“What? You’re considering the hero’s dismissal?”
“You shouldn’t speak so loudly…”
Alexander quietly admonished.
I was so startled that I unconsciously exclaimed.
I covered my mouth and looked around.
It seemed that no one had heard my voice.
I leaned closer to Alexander and whispered.
“What do you mean? Dismissing the hero?”
I had brought up the hero’s story while casually chatting with Alexander at the church.
Is the hero still just sitting there without a care?
What should I do if nothing progresses?
What started as playful questioning had somehow turned into a serious conversation.
“I’m saying this because I trust Julia. Absolutely do not disclose it to anyone outside.”
“Yes, of course. So, what’s the matter? Has Leo… the hero caused any trouble?”
“If he had caused trouble, it would probably be better. That’s not the case, which is the problem.”
Alexander sighed deeply and grasped the railing.
“The reason the hero is still here is his own will. Immediately after the conclusion of the Great Human-Demon War, the Papal Office promptly proposed his return, as promised. However, the hero insisted on staying to assist with the extermination of the remaining demon army and the subsequent aftermath, and that has continued to this day. More likely than not, that’s just an excuse, and there are other reasons behind it. Perhaps because he can’t leave behind someone he loves.”
“……”
Someone he loves.
I felt a jolt, and my body slightly trembled.
Fortunately, it seemed that Alexander, who had turned his back to me, did not notice that.
But Alexander’s words had been quite strange since earlier.
Dismissing the hero, and now suddenly mentioning “return”? What does that mean?
“The Papal Office has provided many conveniences for the hero during this time. It was their obligation, after all. However, the newly formed archbishop council seems to consider the hero quite a burden. Especially now that Emperor Vladimir is attempting to purge Dragania, the fact that the hero is on Dragania’s side is further solidifying the push for his dismissal. Even saying it’s a case of tossing away the dog after hunting would have no defense; it’s completely accurate.”
“……”
Alexander forced a wry smile.
It seemed he had some doubts about the judgment of the church’s upper management, to whom he had devoted his life.
Nevertheless, there was something I needed to ask immediately.
I grasped Alexander’s sleeve and whispered in his ear.
“What does ‘return’ mean? Are you referring to house arrest in that way?”
“Yes? Ah… Did you not know? The hero is someone who came from another world. His spirit was summoned separately and is now inhabiting this body. It is possible to send him back to his original world through return magic, but the key point is how to persuade him. We must avoid a situation where there is a forced return attempt leading to bloodshed at all costs. I have a considerable amount of worry.”
“Return magic…”
Return magic.
I had just heard something about return magic.
It was not just my imagination.
I had heard it clearly.
After that, whatever complaints Alexander had fell on deaf ears for me.
My nerves were focused solely on that return magic.
There is a way to go back.
Just that thought made my heart race with excitement.
“Though he’s a grumpy boss, I really hope the hero doesn’t get dismissed. After all, he’s a hero who saved the human realm… It’s not like he’s caused a major incident; this treatment seems too much.”
“Y-yeah, you’re right. It’s too much. By the way, what is return magic?”
“Return magic?”
“Yes, yes. I’m just suddenly curious about it. Is it a difficult spell?”
“No. It’s basic magic that even beginners can easily learn and use. However, the premise is quite strict. It only works on the spirits inhabiting another’s body. You can think of it as a spell for sending the spirit back to its original body.”
“……”
He said it’s easy magic.
If he had said it was some incredible magic that I would absolutely never encounter, my excitement would have lessened a bit.
I had to try hard to hide my excitement even more.
I can go back.
I can definitely return without having to gamble my life away like some lunatic.
If I learn that magic, that is.
“In fact, it’s a spell that would be almost meaningless to learn. The summoning magic that implants a spirit into another’s body falls under the category of 10th-tier grand magic. It usually requires ten or so great magicians to perform a summoning, albeit only with great effort. The reason return magic is this easy is due to the enormous amount of magic power consumed during summoning. When returning, it’s as if you’re prepaying for all the magic power needed to cross dimensions.”
“Teacher, I want to learn return magic.”
“Why the sudden interest? Is Julia planning to send the hero back herself?”
“Ahaha. Could that be the case?”
As Alexander playfully asked, I awkwardly laughed in response.
A splendid excuse.
I can say it’s to persuade Leo to send him back.
It would be too awkward to ask to teach me out of nowhere without any reason.
“Alright. I’ll teach you. If anything unexpected happens, I’ll ask Julia to cast the return magic for me. She’s one of the few people the hero relies on…”
“Yes, of course. I’ll help you however much you need. So, shall we start the lesson right away?”
“Today? Today I have quite a bit of a schedule. Let’s meet on Sunday and I’ll teach you then.”
“Yes… Let’s do that…”
I’m the only one in a rush.
Alexander sees me as a backup weapon for potential scenarios.
A convenient tool to secretly send the hero back with return magic while Leo is being careless by my side.
So, Alexander has no reason to rush.
Meanwhile, I am fidgeting like a dog desperate to pee…
“Oh. There’s a meeting coming up soon. I need to go. It’s a meeting I don’t really have any need to attend, but they won’t start without me.”
“Ahaha. Hurry up then. See you on Sunday, Teacher.”
“Let’s do that. Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you this.”
“……”
As Alexander was going down the stairs, he suddenly turned back to me.
Almost forgot?
What could it be?
“In fact, return magic has one condition.”
“What is it?”
“The soul being returned cannot be tainted or damaged. An example of tainting would be… the possession by a demon leading to corruption.”
When I heard there was another condition, my heart dropped for a moment, but I quickly reassured myself.
Tainting or damaging of the soul.
That was an issue that had nothing to do with me.
Lately, the demons have been making all sorts of noise, but I still haven’t been corrupted.
“The hero probably hasn’t been corrupted, though. Haha. An example of damage… This is something you probably don’t need to hear about, right?”
“Ah, um. Please tell me anyway. Just in case.”
“This absolutely does not apply to the hero. A representative example of soul damage is pregnancy and childbirth, you see.”
“What?”
“When a woman creates a clone, she gives a part of her soul to that clone. During that process, irreversible damage to the soul occurs. But anyway, it’s a story that has nothing to do with the hero, so you don’t need to worry. Ah, time’s already up. I’ll be going now.”
“……”
As Alexander droned on, he checked his watch and hurriedly disappeared down the stairs.
The moment Alexander’s figure vanished.
All the strength left my legs, and I collapsed to the spot.
“Ah…”
Irreversible damage to the soul.
In simpler terms, damage to the soul that cannot be undone.
I desperately tried to think, hoping that there might be a way out, but my mind was already in chaos.
Of course, it was useless.
The moment I had inhabited the body was during the time when the Holy Maiden was being assaulted.
And since I had become pregnant after I inhabited her body, there was no doubt that my soul had been damaged.
Because I had shared my soul with Tia.
My vision instantly blurred.
“Ahh, ah…”
They say that the bigger the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
I should have been mentally prepared long ago.
I shouldn’t have let my defense mechanism, dismissing it coldly as something that would never happen, take over.
If I had, my heart wouldn’t be hurting this much.
And above all else…
“Ahhhhhhh!”
If I hadn’t given birth to Tia, I wouldn’t have anything to regret.
I sobbed, clutching my chest stained with regret, resentment, and self-hatred.
I held my breath and cried.
.
.
.
“Mom is late today.”
This was the first time for a day like this.
No welcoming from Mom when I returned from school, and no news of her for a long time.
Even the maid sisters only mumbled in response and did not answer me properly.
It seemed that Mom was currently enjoying life not as my mother, but as a woman.
I didn’t quite understand what that meant, but I took it to mean that Mom had gone out for fun.
“Well. Mom deserves to rest too.”
Mom was always busy working or taking care of Tia.
I don’t want Mom to just sacrifice everything for me.
I genuinely wish that Mom could also enjoy and be happy in her own way.
Tia thought so sincerely.
I decided to suppress my childish desire to see Mom for a while.
The sun set in an instant, and night fell.
Until then, Julia still hadn’t returned, and there were no signs of her.
Only then did the maids start to worry a little bit.
However, it was not their place to pass that worry onto Tia.
The maids reassured Tia that Mom would return by morning and decided to put her to bed.
“By morning… I’ll be able to see Mom…”
In the dark room.
Tia lay in bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, staring blankly for a long time.
She was hoping that Mom would come back.
But Tia hit her limit after an hour.
Her eyes began to droop.
Tia decided to fall asleep while looking forward to the morning.
But then, a raucous noise from outside startled her awake.
“Julia? Are you coming in now? Why are you so late?”
“I’m sorry…”
“What? Have you been crying? What’s wrong with your face? Who did this? Which bastard did it?”
“It’s nothing. What about Tia?”
“I put her to bed about an hour ago. More importantly, what’s going on…”
“I’m tired. Let’s talk tomorrow. I’m sorry.”
“……”
With a loud bang.
As the door opened, silence returned in an instant.
Tia decided to pretend to be asleep again.
It seemed that Mom had a tough day.
Tia could hear Mom, exhausted, changing clothes and rustling around as she prepared for bed.
As the sound of her footsteps drew closer, Tia felt a sense of hopeful anticipation.
Mom, having spent a tiring day, would surely dote on Tia who was fast asleep.
Just like on any other day, she would probably stroke my hair and give me a kiss.
In that moment when Tia was desperately trying to suppress her smile, she heard…
“Because of you.”
Julia’s voice, filled with exhaustion, leaked out.
It was a voice tinged with anger, like I’d never heard before from Mom.
Tia felt her body flinch and tremble for a moment.
“If it weren’t for you. If you weren’t here…”
A cold hand slipped under the blanket and touched Tia’s neck.
Then, the hand tightened into a fist and began to choke Tia.
The force increased gradually, making it difficult for her to breathe.
In the end, Tia couldn’t hold it in and let out a sound.
At that moment, Julia’s grip loosened.
“Gack…”
“Ah. Aaaaah… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, my daughter. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’m wrong… Huh, I’m sorry, sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Julia collapsed onto the bed, embraced Tia, and began to wail.
Tia could only quietly pretend to be asleep, feeling a prickle in her chest.
