Tensei Oujo wa Kyou mo Hata o Tatakioru Chapter 113

   I wonder if there was any man whose heart could not be moved by the unfolding scene in front of me .
   Ever since I was born, this was the first time I truly felt my heart pounding .

   In this secluded village, I had counted the ever-increasing number of graves, one by one .
   Anyone who would take a trip to the outside world, regardless of how much they tried to avoid attention, would be hunted down for our goods like a rare animal .
   Once, a child had died before I could arrive at a village because the road was obstructed .
   As a pile of gold was handed to me that day, I was asked, “Would this be enough?”

   I lamented my own powerlessness .
   All I could do was apologise for the lives that I couldn’t save . I couldn’t even change the will of one villager . Miracle clan my ass . Does it look like someone as pathetic as me has the power of miracles?
   Instead of honour, what was left in my chest were only feelings of guilt and disgust . I was being crushed as I walked this path all by myself .

   I eventually lost sight of my pride .
   But it was right here in my heart all along . As long as I have the desire to save someone, I will never lose my place as a Kua .

   It was you, Marie . It was you who taught me that .

   What do you call this feeling that sprouted in my chest, I wonder?
   It was a mysterious feeling; I felt like cheering and crying as it welled up inside me . The world began to regain its colour as if it was being reborn .
   The scenes and sights that I had taken for granted before were now becoming very dear to me .

   Marie .
   I’m so glad that I’ve met you .

   The quietness spread once again .
   It wasn’t because of any negativity or malice, though . Instead, some were heartbroken, and some were puzzled as Rolf stepped forward and revealed his face to the crowd .

   It was only one small step, but it was so much more .
   During the time when no one else dared to move, this action alone was the same as stepping into an unknown land . His small frame seemed to have grown by a little bit too .

“Sure . ”

   With that short reply, Rolf lifted a corner of his mouth and burst into a laugh .

“I’ll follow you . A brat like me might not be that useful, but I’ll help in any way I can . Just ask me anything . ”

“…Huh?”

   A creaking voice seemed to escape Marie’s lips .
   The one most surprised might not be the villagers, but Marie herself .
   Rolf deepened his smile even further when he saw Marie’s reaction, and with a rare, unimaginable, but dignified expression, he put one hand across his chest and gave a deep bow .

“I swear my loyalty to you, Your Highness . ”

   The once serene surroundings suddenly exploded .

“Hey, Rolf! What nonsense are you spouting!?”

“Don’t say words like that so easily . ”

“I’m telling you! Shut up!”

   Rolf was being held down by his parents on each side . But even when his mother smacked him on the head and his father got him around the collar, Rolf wasn’t giving up that easily .

“No! I won’t shut up! She could’ve fooled us by declaring herself as the Goddess . She could’ve even ordered us as a princess . But she didn’t do any of that . Just to protect our pride, she even lowered her head for us! It’s clear as day she was trying to talk to us on equal grounds as a fellow human being . What more does she need to do to prove her sincerity!?”

“…”

   Rolf’s parents stopped moving .
   The people around him looked at him with faces surprise and admiration, but no one uttered a single word . That’s because the issue wasn’t something so straightforward that we could immediately agree to it, nor was the problem something like a rotten kid’s prank that we could easily ignore .

   Rolf’s words carried weight .
   In response to Marie’s wish, he gave an answer that was so adult and sincere it was hard to think it came from the village’s number one brat . There was no easy way to deny it .

“M-Me… Me too!”

   Lily was next to raise her hand .
   Though she stuttered a bit .

“I too, would like to follow her, if you’d let me . ”

   Lily stared straight into Marie’s eyes as she held back her tears .
   The fact that she couldn’t speak her heart was probably frustrating, so she clasped both hands on her chest and strongly shook her head . The tears that she had been holding back before flowed out and reflected the morning light . It sparkled as bright as her eyes .

“No, even if I’m not allowed, I want to go, so please take me with you! I’d like to proudly call myself a pharmacist and lead my own life like you do . I want to grow with you, Marie!”

“Lily…”

   Marie started to choke on her words once Lily gave a resolute reply .
   Parting the crowd, Marie rushed over to where Lily was and embraced her with full force . Lily was surprised, but that emotion was quickly replaced with joy . Finally, a smile suitable for a girl her age .
   As the two hugged each other tightly, the crowd’s expressions softened .

“Isn’t the response you’re giving to Lily a bit different from the one you showed me?!”

“Well, there’s a teeny tiny difference in the everyday behaviour between the both of you . ” Rolf’s father then added, ‘I’m sure of it!’ as he ruffled up his son’s hair .

“There’s no difference!”

“For you to be speaking to Marie like Lily does is a pipe dream . How about you work on your manners first, you shitty brat!”

“Shut it!”

   Laughter broke out from everywhere and the atmosphere became lighter .
   Lily and Marie looked at each other before laughing along with everyone . It was a natural and peaceful spectacle . However, we would never know what would happen instead had she chosen to deceive the clan .

   It’s like a miracle .
   The question was either to be divided or destroyed . In any case, both of them had a grim future . But Marie came down and took care of everything in one fell swoop .  

“This is like a miracle come true . ”

   My father, who appeared next to me before I even noticed, said those words out loud as if he had read my mind .

“Our clan has always been conservative by nature . Many people are against change . That’s why I had to take a more forceful approach . I believed it was the only way . But that was a mistake on my part . It seems that I looked down too much on both the princess and our clan, huh . ”

   In a bitter voice, Father muttered quietly as if mocking himself .
   But that wry smile only lasted a few seconds before he headed towards Marie .

“Your Highness . ”

   Marie stared back at Father and tensed up .
   She let go of Lily and turned towards him, waiting for him to continue . Instead, Father suddenly lowered his head .

“C-Chief?”

“To force you to play a role that would damage your pride, bowing my head alone is nowhere near enough to atone for my sins . But if anything, please accept this apology of mine . I’m truly sorry to have involved you in this incident . ”

   Marie got impatient and lowered her brows, then slowly shook her head .

“…There’s no need to apologise . After all, I could only stay true to my heart in the end . ”

“And albeit a little unexpected, you ultimately chose the right path . ”

“Eh?”

   Marie’s surprise was shown on her face .
   Father looked up and stared straight into Marie’s eyes .

“I won’t say that everyone here is readily willing to swear allegiance to you, and I cannot give any decisions on behalf of the clan without setting up a proper meeting first . But we are still doctors . If there is a sick person in need, we will be there . ”

“Then…!”

   In response to Marie’s expectant look, Father let out a little smile .
   ‘Yes,‘ his low voice was filled with so much warmth even I hadn’t heard before .

“I will do my best to repay you for respecting us as who we are . ”

   Hearing Father’s words, Marie turned to Lily .
   The two were so happy they hugged each other again . It was such a lovely scene that I caught myself tearing up .

   Thank you very much, my dearest Lord .
   You didn’t give up on us . You held strong and gave us the fairytale-like ending we wished for . Thank you .

    I am truly glad that I’ve met you .

Chapter end