Ch.273273. Goden Mikhail Likhabart (5)

The Imperial forces moved with the goal of destroying the colony. And Junon, who was carrying out the operation as part of those Imperial forces.

Renias wanted to go along as well, but she couldn’t.

-‘Someone needs to protect the village.’

Mentioning the Great Shute Extermination, if an unknown back route were to open up like it did then, the current Sirah would instantly become a wasteland. In the worst-case scenario, Goden’s unit could also be caught from behind.

Recently, Junon had already informed her through certain facts that monster appearances had become frequent. And he had also warned that twice as many monsters would set foot in Sirah.

For that reason, Renias had stayed in the village. It wouldn’t be right to interfere with Junon’s plans either.

But seeing things like this made her heart uneasy.

“My goodness, what is this? Your whole body is scratched and scraped… You told me not to worry too much.”

“You can get hurt in a fight. Well… sometimes things just don’t go as planned.”

“Ugh.”

Her cheeks puffed up automatically as he responded so nonchalantly, as if these wounds were nothing.

Things not going as planned? How could such words come from Junon’s mouth?

Someone as cautious and systematic as him should have been able to devise strategies to avoid getting hurt.

So this was,

“A lie.”

It was a lie. This was his choice to enter battle prepared to get hurt from the beginning.

The bloodstains he had tried to subtly hide by changing the angle of his elbow now caught Renias’s eye.

“You didn’t say you would get hurt, brother. If I knew you’d come back injured like this, I would have definitely gone with you.”

“…I’m sorry. For making you worry. But it’s not because I don’t want to rely on you.”

Please understand.

That’s what he meant.

Junon had said that asking her to take care of the village was also, in a way, because his predictions could be wrong, and he needed someone reliable to be there.

How could she respond to that by saying he didn’t want to rely on her? Renias sighed deeply and popped open the medicine bottle with a soft sound.

“Was the situation more dangerous than you had analyzed?”

“Probably. The monsters near the village were likely drawn there by that colony.”

Does that mean he’ll keep coming back injured like this in the future?

‘I don’t like that…’

I worry when my brother keeps getting hurt.

But Renias knew.

She knew that Junon had blueprints in his mind that she couldn’t even imagine.

That part of his plan involved operations that required him to get hurt like this.

It was painful to think about how many more times she would have to see him come back injured like this, but she couldn’t ruin everything by acting rashly.

‘The reason he called me here was probably to ask me to stop him from pushing himself too hard… but I can’t do that.’

Yes. What was needed now wasn’t to scold him to stop based solely on her emotions, but to cooperate so that this plan could be completed as quickly as possible.

“Raise your arm.”

“Ah… you saw?”

“I told you wounds need to be treated properly. Raise it quickly.”

Let me at least help treat your wounds.

If I don’t do at least that much, I’ll feel so frustrated that I might end up ruining everything.

“…Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Goden seems to have brought you here to stop me, but you’re letting it slide without saying anything.”

So you knew.

Well, of course he would know.

“In exchange, I’m going to check all the wounds you’ve hidden before I leave. If you don’t tell me honestly, I won’t stay quiet either.”

“Yes. Thank you, Renias.”

“I’m going to apply the medicine. It will sting.”

After that, Renias didn’t press Junon any further.

Of course, there was one thing she wouldn’t compromise on.

“By the way, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“…Don’t tell me. In that basket?”

“Cooking is a woman’s pride! Hehe.”

Being in charge of Junon’s meals and doing the dishes was always her responsibility. She tried to ease her troubled heart at least through this.

***

The day after the first colony was destroyed.

Junon, who had been running at full speed to attract the monsters’ attention in order to destroy the first colony, stepped into the command room again.

‘…I was sure Renias would scold me. What happened?’

Goden had called Renias to try to stop Junon, who was pushing himself unreasonably.

While others had barely any injuries, Junon alone had put his body through so much—it was clear how this would look in Renias’s eyes.

To make matters worse, the two of them were quite close.

She had all the right conditions to sternly point out his recklessness and make him withdraw from the front lines.

Yet Junon stepped in again.

To carry out the next operation.

‘Why? Renias couldn’t have missed it, was there not enough time?’

No.

Considering just the visible wounds that showed how much he had pushed his body, and the time spent applying medicine at the first aid post, they must have had plenty of conversation.

Even during mealtime, with the next day set aside for rest, they must have discussed how he got injured.

The problem was that there was no change in Junon’s mindset at all.

“I plan to use the same approach for this colony too.”

He insisted on carrying out the same operation, taking on all the risks himself.

The first colony? It was certainly dangerous. With the natural colony’s existence unknown until recently, it was difficult to even estimate the number of monsters.

The information obtained from the returning scouts was limited to just the colony’s location, which only increased the level of danger.

Renias couldn’t have been unaware of this.

She had been given sufficient information and had seen Junon’s injuries with her own eyes.

The fact that he was making the same argument now—it was as if Renias had approved of his reckless methods and let him go.

It was impossible to understand.

“Wait.”

Among the officers and squad leaders listening to Junon’s operation plan, Goden interrupted.

“This time, I should take the role of being the bait.”

Feeling that he couldn’t let one person bear all the responsibility like this, Goden offered to be the bait himself, thinking they should at least switch roles.

However, upon hearing this opinion, Junon firmly replied:

“The bait needs to be a relatively weak presence. You can’t take that role because of your mana, Goden.”

He refused, giving the valid reason that personnel must be assigned to appropriate positions, and taking on unsuitable roles could disrupt the operation.

‘Damn it.’

Even though he wanted to point out Junon’s attitude of treating himself so lightly, Goden had no choice but to follow along.

.

.

.

In the second colony as well, Junon acted as bait.

The result was a great victory.

The soldiers barely got hurt up to the destruction of the colony. Not just uninjured—they hardly used any supplies either.

The medical team was puzzled at how so many people could emerge without even a scratch after a battle with monsters, and gradually the morale of the entire unit improved, giving the soldiers some breathing room.

News of victory was spreading throughout Sirah as well—what more needed to be said?

The tide had completely turned with just a gesture from Junon.

But each time, Junon acted alone, making Goden break out in a cold sweat.

He was becoming more and more bold. Choosing increasingly dangerous routes. Taking more extreme actions to create even more favorable situations than the current conditions allowed.

While the soldiers cheered, his body was growing more exhausted by the day.

Goden tried tricks like scheduling longer rest periods, but Junon would slip away like a loach.

It was a hollow sacrifice. While the stationed troops boosted their morale and seized the advantage, he alone devised life-threatening battles in his mind and executed them with his body.

In his mind, Goden knew that such reckless operations shouldn’t continue.

But what could he do?

The achievements were too great to exclude him from operations, and with the current resources of Goden’s unit, it would be difficult to subdue all seven colonies.

They had already come too far down a path of no return.

The blueprint in Junon’s mind had no alternative plans. It had become like a carriage that couldn’t stop until it reached its destination, even if one wanted to stop midway.

If he didn’t want to borrow all of Junon’s body and mind to carry out this operation, he shouldn’t have asked for help in the first place. So then.

If the carriage couldn’t be stopped, at least the path could be changed.

Clang!

A large greatsword pushed away the leg of a monster flying toward Junon.

It was an attack that could have been ignored, but Goden deliberately revealed himself and met the monster’s strength head-on.

Of course, he didn’t get pushed back. Though the operation would be significantly modified.

“…! Goden, what are you—!”

“This time, I couldn’t just let it slide.”

“Ha, choosing the difficult path when there’s an easy one…”

“For me, that was the harder path. I didn’t want to always make you shoulder all the burdens. So, will you cooperate?”

“The situation has already escalated, what more can be done?”

He seemed to have calculated that the operation would become more complicated if they didn’t cooperate. No longer avoiding attacks, Junon took out his chain gauntlets to respond.

“Your sense is indeed excellent.”

Junon immediately caught the imbalance created when Goden pushed away the troll’s leg, using his chains to knock it down. He deliberately created an opening as if suggesting to attack the troll’s leg.

When the greatsword severed the tendons in the leg, the troll naturally fell, and Junon, who had exposed the vital point, finished it off.

“…Going for a lure strategy?”

“Oh, did you peek inside my head? Or maybe it’s just so unconventional. Haha!”

“This is no time to laugh. Get back into stance.”

They probably hadn’t met more than a few times.

Yet whenever he looked back feeling a gap, Junon was already covering his rear. And he found himself protecting Junon’s back.

‘What Senia said was true.’

-‘Even a single person can dominate the flow of battle. I’ve already experienced it once.’

Junon was firmly in control of the flow, which is why no moment of crisis ever came.

Even techniques that required a high degree of coordination connected smoothly.

It was as if he could see what movements were desired. This was an experience he hadn’t had with Ronelion or Ophelia.

Strangely, Goden felt that his rhythm with Junon was perfectly in sync. Yes, like comrades who had fought together for years. No different from the current Tembris party members.

Despite what might have been a burdensome situation for just two people, this hastily arranged operation proceeded remarkably smoothly.

However, the most satisfying aspect was that this time, the burden one person would have carried was divided between two.

That fact was the most satisfying part for Goden.

“Comrades are supposed to share the burden together. You stubborn bastard.”

With his arm around Junon’s shoulders, both of them covered in dust, he said those words.