I Picked Up the Abandoned Hero

4 – 4. A similar situation

After bringing Arsel to the castle, he first had him bathe in warm water.

Some rainwater or mud splashed on his body, but the biggest problem was that his body was very cold.

Humans have been taught that when their body temperature drops below a certain level, they die.

Fortunately, when I touched his hand after the bath, I could feel the warmth of his body.

“Was this a castle this large…”

“It’s because the demon lord is greedy, and even from my point of view, he built it bigger than necessary.”

And now they are taking a tour of the castle.

“Yes, I see. If this is enough, I can’t compare it to the kings of quite a few kingdoms…”

Arsel walks around the castle and admires every piece of furniture or decoration, both outwardly and inwardly.

It was like seeing myself seeing a human city for the first time.

‘Looks like you like it.’

Unlike the dreary demon villages, the first human village I visited was full of bright colors overall.

The techniques used for the sculptures and architecture were also different, probably due to the difference in environment, so there were a lot of things that were quite strange.

‘It was such a shame to have to burn it all down…’

It is said that this castle was built based on the relics of ancient demons, so it must feel similar to the human Arcel.

“Oh, there is a place I want to visit, is that okay?”

“Huh? Where?”

“If there is a room the king used, I would like to see it.”

“There is nothing special to call a room because I only go in and out of the rooms of the princesses I kidnapped on a fictional day… There are similar ones.”

“What is that?”

“The study of the demon king. But even if I go, there won’t be anything to see?”

“It’s okay. There are more things to check than that.”

I had no choice but to guide Arcel to the study of the demon king.

But even if I go there, it’s just a waste of time.

“…Is this really the study he used? It just looks like an empty, neglected room.”

As Arsel said.

It used to be a library, but the only books left here were scraps of old paper.

The bookshelves that used to be tightly packed are now empty or broken, and the paintings hanging on the walls and even the candlesticks are all gone.

“It was actually a study, but most of this place has already been robbed. After you decapitated the demon king, some humans came into the castle and took everything worth money.”

“…Damn it, is it already too late?”

Arsel put on an expression of resentment.

Anyway, this place was made for decoration, so there were no particularly important books.

In the first place, the demon king himself wasn’t the type to enjoy reading.

“Is there a book you are looking for?”

“Nothing. Anyway, it’s a book I don’t even know the contents, let alone the title. You won’t find it in a place like this.”

“If there are any clues, I can find them, sorry.”

“You don’t have to worry about it. This is just my personal problem. And no need to be sorry. Because I am already very grateful to you now.”

Arsel expresses his sincere gratitude.

Thanks to that, even my eyes looking at Arcel seem to be satisfied.

The appearance itself is great, so I’m satisfied with any expression, but as expected, positive people are the best.

“…Ugh!”

“?”

Suddenly, Arcel blocked her mouth and vomited.

Drops of blood flow and fall down the pretty, white hands.

The drop of blood that fell gradually changed its color to black, and then changed to fine powder-like particles and scattered.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay. I’m already familiar with this…”

It seems to be caused by a curse that was present when I first saw it.

I don’t think it’s a good curse either.

“Can you wait a minute?”

“?”

If it’s an external curse, it’s easy to figure out, but if it’s on the inside, it’s a little annoying.

I put my hand on Arcel’s left chest and saw it.

“What is this-“

Then Arcel blushed and her body trembled.

“They told me to stay still, and if I make the wrong move, I might break it right through because of my habit.”

Of course, after giving the warning, Arcel did not show the slightest movement as if he had become rigid.

Her blushing face also turned blue.

Did it eliminate the movement of the body by controlling the mana?

I guess it’s because he’s a former warrior.

‘Is this a torture curse used on prisoners?’

Anyway, after examining Arcel’s body for a while, it was confirmed that there was a curse in his heart that had strong magical powers.

My mother must have been an excellent wizard, so I’ve heard quite a bit about curses like this.

At first I thought it was an ordinary cheap curse, but now that I see it, it’s a few steps above that.

As expected, it was not intended to kill the cursed, but it was to inflict terrible pain beyond death.

“Quite right, did you walk around like that even with something like this on your body? Who put this curse on you?”

First of all, it’s a curse that makes you terribly sick. To put it roughly, it’s like boiling blood in your veins.

It was a very terrible curse that did not directly affect life because it was only pain, but simply the pain alone was enough to shock death.

This is because the level of pain also increases over time.

Usually it’s like killing yourself before that much.

“…These are the sinful shackles only given to those who have committed the terrible, unforgivable sin.”

“So who bet? If you keep wearing it, will you commit suicide or become a disabled person, or one of the two? We need to find the one who put the curse on him before that and make him break it.”

It’s a waste for a human like Arcel to die.

A human with such skills and looks only appears once in thousands of years, but isn’t it the world’s loss to make him die just for committing a crime?

“No, even the person who cursed it can’t break it. It was intentionally made so that it could never be solved in the first place.”

“If you try to solve it, I can solve it.”

“Can you break this curse?! This curse created by the archmage in mythology?!”

Contrary to what Arcel said, it’s not particularly difficult.

In the first place, her mother had written in her diary that she had suffered the same curse. And, she says, she released it casually and bought it well.

She can’t call me what her mother did.

Maybe you can do it right now.

“It’s simple, just split the chest, take out the heart, make a hole and separate the curse-“

“What are you talking about, you will die if you do that!”

By the way, Arcel looked very flustered.

I was also very embarrassed.

Why die?

“Dying? Why?”

“Why, if you take out your heart in the first place, you will die!”

“If you pull out your heart, you die?”

“So you don’t die even if you pull out your heart?”

“Yes, shall we take it out right away?”

“…No, that’s it. Come to think of it, you didn’t die even if your head was cut off.”

Sighing, Arcel sat down on the floor.

It seems that it is difficult to stand still because of the curse.

If you can’t even stand properly, wouldn’t it be better to just solve it quickly? It hurts a little, even if it hurts.

“Humans are weak, but you were a warrior, right? If it’s enough to defeat that demon lord, wouldn’t it be okay to just pluck out the heart?”

“Not at all. A mage might be able to do that, but at least I’ll die then.”

“…You die much easier than you think.”

This is the fastest and surest way, but it’s a pity that it can’t be done.

Is the hero who defeated the demon king still a human after all?

“In the first place, cutting through the chest is enough to cause a fatal wound. Not to mention the neck or the heart.”

“You have a more uncomfortable body than I thought.”

“You are strange. How the hell did you get your head cut off and not even take a hit? It doesn’t seem like Dullahan, but it doesn’t seem like he used regeneration magic…”

“I don’t know, I’ve been like this since I was born.”

After hearing my answer, Arcel glared at me.

But what should I do if I really don’t know?

Still, if there is one thing to point out…

“My father was just like me. He told my mother that even if he was dismembered or burnt to ashes, he would always return to his original state.”

“Your father…? What is identity No, more than that, what the hell happened to my mother and father like that…”

“Maybe it’s a couple fight? It was quite exciting and fun to see my mother and father fight.”

Even though the father was the role of one-sidedly welcoming the mother until her anger was resolved.

“…I can’t believe it, but I can’t deny it after seeing it with my own two eyes.”

Arcel responded that he couldn’t understand at all.

There were many things I couldn’t understand about my mother and father’s behavior, so I fully sympathize with them.

Above all, the time we spent together was not that long.

“Oh, and I heard that my father can change by completely copying other people’s abilities, not just transformation magic that changes his appearance. I can’t do that.”

“Your mother is also your mother, but your father is also not easy. Are you really a demon in the first place?”

“Since my mother said I was a demon child, it must be so, even though I am half human. Doesn’t it matter anyway? Most of the demons and humans who cut my head or waist when they see me attack first.”

I don’t care whether I’m a demon or a human.

Because there is no particular difference between a demon and a human being hostile to me.

On the contrary, it was strange to see Arcel talking to me like this.

“…Are you okay? Humans as well as demons are against you. Still, he must have held a high-ranking position as an executive in the Demon King’s Army at one time.”

Arcel, who had been quietly listening to the story, opened her mouth.

I thought the story would be a bit long, so I followed Arcel and sat next to him.

There is quite a bit of dust, but this is enough to brush off.

“Isn’t it a bit lonely? I don’t know anything else, but I didn’t have anyone to talk to, so it was like talking to a mirror or a corpse. It’s familiar, but it doesn’t mean it’s okay.”

“Do you have any regrets? If you hadn’t surrendered at that time and had continued to fight with me… Not to mention being a traitor, your king might not have died.”

Regret?

“Why?”

“Why, didn’t you say you were lonely a while ago?”

I don’t regret anything in the past.

“It was all my choice anyway, why do I regret it? Just because I’m lonely doesn’t mean I regret it.”

At that time, I would not have regretted whichever side I chose, who killed the hero and her companions, and who surrendered and made the demon king fall.

“Besides, you met people with similar circumstances, both demons and humans hostile to each other. A man nicknamed the traitor.”

I think I was better off surrendering because I was able to talk to Arcel like this.

Until now, we couldn’t even talk properly because of our status as a hero and an executive in the Demon King’s Army.

Now I am free to not have to look at others.

“…I see, you won’t regret it if it’s your choice.”

“Yes. Except when I was forced to do something I didn’t want to do like a slave.”

“What do you mean by that? That you were forcibly brought here.”

“Literally, I was living alone deep in the forest after my parents died. The demon king suddenly appeared and took me by force and treated me like a slave. Even an executive is probably just a name given to make things easier for you.”

Let’s see, how old was I then?

“Maybe it was when you were less than 10 years old that you were forcibly taken?”

It was around that time that my mother passed away, so she’s probably right.

Looking at it like this, it seems like quite a few years have already passed.

“Such…”

Arsel seemed to sympathize with me after hearing the story.

Is it because they are similar? There seems to be good empathy.

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me. Are you the same anyway? I don’t like fighting, but I was chosen as a hero and forced to hold the holy sword and be covered with blood.”

“…”

Arcel didn’t say anything.

I just stared at the hole in the ceiling with a wry smile.

The moonlight streamed softly through the cracks in the ceiling.

It seems like time has passed before I knew it.

Now it’s time to sleep.

“Then I have to guide you to the room now. I have a room prepared for you, so follow me. If you can’t walk, I’ll carry you or hug you.”

“Ah. Okay. I can do at least walking by myself-“

Puff!

Arcel stood up against the wall, but he sat down again as if his legs were weak.

Looking at him like that, his ears turned a little red.

“Or would you like me to bring you a wand?”

“…Please.”

First of all, it’s late today, so I’ll go to sleep, and from tomorrow I’ll have to find a way to curse that curse.

Arcel will die in the usual way, so let’s search her mother’s library and find out her method.

She was such an eccentric mother, so she would have written all of her, albeit eccentric ways.