The silver-haired kid was poking my cheek with a grin. Damn, my ears are ringing, and this brat is messing with someone who’s in pain. What kind of messed-up kid is this?
“So, let’s make a deal. You don’t want to die like this, right?”
Damn, even moving my mouth is hard. I want to say something, but this damn mouth won’t move. F*ck.
“Ah, can’t move your mouth? Hey, come here and just heal the mouth.”
“No, as I said, I don’t heal wounds. I turn wounds into dreams…”
“…Hey.”
The silver-haired kid kicked the man in black’s shin. Wow, that must’ve hurt.
“Ahhh!”
“Did I tell you to talk back? You swore to serve me after I beat the crap out of you, right? So, when I say jump, you jump. What’s with the backtalk, you dog…”
The kid was spewing curses that even I found seriously harsh. It was like a singer from a country that specializes in double-layered swearing was performing.
“So, just fix the mouth, you damn brat.”
“No, I’m in charge of the afterlife. Isn’t it ridiculous to ask me to save someone?”
“Shut up and do it.”
The man in black closed his mouth and approached me. As he spread his hand, everything went black. Am I going to die like this? There’s still so much I want to do…
Just as I was accepting the darkness and getting used to the idea of death, the kid’s voice came again.
“No, you’re not dead, you idiot.”
“Huh…?”
Weird. I definitely couldn’t move my mouth before…
“I’ve made it so you can move your mouth a little, so think carefully before answering. You don’t want to die, right? Then I can make it happen.”
“Huh…?”
“Ah, damn, you’re really frustrating. I’m saying I can heal your fatal wounds.”
If this keeps up, death is certain. Even skilled healers wouldn’t be able to fix this. But if he can heal such wounds… I’d accept any condition.
“I’ll give you anything… please save me…”
I didn’t want to die like this. I had things to say to Werner. There’s still so much I want to do. I’ve suffered my whole life, and I don’t want to die like this. I had to live, no matter the cost.
“I don’t need anything grand. The basics of a deal are paying something equivalent to the benefit. If you want to turn back time, you have to give up the strength or benefits you’ve accumulated. If you want strength, you have to give up the lifespan it would take to reach that strength…”
“So what are you asking from me…?”
“Life for life.”
Life for life… What is he planning to ask for?
“Later, I’ll take the child you cherish the most.”
“Fine.”
“Wow, that’s a hard decision… Wait, what did you just say?”
“I said fine, and hurry up and heal me. It hurts like hell.”
“Aren’t you scared I’ll take your child?”
What kind of nonsense is this? I’m still an unmarried virgin. And if I die, it’s game over, right? I couldn’t understand the point of this trivial question.
“Hey, what if you regret it later when you have a kid…?”
“Eh, if that happens, I’ll just say I don’t know or claim my dog is my most cherished child. Easy.”
The kid started laughing, clutching his stomach. What’s so funny?
“Kukuku… Ahahaha! You’re really the best! Out of all the kids I’ve met, you’re my favorite! A crazy, honest woman… I could’ve given you a passing grade, but you’ve really exceeded my expectations.”
The silver-haired kid said that and then punched the man in black’s stomach.
“Heal her.”
“Sure, sure.”
The man in black flicked his fingers. What kind of healing is this? But just as I was wondering, the pain was gone. My body was completely healed, and my broken bones were back to normal. It felt like the fact that I was injured was just a dream.
“The deal’s done, so let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve met someone I liked this much.”
The silver-haired kid disappeared without a word. The man in black clicked his tongue and left with these words.
“Hey, young lady, don’t underestimate that brat with the messed-up personality. He’s not someone you can trick or chase away… Don’t regret today’s choice.”
I won’t regret today’s choice. Absolutely not.
=============================================
Looking at the corpses of the Tower Lords turned into lumps of meat… I felt nothing. If anything, I was glad those annoying old men were dead.
Ah… I’m thirsty. Is there any water around besides blood? I looked around, but I guess my expectations were a bit too high.
“Lorcha!”
It was Werner’s voice. But it sounded like his voice from the past. Damn, this is why you don’t go for cheap treatments. My ears must be messed up.
Then, Werner appeared in front of me. But why does he look like he’s 10 years old instead of 29…? Did my eyes go bad too? Damn, this is a total scam.
“Wait… You keep looking like that damn sparrow brat… no, like you’re 10 years old… If my eyes are messed up, let me wash my face…”
“Stop talking nonsense. I really did get younger.”
“What?”
“Because of the healing, I had to borrow the power of a spell… It’s complicated to explain. Anyway, what the hell is going on here?”
Werner looked around at the corpses of the Tower Lords and the elders of the Earth Tower with a disgusted expression. Yeah, Werner’s gotten used to seeing corpses like this.
“Well… I’ll explain from the beginning.”
I explained what happened today. The contract with the Spirit King, how Gaius, the Tower Lord of Earth, suddenly attacked, and how Gaius introduced himself as Tristan of the Black Round Table before leaving…
“But you’re surprisingly fine?”
“Ah… ah! Valena blocked it!”
Honestly, if I said a silver-haired kid and a man in black suddenly healed my mouth and then offered to save me in exchange for my child… I’d definitely be labeled crazy. Honestly, even I can’t believe this reality.
“Ah, really…?”
“Yeah! I’m the Tower Lord of Water, after all. Did you think I’d fall to such an attack?”
I was scared. That man was firing such powerful magic without even chanting. He was far beyond my reach.
“Tristan of the Black Round Table… He must be pretty high up in the ranks of the Black Round Table.”
Werner propped his chin and started thinking deeply. Ah… He was so cute when he was young… Well, his grown-up self is fine too…
“Werner, I don’t sense any suspicious energy nearby.”
It was Lady Camellia, one of the heroes. I’d met her often since I was young, so we were somewhat close. I waved without thinking, and she waved back lightly.
“Ah, good job, sis. Sigh… So the enemy’s gone, and we don’t know what traps they’ve set, but we have to go… Damn it.”
“If you really don’t want to, you can leave it to me or Ricardo…”
“No, since it’s Tristan… I need to meet him and talk. I promised.”
“Promised…? To whom?”
“Someone who almost became a friend.”
Werner said that and went outside. Even his legs got shorter, making his walk cute. Really…
“Hey, where are you going? With that body, where do you think you’re going…?”
“The brothel.”
“What?”
“Are you insane?”
Lady Camellia and I were stunned. Why the hell are you going there?
“Why the hell are you going to the brothel, you lunatic!”
“I need to undo this damn de-aging spell before I fight that bastard!”
“What the hell are you talking about now!”
Werner scratched his head, trying to find the right words. Then, with a tired expression, he dropped a bombshell.
“Sigh… Sister Melissa told me the condition to undo the de-aging spell… and the condition is f*cking…”
“What’s the condition?”
“A deal with two women. The condition is to release energy by doing it with them. What else can I do? I have to go to the brothel.”
“Melissa, that b*tch…”
I think Lady Camellia just cursed out loud, but it must be my imagination. Anyway, if that’s true, I can kind of understand why Werner’s going to the brothel.
But… I can’t stand the thought of those dirty prostitutes holding Werner.
“I… I’ll do it! I’ll do it for you! If you do it at the brothel, you could catch some disease! Anyway… it’s dangerous, so I’ll do it!”
Werner’s face turned red.
“No, that’s… I appreciate it, but… hey, it has to be with two women. Doing it with just you won’t work, and taking you to the brothel is…”
Ah… Should I just let Werner go? Then, an unexpected voice came.
“…If it’s okay… I can help too…”
Lady Camellia raised her hand shyly, her face red.