Ch.325325. The Final Destination

“You’re not a member of Tembris, nor are you part of the Imperial Army. You have no reason to be here. It would be better for you to return to civilian life.”

Those were Junon’s final words, and their weight automatically lifted Erica to her feet.

Being expelled from the Tembris party likely happened when Michelle tore off her armband and she headed to the ruins after receiving directions from Senia. That didn’t matter much.

She had ignored their warnings and criticisms all along, so being expelled seemed like a light punishment.

But not being part of the Imperial Army either?

She didn’t consider herself inferior to others. She even took pride in her ability to handle divine power better than anyone else.

Her suitable position was buffer. She could handle various buff spells using divine arts and flexibly serve as a defense wizard, offense wizard, and even as a mage, the main attack magic position.

And for her, one of the few healers in this country, to be told she wasn’t part of the Imperial Army meant she was being treated as a mere civilian.

As if to drive home this point, Junon had firmly stated that she had no reason to be here and should return to civilian life.

Treated as a non-combat civilian with no way around it.

This wasn’t just about wounded pride.

It meant: There’s no place for you in this country. You will no longer participate in combat. So leave the battlefield with those people.

That was the meaning.

“Let me… let me do something…!! Let me help somehow… anything, please…!”

A chance to apologize. To be given any task that would allow her to be of even the slightest help.

To have an opportunity to alleviate the guilt that kept gnawing at her heart.

Erica knelt before Junon and begged.

“…”

But Junon didn’t even bother to reply. They simply turned around and went their way, never looking back once.

As if to say they would never reconsider.

“Ugh, wait. Just wait…! I, I still haven’t…!”

I haven’t become like that yet. This time I won’t make the same choice, this time I’ll trust and follow you.

She tried to follow, crying out those words.

But the time allowed to Erica had already passed.

“Michelle…? Why, why are you blocking me…! Move aside.”

“Erica, you need to stop here. You’ve already lost all qualifications.”

“Lost all qualifications…? No. I can still help! Yes, Junon is a vanguard. They’ll fight while getting injured over and over like before. For something like that, I, as a healer…”

“Stop it!”

Not just Michelle, but the blue-haired youngest member also blocked her way, shouting.

“All the people you hired have been captured. After causing so much trouble, how can you say such things when you’ve only sowed doubt instead of helping?”

“Th-that was Kelnur’s doing. I did order it… but I didn’t know back then. If, if I had accessed these memories even a little sooner, I would never have…”

“…You didn’t know? Then why did you ignore me when I begged you not to do it?”

“Ah, Aris…”

Aris, who had been holding back, joined in.

“The fact that Junon was in charge of assisting your surgery when you were most severely injured at the Osoftera defense battle. Junon deliberately asked for this information not to be spread. That’s why I told you. Not to do that to Junon…”

“Th-that… no one told me…”

“It was deliberately not disclosed. Junon tried to minimize any connection with us Tembris. To avoid causing us harm! They even covered their hands to make it seem like they weren’t burned at all, just to avoid standing out, just like those sweet drinks you tried to keep Junon from having in the past!!”

“…”

“So Erica… please live as a civilian now, as Junon wishes… I’m not qualified to say this either, but I plan to do the same after this war ends. That’s… the only way to help Junon now.”

“I’ll… do as Aris says too. We’re all sinners, aren’t we…”

“…Saying you didn’t know is just a pathetic excuse, Erica.”

***

Michelle, Charlotte, and Aris cut off Erica’s connection to Junon, preventing her from making any more excuses.

And Junon’s figure completely disappeared.

-If we see you again, you’d better be prepared.

With Michelle’s warning that they would thoroughly check if she returned to the front lines, they too left.

Meanwhile, Erica slowly mulled over their words.

“To avoid… causing us harm…”

Thinking carefully, Aris’s words weren’t nonsense—it was true.

Junon had always tried to avoid joining Tembris and had shaken their head at Goden’s invitation, maintaining distance. The reason was… all too obvious.

Erica lowered her head to the ground again and sobbed, painfully realizing she had reached a point of no return, and tears flowed.

“But, but how can I accept that…”

Erica muttered after watching the place where Junon had passed for several minutes.

Soon, footsteps began approaching.

“Why. Did you hope it might be Junon? Did you think they might forgive you?”

“…”

She looked up hopefully, but before her stood people who hadn’t been present earlier.

Cain, who as always maintained his silence. Beside him was his lover Lumia, now fully recovered from the Lemtert plague.

And Senia, who had once warned her at swordpoint.

“…Tell me, Senia.”

“What?”

“Tell me… what I should do…”

She couldn’t receive forgiveness directly from Junon.

The other members said she had lost her position in the Imperial Army and should leave the front lines.

Erica couldn’t accept that at face value.

‘Senia will be different.’

She firmly believed that Senia was someone who could advise her on how to be forgiven.

“I’m sorry, Erica, but there’s no place for you here.”

“…What?”

“You think you could help by healing injuries? Not at all. There won’t be any injuries now.”

“But, they’re a vanguard. Even as a commander, they get hurt every time. I heard they fought with Ashpern today. For something like that, I could easily…”

“Even if they get wounded, bandages are enough now, not your healing magic. Just look at today—they weren’t badly injured. And… didn’t you see who’s by their side?”

Was she referring to Michelle? Or Charlotte or Aris?

“Not just you, but none of us should be there. Don’t you understand?”

But Erica quickly realized she wasn’t referring to those three.

That girl had stood by Junon’s side many times.

Only one person fully remembered that past—bringing bright light to that dark, gloomy darkness and breathing vitality into his precarious life.

‘…I see. Renias…’

What he needed wasn’t a healer to restore his injured body.

What he truly needed was a sanctuary that could heal not just his body but his tired heart as well.

-What the Imperial Army and the people of this country need right now is not a warm healing touch.

-What they desire is a hero’s breath that can shatter even the miserable reality of this world.

Ducen’s advice, which had seemed incomprehensible, now became reality.

He truly needed not a warm healing touch but a sanctuary. Because the hero who could shatter the miserable reality was growing weary with each burning breath.

-Step.

Erica’s feet pressed heavily against the ground.

Soon she began walking away from the ground, heading toward the civilian area in the opposite direction from the front lines.

As Junon had finally requested.

Senia handed her a hood to cover herself.

“It’s better if your face isn’t seen. You’ll be under suspicion because of Kelnur’s imprisonment.”

“…This is your final mercy, isn’t it?”

“You understand well. But don’t take your own life. The reason… you know well, right?”

With Senia’s hood covering her, Erica disappeared into the burning sunset.

“Is this how it ends?”

“Probably.”

“But you never know. She was someone who couldn’t trust your brother until the end…”

“It’s fine. I’m confident we don’t need to follow her. Because Erica said with her own mouth that she would never appear before Junon again.”

“…I see.”

What she lost might be insignificant compared to Junon, but it doesn’t matter.

As retribution for her unforgivable sin, Erica must live with this nightmare-like memory for the rest of her life.

***

Scratch, scratch.

‘Ah, it stopped again…’

Junon’s writing sound usually doesn’t break. They tend to write at length and carefully read and analyze each sentence.

But today, the sound keeps breaking unusually often. Others might not notice when asked, but Renias knows. Junon always shows these subtle changes whenever something is bothering them.

So Renias could vaguely guess.

It was a signal that they were troubled about something.

The cause of this interrupted pen sound—could it be because of that woman they met earlier? With this speculation, Renias sat down on Junon’s thigh.

“Whoa! How can you jump in like this without warning?”

“I’m bored. You always leave me alone like this.”

Renias pouted, making up an excuse. If she could make them think about something else this way, they would soon return to normal.

But this time, Junon sighed as if they couldn’t help it. Then, stroking Renias’s head, they said:

“How do you always know so uncannily? Are you worried?”

“N-no, not really…”

“I can’t help but notice when someone who’s usually worried about disturbing me suddenly acts like this.”

“Ha, you’re too sharp! Heeng.”

If Renias was perceptive enough to notice this subtle gap, Junon was watching the moment she noticed that gap.

They had come to know each other too well.

“Were you worried about Erica?”

“Of course I was. You’ve changed since meeting that person…”

“Hmm. It’s not because of Erica, so don’t worry too much.”

With one hand supporting Renias’s back, Junon used their other hand to point at the battle map.

“What I’m pondering is an unsolved question. Using the river’s power was good, but something seems strange.”

Tap, tap.

Junon pointed at two battle areas with their finger.

“Hmm? One is where we fought today, but this place too?”

“Here. There’s something that feels just out of reach.”

The place they pointed to was the Ripol River.

And… the Lilkran Mountains.