The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 203

203

“Let’s get straight to the point. Did you kill a Special Task Force mage?”

On the day everything ended, Doran Slade asked, trying to manage the chaotic situation.

“I’ve killed quite a few people in my life, but I’ve never killed a Special Task Force mage.”

Doran looked at Valenciadis with a measuring gaze, then up at the sky with a bitter smile.

“Are you going to judge me?”

“Whether that statement is true or false, and the judgment of other actions, I will leave to the gods. Besides, your contribution is significant enough that I can overlook your faults.”

He pointed to his leg and chuckled. “Honestly, in this state, I don’t think I could win even if I fought you, so I’m just backing off.”

“……”

“And you will be a great help to that person’s journey. It would be a waste to exclude you here.”

When Valenciadis showed his left arm constructed with black magic and offered to teach the spell, Doran shook his head without hesitation.

“Lin taught me never to touch black magic.”

Unlike Valenciadis, this man must have walked the path of light his entire life.

He used to see him as just a suspicious, annoying, and troublesome enemy, but that day, Valenciadis developed a strange respect for Doran.

*Wasn’t this the man who had walked the path of a mage that Valenciadis had secretly pursued, from childhood to adulthood?*

“What if it’s not black magic?”

“……?”

“It’s a mixed spell of magic and sorcery, so you’ll have to study the incantation-type Altigma [a type of advanced spellcasting], but if successful, you can regain your leg in a way that isn’t black magic.”

At that time, Doran looked at Valen with a questioning gaze…….

“I didn’t know there was such loyalty between you and him.”

And Valen…….

“It’s not loyalty. It’s just that I think it would be quite beneficial to put the Special Task Force in debt.”

Valenciadis, pulled from his thoughts of the previous night, was in room C182 of the central ward.

“The end of the world.”

Archer Rem stroked his chin for a moment, then shook his verdant hair vigorously.

“That sounds fun.”

Rain had just finished explaining his goal to them.

*Why hide anything?* He revealed Aki’s identity and briefly told them about the life he had lived.

Of course, he didn’t mention the crazy idea that he was the reincarnation of Lin.

“Are you going to follow me?”

“I’m worried that our playboy will impregnate every woman he sees on the Adrion continent, so I have to follow him and keep an eye on him.”

“Ugh, it’s not like that. Did you even listen to the explanation?”

From the window where darkness had fallen, the sound of an owl hooting could be heard.

For reference, Hwangryong was asleep on Rain’s head, and Aki was asleep in his arms.

Bart, the heavily bandaged giant, who was looking at the scene with envious eyes, opened his mouth.

“Do you remember what we said last time?”

“Hmm?”

“Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?”

“We’re friends, Rain. We have to help each other when things are tough. The Adrion continent is a land of chaos, and it will be difficult to cross alone.”

*Friend…….*

The resonance of that word felt strangely good. It was like a word he had forgotten 300 years ago.

As much as the resonance of that word, he liked these two idiots. He liked the cheeky Rem. He liked the reliable Bart.

That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to say, *let’s go together.*

“Because it’s too dangerous a path.”

Valenciadis, reading Rain’s eyes, nodded and pointed to the map fixed on the wall.

“Nearly 60% of the Adrion continent is under the control of the Black Church. There are powerful people everywhere, though not as many as Dragon Slayers.”

“…….”

“You’ll have to repeat this kind of bloody battle several times. Especially as you get closer to Zernix, the danger will increase to the extreme.”

“Increase, increase, increase.”

“A being comparable to Zernix is the second pillar, Elamas. But we don’t know where this monster is. That’s why it’s more dangerous.”

After a moment of silence, Bart grabbed the dragon bone spear leaning against the wall.

Light bounced off the dragon bone stone that made up the frame of the spear, both dignified and ominous.

As expected of a Namryun swordsman, he possesses considerable strength, holding the spear in one hand. Of course, it will take time to handle it as freely as the original owner.

“I know how dangerous the road is, Rain. That’s why we have to go together. I’ll help you with this spear.”

“What?”

“Don’t act tough, you bastard. Do you even know that you would have already pursued a natural meeting in hell twice if it weren’t for us?”

*He was going to scare them and send them back……* He felt like he knew why he liked these idiots from the moment he first met them.

*These idiots make me remember.*

The days he spent with Rista, Freede, and Kies. Those days overlap with everyday life. They make me laugh at common things.

“And I need to follow you to keep using Baekchang Palace [Rem’s unique skill/fighting style], kekeke. Then I’ll become the real owner of Baekchang Palace before I know it.”

*What a sinister intention…….*

Bart also revealed his true colors.

“But there’s a condition.”

“?”

“I want to touch Aki periodically too.”

*That’s not something I can allow…….*

Aki was very wary of Bart even though he peeled a tangerine for her. *Is it because she met such a huge man for the first time?*

“Whether it’s periodic depends on Bart, and now, well, she’s asleep, so touch her gently.”

Bart’s hand was so big that it covered Aki’s head, and Bart smiled brightly as he carefully touched Aki’s head.

“Abooo…….”

Aki twitched her eyebrows as if she was uncomfortable.

*I’m sorry, but Aki only likes my hands. Oh my cute baby~.*

Just as he was about to break into a foolish smile, the door of the hospital room opened with a thud, and a competitor who liked that touch as much as Aki entered.

“I’ll go too.”

The person who said that, surprisingly…… For a moment, he almost blurted out the name Rista.

Unlike when hunting goblins, she was wearing light armor over clothes made of silk and wool.

She had reinforced her arm and leg guards, assuming a battle with a being other than a goblin, which was strangely similar to Rista’s equipment.

Later, he heard that it was armor created by melting down the weapons from which the Demon Slayer’s power had been drained.

“What?”

As if trampling on Rain’s doubts and worries at once, Miria drew the sword that was hanging from the steel scabbard of the sword belt.

It was Gin’s sword.

It was a sword with half of its blade broken.

The moment he recognized that, a fiercely blazing crimson energy burst out and formed the sword’s body.

“It’s sword energy…….”

Bart raised his eyebrows as if he was interested.

Sword energy, the symbol of a master swordsman, a secret technique of swordsmanship that he had barely mastered after hard training.

Then Rista shook her head and pointed to her sword-wielding arm. Like Millea in the past, red light pulsed from her blood vessels.

“This isn’t sword energy. It’s a fragment of the power that the Demon Slayer had.”

“……!”

“If it’s this power that even made you struggle, at least I won’t be a burden, right?”

“Burden, burden, burden.”

“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Let’s go together. I also have a dream of adventure, and I have a debt to repay you. And I’m worried about leaving Aki to you alone.”

Linda’s aunt was congenitally ill and could not travel far.

*– Linda, I went to see the Twilight Grass Festival in Seges this time…….*

So Gin’s uncle would go on adventures and tell her about the new and amazing things happening all over the continent.

*– Wow, it must have been really beautiful.*

Every time, Linda’s aunt would smile happily and listen. She may have had a dream of adventure when she saw that as a child.

“No objections, right?”

“I don’t have any, but is it okay to leave the island right away? I don’t think I would if I were you.”

“Because I’m not you.”

Even without the Demon Slayer’s power, Miria was a considerable force.

Above all, if that power is with us, I can get the feeling of going on a journey with Link.

But something was strange.

Miria was said to be a child picked up from outside the island. In other words, she is not a descendant of Link. But how did she get chosen by that power?

Rem chuckled, thinking that Rain’s silence while lost in thought was a rejection.

“You were going to seduce every woman on the way, but you’re upset that your wife is chasing after you?”

“She’s not my wife?”

“Who’s the wife?”

As if they had coordinated, the two men glared at Rem at the same time and said words that would bring bad luck.

It was a coordinated action that would be impossible unless they had practiced it in advance. *Could I do something like that with Bart? Impossible.*

So Rem exchanged glances with Bart as if they were amazed and answered.

“I was just joking…… Actually, she’s not really your wife?”

Two days later, when Rem and Bart’s recovery was roughly over and they boarded the merchant ship, Miria looked down at the pier and recalled the past.

The day they left the green city, , the pier of the southern canal was crowded with people.

Most of them were people from Rinkleland Island, and Bart and Rem, who had become heroes of the archipelago, were accepting all their greetings.

Rain and Valenciadis had once again concealed their existence. Therefore, all the achievements revealed to the outside world became theirs.

*– Dad, buy something delicious when you come back!*

Looking down at the pier, Miria smiled wistfully.

A long time ago.

That is, before everyday life was ruined.

She also followed Gin’s uncle to this place with her sister and aunt to see him off. Waving her arms vigorously.

*– Okay! You have to listen to your mother.*

Once a part of the warm and beautiful memories is cut out, only cold and lonely memories remain.

*– Ha, what kind of slayer are you going to be doing it this way?*

The days of struggling to become a goblin slayer…….

Remembering her father’s swordsmanship, following adventurers and learning combat skills like begging.

Bringing all the money earned from requests to the Slayers…… It seemed like there was no end, it was a really, really endless road.

“Is it okay to leave without saying goodbye properly? I’m fine with it, but don’t you like this city very much?”

*This guy.*

*This guy finished that journey.*

“Aki needs to show you some skills. Aki, say hello!”

“Aki, bye-bye!”

“Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye.”

When Aki waved her hand towards the pier, an explosive cheer erupted! *What cuteness!* Hwangryong raised his hand following Aki.

“Aruooo!”

For a moment, an unguarded smile almost formed on Miria’s lips. Miria leaned her back against the railing and hid her expression.

“It’s okay. It’s not an island with so much affection left, and I wasn’t even from this island in the first place, and when I look back, there are more terrible memories. I’m just a little worried about leaving on a long journey, but that’s it.”

Then the guy looked at Miria with an absurd look and then laughed.

“Ttat, taddat, taddat.”

Aki laughed along as the guy laughed. As if being dyed in that laughter.

“Why? What’s so funny?”

“No, just.”

*Because I couldn’t have imagined.*

That I would hear the words I said to Rista from you, who looks so much like Rista.

And that I would pass on to you the words that such Rista had said to me.

“That’s what liking is.”

Miria felt her eyes widen for a moment.

*What is this feeling?*

Again. Another strange memory overlaps.

The image of a boy with a bamboo hat placed haphazardly on his head flashed through his mind along with the sound of a soul bell. It was then.

“Miria!”

The shout heard from the crowd pulled Miria’s head back.

Millea, who came to the pier with Linda, was waving her hands vigorously, just like when she was seeing her father off in her childhood.

Along with the same shout I heard in everyday life ten years ago.

“You know you have to buy something delicious when you come back, right?”

Miria’s eyes trembled.

The bitten lips curled up arbitrarily. Hot heat welled up through her throat.

*There’s no reason to cry now.*

*I shouldn’t cry.*

The view of waving her hand while turning around became blurry and wet.

“Of course, so sister, listen to mom…… okay?”

Linda, who remembers that greeting, also hid her tearful tears and waved her hand to see her daughter off.

Then she turned her head and headed to the main island of Rinkleland, which could not be seen from here, to the grave where Gin’s smile was sleeping.

At that time, the wind blew, and the gravel scattered in front of the stone tomb was swept up and down, strangely drawing a pattern of laughter.

“Grandpa, you know, I used to dream that Lin came and helped me.”

“Is that so?”

“They said that our ancestors left such words. That Lin would come to help if there was a problem…… I guess it was a vain dream.”

As Slime Slayer, Kora, was having such a conversation with Chief Dos, Millea looked back at them and smiled brightly.

“He came.”

Pressing her chest with her fist, she continued speaking with dreamy eyes.

*There’s no way I can forget.*

The voice of that person who came to find her in the pit of eternity and reached out her hand.

*– You look a lot like Link.*

The warmth of that smile.

The affection for the descendants of her old friend that was conveyed from that touch.

*– Link’s friend.*

And even the image of her raising her index finger to her lips and smiling just before getting out of that pit. *As if this was our secret.*

“Lin came and went, Uncle.”

Because he promised to do so.

He came all the way here to keep the promise he made with her ancestor 300 years ago.

*’Uncle, that’s our secret, right?’*