Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu

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Chapter 335


　I encountered a devil while on a mission to retrieve something requested by the Demon King.
　After driving it off, I entered this mysterious ruin while treating Shia's injuries.

"Looks like it's getting dark now."

　Looking around at the surroundings that were gradually growing darker, I muttered quietly.
　I had been staying here and waiting for Shia to wake up, but she was in a deep sleep and showed no sign of waking anytime soon.
　However, that didn't mean I had the option of leaving Keira and Shia here and moving on by myself.
　I could still confirm our safety within the range of my Healing Perception, and more importantly, there was no guarantee that another Devil wouldn't attack us from outside again.

"You've gotten much better."
"Ehehe"

　While considering the possibility of retreating for now and coming back later if the worst happened, I watched Keira's training as she circulated her magic power right beside me.
　Though it lacked speed, the magic power of Dark Magic moved smoothly and without interruption.
　Normally, it would get stuck or jammed, but Keira naturally circulated her magic power.

"Start with your hands. Then, once you get the hang of circulating magic throughout your entire body, you should be able to do even more."
"How much can you do, Usato-san?"
"Me?"

　I've been practicing magic power circulation longer than anyone else, after all.
　I'm aware that I'm quite proficient at it.

"It's gotten to the point where I can do it without even thinking about it."
"...Eetto, what do you mean by that..."
"It's not like I'm consciously trying to circulate my magic power; it's more like I'm constantly circulating it. Well, I've only recently been able to do this, though."

　Or rather, before I knew it, I had become capable of remaining in a state where magic power was constantly circulating throughout my body.

"Will I be able to do it too...?"
"I can't tell you that you will. There are no shortcuts in this training, so what's important is to keep repeating the same plain, unremarkable process over and over again. ...But I can tell you that it definitely won't be a waste."

　I believe there is no such thing as meaningless training.
　There may be people who dismiss it as wasteful or unnecessary, but at the very least, the reason I've been able to grow this much is because of the teachings of my master, Rose, and the training I have steadily accumulated.

"Magic power circulation is still a technique with plenty of room for development. If more people become able to use it, the things that can be done with it will continue to increase as well. You should keep a broad perspective and find techniques that are uniquely your own."
"...Yes."
"That's a good answer."

　It was getting dark, so I lit a fire with the firewood that Keira had taken out of her cloak and made a campfire.
　I never thought the supplies Ururu-san had made me bring would come in handy like this.

"Devils"
"Hm?"
"So they really existed."
"Ah, yeah, that's right."

　Their existence had been made public during the recent conference, but you wouldn't really feel it was real until you actually saw one yourself.

"I thought Usato-san looked much more like a Devil."
"Keira...?"
"Ah, I didn't mean it in a bad way. But, how should I put it, the way you looked when you were fighting while merged with Ferum-san... that appearance was, well... much closer to what I imagine a Devil would look like..."
"S-So that's what you meant..."

　It was enough for a name like Devil Usato to come into existence.
　That appearance was devilish in the literal sense, and it was probably one of the reasons the Devils held a grudge against me.

"Usato-san's fight this time was amazing."
"When you get down to it, all I was doing was hitting them with Healing Magic while making sure they didn't pass out."
"Even when you were surrounded, you still seemed completely at ease."
"...Yeah, I suppose so."

　Understanding is a weapon.
　I came to realize that strongly after mastering Healing Perception.
　Every time I use it in actual combat, it makes me think about it, but it may have become an even greater weapon than I imagine.

"Those twin Dark Magic users would have been troublesome opponents if they had been conscious... but while being controlled, they probably couldn't bring out the full extent of their own abilities."

　The characteristic of that Dark Magic was "threads".
　It created threads that could injure whatever they touched and manipulate them at will.
　It was a power that had awakened precisely because they were twins who had been together since birth, and could be called proof of the bond they shared while they were alive.

"Devils manipulate the dead. People who could be considered my predecessors are currently under the influence of that ability as well... and are being forced to fight against their will."
"...That's unforgivable. I saw those twin girls too, and it's heartbreaking."

　At present, there is no way to free Auru-san from the Devils' control.
　If possible, I would like to reunite her with the Commander, but... for now, that would be difficult.

"... Let's change the subject."
"Yes. Ah, there was something I wanted to tell you, Usato-san."
"What is it?"
"It's about the person Usato-san is training..."

　Is she talking about El and the others?
　Wondering if something had caught her attention, I tilted my head, and she spoke with a somewhat serious expression.

"The way Vina-san looks at you sometimes is suspicious, Usato-san."
"...Mm, I know."
"Those are the eyes of someone plotting something sinister."

　But she really is a talented individual.
　She gives off a somewhat strange vibe, but mentally, she's simply strong.

"She seems to enjoy my training... I think that's part of it, but she's probably just used to it."
"Isn't that pretty abnormal?"
"..."

　I feel like Keira just casually said what she was really thinking...
　When I instinctively looked at her, she tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
　S-She's completely unaware of it...!

"Either she's undergone training to strengthen her mind, or she's had similar experiences before... whichever it is, she's still a strange person."
"Be careful. I sense an impure intent."
"Do you really have to put it that way...?"

　Well, it's true that she's suspicious in a lot of ways.
　To begin with, her presence doesn't feel like that of a demonfolk at all. She looks like a demonfolk, but... I wonder why.
　Well, regardless of what her true identity is, if she's become my subordinate, then she'll be participating in the training all the same.

"Uwh... Uuuwh..."

　Shia let out a groan as though she were suffering from a nightmare.
　... I had healed all of the injuries to her body caused by the poison with Healing Magic, but was she still carrying some kind of psychological burden?
　As I approached to check on her condition, I noticed that in her sleep, she was unconsciously reaching her hand toward the campfire.
　I hadn't laid her down close enough for her to get burned, of course, but...

"...It's okay."

　Providing mental care is also something of a Healing Mage's responsibility.
　When I took her hand with a hand enveloped in Healing Magic, the troubled expression on her face gradually softened into a peaceful one.

"Usato-san, do you know this person?"
"Well, yes. I've only spoken to her once, though..."

　I spotted her in the streets of Mialak, and then only spoke with her a few days later.
　She was a mysterious girl who used the unfamiliar, boyish first-person pronoun "ore." (Note: a masculine way of saying "I")
　To be honest, she's still a mystery even now, but...

"A bandage stained with blood..."

　That bandage was still wrapped around her hand.
　It seemed she had washed it with water at some point, and most of the blood had come off, but like this, it was almost as if...

"It seems she knew she was going to lose control of her System Strengthening again..."

　...Am I overthinking it?
　Judging from the condition of her hand, it didn't look like she had done anything dangerous that would cause another loss of control since then.

"First of all, how did this person get here?"
"Not only was she in a place filled with this poison, but she's also in the Demon King's territory..."

　I really wonder why.
　The bridge leading into the Demon King's territory and all the notable locations should be under watch, so it shouldn't be easy to get in.
　And the last place I saw her was Mialak.
　There should only have been about two months at most between then and today... Could she have come all the way here by way of Mialak and the Beastfolk Country?
　...Why? For what purpose?

"I guess nothing will start until we hear her side of the story."
"......Mmm......"
"Usato-san, it looks like she's about to wake up."

　As if her consciousness were beginning to return, Shia slowly opened her eyes.
　Staring blankly into empty space, tears welled up in her eyes, and she spoke in a faint voice.

"Help me..."
"Okay."
"———!"

　I answered without the slightest hesitation.
　She had been trying to ask for help from the very first time we met in Mialak.
　And I was the complete idiot who failed to realize it.

"... Uah... ahh..."

　Unable to hold it in any longer, she sat up and threw herself into my arms.
　As I gently rubbed the back of the girl who had begun crying like a child, I realized just how serious the situation she was caught up in truly was.

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Author's Notes:
Even from Keira's perspective, Vina had been recognized as a weirdo.