As for the rain, it didn't last as long as I had expected. I didn't want to ask why, considering it was supposed to potentially drag on for months, but as the weeks passed, it began to lose its intensity. First, it fell intermittently, and after four weeks in the village, it finally ceased completely.
Regarding Linia, she had improved remarkably. She understood that instinct alone wasn't enough and that thinking could make the difference in combat. In that sense, I felt a kinship with her. In my past life, I always let my body act while I did nothing. Seeing her now, seeking her own path with the sword thanks to my teachings, brought me an unexpected satisfaction. It was proof that everything I did had meaning, and that someday, when I found my brother, I could become someone worthy of standing by his side.
Pursena, a Doldia girl who was never apart from Linia, began attending our training sessions. She was shy at first, but little by little she drew closer, especially interested in the magic I used during a session with Gyes, Linia's father. He was the Warrior Chief of the Doldia tribe and, for a few days now, had been insisting that we fight seriously. However, our combat would be such that fighting on the platforms was impractical, so we decided to leave it for after the rains, just before I departed for Millishion.
"Daiki, show me the green glow!" Pursena said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
She wagged her fluffy tail from side to side while tilting her head, wordlessly offering herself to be petted. Out of pure habit, I ran my hand over her head and behind her ears. I admit I felt somewhat uncomfortable; to my perception, they were still girls with human features behaving like dogs or cats.
Even so, I didn't pull my hand away. Because it felt good to be able to give affection.
In my past life, my name was Hikari, a name that meant light. Now, I chose a similar name, but with a different meaning. Daiki means "Great Radiance," and unlike light, a great radiance is something that grows, adapts, and expands.
Because a star doesn't exist just for the light it emits, but for everything it is capable of becoming.
And I think... I think I am capable of becoming someone better. Or maybe I already am. Whatever the case, I was happy. Happy to have trained her, to have earned Gyes's trust, and that the Chief hadn't wanted to kick me out early.
Even when I spoke of Ghislaine, everything had been chaotic at first. They had spoken so poorly of her that I didn't hesitate to defend her. Over the days, they realized I wasn't lying. They didn't mention her, nor did it seem they had forgiven her, but at least they no longer looked at me as something dangerous. Especially Gyes. Seeing how much his daughter had improved thanks to my training and the knowledge Ghislaine had passed on to me, he was deeply proud of me... and that said a lot.
He understood that during those four weeks I could have killed them, betrayed them, sold them out. I had every opportunity. And I did none of that. That, precisely, was what mattered.
If someone you consider an enemy has the chance to betray your daughters and your trust for four weeks and still doesn't do it, then perhaps he was never an enemy. Of course, there are those who plan for years just to reach a goal. But to them, I wasn't that.
I was just a ten-year-old boy who lost his brother and his family. Nothing more.
"Daiki?" Linia said, so worried by my moment of silence that she didn't even add the "nya." Despite having seen me like this many times, she still didn't seem to get used to it.
"Sorry... you know, I got lost in my thoughts again."
Both nodded without saying anything.
"What were we talking about...? Ah, yes. Healing magic. Do you want to learn it, Pursena?"
Pursena's eyes went wide, her tail went rigid, then started wagging. She nodded vigorously, teetering on the edge of getting too excited.
It was a simple question, but I knew what it implied. Teaching healing magic wasn't just transmitting a technique; it was teaching how to care for others.
"Good, then I'll show you. I won't explain with words... just repeat what I say, okay?"
I placed my hand on her head and closed my eyes.
"Let this divine power be like satisfying nourishment, giving to the one who has lost their strength the power to rise again!"
A green light sprouted from my hand and descended upon Pursena, slowly moving her hair while she watched, eyes shining, as the glow fell from my fingers.
"This is beginner-level healing magic. To use it, the only thing you need is the intention to heal... and for that, it is necessary to understand this."
I took the sword and made a cut on my index finger. I held my hand out toward her as the blood began to flow.
Pursena fell silent.
"It's not to scare you. It's so you understand."
I closed my eyes again, but I didn't speak the chant this time.
The green light enveloped my finger and the wound closed.
"Magic needs a guide. You must be that intermediary. If you don't understand the wound, you will never be able to understand the healing."
I stood up and wiped the blood with a cloth.
"Once you manage to understand it, you'll be able to heal even without an incantation."
Maybe I'll write a book someday, where I write down the fundamentals and my theories on chantless healing magic. Anyway, seeing Pursena attempting the spell while getting tangled in the words was an unexpectedly tender scene.
"Divine power...!"
"No, that's not it," I interrupted her.
She sighed, twitching her ears.
"Look, follow me: 'Let this divine power...'"
"Let this divine power be like satisfying nourishment...!" She repeated, rushing it.
"Exactly, continue: 'giving to the one who has lost...'"
"...Their... their strength... the power... How was it?"
"To rise again."
"That's it! To rise again!"
A green light flickered weakly in her hand and vanished instantly. Pursena opened one eye, then the other, disappointed.
"It didn't work..." She lowered her tail.
"It did work. Just very little. That means you're understanding it, even if you're still thinking too much about the words."
Linia, watching from the side, tilted her head.
"So it doesn't matter if you mess up?"
"It matters. Saying the correct words... or, over time, reducing them."
I took the sword again and cut my finger. This time the cut wasn't deep. If she was going to use beginner-level healing magic, she had to be capable of healing something like this.
Pursena opened her eyes in alarm.
"Don't worry about me. I'm a warrior. A small cut won't do anything to me. I can stay like this for quite a while."
I extended my hand toward her, letting the blood drip.
"Concentrate. Not on me, nor on if you fail. Concentrate on this which shouldn't be here... and on returning it to how it was before."
She just nodded, her cheeks slightly red.
Over the following week, she successfully managed to execute beginner-level healing magic and started on an intermediate one. She still stumbled a bit with the chant, not being used to the words, but she still managed to heal my finger several times without failing.
Each session ended the same way: exhausted, but satisfied.
Whenever training finished, she ran straight to eat absurd amounts of meat. To my surprise, she always offered me a portion, holding it out with a proud smile, as if sharing it were the definitive proof that she had done well.
CRACK
The sound of wooden swords had become constant since I arrived here, largely because Linia insisted that I had to train her too. Jealousy of Pursena? I didn't know, but the truth was that she seemed more motivated every day.
By my sixth week in the village, she had notably improved her feints, though she still tended to get carried away by instinct. Even so, the progress was clear. She had a long way to go, but she was moving forward.
Only one week remained before leaving. When the ground was finally passable, I could continue my journey toward the capital of the Holy Country of Millis... and seek information.
I had been warned that, even though the rain had ceased, the presence of monsters increased during this period. That was why I had to wait for the terrain to dry sufficiently. Then I could continue the path along the Holy Sword Highway.
That said, I would have to walk a lot.
-
Rudeus Greyrat
"Wait for me here, Rudy," she said, entering some sort of clothing store.
What else could she need? I had already bought her a cloak more than sufficient to resist the sun, and it also served to hide her hair so as not to draw too much attention. In theory, that was everything.
I looked at Ruijerd. He remained motionless, arms crossed.
Surely for him, this was just another childish problem... And it probably was.
Minutes passed... and passed. They felt eternal. Women seem to have a sacred space inside clothing stores; it must be a universal law that holds true in all worlds. No matter how many times you reincarnate, that doesn't change.
When she finally came out, she was carrying a—
"Eris... what did you just buy with my...? Did you buy something without consulting me first?!"
She showed what she was hiding: another cloak or hooded mantle. Identical to hers, but black, with the embroidered symbol of a red-eyed crow. Looking closely, I understood immediately why she chose it.
"Black absorbs a lot of heat..." I commented, massaging the bridge of my nose.
But that changed nothing.
"Who cares!" She said, crossing her arms. "He has that problem all the time. If he can stand it, so can I!"
"He...? You mean my brother?"
Eris looked away. It wasn't common to see her like this, so careful with her words.
Then she looked at me again, clutching the cloak in her hands.
"Yes... I mean him."
"Why? What does he have to do with you buying that?"
She took a deep breath, as if what she was about to tell me weighed more than normal.
"I bought it... for him... in case... in case we find him."
I stood still.
"I wanted to have something ready. Something I could give him if... if he appears... and... and... I don't want to find him with nothing to offer."
It was an excellent idea; in the event we found him, giving him a cloak or mantle would be important, not just to hide his hair and avoid attention, but also because he needed something to cover his head: with that color, the sun could suffocate him. Although, knowing my brother, he would be capable of walking on fire and saying something that sounded "cool" without even trying.
I also noticed that Ruijerd had been more restless than usual since we went to Roxy's village. It seemed he wasn't truly happy, even though he helped us without question.
"Ruijerd. Is something wrong?"
He looked at me with a strange expression. I could read in his gaze that I shouldn't insist; he lowered his spear and rested it on the ground.
"...I know you carry the weight of not having found my brother..."
I had noticed it from before. Surely he thought that, having promised to help us find him, that would be his only responsibility. But he had another mission: while we busied ourselves with clearing his race's name, he would ensure we got home. I didn't want him to feel guilty; even if he didn't find my brother on the Demon Continent or had no leads on black hair, perhaps my brother had arrived on another continent. After all, it wasn't impossible to imagine.
"...I also know what it feels like to carry something you know you don't have, but you try to hold onto it anyway."
As I said it, I could feel inside me that familiar knot of responsibility mixed with helplessness, the same one I had known so many times in my past life. And, in some way, I understood that Ruijerd carried it too.
I have a theory that Eris ended up by my side because, in the end, we supported each other, while my brother didn't manage to reach us. The same happened with Ghislaine and many other people in Roa, so maybe it's just random.
"If we don't find him here, he might be somewhere else."
That doesn't leave me at peace, but at the same time, it gives me hope that we can still find him. It seemed to relax him a little, but I knew that "pretty words" wouldn't prevail against his honor. I could only sigh and keep moving forward.
"We will find him..."
I felt the knot in my chest loosen a bit. Sometimes I forget that, although inside I am over forty years old, to him I am just a scared child who lost his brother. And maybe, in this moment, that is exactly what I need to be.
-
Daiki Greyrat
After seven weeks, it was time to continue my path. Toward the unknown: yes, without knowing their culture, without information or a starting point upon arrival, but with sufficient proof of the incident. Maybe I could get some money for that, get some odd job, or even join the Adventurer's Guild. According to what Ghislaine told me, she was S-Rank along with my father and Zenith, together with three other people.
Gyes, Linia, Pursena... the whole village seemed to have come out to see me off. And, suddenly... a giant dog? Since when was that there?
Before I could react, it launched itself at me and licked my entire face, wagging its tail with enthusiasm. It had incredible strength, but it was surprisingly tender. I could only pet its head and ears, as I did with Linia or Pursena, though I couldn't help but notice everyone's strange looks, as if what I was doing was completely inappropriate.
Gyes coughed, and the dog backed away a little, though it kept sticking out its tongue and looking at me with curiosity, as if evaluating whether I was a good friend or just someone who needed to be licked more.
"Boy, he doesn't do that with just anyone..." He said, approaching. "Just... don't touch him like that, it's inappropriate."
Huh? Am I thinking the same thing...?
"He is the Sacred Beast... show respect."
I know what he was referring to.
"I understand, I understand. I won't do it again." I raised my hands in surrender, though the dog let out a disappointed huff at losing the pampering.
We had decided to measure ourselves in a duel before my departure. Gyes, intrigued by my skills, wanted to verify if I was really as strong as I had told him. I mentioned I was Advanced Rank, but we both knew that wasn't true. And if I stayed stagnant in this village, perhaps I would never be able to surpass my own limits.
We got into position. In that instant, for both of us, everything else ceased to exist: the forest, the people, the animals... even the ground beneath our feet disappeared from our perception.
The deep sound of a gong... no, it was the dog's howl that marked the beginning. That was our starting signal. In the next instant, we both propelled ourselves forward.
A whoosh cut the air. A shing marked the crossing.
In a blink, we were already back-to-back, each with a hand on our hilt. We had unsheathed, advanced, and clashed steel in a single fluid movement, almost invisible to anyone who wasn't a swordsman.
I turned my face barely.
Gyes's blade vibrated... A second later, his sword fell to the ground.
For an instant, I managed to see a small smile appear on Gyes's face. An expression I had never seen on him since I arrived at this village. I thought he would be furious... or that he would lament it. But no.
As was to be expected, all the girls started jumping for joy, but when they understood that I was really leaving... Linia and Pursena approached.
"Daiki... nya..."
Linia lowered her head; her tail went from lively to drooping, and her ears crumpled too.
"Do you have to go... really?"
Pursena was the same, eyes shining.
Yes. I had to go. I couldn't stay here.
"Don't cry because I'm leaving. Instead, use what I taught you, and when we see each other again, I'll be able to say I was proud of you... Well, I already am, but you know what I mean."
"W-When I see you again, I'll be stronger!"
"And when that happens, I promise to learn all the spells you told me, the intermediate and advanced ones."
I patted their heads one last time; this time they enjoyed it more than usual. After all, it would be the last time for now.
"Please... the last thing I want is for you to stagnate because I left. Can I trust you?"
Both looked at each other before nodding, blushing. Pursena handed me a piece of meat.
"For the trip..."
"Thank you very much, really. You two helped calm me down, even if just a little... I really needed it."
And so, I walked away from the Doldia village toward the Holy Sword Highway. It would take a lot of walking, but at least I was closer.