The Witch, Who Once Was Called A Saint

"That, Ios. Uh, I'll talk to you in order... just, listen"

"Oh, oh."

Astraia then coughed to drive her own failure out of the corner of her head.

I didn't even think about it at all, like I said that.

"You know what? I'm actually over 400 years old."

"Huh?"

"It'll be longer if we talk, okay?

Then, the two of us brought it to the great tree, and slowly Astreia began to put her memory into words.

That he was born in the countryside about four hundred years ago and found the talent of a magician.

A kingdom attacked by an empire, where a strong fighting force was desired and a ritual of summons was performed.

That dragons have empowered people. And - that as a result of gaining power over people, they had become bodies that were neither old nor dying.

"If the magic was really fully restored, you'd be pretty strong, wouldn't you? Ever since I met Ios, I've never had magic all the time."

Finally, Astreia tried to tell me with the intention of joking, but there was no response from Ios.

……

"Um, Ios"

"... I know I can't tell you - why didn't you tell me, I want you to tell me"

"'Cause it's heavy."

"Yeah, that's why I know. My selfishness."

The overlaid hand was gripped hard.

I thought it hurt, but I didn't say that.

It hurts, but I don't want you to let me go.

"Cursory, I think I want to solve it."

"Yeah."

"I don't know if I'm going to succeed, but I'm going to try and get a dragon."

"Yeah."

"If I fail..."

"It's just practice, it's"

"... something like that? I've failed for years."

"Then I guess the training is well done. Or maybe it's something different in the first place, then we'll look for clues together... what are you laughing at?"

Astraia, so said, realized for the first time that she was laughing.

"No, I didn't think it was funny. I'm just... I'm just a little surprised that I've never thought I'd be alone in a short period of time."

Then Ios blinked a few times, and then he seemed to think of something.

Astreia tilted her neck wondering what was going on.

"... careless things, can I say?

"What?

"I could see you, too, because you didn't break the curse. So, you know, it was really helpful to me."

"What's that?"

"Sorry. I'm on my own, me"

"I know that."

It's not like Ios couldn't solve immortality.

Instead, I didn't even think of solving it again if I didn't meet Ios.

So Astreia stood up and then looked back slowly.

"I wanted to talk to you more, so I made up my mind."

"... it would be cool if I cursed you here."

"I'd have trouble getting too cool, so maybe it's just fine"

"Something tells me it's unusual to be flattered. No, this is your first time?

In that reply of Ios, Astreia understood that not much seemed to have been conveyed that she wanted to tell.

Words from the heart, but I have the courage to say it again if I have received it as a joke in person.

(... well, that's when immortality is solved, okay)

Astreia, who had a deliberate cough with Cohon, informed him that he was headed to the fountain where the recall would take place.

On that road, as I recall, Ios snapped pompously.

"But four hundred years ago, I'm kind of convinced"

"What?

"The power of cure. Not now, but you had it then. It's just not in the literature, and it seems very valuable."

"No, that was just me taking on the injury, the recovery technique..."

Astreia, who tried to answer honestly, closed her mouth on the way.

Bad. That's what I didn't say.

"... injured, undertook? Can you do that?

"Yeah. It'll heal."

Return it as calmly as possible, but Ios' voice hardens.

Yeah, maybe they're pissed that I'm unscrupulous. But if you didn't, the person who exercised the technique would have been dead by now, and Ios probably understands that. So you shouldn't be angry...... etc, suddenly I got my hands on it.

"Let's hurry. Where do you recall it?

"Wow, I'm surprised. What's the sudden matter?"

"It hurts not to die. You want to. You have to curse now so you can't be impotent."

"What's that?"

Apparently, he's recognized as someone who's pretty unscrupulous.

I've never been so unscrupulous, and so on, and Astreia ran slowly.