people coexist -" Inside the Elves ". Some strange people call themselves the" Elves. "

With a soft smile everywhere,

"They are hostile to the" Spirit Tree, "so to speak," traitors, "and no matter what the circumstances, they are famous for their companionship in protecting the inside from the" Spirit Tree. ”If we go there, if we get away with it - we win."

... or chi... my “etc.” s, win.

"'Inside the Elves' is also a gathering of the powerful. If we work with them, we can beat the Rainbow Wings or the Black Wings."

"" Black Wings "... That said, when“ Rainbow Wings ”left, he said“ Black Wings ”..."

It was a small voice, but it sounded unnaturally clear - it made sense that you would like "black wings".

What does that mean?

"... it's okay, Laura doesn't know right now."

I showed him a bareback with something in mind for a moment, but when I saw him behave as usual again, I met that question. Well, I don't know... because I didn't like it.

"Anyway, the destination is' Inside the Elves' to the south, okay?

"... before I do, can I ask you one more thing?

Waiting for my inquiry, I looked at him, wiping his tears and then firmly gazing into his jewel-like jade eyes...

- Are you giving up your life for me?

The conversation is going on in full swing. He helped me, he's trying to. But, but, yeah.

Even I know. What end will be followed by those who betrayed the Spirit Tree?

I have seen the same or more as you. without the art of exchange before overwhelming violence, the sight of being slaughtered.

Desperately begging for his life, he chopped off his limbs, scraped off his ears and nose and gave the sight of his heart being pulled out.

Sight of an ugly corpse lined up in a narrow place, cruelly beautiful and sinking everywhere in a red spring.

I “created" such a sight that there is no excuse, excuse or discretion in the reasons for the action.

It's just that I acted from being “told." That's why my hands are stained with blood.

There were people screaming that they didn't want to die. Some people screamed for help.

I killed them like that. As a foolish sinner who defied Master "Spirit Tree”.

That's why I ask him. I have to ask.

My hands are so dirty with ugly blood that I can't wipe them off no matter how much I wipe them. That is a testament to my sins, which cannot be dropped by any means.

Can you give your heart to such a foolish great sinner?

"- I can do it. Because my hands are stained with blood."

There was no hesitation there.

It is I, Ning Lo, who will cease to speak that word, which naturally came out of my mouth.

He was... unchanged, laughing. Put a little grief on there.

"Laura. You know I'm not“ as good as I look, "right? You think I'm still pretty? That's a mistake. I hate this world. I hate it, so I can easily bet my life on it. Because it's not a battle, it's a massacre that takes lives unilaterally."

Everywhere is sweet,

"It was just self-satisfaction working out everyone in the dojo. On the other hand, it's not fair for me to kill, so I was just dining to make sure that it was fair for everyone. Oh, all the kids at the dojo convinced me. I'm a little late to talk to you, but you convinced me." Sister Laura, please, "she asked me."

Calm everywhere,

"You can never survive in such a cruel world. The first time I found out about it was when I killed someone. [M] I can still remember. It wasn't fear, it was pleasure. The day was plagued by much exaltation. That was the tiny truth. That's why I kept telling myself. Don't forget the fear you felt when you killed people."

Everywhere you like,

"But such an effort was futile.... Laura, you're guilty, it's me. I don't question people dying, I'm a person who kills aggressively. So I became stronger. My strength is even different from Laura's, something very ugly.... You said me and Laura were different. Yeah, me and Laura are different."

laughing hidden from the truth everywhere. He

"Laura hesitates, fears, and regrets killing people. But I'm the“ opposite. "Kill people with pleasure, have fun, laugh - pleasure killer. I've been -“ crazy "since that moment when my brother betrayed me. My nature is ugly like that. Covering it up in dozens and laughing." The Anomaly. "That's me -" Leo Travis. "

For the first time, I exposed myself to the truth.

Never saw it before, never touched it... his darkness.

Being located “exactly the opposite” of me. That's him.

"... the inquiry has to come from me. Laura, I easily risk my life. But I never threw it away. And... I'm not even going to throw it away. That's selfish and selfish everywhere. But Laura..."

Now he looks me in the eye,

- Will you come to me like that?

Maybe I was unknown to the world.

I didn't know one thing about the person I've been with. Even though I could tell that was a mask, I couldn't tell it to its essence.

But I do. I know. So my answer is simple.

"- Pleasure."

He's... he's here, throwing everything away.

He took off his false mask, exposed himself to what he really was, and talked to me on an equal footing. That was something that would smash up the soothing normal relationship so far.

Yes, it was also a bomb that included the possibility that I would leave frightened of him.

It's quite heartfelt to be able to turn fear away from the person who helped...... I knew that painfully from experience. So I know. He's literally "risking his life" right now.

Among the options is killing him and running away on his own. It is impossible to achieve, but it exists as an option.

It could kill you. To the Protector, to me.

If I took his hand, my life would change dramatically. He will live for his life as a sinner who flies the flag against the Spirit Tree. So he spoke honestly.

I was wondering if I could take a hand painted with blood.

... thin, I had noticed.

Occasionally, because I smelled blood from his body. A very thin but definite smell of blood.... only on those days, because a whale roars into the woods and squeals.

That was enough.

I've never known what you killed people for, so I'm convinced now.

If I feel guilty, he feels comfortable. the fact that it means.

... but I take this hand.

Whether you know it or not, it's no different than squeezing this hand.

Because he's my loved one.

It doesn't matter what you're thinking. To me, he's a loved one.

That's why I hold this hand. I don't need any other reason...

"... Leo, I've always... regretted it. Regret and regret... finally, I made up my mind."

Yeah, I made up my mind.

"- I turn to the Spirit Tree. I'll choose that path. I don't regret it anymore, I don't cry. I don't run away from my heart. I realized what an excuse it was to protect the village. Because Leo... told me honestly. Thanks to Leo, I realized I was pretending to be a hypocrite."

After all, I was just running away.

Because I didn't have a place. That's the only place I was ever needed. If I were in that village, I would have been beside everyone as a "witch of the Spirit Tree”.

I think I might have caught sight of it. I'm a "leftover" too. I don't know when they'll kick me out. I've exonerated the “witch” to escape my fears.

The same goes for self-sacrifice. Because if you give up your life to protect the village, everyone will remember me.

I finally get it. I finally realized.

I've always been - scared.

I didn't run away. I just didn't have the courage to run away. I didn't like being abandoned by everyone, so I couldn't escape. I knew I was wrong, but I've been making mistakes.

Oh...... what a stupid mistake.

I wonder how I didn't know such a simple thing. I'm really... stupid.

"... Laura... are you sure?

"... yeah"

Everyone in the village resents Laura.

"... yeah"

"Master Village, even I'm seriously coming to kill Laura"

"... yeah"

"... even I might kill you one day. Still... okay?

"... yeah"

Because I took an oath.

I don't regret it anymore, I don't cry, I don't run away or anything.

"... well. Yeah, that sounds like Laura's choice."

That's what I said, he laughed after all.

I've always seen it, fake...... still have a warm smile.

So I laugh back, too.

Troubled and repented... gradually determined.

I live. I have to live. That's to atone for sins, to fulfill Niña's wishes, and... to laugh with him.

"... Shall we go, Laura"

"Yeah...... keep it up, Leo"

Speaking of, we shook hands.

A little cold, but with a definite warmth, big and... gentle hands.

Aim is' Inside the Elves'.

This is me and his chosen path - something that is rugged and difficult, but must definitely be reached.

And we'll be “best friends” in the true sense of the word... we could have been, should have been.

- We found him, traitors.

Full of more fierce hatred than a snowstorm, a ruthless voice ending, ruthlessly tore his heart apart everywhere.