The Encounter Between the Forsaken Healing Magic’s Beloved Child and the Betrayed Black Dragon Princess of Calamity - 7

Chapter 7: I Want to Hold My Head High at Least Once

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“Hnn… H-Huh…?”

Opening my eyes, I slowly sat up. 

If I’m not wrong, I healed that injured dragon and then…. Ah?!

Remembering what had happened before I went unconscious, I quickly scanned my surroundings in panic and there it was. 

“….”

A large black dragon with crimson eyes was staring at me intently. However, compared to before I treated it earlier, the dragon’s breathing looked steadier now. The dragon wasn’t groaning in pain anymore either. 

“Maybe I managed to help it a bit…”

I murmured quietly and tried to approach the dragon, but…

“Grrr…”

The dragon let out a low growl. It was clear to see that the dragon was still cautious of me… Or so I thought. 

“No, no, what am I even thinking?”

I was no better than a weak prey to the dragon. Approaching the dragon without caution was suicidal of me. And yet…

“It’s just… Sorry about this. Let me touch you for a bit.”

Suppressing my fear, I approached the dragon to check on its wounds. The scales had regrown and I didn’t see any visible scars either. Still, its body was still stained with dried blood. The dragon still looked pitifully hurt. 

“Let me use healing magic one more time just to be safe, okay?”

I said anyway even though I wasn’t sure if the dragon could understand my speech. Then, I gently placed my hands on the dragon’s body. Just like before I had passed out, I cast healing magic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact spots with injuries, so I just placed my hands over its whole body. The dim light began to envelop the dragon and the dragon narrowed its fierce eyes slightly, seemingly feeling good…. Or so I thought. 

“Sorry, if only my healing magic were stronger, I could heal you in an instant.”

If I were a real mage, I could probably treat this dragon in seconds. The dragon could’ve soar in the sky, but of course, my healing magic was too weak. Hence why the dragon still couldn’t move its body. 

“I’m really a useless child…”

The words I had heard every single day within the last ten years spent living in the imperial castle returned to my mind. I was constantly scolded, hit and kicked. All because I was just a useless child who couldn’t do anything right. It was all my fault. 

“H-Huh? Is something wrong?”

“…”

For some reason, the dragon was looking at me with sad eyes. 

Ah, this isn’t good. 

I probably made the dragon feel sad because I had been wallowing in my own uselessness. 

“Ri-Right! There’s a beautiful stream nearby. I’ll go fetch some water for you, okay?”

Trying to lighten the mood, I forced a smile and hurriedly walked away from there.

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“Now that I think about it, this amount of water is not nearly enough for that dragon…”

Using a large leaf of a tree in the forest as a vessel to carry water, I slumped my shoulders upon realizing that. For someone as small as me, this amount of water would be enough. However, that black dragon was as tall as the trees in this forest while it was lying down. Of course this meager amount of water wouldn’t be enough to quench its thirst. 

“Well, in that case, I just need to bring water multiple times for it.”

I told myself that. I was about to head back to where the dragon was when…

“Ooh? It’s unusual to see a human in this forest.”

“Ah!?”

Startled by the voice coming from behind me, I instinctively turned around. There, I saw two men with gray hair and matching gray eyes. Both men had sculpted, almost otherworldly faces, making them look strangely inhuman.

“Oi, Human. I have a question for you.”

One of the men called out to me rudely. I didn’t know why, but his voice and attitude looked annoyingly arrogant and condescending. It was as if that man thought I was worth no more than a pebble. 

Just like His Majesty….

The emperor carried himself in a haughty manner, thinking he was above everyone else. It was probably because he was the most influential person in the kingdom or perhaps because he was the strongest. So… These two men were as strong as the emperor? 

“Have you seen a black dragon in this forest?”

“Or a woman with black hair and red eyes?”

One of the men asked only for the other to quickly follow up with another question. 

These people are searching for that dragon?

Only two possibilities remained. Either they were the allies of that dragon or they were the ones who had injured that dragon. 

“…I don’t know.”

“Oi, there’s no way you didn’t notice something that big around… You’re not lying to us, are you?”

“Hiii-!”

I let out a small shriek as the man gave me a sharp, murderous glare. But with that, I became certain. They were the ones who had hurt the dragon. 

“I-I don’t know! I didn’t see any dragon!”

“Is that so?! Then let me tell you this, lying won’t get you anything!”

“Yeah! If you still value your life, you better spill the bean!”

“I’m telling you two the truth! I really didn’t see anything!”

I denied their threats with a yell. If I told them where the dragon was, they would surely kill it. I had to avoid that at all costs. 

But why? Why am I thinking like this? What happens to that dragon is none of my concern. In fact, it would be better to just tell these men where the dragon is for my own safety. And yet… 

I refused to back down here. 

I mean, isn’t it obvious?

Staring back at the two men, the corner of my lips curled up into a faint smile. Even if my healing magic didn’t work and I ended up dying anyway, or if these men killed me first when they found out I had been lying… 

I still wanted to save that dragon.

10 years of living like an empty carcass, with nothing to show for it. The depressing days where I was constantly deemed as a useless child. Even someone like me wanted to believe I could do something… That I could save someone. Just one… I wanted to hold my head high at least once.

And so..

“I don’t know anything about a dragon or a woman. Even if I did, I would never tell scums like you two anything.”

I said that, loud and clear.

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