Ch.133Chapter 133

The fallen Warrior Priest was laid down in the knights’ lounge.

By the time we positioned him comfortably, his complexion had completely returned to normal, and the strange scale-like things were no longer visible.

The Vice Commander’s office was currently enveloped in silence.

If you asked whether it was an unpleasant silence, it wasn’t.

Rather, those maintaining the silence, including myself, were all immersed in joyful emotions.

Yet we couldn’t easily open our mouths.

Just wondering if this might not be reality.

Worrying that it might be a momentary sweet dream.

At least, that’s what I could read in Vice Commander Marenne’s expression.

The Commander seemed to be deep in thought, perhaps deciding where to begin her story.

There must be so many unfinished tales, stories not yet known.

Finally, she exhaled sharply as if all her thoughts had been organized.

“You said you were Tanthyn?”

“Yes, that’s right, Commander.”

The Commander finally spoke and gave me a bitter smile.

“While I was doing strange things, you took good care of me. I express my gratitude. I’m truly indebted to you.”

“Not at all. As a knight, I was simply doing my duty.”

The Commander nodded lightly at my words.

“Hmm, yes. Anyway, if this person can also embed an Outer God in his body, then I can now comfortably tell my story.”

Having said that, the Commander turned to the Vice Commander with a mischievous smile and said:

“So, where should I begin? How I returned to normal? Or what happened from that day until now?”

The Vice Commander pondered the Commander’s words with a troubled expression, then raised her head as if having made a decision.

“Please start from the beginning.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The Commander straightened her posture.

“Yes, it began with my irresponsible expedition.”

#

Knights of Rondan.

After sending Marenne and some knights back to Rondan, on the way to subjugate the Giant of the Snow Mountain with the main officers.

For the Knights of Rondan, strategy consisted entirely of cooperative attacks based on trust between them.

That’s how they had defeated all Outer Gods until now.

“Commander! Why did you suddenly think of striking that thing? You’ve always been so careful until now!”

Is this question only coming up now?

The Commander snickered at the Warrior Priest’s question.

The other knights seemed to share the Commander’s thoughts, laughing lightly as if stirred.

“You’re also someone whose actions are faster than words, Warrior Priest.”

“Of course! While thinking, you get crushed by an Outer God, right? I’m always the type to flatten them first!”

Hmm.

The Commander couldn’t understand what these jokes of the Warrior Priest symbolized.

She just laughed along because his intonation was funny.

“Yes, you asked why we’re going there.”

The Commander looked around at her officers as she spoke.

“It’s hope.”

At that single word, all the officers’ mouths closed.

That word which makes us bright while also pressing us infinitely to the ground.

Hope.

One knight raised a hand.

“Why is our coming here hope?”

“Yes, I thought you might be curious about that.”

The Commander smiled faintly at them.

“I’m sorry to those who have followed me this far, but I have something to tell you now.”

At this point, the Commander wore a serious expression she rarely showed, causing the entire knight order to tense up.

And when those words left the Commander’s mouth, all knights widened their eyes.

“Today, I will not be returning from here.”

“W-what are you saying, Commander!”

It was the cry of another officer.

“What do you mean you won’t return? You never mentioned this!”

“As you all know, I cannot die. No matter what means or methods are used.”

By this point, all knights began to roughly guess what the Commander was trying to say.

A truly terrible thing.

“From the beginning, I thought not everyone would be able to return alive from this operation. As I declared to you beforehand. But someone must try. It must be done someday. How long will we continue living under the oppression of those Outer Gods, right? For that, we must show them that we’ve taken a step forward. We must give hope to humanity! I want to be that role.”

“No, what does that have to do with you not returning?!”

Even the usually boisterous Warrior Priest protested to the Commander with bulging eyes.

While he was very optimistic and generous about everything that happened to himself, he was infinitely strict about calamities befalling his friends.

“That can’t be! Even if my limbs get cut off, the Commander must absolutely return alive! Understand?”

“…If only such hopeful things always happened, would Rondan really be living in submission to the Outer Gods under The Princess’s tiny flame?”

It was an infinitely pessimistic statement.

But no one could criticize or refute it.

Because that had been the history of the Empire since the Emperor was killed by an Outer God.

“Anyway, if I give this giant a good hit and freeze, Rondan can reap hope. That humanity can finally escape from the Outer Gods. It’s fine even if we achieve nothing. Just that alone will allow us to calculate how strong this one is and its capabilities.”

“But, Commander…! Then your promise with the Vice Commander…”

The Commander smiled faintly at the Warrior Priest’s sad words.

“…I must keep it. And to keep that promise, you must become stronger. Based on the information discovered from this expedition.”

After saying this, the Commander raised her arm.

“Now, I ask you again. Anyone who wants to withdraw from this expedition may do so. I will protect you as much as I can, but in the worst case, everyone here could die. When you return, you may lie. Say that you went on an expedition with the Commander, but couldn’t do anything and fled on the Commander’s orders.”

The Commander gave them one more chance.

But not a single person raised their hand.

Instead, someone punched the Commander’s shoulder, causing her expression to momentarily change like a frog’s.

“Huh?”

“Commander! Do you think we’d run away out of fear after hearing such words now? Don’t be ridiculous! What do you take us for!”

At the Warrior Priest’s roar, all remaining knights began to shout in agreement.

The Commander was momentarily surprised by the tremendous morale, then smiled contentedly.

“Damn, I’ve had such good subordinates.”

The decision was made.

Now they just had to execute it.

The Commander turned her back to them and raised her hand high.

“I guarantee! Your chivalry will be brighter and more solid than the sun floating beyond those clouds! I sincerely hope your future is bright!”

With those final words, they charged into the territory where the Giant of the Snow Mountain resided, roaring.

#

And the Commander came to regret that her judgment had been too dull.

Lying face down on the ground, unable to move anymore, the Commander looked around.

Ice.

Ice made from people frozen solid.

All her knights had frozen.

If that were all, the Commander wouldn’t have blamed herself so much.

Yes, they were frozen.

But they weren’t dead.

“C-Commander!!! Commaaander!”

A scream full of agony came from far away.

When the Commander’s gaze turned in that direction, a horrific sight was visible.

One of the officers who had followed her was gradually freezing from the feet up.

“Cold! So cold! Painful, no, it’s hot! Aaaaargh!”

There’s a saying that when touching something extremely cold, it can feel like burning pain.

Her subordinate was gradually freezing while complaining of extreme burning pain.

He could no longer move his legs and fell forward, lying face down and struggling wildly.

“No! No, am I to be trapped in this pain forever?! No, Commander, save me!”

With those final words, the knight froze with his distorted expression.

The only reason they could tell the knights were still alive despite being frozen was for one reason.

It was because a knight who had frozen from the head down continued to move his legs frantically until the end.

Probably the giant’s doing.

The Commander could only look up at the giant with an infinitely empty expression.

#

“…Such a sad narrative.”

“Rather than a sad narrative, it would be more accurate to call it a humiliating one. This was my fatal misjudgment that cannot be undone in any way.”

The Commander said this with a sad-looking smile.

What can be done?

It would be much better to forget what has already passed and think about what to do from now on.

After all, according to the Commander, they aren’t dead yet.

It would be much better to rescue those who are still suffering and apologize to them with compensation.

If all else fails… perhaps I could treat their PTSD with my ability.

“Please continue with the rest of the story.”

At the Vice Commander’s request, the Commander nodded.

“Yes. The story I’m about to tell is about how I ended up like this.”