The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

"... before this happened, no, at the very beginning, I should have killed him."

Ruth remembers Addy when she hears Wonok murmuring.

Ruth.

Last I heard, Addy was a deaf boy. Still, playing fun with the village birds, attending village events, putting tea in when Ruth came, reading books with laughter, it was a small period of less than a year, but it was like a normal child.

I don't think he was after Ruth's life from the start. He was exactly the ”Addy” child at that time.

(I'm angry, I'm sorry, and I think it's a betrayal....)

Ruthie......

But I didn't think Wonok would have killed me from the beginning.

All I can think of in his life is remorse. It was painful to think of him pointing a knife at Ruth, weeping.

"... I'm sorry."

"Mr. Wonok...."

Ruth was stunned by the words of apology that came out of Wonok's mouth. It's not the usual tone or the right accent. Serious words really showed him that he felt responsible. Like Ruth, Fan seemed unable to hide his surprise in Wonok's words.

After some thought, Ruth decided to put his current feelings to rest.

"No... it was more of a problem for me to be led without suspicion... if I had thought about it properly, this wouldn't have happened."

Instead of thinking about the possibility that Alec and the others were reaching a solution on their own, Ruth entered the ark, driven by the idea that they had to stop.

Now that I remember, there were a number of strange things about Addy's behavior, but I didn't think about anything. Ruth is not at all responsible.

"... Wonok, Ruth. Speaking of which, we are also responsible for not realizing how Alice was interfering with Zagres."

Fans' hands touch Ruth and Wonok's.

"There were three of us waiting to wake up. They happen to be long-lived species, and they've been waiting forever. But all of Alice's loved ones, human beings, were short-lived."

How unbearable it was for a loved one to realize that he or she would be forgotten about his or her existence with the change of times when he or she could only see the nearest thing dying in front of him or her one after the other.

"Alice has endured it alone for thousands of years. If I had been in the same position - I might not have been able to bear it - Zagres would have ruled me long ago, and it could have been worse."

Even in Aristotle Telesia's position, she murmured that she couldn't discard the possibility that she wanted to wake up quickly.

"We were unaware of her suffering. Pushing everything against her, we slept without knowing anything. Rather, is the act a greater sin than anything else?

Each felt responsible and the room was filled with heavy air.

(What should I do? Are we all happy now?

I don't know what the right answer is in my life after all.

Truly, if Takashi Tanisaki had uncovered Miyamoto's lies and been able to get a little closer to him - if he hadn't died at that point, it might not have been right for the manager to use Alec. Then there was no such confusion. The administrator must have thought of another way.

(That's right... that manager thought of as many other ways...)

Administrators who were obsessed with the complete awakening of the “One who fulfills the wishes of the stars”. I would have thought of another way to do that. The method is not always better than it is now. It could have been worse.

(Even Zagres....)

As a result, the method of using Addy worked well this time. But Zagres, who had been on the surface for thousands of years and moving behind, couldn't have thought of any other way. Dozens, hundreds, if not hundreds, of ways of resurrecting myself.

Anyone who has a strong wish is free to pretend to advance.

"... I think so. Even if Addy wasn't there, and Aristotle didn't want me to wake up, Zagres might have used other methods to lead me there... and now I've even lost my soul."

It was Zagres, who even controlled Aristotle Telesia. Adding followers like Addy is never difficult.

He happened to be nearby, so he must have been given a role in luring Ruth out.

If he couldn't do it, he would have done something to bring the orphans to the village and get lost in the dungeon. In that case, not only Ruth, but also the residents of Hashi village approached the ark and might have been caught in a big mess. I'm sorry about Ruth's physical damage.

(... Besides, the most important thing for me now is to save Alec. It is not the case that it sinks because it feels responsible.)

I don't think this time it was "still good". But if you don't move forward, it's the pot that they think you're going to lose consciousness because of all the bad things. While this was happening, Zagres' magic was steadily opening the gates of the sky.

"So, let's not talk about this if we don't. Now, I think it's time to stop Zagreth's magic."

"... I see."

Fans with a sinking face unexpectedly loosened his expression as he turned to Loose. I stroked my head with a slight smile.

"Ruth, you're stronger than I thought."

"That's not true."

I want to save Alec, and that's all that makes Ruth stronger than usual.

"... I have some good news for you."

"Good news?"

When Fance got up from the bed, he brought something with a black cloth from the corner of the room. When I came in front of Ruth, I took the cloth I was on.

"Look at this."

"This is...!

Below the cloth was a transparent sphere slightly larger than the palm of the fan's hand. The surface of the sphere depicted several magic squares, including a heart filled with red liquid.

A heart in a clear sphere - I remember this sight.

"No way, this is my heart...?

"Yes, this is the heart you pulled out by Zagres. Remember that?

Ruth remembers that Addy had this when he fell. I also heard the sound of falling on the ground after being slashed by Orha. I knew Alec's complete awakening would destroy his heart. But...

"... why is this here?

Wonok brought it to me.

Huh?

"Fans"

Once again Wonok raised his frustrated voice, but Fance completely ignored it and proceeded.

"At that time, we just woke up and our bodies didn't move, and as it was, Zagres' darkness swallowed us and assimilated us - one step wrong and we almost disappeared. The four of us, the two brave men, and Wonok were the ones who escaped that place, protecting your heart."

"I didn't think Zagres could take in a man as powerful as you, so I just hurried to retrieve it. It didn't mean anything."

"That doesn't explain why Ruth went to get his heart, Wonok."

"It just so happens... it's in my eyes."

"You're as stubborn as ever. If you pretend to be coincidental, more..."

They kept on having a friendly conversation, but they didn't get into Ruth's ear very well.

I stared at the heart in front of me.

The heart was still pulsing strangely. It even looks like it's connected to the body. It was supposed to be a long time since Ruth's body was taken out, but it was a strange sight.

"This... is moving..."

A fan stopped talking to Wonok and placed the sphere in front of Ruth.

"Yes, as you can see, it's still moving.... this heart is not dead."

"Didn't you die?

"That's right. If the connection doesn't fail, the heart can pulse again in the human body."

"... I mean, you know... eh?

I didn't understand what Fance was saying, and when Ruth raised his face, Wonok opened his mouth.

"If we can even get your body back, we can implant this heart and move it again."

"... you mean maybe I can come back to life with someone else's body?

When I didn't think about it, there was a light in Ruth's heart. I thought I'd spend the rest of my life in this doll body, but I might be able to live as a person.

But that's Wonok. He didn't shake his neck vertically easily.

"I'm telling you, it's not 100 percent. It was a removed organ once. In addition to my regenerative abilities, it is impossible to return the hearts of all the souls in the doll to the body without the power of Thomas, who manipulates magical phantom crystals, Geo, who can activate the mutilated parts, and Yeremias, who guides the mind.... at best sell them a charm."

"Wonok, I don't use such mean language. It's okay, Ruth. Both of you have connections and affections. [M] I just need a favor... no, you don't have to, but you're happy to help me. Of course, I'll do it myself."

Behind the reassuring smile, I hear Wonok's daunting voice saying, "As if you were trying to get to know them, you know them."

"... but there's another problem. I can't use this method if the main unit is rotten."

"Ah...."

It has been a long time since Ruth's heart was pulled out. Normally, if you don't have a heart that circulates blood to your body, your body will rot. Even if you know that you can use your heart, it will not be possible to return it to the boulder once the body has decayed.

"But when you last saw Alec, he was still healing Ruth, wasn't he?

Huh?

Well, then. I still don't know... there's no choice but to bet on the brave. "

Alec didn't stop healing, even though he knew Ruth was dead. Whether the others gave up the treatment, or in a situation where the magic was rampant and confused, they were betting their hopes on Ruth's body. Wonok said he felt a wave of healing just before he was absorbed by Zagres.

(Alec....)

If the body is still healed with high magic, it is highly likely that the body will remain in shape immediately after falling without decay. If we can retrieve the body as it is, we can connect it to the heart in the way I mentioned earlier.

"Well, in the first place, the biggest problem remains that your body remains in the ark with brave Alec...."

"Ah... that's right."

Ruth, who was hopeful that she might be able to return to the body because of the bitter smile of Fance, became a little calm. The problem is piled up. It's not that easy.

"... aside from that."

Fance puts a cloth on Ruth's heart again. Looking closely, the cloth had a magic square drawn on it. This is how they are stored to protect them from impact. It seems safer than putting it in a bad drawer.

"Anyway, this heart is alive. You still have the possibility to return to the body of life... this is the last good deed of the man who led you to death."

"No way, Addy...?

Ruth remembers the boy who finally showed tears while pointing at the knife.

"His actions are not permissible... but I think there was a big conflict between his beliefs and the feelings he was born with."