episode_0045

Strapping explosives all over and self-destructing was a tactic even heavily armed knights wouldn’t use.

No matter how strong their armor was, they couldn’t withstand the shock of an explosion right in front of them.

Even for Raven, who had been on the battlefield for over ten years, this was a first.

So, Marcus never expected himself to be dragged into such a reckless act, thinking that just disarming the weapons would be enough.

For Marcus, this was a bold decision.

Despite the absence of their leader, he had faith that his subordinates would complete the mission, and among the cowards, he believed he was the only one capable of doing this.

The siege went smoothly. Therefore, he was confident that if he stopped Raven here, he would win, and if not, he would lose everything.

Any injuries that followed were nothing compared to his ambition and goals.

The moment Marcus reached Raven, he inwardly sneered.

“I won. I won!”

He, a mere leader of a band of thieves, could take down that ecosystem-disrupting creature tearing through the knight’s armor.

Acknowledging his lack of skill humbly, he finally found a way out.

“Kraaah!!”

And finally, when the explosion occurred.

Marcus, his mind growing hazy, glanced down at Raven.

His body collided with his subordinates standing behind him, and there was no safe place to land.

While Raven may not be completely battered, Marcus hoped he had at least lost consciousness.

Soon, the dust settled.

And Marcus, looking at the knight standing there as if nothing had happened, let out a disappointed laugh.

“Ha….”

Facing such an irrational opponent, he didn’t even feel anger.

He just confirmed that God had abandoned him. Maybe he should have prayed a little harder.

Marcus sensed that the end of his life dedicated to success had finally come.

Dying while struggling was better than living a lonely life like a coward, but it was still a worse ending than the worst.

Honor, honesty, faithfulness, and charity.

He had given up all the noble values the Church had been shouting about and lost all the worldly gains he had obtained. Only the ambition that would never be fulfilled remained.

Looking at the knight, Marcus didn’t feel hatred or resentment.

“…The things I couldn’t have.”

It was so enviable it drove him mad.

What he had, and what he would reach for after the siege, trampling over his own corpse, was enviable.

And if there was a mistake on his part, it was that he couldn’t plunder the tempting things from Raven as he had done so far.

That was all, but as the opponent he had staked his life against, it was an unattainable task.

“Goodbye.”

“Ah….”

The wretched body that had lost everything breathed its last breath.

The dream that was out of reach shattered into pieces on the descending white line.

*****

Before me existed what was once Marcus.

I began to catch my breath and assess the situation. Of course, I had a rough idea of what had happened.

I felt around my chest where the necklace was supposed to be.

Naturally, I couldn’t feel anything due to the armor on top.

But the feeling that seemed to be tingling for a moment was as clear as the feeling of being scorched.

It was clear that I hadn’t been affected by the explosion, thanks to the necklace given by Lycia. By the touch felt through the clothes, it seemed that it was now broken.

It was common for relics to break when they were shocked.

Come to think of it, there seems to be something I’m forgetting.

What was it again? Oh, right.

“I asked for it to be returned safely…?”

I could recall what Lycia had earnestly requested.

I couldn’t take off my helmet right now, so I couldn’t check the necklace with my own eyes, but no matter how much I thought about it, this was irreparable.

At least three, no, four pieces were missing.

There was no super glue in this medieval world. Am I supposed to ruin the gift I received and return it like this?

“What the hell is this again?”

“I, I can’t do this anymore. How am I supposed to deal with that!”

The thieves, who stumbled and got up after colliding with the captain, lost their morale and turned their backs. Their limping legs couldn’t run fast, let alone escape.

I grasped the thoughts that were flowing elsewhere for a moment.

Yes, this was the enemy’s territory. Let’s try to get out of this dilemma first and think about it later.

No one would be foolish enough to launch a suicide attack after witnessing the previous scene, but since there was no second life, I had to keep a safe distance and be cautious. Today, I gained a new lesson and expanded my knowledge.

I brandished my fluorescent sword and shouted as I rushed towards the remnants.

“Stand still!”

“The crazy fluorescent sword is chasing us!”

Fortunately, there were no thieves armed like Marcus among the enemies we encountered.

I continued on, cutting down the thieves who fled upon seeing the reflected attack bug.

*****

As Raven happily swung her fluorescent sword and roamed around the camp.

Lycia was becoming increasingly anxious.

“What, what should I do…?”

No matter how much she squinted, she couldn’t see through it, so she couldn’t know what was happening inside.

Thoughts filled the girl’s mind with ominous possibilities.

The necklace was an artifact designed not to break from most impacts.

It was unlikely that someone would break the sacred pendant and launch a suicide attack, so it was probably a sign that the armor had been pierced and a wound inflicted inside.

How badly was she injured? Was she still alive? Even so, she had made the artifact, so she must be alive, right?

And at this moment, what could she do?

Raven had said that all she could do in a siege was healing.

When she asked if she could practice offensive magic to help in battle, she was discouraged, saying that such cruel and violent acts were for adults.

Even if the world was in chaos, she couldn’t make a child get their hands dirty with blood.

But hearing such words didn’t make her any less of a saint, and she still had confidence in her offensive magic.

She wanted to check what was happening right now.

But there was no magic that could arbitrarily enter and distort the world owned by the gods, along with time and knowledge.

So she had to go in and find him herself.

As long as he was still alive, she could heal him.

“I have enough confidence to come back, so wait for me.”

But the words he left behind bothered her, and the hand she was about to reach out with went back down.

Going to the front lines and using offensive magic was a completely different matter from secretly using healing magic from the rear.

The light shooting out could be seen by anyone, so it couldn’t be hidden.

The priests would find out who the owner of that magic was, and she would inevitably reveal the fact that she was a saint. The meaning of Raven leaving alone to hide her identity would be lost.

What was the reason she remained as a mere ward Lycia, not a saint?

Initially, it was to avoid feeling lonely among the people drawn to the glorious title of saint.

Then it was because she was disappointed in the church. The hypocrisy and internal conflicts she faced on her way to university made a happy life seem distant.

And now.

“If I get caught, we’ll probably have to part ways here.”

Finally, it was because he didn’t want to lose the happy life he had finally grasped.

His definition of success was being appointed by a noble and obtaining land. His interactions with the church were minimal.

But once he arrived at university, that connection would be severed anyway.

There was no need to be too disappointed by it ending a little early.

Up until now, there had been a lingering resentment in his heart like a lump of dirt.

However, that stubbornness would not hold if Lavender wasn’t there, so once he acknowledged that fact, he could easily shake it off.

“I have to make choices that I won’t regret…!”

He caught sight of the priestesses in the distance launching attack magic in the siege.

It was a magic he had seen many times before, familiar to him. The irrationality of being allowed to love God could overlook what should not be allowed to a young girl.

People… could get caught up in friendly fire, and he had been warned not to get blood on his hands, so he let it go.

Instead, he aimed at the castle gate. He wasn’t highly skilled, so he wouldn’t be able to break through in one shot, but if not, he could try multiple times.

Even the priests could feel the signs of the impending massive magic.

Some priests who had already noticed it looked around in surprise. But once the decision was made, there was no turning back.

Lycia clenched the magic she had created in her hand. And as she stepped back with one foot and slightly opened her hand to release the arrow made of light.

The greatest miracle that only a god could create, here-

“Alright, that’s enough.”

“Ah.”

And then, there was someone gently grabbing Lycia’s wrist from behind.

The magic dissipated weakly from the unexpected shock.