Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 105
One Mountain After Another
Gerard felt like his insides were being completely twisted. The wind brushing against his cheeks was cold enough to freeze, but inside, Gerard felt as if he were burning up.
“What are you taking so long for? We need to find Lysian and Kyle quickly!”
Kakaros, who was sniffing over the piled snow, glanced back at Gerard with a slight frown.
“The snow is erasing the scent.”
That was exactly why he was so anxious. Whether he understood Gerard’s feelings or not, Kakaros continued rummaging through the snow at a leisurely pace.
Gerard wanted to use tracking magic, but in a raging snowstorm like this, it was hard to concentrate.
“Don’t worry too much. Lysian and Kyle will both be safe.”
Elonen placed a hand on Gerard’s shoulder and tried to comfort him, but the uneasiness didn’t fade.
Gerard was worried that Lysian might have died like this. The guy was so fragile, it was entirely possible.
He had treated him harshly all this time, and now he had suddenly disappeared right before his eyes. Was it guilt, or regret? Either way, complicated emotions churned inside him along with the snowstorm.
“W-Who says I’m worried about someone like Lysian?”
But after constantly picking on him, it felt awkward to suddenly show concern, so he pretended to grumble in front of Elonen.
“If Kyle doesn’t come back, how are we supposed to go look for the Black Flame Dragon?”
But in his mind, all he could think about was Lysian.
Now that he thought about it, there had been no need to be that harsh to him. Why had he treated him so coldly?
As he traced back his memories, his younger sister’s face came to mind. Maybe it was because Lysian’s hair reminded him of her.
*
Gerard had originally been a mage working in the Magic Tower. His primary field of research was potion making. Gathering rare materials from all kinds of magical beasts and creating new magical medicines was his work.
He spent most of his days in the laboratory. There was only one reason he immersed himself so deeply in his research.
His sick younger sister.
Gerard’s sister, Eustiel, suffered from a rare congenital illness since birth. There wasn’t even a treatment, and they didn’t even know what the disease was.
Even when he took her to the Grand Temple and entrusted her to the priests for healing, there was no improvement. That was why Gerard began researching magical medicines, to cure his sister’s illness.
Whenever he returned home late after finishing his research, his young sister would be sitting at the table, dozing off, and would greet him.
That day had been the same as always.
Seeing that all the lights were off, he assumed she must already be asleep and opened the door.
“Why are you so late?”
Eustiel, who had been slumped over the table, lifted herself up drowsily and spoke. Gerard approached the table, startled.
“Eus, why are you still awake again? I told you I’d be late.”
Feeling guilty that she had waited for him, he scolded her without thinking.
“But… I wanted to eat dinner together…”
In front of her were dishes that had long gone cold. Only then did Gerard remember what she had said the day before.
Today was her birthday.
A wave of guilt hit him. Not only had he forgotten, he hadn’t even prepared a present.
He had thought he was doing all this research for her, but was that really what she wanted? The thought came to him belatedly.
“What’s all this? Did you prepare it yourself?”
“I didn’t do it alone. I made it with Mrs. Bloom. Wait, I’ll warm it up.”
Eustiel stood up holding the dishes, but suddenly staggered.
Crash!
With a loud clattering sound, she collapsed onto the wooden floor.
“Eus!”
Startled, Gerard rushed to her. Her eyes had rolled back, showing only the whites, and her body was trembling violently.
After being stable for a while, the seizures had started again.
“Come on, stay with me, Eus!”
Gerard lifted her into his arms and burst out the door. He didn’t even know who he should go to, but he planned to take her to a priest first.
They still hadn’t identified the illness or its cause, but whenever she received the priests’ divine healing, her life was prolonged, even if only a little.
The problem was the enormous cost, but if Eustiel could live longer, money meant nothing.
But the moment Gerard ran outside, bells began ringing loudly in the distance.
“The Black Flame Dragon! The Black Flame Dragon is rampaging!”
