Chapter 96 : I Don’t Know These Memories… (part 1)
「Dear, dear~ You’re such a good girl~」(Laney)
Laney’s gentle voice touched my heart.
It was warm, soft and comfortable in her arms.
It seemed that the power of the sacred mirror forced me to see my memories of when I was a baby.
What should I do now…?
I thought the flashback would be more hectic like when you suddenly recalled your past and those memories flashed in your head at a high speed, but for some reason, the flow of time here is rather slow.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m a baby now or because I’m just seeing my memories, but I can’t talk or move my body. I can only see Laney’s face while being treated kindly in her warm arms.
I know this is only a flashback of my memories, but… it won’t be a problem if I enjoy it a little, right?
I’ve been busy lately. I fought a demon and saved the country… so I think I deserve to enjoy this peaceful time.
Above all, I’m able to see Laney’s face even though she isn’t real. Still, I’m really happy. It even makes me want to thank Aspis for this.
But…
I know I shouldn’t be here too long…
I don’t know if the time flow here is the same as in the real world, but I’m sure Aspis is trying to kill me, who is now unconscious.
I used my blunt weapon skill and covered myself with thick earth walls right before I lost consciousness, but it won’t hold Aspis for a long time.
If she seriously wants to kill me and exerts all her strength, I think it won’t take ten minutes until she breaks through the walls and kills me.
That would be really bad… I have to regain my consciousness as soon as possible.
But… How can I do that? I can’t think of any ways to escape from here.
In the first place, I’m a baby now. What can I do with this body?
Hmm! Hmpph! Hhhmmpphh!!!
Ughh… This is useless… I can’t even do anything.
When I was brainstorming, looking for a way to escape these memories, I heard someone knocking the door.
Because there was a blizzard outside, when the door was opened, the cold air rushed into the room which was warmed by the fireplace.
The one who was standing at the entrance was a warrior carrying a big sword.
「It’s been a long time, Laney…」
He had a good physique but he looked like a sick person because of his sunken cheeks.
Hold on… I know this man…
「Bazel, huh…?」(Laney)
I knew it. He was Cecil’s father and the chairman of the Adventurer School in Tiaret.
Because I’m a baby now, I think this is the scene from fifteen years ago, so maybe it was before he retired as an adventurer.
「You want to ask why I look drawn and haggard, don’t you? I know from your face.」(Bazel)
Saying that, Bazel wiped off the snow on his head and shoulders, came inside and sat on a chair without being reluctant at all. Looks like his irreverent attitude hasn’t changed at all.
「Well, yeah… The Adventurer Guild has been treating you as a missing person, you know? Where have you been these past three months since you left the Demon Land?」(Laney)
「Regenberg.」(Bazel)
Laney’s eyebrow twitched in response to Bazel’s short reply.
「…Cecilia’s hometown, huh? I’ve heard about what happened to both of you when you were on the way home to the kingdom…」(Laney)
Everyone who was a student of Adventurer School knows about this tragedy. It was also written in the last chapter of Bazel Sortlarc’s adventure book.
Fifteen years ago, the Blue Saint, Cecilia, gave birth to Cecil. After that, Bazel and Cecilia decided to leave the Demon Land in order to raise Cecil in a safe place, but on their way to the kingdom, they were attacked by one of the Four Heavenly Kings, The Black Smoke Dragon, Furiard.
The enemy was very strong, but Bazel was able to drive the dragon away after an intense battle.
However, Cecilia lost her life in the process.
Bazel then left his dead wife and returned to Tiaret with the baby Cecil.
At least that was what the story said, but it looked like the truth was different from the story.
In fact, he visits Laney here in Tiaret now, but he doesn’t hold a baby in his arms. Where is the baby Cecil?
Did he entrust her to someone?
No… I don’t think that was the case.
Cecil was not his real daughter, so in other words, Bazel and Cecilia didn’t have a baby from the beginning, or… the baby died with Cecilia during the battle against Furiard…
「We never get along with each other, but I have respect for you. It’s been three months since that tragedy, isn’t it? I think it’s about time for you to recover from it. Stop looking at the past because there’s nothing left you can do. It’s too late now.」(Laney)
Uwaa… Laney, you’re very blunt…
Normally, you don’t say that to a person who just lost his wife…
Perhaps Laney could say that because she has been living for hundreds of years in this world and has seen people dying many times. That’s why she can say things from a different perspective than other people.
But, I think three months is too short to heal the wound of losing someone important to you.
If Laney died, I’m sure it would take five to ten years for me to get over it.
「Huh? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not sad or anything. What I want now is to kill the Evil God and his Four Heavenly Kings to get my revenge!」(Bazel)
Bazel’s depressed eyes turned to sharp eyes like the eyes of a hawk who was aiming for its prey.
「The one who told me how I could achieve that was none other than Cecilia herself. There was a sealed magical weapon beneath the city of Regenberg, and it requires three sacred treasures to power it. After I spent my three months there, I was finally able to collect them all.」(Bazel)
After listening to what Bazel said, Laney glared at Bazel with cold eyes.
「…You’re not surprised, huh? As I expected, you knew about it, didn’t you?」(Bazel)
「Of course I know… That weapon was made of the ancient tree from my hometown, the High Elf Forest… That thing is ourー elvens’ dark history…」(Laney)
「Dark history? What do you mean? That is the only weapon that can kill gods. We can’t kill the Evil God with swords, and it frustrates me! That weapon is the only way!」(Bazel)
Bazel bit his lips with his eyes full of regret.
After the battle with the Black Smoke Dragon, Furiard, he must have realized his limits as a warrior.
Bazel was one of the strongest sword fighters and was on par with Laney. Now that such a strong person said as if he was too weak to fight the Evil God with his power alone, it was the same as admitting that humans would never be able to compete against the Evil God and his army.
Therefore, he would do anything in order to fight even if he had to use the magical weapon.
「I see… Now I know why you came to me.」(Laney)
「You’re sharp. Of course I didn’t come all the way here to warm up and chat with an old friend. The one who can use the magical weapon is the Sword Priestess who manipulates the three sacred treasures. I don’t know anyone who is more suitable than you for this.」(Bazel)
Eh…? So Bazel wanted Laney to become the Sword Priestess…?