“That is… sh*t!” (Laocles)
Laocles quickly turned pale and then kicked one of the people who had fallen on the floor of the store.
Then the person groans and rolls to the floor. In his hand is a black stone.
Does that mean that this black monster is some kind of summoned beast?
“You’re still here?!” (Laocles)
Laocles shouted and struck the black ghost, swinging the ham. I wonder if they know each other.
…but that’s all. The cured ham is buried under the feet of the black ghost, and then… it disappears as if it were swallowed by the black darkness.
It disappeared. Ther cured ham is gone.
The ham, which until a few moments ago had been beating the shopkeepers to a pulp like the club used by the mythological Hercules, vanished without a moment’s thought. The ham seemed to have melted away halfway through and disappeared.
As I was shocked at the sight… The ghost moved.
The ghost lifted something that looked like a hand… and then swung it down.
Then, the place where Laocles had been until a moment before… vanished.
It disappeared. The ceiling wreckage that should have been there, the scattered merchandise, and the floor. The only thing left is a hole in the ground where the ground has been gouged out.
I was shocked to see the scene in front of me. …What is this guy?
While I was horrified by the scene before me, Laocles quickly moved on to his next attack.
He picked up an axe that one of the guests was holding and slashed at the black ghost with it.
…For a moment, the ax seemed to glow. But that’s all… the black ghost had a faint cut, but it soon closed up. It’s like cutting a soft mochi. No matter how you cut it, it sticks together immediately.
“Damn, this is no good…!” (Laocles)
Laocles clicked his tongue, raised his axe, and began to concentrate on something.
But while he was doing so, the ghost reached out to him again. This time, the hand would swing down at Laocles.
I hurriedly threw things I had around toward the ghost.
A piece of a jar. A knife blade. A pebble. A carved wooden statue I didn’t understand. I threw these things at the ghost, but it didn’t react at all. And as soon as they hit the ghost’s body, they all disappear as if they were absorbed into the ghost’s body. It was just like the ham I had just thrown.
Still, I kept throwing things. There was nothing else I could do. Even if I took out my art supplies and built a wall right now, it wouldn’t make much sense because the ghost can erase everything and anything. If that’s the case, at least make the ghost’s hand face me instead of Laocles…
…It was at that time.
A flash of light.
Light was leaking from my hand. What I was trying to throw was something that looked a lot like the candle Fay had lent me to practice my magic.
A rumble echoed; it seems to have come from a black ghost.
Before I could even think about it, the ghost crawled away from me, as if trying to get away from me…
“There!” (Laocles)
There, the ax of Laocles roared.
This time, the axe shined bright. There was a crack, a sound like something exploding… And the axe tore through the ghost’s body with a mighty crack.
Pah, blood splashes.
“……F*ck!” (Laocles)
The ghost seems to have aimed at Laocles’ leg at the same time as it was cut. Part of Laocles’ thigh is missing as if it was ripped, and blood overflows from it.
Laocles would no longer be able to walk. It would be difficult for him to attack.
Furthermore, the ghost that Laocles had cut off seemed to have reattached itself to the body and was now back together again.
Horrifying.
I’ve healed Fay’s injuries before, but this was the first time I’d seen someone get hurt.
It was a much worse scene than I had expected. As I watched this terrible scene, I wondered absentmindedly if this was how people bleed.
“Hey, you run away!” (Laocles)
Laocles said so while protecting his wounds.
Since he said that, I should probably run away. The store is already full of holes. The door that Laocles kicked through. Holes in the walls that the black ghost has obliterated. I can escape from anywhere.
…but.
I think that if I run away, I will probably regret it for the rest of my life.
“…I’ll try not to be a bother.” (Tougo)
The ghost is about to wave its hand down, this time at me, not at Laocles. I looked up at it and regained a firm grip on what I held in my hand… The “candle-like thing”.
When I consciously pour magic into the candle, it lights up strongly.
…When the light appears, the black ghost crouches in surprise and withdraws its raised hand.
When I turn off the light, he stretches his body and starts reaching out, but when I turn on the light again, he withdraws.
…yes.
After all, I realized this guy is not good with light.
It is bad with light, so when Laocles’ ax shined, I think that attack worked. the attack worked. And it’s also because he’s not good with light that this ghost was scared of the glowing candle-like thing.
…then it’s easy. I know how to make a beam out of this candle-like thing.
That will surely be an attack that works well against black ghosts.
I removed the seal from my wrist and put it in my pocket.
The light of the candle-like beam became noticeably stronger. The black ghost cowered, shrank, and grew more docile as I aimed the light at it.
All that’s left is to be patient. endure the magic. And… endure the approaching ghost.
I restrain the wrist of my left hand holding the candle with my right hand.
And just like Fay did to me, I restrained the magic.
“……ugh.” (Tougo)
I’m not used to this feeling. Itchy, itchy, hopelessly restless.
But I had to be patient. I had to hold it in, hold it in, and get it out all at once. I just held on and held on.
The black ghost stretched out its body, making an angry cry, “Pugyuru!” The light was not shining because I was in the middle of holding back. It would be the perfect chance to get a shot at me.
“Hey! Run away!” (Laocles)
I could hear Laocles’ voice, but still, be patient.
I held on, held on, held on even as the black ghost’s hand shot up in front of me, held on even as the itch swelled up inside me, held on even as the itch got itchier and itchier… And then, just as the black ghost’s hand was about to reach me.
I fired a beam from the candle-like thing.
I could see the sky.
The beam pierced through the black ghost’s torso and instantly made a huge hole in it. On the other side of the hole, I saw the sky near dusk.
The ghost looked down at the body that had been pierced by the beam and then began to scream again.
The hole in the ghost’s body did not seem to close up. On the contrary, the hole is widening, slowly dissolving the ghost!
Light. If there is light, we can defeat the ghost!
Even that monster, which swallows up everything and makes it disappear, is not invincible!
The black monster twisted its body angrily and then glared at me.
With Laocles at my back, I held up the candle-like thing.
“If you want to eat me, try it!” (Tougo)
The ghost seemed to understand my words and glared at me angrily, but still did not attack me.
The ghost stared at us for a few moments and then it stretched out outside the store and tried to run away.
That’s when I thought, oh my god, this ghost shouldn’t be out on the town.
A cry came from outside the store. Then, a squeak, a rustling of wings, and a roar of flames. I looked up and saw the building crumbling.
Looking up, beyond the collapsed ceiling, there was a Red Dragon flapping its wings and Fay riding the Red Dragon.
“Yo! I lost my way, but I found a big one! It’s a good landmark!” (Fay)
Fay’s lighthearted words were just as encouraging.
“Fay! This ghost doesn’t like light!” (Tougo)
“Light? I’m sorry, I can’t even use the light magic!” (Fay)
Fay smiled and chuckled… giving a reliable smile.
“But light is actually a follower of flames!” (Fay)
With an absurd statement, the red dragon spits out flames.
The flames shine stronger and brighter, redder and brighter than the setting sun, illuminating the surroundings.
“How’s that? It’s brighter now!” (Fay)
The flames that the Red Dragon breathed out certainly had an effect. The black ghosts were shriveling up as if molten by the flames.
The ghost was unable to resist and tried to run away. Toward the town.
…but then the flaming wolves howled. Flaming birds flap their wings.
The black ghost is completely surrounded by Fay’s summons and cannot escape anywhere.
“Alright! Now, for the finisher!” (Fay)
“Alright! Now, for the finisher!” (Fay)
Finally, before the Red Dragon could spit flames… the beam that I had prepared completely melted and obliterated the black ghost.
“Even though I appeared, looking cool, you end up dealing the final blow.” (Fay)
Fay came down to the ground and found me and Laocles… Who was badly injured.
“Woah… is he alright?” (Fay)
“I’m stopping the bleeding, but…” (Tougo)
I couldn’t find bandages right away, so I had Laocles use the shirt he was wearing as a tourniquet.
However, from the gouged part of the thigh, the blood is overflowing and it won’t stop.
“Well… look, Tougo. I’ll take care of it. You should start drawing.” (Fay)
“Okay.” (Tougo)
Fay speaks quickly. I’m saved. I immediately took out my art supplies and started drawing Laocles’ thighs.
“Hey, what are you doing…” (Laocles)
“Laocles, shut up and watch. Your master is like this.” (Fay)
I quickly made a rough sketch on a piece of drawing paper.
I used a pencil to draw Laocles’ entire body, then I roughly shaded it and colored it right on top of the pencil. I am already familiar with Laocles’ skin coloring. I have painted Laocles many times with watercolor.
…As for the color, I tried not to look at the real thing too much. Because Laocles was losing more and more blood, and because of that, he was becoming paler and paler. So, I used his colors as they were in my memory.
This time, I paid special attention to his thighs.
The tension of his thigh muscles, taut skin pulled by his bones, the bumps of his flesh, and the way the shadows fall.
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I painted his thighs with these things in mind.
The actual thigh of Laocles is bandaged, or rather, he has a shirt pressed against it to stop the bleeding. So, I used the other leg as a reference and just kept on drawing.
…I drew the leg in front of me, flipping it left to right in my mind, and deducing the shadows and the muscle structure. This was unexpectedly difficult work. It is very difficult not to be able to draw as you see it.
“Hey… don’t tell me you’re going to heal me?” (Laocles)
“Okay. You understand. That’s what is happening. Now, be quiet.” (Tougo)
Laocles looked at me and looked a little confused and puzzled.
“I can be left alone. If you need another slave, buy another one.” (Laocles)
“No.” (Tougo)
I refused to say anything more, I don’t understand him and continued to move my brush.
…It is quite a messy drawing. It looks more like a rough sketch than a watercolor pencil sketch. It is not drawn well at all. I was very worried about whether it would be okay to draw in such a messy way… but I was conscious of it and poured my magical power into it.
I practiced controlling my magic a little bit. I hope it will work. I hope it works. No, I have to make it work.
The horses were okay, even at this level. So, it should work with Laocles, too.
…and finally, I finished the painting.
I’m so tired. I’m very, very tired that I was about to fall asleep at any moment.
But… well, that’s okay. I was able to heal the wound of Laocles.
I was able to heal the wound of Laocles. I painted it in a hurry, but at least I was able to stop the blood and save Laocles’ life.
“How are you feeling? Do you feel anything strange?” (Fay)
“…a little, my legs are a little weak, but… it’s enough.” (Laocles)
Ah, it seems that his leg’s functionality is not fully restored. That is a point to reflect on. What does that mean? Maybe it’s because I didn’t draw it properly enough.
“Good work, Tougo. You can go to sleep now.” (Fay)
Fay patted me gently on the back. I wish he would stop. It makes me even more sleepy.
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“No, it’s still a bit…” (Tougo)
I walk away from Fay… and through the wreckage of the store.
The store was already in a state of disrepair, almost like rubble… But something still bothered me.
The sword.
…Because it must be buried somewhere.
I told Fay what I was looking for and asked Fay to help me find it. This time I asked Laocles, “Can I look for that sword?”
…I did so, and Laocles started looking for it with me. So we all started looking in the rubble together.
It was found sooner than expected. The sword was buried in a place that was easier to find than expected, probably because the area around the show window was closer to the outside.
I picked up the sword and took it to Laocles.
“Is this sword your sword?” (Tougo)
I then asked. …Laocles nodded with a reluctant look on his face.
“That it is.” (Laocles)
I have gotten bits and pieces of information about this sword.
“This sword is the sword of someone who killed people.” (Laocles)
…But that doesn’t matter. That’s not what I wanted to know.
“Do you want this?” (Tougo)
For a moment, Laocles seemed troubled.
But after a moment… he picked up the sword and laughed.
“Yes. Thank you.” (Laocles)
Laocles laughed.
The eyes narrowed just a little bit, and one side of his mouth lifted a little… I thought, how just a little bit of movement of facial parts can change the impression.
I was surprised, and Laocles immediately went back to his usual plaster statue look… No, a bit bitter, even for a plaster statue.
“…This sword and me have done you a terrible disservice. The sword, and most of all, me. You can hate me.” (Laocles)
And because he said that I was not happy about it.
For me, this time… I think I did something wrong. Yes, I should have made sure. I should have asked properly. It would have been a problem that could have been avoided with just that, so I don’t have any feelings of resentment towards the sword or Laocles.
…I know that in a situation like this, it’s no use giving in endlessly.
Yes. I was once told by Teacher “Push each other, hit each other and don’t compromise, and especially don’t give back more than one back-and-forth.”
This is what the teacher said to me with a very reluctant look on his face when he received an assortment of instant coffee as a thank-you gift for the somen noodles I had given him. He was not a big fan of somen noodles, and coffee was one of his least favorite foods.
“And it wasn’t all bad.” (Tougo)
That’s why I want to say words that are not compromises.
I had no idea about the sword. I didn’t check, and Laocles probably still has something unresolved. That’s why I’m going to ask you to be kind enough to say which one is which.
I’ll show you what made me happy.
“Look. This. Lapis lazuli.” (Tougo)
I found this in the rubble of the store.
“That is……?” (Laocles)
“I found it when I was looking for a sword. It was lying around in a pawn shop. It will be good for a deep blue paint.” (Tougo)
So, I’m good, I said. And I also put, how about you?
“That’s why I think I’m glad I came to this store.” (Tougo)
When I said that… Laocles sighed with a look like I was crazy.
“…you really like to draw.” (Laocles)
“Yes.” (Tougo)
While saying so, Laocles looked at the sword he received from me.
“Me too, I got my sword back. …So, I guess it’s a good thing I’m here.” (Laocles)
“I see.” (Tougo)
I’m glad to hear you say that.
I don’t know what that sword means to him, but I’m sure it would be better to have it than to lose it.
Even if he decides to give it up later, I’m sure it’s not a waste of time to be able to make that choice for himself.
And… I know the pain of losing something precious to you regardless of your will, and the joy of buying it back.
“…here’s my story.” (Laocles)
Then Laocles begins to speak further after said this.
“I knew everyone who was in that store, including that black monster.” (Laocles)
“……I see.” (Tougo)
“Once, when I was using this sword…” (Laocles)
“Yeah, I see…” (Tougo)
“……Hey.” (Laocles)
“Hmm……” (Tougo)
But I was finding it harder and harder to stay conscious.
My body is getting weaker and weaker. My eyes are blurry. I think I’m going to pass out…
“Should I continue… when you wake up again?” (Laocles)
“Hmm……” (Tougo)
I’m sorry Laocles, but I’m about to lose consciousness.
When I thought of fainting in that position, wouldn’t that be too annoying, the Red Dragon lowered, so I was allowed to lie down on the Red Dragon’s back.
The dragon’s scales were something. It was a little warm.
It’s warm, but yeah.
Good night.
