Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

[Attention]

There is a slightly dark scene at the start of this chapter. Please take caution if you’re not good with such things.

From afar, it seems to be around the size of a human child. We gulp, a bad feeling arising in our stomachs.

But as we grow closer to it, we find that the lump isn’t Mite.

Lying on the ground, body covered in blood, is s… Moot. The subtle rise and fall of his chest shows that he’s still breathing, though shallowly.

Moot’s body has been torn to pieces. It’s even a wonder how he’s still alive.

Did Moot never stop going against those bears after catching up to them and Mite until he dropped?

Unbelievable.

Mite’s nowhere to be seen near Moot, rekindling the hope in everyone’s hearts. We decide to search the area another time.

Eventually, behind Moot’s torn and bloodied body, within a small hole amidst the heaps of soil and rock, we find…

…Mite’s unconscious figure, curled into a ball.

When Gouda-san brings Mite into his arms and lifts her up, Moot slightly tilts his head toward them and releases a low growl filled with pride.

Then he stops breathing and grows still. As if he’s just fallen asleep.

I wrap Moot’s corpse with a cloth and hold him in my arms. Watching from beside me, Lian extends his hand and strokes Moot’s head in a gentle manner. Tremors wrack his voice as he mutters, “I’m sorry.”

I try to think of reasons why Lian would apologize but come up with nothing. So I ask him.

He replies, “Because I couldn’t make it in time.”

But I don’t think the fault lies solely on Lian.

Besides, it’s been more than half a day since we started our search. Since Mite and Moot’s disappearance, even longer than that.

To be able to save Mite is already a miracle.

I tell him that, but Lian only shakes his head, face turned toward the ground. “If I had decided to go sooner… I might’ve saved Moot too…”

In the vicinity, Cheddar-san overhears our conversation and smacks Lian’s back repeatedly, saying, “What are you talking about, Lian-sama?! No need to be this depressed! Really! We saved Mite, didn’t we? We definitely wouldn’t have saved either of them if it were only up to us. It’s thanks to you that Mite’s now safe! Right, everyone?”

Everyone turns to Lian and nods, smiles on their faces. Amidst Gouda-san’s snot and tears, he also thanks Lian, bobbing his head repeatedly.

As he’s being showered with everyone’s gratitude, Lian stays silent. Only flashes a troubled smile.

After a while, everyone starts making their way down the mountain.

As we watch the backs of everyone leaving, Lian says in a soft voice, “But… if I had decided to change the event sooner, I could’ve rescued both of them…”

I look behind me. Lian seems immersed in his thoughts. When he eventually notices my gaze, he doesn’t say anything else.

I feel like Lian’s acting… somewhat strange today.

He occasionally uses strange wording and says some cryptic phrases that I don’t understand.

He just seems different than usual.

And most importantly, his deathly pale complexion hasn’t improved since this morning. Even though we’ve already rescued Mite.

In contrast to everyone else, who is all smiles, celebrating Mite’s return, Lian only quietly sighs to himself at a slight distance away from them, face pale.

He’ll return a smile whenever they call out to him, but his smile looks somewhat stiff. Like he’s just forcing himself.

“Lian…”

“Ah, that’s right. I shouldn’t forget to take that…” Then he rushes back to the cave.

“That?” I ask, following him.

He stops at the place where we found Mite and leans down. I watch from beside him. He seems to be picking something up from the ground.

Lian stares at the object he picked up before nodding and lightly wrapping his fingers around it. He then extends his fist toward me, knocking it against my chest with some force.

…Seems like he wants me to accept this. Why though?

But since it doesn’t look like he’ll retract his hand until I accept it, I have no choice but to comply

It’s the size of a thumb. Hard to the touch.

I open my palm. It’s a small carving of a goddess, made of white stone.

Her eyes are closed, and a gentle smile adorns her face. An ornament the semblance of a wing also decorates her long, flowy hair. On her back is a large pair of white wings. In one hand, she holds a lyre and in the other, a bird. .

“What’s this?”

“The talisman of the Wind Goddess Ventus,” he tells me. Then his eyes shift to the side as he once again grows lost in thought. He mutters, “But Mite’s still alive. What’s going to happen in the future…? Since she’s alive, this probably won’t become a Memento anymore. And that item’s needed to start the sub-quest, so won’t this… No, wait. Since I still managed to find it here, it must still be valid, right? But…”

More incomprehensible words.

And he’s been speaking to himself a lot today.

I think only Lian understands all the things he’s saying to himself. Because I definitely can’t.

In the midst of deep thought, Lian looks up at me, eyes laced with slight worry.

Since he got this from the place Mite was at….

“…Mite probably dropped this, right?”

“Huh? Ah, y-yeah… You’re right…”

“I see. Then I’ll return this to her later.”

Lian nods, letting out a sigh. “Please do that. I don’t know what to do with it, so… I’ll leave the decision to you.” Following that, he flashes a faint smile, looking extremely tired.

By the time we reach the base of the mountain, bright hues of red paint the west sky.

We bury Moot, still wrapped in the cloth, near Gouda-san’s backyard. We then use a wooden board to make a small grave marker, completing the little grave.

In front of the grave, Lian recites the funeral prayer Marie taught him. He replicated Marie’s soft and gentle voice too.

It’s very soothing to listen to.

Mite has been crying non-stop ever since she woke up. But at this moment, her cries cease as she listens to the prayer.

Although Cheddar-san, Gouda-san, and their wives are delighted despite the circumstances, they’re also sweating bullets, seeming embarrassed.

That’s to be expected.

A noble—and the lord’s son even—is praying for their pet dog.

I don’t think any other noble would do something like this, even if I search the entire world.

Lian also tells the others to ask Marie in the future about the proper way to perform the prayer.

The entire search team ends up staying at Gouda-san’s house for the night.

We planned on returning to our own homes now that the search is over. But it’s already dark outside, and we’re all tired. Gouda-san and his wife also refuse to let us go, insisting that they must thank us first before we leave.

…Well, it’s more of Gouda-san and his wife firmly clinging onto Lian, crying their eyes out. Trapped between their large bodies, Lian stares daggers at the rest of us, eyes saying he’ll never forgive us if we leave him alone here. So here we are.

Because of the Goudas’ sincerity, Lian seems to find himself unable to refuse them.

In the end, with furrowed eyebrows and a troubled expression, he accepts their gratitude.

Since the master has decided to stay, we escorts obviously also have to remain with him.

Though really, everyone’s tired and hungry, so aside from Lian, no one else is embarrassed to accept the Goudas’ offer. With smiles of delight, they thank Gouda-san.

After all, alcohol will definitely be passed around later. And nobody hates free alcohol.

My escort seniors play rock-paper-scissors. The one who lost then prepares to return to the mansion, crying in dejection.

The butler told us to immediately report to him once the mission is over, so someone has to head back.

It seems that my seniors will be gravely punished if they all take their time, stay for the night, and only report to the butler the next day.

Sounds like the butler’s working them hard. My seniors explain this to me in such a disheartened manner too, so the punishment’s probably pretty serious. I should be careful in the future.

In tears, the senior who lost rushes to the mansion on horseback but not without sharply saying, “I won’t forgive you all if you don’t bring back some alcohol for me!”

The knights have also decided to stay since they don’t have any urgent duties or emergencies to deal with.

In a good mood, they laugh and say things like, “Not having to work overtime feels great!” “We don’t have to see that demon bespectacled boss right now either!”, and “We can even drink! Is this heaven?!”

Then they begin narrating their life stories, even though I don’t really want to listen to them. According to them, as the underlings and the lowest-ranked knights in the royal capital, they’re extremely overworked.

I can’t really say I understand their plight. Well, I certainly don’t think that unpaid overtime is good.

The Goudas also try to detain Cheddar-san, but he’s resolute in his decision to return to his ranch.

“Noche’s probably worried and waiting for me. I have to go home and tell her the good news,” says Cheddar-san, gazing at the wooden crates with regret.

In the end, the Goudas tell him to take a few bottles before he leaves.

As we are now, we’re too sweaty, dusty, and muddy to enter the house, so we wash ourselves off first. Then we can start eating.

Lian follows Gouda-san’s wife to their house’s bathroom, while the rest of us go to the waterside of the house, which was at the back of the house. Nearby is a streamlet and a well.

Lian says that he’s fine with the cold water, but everyone, including me, insists that he takes his bath in the bathroom.

There’s no way we can let the lord’s son take a bath in the cold waters with us.

Also…

These rascals aren’t allowed to see his body. No way.

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