“Enough already. This is beyond reckless. It’s just stupid,” I said.
“What’s stupid?! I helped in Rakana, didn’t I?!”
She had helped. That was a fact. Her efforts had contributed significantly to the city’s ability to hold the line. If she were to go to the city that was about to be attacked, she would no doubt contribute even more. But that wasn’t the problem.
“Someone might die.”
“You’re saying that now? Adventurers face danger all the time.”
“No, I’m saying the people we fight might die.” I looked Amyu directly in the eyes. “Have you ever killed someone before?”
“No. But taking down bad people...”
“Isn’t a big deal? That’s right. It’s nothing special. Turning a lowlife into a corpse won’t change anything about who you are.” Nothing about me had changed when I’d first cursed someone to death. But it made me realize something—killing a person was no big deal. “Still, there are some things you’re better off not knowing. If you can live your life still mistakenly believing that even bad people’s lives are precious, then you should.”
“What are you talking about? Are you mocking me?” Amyu glared at me sharply.
“On top of that, once you involve yourself in politics, it never ends. Word will spread among the powerful that the Hero wielded her strength for the emperor, and others will set their sights on you as well. Even if you don’t want anything to do with it, you’ll risk getting involved in their power struggles. Is that what you want?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then—”
“It’s not, but...” Amyu raised her head and spoke firmly. “But that doesn’t matter to the people in need. I don’t want to kill people, and I wanted to stay out of politics too, but not at the cost of abandoning people who need help.” Her stubbornness left me stumped.
Was her sense of justice truly that strong? Given her personality, I could understand her speaking up if it were a city she had lived in, but I didn’t think she was so blind to reality that she would take on an army for the sake of complete strangers.
“I’m opposed. We shouldn’t go,” I said flatly, suppressing my frustration.
“Then you don’t have to come.”
“No, I’m saying you shouldn’t go either.”
“Why not?!” Amyu demanded forcefully, leaning forward. “I’m the one the emperor asked. Me, the Hero. It’s none of your business.”
She was correct. If she was prepared to have to kill people or get dragged into political strife, then nobody had any right to stop her. Least of all me, given I had tried to use her for her strength as Hero. It wasn’t my place to arrogantly give her commands. And yet...
“Because I’m worried about you.” Spend a few years with someone, and you were bound to start caring for them. No, looking back, it probably started even earlier.
Amyu’s green eyes went wide with surprise, and a flustered look appeared on her face. Finally, she looked away and mumbled. “Still... That doesn’t matter to the people in need either.”
A heavy silence overtook us. I continued thinking as nobody made a sound. Eventually, I made up my mind and sighed.
“All right. I’ll do it.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll do it,” I said again for emphasis. “I just need to stall until the imperial military arrives. That’s easy.”
“What are you saying?” Amyu’s tone was sharp. “You want me to just sit back and watch so you can do all the uncomfortable stuff yourself? Why should I let you baby me? I’m sure you’ve probably killed someone before, but does that mean there’s no difference between killing ten people and a hundred? There is, right? I’m the one who was asked to do this, so I’m gonna suffer just as much as you.”
“I won’t kill anyone.”
“Huh?” Amyu looked at me blankly.
“I won’t kill anyone in the city or the rebel army. I’ll protect the city and buy time without any deaths. How about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“The rebels can be sold as slaves if captured alive, which lets the empire recoup some of the losses it’s suffered, and the money can also be put toward helping rebuild the city. Can you do better than that?”
“No...”
“Then will you let me handle it?”
“B-But... I’m the one who was asked to do this...” Amyu said, still reluctant.
“The emperor said you could bring your companions. We were invited here as well. What’s wrong with relying on your friends if it makes things go smoother?”
Amyu went silent for a moment. “Fine.”
I exhaled, relieved. I was glad she finally listened.
“But if there’s anything I can do to help, I’m gonna do it,” Amyu said, pouting.
“That’s fine.” There was no need to worry about that happening. At the very least, there would never be a situation where I would have to drag her onto the battlefield.
Seemingly satisfied with the outcome, Amyu had grown meek, as though a restless spirit had been lifted from her. But a moment later, an embarrassed look appeared on her face.
“I feel like you ended up saving me again.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Y’know,” Amyu said with a bashful smile, “it’s the first time you’ve ever said you’re worried about me.”
“What kind of heartless person wouldn’t worry about their friends?”
“Yeah, but you put it into words. From your point of view, maybe everyone around you always seems so unreliable, you can’t just stand by and watch.”
Now that she mentioned it, perhaps I had avoided saying it out loud. Part of it was that I wanted to avoid sounding patronizing, but deep down, maybe there was a part of me that thought that in order to live cunningly, I shouldn’t concern myself with others. Cutting that line of thought short, I turned to Fiona.