Trap

“……This place is”

An unfamiliar ceiling was there when I opened my slightly heavy eyelids. It's a ceiling lined up with beautiful wood grain and the calming fragrance of wood is wafting. Moreover, my right half is soft.

I cautiously look at my right side. I wasn't bothered by it because Mylene's usually there but, I've currently left her in the Kingdom. ‘In that case, who's at my right?' is how it is. I'll reluctantly give in and say that it's fine if it's Lisicia but……

“……Uun……ara, you woke up huh, Sonny”

The one who was sleeping beside me was……the Queen. I jump out from the bed at once and take some distance from the Queen. I look at my body and I'm wearing clothes. Albeit being tremendously thin clothes, the Queen was also wearing clothes.

“……Why, are you sleeping with me?”

“‘Why', it's because I sang you a lullaby?”

……Why the h.e.l.l is her response interrogative. I sit in a chair that's slightly away from the Queen. Why the h.e.l.l does this person care so much about me. I don't get it.

“Ara, you're making the face of, ‘I don't get it', aren't you?”

“Obviously, isn't it. Towards me, whom you've met for the first time, you said things like ‘think of me as your mother', and you slept with me like this time. What are you thinking?”

“I'm not really thinking about anything that difficult. I'm just creating a place where you, a benefactor of this country, can let loose”

“……It's becoming a bother instead”

I was about to go outside as it is, but the fragrance of a flower gently approaches me. And then, I feel a warm sensation on my back.

“Geez, you sure are stubborn”

The Queen who pats my head while she's saying that. Kuu, what the h.e.l.l is her deal, really! Brus.h.i.+ng away the hand that pats my head, I leave the room as it is. s.h.i.+t, when that person is nearby, I ended up unwittingly remembering about Okasan whether I want to or not. That's what she might be going for though……s.h.i.+t!

“……This is a type of curse”

“Curse?”

I couldn't quite get the doctor's words. This wound is a wound that's inflicted by that boy who carried a scythe. I can understand if it's poison or something, but I wonder what's this ‘curse' about?

“Dark magic power is going inside from this wound and it is becoming a really small curse inside. If it is just this small magic power then it is not that much of a threat, but the problem is the fact that it absorbs the magic power of the person it entered and spreads out. In reality, you should know that the black bruise has spread out even more in comparison to yesterday”

It's true that the wound that's there has spread out more and it seems the entirety of that black portion is painful. Although Cel is saying that he's fine and enduring it, it's clear as day to me, who's been with him since a long time ago, that he's putting up a front and enduring it.

“The method to cure this is?”

“It is impossible for me. It has to be someone who can use a Priest's anti-curse or you have to use a Magic Tool. Another way is to have the caster cancel it”

……Because we didn't bring along a Priest to this war, we have no choice but to search for one within the Demihuman Country huh. Or, we find that guy and capture him.

Although it's frustrating, it looks harder than finding a Priest. Although we held our own against him in practice, it looks like he still hasn't gotten serious yet.

“Well then, excuse me”

“Eeh, thanks”

After seeing the doctor off, I look at Cel who wears his clothes. As I thought, his right arm is swelling up and it looks painful to even move it. I think it's also difficult for him to swing a sword.

“You'll sit out this time's war, Cel”

“……It cannot be helped huh. I suppose I will be a hindrance instead if I am around”

“Geez, don't say such things. In any case, we're rear support. There's no need for you to push yourself”

I gently stroke Cel's cheek. My chest tightens when I see Cel who looks up at me. Although I want to bring him into the room as it is, I've got to restrain myself since we're in the middle of a war after all. But, a kiss or so is fine, right?

I carry on to silently move my face closer……but, a bell suddenly chimes in the town. Although I couldn't hide the irritation for the fact that I was interrupted, the sound of this bell, it's to alert of danger. I wonder if something happened.

When Cel and I went outside, black-coloured lightning in the sky was falling on the town. Wh, what's happening!?

What I made out from afar was the figure of a Black Beast running around inside the town. I've never seen a monster like that before. It has an aura so intimidating that my body trembles from just having looked at it. A monstrosity like that was running around.

It was blowing soldiers away one after another, dropping lightning on the buildings, the inside of the town was in a sea of flames, and screams were reverberating.

And then, that monstrosity came towards us. Although Cel stands in a way that he s.h.i.+elds me, it's naturally tough for Cel, whose right dominant hand is in pain, and he was blown away by the monstrosity's tackle.

That monstrosity carries on to head towards Cel's direction. And then when it brought its face close to Cel, it didn't attack him somehow and just smelled him. After staying motionless in that situation for a while, the monstrosity looked somewhere and ran off in that direction as it is.

I don't know what in the world happened but, did we make it? I bewilderedly lift Cel up. Although his right arm is swelling even more because of that tackle, it looks like his life isn't in any danger. I'm glad. As I'm checking if he has any other injuries

“Arrest him!”

I heard an order. And then, soldiers encircle us, encircle Cel. Cel was arrested by the soldiers and I was separated and kept away from him. As I'm standing motionlessly without even knowing what's going on, the Commanders came.

“You are under arrest for having led that monstrosity here. Bring him away!”

Cel who was then brought away as it is. No matter how much I try to stop it, I'm unable to stop the Commanders who concluded from seeing the sight just now that Cel led it, the sight of Cel not being attacked by the monstrosity for some reason.