Chapter 542: Hero’s choice 2
“Wait, Neia. What are you talking about?”
I get up, my mood of eroticism blown away. Neia was still naked, but I was no longer in the mood to continue. She’s going to the palace. That is, she’s going to Rainer. She’s going to the palace, to Rainer, who is likely to have a long-standing grudge against Neia, which means she’s going to be humiliated and killed in every way possible.
“Are you trying to atone for your sins? Don’t think nonsense. Do you think Faria sacrificed herself to keep you alive for that?”
“…………”
Neia shakes her head quietly.
“I don’t think that anymore”
“Well then!”
“But we have our limits. Even with the combined efforts of me, Brian, Smithson-san and the four of us……all of us, we can’t carry everything unscathed. Not only us, but if the current Rainer was so inclined, the countries of the Northwestern Plains and the Central Lakeshore would have no enemies. So much for the overlap between the power of a hero and his authority over a dozen dragons”
“…………”
“You would understand. You have been in contact with many strong men and many dragons”
……It was true. Rainer’s dragon army. It is a strength that cannot be won no matter how hard an individual tries. Even a single dragon could destroy an entire country if it wanted to. There is no way for people to reach out to its ability to fly, and the overrun by dragon breath would be nothing more than a one-sided slaughter. If it were a single dragon, there would still be a possibility of conquering it. That possibility is the great sword saints, master knights and dragon slayers. However, if there are more than a dozen of them, even if there is a full complement of dragon slayers, there is no way for mankind to win. Even a dragon slayer is not necessarily a kill for a dragon, but only an effective one and it is not possible to defeat a dragon without a surprise attack. And if even one of them abandons the close combat, that’s the end of it. There is a limit to how much you can assume. If only Dianne would come back…we are keeping our hearts together, but Neia is analyzing this hope coldly.
“100-man commander Dianne may indeed be a genius in battle. But even if she gathered all the possible equipment and called in all the warriors she could find to come here, I don’t think she would be able to defeat Rainer. And the last hope to keep the dragons at bay is you, Smithson-san. ……Can you keep the dragons under control? Can you keep Rainer from moving?”
“Neia”
“Don’t let words like I’ll try, I can manage and the like fool you. ……That’s what Rainer is trying to do. It should not be anything but a matter of personal grudge to try to take me away from you. You are creating a situation where you are forced to move recklessly in that way. If you, the dragon rider, stand up to them and crush them in a dignified manner, then the troubles within the silver dragons will be settled”
Neia was naked, but she had deeper insight than Tetes and she conveyed it to me with a slow, serious look. She must have been thinking about it all along, behind the scenes, as she held me close and waited for the tears to dry. I was beginning to connect with her, the meaning of it all.
“I think the reason he gave you a generous deadline was to convince the silver dragons that you could make it work. And to make you think it over and naturally make you feel the urgency……to confront Rainer himself at your own discretion. If he forces you to go through with it, he may say that you are not qualified to be a dragon rider, but if you confront Rainer, he will have no reason to remain unprovoked”
“……That’s like saying that there’s no way out, isn’t it?”
“It’s cruel, but yes. If we ignore the country’s future and focus simply on overthrowing Rainer……even your death would make it almost completely impossible”
“………….”
I wanted to argue with her, but I couldn’t find the words. I knew I was the key point, but that also means that……I should never be reckless, etc., on the basis of wishes and dreams. So they take advantage of the fact that I care about Neia in this way. If I don’t abandon Neia, victory as a whole will be impossible and I will die. If I abandon Neia, my reasons for saving Kalwin will also lose much ground in my mind. Even if I talk about irresponsible hopes, the deadline is approaching. There is no way I can assure that Dianne will be here in six days and moreover, I want to believe that Dianne is prepared with enough strength to conquer Rainer……but I know that in reality it’s just a delusion.
“……It is enough if you and everyone in the craftsman village survives. What happens after that may be a story of no return for you who wanted to get me as a female slave. ……If you can, I hope you will not abandon my precious brethren”
“……That’s not good enough for me…….”
“Thats right. ……Even there are times when you have to throw away even the things you shouldn’t throw away. There are times when you have to commit sins you didn’t want to commit……”
Neia said, looking just a little sideways at the cloaked flash sword. Neia also abandoned Faria. She had to abandon her. ――A hero is, you know. A hero is a man who dies protecting someone. You know, Neia, one day you too will die protecting someone……I resented the words of Faria, who had kept Neia alive and bound to her until now, I am sure. I’m so tempted to deny it all, to wonder if that’s what’s convinced Neia. But I can’t say……anything, nothing. The inevitable is looming before us. There’s nothing I can do to make Neia flinch or stray from her decision. But I wanted to think that there must be some help. I was suddenly told that it was impossible, but I could not just accept that and give up.
“Flash Sword! Don’t just stand there and say something!”
I yelled at him as if I was taking it out on him. After a few seconds of silence, he said.
“……What do you want from me other than the fact that I’m a sword?”
“You! I thought you wanted to save Neia!”
“I do. But what can I do?”
“…………”
“I am not a god. I am not even capable of action. I am the will in the sword. That is all. ……At all times, it is the one who wields the sword, not the sword, who can change anything in the human world”
“You’re running away……now!”
“……You can take it that way, I can only think and speak. And the conclusion is the same as Neia’s. ……I can’t think of any way to save Neia”
The flash sword said in a low snarl and Neia gently.
“If that’s the conclusion you’ve thought of too, that’s good enough. ……Hopefully, we can connect it to someone’s willingness to save……this country for the next brave soul.
“……Yes”
The sword and the hero break off their words as if to say goodbye. And Neia slowly tries to put on her clothes.
“……Wait”
“……What do you want”
I grab Neia’s arm to stop her. Then I hug Neia again, still unclothed. It must have looked like a goodbye for the rest of my life. Like a final comfort. But I prayed for Neia as she relaxed and surrendered herself to me, as if she were a holy seal.
I want to save her. I want to make her happy. I want a miracle. Is that wrong? Someone. Someone.
Various faces come to mind. From the higher beings worthy of prayer, such as the goddesses of the church and the holy beasts, to those who are close to me, but out of my reach at the moment. They all affirm my wish, but, though, they all urge me to give up. It’s a weakness in me, if that’s the Duke’s theory. I’m trying to realize that I can’t save them. It’s trying to take shape in my prayer.
And finally, I see my father’s face.
Father. I’m……
The father in my heart looks at me praying and opens his mouth.
———————————————————-
I open my eyes.
“……Neia.”
“Yes”
“Cooperate. ……Time is running out”
“Eh?”
“And flash sword. ……I’ll need the help of Tetes, Maia and everyone in the craftsman village”
“……Wh, What……?”
I stand up. Right. I haven’t done anything yet. There is still something I can do.