Ch.9191. What Was Left in the Past (6)

I could hear the sound of waves crashing against the ship’s hull and the dock. I could only listen blankly to the Commander-in-Chief’s explanation unfolding in front of the flagship we were about to board.

“As the Hero said, since Barktins’ evacuation has been delayed, we must prioritize protecting the residents. Therefore, we will face the Kraken at sea. As seen on the sea chart, the sea route into the harbor is narrow. The Kraken’s range of movement will be limited, and the monsters it gathers won’t be able to enter, so we can achieve maximum efficiency with minimal fleet deployment.”

The Commander-in-Chief clenched his fist, and the knights and captains accompanying him nodded repeatedly.

“The Hero will block the Kraken at the front of our formation. We’ll provide fire support from behind, and if any monsters come along with it, we’ll deal with them together.”

The Commander-in-Chief then closed his mouth and looked at me.

“It may seem like the simplest plan, but it’s a decision not just anyone could make. Literally fighting with your life on the line.”

With your life, on the line. The Commander-in-Chief emphasized those words particularly. Then he silently looked at the lined-up knights for a moment. He seemed to be giving them time to contemplate the meaning of these words.

“One hour before departure. Everyone prepare accordingly.”

People rushed past me to their respective warships. Someone’s hand rested on my shoulder. It was George, dressed in relatively light equipment for naval battle.

“Preparations are complete, Ilroy. I suppose you’re ready to fight the Calamity again?”

I nodded stiffly like a wooden puppet.

“Let’s hurry and board too. We don’t know how it will come rushing in. It might send monsters ahead, or the Kraken itself might come alone. If monsters come first, Daphne’s role will be crucial.”

George said this while looking to the side. Daphne nodded to me with a stern expression. I looked into her determined eyes. No. Don’t look at me with those eyes, with that expression suggesting you don’t know what will happen next.

“Other mages will support us too, but they’ll mostly focus on attacking the Kraken’s main body from behind. As Ilroy said, my role will be truly important.”

I tried to find differences between this Daphne and the Daphne outside the fog. But not a single mannerism or glance was different—Daphne was exactly the same.

“Leave it to me, Ilroy. I think I can manage somehow. So don’t worry and just focus on dealing with the Kraken. Marianne is here, and George too.”

Marianne silently approached my side. She held a holy spear in her hand.

“Let’s hurry. We need to inform the captain how we plan to fight.”

George took the lead, with Marianne and Daphne following behind him. I was about to follow them with quick steps when I stopped at the presence approaching my side.

“Ah, humans are such fickle beings, aren’t they, Hero?”

Aryen looked at the retreating figures of my companions with one corner of his mouth raised.

“They look at situations as if they’re someone else’s problem, but when it becomes their own, their attitude completely changes. Just like… you right now. Did you think you’d be an exception? How long do you think you can sit there with your sword, speaking leisurely about saving people like some saint?”

I glared at Aryen, no, the fog wearing Aryen’s disguise. My hand gripping the Holy Sword tightened.

“You’ve been quite fortunate. Throughout all your hardships, you’ve never truly experienced proper loss.”

The fog placed its hand on my shoulder and turned my body to face my departing companions.

“How long will that luck follow you? The fair yet cruel aspect of luck is that it always pretends to be on your side but can betray you at any moment.”

“If I can break you here, I can shut that mouth of yours too. Isn’t that right?”

The fog let out a hysterical laugh. Bending forward, cackling for a long time with laughter far from anything human, the fog raised its head to look at me. An expression Aryen would never make. A chilling smile that seemed like it would tear its mouth apart sat there.

“Yes, if you can break me. No matter how much you try to hypnotize yourself into ignoring me, you’ll realize it.”

The fog disguised as Aryen came closer to me and brought its face to my ear.

“The fact that it’s already too late to escape. You have no idea how to get out of here, do you?”

I drew my Holy Sword and pointed it at the fog’s neck. The fog looked at me with another hollow laugh.

“Do you think defeating the Kraken will help? What if you fail to defeat the Kraken? What happens if you die crushed by that monster’s tentacles in this ‘illusion’? Well, even if you don’t die that way, what if you do defeat the Kraken? What comes after that?”

I contorted my face, and the fog slowly walked toward me. Aryen’s neck was pierced by the sword. Blood seeped out and flowed down the blade. The fog continued walking toward me with its neck pierced.

“See for yourself. It’s much better for you to see directly than for me to explain a hundred times. Isn’t that right, Ilroy? And remember again. The contradiction in your heart. When the moment of choice eventually comes, can you truly walk according to your convictions?”

Aryen at the tip of my drawn sword had vanished. I looked at the trembling tip of the Holy Sword, then lowered it. I know. What the fog is showing me here isn’t reality. So, it will be fine. If I can endure here, deplete the fog’s magical power, and move on to the next stage, and the one after that. The fog’s words won’t affect me at all.

“Departuuuure-!!!”

The wind wasn’t strong. The sea was strangely calm. I walked out onto the deck and slowly made my way to the bow. I could hear the creaking of the deck planks against the low, rolling swells. I gritted my teeth as I felt the Kraken’s presence against my skin.

“George is over there because of seasickness.”

Daphne and Marianne approached my side. Daphne pointed to the starboard railing and chuckled. George was hanging on the railing, drooping like a wrung-out piece of cloth.

“Isn’t it funny that the person who seemed least likely to get seasick is like that? I wonder how he plans to fight later.”

I tried my best not to respond. But even their concerned gazes were so similar to the real ones that I couldn’t help feeling anxious.

“Are you okay? Your expression hasn’t been good for a while.”

“Not really.”

I responded indifferently and looked ahead again. I didn’t want to engage in more conversation. I tapped the hilt of my sword nervously. If only the Holy Sword had spoken to me, the situation would have been very different. All I could feel was the clue that the first stage had been unlocked, nothing else.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

That was also a message to myself. You are not real.

“Contradiction.”

I quietly murmured those words so no one could hear. The promise I made to myself to protect people. For that belief, I can sacrifice myself, but these guys…

“It’s coming!!”

Did they not understand my words immediately? I watched my party members staggering on the ship that suddenly rose into the air. Daphne was held by George, and Marianne wobbled with one hand gripping her spear, a surprised expression on her face.

Like a slow-motion video, the process of the warship being destroyed entered my vision. The keel split in half, and with a cracking sound, the ship collapsed. The ship broke in half. The deck, made of solid timber, was torn in half like a sheet of paper.

“-Kuk!”

I darted toward Marianne. Fortunately, she was able to barely maintain her balance using the tilted deck as a foothold. And from below, the Kraken’s tentacles rose up. I opened the first stage of the Holy Sword and slashed at the rising tentacles.

Slash-!

The tentacles were easily cut off with a chilling sound. After confirming that Marianne had regained her composure and was coming to my side, I began to release the mana I had condensed.

Yes, I’ll defeat you first and think later.

I looked at the Kraken’s body emerging as it destroyed an island.

“Can you keep up?”

Marianne nodded, and I started slashing at the Kraken’s body while running forward. Tentacles were cut off. When the Kraken roared and tried to shake me off, magic that had been prepared flew in and struck the Kraken.

Cut.

Cut, and move on to the next. And then, defeat the fog.

I kept hearing the sound of something breaking. I ignored it and focused solely on defeating the Kraken. When tentacles flew at me, I cut them with my sword. When monsters leaped at me, I shook them off. When I heard that cursed fog’s voice in my ears, I just closed my eyes and swung my sword.

Cut. Until I can’t hear anything. Until I can’t see anything.

“Hero…”

And at some point, I opened my eyes. I was covered in blood. The Kraken, is it still alive?

No sound came. The third Calamity was already dead, becoming a huge island blocking the sea route. And I was standing on top of the monster’s head. I don’t even remember when or how I defeated it. To think I could win with just the first stage of the Holy Sword unlocked.

I turned my head. The fleet carrying the mages had long since disappeared without a trace. There wasn’t a single ship left intact. I let out a small, hollow laugh and began walking down from the Kraken’s corpse. Nothing remained. Nothing.

“Hero.”

And then, I heard a voice calling me. With a trembling head, I looked down to see Marianne, her right leg severed, looking at me with a pale expression.

What are you protecting? Well, at least a few people you’ve never even seen before are safe.

A mocking voice echoed in my head. I staggered toward Marianne. It wasn’t just her leg that was severed. Marianne’s left waist had been torn away as if something had eaten it, leaving a terrible wound.

“Hero.”

I lifted Marianne to support her. The life in her golden eyes was already fading.

Fake, you said?

Yes. It’s fake. This. This isn’t the real Marianne.

Then why are you trembling so much?

I shook my head. No. Now that I’ve defeated the Kraken, she’ll return in perfect condition. In the next illusion the fog shows me, I’ll meet her again.

I’ll give you what you want.

The scenery began to change. Marianne in my hands disappeared. The Kraken that had become a corpse and the wreckage of the broken warships also vanished.

You still think this is a trial you must pass, Hero.

The Calamity desires despair. Once you’ve entered this place, you can’t escape by ordinary means. Not until I’m trapped in despair and let go of everything.

I wonder if you’ll continue with that nonsense about defeating Calamities and saving people, even after this.

The fog’s cruel words fell.

“Hey, Ilroy. You’re late.”

I was standing in the meeting tent again.

“Ilroy! We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hero, you’ve arrived.”

And as I saw the faces of my companions speaking to me again, I let out a small breath.