Chapter 22 part 2

While thinking that this girl’s manner of speech is very adult-like, I entered the house and laid the foal on top of the table she indicated to me.

She grumbled in a low voice with her brows creased as she leaned over it as if to check on its condition.

“This is terrible; there are marks of it being beaten many times. Will you bring me a clean towel from there?”

When I pa.s.sed several towels to the girl from the shelf, she was pouring a drop of liquid from a small bottle she got at some point into the wounds.

As the glittering drop touched the wounds, they were healed in the time it took to say “Ah!”

Just now, what was that?

Without even giving me time to be surprised, since she said ‘water,’ I went and scooped water from the kitchen-like place. This room is mysterious, but the kitchen was also strange. There a lot of pots from small ones to larger ones, and in a shelf tall as a wall, there are many transparent bottles tightly lined up, their content being something I cannot guess. Liquids, solids, also colorful contents, but there weren’t any things similar to being immersed in the formalin of a science room, as one would have expected, so they didn’t give off a bad vibe. Nonetheless the room from earlier is also strange. It’s by large not a place where a young girl would live. On the walls, stuffs like skulls are hanging from kitchen knives as if to be shown off. It’s entirely like a room used to perform black magic.

Tilting my head at such a house I return to the room where water is scooped. Apparently the previous acts have ended some time ago and the foal has been wrapped in a clean towel.

“The wounds have been closed. However since the blood loss was severe it will be useless if it doesn’t get some rest.”

She wets the towel in the water I brought, and wipes the blood away.

I also confirm that the foal’s condition has stabilized as I help her, and become with a sigh. But I wonder what was that liquid from earlier. It healed the wounds in but a moment.

“Uhm, that from just now,”

“It was magic. It’s not that unusual in this era, right?”

“…No, it was pretty unusual.”

(T/N: the word used for plenty/enough, etc, is written十分, ‘ten minutes’ xD i guess because ten minutes are enough for many things? xD)

In the first place I haven’t seen much recovery magic. Lord Cleric also used it, but it was only a moment and I almost didn’t feel anything. And what’s more, I heard that since recovery magic is high cla.s.s magic, the humans that can use it are only a handful in the world.

This girl who used it, just who on earth is she?

“Oh, that so? …By the way, how did this child get this hurt?”

As I tell her what I saw a little while earlier, the girl nods in understanding.

“I see. I’m sure those fellows are from Tiruzoto. Saying that from the old days the Unicorn is the Holy Beast of their country, they force them to submit. They take them as prisoners as done with this child. Although originally they should only be touched by pure maidens, a lot of people want to make them into things to show off by touching them… so pitiful.”

‘It would be great if there was a way to help them’, she muttered.

To think such a situation would exist. It’s no wonder then the terrible way those people treated this child.

Then I wonder if the mother of this child is nearby, or is still together with that people. If those people are the messengers, then they’ll surely meet with the Prince’s group.

Is this, a trap? I wonder just what do they want to do by even bringing their country’s Holy Beast over here?

“Does a Unicorn have something like a great power?”

“A great power, huh. Well, it is something to be called great. For a little while it can stop the opponent’s time, and perform an attack similar to light magic.”

Isn’t that quite dangerous. If the Prince’s time is stopped and then he is attacked, and ended up dying, the country will fall to chaos. Is that what they are aiming for by bringing an Unicorn? Holy Beasts are creatures that countries abiding for peace won’t raise their hand against.

I’m sort of feeling a hateful premonition.

“More than that, I wonder if you are human. There’s something a little off about you.”

“Huh?”

“Hehe, I can tell because I’m a witch. Since I’ve been holed up for several centuries already my ignorance of the ways of the world is my charm. After 500 years pa.s.sed I stopped counting the days because it was such a bother.” (T/N: she says she has been hikikomori’ing xD (引きこもってる) )

I feel that that she has come out to me with something ridiculous. Witch? Hikikomori? Over 500 years old? Aah my head has started to go around and around because of thinking too much. Could it be that she’s the same as that person? Just by remembering so my hair stands on end.

“I’m, you see, what was it again… Timotea, yes, call me Timotea. (T/N: Teemohteh-ah, as in Spanish.), Without honorifics, I hate those. You are?”

“I’m Vito. I’m working as a servant in Alvina Country.”

Is it fine not to tell her my last name? It seems likely that there’s no meaning in telling it to this person. Even so somehow I ended up talking politely. Is this is also a witch’s POWER?

“So? Your true ident.i.ty is?”

— Ugh. Somehow I can’t lie.

“… I am a Dragon.”

“Oh my, a Dragon! Then you may be an Earth Dragon! I wonder how many hundreds of years has it been, but it has been a long time!”

Her pupils are s.h.i.+ning brilliantly. She is a grown-up already,  but her happily smiling face is the expression of a young girl.

“How can you know I am an Earth Dragon?”

“Because amongst all Dragons, only Earth Dragons can change forms.  Were you not aware of it?”

“Should I say I’m not? it’s a little complicated.”

Is it fine to tell her this or not? But Lady Timo… But Timo has something that makes me say everything.

I don’t know if it’s because she is a witch, but for the first time since I came to this world, I told everything to someone else.

Starting from the Vizan’nu mountain, that I came down the mountain because I became fed up of the subjugations done by the nearby human population, that I eat human beings, about the human beings that I met, everything.

I’m surprised about having told such things to a young girl who doesn’t look like she has lived more than a decade. Even though I’d usually be wary of her or dodge the talk.

Maybe, I am tired of thinking too much about various matters. Even so, I’m actually naïve inside, in a bad meaning.

Timo was me listening silently to my story. I wonder because … while nodding occasionally, that’s why, how, I ended up saying everything.

“Ooh. A human’s memories.”

Timo thought about it a little and then she showed her point of view; ‘I don’t understand’. She says.

“It’s very interesting but unfortunately I don’t understand it. But if the world is not only one it is not  a strange thing for this to happen, right?”

“Yes, I wonder why?”

It’s the first time I hear that the world is not only one. I wonder if there are still a lot of other worlds? I’ve forgotten with whom I discussed this with, but we’d talk about parallel worlds, or the world line, or so.

“That’s right. And why you have become this way, and the reason and origin of it, are things n.o.body knows. It seems you’ve ended up like that because of chance. If so, it’s fine to find an answer for yourself. Anything’s good. If you can turn ‘chance’ into ‘inevitability’, you’ll become a living being with peace of mind that can find their own deserved reason d’être. (T/N: not sure.) I am also like that. I am here doing research because I have something I want to achieve.”

In a place like this where people won’t approach, you are researching?

“The world is such a thing. Aren’t you a little worried because you were told that you have to help this country as an Earth Dragon?”

“…I do not know. In the first place I almost have no awareness of being an Earth Dragon.”

“You don’t want to be aware of it, right? I understand that feeling. Saving the country is too heavy of a burden. It’s not like you’re a hero.”

“… What in the world, do you think I should do?”

“You’re asking me about it?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s right. We are supposed to think about our problems on our own.”

“You, really, are very serious.”

Laughing with a ‘huhu’, she had an amused look on her.

“You end up brooding about it because you’re too serious. You end up carrying the responsibility for every little thing that has a connection to you. But you know, it’s fine if you don’t think too deeply about things. The species known as the Earth Dragon has certainly been drawn to Alvina whenever there is a looming crisis. But, even if it was so previously, n.o.body knows what will happen from now on, right? Not getting caught by preconceptions, it’ll be good to do just what you want to do. Because there’s nothing tying you down.”

“But, didn’t the previous Earth Dragons help the country while under a contract?”

“That’s why don’t get fooled by that. Those children weren’t doing a mission for someone else, they formed a contract and protected the country by their own will.”

Now that she says it I feel like Lord Cleric said something similar as well.

“No one can impose such mission upon you. That mission, is something meaningful by being something that decided by one’s own will. I think so. You as well, aren’t you thinking that somewhere inside. That’s why it’s fine to do what you want to do without thinking too much. It’ll be fine to act however you want to act. Ans please make that into your reason for existing. Even if it results in you hurting others.”

Timo directed a calming smile towards me.

“Please obediently accept my words. You can still turn back if you fail because you’re young.”

Speaking of which, isn’t Timo over 500 years old, thinking about it, it’s funny. She looks like a young girl on the outside, but the content is that of a quite old grandma. To receive a life ADVICE from someone like her. It was strange, but it made me a little happy.

— Is that so, it’s fine not to thinking too deeply? Nothing will happen even if I think about it. The reality before my eyes won’t change. What changes is just my own feelings. Becoming depressed, or rejoicing, it’s just that. If thinking about it won’t give you an answer, then it’s fine not to think about it. It’ll be fine to do what I want to do. I can regret it afterwards. It’s likely that I might had become crushed by my own thoughts of fearing failure, and fearing disappointing others.

I had become sensitive to each and every issue, because of believing that I had to think deeply about it since I couldn’t understand everything.

Even if I think of ‘For what reason did I became a dragon with human memories’, I won’t find an answer. Because the answer is not within my brain.

Then it’s fine to just stop thinking.

Even if I am the legendary Earth Dragon. No matter if I’m being revered in Alvina as the presence that protects the country, it is something they arbitrarily decided and has nothing to do with me. Since I have some attachment to the country there is also a sense of guilt as a human, and I also think that a lot of people might die by my decision, but ultimately the one that chooses is me, not anyone else.

I want to live walking the road where I have no regrets, even though I may be insulted, or even stoned while being insulted.

The living are always selfish. I believe that it’s instinct for living beings to try to act for themselves in the first place. So I, by my own will, shall live a selfish DRAGON LIFE.

— So, I decided.

Maybe it was because I was pondering, but I noticed that I tightly held onto my skirt on top of my knees and had my eyelids closed.

Opening the eyelids, in front of my eyes is Timo. Swinging her hair that reaches her shoulders and is the same color as her amethyst eyes, she was smiling.

I get a warm feeling just by looking at that smile.

“Thank you. I have organized my feelings.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I’ll say plenty if my words can be of any help to you.”

And she’s a really kind person.

I noticed when Timo said it, that I might have wanted to receive an opportunity to someone, so I smile wryly.

But it won’t do to stay here forever. I stayed too long. And we spoke a lot.

It could even be that the Prince’s party has already met with Tiruzoto.

I totally forgot the reason I came flying here at full speed. Dangerous dangerous.

I was relieved to hear a slight sleeping breath as I stared at the child Unicorn.

I’ll be at ease if this child is entrusted to Timo.

“… I, I have a place I need to go to.”

“So it seems. I can take custody of this child. Do me the favor to tell its mother to come pick it up.”

“It has been a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yes and, come here if you are lost again. I’ll become your strength.”

Making an adult-like face unsuitable to a girl Timo saw me off.

Timo is a really mysterious person. Well that’s because she’s a witch.

She answered all of the things that had been making me suffer until now. She didn’t give me the answers I wanted, but showed me the way that leads to those answers.

I’m feeling refreshed to the point of wondering just why was I suffering because of those things.

However I wonder, why are they so irritating.

The ones that harmed the Unicorn child, those people.