Defiled Hero Chapter 048

Defiled Hero

The Blind Girl

I set foot inside the church. The path extended straight inside the church. The rows of seats extended to the side.

Thanks to Astrea's nosiness, we're inside the church.

There's nobody here right now. After spending a little bit of time, we can leave. If Astrea has a problem, I'll push through. There's no reason to go along with Astrea past that.

『I said there was no reason, but I want to hear something good.』 (Astrea)

(...We're leaving in five minutes.) (Izayoi)

Sitting on the front row, while waiting for time to pass, memories resurfaced.

I was called to this world five years ago. With no battle experience at all, I was your usual cross-dressing boy.

Having become Zenesys' disciple, we lived together like family, and I trained. Before, I would spend time with my 『family』 in this place.

At the time, Zenesys was the leader of the knight order.

Zenesys' wife. A blind child was born from the two.

Zenesys' wife, about two and a half years after I arrived in this world, became sick and died.

While I thought about it, my internal clock counted five minutes.

...So she's out after all.

It ended without things becoming more complicated. As I thought so, a complicated, inexplicable feeling was born within me.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. It's got nothing to do with me. I stood up while thinking about that, and was overcome with uneasiness.

「Umm... Six steps here, because the platform is here... One step sideways, two steps.」 (???)

A young silver-haired girl with her eyes closed walked forward slowly and timidly.

「Next is... Ten steps here...」 (???)

She continued to talk and walk, arriving at what appeared to be a wooden box.

「*—Kya*」 (???)

Sure enough, she bumped into the box and fell over.

Before I knew it, I held her close to my chest.

My body moved unconsciously to catch the falling girl.

「...Are you alright?」 (Izayoi)

「Eh? ...Ah, yes. I'm alright.」 (???)

She had a puzzled expression. Carrying her, I set her on the bench where I was just before.

「Um, thank you. For helping.」 (???)

The girl, with her eyes shut, faced me and bowed.

「Umm, I am Anya. I manage this church. What brings you to the church?」 (??? → Anya)

「I am... Izayoi. I had a little something to take care of, but I've finished already.」 (Izayoi)

「Izayoi. Thank you very much for earlier. I haven't been able to see since I was born, but, I've been able to remember where things are once I walked there.」 (Anya)

「Things like what happened earlier will happen again. You should stop walking around by yourself.」 (Izayoi)

「...*Mou,* treating me like a child. I can do fine by myself.」 (Anya)

「It can't be helped if you can't see. Don't you have someone to escort you? Because you're the king's daughter.」 (Izayoi)

「Yes. That's true, but I'm fine by myself, so I refused. Everyone always worries about me. They come here to tell me to behave myself.」 (Anya)

Five years have gone by, and her character hasn't changed although she's grown considerably.

「I can do this much by myself, so be at ease. Here, watch me.」 (Anya)

She stood up as she said so and began walking.

「Umm, because this is here, there's a wall, so this is.... *au.*」 (Anya)

(TN: *Au* is cute SFX for *ow.*)

After advancing carefully, Anya collided with a regular wall.

「Aren't you thinking the distance is larger than it really is?」 (Izayoi)

「That's not it, I trembled for a moment, so I bumped into the wall.」 (Anya)

She rubbed her forehead while she said that, though she appears ready to bump into another wall at any moment.

「...Where are you trying to get to?」 (Izayoi)

「The garden right over there.」 (Anya)

「It's even more dangerous outside. Will you be alright?」 (Izayoi)

「It's fine, I properly remember.」 (Anya)

「But you have a problem understanding the distance.」 (Izayoi)

「I'm fine, don't worry.」 (Anya)

「...A misunderstanding blind woman. It's not you I'm worried about. What happens if you get injured. It would be my fault, and I don't want to deal with that.」 (Izayoi)

「If I get injured, it would be my fault, not yours.」 (Anya)

「You might say so. Would someone who knows you say that after seeing me though? There's always someone troublesome near someone like you.」 (Izayoi)

「Ah, yes... If it was Grey, that might be so.」 (Anya)

I figured. Grey is much too loyal with no leniency. After what happened in the castle earlier, if I did anything here, I will probably be attacked.

「That's how it is, so I will guarantee your safety. Here, let's go.」 (Izayoi)

Standing up from the bench, I moved in front of the pillar Anya collided with.

In order to guide the blind Anya, I took her hand —— At that moment, I came to my senses. Withdrawing my hand, I thrust it into my pocket as if to hide it.

An old habit resurfaced, I almost ended up walked hand in hand with Anya like I did in the past.

「...I'll help when it's dangerous. Walk as much as you want.」 (Izayoi)

「Yes, thank you. But, I won't bump into anything else.」 (Anya)

「See? I didn't bump into anything did I?」 (Anya)

「That's right. So, what did you go out into the garden for? To take a walk?」 (Izayoi)

「What do you mean walk, it's my daily routine.」 (Anya)

Anya proceeded to walk slowly outside without counting her steps. At the center of the church's garden was a cemetery.

「Umm, here. This is my mother's grave. Coming here to see my mother is my daily routine.」 (Anya)

Anya placed her hand on the gravestone to make sure, and squatted down.

「...Isn't it lonely being alone?」 (Izayoi)

「No, I'm not lonely. If I come to see her like this, the children in the neighborhood come to play.」 (Anya)

「What about your father?」 (Izayoi)

「Father? Father is... After becoming king, he became busy and isn't able to come very often. Being a king is an amazing thing, so it can't be helped... Ah, but, Grey comes to visit often. Rather than coming to play, he comes because he's worried about me.」 (Anya)

「There's no way they wouldn't be worried. It can't be helped.」 (Izayoi)

「That might be so, but, I wish he would come to play, and it would make me happier... In the past, everyone seemed happy. Ever since more monsters began to attack, various things became problematic, but everyone was still happy, still smiling. Now... I wonder why.」 (Anya)

「I wonder what it could be.」 (Izayoi)

Anya suddenly stood up.

「Now that I've greeted mother, shall we meet the next person?」 (Anya)

「Yeah, do as you like.」 (Izayoi)

I said so, and she began to walk one, two steps.

I wonder who is next. I don't remember. In these five years, did someone else that was close to her die?

As I had my thoughts, we arrived at a conspicuously large crystal gravestone.

It seems very important, and Anya touched the tombstone.

Seeing her appearance, it somehow became hard to breathe.

「Hey, is this...」 (Izayoi)

Even if I didn't hear it, I knew. But, I heard it.

Anya gently touched the grave of——

「This is, the grave of the hero.」 (Anya)

——My grave.

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