“Alright! Now, for the
finisher!” (Fay)
Finally, before the Red Dragon
could spit flames… the beam that I had prepared completely melted and
obliterated the black ghost.
“Even though I appeared, looking
cool, you end up dealing the final blow.” (Fay)
Fay came down to the ground
and found me and Laocles… Who was badly injured.
“Woah… is he alright?”
(Fay)
“I’m stopping the
bleeding, but…” (Tougo)
I couldn’t find bandages right
away, so I had Laocles use the shirt he was wearing as a tourniquet.
However, from the gouged part
of the thigh, the blood is overflowing and it won’t stop.
“Well… look, Tougo.
I’ll take care of it. You should start drawing.” (Fay)
“Okay.” (Tougo)
Fay speaks quickly. I’m saved.
I immediately took out my art supplies and started drawing Laocles’ thighs.
“Hey, what are you
doing…” (Laocles)
“Laocles, shut up and
watch. Your master is like this.” (Fay)
I quickly made a rough sketch
on a piece of drawing paper.
I used a pencil to draw
Laocles’ entire body, then I roughly shaded it and colored it right on top of
the pencil. I am already familiar with Laocles’ skin coloring. I have painted
Laocles many times with watercolor.
…As for the color, I tried not
to look at the real thing too much. Because Laocles was losing more and more
blood, and because of that, he was becoming paler and paler. So, I used his
colors as they were in my memory.
This time, I paid special
attention to his thighs.
The tension of his thigh
muscles, taut skin pulled by his bones, the bumps of his flesh, and the way the
shadows fall.
I painted his thighs with these
things in mind.
The actual thigh of Laocles is
bandaged, or rather, he has a shirt pressed against it to stop the bleeding.
So, I used the other leg as a reference and just kept on drawing.
…I drew the leg in front of
me, flipping it left to right in my mind, and deducing the shadows and the
muscle structure. This was unexpectedly difficult work. It is very difficult
not to be able to draw as you see it.
“Hey… don’t tell me
you’re going to heal me?” (Laocles)
“Okay. You understand.
That’s what is happening. Now, be quiet.” (Tougo)
Laocles looked at me and
looked a little confused and puzzled.
“I can be left alone. If
you need another slave, buy another one.” (Laocles)
“No.” (Tougo)
I refused to say anything more,
I don’t understand him and continued to move my brush.
…It is quite a messy drawing.
It looks more like a rough sketch than a watercolor pencil sketch. It is not
drawn well at all. I was very worried about whether it would be okay to draw in
such a messy way… but I was conscious of it and poured my magical power into
it.
I practiced controlling my
magic a little bit. I hope it will work. I hope it works. No, I have to make it
work.
The horses were okay, even at
this level. So, it should work with Laocles, too.
…and finally, I finished the
painting.
I’m so tired. I’m very, very tired
that I was about to fall asleep at any moment.
But… well, that’s okay. I
was able to heal the wound of Laocles.
I was able to heal the wound
of Laocles. I painted it in a hurry, but at least I was able to stop the blood
and save Laocles’ life.
“How are you feeling? Do
you feel anything strange?” (Fay)
“…a little, my legs are
a little weak, but… it’s enough.” (Laocles)
Ah, it seems that his leg’s functionality
is not fully restored. That is a point to reflect on. What does that mean?
Maybe it’s because I didn’t draw it properly enough.
“Good work, Tougo. You
can go to sleep now.” (Fay)
Fay patted me gently on the
back. I wish he would stop. It makes me even more sleepy.
“No, it’s still a
bit…” (Tougo)
I walk away from Fay… and
through the wreckage of the store.
The store was already in a
state of disrepair, almost like rubble… But something still bothered me.
The sword.
…Because it must be buried
somewhere.
I told Fay what I was looking
for and asked Fay to help me find it. This time I asked Laocles, “Can I
look for that sword?”
…I did so, and Laocles started
looking for it with me. So we all started looking in the rubble together.
It was found sooner than
expected. The sword was buried in a place that was easier to find than
expected, probably because the area around the show window was closer to the
outside.
I picked up the sword and took
it to Laocles.
“Is this sword your
sword?” (Tougo)
I then asked. …Laocles
nodded with a reluctant look on his face.
“That it is.” (Laocles)
I have gotten bits and pieces
of information about this sword.
“This sword is the sword of
someone who killed people.” (Laocles)
…But that doesn’t matter.
That’s not what I wanted to know.
“Do you want this?”
(Tougo)
For a moment, Laocles seemed
troubled.
But after a moment… he
picked up the sword and laughed.
“Yes. Thank you.”
(Laocles)
Laocles laughed.
The eyes narrowed just a little
bit, and one side of his mouth lifted a little…
I thought, how just a little bit of movement of facial parts can change
the impression.
I was surprised, and Laocles
immediately went back to his usual plaster statue look… No, a bit bitter,
even for a plaster statue.
“…This sword and me
have done you a terrible disservice. The sword, and most of all, me. You can
hate me.” (Laocles)
And because he said that I was
not happy about it.
For me, this time… I think I
did something wrong. Yes, I should have made sure. I should have asked properly.
It would have been a problem that could have been avoided with just that, so I
don’t have any feelings of resentment towards the sword or Laocles.
…I know that in a situation
like this, it’s no use giving in endlessly.
Yes. I was once told by Teacher
“Push each other, hit each other and don’t compromise, and especially
don’t give back more than one back-and-forth.”
This is what the teacher said
to me with a very reluctant look on his face when he received an assortment of
instant coffee as a thank-you gift for the somen noodles I had given him. He
was not a big fan of somen noodles, and coffee was one of his least favorite
foods.
“And it wasn’t all
bad.” (Tougo)
That’s why I want to say words
that are not compromises.
I had no idea about the sword.
I didn’t check, and Laocles probably still has something unresolved. That’s why
I’m going to ask you to be kind enough to say which one is which.
I’ll show you what made me
happy.
“Look. This. Lapis
lazuli.” (Tougo)
I found this in the rubble of
the store.
“That is……?”
(Laocles)
“I found it when I was looking
for a sword. It was lying around in a pawn shop. It will be good for a deep
blue paint.” (Tougo)
So, I’m good, I said. And I
also put, how about you?
“That’s why I think I’m
glad I came to this store.” (Tougo)
When I said that… Laocles
sighed with a look like I was crazy.
“…you really like to
draw.” (Laocles)
“Yes.” (Tougo)
While saying so, Laocles
looked at the sword he received from me.
“Me too, I got my sword back.
…So, I guess it’s a good thing I’m here.” (Laocles)
“I see.” (Tougo)
I’m glad to hear you say that.
I don’t know what that sword
means to him, but I’m sure it would be better to have it than to lose it.
Even if he decides to give it
up later, I’m sure it’s not a waste of time to be able to make that choice for himself.
And… I know the pain of losing
something precious to you regardless of your will, and the joy of buying it
back.
“…here’s my story.”
(Laocles)
Then Laocles begins to speak
further after said this.
“I knew everyone who was
in that store, including that black monster.” (Laocles)
“……I see.” (Tougo)
“Once, when I was using
this sword…” (Laocles)
“Yeah, I see…”
(Tougo)
“……Hey.” (Laocles)
“Hmm……” (Tougo)
But I was finding it harder
and harder to stay conscious.
My body is getting weaker and
weaker. My eyes are blurry. I think I’m going to pass out…
“Should I continue… when you
wake up again?” (Laocles)
“Hmm……” (Tougo)
I’m sorry Laocles, but I’m
about to lose consciousness.
When I thought of fainting in that
position, wouldn’t that be too annoying, the Red Dragon lowered, so I was
allowed to lie down on the Red Dragon’s back.
The dragon’s scales were something.
It was a little warm.
It’s warm, but yeah.
Good night.