CH 178

Chapter 178

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : To The Swamp, Part 16 — Ascension (Death)

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「Two things you want me to do?」

「Yes, only two.」

Fairtuse tells Miranda.

「The first is that while I am away, I would like the Church of Arnelia to lend me the manpower to sanctify this land instead. It was originally a job for the Church of Arnelia, and the Church of Arnelia can get the cooperation of the swamp people. Not a bad deal, right?」

「I don’t have enough right to authorize it, but I’ll ask the Master Bishop. Well, that’s about right.」

「Umu. Then, the other one is much more difficult. I need you to take care of this Lanna.」

「This girl?」

Miranda shows a little difficulty. Partly because of the look on her face, but also because Lanna is a dark magic user. She wondered if she can easily take in such a person as a member of their group. She certainly seems to have a mature personality, but they have only known her for a day, and at any rate, they cannot communicate with her if they cannot talk to her. Besides, with her looks, it would be hard to take her around town.

「Hmm, not that it can’t be done, but…」

「But surely it must be for that girl? People who use dark restorative magic are very rare. You don’t have to look hard to find one.」

「That’s for sure. I’ve only seen a few of them myself.」

「I’m sure she can stop the progression of that girl’s curse. I don’t think the water fairy there can, though. No offense, but take her away. Come on, I’m asking you to do it for Lanna’s sake, too!」

When told, Lanna stepped forward and bowed prettily. She wondered if she is still young, judging from this gesture. If so, she pitied her even more for her appearance.

「I don’t mind it, but I have to ask Alfie anyway. After all, that girl is our leader.」

「Hoh, that’s very true. Well, let’s all go to the exit of the swamp for now. But first, let’s fill ourselves.」

Then Fairtuse and Lanna entered the house. She didn’t see where Rouge had gone. Yesterday she had followed her relatively close to this house.

But what Fairtuse says is plausible, so Miranda, Aerial, and Kaede follow suit. Left behind are Euthy and Lisa.

「Euthy, is there any difference between Water and Dark for restorative magic?」

Lisa asks Euthy.

「Nhn? It’s not just something, it’s something totally different, okay? Water restorative magic is fluid manipulation. It’s the manipulation of fluids in the body. Toxins can be expelled, and what is lacking can be made up. This makes it a very versatile magic, and it is one of the most well-known, along with the recovery magic of the Holy Attribute. Dark restorative magic, on the other hand, specializes in the removal of foreign substances, such as curses and toxins. That’s why Nia is feeling so much better.」

Nia already felt fine getting up, and although she hadn’t regained enough strength to stop Miranda, she at least kept an eye on her at the entrance. Seeing as how she’s holding her stomach, she may already be hungry. Her left arm is still not in perfect condition, though, so she’s holding her arm in place. Fairtuse said yesterday that the fix could be in place in a week. She said that the resilience of a beastkim would probably be sufficient for a month, although it would take some individual differences for her to be completely restored to her former state.

「Hmm–hmm, they are quite different.」

「By the way, the restorative magic of the holy attribute is the regeneration and revitalization of the body itself. Fire restorative magic is seldom, but I guess it is also the revitalization of the body. It should be particularly good at manipulating blood flow. Wind is similar to water, but while it exerts its effects at a distance, it is less effective. Soil would increase resistance/tolerance. Gold would be to make up for the missing pieces.」

「You know the details…」

「Of course, water fairies are inherently specialized in restorative magic! I’m also a big fan of restorative magic, and I’m learning a lot about it!」

「Okay, you’re a water fairy.」

「What the hell did you think I was?」

「I thought you were a pot fairy.」

「Kiih—!! And whose fault is that, you know!? Ah, hey, wait a second!」

Leaving Euthy alone to happen alone, Lisa went inside Fairtuse’s house. All that remained was to pray for Alfiris’ safety.

＊＊＊

On the other hand, there was Alfiris and Serpent. They were making a detour on Serpent’s business.

「So, what’s the errand?」

「It’s about Rouge.」

「Rouge?」

「I’m talking about the Dragon Zombie you fought.」

「Ahh.」

Alfiris seemed to be ill-prepared for the cliché. No matter how much the Curse Mark was about to take over, it was a terrible thing to do. But perhaps noticing her condition, Serpent speaks kindly to her.

「Don’t worry about it. It would be best to return her to ashes, but that’s not always possible. And it’s not like she already feel pain, so don’t hold it against her. On the contrary, you even seemed to miss her, as Fairtuse told me.」

「I don’t know if zombies miss me…」

Alfiris thought that Miranda would tease her again, but her heart ached a little as she wondered if the girls would treat her the same way they used to.

「So, why do you know that Rouge?」

「That one was in love with me before she died.」

Serpent says a little sadly.

「Rouge has been a Fire Dragon since she was born. When Rouge was a little girl, I saved her from drowning when she was playing in the ocean out of curiosity, and she became very attached to me. I lived on the ocean at the time, so it was quite a distance, but she was always waiting for me when I returned to my roost. No matter how many times I told her to go back to Brome Volcano, she never did. Sometimes she did, but she still spent most of her time at my roost.」

「…」

「A mating of a Fire Dragon and a Sea Dragon is no joke. Most Fire Dragons can’t swim, and I spend most of my life in the sea. Our lives are too different. Besides, the lifespan of a True Dragon is different from that of an ordinary dragon. We live for thousands of years, they live for a few hundred at most. Most of them don’t even speak human language. But Rouge grew up to be very beautiful, and to be honest, I didn’t feel bad that such a dragon was silently waiting for me at my roost every night.」

「You’re a bad dragon, you know that?」

Serpent chuckles at Alfiris’ words.

「I have no words to reply, but that’s correct. But that was a bad idea. One day, the mermaids begged me to kill a rampaging fiend in the sea. So I went to see what was going on for now, but it took an unexpectedly long time to resolve the issue. Months went by as I was welcomed by the mermaids, and I returned to my roost for the first time in a long time.」

「…」

「And there was Rouge, dying. Perhaps the Sea Dragon wasn’t in the right realm, or perhaps Rouge had fallen ill. I tried to fix her somehow, but Rouge was about to outlive me and pleaded with me to stay by her side. I took care of her end. However, Rouge still had some unfinished business, and she became a zombie as it was. It was hard to see the woman who fell in love with me slowly crumble, though she didn’t do anything bad as it was.」

「And that’s why you’re in the swamp?」

The Serpent was silent at Alfiris’ question, but eventually opened his mouth gravely.

「Well, not only that… I thought that if I changed my residence, Rouge would give up. She followed me. After that, although she usually stay at Fairtuse’s place, she always comes to see me once every few days. If I’m not there, she’s going to stay there forever. So I have to show my face and reassure her.」

「I see.」

Serpent was silent for the last time. Alfiris also remained silent and said nothing. A heavy silence enveloped the two, but eventually the Serpent came to the shore where clean water was springing up. Rouge is standing there.

「Rouge, I have come.」

「Guuuoooooo.」

「Today is no different… how can I return your soul to heaven?」

Serpent looks at Rouge with a complicated expression. Rouge already had no eyes, but the way she looked at Serpent showed that she adored him painfully, which made Alfiris sad as well.

Rouge, perhaps sensing the expression on Alfiris’ face, comes up to her. Frankly, it wasn’t pleasant for Alfiris to be grudgingly accepted by a rotten creature, but she answered Rouge’s heart and answered her action.

Serpent was surprised by the situation.

「A zombie trapped in a delusion that acts outside of its delusion? What the hell is this…」

However, as Alfiris interacts with Rouge, she notices something and begins to talk with Rouge.

「Eh, what?」

「Guuoooo.」

「I see, then…」

「Guuuooon.」

「Yeah, okay. I’ll let him know.」

「No way, you’re talking to her?」

It was impossible, Serpent thought. The language of the Dragon Tribe is all understandable to Serpent, a True Dragon, with the exception of those who have died and become zombies. They are generally incapable of even thinking the words themselves because they have lost their intelligence. The zombie and the human girl in front of him exchanged words.

And when she turned around, Alfiris’ face was as compassionate as if she were a different person.

「Serpent, listen.」

「?」

「This girl is not just following you because she adores you. Rather, she is worried about you. That you no longer laugh because of her. It is this regret that keeps her in this world.」

「What…」

「So the only thing you can do for her is to promise her that you will return to the way you were. That you will return to your original self. She likes you to live freely and openly as your heart desires. You are now too much caught up in various ties.」

「Why is that…」

Serpent had an idea, of course, but he couldn’t help wondering how Alfiris knew about it. But before he could ask such a question, Alfiris continued.

「Let this girl free her soul by my power. Therefore, you must swear to her.」

「…Very well.」

「Then…」

As Alfiris ran her hand along Rouge’s face, Rouge’s body turned to ash from the edges, leaving only a few scales in its wake. And after her stands a beautiful woman with long red hair and crimson eyes. Her figure was translucent like a phantom, indicating that she no longer existed in this world.

「Is that you, Rouge?」

「Serpent. I’m finally getting to talk to you…」

Rarely, it’s said that aged dragons take on the appearance of humans and other creatures. Rouge died young, but taking into account the time she existed as a zombie, she has been dead for quite some time. If so, it is not surprising that she was able to create a phantom body.

「（Impossible, Alfiris did this?）」

「With her help, we had time to talk for a few moments.」

Rouge lightly bows to Alfiris. Alfiris returned Rouge’s smile.

「First let me say thank you. Thank you for not abandoning me, even as a zombie.」

「What are you talking about? I’m the one who didn’t give you anything for what you did.」

「It’s alright.」

Rouge nuzzles her face into the Serpent. In response, the Serpent also took on human form in his phantom body. His hair was short and blue, and his eyes were the color of the sea. He was a little bit winsome in appearance, but quite a handsome boy.

「I just loved you for a long time unilaterally. Your heart has always been in that ocean, and then…」

「Rouge, you knew all this.」

「Yes. But I liked you like that. I had such a crazy idea that I wanted you, the ocean itself, to be by my side. At least I wanted to be born a sea creature, but that’s a dream that won’t come true.」

「Rouge…」

Serpent gently pats Rouge on the head.

「But I have no regrets or resentment. The only regret I have is that you stopped smiling because of me. So from now on, I want you to live your life the way you want to. Be honest about your feelings. Will you promise me that?」

Her crimson eyes meet his ocean blue eyes. And Serpent nods slowly.

「Yes, I promise you. In the name of this True Dragon.」

「I’m glad… now I have nothing left to think about. I’m sorry you had to go along with my selfishness until the end.」

「No, not really. I feel like I’m the one who’s been pushing things around. We should have talked about things earlier.」

But Rouge just smiled back. Then she turned back to Alfiris.

「Human girl. If you ever visit the Fire Dragon Clan in Brome, could you please tell them what happened to me?」

「All right, I’ll do it.」

「In return, may the protection of the Fire Dragon be upon you…」

Then Rouge’s scales touch the small hand of Alfiris and become a part of it, the shape hardly changes, but a part of it seems to have turned crimson.

When Alfiris checked it, Rouge had already faded away. She must have accomplished all her thoughts.

「Alfiris, I’ll thank you too. This is… hey!?」

Serpent looked at Alfiris and saw that she was about to fall down. Serpent rushed over to her and held her in his arms.

「What’s the matter, get a grip!」

「…Suh—」

「You’re sleeping… You are a totally mysterious girl. But still…」

How did she do a series of acts? Also, was it really Alfiris who spoke earlier?

「（I didn’t realize there were things even me as a True Dragon didn’t know. No wonder Brother Gwen has his eye on her. But now I owe her a debt. I have no choice.）」

Serpent reverts part of his arm back to dragon form, strips off the scales, and embeds them in the small hand of Alfiris, just as Rouge did.

「This is fine. You will get the protection of the Sea Dragon as well as the Fire Dragon. Small, but I gave you some back first.」

He then gathers up the scales left by Rouge, and embeds one of them in the part of his own scales that he has just removed.

「Rouge, we’re going to go.」

Then Serpent reverts to his original form, puts Alfiris on his head, and begins to swim through the swamp.

「Now, how to return the favor… right.」

Serpent summoned a small seabird-like messenger and flew it far into the sky.