Chapter 63: Cutting the Curse

After explaining the situation to Father who was resting, I took a few guards and followed Kohaku-san, who had gone ahead, in the kitchen car driven by Tanya. On the way, we overtook the carriage that was running ahead, and after proceeding for a while, we could confirm several men fallen by the roadside. The fallen men were all dressed in black outfits like ninjas. All of them were unconscious with weapons in hand. Just as our kitchen car arrived at the scene, Kohaku-san was in the middle of sending the last bandit flying high into the sky with something like a shockwave released from his mouth.

“Mu, you were fast.”

Kohaku-san calls out to us as we get off the kitchen car. Fast or slow… You beat them all up, didn’t you… As expected of a Divine Beast. My eyes land on the carriage lying on its side and the horse that is probably dead. And around that fallen carriage, five men and women dressed in traveling clothes had taken up positions. With swords… or rather katanas? drawn, they were wary of us with tense, serious eyes. Huh? Aren’t they wary of Kohaku-san? He looks completely like a huge tiger, so maybe they think he’s a ferocious magic beast?

“This tiger is my summoned beast. He won’t harm you, so could you please sheathe your katanas?”

When I spoke to them, the gazes of the four men and women turned to one old man. When the white-haired old man made eye contact with the four and nodded slightly, the four men and women sheathed their katanas. It seems this old man is the representative of this group.

“Can we assume… the young lady saved us?” “Yes, well. Though it was this Kohaku-san who noticed the anomaly here.”

Saying that, I stroke Kohaku-san in his large tiger state all over. It’s an appeal saying, ‘See, see, he’s not scary’. Perhaps understanding that, Kohaku-san let me stroke him. Though he was making a face like he disliked it.

“…Thank you for saving us. We were managing somehow, but at that rate, everyone here would have died eventually. I am grateful for your help in a dangerous situation.” “No, no, I’m glad you are safe.”

The white-haired, white-bearded old man bows deeply. Following that, the other four also bowed. One white-haired old man, and two young men and two young women. The men were a large, sturdy-looking man with a kind expression, and a tall man with long hair and sharp eyes. The women were a sexy lady with loose curls, and a lively-looking ponytail girl. How should I put it, a mismatched group. Huh? Come to think of it, Kohaku-san said he heard a child’s voice but…

“Umm, is this everyone? What about the child?” “…How do you know about that?”

An air of wariness drifts from the five. Hmm? Did I say something offensive?

“Because Kohaku-san heard a child’s voice. That’s why I asked him to go help.” “I see… I apologize. To tell the truth, we are being pursued. Those fallen over there are also part of the pursuers.”

Pursued? That sounds disturbing.

“Embarrassingly, it is a conflict between relatives… They sent these guys to wipe us out after we were driven from our village.” “Relatives…?”

While I looked dubiously at the fallen men in black, the lady with loose curls came over carrying a girl from inside the fallen carriage. A girl with black hair in braids, about the same age as me. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and she was groaning painfully with her eyes closed.

“This is…”

I notice something ominous, like patterns, emerging on the girl’s arms, neck, and even cheeks. Dark red snake-like patterns cling to her as if constricting the girl. Is it my imagination that a faint black mist seems to cling to her body?

“Fumu. A [Curse], is it?”

As soon as Kohaku-san peered at the girl leaning against a tree, he said that. [Curse]? What’s with that dangerous thing…

“Indeed. This child is cursed. The [Curse of the Snake God] was cast upon her. By her uncle, who should have been her kin.” “By her uncle…?”

…………Hmm? Curse. Black hair. Uncle… wait? What is it? Something’s stuck in my mind.

“To break this child’s curse, we were heading to the town of Balalaika. It is said there is a clan there that can make magic potions to break curses. This [Curse] whittles away this child’s life with time. Young lady, I’m sorry, but could you take us to Balalaika? There is no longer a moment to spare. We will give you any reward. So…”

The old man’s story stopped reaching my ears midway. Because I realized something. Wait a minute…! No way… no way, is this that scene!? Sweat flows profusely from my forehead. If so, the ‘scenario’ has already collapsed. How can I stay unrelated from here? I glance at the girl groaning painfully. No mistake. Nanane Ritsu. Daughter of the head of the Nanane Clan, spies of the far eastern island nation, Gagaku Country. And, the Villainess of [Starlight Symphony 2: Re-enactment]…! You’re kidding, to run into such a scene of all things…! Ritsu had her father, the clan head, killed by her uncle when she was a child, and received a [Curse] on her body. Furthermore, the uncle sent pursuers after Ritsu‘s group fleeing the village. Due to these pursuers, the guarding subordinates and the old man who was her educator fell to the assassin’s blades. Just when it seemed to be the end, the carriage carrying the capture target of ‘2’, Leon Remus Traumerei, who was young, passes by. Ritsu, saved by the guards of the Traumerei family, also has the [Curse] lifted by the Traumerei family’s secret medicine. The Viscount territory governed by the Traumerei family is famous as a habitat for medicinal herbs, and furthermore, Leon, the capture target, possessed the ‘Gift’ [Drug Creation]. Ritsu, grateful to Leon who saved her life and lifted the [Curse], ends up serving his Traumerei family. And a few years later, as his personal attendant, she passes through the gates of the ‘Academy’ with him. In other words, Kohaku-san saved Ritsu who was supposed to be saved by Leon…! No, I was the one who asked him to! In the original scenario, these five other than Ritsu would have died. It was good that I could save them, but this means I’ve become completely involved, right!? Darn it… Should I have just left it to Kohaku-san and watched from the shadows…!

“To lift this child’s [Curse], we have no choice but to rely on that magic potion. So please, take us to Balalaika…” “Mu? If it is such a [Curse], my little master can lift it, you know?” “Eh?”

At Kohaku-san’s remark, my voice and the voices of the people there harmonized. I can lift the [Curse]? Eh, I don’t have such a magic potion. The magic potions I learned to make from the apothecary grandmother only go up to beginner magic potions. I might be able to make magic potions that appeared in the game, though. There’s no way I can make an advanced magic potion to lift a [Curse]. The story of lifting Ritsu‘s curse in the Leon route was a flashback scene, so I don’t know the details.

“Not a magic potion. The [Holy Sword]. That sword which banishes evil and defeats demons should be able to sever even a [Curse].” “Eh? Can the Holy Sword cut even something like that!?”

Ah, but after all, it’s a sword made by God. Maybe it’s natural to cut something like a [Curse] easily.

“Holy Sword…!? Hah, that hair color…! C-Could it be, young lady, you are the ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’!?”

The old man opens his eyes wide. Stop it. Coming this far, I don’t want to be called by that name. Or rather, how far have rumors about me spread?

“P-Please! Please lift this child’s [Curse]! We don’t care what happens to us! I beg you like this!”

When the old man fell to his knees on the spot and prostrated himself, the other four also rubbed their foreheads on the ground in the same way. Wait…! Really stop it! While I was tasting awkwardness, Father and the others’ kitchen cars arrived one after another. Everyone’s eyes went round seeing me making five grown adults prostrate. It’s not what it looks like, okay!?

“What is wrong, little master. Just cut that [Curse] there swiftly.” “Umm…” “Please!”

I am further implored by the five prostrating people. Ugh…! I think the Traumerei family’s carriage will pass by in a little while. Then they can just get the magic potion from the capture target Leon and be recovered. They can just get it… but me hesitating to lift the [Curse] here makes me look really bad, doesn’t it!? I can’t refuse something like this!

“Alright…”

I summon the Holy Sword ‘Farnese’ in my hand. When I point its tip at Ritsu sitting against the tree, just by that, the black mist of the [Curse] clinging to her begins to squirm menacingly toward me with a zawa zawa. Probably this [Curse] includes an attack against anyone trying to dispel it. But, well… It’s useless though.

“Hup.”

Hyun, one swing of the Holy Sword. That slash cutting through the air instantly severed the [Curse] consuming Ritsu. The black mist blew away flashily with a Paan!, and the curse patterns clinging to her vanished without a trace.

“Okay, done.” “Wha…!”

When I dismissed the Holy Sword, the five rushed to Ritsu and confirmed that no traces of the [Curse] remained on her skin.

“The [Curse] disappeared…! Ah, what a…!”

Shedding copious tears, the five peered into the girl’s face. There, a peaceful sleeping face floated on the face that was painful just moments ago. Ah, I did it… I completely broke the flag, this one. With this, the Villainess of the Leon route probably won’t become a Villainess. No, if I think that my ruin flag is crushed with this, is there no problem…? However, if the story of this Leon route becomes unknown, there are various problems. Skipping the details, in the Leon route, a large-scale epidemic occurs in the Symphonia Imperial Kingdom and neighboring countries. The story is that Leon develops a cure by joining forces with Estelle, but… can he develop it? Estelle has the [Holy Miracle Cheat] that cures any illness, but casting it on all patients was impossible. That’s why a cure was needed. The epidemic spreads ten years later, and technically I know the materials and compounding method for that medicine… but this illness becoming a pandemic had a reason… While I was making a bitter face—gununu—Elliott, Jean, and the others got off the kitchen car asking what happened. At the same time, a carriage coming from the opposite road stopped, and a silver-haired boy with glasses about our age got off.

“His Highness Crown Prince Elliott!? Even Her Majesty the Empress and the Empress Dowager…!? What on earth is this…!?”

Wah, the heir of the Traumerei Viscount House, Leon Remus Traumerei-sama has appeared. …………You’re late.