Chapter 66 – Friends, Allies, and Enemies (12)

Friends, Allies, and Enemies (12)

Valkvogel was standing in front of the door.

“You were awake.”

One of its horns was missing.
I knew that for a dragon, having a single horn was a disgrace… What happened for it to be cut off?
More importantly, why is Valkvogel here? Wasn’t it taken away by Cecilia?

Could it be that Valkvogel killed Cecilia and returned?
Waking up during the kidnapping and then killing Cecilia on the spot before returning…
But that seems far-fetched. No matter how lacking in combat prowess, a saint is still a saint. They’re not beings that can be killed easily. A dragon might manage somehow, but with its power sealed, it would be no easy feat.

“Ha ha…, why are you making such a strange face?”

“…”

The fact that it’s speaking to me suggests it’s not an illusion.
But I’ve seen too many ghosts to be sure… It’s a bit ambiguous. The way it speaks also resembles its past self.

Alright, calm down and think.

Let’s sort out the situation.

Last night, Cecilia ran away with Valkvogel.
The purpose was probably to screw me over.
And Valkvogel either killed or incapacitated Cecilia and returned.
Its horn was cut off, but… it returned desperately, despite not having a strong reason to.

That’s the first hypothesis I came up with.

The second is,

There isn’t one.

I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment.

It’s an event that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Why would someone who left once bother to come back?
The collar?
That’s a valid point.
But with the saint present, the pain from the collar should be minimal. Valkvogel didn’t have a strong reason to return on her own. If she came back even after losing a horn…

Ah, right. Cecilia is affiliated with the Holy Imperial Court, closely cooperating with the empire, so maybe it returned wanting to live. At least I have no intention of killing Valkvogel. Unless she tries killing me.

Thump, I unconsciously placed my hand on Valkvogel’s head.
It was bristly.
Unlike that damn mirror, I could feel a proper texture.
My sense of touch isn’t completely gone yet. It’s safe to assume this is real.

“…Where have you been?”

But that was all I could say.

If even this is an illusion.

I still couldn’t let my guard down.
Just because it’s not an illusion doesn’t mean it’s friendly towards me. On the contrary, it might want to kill me.

“Sorry, I’ll explain later. There’s something more urgent right now.”

I had many questions, but Valkvogel took the initiative.

Fumbling,
she took out an envelope that was hanging from the tip of her tail.
It was an unremarkable-looking envelope.
Opening the envelope revealed… strange powder, ah… a liquid. A potion sealed with a cork in a glass bottle. It was a liquid mixed with shimmering powder and suspiciously large particles.

And she approached me with that suspicious potion in hand.

“Hey, wait, stop.”

Her actions were suspicious. The potion was obviously suspicious too.

She was plotting some kind of trick on me.

I thought I could stop her.
It was just Valkvogel, after all. With a collar on, she wasn’t a big threat.

But I overlooked two things.

One was that my body was weaker than I thought.
The body I was proud of for getting stronger during my journey had become as frail as a noble lady’s. I couldn’t stop the charge of a girl two heads shorter than me.

The second was that a dragon is still a dragon, even with its power sealed.

And a third thing I’d like to add.
The restraint of the collar was more arbitrary than I thought.
That damned ancient magical device didn’t stop Valkvogel from approaching me.

Damn it.

Bang!
There was a loud noise. I could fend off the sudden charge, the first clash, somehow. But my body, untreated since morning, was several times weaker than expected. I didn’t have the strength to block a flurry of blows.

Then I’d use a tool.

I reached out with my left hand for the demon sword. But I couldn’t. I didn’t have the stamina left to survive after drawing the demon sword.
My body naturally refused suicide, and the demon sword remained embedded in my neck.

I reached out with my right hand for the holy sword. But I couldn’t. The holy sword was in the opposite pocket. By the time I tried to reach for it, Valkvogel would have already reached me. Ah, she’s already in front of me. There’s no way out…

And so, the second collision.

My body was swept across the floor and rolled backward.
Valkvogel climbed onto my abdomen, pressing down on me. I tried to push her away with my hands, but to no avail, as both my hands were crushed under her feet.

Huffing and puffing, she pierced the cork with her fangs. Pop, with a pleasant sound, a few drops of the potion splashed onto my face. The smell was far from pleasant.

“What the, fuck…, ah… damn it.”

“Just bear with it a little. The pain will disappear soon.”

And she shoved the glass bottle into my mouth.
I allowed a large amount of the potion to enter my mouth. My consciousness began to fade. My vision gradually turned white.

Damn.
This is crap.

If I didn’t care about my life, I could boast that I was the strongest amongst the porters. But strangely, I never seem to get the chance to show my true strength; I just keep getting overpowered. I wonder if all the other porters feel the same. Or is it just me who finds himself in these unfair situations?

Well, whatever.
I’m as tough as my bad luck.
Even if the potion is suspicious, I won’t die from it.

With that thought,
my consciousness faded.

Or so I thought.

But.

My mind was clear.

I could feel everything. My whole body was in turmoil, as if steeped in drugs, and then it settled down. My hands and feet were cold. It was like being shoved into a pile of snow in the middle of winter.

I hadn’t lost consciousness in an instant.
Slowly, I was feeling all the pain as my consciousness blurred.

I had heard of it somewhere before.

People whose hands and feet grew cold as they died. It’s a common method of poisoning used in Frontis. A poison used to kill those numbed by the cold, was it Snowflower?

Victims of Snowflower feel an intense cold in their hands and feet, and eventually freeze to death slowly.
No warm place can stop the chill that seeps in.

The symptoms were similar to what I had heard. Cold, lonely, and painful.

Is this how I’m going to end?

Damn collar.
Why can’t you work properly? Important things always break or disappear when you need them most.

But this is a good death, all things considered.
Compared to the crimes I’ve committed… it’s too comfortable a death. If I die this peacefully, will Ellie, who’s waiting for me there, scold me? Saying I should have died more painfully to atone for my sins.
That’s a bit sad.
Haha.

Feeling the unfamiliar cold, I closed my eyes.
Someday, I’ll be swept away by this cold and die.

But when I go, let me disappear quietly. A death with flailing and screaming is not a good look.

As time passed, the trembling subsided.

The world, lost in darkness, slowly returned.
The surroundings brightened.
Sometimes red, sometimes yellow, sometimes blue.
Gradually, my vision began to return.

It’s the last moment.
That’s what I thought when…

My heavy eyelids struggled to open.

The first thing that caught my eye was the dark blue ceiling. It should have been my first time seeing it, but for some reason, it felt painfully familiar.

The wallpaper was a deep green.
Again, nauseatingly familiar.

I turn my head and Valkvogel comes into view.
The cross-section of her cut horn is red. The remaining horn isn’t looking too good either.
Her face is haggard, as if she’s been through a lot. Her hair has completely lost its color, now a transparent silver.

Yet, she has a strangely smiling face.
Like when we first met. Not bright, but… there’s a hint of a smile.

“Can you see in front of you?”

I can see it.
The same scenery I’ve grown tired of seeing is visible again.
I can see it.

“…What.”

What kind of trick is this?
I wanted to say that, but I held back.

That’s not the point.

My vision has returned.
Valkvogel has come back.
I don’t know how she found the cure.
But Valkvogel brought it. The liquid inside the glass bottle is dark blue, the remaining pieces… similar in color to Valkvogel’s horn.

I look at her face.
There’s only one horn left.

So that’s what happened.

I roughly understand.

I don’t know where Cecilia has gone, but Valkvogel is here. It’s okay to head to the Dragon Kingdom.
It means I can’t end things here yet.
My vision and life have returned somewhat, but I don’t know when they might deteriorate again. But now, I can’t finish everything. There’s a reason to go to the Dragon Kingdom.

“……Thank you.”

Valkvogel showed a bright smile that she seldom revealed.
Despite the fatigue on her face, she didn’t seem to be overly happy.

In the end, I survived again.

I thought I could let go by now.

But ironically, I’m still breathing this hateful breath.

Haah…

Not yet.

Just a little longer.
It seems I have to struggle in hell a bit more.

I have to pay back everything I owe before I can leave without regrets.

“Besides, you’re heavy, so get off. I’m getting crushed.”

Anyway… it’s time to depart.

I hope Chloe tries to open the letter at least once.

I push Valkvogel to the floor and stand up. My body feels light. Not as much as when I first set out on my journey, but similar to after being impaled to the ceiling.

…But where did Cecilia go? From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like she was really killed or anything.
Well, I’ll ask Valkvogel later. Seeing her give off that strangely familiar vibe, she’ll surely answer.

So for now, let’s do what needs to be done.

“I’ll be back. Don’t wander around outside.”

I added those words. If no one is here when I return… it will be really hard to bear.
I’m at my mental limit. It’s getting too hard to hold on.

“…Alright, go and come back.”

Valkvogel says that and climbs onto the bed next to her.
Her eyes are bright and lively.
It’s familiar. I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere.
Ah, I remember now. It’s the face she shows when she drinks or sometimes. Looking at that face, memories of the past come flooding back. Moments of happiness in my life flash by like a revolving lantern.

What happened to this guy?
Why did her attitude change so suddenly?

I gaze at that face for a moment, then compose myself.

I can’t waste the life I’ve managed to extend.

There’s still something left to protect.

…It’s time to set out.