"—Ah, Ange...? Um, let's see... 'Anze' would be fine too?"
"Y-yes..."
As I introduced myself while tending to my wounds, I was immediately given what seemed like a nickname. Admittedly, it's a rather long name to use every time... but is this level of familiarity normal among children outside of this community?
But strangely, I didn't feel bad about it, because it made me feel like I had become a slightly different person.
"...Amazing. The pain is gradually subsiding."
"No, this is really nothing to worry about..."
Leaving the house, the boy, Wolka, sat down to rest on a suitable tree stump. Anze healed his wounds one by one with the sacred magic she had recently learned. However, she didn't completely heal any of his wounds. She had been asked to do so.
When asked for the reason,
"It will help me hone my healing magic."
Healing magic, as its name suggests, is a type of recovery magic used to heal one's own wounds. Unlike divine magic, it does not require any special aptitude as a cleric, and anyone who knows magic can easily use it. However, it only has a slight effect of enhancing the body's natural healing power, making it a very minor comfort. Even with diligent practice, a wound that would normally heal in three days might only heal in two or even one day at best.
Still, it's better than doing nothing, Wolka replied.
"...May I ask you something?"
"yeah"
"What exactly were you doing, Lord Wolka?"
"What do you mean... training."
"No, that can't be...!"
Anze involuntarily rose from her hips. That's right, something like that, just being beaten unilaterally, couldn't possibly be training. Anze was a sheltered girl with no worldly experience, but even so, she knew what martial arts training was like. She had observed the training of < > several times.Holy KnightsChris Knights
And then he says, "That kind of thing isn't training or anything like that."
Wolka understood what Anze meant from her expression,
"Yeah...that old man was really strict. He was definitely weird."
"If you understand, then why...!"
"Because I want to become stronger."
Anze gasped in surprise.
It was an immediate, unhesitating reply that cut off Anze's words. In the depths of her pale jade eyes, I saw a fierce, almost awe-inspiring, gleam of determination.flameHomura
"...There's a sword inside my head."
"picture...?"
"Ah, it's a really strong image, or something like that. But it's not an ordinary sword. You can't reach it with ordinary methods. ...That's why that level of training is just right."child・cormorant・present・the law of nature・Ta・stomach・
Anze was speechless. She realized that Wolka was serious. At almost the same age as Anze, he seemed to have already decided on the path he would dedicate his life to.
No, it's probably not even a road.
It's like climbing a sheer cliff face, bleeding profusely with nothing but your own body. If you slip, if you make a mistake—you could even lose your life.
"Your parents are..."
"He died... apparently about four years ago."
"Ah...!"
There were so many things she didn't understand that Anze felt like she was about to cry. She had absolutely no idea what Wolka, a child almost the same age as her, was thinking.
and others・death・stomach・Having lost both parents at such a young age that it could only be described through hearsay, and probably not even ten years old yet, he was throwing himself into such extreme training that his body was covered in scars. He didn't seem sane. If I hadn't seen the flame in the depths of his eyes, it would have made more sense to say that he was desperate after the death of his parents.
Is he really a child just like me? I can hardly believe it.
Yet Wolka, scratching his cheek with a troubled expression, calmly said:
"Um... don't take it too seriously. I was the one who asked you to train me seriously."
"No way...!"
"It's fine. I can really feel myself getting stronger... and besides, there are surprisingly fun aspects to it."
She doesn't seem to be very good at showing her emotions; her facial expressions were so awkward that I wondered if I was seeing things.
I think he just forced a smile at Anze. I think he was trying to show concern for Anze.
She must have gone through far more hardship than Anze, who was raised with warmth and kindness from everyone.
"But...! This is...!"
Overwhelmed by desperation, she lost control of her sacred magic and accidentally erased one of the birthmarks.
"Sorry, but..."
I didn't approach him with the intention of getting him to say those words.
"Is there anything I can do to help...?"
"..."
Walka didn't show any particular change in expression.
After a long pause that made me feel uneasy, wondering if I had been ignored, I finally received a reply.
"Yeah... I think I'm okay, nothing in particular."
Anze's chest ached with a small, stabbing pain.
I realized there was an incredibly cold wall between me and Wolka. He wasn't being reserved or putting on a brave face. He truly didn't need Anze's presence anymore. In fact, this treatment might just be something he's been doing because Anze was so desperate that he felt bad about driving her away, so he's letting her do as she pleases for the time being.
"Just having my wounds healed is enough. Thank you."
Wolka stands up.
"Oh, there's still treatment to be done...!"
"It's almost been 10 minutes. I have to go back."
He gently restrained the flustered Anze with a hand gesture, his expression remaining perfectly calm.
"A pilgrimage, right? Good luck, Anze."
"Yes..."
In the end, all Anze could do was watch him go as he headed back home.
The world I had taken for granted had already crumbled without a trace. I thought I understood intellectually that not all children in this world are raised with the same love as Anze. But when I witnessed his determination, the kind that would even burn his own life, I was painfully reminded of just how fortunate my own life had been.
This is what it means to know the outside world.
For the first time in her life, Anze was confronted with her own powerlessness.
The next morning, Anze headed back to Wolka's house, wanting to at least say goodbye before leaving the village.
The pilgrimage Anze is taking is strictly regulated by the phases of the moon. If Anze's whims disrupt the schedule, everyone will have to go to great lengths to catch up.
Anze was only allowed 20 minutes before departure.
With clumsy steps, kicking up dirt, Anze peered into Wolka's house from the same spot as yesterday.
"a--"
There was Wolka. In a corner of the garden, a little distance from where Anze was. He was half-turned, with his left hand gripping the sheath directly and his right hand resting on the hilt, his center of gravity slightly lowered.
More than just being early morning with the sun just rising, the air in this area was eerily quiet. So quiet that it almost felt like it was crackling. Perhaps that's why Anze instinctively knew that what appeared to be him simply standing there without even attempting to draw his sword from its sheath was his "stance."
The old man is standing opposite me. Unlike yesterday when he was wielding a wooden sword, today for some reason he's holding a suitable piece of firewood in each hand.
He threw both pieces of firewood at Walka simultaneously with a light, underhand toss .releaselaw
The firewood flew in a gentle arc, and Anze wondered what its intention was.
--Silver flash.
I think—Wolka just drew his sword. I couldn't be sure because the trajectory of the sword was so fast, it seemed like a flash of light.
Such a powerful flash—no, that's not right.
The sword, which should have been swung to the right, had already returned to the left. In that blink of an eye, there had been a single slash sweeping from left to right, and another slash returning from right to left. But to Anze, it was now just a single beam of light.
The firewood falls to the ground.
The graceful movement of slowly sheathing the sword was as if offering a sacred prayer.
Anze understood deeply. Ah, that's... what that person is aiming for.
Even Anze, who knew absolutely nothing about swords, was captivated. She thought it was beautiful. As far as Anze could remember, all the knights of < > held their swords fully drawn. But Wolka kept his sword in its sheath, and even the act of drawing it had been elevated to the very essence of his blade.Holy KnightsChris Knights
His words, "It's not an ordinary sword," suddenly made perfect sense to me.
That's why, even when he's covered in wounds and spits up blood, Wolka throws himself into rigorous training, always looking straight ahead. Perhaps to forge a new horizon of swordsmanship that no one in this world has ever seen before.
The old man roared.
"You idiot!! What are you trying to act all high and mighty about!! You didn't even come close!!"
...Indeed, both pieces of firewood that had rolled across the ground were still in the same perfect shape as when the old man had thrown them.
Wolka barks back,
"Shut up! I'm getting pretty good at it now!"
"Draw your sword! What good is a sword that only looks good?! You still can't even chop wood—that's unacceptable. Today's quotas will all be increased by 30%."
"You damn old man...!!"
"..."
I recall that last night, when I subtly asked the elderly butler, who is Anze's tutor, for his opinion, he admonished me, "Don't worry about it too much."
—That boy has already found the path he must take and is walking it with conviction. To try and stop him would be the same as telling him to abandon his beliefs. It would be best to simply pray that his dream comes true.
...Perhaps that's true. Witnessing that sword flash, and understanding the path Walka was about to sacrifice himself to, Anze felt utterly defeated.
The paths Anze and Wolka have walked so far, and the future they are looking towards, are completely different. They are too different. Anze doesn't have anything that she can pour her heart and soul into like Wolka does. She was ashamed of herself for having grown up comfortably, loved and cherished by everyone, and taking that for granted.
Stepping back a step, Anze bowed her head with the best smile she could muster.
"Please do your best, Mr. Wolka."
About two weeks later, Anze would stop by this village again on his return journey. So Anze thought he would try to emulate him and hone his skills during that time. He wanted to forget his privileged circumstances for a while and face himself with a pure heart.
And the next time we meet, I want to be at least a little bit more of a person he can be proud of.
That 's what I thought...Next・but・a・ru・
Next・too・At that time, Anze had no doubt whatsoever that he was still diligently training in this village.
I had traveled outside the holy city for days, and I should have learned from seeing it with my own eyes many times.
Perhaps, deep down, Anze still thought of the "dangers" of the outside world as something that existed on the other side of a wall.spreadHabiko
/
After more than ten nights, Anze stopped by the village again on her return journey, as planned.
Naturally, Anze forgot to rest and searched for Wolka.
Two weeks have passed since then, and Anze has been diligently pursuing her pilgrimage with a renewed sense of purpose, striving to improve herself as much as she can. Of course, compared to his unwavering determination, she is merely a sheltered girl who has just learned to put in an average amount of effort. Nevertheless, she felt that if she were to speak with him again, she had to change herself.
He must have continued his rigorous training and gotten hurt here and there again. I hope he'll allow me to heal his wounds once more. And this time, let's talk about something different. About Wolka, about Anze, or about the future. If he would wish it—that he might one day become a knight in the cathedral.
"...?"
But Wolka was nowhere to be found. No matter how much they searched the village or secretly peered into the grounds of his house, they couldn't find the injured boy anywhere.
Unable to bear it any longer, I asked the villagers, and the middle-aged man's face immediately contorted in sorrow.
"Little girl, are you friends with him? Oh, how unfortunate..."
"...Did something happen? Where is Lord Wolka?"
--strange.
I have a bad feeling about this.
My fingertips are trembling. My heart feels like it's freezing.
"He... apparently went outside the village by himself about a week ago. And we haven't seen him since..."
"---,"
"The village adults searched for it, but they found a broken sword and bloodstains on a cliff quite a distance from here. It looks like it was attacked by a monster..."
Outside the village. Attacked by monsters. A broken sword and traces of blood. On the edge of a cliff. Hasn't returned for a week.
"Huh? What...? ...You're kidding, right...?"
No.
Anze's instincts were desperately refusing to understand anything beyond that point. Yes, it had to be a lie. After all, when Anze left this village, he had been arguing fiercely with the old man. He was filled with a stronger vitality than anyone else Anze had ever seen, in order to embody the ideal sword within himself. It seemed to Anze that even if faced with a sheer cliff, he would surely reach the top.
Even after being separated from him for just two weeks,
"It's sad, but... if a child goes out alone and we can't even hear from them for seven days... then..."
"――――――!!"
—Like disappearing right before Anze's eyes.
Yes, Anze learned this on her journey. Dangerous monsters inhabit the outside world, and humans must take up arms to confront them. That's why knights and adventurers exist, and why swords and magic exist in this world.
That's why I can understand even when a man is vague in his words.
I had come to understand, quite frankly, that a child not even ten years old could not possibly survive with just a single sword.
"Uh... ah, aaaahh
Losing all strength in her body, Anze collapsed on the spot, her body vacant and lifeless.
—What should Anze have done?
I was instantly swept away by a torrent of regret. Should I have stopped him? Should I have trampled on his resolve to grasp his ideal sword and sought help from the adults at the church? Should I have denied the path he was trying to take, even if it meant being ostracized?
"That's why I said that such absurd training is absolutely wrong. But that old man and that child..."
Anze must have thought the same thing. But Anze was defeated by Wolka's extraordinary resolve, ashamed of herself for not having made any effort, and gave up, realizing that she couldn't stop him.
If they had truly wanted to stop it, there must have been countless ways to do so.
A voice echoed in my head.
—So, does that mean I essentially left them to die?
My memory of what happened after that is hazy.
I vaguely remember being held by the elderly butler who was in charge of my education, and crying out loud.
For Anze, Wolka was the first person in her life to disappear from her sight. It left an immeasurably deep and cruel scar on Anze's immature heart. Filled with regret, despair, and depression, Anze could barely eat, and was forced to abandon her pilgrimage for the time being.
It took me months to fully recover.
I realized that a boy I had only met by chance in a remote village had, without me even noticing, become such a significant presence in my life.
This person shattered Anze's ignorant worldview and gave her the opportunity to honestly confront a new version of herself. It was only a brief encounter, but it was literally a life-changing meeting for Anze.
So... oh, so.
"—I am Rizelarte, the leader of < >. We're a party full of young people, but we're many times more skilled than any other. ...Now, you idiot apprentice, introduce yourself."Silver-gray journeySilvery Gray
I think that was about two or three years after Anze had taken up her current position.
Having to travel to the royal capital on a certain matter, Anze concealed her identity and recruited several adventurer parties to accompany her, along with a knight as her bodyguard. These adventurers were constantly involved with the people living there through the various requests they received daily. Therefore, engaging in casual conversation with them while employing them as bodyguards was a valuable opportunity to hear the voices of the people of the holy city more clearly.
Among the party members who accepted the request.
"I'm Wolka. Um... Nice to meet you."
"......!!"
Upon seeing him,
Upon hearing the name,
Just how much relief did that bring to Anze's heart?
He had grown a lot since then, but I wasn't mistaken. His gray hair tied at the nape of his neck, his gruff way of speaking, his unfriendly and somewhat unapproachable face, and the palms of his hands that were completely scarred from rigorous training—all of it was the same.
He was alive.
I'm glad he's still alive.
He survived and met Anze again.
I felt like I could have done something. That's why I felt like I had essentially abandoned them to their fate by doing nothing—all those feelings of regret that had been weighing on me all this time suddenly surged up, and it was incredibly difficult to endure the heartbreaking pain.
Feeling tears welling up, I covered my mouth with both hands and lowered my head.
"W-what's wrong...?"
He doesn't realize that Anze is the same little girl from back then. Thinking about it, that's understandable; Anze almost always hid her face back then. The Anze of today has grown her hair long and learned to behave in a manner befitting her status. It would be strange if he didn't recognize her as that same clumsy child.
The truth is, I wanted to scream right then and there. —Do you remember? Do you remember me? It's me, the me from that time, I'm so glad you're safe, so glad you're alive, I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything—I just wanted to say it.weircough
But,
"Hmm? Ah, I suppose you're so unfriendly that you scared me. Come on, laugh. Laugh!"
"Hey, Master, stop that!"
"Whoa, we're in public, Rizel!"
"Huh? That sounds fun. Let me join in."
"Even Atori-san! I'm so sorry, so sorry, but we're all really strong people! We'll make sure to protect you!"
Seeing him surrounded by his party friends, Anze felt the overwhelming emotions slowly unravel and calm down.
It was an understanding that felt like waking from a dream.
Ah—I'm sure he did meet her.
Unlike Anze, who couldn't do anything, she has someone irreplaceable—someone with whom she can truly support and trust each other, someone she can do anything for.
That made me incredibly happy,
------------------------It was a little painful.
"...I'm sorry, it's nothing. The sunlight was just a little too bright."
She quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked up.
I swallowed back all the words that were welling up inside me. What I really wanted was for him to remember Anze. I wanted him to allow me to cry here. But now that he had met such irreplaceable friends, I felt like I had no right to confess my feelings to him, having been powerless to do anything for him.
Oh, I see.
This small pain in the corner of my heart must be jealousy. I envy them for being able to stand beside Walka as irreplaceable friends. I can't help but wonder if I would have been in that position if something had been different.
This must be the punishment that Anze received.
...But that's fine. Even if he doesn't remember, even if he never remembers me again.
To become a woman he can be proud of, this time, I want to become someone he truly needs.
"Hello everyone."
She had already decided on the name she would use. Whenever she interacted with someone as just a nun, Anze had resolved to always use this name.
It's a precious name given to me by someone irreplaceable.
"My name is Anze—please call me Anze."
Tips 'Wolka':
The protagonist, who once made a mistake during training in his childhood and went missing for a while. He apparently had a truly near-death experience, and upon his return, he was furious and attacked his grandfather, only to be defeated in return.
It will be a little while before he remembers Anze.
Tips 'Anze':
A young girl whose mind was messed up in many ways because of Wolka. As a result, she became obsessed with helping Wolka and became a nun with an insane amount of emotion who would do anything for him if he wanted. Take responsibility! It will be
a little while before Wolka remembers her.