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After vomiting once again, I wrapped the head in several layers of cloth before stuffing it into a sack and then a leather bag. I couldn’t bring myself to put it inside the hollow bag. Daniela offered to carry the head, and so I handed it to her. Then we returned to the wagon and pushed it back onto its wheels. Marie Elle rested inside as we started to bury the dead. As I couldn’t use fire magic too well, we chose a corner in the forest to bury them. We prayed that their bodies would return to the earth, and result in the birth of new life as we covered them with dirt.

“Asagi, what is that?”

“A grave marker from my world.”

“I see…Simple, but nice.”

“Thank you.”

I made wooden crosses and set them at the heads of the graves. Pushing them deep and hardening the ground so they did not fall. The sun started to set by the time that we were finished.

While I was busy carving the crosses, Daniela fed the gathered horses and set up camp near the wagon. Of course, we avoided the blood-stained soil and had to move a little in the dark. The lights of a town that was probably Replant could be seen in the distance, but the gates were likely shut.

“Asagi, you should get some rest. I will make supper tonight.”

“Thank you…”

“Aye, I will call you when it is ready.”

And so I enter the tent that was pitched next to the wagon. The bedding was already prepared. No underwear this time. I took off my armor and pulled out a clean towel from the hollow bag and used water magic to make it damp enough to wipe away the blood. The cloth quickly became a dark red, but I was pretty clean after using a second one. But I could still smell the stench of iron.

“Daniela, sorry. Could you make a bathtub with earth magic?”

“Aye, I do not mind…but what about the hot water?”

“We should be safe now, so I thought I would use fire magic.”

“I see.”

The barrier tools were set, and we weren’t in the forest anymore, so I decided to use fire magic. I filled the tub that Daniela made with lots of water. Then I thrust an arm inside and let the red colored magic flow out. After several minutes at full power, you could see that steam was rising and the temperature grew warm. After a few more minutes, it was hot enough to bathe in. My magic was now depleted, and I felt incredibly tired. But the job was done. I took out a large cloth, a towel and a change of clothing from the bag. The large cloth was to create a partition. It was tied to one corner of the covered wagon’s frame and the other side was tied to the greatsword that was now piercing the ground.

Not the most reliable partition in the world…

“Hahh…that was tiring…”

I sat on the ground and looked at my finished makeshift bathhouse. I would let Daniela and Marie Elle use it first. Would the water be too hot? Oh, this was not the best place to sit and wait… I decided to rest in the tent until they were finished.

I slowly roll my tired body onto the bedding. We had no blankets now, which kind of sucked. We would have to restock on a lot of cloth as well… I lay there, using my arm as a pillow and was slowly able to relax.

It had been a very eventful day. I killed someone for the first time. That feeling of guilt would not disappear. It didn’t, but I now felt ready to accept it, and not look away. It was because of Marie Elle. She was so strong in spite of being so young. Her father must have taught her well. Regardless of the guilt I felt, I hated the bandits for taking such a father away.

Was there a place to rest such conflicting emotions? The happiness of knowing that she survived, and the sadness of having to kill to ensure it. The guilt of murder and the sense of fulfillment through saving someone.

With such contradictions in my mind and the fatigue of exhausting my magic, I closed my eyelids. I dreamed a little before Daniela came to wake me for dinner. I think I saw myself killing someone. But I didn’t know who it was that I had killed.

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Translator:

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Onward to chapter 100!