Chapter 14: A Gamble with Resurrection Magic

Inside the Breathwood, the village of the fairies.

Arielde.

We teleported there through Lilirane.

,I’m sorry. With the situation as it is, I couldn’t save you guys.”

Lilirane led us to a house big enough for a human-sized person to rest in.

She apologized to us repeatedly.

,I’m glad you’re safe.”

We weren’t safe.

We both had already died once.

,No. It’s alright.”

But showing it would be amateurish.

I had to act like nothing happened.

Seeing the house Lilirane led us to, I felt a little relieved.

I was worried we’d be sleeping rough in the forest, so this was a relief.

,Harua.”

Then, Aransul quietly spoke to me.

We came here to deliver a letter to Lilirane.

I guess it’s okay to talk now.

,Lilirane-nim, we were sent here by my master, Raphael, and Aransul’s master, Soun.”

,Raphael and Soun?”

Raphael’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t expected it.

,So, you were their disciples.”

,Yes, that’s right. This is the letter.”

Lilirane received the letter I handed over.

It was a little crumpled since we had been moving so roughly, but it was fine.

She opened the letter, which was much bigger than her, and examined it.

She frowned from time to time, but she read the letter without any problems.

,…I see. So, the time for war is finally coming.”

War.

As soon as I heard that word, I quietly perked up my ears.

Even on Earth, stories about war always felt like they were about another country.

Of course, there’s an enemy right above our heads, but it’s been a long time since the armistice line was drawn.

War was a distant story to me.

The word war came out of the mouth of a fairy clan leader.

This is the worst.

Should I look into emergency rations and an underground bunker?

There are many strong people in this other world.

If they were to wage war, I could see the scale it would be.

It would be a completely different aspect from modern warfare.

,Thank you. I will visit as soon as this is over.”

Lilirane swallowed a bitter smile, considering what she said.

The matter she was talking about was definitely Cosmic Zack.

And it didn’t seem like something that could be resolved overnight.

That’s not to say it was something we could get involved in.

,Lilirane-nim, there is a possibility that Cosmic Zack will target the search party that will come after the airship crash.”

So, as planned with Aransul, we decided to do what we were originally doing first.

,…I see. There was that possibility.”

,Yes, if we attach a letter to the airfield before the search party arrives.”

,That’s impossible. I can’t leave the fairy forest right now.”

,Yes?”

What is she talking about now?

,Cosmic Zack has been preparing for quite some time. He has installed sealing stones throughout the forest that distort space magic.

Thanks to that, all external intrusions as well as internal movements are being detected.”

Lilirane answered everything more generously than I thought.

It seemed to be thanks to the fact that Aransul and I were disciples of her acquaintances.

And thanks to that, I know why Aransul and I were caught by Cosmic Zack right away.

Since something like that was spread throughout the forest, he noticed as soon as we tried to go to Breathwood.

I thought it was unfair, but there was a reason after all.

In addition, I know why the regular army didn’t come even though a major criminal appeared.

Thanks to Cosmic Zack’s interference, they couldn’t convey the internal situation to the outside of the forest.

,And he stole something important from us.”

If Cosmic Zack was just running wild on his own, we could just ignore it.

She is a master of space magic, so even if he distorted it with a sealing stone, it wouldn’t be impossible.

But even so, the reason she was staying still was that Cosmic Zack seemed to be up to something else.

,But that doesn’t mean I can stay still forever.”

Lilirane took a breath.

,…What he’s after is me. It’s something that can be solved if I step up.”

Lilirane turned to us.

,I won’t cause you any trouble, so don’t worry. I’ll take care of it quickly while you rest.”

With that, she quietly went outside.

Only Aransul and I were left in the room.

,Harua.”

Don’t tell me she’s telling me to get out because I’m going to use this room alone.

That, I can never allow.

I decided to stand up against injustice, shouting for gender equality.

Then, Aransul looked at me and bowed her head.

,I’m sorry that I put you in danger by stepping out on my own.”

My opinion of shouting for gender equality went back in.

We didn’t know that Cosmic Zack had used such a trick.

,There’s no point in blaming what we didn’t know. We ended up surviving anyway.”

I didn’t want to blame others for what was over.

In the first place, Cosmic Zack wouldn’t have noticed the resurrection magic.

Rather, he would think that I used some kind of trick.

,More than that.”

I pointed to the door Lilirane went out with my thumb.

,Lilirane-nim, she’s planning to take Cosmic Zack down with her.”

,What?”

Aransul looked at me with a flustered face.

It was a look that asked how I knew that from the conversation just now.

,It’s just a feeling.”

It’s a pretty accurate feeling too.

Whether I like it or not, I’m good at dying.

There may be someone in the world who has died once, but there will be no one who has died twice, three times, or four times.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve become quite sensitive to the look in people’s eyes when it comes to death.

The look Lilirane showed at the end.

The meaning contained in that look was clearly a face determined to die together.

,Then what should we do?”

,We don’t have an answer for this.”

We successfully completed Raphael and Soun’s mission.

Our part is just up to there.

Going beyond that was not our part.

,Let’s just sleep. I’m not even hungry because I’m so tired.”

I stretched and lay down on one of the beds.

Aransul remained silent for a while, then took her sword and went out.

It seems like she’s trying to train after fighting Cosmic Zack like that today.

Well, maybe she realized something.

I don’t know yet, but realization is important.

There’s no need to bother her.

Aransul swung her sword until late at night and then came back.

Soon after, I heard the sound of washing for a while.

I heard Aransul lying down on the bed prepared on the opposite side.

She must have been tired all day today, because she quickly fell asleep and snored.

On the other hand, I said I was going to sleep, but I didn’t sleep a wink.

After confirming that Aransul was asleep, I quietly got up.

When I walked outside, I saw the fairy village at dawn.

The fairies who were interested in us seemed to have all gone home and fallen asleep.

,Young man, can’t you sleep?”

Then, I heard a voice in my ear.

When I moved my gaze, I saw Lilirane above the ceiling of the house we were staying in.

She had a long pipe in her mouth.

She leisurely flapped her wings and came down in front of me.

,The young lady was training until just now, and now it’s the young man’s turn.”

She was still small.

All the fairies are like this.

,Lilirane-nim.”

,Hmm, what’s the matter?”

,Are you planning to take Cosmic Zack down with you?”

Lilirane paused.

She slightly widened her eyes and then slowly lowered her pipe.

,Did it show that much?”

,No. Aransul didn’t notice.”

It’s just that I’m sensitive about this.

Other fairies wouldn’t have expected it either.

,Yes, you’re right.”

Lilirane didn’t hide it since she had already been caught.

,Cosmic Zack is after me. However, he can’t catch me.”

She is a master of space magic.

Even Cosmic Zack can’t catch her moving with space magic.

,But if the distance between him and me is narrowed to within 1 meter, even I can’t escape.”

Cosmic Zack’s explosive jumping power.

It was something that could not be seen as human at all.

Perhaps his jumping power was likely an application of his ability.

,I’m planning to be caught by him.”

,You’re planning to take Cosmic Zack with you through space teleportation.”

I realized her intention.

If it’s a space magician’s suicide attack, it was obvious.

She raised the corners of her mouth.

I could even feel a sense of relief on her face, which had decided to die.

,Yes, you’re right. It’s a place where even he can never come back alive.”

She would die there with Cosmic Zack.

Lilirane was thinking that.

,I’m sorry that I can’t answer the letter properly even though I came this far.”

I don’t know what Raphael asked for either.

But I owe Raphael a lot.

She taught me holy magic just because of Bulldog Ajussi’s request.

She willingly gave me a room in that big mansion.

That is definitely a debt to me.

And it is right to repay a debt.

Lilirane is needed for Raphael’s work.

She has been working all day without leaving her desk lately.

If she’s asking for something, it’s a big deal.

If Lilirane is needed to solve that, I’m willing to move.

Above all.

I was killed by Cosmic Zack.

Flower-head bastard, you have to pay back the debt for sure.

,Lilirane-nim, I would like to propose a deal.”

Lilirane’s eyes reached me.

,However, there are conditions. You must keep this a secret from now on, and I would like you to help me when I need help.”

She is the leader of a clan.

In addition, she is a strong person to the extent that Raphael, the daughter of the Grace Magic Tower Master, and Soun, the Lord of the Sword, would ask for help.

Connections are directly related to the affluence and survival of life.

Look how much my life has improved starting with the connection of Bulldog Ajussi.

Connections are justice and truth.

What is the best opportunity to catch such a connection?

It’s to owe your life.

I have resurrection magic.

There is no better ability to make someone owe their life.

This choice is a risky act for me too.

But life is a series of risks anyway.

From the moment I took the risk of resurrection magic, a life without risk was already gone.

If this world is really on the verge of war and in a critical situation, as Lilirane said.

It’s better to create someone who will protect me even if I have to use resurrection magic.

I realized this only after meeting Cosmic Zack today.

No matter how hard I try, can I become stronger than a monster like Cosmic Zack?

To be honest, it’s impossible.

I’ve known for a long time that I don’t have much talent for combat.

Besides, my talent is holy magic.

Even if I learn combat skills, I can’t be sure if I can fight monsters of the level of major criminals.

That is, it is not enough to protect my body on my own.

Then create a reliable connection.

A connection that Raphael would ask for help.

The leader of a village.

A master of space magic who can come to support at any time.

A personality that can readily offer to save a stranger she met for the first time.

There was no one more suitable to be the first connection.

My eyes met Lilirane’s through the moonlight flowing through the gaps in the Breathwood.

Lilirane still had a face that didn’t understand my proposal.

I told her for the first time.

,Have you heard of Resurrection?”

I smile under the flowing moonlight.

The first gamble on my future other world life.

I announced a selfish ability that only kills the opponent even if I choose to die together.