29. Azel's past

 

I was the center of everyone.

Being a leader, everyone envied me. 

On that day as well, I was practicing sword drills with the children of the orphanage. 

"You’re so strong Azel~"

"You're the one who’s bad. Heh." 

No one in this orphanage is stronger than me. 

But that newcomer who came in recently is always alone. 

His name is Nigris. 

I didn't think we would get along. 

Those eyes.

Those eyes were creepy.

It's as if he's observing people, and he looks at me as if he can see right through me. 

Everyone looks at me like I’m special, but only he looks at me as mediocre. 

I'm not normal.

I'm the main character. 

One day, it turned out that he had a skill. 

"Hey, did you hear!? That Nigris seems to have a skill!"

"Seriously!? Amazing! I wonder what kind of skill it is!?"

"Let's meet at Nigris place!"

"Hey ... let's practice the sword ..."

" Nigris is more important right now!"

 

Gradually, people began to gather around Nigris, where no one was.

He became popular since he was gentle and warm, and everyone loved him. 

"Azel! Did you get an appraisal?"

"no……"

"Okay, then I'll ask Nigris!"

"Hey ..." 

One of the orphans was curious and asked Nigris.

And everyone was laughing at the response that came back. 

"So Azel has a normal status, too? Haha."

"……eh" 

I’m normal?

I’m the same as the people around me? 

"Azel is relentless when it comes to sword practice. He beat me up before.”

"I know, he's terrible."

 

Everyone in the orphanage lifted Nigris and in the process, lowered me.

The light wasn't me anymore.

 

"What appraisal ... that skill. It's garbage." 

Look at me, everyone. 

...... Look.

It's Nigris. It's because of him. I want to bring him to his knees, no matter what it takes.

He's lower than me. 

He's below me.

Once they understand that, everyone will surely.

 

* 

I thought I was a hypocrite.

I was trying to save Azel even in this state. 

I wanted to save him. 

"... Stupid guy"

Azel just wanted to be acknowledged.

Over time, it became distorted, bloated, and turned into hatred for me.?

    If I'd known sooner, things might have been different.

It was too late. Azel's body was fused with the magic circle, and it was absolutely impossible to separate him.

To erase the magic circle is synonymous with killing Azel. 

But I’ve already begun to heal. I can't stop it. 

Azel's body and the black dragon-like armor turned gray and began to crumble.

As the wind blew, he gradually faded away. 

Still, Florence stepped up to fight against Azel expecting him to rise again. But I closed my eyes.

It's no use anymore. 

"Um, Nigris. This is ..."

"He’s self-destructing. He’s not going to make it anymore."

 

"That ... help ... save me ... my body ...!"

"I can't. You were too deeply connected."

"Don-, Don’t fuck with me ......, I thought I was one of your ...... friends, help me ....... Trash!” 

Why are you saying we're friends now? He thinks he can understand things conveniently and it will go as he wants

He won’t change until the end?

 

An idiot doesn't heal even when he dies.

 

"Azel, you're an idiot. You're an idiot that my heal can't cure."

"Kill ... I'll kill ... I'm ...more amazing! …I hate you... I don't want to… die ... I don't want to disappear ───"

 

A strong wind blew and turned Azel's body into dust all at once.?

...... How pathetic. 

Surrounded by silence, only the ashes that had accumulated were left on the spot.

I felt that the memories of the three years past were gone with the wind. 

And a new wind blows.

 

"Hey, is it over?"

 

Arisa, who had fallen to the ground due to lack of magic power slackened her face and asked. 

"It's over. Fels, take care of Alisa." 

Leaving Arisa, I approach the dying dragon lying beside me.

Thanks to its desperate fight, the damage caused by Azel was reduced. 

If Azel was free to act, the damage would have been even greater.

Could it be that this guy is returning the favor for healing its old wound?

......Is that the case?

   “Heal” 

A missing wing and a foot. When I heal everything, it gets up.

It looked around and found out that the enemy had been defeated. 

"... Gauu" 

  It roared and spread its big wings.

Is it not hostile? 

"Why did you fight?" 

At the level of the adherent dragon, you can understand human words.

So It should know the meaning of my question. 

So why did it bother? 

"Gaugau ..." 

It shyly showed me its reverse scale.

This is the place where its old wounds were healed.

 

It wasn’t much though.

 

"Returning the favor, huh?"

When I laughed lightly, I shook my head and nodded.

...... It’s quite a cute guy.

 

The adherent dragon flies away when it sees it's over and returns to its nest.

Florence was surprised by the sight.

 

" Nigris-sama ... you also have the adherent dragon at your side?"

"No, It said it was a repayment because I healed its old wound when I healed it before."

"Huh, you healed it...? A monster?"

Instead of replying, he takes Florence's hand and chants heal.

If you look closely, it's full of scratches. When I get back, I have to cure Fels too.

 

"Florence, you’re also important to me. If you get injured, say it right away, I'll heal you."

"... ye ... yesh ... !!"

 

The slums were extremely devastated. 

It would take a lot of time, effort, and money to get it back to what it once was.

There’s something I’m really concerned about. 

Azel should have been a slave to the Adventurer's Guild. 

How did he get out? Who gave him that magic circle. 

I won't forgive that person for destroying everything we've built up. I'll definitely punch him in the face, I swear.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter