Ch.445The Selected NPC. (1)

After Caretaker Setan’s death shocked Ira into awakening her holy power, our lives completely changed over the next two years.

“Jack, hand me those herbs and potions.”

“Here.”

“Argh…!! Mommy!!”

“Teacher! Please save our child!! Please!!”

“Yes, don’t worry anymore.”

After the caretaker passed away, Ira briefly blamed herself for only gaining healing holy power after his death. But soon after, through study, she discovered why she had awakened to holy power and painfully accepted that it was inevitable, allowing her to move forward.

Through the holy power she gained from her desire to save the sick caretaker, she began treating many people—those who were ill and those too poor to visit doctors—by seeking them out or having them come to her.

“Thank you so much!! Holy Maiden of the Mountain!! Thank you for saving our child!!! This kindness…!!”

“I’m glad. You don’t need to pay me. Instead, if you know anyone else who is sick or ill, please let me know or have them come here.”

“Yes!! Yes!! I promise I will never turn a blind eye to anyone who is sick and will tell them about the Holy Maiden!! I absolutely promise!!”

In this way, she offered healing through her holy power to many people, sometimes seeking out those who needed treatment, gradually spreading her name throughout our country, Ponia. However.

“Jack, what’s for lunch today~?”

“Well. Some vegetable stew the lady gave us this morning, dried jerky, and slightly hard bread. And I just got some milk from home, so I’ll add that to the stew to make it go further.”

“Oh~ We’ll eat well today~!”

Our daily life with her treating others without accepting payment had changed greatly yet remained somewhat the same. Of course, I never complained about her actions nor did I express any dissatisfaction. I understood better than anyone that her reason for showing kindness to strangers was an act of atonement, projecting the caretaker onto those suffering from illness.

“Jack, mountain patrol again today?”

“Yeah? I only checked the foothills and around the cabin this morning since we left in a hurry. I’m planning to check the middle slopes and near the big cave in the evening.”

“…I see. I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

“Because you’re with me, you can’t earn money and you’re just suffering.”

“That’s strange. I’m with you because I want to be, so what suffering? Besides, people give us food, so our diet has actually improved. I’m just grateful to have you with me always.”

“…Hehe. I see. Thank you.”

And so, at twelve years old, she and I were living a simple but happy life. Not knowing that it was ‘our’ mistake.

“We are messengers from the Holy Nation. We heard there is a Holy Maiden with healing powers here. Show yourself.”

We were too young to understand or even comprehend that her acts of freely giving without compensation through holy power would reach across borders to a distant country that had poor relations with Ponia—the Holy Nation.

“I’m not a Holy Maiden!! People just call me that, but I’m just a doctor who knows a little holy power?!!”

“That judgment is for the Pope and high priests blessed by God to make. You are being summoned by the divine and will now be transported to the Holy Nation—?!!”

*THWACK!!*

“Stop talking nonsense. Either leave, or get buried in this mountain. Your choice.”

When many armed adults came to forcibly take Ira away, I naturally swung my fists. Ridiculously, they were weaker than the monsters or human-like beasts and bandits I usually cleared from the mountain.

After planting my fist in the jaw of each one who couldn’t understand simple words, I sent them away with a final warning that next time I would treat them like bandits. Not knowing that this was our ‘second’ mistake.

“Criminal Jack who has imprisoned the Holy Maiden, surrender immediately!!”

“…What?”

We were too young to know how easily the people of a country we only knew by name could corner us and kill us through the dirty tools of ‘power and politics.’

The guards stationed in Poria village and the soldiers commanded by the lord, along with the priests from the Holy Nation who had previously been beaten and driven away by me, made me an innocent criminal. With the absurd story that Ira was being held captive, they brought troops to arrest me. As I helplessly watched them drag away Ira, who was crying and screaming that she didn’t want to go, I truly wanted to die. And then.

“Criminal Jack will be executed on the spot—!!”

“Stop!! If you kill Jack, I’ll kill myself!!!”

“H-Holy Maiden!! What are you—?! Take away her weapon—!!”

“Don’t come near me!! I’ll die before Jack does!!!”

It seems Ira felt the same way. She stole a sword from the waist of the priest who was dragging her away and created a substantial wound on her thin, fragile neck. Blood began to pour out as her once sparkling, galaxy-like purple eyes grew cloudy, proving that her words were no bluff.

She was truly prepared to die before me if she couldn’t protect me and was going to be taken away.

“C-Calm down, Holy Maiden! Instead of living with that inadequate, barbaric boy in an old cabin, we promise a much more luxurious and stable position and life—”

“Shut up!! When did I ask for such things?! Get out!! All of you get out!!”

*STAB!*

“Ah, aah!! A-Alright!! W-We’ll leave, so please don’t—!!”

As the self-inflicted wound on her previously unscarred body deepened, they backed away in panic. Slowly backing up to my bound side, Ira continued to scream at them with a murderous glare. Get out, don’t come near. But.

“…Ira.”

“Get out!! All of you get out right now!!!”

“Ira!”

“Huh?! Jack…?”

Even a fool like me understood. Even if we temporarily drove them away, we could no longer stay in this cabin. We had to leave this mountain, painted with memories of the caretaker and where his grave lay. And even if we fled, if they tracked us, we couldn’t avoid being captured.

And Ira had no reason not to know this. So.

“Ira. Calm down a little. And untie me first.”

“…Okay.”

Once freed, I looked at Ira’s thin, small neck bleeding from the wound I couldn’t protect her from, then approached those who still hadn’t left and were watching us.

“Why do you want to take her away so badly, even creating crimes that don’t exist?”

“Jack?!!”

“Th-That’s absurd! Y-You are a crimin—!”

“I don’t mind dying here with Ira. Speak properly.”

“Gulp…?!”

We had no way out. So we had to hear them out. Seeing me declare that I didn’t mind dying with the girl who seemed ready to commit suicide at any moment, they sweated nervously before finally speaking.

They explained that holy power granted by the gods was decreasing across the continent. The Holy Nation was trying to prevent this by increasing believers and educating people to manifest holy power, but with minimal effect. Then they discovered Ira, a girl with tremendous holy power in this distant land, and wanted to take her to restore the weakening holy power.

Their self-serving story gave me a headache, but what they said next made both Ira and me flinch.

“I-If the continent’s holy power continues to decline, we won’t be able to respond when demons appear or plagues strike in the future! W-We’ve confirmed that the girl called Holy Maiden has been treating and healing many people! If that was truly done with good intentions, then for the sake of healing and treating more people! To reduce the number of unjust deaths!! Wouldn’t it be right to cooperate with us?!”

Ira and I were speechless at his words. Honestly, I didn’t care much about how other people lived or died, but hearing that immediately reminded me of the caretaker’s final moments. So.

“…Give us time. And erase the rumors about me being a criminal. Come back tomorrow.”

“Jack!!”

“…Very well. I expect a positive answer. And don’t even think about running away. If you do…”

“I don’t need you to tell me that.”

After driving away the soldiers, guards, and priests who had swarmed us, we fought in the cabin—crying and shouting. Truly, agonizingly painful.

“…Jaaack!! I don’t want to go!!”

“I’m sorry, I’ll become stronger. Next time I’ll become strong enough to invade the Holy Nation and bring you back. So…!!”

I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to leave this place where we lived with the caretaker. The choices we made as children, wanting to keep everything, were a series of ‘complete failures.’ I never understood this until the moment I died.

*

“…Insane. I made that choice? I chose to send Ira away? Am I really crazy?”

“Watch more. If you keep watching, you’ll understand everything.”

And watching that choice made my insides feel like they were about to burst through my throat.