Chapter 74: Old custom

For their own desire, many are willing to die. All of this is for the fall of Isle Rose Fortress and the death of Astina-denka―.

However, if I try to ask Noin who arranged this entire plot or who put that dark spirit inside her, her vitality will be sucked up by that dark spirit. Her skin is already pale and her white hands are covered with her own blood.

“…Even if you live in this place and side with us, you still have no future. You are just an enemy to us. Even for that purpose, I don’t think that we should help.”

At first, I thought those words were to thrust her aside. Well, I also thought that’s what we ought to do.

Her Highness pulls out her sword then she slashed it down towards Noin. ―Even if the sword flashed twice, Noin is still alive. The blade does not even reach her body.

“If you betray us again, I’ll swing this sword once more. I’m not tied to emotions you see. But the time to avenge those who have twisted your will, I decided that I could give it to you. From now on, with all your heart, you just have to fight for Lezenia and save many people, more than the number of people who have died.”

A lost life cannot be returned. Her Highness knew that but she still chose to keep Noin alive.

If Noin could get back the time before she had that dark spirit, she wouldn’t have to endure this much ―I couldn’t help thinking so.

…How can I get her out of this dark stagnation? For Her Highness, everyone in the Knights’ Order and the people of the Western Territories, how can I take them away from battle…

I knew there was only one answer.

Break the will of Zirconia to keep fighting. Turn Baile, whom General Alejandro entrusted to command the fort into a prisoner of war, take over their warship and make Noin, the enemy’s trumped card, move to our side.

No ―it shouldn’t end with just changing to our side. This magician, who was the top student in our time, has a big job to do. What should I do for her to be able to do that?

As a “spirit doctor”, I was challenged by this disease called “Dark Spirit”.

“…Since Her Highness said so, I can’t let you die like this.”

“But…with the current her, even if we take her out, she won’t last long with such condition. Telling her to live…It’s irresponsible to say this but…”

“Your Highness, leave it to me. Since Your Highness kept her life, I’ll keep her alive as well. That’s the duty of the military doctor.”

“Will you do anything as long as it’s a military doctors duty?” or that, “Did you even understand what Noin had done?” –I was prepared to be told that.

But I wasn’t questioned. Even if she did not agree with my judgment, Presha-san, who felt the most anger towards Noin, did not blame me. I thought she behaves like a spoiled child. Yet given my opinion, Presha-san did not object –in fact, she doesn’t repeat that kind of reliance.

“Noin… I know that if you use the water spirit’s magic, you should be able to move a warship regardless of the wind direction. But if you follow my instructions and use magic, you will gnaw your life force.”

Even with just saying her will to resist, Noin’s life force is fading. In that case, the treatment should be performed when we board the warship. Even if the soldiers in this fort notice, we could get through it if we could earn time for the preliminary arrangements.

“Don’t worry about me. To counter Zirconia’s warships, you’ll need a ship from here as well. If my life is exhausted by resisting the coercion of the dark spirits, flush my remains into the canal. That’s my last…”

“I don’t want you to die on the way. Until we can safely bring the warship near our fortress… And if possible, I’d like you to cooperate with us until we fight Alejandro’s warship. For that reason, Noin should “get better”.”

Ever since I became a doctor, it’s my first time to say something like a push to a patient. I always have to think from the patient’s perspective and respect their will. But now, she must not give up her will to live. Noin, who is trying to end her life for revenge, must have the will to live. No matter how painful it brings, she must survive.

“If this continues as it is, you would have died. No… You will die once and come back to life. You should have experienced that kind of suffering, right?”

 “…I can’t come back to life. I don’t think you’ll be able to tear off the spirit that lives in me.”

“We won’t know unless we try it. It does not suit my nature to give up before trying it out.”

Noin says nothing, she just stared at me. It’s as if she’s asking, “Why are you so motivated to treat a criminal?”

“The present Grass is different from the one you know. No… For some reason, there is a problem with the spirit selection at the Academy of Magic in this Kingdom. Noin, it’s my personal opinion but, I don’t think that Grass is not better than all of you.”

Even though Her Highness made that statement, Noin did not deny it.

At the Academy, there was an absolute difference between those “students with whom they can have a great expectation for the future” and “students whom they don’t have any expectation at all”.

However, going into the outside world does not mean that our position has been reversed. In an environment where she is not bound by the dark spirit and can easily harness the power of water spirits, she’ll be able to pull off the things that I can’t do.

“…The most respected spirits in the history of the kingdom are none of the earth, water, fire and wind elements. If you know that, no one would think that elemental spirits are unconditionally excellent. If a scholar understands that, even more so if you are a court magician.”

“That’s right… The magicians in this kingdom seemed to be tied down after all huh. They were tied to the old custom that continued even before we were born.”

Her Highness is probably thinking of the reason why her “spirit selection ceremony” had been interrupted. Because some of them thought that she should not become a royal shrine maiden, the fact that she has the aptitude for a magician was suppressed.

The reason Her Highness doesn’t remember that is probably because some people have closed her memory. However, now that she is connected to the sacred tree, Her Highness will be able to use her power to bring out the memories that she could not bring out by her own will before.

—The sacred tree has long been staring at the history of this kingdom too.

Noin also knows the darkness of the court magicians. Who is the one who wants Her Highness to fall? Now it’s no longer a guess based on circumstantial evidence but it’s time to get a confirmation for it.

I remembered what Her Highness had said during the sunset before. She questioned His Majesty’s will –but if His Majesty, the King is on the side of those trying to incline the Kingdom towards their own purpose…

What can we do to protect the Western territories that are about to be cut off from the Capital and the knights at Isle Rose Fortress?

If the sacred tree, who can look into the future, knows the answer for that, I would like to know it. —Even if I know that I’ll depend on Yuserish’ power for it.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Please read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com

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