“Taula.”
I say while knocking on the door of the room where she’s staying.
“Ah, Rust, you’re back from Habbafulton. Welcome back.”
She looks kind of unwell.
“How about we go for a walk outside?”
“All right.”
I start walking, and Taula follows me. Normally, she would stand tall and walk beside me, but she’s walking half a step behind me and a little hunched over.
As I look at her out of the corner of my eye, I try to decide what to say.
We keep walking silently for a while, and I guess Taula is sensing my hesitation, so she starts speaking.
“Are you sure you have the time for this, Rust? Aren’t you leaving for Sototo tomorrow?”
I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was nice timing. We are in the middle of one of Eve’s bamboo thickets dotted around town, and not a lot of people come here. It’s also a place where Eve is strong.
“Yes, we are flying there with Seilook. It’s hard to stay composed when the ground beneath our feet keeps shaking. We really have to do something about this quickly. That’s why I have a favor to ask you.”
“If it’s something I can do…”
“I want you to go with us to Sototo. We need you.”
I say after stopping and turning around.
Her face twists. A price of getting the power of curses is the power to have a grasp on negative emotions, and it reacts unintentionally.
I can feel them like they’re in my hand, Taula’s feelings of regret.
I know that for a long time, Taula wished to take revenge on the shaman by her own hand. After I woke up, she apologized to me, and I accepted it. I told her not to worry about it.
But Taula still can’t get over it. Her own sword stabbed the one she pledged her sword to.
The promise she made by her sword when we first met was probably a very sacred thing to her.
For a second, I feel like she’s going to say no, but her expression changes, and she replies.
“Of course. Allow me to accompany you.”
The negative emotions that disappeared from her expression have been pushed down, and I can feel their density rising.
I have to do something awful to her.
The power of the shaman in my hand, and her sword…
Knowing about this will make her suffer more.
But it’s necessary.
Taula has a power called oracle, that allows her to be connected to god.
Her sword cut down the oldest shaman in the world, changed with my flesh and blood, and was reborn via the power of the alchemy and curses of the one who inherited the power of the shaman.
It had to happen, to save this world.
I’m sure that if Kalin or Roa knew that I’m dealing an additional blow to the already suffering Taula like this, they’d call me awful and heartless.
“Thank you. I’m counting on you, Taula.”
“Counting…”
She suddenly stops.
I take her sword out of my backpack. The 《Seal》 scroll has already been removed, and instead it now has a sheath with a 《Seal》 magic circuit.
“Taula, about this…”
Taula looks at my face, at the sword I’m handing her, and slowly accepts it. She holds it tightly like she’s hugging it, and touches the magic circuits on the sheath with her fingers.
“So you couldn’t lift the curse?”
“I didn’t lift the curse. All I could do was give it a fresh start. I’m sorry for doing it without asking…”
“Why are you apologizing? I know very well you always do your best. I trust you, and if you say it had to be done, I’m sure there was no other way. But what do you mean by give it a fresh start?”
I raise my right hand and take off my glove, in order to explain everything.
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