Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 7: Chapter 12

Having met a goddess and princess on the same day, Kyle and his friends returned to the inn trying to combat the exhaustion.

Welcome baWhat happened? You all seem rather tired.

Dalia came to greet them, only to be utterly shocked. Leaving aside physical exhaustion, the mental strain left them unable to think. All they could do was get some rest. Once they left the Sacred Palace, none of them even said a word because the shock was just too great. They learned far more about the world than anybody else could possibly imagine.

I dont like to admit it, but that guy was right.

Cordi said that their world would change, and Kyle was forced to agree. What Mera said was definitely the truth. A goddess would have no reason to lie. And there was definitely something going on. It was nothing minor, obviously. At the very least, Kyle understood that what he did wasnt for nothing. This lessened his burden extremely, and it saved him mentally. And he was finally freed from the weight of hiding things from his friends. He was genuinely thankful to Mera for making this a worthwhile trip. The real question, howeverwas what they should do from now on.

The godswill Goddess Mera lend us her strength?

She was definitely something that surpassed human understanding. If she were on Kyles side, it would allow him to rest a lot easier. At the same time, finding out that the gods knew of the [Great Invasion] and yet didnt care to help was extremely hurtful to Kyle and his faith. However, Kyle still wasnt sure about all that, and the [Trial and Blessing] she mentioned. Yet, he had to decide on that by tomorrow.

Maybe we could simply share our strengths?

That said, Kyle was uncertain if he could really get along with the Mera Cult, and its not like he could blindly trust Goddess Mera, either.

Tomorrow, huh?

His thoughts still hadnt found a conclusion. What should he do? What would be the best choice? Thinking about it over and over still didnt provide Kyle with an answer. Naturally, he had decided to not choose his methods in order to save the world, and he had already killed others. He couldnt just take it all back now.

That said, can I really prioritize who gets saved and who gets damned? Shit

Kyle scratched his head, but his thoughts only made him hesitate more.

Oooh, someones thinking.

Seran had recovered faster than the rest and began teasing Kyle, but he didnt have the energy to deal with him.

What do you think about the Goddess, Seran?

A lot more respectable than I thoughtHonestly, really.

Lieze and the others seemed to agree, and there were a lot of things to be said, but the general impression was much better.

I seeSo, what do you think I should do? Kyle could only ask since he was at a dead-end.

I mean, what else should we say other than go for it. Seran had no idea why he was being asked. If you want me to stop you, Ill do just that, and if you wanna regret some shit, I can give you a whopping.

Thats not what I meantIf I get the blessing, Ill getstronger, right?

He could only remember the time Seran and he fought during the Galgan Empires Martial Arts Festival. Kyle may have won, but they made a promise to fight again. So Kyle didnt like the idea of getting a headstart through the help of the goddess.

And I told you to do what you want.

Seran most likely had no idea of what Kyle was thinking, so he just answered like he was on a test.

I shouldnt have asked you in the first placeIm heading out for a bit. Kyle sighed and glared at Seran while stepping out of the room.

Its evening already, right?

Just to get a change of pace. Ill be right back, and Im not staying here to think over it, Kyle said and walked away.

God dang weakling Seran grinned as he hissed at Kyles back.

Kyle walked down the main street with no particular goal in mind, gazing at the people. It might be special to this holy capital, but youd see a lot more people from non-human races walking around, such as elves, dwarves, beastmen, fishmen, and such. But in the end, youd still see humans the most. Because he was looking around so much, he almost bumped into another person.

Apologies, I was lost in thought.

No, dont worry about itOh, have I not met you yesterday?

Surprisingly enough, it was the caretaker of the Mera temple above ground.

You wereRadain-san, right?

That is absolutely correct. Thank you once again for yesterday. I have never received such a generous donation before

Kyle had given him a thousand gold coins. This was enough for a person to live comfortably for a month, so this reaction was to be expected.

Oh no, I just did what was expected from me.

He lied once again. His main goal was for more people to know of his generosity. Beyond that, it had no more value.

There issomething I wanted to ask you, as a follower of Goddess Cairys. What do you think about Goddess Mera?

There was no deep meaning behind this question. Kyle was simply curious about the peoples feelings about Goddess Mera, especially from a faithful follower of Cairys. Met with this odd question, Radain gave an odd face but quickly responded genuinely.

I understandBut please, lets keep this between each other.

Kyle nodded, so Radain opened his mouth.

Mera-sama most certainly isnt as vile a goddess as the world makes her out to be. She simply wishes for us humans to aim for greater heights, but this has been twisted over the years.

To Kyle, this was an unexpected answer. Radain seemed to value Mera much higher than the average human, or non-human even.

As I was tasked with looking after this temple, I try to be more understanding of Mera-sama, but other people Raidan said with a pained expression. Was thisa sufficing answer?

Yes, very much so. Apologies for the weird question.

Im sure it must have been important to you, so Im glad I could assist you in your endeavors. I pray Cairys-sama protects you with her blessing Radain put his hands together and prayed, so Kyle thanked him once more and left.

It seemed like a small number of people knew what Meras faith was really about.

Goddess Mera-samahuh?

Kyle gazed at the setting sun as he mumbled to himself.

***

Whats wrong?

Seran suddenly jumped up from the bed and moved to the door, when Urza called out to him.

Im going on a walk.

Right

Seran opened the door and stepped outside. Shildonia was eating on the first floor, and Minagi was catching some fresh air, too, so Urza and Lieze were alone in the room.

Perfect timing, theres something I wanted to talk with you aboutOr actually, report to you, Urza turned to Lieze.

Sure. Whats wrong?

Lieze nonchalantly responded, only for Urzas expression to change drastically.

I think Im going to stay away from everyoneOr rather, from Kyle.

Wha?

Lieze failed to grasp what she was told, only for it all to click together.

Wh-What are you talking about?!

Ive already decided. Do you remember? The reason Ive been tagging along is because he knew my true name.

True Names are names held by spirit users like Urza, something resembling their own life and soul, and only close family or loved ones. During their first meeting, Kyle knew Urzas true name, and she followed him along to find out how that was even possible.

When Shildonia first told me that Kyle came from the future, I thought she was pulling a prank on me, but meeting that goddess, it makes sense now, and I wont have to worry about him spreading my real nameBut that also means I lost my reason to come with him, she said as if she tried to convince herself.

You lost your reason to?

And I even have a reason to not come with you any longer.

Before Lieze could even say a word, Urza continued.

Itd be better if you worked with the Mera cult. That will benefit Kyleand I, an elf, cant get in his way.

If Kyle really wanted to save the world, he would need the help of the gods. And if that one goddess willing to help was Mera, a non-human like Urza would only create complications.

As the only saving grace, that goddess was a lot more reliable and trustworthy than I initially believed. You should work with her.

Lieze agreed with that assessment, but that wasnt the main argument.

I think this is the right time. I dont think I would do Kyle any good by staying with him.

Butare you really fine with that? Are you okay with saying goodbye to him?

Lieze tried her best to convince Urza to stay. That her reasoning was meaningless. However, Urza didnt miss the complicated feelings Lieze carried in her eyes.

Seriously, how kind can she be

You seem to have the wrong impression about this, but I dont have any feelings for Kyle.

A sharp pain ran through her chest. The guilt of lying to someone she cared about came to bite her.

Of course, I know about his good sides, too. I can admire his pure desire to save the worldbut even so, hes got plenty of problems. What a helpless guy he is.

The more she spoke, the easier the realization came of what she really felt for Kyle.

I wanted to help himsupport himbut if hes better off without me around, then

If she could simply say that she was scared for her life, that she didnt want to die, then maybe Lieze would have accepted this as a reason. However, they were too close for Urza to utter a lie like that.

Plus, I dont plan on waiting until the end has come. I will try to find my own way, and this might just help Kyle in its own way.

Ah

Lieze understood what it meant for Urza to say she wanted to do this for Kyles sake. Thats why she couldnt say another word, and just continued to sob.

Im glad I met you, Lieze, Urza gently embraced her.

Their race, age, history, everything was different, and yet a strong friendship connected them.

ButI dont want you to go!

Lieze knew she was being selfish by asking for this, but she couldnt control herself.

Its not like this is goodbye forever, right? Well meet again, Urza said to the still-weeping Lieze, gently rubbing her head until she calmed down.

Unbeknownst to them, however, a shadow was watching this scene unfold.