Chapter 109: Words I’d Never Heard (8)

[109] 16. Words I’d Never Heard (8)

(Rosalia, Rem, and Dorn stand with solemn expressions in front of the Dragon King’s Heart.)

Rosalia: Rem, am I right about what I’m thinking?

Rem: Yeah, you probably are.

Rosalia: The Dragon King’s heart… (Takes out the Dragon King’s Essence from her clothes.) This…

(Rosalia approaches the giant heart as if in a trance.)

Rosalia: (Looks back at Rem with a tense expression.) I just do this, right?

Rem: (Nods.) Go ahead and try it.

(Rosalia brings the Dragon King’s Essence to the giant heart.)

Rosalia: Finally… This entire journey… The meaning of my life…

(The Dragon King’s Essence touches the Dragon King’s heart.)

(Silence falls.)

(Rosalia is silent. Gradually, a look of dismay crosses her face.)

Rosalia: Is, is it taking some time?

(Again, silence falls.)

(The Dragon King’s Essence shows no reaction. Rosalia’s face gradually darkens.)

Rosalia: W-Wait, this can’t be… Skuld clearly said that the way to fix it was here…

(Rosalia rubs the Dragon King’s Essence against the heart.)

(But the Dragon King’s Essence still shows no reaction.)

Rosalia: No… This can’t be happening…! This can’t be!

(Rosalia starts violently hitting the heart with the Dragon King’s Essence. Small cracks appear on the heart’s surface.)

Rosalia: Fix it! Fix it, damn it! Something’s supposed to happen!!

(The heart cracks.)

(A piece of the heart, the size of a human head, finally breaks off. What falls to the ground is nothing more than a simple stone.)

(Rosalia collapses to the ground.)

Rosalia: Why… Skuld clearly said… Why… What have I been doing all this time…

(Rosalia lies face down on the ground. She clutches her head in despair.)

Rosalia: This can’t be happening…

***

Rem tried applying various magic tools to the giant heart. But all he felt was an inorganic coldness.

In other words, it really was just a rock.

“…Isn’t there anything here?”

Rem shook his head at Dorn.

“If there was something here, there would’ve been some kind of reaction. This is… just a fossilized corpse.”

Just like with Rosalia, disappointment settled on Dorn’s face.

Dorn ran a hand through his hair and asked,

“Then what do we do now? It seems like this was the only way to fix the Dragon King’s Essence.”

“…I’m not sure.”

Rem gave a pained smile and turned his head.

Rosalia, sitting on a rock.

She was sitting there motionless with her head in her hands. The sword that had been thrown to the ground hinted at her emotions.

“…Do you want me to talk to her?”

Dorn, who had also been watching Rosalia, asked cautiously. But Rem gently shook his head.

“No, I’ll talk to her.”

Rem smiled faintly at Dorn.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say.”

And then, he slowly walked towards Rosalia.

The closer he got, the more clearly he could feel Rosalia’s despair.

Even with Rem standing right in front of her, Rosalia did not raise her head. She simply gripped her head as if wanting to crush it.

Rem carefully knelt down before her. He placed his hand on her knee and forced a smile.

“Hey, Tin Can.”

“…”

“Tin Can, I’m calling you.”

A choked voice flowed out.

“…I ruined everything.”

Rem saw Rosalia’s shoulders start to tremble.

“I dragged you into this, and I couldn’t even protect you… I even failed the original mission…”

In her blurred words, Rem could hear her regret. Rem silently watched Rosalia’s delicate shoulders tremble.

“I’m sorry… Rem… I’m so sorry…”

Blue teardrops fell from between her red hair, shattering on the stone floor and leaving dark stains.

Rem watched her in silence, then let out a deep sigh.

Rosalia’s shoulders trembled, perhaps misunderstanding his sigh. Then, in a weak voice, she said.

“I-If you want to get angry and yell at me, go ahead… If you want to hit me…”

“Rosalia.”

Rem hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

“Do you want to live with me?”

Her reaction was immediate.

“What…?”

Rosalia lifted her head to look at Rem. Her face, ruined by tears, was finally revealed.

“Is that so surprising?”

Rem averted his gaze, a bit sheepish. Rosalia stammers, feeling her embarrassment grow.

“Ah, no… That’s not it…”

Unable to find the words, her sentence trailed off.

Rem scratched his head as he continued.

“When we first met… Do you remember me saying I was going to a remote place?”

“Uh, yeah…”

“That place is really somewhere no one goes. I’m sure even that prince bastard won’t be able to find me there. I’ll even set up some decent illusion magic there…”

“…Yeah.”

“So, just forget about this Empire and the Dragon King’s Essence…”

Suddenly, Rem stopped speaking. Then, as if frustrated with himself, he started vigorously scratching his head.

Rosalia remained silent, watching him with bewilderment.

Then, a single sight was burned into her heart.

Rem’s ears.

His ear tip, flushed bright red despite the cold light of the magic stones.

The thoughts, starting with *Surely not,* chased each other in an endless loop. Her heart that had sunk so heavily suddenly began to race.

And there was a sigh as heavy as the world.

Rem and Rosalia’s gazes finally met.

Rem and Rosalia’s hands gently came together.

“I know the timing is a bit shitty, but…so…”

Rem’s trembling hand grasped Rosalia’s tightly.

The feeling of his trembling flowing into her heart.

One deep breath,
Two,
And three.

Rem, with a nervous expression, asked Rosalia.

“Rosalia, will you live with me?”

At that moment, Rosalia started to believe in someone’s nonsense about the brain being made of wax.

The moment those warm words flowed into her ears.

Gloom and thoughts melted away. Emotions, impossible to name, mixed together, turning into a special color.

“Me…?”

She barely managed to ask. Rem rolled his eyes awkwardly.

“I thought I was being pretty clear when I took that arrow for you, you idiot.”

“No, I, I mean… when did you?”

“…Don’t ask. Just don’t. I’m dying of embarrassment enough as it is.”

Rosalia couldn’t tell if she was feeling joy or bewilderment. All she knew was the sound of her heart rapidly pounding in her ears.

“B-But, you… you need to clear your name…”

Rem’s slightly flushed face darkened for a moment.

“It’s fine. By now, everyone has probably forgotten about it anyway.”

“What… do you…”

“You don’t have to answer now.”

Rem suddenly stood up from the ground. Then, turning his head, he reached out a hand to Rosalia.

“Just… know that you have that option.”

Rem added in a strained voice.

“And I’d be really happy if you chose that option.”

Rosalia couldn’t think of anything. She couldn’t even name the emotions she was feeling now.

It was too sorrowful to be joy, and too gentle to be sadness.

At best, it could be compared to,
The moment just before night fully sets in,
When the color seeping into the horizon resembles her feelings.

“Ah…”

When she came to her senses, Rosalia was holding Rem’s hand.

And without realizing it, she had spoken her answer.

“Rem, I too…”

But fate had already chosen him as its sacrificial lamb.

*Thwack-*

Droplets of blood float in the air.

Three branches sprouted from Rem’s side.

Was it simply a hallucination that made her see the image of a burning village overlaid on top of him.

“Rem!!”

[iesldh!!]

A blue barrier appeared, blocking the arrows that followed.

Rem clutched his side and staggered. He gritted his teeth and pulled out the teleportation magic tool.

“Rosalia, Dorn!! Come to my side right now!!”

Dorn quickly ran towards Rem.

But for Rosalia, there was no need. She was already embracing Rem.

“Re, Rem! Are you okay? We need to treat that wound immediately…!”

“There’s no time.”

“At least a potion…”

Rosalia falls silent as she felt a cold object pressed against her chest. She looked down at the teleportation magic tool that Rem has pressed against her.

“Rem…?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll follow soon.”

A charming smile appeared on Rem’s face.
On the other hand, fear filled Rosalia’s.

“Wait, not like this again…!!”

[eleptort]

Rosalia’s face dissolved into a blue light and scattered. At the same time, the just-arrived Dorn wears a perplexed expression.

“Wait, why didn’t you teleport together…”

“Dorn, take Rosalia and run.”

“Hold on, what do you mean…”

Rem’s hand, holding the magic tool, touched Dorn’s chest.

[eleport]

And then, Dorn’s bewildered face, too, dissolved into blue light and scattered.

*KABOOM-*

Before Rem can even blink, a massive fireball slams into the blue barrier. Numerous other spells begin pummeling the barrier.

Cracks appeared almost instantly.

Rem took a deep breath and raised the magic tool once more.

The magic tool is already glowing red from two consecutive uses. Sparks fly through the cracked gaps.

“Huu…”

Rem closed his eyes and grips the magic tool with both hands as if praying. Then he quietly chants the spell.

[eleport]

And,

*Crackle-*

*Fizzle-*

The magic tool split in half with a crackling sound.

Statistically, it should have been a 50-50 chance, but…

Rem stared at the broken magic tool and muttered with a sigh.

“As I thought, God really hates me.”

But Rem did not curse the heavens anew. He did not collapse to the ground and cry out.

Instead, he simply looked at the crumbling barrier and pulled out the remaining magic tools. He smiled at the knights beyond the barrier, who were glaring at him.

“Let’s see how far I can go.”

***

“…What, another casualty?”

“Not a casualty, but a corpse. His Highness requests you simply burn of it.”

“Huh, this is the 15th one already, isn’t it? 15 casualties just to subdue one person?”

“That’s because you weren’t there, Priest, so you can say that. That guy is no ordinary person.”

“Well, looking at that state, he doesn’t look like a monster…”

The priest turned his head to look at the cross.

Hanging from the cross was something that looked like a chunk of meat at first glance. But if you looked closer, you’d realize

That it was simply a blood-soaked human.
And that he was still faintly breathing.

The priest clicked his tongue and looked away from Rem.

“In any case, I hope His Highness doesn’t make too much of a mess this time. It’s me who has to burn the bodies in the end.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. His Highness seems to be meticulously sharpening his claws this time.”

The priest made a rotten expression as he looked back at Rem.

“Just how ‘artistically’ is he planning to dissect that one…”

The ominous torchlight shot sparks towards the stars.