"Wolka, are you alright?! Wh-what...what happened?!"
"Wait, calm down. Let's talk..."
"You tried to push yourself too hard again, didn't you?! Please stop, I'm begging you...!!"
He wasn't listening. My master, his face pale, picked me up from the floor without a second glance and held me tightly in his arms. Hmm, still stiff—distracting thoughts.
"You foolish apprentice! I told you you needed to rest!! Oh, no, I shouldn't have left you alone after all...!"
"Master"
"A... a wound... is the wound open?! Wait here, I'll get the sister right away."
"Master...!"
My master trembled slightly, and that's when our eyes finally met. Well, of course he had been looking at me from the beginning, but his eyes seemed somewhat vacant, or rather, they weren't focused on me.
My stomach's starting to feel a bit upset.
"Sorry. I'm okay, so let's just go to bed for now..."
"Oh... y-yes, that's right. I'm sorry..."
With my master's support, I stand up and sit on the bed. A light lean on his shoulder would have been enough, but my master is helping me so closely that from an outsider's perspective it looks like he's hugging me. He looks like he's about to cry. My stomach hurts.
About my master, the great and arrogant great sorcerer, 'Rizelarte'.
I don't remember much about the original "Rizel Arte."
Since this character was eliminated along with the entire party, there was probably very little depiction of them to begin with. Although they were depicted as the leader of < > and had a few panels of interaction with the original protagonist... that's about it.Silver-gray journeySilvery Gray
On the other hand, not just her, but all three girls in the group were so well-designed that they could easily be mistaken for main characters. Many readers probably hoped that they would become involved with the protagonist and play a significant role in the story for a long time to come.Silver-gray journeySilvery Gray
Well, that's how fans who were excitedly reading on were hit with that ending where the entire party is wiped out and brutally killed! What a rotten, depraved dark fantasy...
Therefore, from here on, I will state my own understanding, separate from the original work.
Her nickname is Rizel. As her name, "Rizel Arte," suggests, she is a first-class magician and also my mentor who taught me the basics of magic.
She is less than 140 cm tall and appears to be a young girl.
She claims to be older than me, but perhaps due to her girlish nature, her exact age remains unknown. Her trademark is a huge witch's hat adorned with flower petals, and the starry sky-like design on the lining is eye-catching. Her deep indigo robe, which seems to be inspired by the night, has a shoulderless design, and combined with her bare legs carelessly exposed by her short violet skirt, it's impossible to shake the impression that she's a child pretending to be a witch. Her eyes are a pure, clear golden color, and her long silver hair, which almost reaches her feet, is tied in two large pigtails and adorned with several butterfly-like ribbons, giving her a lovely appearance.
Her personality is what you might call a "noja-loli" type.
He likes to use that kind of language on a daily basis, and as he calls himself a "great and arrogant great wizard," he is quite a show-off and self-confident. He is very attached to being the oldest in the party and tries to act superior and bossy at every opportunity. He hates people who don't show respect to their elders, people who judge others by their appearance, bell peppers, onions, and bitter things.
...That was the outward appearance of my master.
In reality, as far as I know, my true master is just an ordinary girl. Her preference for speaking in an old-fashioned manner and acting superior is the result of her tearful efforts to avoid being looked down upon by those around her, in order to become the "great and arrogant great sorceress." My true master speaks like a normal girl, using "nano" and "damon," and uses "watashi" as her first-person pronoun. She's not particularly mentally strong either, and gets depressed and cries just like any other girl.So・re・tt・Po・Ku・
When I was defeated in the battle against < >, I was so confused that I just burst into tears.ExterminatorGrim Reaper
Despite her pretentious, older-than-life demeanor, she's actually a sensitive girl who's just like everyone else.
—So, how does the reality of me nearly dying and losing an eye and a leg appear to such a sensitive woman?
Seeing the blood drain from her face and her tiny fingertips trembling uncontrollably, the answer was obvious.
"A-are you really okay...? Are you hurt anywhere? If you feel even the slightest discomfort in your body, please don't hesitate to tell me... If anything else happens to you, I-I-I'll..."
My stomach was screaming in agony.
"I'm really fine. Sorry for making you worry."
I wish I could offer some kind of thoughtful support in situations like this, but unfortunately I lack those social skills, and for some reason, ever since being born as 'Walka,' my inability to speak has only worsened. My facial muscles are stiff, and I have an almost completely unfriendly expression on my face all the time.
This socially awkward guy...
"What's wrong? Do you need water? Or are you hungry? I'll get everything you need..."
"no..."
I'm at a loss for an answer. If I honestly say I was just about to go for a walk, I feel like I'll get a stern scolding like, "Stay still, you stupid apprentice!!" On the other hand, the excuse that I fell out of bed while half-asleep probably won't fly at my age.
Judging that it was impossible to gloss over the matter, I decided to answer honestly with the facts.
"...I feel like I still have my left leg."
"--..."
"I just instinctively tried to stand up like I always do. That's all."
I might get cold stares and think, "What is this guy talking about...?", but I have no choice. The top priority here is my stomach, which is currently starting to twist and turn. I'd much rather have a cold reaction than put a burden on my master's mind.
That was supposed to happen, but
"--So... then. How can I believe that my left leg is gone...?"
"picture,"
"And, my, my right eye too...! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Wolka...!"
My stomach might be finished.
"It's not something my master should apologize for."
"Why...?! Aren't you sad, Wolka?! With those wounds, you can't even use a sword anymore...!"
She asked me through tears, and for a moment I wondered what my answer was. It's certainly cruel to lose an eye and a leg at this age, but strangely, I feel calm.
That is surely,
"From the beginning, that is."raw・tree・Residue・re・ru・and・teeth・Thoughts・tt・hand・stomach・Na・mosquito・tt・Ta・
"---eh,"
"I was able to protect my comrades, and I survived. Right now, I'm just relieved about that."
Perhaps it's because I'm somewhat familiar with the original story, and because I know that he was originally destined to die there, that I feel that simply winning and surviving is more than enough. It might be like a dreamlike state after overcoming a life-or-death situation.
So, there's absolutely no need to take it so seriously.
"...Huh? Uh, ah—I'm, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...! I'm so sorry...!! It's because, I, I accepted that request...!! I couldn't do anything, I wasn't of any use, and only Wolka, only Wolka ended up like this...!!"
"H-hey..."
Why?! Don't cry! It's good that everyone survived, and it's much better than me losing an eye and a leg! If it had been a complete wipeout, it would have been a truly horrific ending!
"I'm sorry...!! I'm so sorry...!!"
"M-Master? Master..."
There's no way I could ever gently comfort a crying little girl, not even if the world turned upside down.
In the end, all I could do was endure the twisting stomach ache until my master had finished crying his eyes out.
My stomach. My stomach hurts.
/
Going back about ten days, to when the battle in which Wolka sacrificed his life had ended and the dawn sky was signaling the start of a new day—
"...His life was saved. However, his left leg has been amputated. His right eye will never see light again."
The moment the elderly nun of < > told her that, Rizelarte lost all comprehension of everything before her. A sense of loss as if her entire body had been gouged out. Her vision became distorted, and before she knew it, she was slumped to the floor with her hands on the ground.Holy ChurchKriscles
She was absolutely certain that everything would be alright. She was convinced that the church's numerous sacred magic spells could definitely heal Wolka's wounds. She rushed to the church and prayed for well over half a day, without a single drop of water or a moment of sleep, even feeling nauseous—yet the beautiful dawn brought an ending that felt like it was plunging Rizel into the abyss.
"That's... not true,"
Yurti's voice was trembling so much it sounded like it was about to break.
"What about the treatment?"
"The procedure went well... but this is the result."
The elderly nun's voice also conveyed a profound sense of sorrow at her powerlessness to do anything else.
"I was barely able to keep myself alive... I pushed myself too hard."
The old nun said,
"This child's left leg... even after it was almost torn off, she must have used magic to force it to move. I have no idea how she did it, but it was certainly not the right way to use magic. The wound was burnt and festering, and the bone—it was in terrible condition."
"---,"
"Certainly, with divine magic, it's sometimes possible to reattach severed limbs—but only if the wound damage is extremely minimal. This child's injuries were nowhere near that level."
The old nun's words echoed meaninglessly in Rizel's empty mind.
"His right eye...the wound is too deep. It must have been cut with a very large blade. We won't know if he's truly lost his sight until he wakes up..."
The old nun swallowed the words she was about to say. It was an unspoken warning: it's better not to have any more hope, because it will only bring more pain.
"When you've been a nun for this long, you can somehow tell at a glance whether treatment will be effective or not. ...I can say this now because things worked out, but at first, I thought, 'Oh, this is beyond saving.' The wounds were that bad."
"..."
"It's a miracle you even survived. For now, be happy about that."
It's impossible. There's no way I could be happy about this. Anyone who would be happy after hearing what I've just said is crazy.
Because Walka is the kind of person who has lived with swords his entire life, ever since he was a child. He's such a swordsmanship fanatic that he even admits to himself that he's had no other talent than wielding a sword his whole life.
If we were to take away his right eye and his left leg,
Even if their lives are saved,
"--!!"
Atli was the first to leave. Unable to comprehend the reality she had been confronted with, she turned her back on everything and ran out of the church like a child fleeing in panic.Occasionally・re・Ta・
In truth, it was probably an escape. As someone from a foreign country, her circumstances were unique, and she had an almost obsessive attachment to protecting her comrades. For her, the despair that overwhelmed her when, instead of protecting them, she was the one who was protected, and then ended up inflicting life-threatening injuries that left her losing an eye and a leg, must have been immense.
"Ah...! R-Rizel-san,"
Yuritia is hesitating about whether she should pursue them. Considering her role in the party, it should have been Rizel who stepped up. No matter how difficult it was, she should have acted bravely and supported her comrades as their leader.
But Rizel couldn't move. She couldn't put any strength into her body.
"Leave her to me. If you want to pursue her, you go."
In the end, urged on by the old nun, Yulitia followed after Atli.
Lizel was unable to lift her head until the very end. From above, the old nun's voice was a little stern.
"Honestly... You're not exactly a pure-hearted person, are you? You may look like a child, but you're probably the oldest, right? Then how can you not be more assertive? That girl is far more strong-willed than you are."
It was really true. From the moment they ran into this church until now, neither Rizel nor Atori have been able to speak properly, and Yuritia has handled almost all of the interactions with the sisters. Even though she's the youngest girl at the party, I think she's far more admirable than Rizel.
It's pathetic. That girl must be going through such a hard time that she wants to cry.
"Shall I show you to your room? Tomorrow would be fine too."
"..."
Wiping away the tears that had been welling up, Rizel looked up.
I haven't made up my mind. There's no way I can accept this reality. If I saw Wolka now, I'm sure I'd cry for real this time.
Even so, I didn't want to leave Wolka alone.
I was afraid that if I wasn't by his side, he might disappear somewhere.
Tips for 'Rizelarte':
A great and arrogant archmage. Apparently the oldest in the party, but looks completely like a little girl. Her affection for her apprentice is a little intense. Extremely strong.