Ch.165165. Ilroy (1)

A week had passed since Aryen’s rampage.

As I entered the palace for a private audience with Agnes, I could hear people whispering about my expression. They were clearly concerned about the soldiers who had died first. They were trying to forgive even a criminal. In their words, I was becoming a saint, a myth, a hero. I didn’t turn my gaze toward them. The door to the office opened slowly, and I greeted the queen, who was smiling faintly, with proper respect.

“I hope you are well.”

“How could I not be well when you are here? Come and sit.”

The queen offered me a seat in a gentle voice. I gave a weak smile and sat down. The velvet chair was excessively soft, making me uncomfortable. I faced the queen stiffly, unable to rest my back against the backrest or place my arms on the armrests.

“The verdict has been postponed. But it cannot be postponed forever.”

“That’s right. Just keeping him alive must be lowering the knights’ morale.”

Execution. That was the rightful verdict for Aryen. I pretended to be calm as I responded, but I couldn’t hide my reluctance. Agnes gazed at me quietly. I explained to her roughly what had happened. It wasn’t to overturn the verdict. I just wanted someone to know what had happened to him.

“I won’t rush. He seems to have more secrets than expected, so there will be time until we find out everything. And the mercenary refuses to speak to anyone but you.”

Agnes said with a sigh. I could see the guilt flickering in her eyes. The deaths of soldiers and knights. They were buried alongside those who fell in the Comet Battle. The graves did not distinguish between those who died at the hands of the Calamity and those killed by the mercenary. For three days after the battle, I stayed at the cemetery, examining the tombstones.

“It will be painful, but I want you to take on the role of interrogating the mercenary.”

Agnes said calmly. Even saying such things to me must be a wound and an apology for her. I nodded, biting the inside of my lip.

“I humbly accept your command.”

“I hope your final mission ends successfully.”

Final, she said. I suddenly looked down at the Holy Sword at my left hip. Though I hadn’t tested it yet, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to see the sword’s power again. I couldn’t feel any magical power or special energy from the Holy Sword now.

“As Your Majesty wishes, I will bring peace to the world.”

“You are a man who knows how to say the right things. I don’t dislike it, but your current state concerns me. After the interrogation is complete, make sure to refrain from activities for a while.”

“…Yes. I will do so.”

The queen didn’t ask me anything more. After being dismissed, I rose from my seat with a bitter smile. It’s the middle of autumn. I blinked as I looked at the clear sky.

“Ilroy!”

It was Daphne’s voice. As always, Daphne was approaching me in simple, unobtrusive attire. Of course, dressing simply didn’t mean she didn’t stand out at all.

“Did it go well?”

I nodded, and Daphne sighed with relief.

“Are you going to visit the patient?”

I couldn’t answer. George hadn’t regained his severed leg. Isis’s divine power has difficulty penetrating people with strong magic resistance. For someone who hasn’t accumulated much magic in their body, it might be possible to grow new limbs, but when it comes to physical defects in a knight who can use aura, it exceeds the range that can be reconstructed with divine power.

“…It’s not Ilroy’s fault. George will surely think the same.”

“If I’m going to be cursed, I should at least see his face while it happens.”

I nodded, joking. Perhaps his wife would resent me. But I think I’ve changed enough to bear such resentment properly.

“If George says something like that, I’ll hit him for you right away.”

“If you’re going to hit him, do it properly. You can smash his jaw and wipe his memory if you want.”

I reluctantly turned my steps toward the hospital. He hadn’t looked well even before the battle with Aryen, so it was hard to imagine what state he would be in now. At least, that’s what I thought until I flung open the door to his room…

Clank.

“Now, open your mouth nicely, dear.”

“Ah, no. I didn’t hurt my arms…”

“No, you should avoid using your body for a while, as they said.”

“I can eat by myself.”

“Hmph.”

His wife was holding a spoon, trying to feed George porridge, and George was pretending to push her away while obediently opening his mouth at her words. Seeing them being lovey-dovey in the hospital room like that, I thought it didn’t matter what happened anymore. Daphne also looked at the scene with blank eyes before turning to me.

“Shall we go back?”

“He seems to be doing much better than I expected.”

George finally turned his head toward me.

“Oh, Aryen.”

“Sorry to disturb you. Goodbye.”

“Wait, just a moment.”

The one who stopped me and Daphne from turning away was George’s wife, Camilla. She seemed flustered and unsure how to treat me. I stopped and stared blankly at her. Camilla looked at me with an expression that seemed about to cry, then opened her mouth. I was prepared to accept any harsh words, but what I heard was the opposite.

“Thank you.”

“…Pardon?”

“Thank you for saving my husband.”

I didn’t save him. If I had made better judgments, if I hadn’t stopped at the Holy Kingdom and had arrived at the royal capital a little faster… I couldn’t utter the words swirling in my head and just stood there blankly.

“I can still wield a sword even with one leg missing.”

From a distance, George’s deep voice was heard.

“I’m satisfied with having my life saved, Ilroy. I could have held that guy off to some extent.”

There was no shadow in George’s laughter. George turned his head to his wife, ignoring my ambiguous expression.

“Can I have a quiet conversation with my party members for a moment?”

Camilla nodded obediently and left through the open door.

“I’ll come back in the evening.”

George stared at the closed door for a while, then turned back to us.

“You’re late visiting, Ilroy. How long has it been since the incident ended?”

“Let’s say your recovery was slow. You lucky bastard.”

I grumbled as I pulled up a chair and sat down.

“How’s the leg?”

“I’ve ordered a prosthetic. I think I’ll be focusing on rehabilitation training for a while. Once I get used to walking and running, I think I can leave the hospital.”

George said, touching his severed leg. It seemed to have been cleanly cut off below the knee. After staring at the amputation site for a while, George turned to me.

“Ilroy.”

“What?”

“I think it’s time for me to quit.”

George said calmly. It was both expected and feared.

“I don’t think an explanation is necessary.”

“…If you get used to the prosthetic, I’m willing to take you back.”

George frowned and waved his hand dismissively.

“No thanks. I’ve been thinking about stopping the intense front-line work anyway. No place works me as hard as here. I’ll also express my intention to resign from the knights.”

“So what will you do now?”

“I’m thinking of transitioning to being an instructor. Teaching is more enjoyable than I thought.”

He would have wanted to fight more. The George I know is that kind of person. Even if he says he doesn’t like being on the front lines, he’s the first to block attacks and become a wall. He fights out of duty, not hatred. While you might find someone as skilled as George, there are hardly any with such character.

…No, I guess it’s past the time to find new members.

“Alright. I would have liked to keep working you hard, but that seems difficult now. You did well.”

“You’re not going to withhold my retirement pay, are you?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

At my words, George’s face suddenly scrunched up.

“You have no conscience.”

“You must have saved up a lot of money, why are you like this? I’ll make sure you’re taken care of, so don’t worry about it.”

I retorted like the boss of an exploitative company, and George nodded with a dissatisfied expression.

“Let’s go fishing again when you’re all healed up.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

I chuckled. George turned his gaze to Daphne.

“Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t talk like we’ll never see each other again. You’ll still come visit headquarters anyway.”

“That’s true.”

George chuckled.

“Take good care of Ilroy, Daphne.”

Daphne’s face turned bright red at George’s sudden words. She looked at me, and when our eyes met, she made a lost expression before bowing her head deeply.

“I wonder when you two are going to get married. You are dating, right?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

Has marriage changed him? I responded with an awkward smile, and George grinned as if satisfied. Beside me, Daphne was alternating between raising her head, lowering it, and turning it sideways, looking like she might start steaming from the top of her head. When Daphne finally buried her face in her palms, George chuckled.

“Well, that’s enough. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. The only difference is that I won’t be mobilized for expeditions or events.”

“You’re avoiding the annoying parts. How sweet is that?”

“I won’t be getting a salary from you anymore. That’s a bit regrettable. Now go. I want to take a nap.”

I wondered if this was his original personality, without the sense of responsibility. I left George, who had closed his eyes and turned away, and got up, taking care of the malfunctioning Daphne. Daphne was still creaking in my arms.

“…Marriage, huh.”

I left the hospital room with a bitter smile.

==

Cough.

Drops of blood fell into the sink. Black, dead blood. I washed my palms and looked in the mirror. There was a dullness in my eyes. Eyes that had changed from teal to a deep navy blue, with almost no green left. An unusually pale face. The sound of water flowing from the sink seemed distant.

“…”

I placed my hand near my heart. My heart was beating regularly but weakly, like the breath of someone sleeping peacefully. It seemed to be gradually slowing down, as if it might suddenly stop at any moment.

“Ilroy?”

Daphne’s voice and cautious footsteps. I quickly washed away the residue and turned my head.

“What are you doing up at this hour?”

“I woke up. What about you?”

“I… couldn’t sleep.”

I rubbed my eyes unnecessarily and grabbed a towel. To hide my unusual condition, I buried my face in the towel and quickly walked out of the bathroom.

“Good night.”

I lightly ruffled Daphne’s hair with my fingertips. Smiling at Daphne’s startled movement, I slowly walked back to the bedroom. With each step, I felt the beating of my heart. A resonance that seemed to remind me I was still alive.

But now, I couldn’t even feel the pain in my heart anymore.