Forsaken Priest of the Hero's Party-Chapter 8: Please. I beg you.

After that short conversation with Roka, the child became less fearful of me.

Now, even when I was in the house, the child would walk around. Although she still couldn’t make eye contact with me. But just the fact she’s not running away could be considered a great improvement.

She’s getting better faster than I’d thought.

If someone were to observe her changes day by day, her progress would appear rather slow,

But if examined weekly, then it’s way faster than expected.

Even when I feel lonely or sad, the Lord is by my side, helping me. But the child lacks such support.

‘It would be nice if Roka had a friend.’

Would she like a cat or dog to keep her company?

......Or would that be offensive? Truthfully, I don’t know much about the beastkin culture, so I have no idea.

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The beastkins live in the northeast of the Empire, a place I had no reason to visit.

During my adventuring days, the place I visited the most was the Western Continent, the Demon Realm. I also went to the Elven Forest, Alfheim in the Southeast. Not anyone can have the opportunity to visit the Elven Realm.

The Eastern Plains is a place that I’ve only heard about. The stories I heard were only old tales, not fundamentally different from the stories I heard from the elders in my hometown.

Usually, Demons and Demon Kings stay in the West or South, never in the North.

The reason for this is because the Ancient Demon King resides in the North.

It wasn’t easy to get there.

The North is a frozen hell. No sane person would live there.

In the first place, to even get there one must cross the Kalkamir Mountain Range, the highest mountain range on the continent.

After crossing that perilous place, you reach the endless snowfields of the North. Even with the help of one of the Lord’s miracles - The Blue Bird’s Feather - The journey wasn’t easy.

Grimudo built his castle, the North Star Fortress there, resting alone in the most difficult and harsh part of the north.

Regretfully, I won’t be able to face him again.

Grimudo himself told us, that he let his monster legion do as they want.

If they attacked a village, it wasn’t caused by his order, but by the monster’s own desires.

It’s probably true. During our battle against him, he told us this as he completely trashed the Hero’s party, there was no reason for a being like that to lie.

But wasn’t it he who raised such dangerous monsters in the first place?

I can’t help but resent and hate him.

If I had my way, I would face him as much as I could.

But I have already failed once and because of my shortcomings, the Lord has taken away my most powerful Miracle.

That’s why I can only entrust my revenge to Yurinel now. If I faced that thing alone, it would be suicide, even if I gathered the most powerful adventurers in this realm, I would lead those people to a miserable death, should we fight him.

Clunk-.

At the table where only a single candle burned bright, I quietly sipped my tea as I became lost in thought.

Every time I think about Grimudo, I would lose my composure.

The scars of that tragedy still remain in my heart and will never be forgotten. The past cannot be undone, and while physical wounds heal, the mental ones cannot.

Even if they appear to be healed, those wounds could reopen at any time with the correct stimulus. If it’s like this for me, a grown adult, how would it be for that small child?

It’s difficult for anyone to overcome their wounds and move forward. Until that child takes a step forward on their own, I will just wait and silently help.

It was then.

Here she comes.

Creak-.

The door opened slightly, and dark blue eyes sparkled through the gap.

You must have been really bored.

Those eyes darted around the living room, but they seemed to have missed me.

Scurry-.

Like a rat darting through a ditch, the child dashed out towards the vegetable garden. Her eyes were fixed on the swing.

After carefully watching me ride it, it seemed the child wanted to ride it too.

Somehow, I felt rewarded for my work, and I was proud of it.

“Hup.”

After climbing onto the swing, she tried to move it by darting her legs around.

Although her efforts bore no fruit.

The child continued to move her legs for a while. When she realized that clearly wasn’t working, she climbed on the swing.

After she grabbed the ropes with her hands, moving back and forth, the swing started moving as well. The only problem was that she lacked the strength to move it on her own, and she was even trying to move the swing against the wind.

Since the child finally mustered the courage, I had no intention of just watching her.

Thus, I walked towards Roka, the child whose name I learned not too long ago.

Even in the darkness, I was able to see her dropping ears. She seemed disappointed. Now it’s time to make those ears perk up again.

“It’s not going well?”

I saw the ears twitch and stand up straight in surprise. The child turned to look at me.

“So-Sorry...”

“It’s like that for everyone at first. Do you want to try again, Roka? You don’t usually ride a swing alone when you start.”

As soon as she heard me, the child blurted an apology. But what could she be sorry about?

Although there may be many things to be sorry about while living, it should be a child’s privilege to be a little brazen. As the child faltered, I showed her a kind smile.

There’s nothing to be sorry about.

There’s no need to be afraid.

If Roka runs away, it means she isn’t ready to open up to me just yet. But surprisingly, she didn’t do that.

The little wolf just plopped down on the swing in an awkward manner. The desire to try the swing must have overcome her fear of me.

“I’ll push you slowly, so don’t be too scared.”

I gently pushed her light body, launching the swing. In accordance with the laws of this world, the swing that goes forward will always come back again.

So, I pushed her again. Although extremely simple, there was a certain charm to be found in the swing.

The higher the swing went, the brighter Roka’s expression became.

However, the real fun doesn’t come from someone else pushing you. You have to grasp the knack yourself and ride the swing with your own strength.

“Roka, I’ll stop pushing you now. Try to keep this current speed by yourself, okay?”

“Ah...?”

“If it slows down, I’ll push you again, so don’t be afraid. You’re not alone here.”

For first-timers, it could be rather difficult to get the knack of how to maintain the swing’s speed.

While you could learn by yourself, that’s not the proper way to do it. The best way to do it is to have someone giving you a little push at the right time, so you can learn from them.

“Eek... Hup...”

At first, it’s difficult. But it’s a struggle that must be bested. Roka tried hard to move the swing, but the swing only got slower and slower.

Every time this happened, I would reach my arms and give her a push once more. Just like before, until the swing went up to almost seventy degrees.

“...It’s not working...”

“Do you wish to stop? Or should I keep pushing you?”

“...No...I want to try again.”

Despite failing again to best that struggle, Roka seemed determined. She rejected my suggestion to stop and kept trying. Her small legs continued to kick the air in vain, and it seemed like nothing would change.

But that was the magic of this process. One learns from their failures and improves.

The third time I pushed her, Roka managed to maintain her speed longer than before.

On the fourth time, she almost succeded. It was clear to see she was improving.

After those consecutive failures, Roka seemed to have gained a certain sense of competitiveness. Though I’m not sure if It could be called a competitive spirit or simply determination.

“Eek...”

I watched as Roka bit her lips as if frustrated, as I continued to gently push her back every time she failed.

If someone continues to try, regardless of how many times they fail, they will surely achieve success one day.

Indeed. And at this very moment.

Right here and now. The moment the child probably desperately wished and hoped for.

As if by magic, the slowing swing began to speed up.

“Whoa?!”

I could see the delight on Roka’s face, illuminated by the bright moonlight. There was no need to push her anymore. The swing kept gaining momentum, shaking with increasing amplitude.

For the first time since I met her, there was real joy on her face.

The things she went through. The provations she endured. The difficult times. The unspeakable things that kept her awake at night...

I prayed they could be blown away just like the night’s mist when confronted by the wind.

“Ahah, ahahah!”

A child should be able to laugh freely, without any worries.

Yet, how little could have this child laughed for her expression to be this forced and awkward as if the mere actions of laughing were something foreign to her?

Seeing such a smile made my heart ache.

“My Lord. Please, allow this child to have a happy life.”

Once upon a time, a child who lost his parents to a manticore,

Who lost almost all the people he knew from the village,

At an age where his laughter should have been in full bloom, barely managed a single smile.

A smile filled with sorrow,

It wasn’t a happy smile.

“Please. I beg you.”

It may be a greedy and selfish desire on my part,

But I don’t want to see such an expression on her face.