I Am Sought After by Everyone in a Different World Where the Power and Chastity of Men and Women Are Reversed - 90

Chapter 90: A World Where Death Is Looming Nearby

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“Phew…”

Two days had passed since we escorted the two survivors from the goblin nest to their home. There was no major trouble that happened. Our journey back home was proceeding smoothly. We should be able to arrive in Annick at the end of the day.

Emerging from my single-person tent, I saw that Elmie was coming out from her tent, which was located on the opposite side of mine. It seemed she had just woken up as well.

“Good morning, Souma. Did you sleep well?”

“Unfortunately, no. I didn’t sleep well.”

Elmie was always an early riser and I was waking up earlier than usual today. Before I started preparing breakfast, I sat down with Elmie for a quick chat. 

“Are you still thinking about the women that the goblins killed?”

“Ah, you really understand me well, Elmie…”

“A lot has happened, but I’ve been with you for quite a while now. Besides, I remember Souma said your previous world was a relatively peaceful place and also… Your expression when we saw the bodies were… Quite grim to say the least.”

“….”

Even though it had only been several months since I came to this world… Elmie was as sharp as ever. Or perhaps… I looked way too traumatized at that time. 

“When the assassins and the members of Dark Guild died in front of me, I didn’t feel anything much. There were the ones that came with the intention to kill us in the first place. I thought it was only natural for them to get killed out of self defense. However, those girls were different. When I saw their corpses, suddenly the thought of death felt too close to reality. I knew it was a bit too late to be thinking about that, but I couldn’t help myself to ponder… What if we had left the capital just one day earlier? Maybe we would’ve been able to save all four of them…”

I could only see the four corpses from a distance, but I could tell that they were beaten to death with blunt weapons like clubs and had their bodies pierced with wooden spears. Seeing their corpse truly reaffirmed to me that in this world, death was always looming nearby. At the same time, there was also a lingering regret. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that there was something more I could’ve done to save them. Of course, even if we had left a day earlier, there was no guarantee we could’ve saved those four women and there was a high chance we couldn’t save those two men from the goblins either. 

I knew. Logically speaking, there was nothing I could do. However, I couldn’t stop myself from going down the rabbit hole, thinking of so many what-if scenarios.

“…We just need to keep moving forward. Souma, I think you already know, but remember, those four women were already dead for a few days at least. Even if we had changed our course of action, the outcome wouldn’t have been that different. Being able to save those two men is the best outcome we could hope for.”

“…”

“I understand. It must be hard to accept it. Before I formed a party with Ferris and Flora, I couldn’t recover from regret and other stuff after seeing a party member die right in front of me.”

“Elmie… To think you’ve experienced that kind of thing before…”

It was a surprise to know Elmie, who was always so composed and able to command the other members calmly, had such a painful past. 

“Unlike in this goblin nest incident, our mistake was the cause of my party member’s death. I truly regretted it. My other party members also shared the same sentiment. I was so afraid of monsters that I couldn’t even bear to leave the city for a while.”

“…And how did you overcome it, Elmie?”

“In my case… I trained my body like crazy. I just kept pushing myself to the brink, promising myself that I would never let another comrade of mine die in front of me. Even after I went back to doing the usual adventurer job, that habit still stuck to me. By the time I realized it, I had become an A-rank adventurer.”

This was my first time hearing this. This must be the reason why Elmie kept training her body so rigorously hard until eventually, she had become an A-rank adventurer at such a young age. 

“Rather than lamenting the other four people that we couldn’t save, it’s better if you think about the two that we actually saved. Even if the men are still having a hard time recuperating from the trauma of being assaulted by the goblins, but thanks to Souma’s healing magic, the two of them should be able to recover quickly.”

“Yeah.. You’re right, Elmie. Thank you. I will try to change my mindset.”

“Souma, I’m sure one day you will encounter someone that you can’t save with your healing magic, or people that passed away just before reaching your treatment center. I know you’re going to feel responsible for that, but please remember. None of it is your fault. In fact, if Souma can’t save them, no one else could either. You’re a male saint after all. Besides, keep in mind that you’ve saved countless lives up until now.”

So far, thankfully, there hadn’t been anyone that we had failed to save at the treatment center. However, that didn’t mean this lucky streak would keep on going forever. There might be a time when someone died right before my eyes. At that moment, just like what Elmie said, I would probably blame myself for it. 

“…I’m sure I will feel upset about it, but I will also try to keep in mind what Elmie has just said.”

“Yeah, please do that. Ah~ I knew it. Souma, you’re truly a good man.”

“I can say the same about you, Elmie. You’re really kind too. You noticed I wasn’t feeling well and went out of your way to cheer me up.”

“I-I-I’m not kind or anything though!! Thi-This is normal!!”

Elmie was blushing deep red, she looked embarrassed to be praised since she didn’t usually get praised like this. 

“Thank you. I’m feeling much better now. By the way, Elmie, you looked really cool when you fought those goblins back then.”

“Tha-That’s right! Humph!”

“Oops. Looks like everyone is awake. I should start making breakfast soon.”

It seemed in this world, women like Elmie preferred to be called ‘cool’ rather than ‘kind’. Elmie’s face was blushing even redder than before. 

Thanks to Elmie, I felt a bit better now. Her advice was great though. It would be more beneficial to be thinking how fortunate we were to be able to help those two men. 

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T/N: I think all health workers in this world experience this guilt too… ( ._. )