Chapter 239: A Reason to Kill
As the man faltered, a fire arrow came hurtling toward him as if taking advantage of the distraction, but Qiong Xing countered it with water magic and extinguishing it instantly.
"No way!? Why isn’t this working—kyaah!"
Qiong Xing used magic to pin the woman to the ground so she couldn’t move, then restrained the remaining two who still hadn’t given up attacking.
"You’ve harmed what’s precious to others without knowing, without trying to understand, you are nothing but foolish murderers."
"No! We are heroes who save people..."
"Save? When have I ever asked for your help? What you did was yell at innocent people, and then point your swords at the family who came to help. To me, your existence is not a help, it’s a nuisance."
He reached out to Albe who ran toward him with tears threatening to fall.
"He is my precious family. No matter what others may think, my resolve will not change. If it’s to protect my family, injuries like this are nothing."
The wound hurt, but it wasn’t fatal.
He smiled at Albe and reassuring him that he didn’t need to cry, even as blood flowed from his stomach and tears streamed down his face.
"I... I..."
There was no reason for someone who cared so much for him to be killed.
"Mama!"
Lian who had been hiding behind the rocm immediately clung to him.
As he staggered from the pain, Albe supported his back.
"It’s alright. Little Lian is a brave child."
As Qiong Xing’s praise her, Qiong Xing felt a small warm hand gently touch his reddened stomach.
"Pain, pain, go away—Mommy’s pain, go away!"
Those earnest words were what Lian always said whenever Qiong Xing got hurt.
Normally, they wouldn’t have any effect, but Qiong Xing had taught him magic, so they really could heal the pain.
"As expected of my child. Teaching you was worth it."
The wound immediately closed and leaving only a faint scar which amazed everyone.
As Qiong Xing hug Lian in his arms, he felt the child hug him back happily.
The injury had been healed by Loam’s magic, but that didn’t excuse what the men had done.
He would not forgive them.
"You said you’re a hero, didn’t you?"
"Huh?"
"You said you have to act appropriately for that... and this is what you call appropriate?"
They attacking Albe just for being a demon, without asking, without knowing anything.
"But he’s a demon, right?"
Qiong Xing snorted at the man who answered as if that alone justified it.
"So? And what of it? Do you intend to deny him the right to live? Do you think you are gods?"
"No! But demons are a race that must be destroyed..."
Even he seemed confused, his voice trailing off.
"Why?"
"They’re nothing but a threat to humans. If this continues, this country will be attacked and the demons will take over the world."
"Have you been told that? It’s ridiculous."
"What did you say!?"
He laughed as he looking down at the man restrained and glaring at him.
"All demons are a threat? This country will be attacked? So what? That is no reason to kill him. He is my family and he does not attack humans. He helps me and stays by my side. You whose trying to take that away are the only threat here."
"He’s a demon!"
The man repeated the phrase like a stubborn mantra.
"And?"
"How many humans have been sacrificed! They are cold-blooded, without blood or tears—"
"That’s other demons, isn’t it? Not him. I’ve been asking you all along why you wanted to kill him. Are you stupid?"
"You!"
He tried to attack again, but because he was being restrained, he could only thrash on the ground.
How could they be so unreasonable?
Katarina and Sarin could understand, yet here were people attacking based on selfish reasons.
"Do you intend to punish him for the deeds of all demons? Then would it be acceptable if I vented on you for all the things humans have done to me?"
"That’s..."
He tried to excuse himself.
How convenient.
"And you even aimed your magic at me, not Albe, expecting him to take it for me?"
"!?"
When he asked the woman pressed to the ground, her shoulders jerked in surprise.
She had been the one who initially tried to strike Albe, but the flaming arrows that had come flying earlier had clearly targeted Qiong Xing instead.
Though he had never done it before, Qiong Xing conjured flaming arrows with magic just as he had seen before and aimed them at the men causing the commotion.
"W-wait! It’s a misunderstanding! Freyra..."
"A misunderstanding? What are you talking about in that situation? You tried to kill me while I was protecting Albe, didn’t you? Me, a human."
As the arrows advanced, the man cried for help and began cursing the woman who had caused all this.
Unable to bear the shouting, Qiong Xing handed Lian over to Raon and had him stay a little distance away.
"You said it yourself, didn’t you? That he’s a demon. If you insist that all demons must take responsibility for what other demons have done, then you—or rather, all of you—must take responsibility for what your companion did."
With those words, he sent a volley of flaming arrows aimed at all four who had tried to attack Albe.
The girl who is likely a support mage began crying and begging for forgiveness.
The magic user woman trembled in fear.
The man continued shouting and the one who is man claiming to be a hero who hadn’t been restrained was frozen in confusion.
"Do you understand?"
"...W-what?"
Did they truly not understand unless he spelled everything out for them?
"You’ve been blindly defeating demons, attacking anyone in your way, without understanding why you must do it. You’ve never even tried to think about it. ...This is the last time I’ll ask. Do you have a reason to kill him? Any reason at all?"