Chapter 91 – So That’s Why We Do It (2)

Skin like marble.

A heavy shawl that contrasted with it.

His appearance and attire were reminiscent of centuries past, rather than the current era.

Not the present Berke Empire, but from the time of the old great empire.

He leisurely observed the village from a makeshift barrack.

“Did you ask why I didn’t take care of it right there?”

Maybe it was because there was so much to think about.

His reactions had become slower.

The acting adjutant accompanying him was a man with dark skin, forming a stark contrast to Barugo. Even though he was tall and thin, the muscles and scars all over his body made it clear how harsh his past had been.

Maybe it was because he was sitting on a small chair.

The height difference between Barugo and his adjutant seemed even more pronounced.

“Those who followed him were prepared for it. Back then, it would have been better to just deal with his child, ”

“Don’t treat your comrades’ lives lightly.”

“……”

“We are neither arrows nor arrow fodder, regardless of who he is. Following a great cause doesn’t mean you can treat lives recklessly.”

“Still…”

“We fight to live, and we die to keep living. If revenge was my goal, do you think I would be in this position?”

“……”

“What is the reason I came here?”

“To see the one who is both hero and Demon King, as foretold by prophecy.”

“That’s right. And judging by the flow of things so far… it seems to fit, to some extent.”

Luelde’s child, who learned Grandeus’s swordsmanship and now craves his sword.

But amidst that, a trace of that person was detected in him.

“……”

Looking back now, there are more than a few things that don’t sit right.

But.

“That can’t be a reason to spare him.”

“Then why did you let him go back then?”

“To put him to the test.”

The prophecy said so, and if fate truly chose him.

If the Demon King of Wisdom had arranged it this way.

“To see if he can find a way to survive with just a single reprieve.”

“…You mean you’re going to spare him?!”

“Not at all.”

He would kill him.

“…But isn’t it an appealing notion, a hero and a Demon King born at the same time?”

Especially if the condition is fulfilled by drawing out Grandeus’s sword?

Wouldn’t that make him Luelde’s greatest enemy in some sense?

If only that barrier of Luelde could be broken.

No, even if it just managed to slow him down.

“And yet, for that to happen at the hands of his own son. It’s almost tragic.”

“Does he have a reason to go against his own father? Isn’t there an even greater risk of creating a new, greater enemy, ”

“Even so, he’s not our enemy. We’re not in his league. If he was truly that dangerous, would we still be alive?”

“That…”

“But there’s this. The elves still haven’t given up on killing us. Out of pride, they’ve been desperately trying to wipe us out for years, refusing to let anyone else interfere.”

If they’d killed Cariel back then.

By now, those trying to exterminate them would have spread across the entire continent.

The Empire would have been in an uproar, and to avoid being caught up in pointless reprisals, people would have actively tried to cooperate.

“If that had happened, we’d all be dead already. The problem was that I realized this too late.”

“But… don’t forget, your achievements are what made you who you are today.”

“I know that.”

He didn’t regret it.

But he regretted it.

Even if it was late, by fighting and overcoming, he was able to prove his worth and instill pride in those who would follow after him.

At first, he threw himself into this only for that purpose.

But he came to understand too much.

He should have died a fool.

Still, he was foolish.

‘If only the humans had been foolish enough to slaughter each other. That wouldn’t have been so bad.’

Barugo shook his head in disappointment.

“Even if he really does draw that sword, if he’s not strong enough, he’ll die.”

From the beginning.

What could Luelde, who couldn’t even overcome himself, possibly do to the world?

Besides.

Luelde could show up at any moment.

Even if Cariel were dealt with, they’d still need time to run.

At the very least, they’d need to gain a day or so, maybe even just a few hours, to get away.

For now, they were hesitating, moving discreetly to avoid political and diplomatic disputes.

Would he really chase after them coldly, even after his own child died?

…There’s no need to overthink it.

“Or.”

Maybe, buried in that so-called great cause.

Maybe he even sees his own son as nothing more than a tool to achieve it.

‘…Like that personality would ever.’

That type could never abandon his humanity.

He became strong while holding onto his humanity, and grew even stronger by preserving it.

‘I doubt he could ever let go of that, even now.’

And above all, would holy swords or holy relics even favor someone who’s thrown away their humanity?

…He wasn’t sure about that.

====

Among the guards, Cariel spotted the man he’d seen before.

A face marked with scars, giving him a rough look.

His expression was tightly locked, as if there was no room for compromise or mercy.

Even so, all they did was follow and keep watch on Cariel’s group.

Even during the riot, they hadn’t sided with the chapel or joined in with the rioters.

Just from that, their intentions and objectives were clear.

“But Riel? Cariel? Which name should I use?”

With Leo’s support, the journey back up to the fourth tier was a grueling ordeal.

Under normal circumstances, they’d have reached the top in no time, but in this condition, it would probably take at least half a day.

“Whichever you prefer.”

Despite appearances, there was only a year’s age difference between them.

“I’m a forest keeper, so I’m confident in my stamina.”

“…A forest keeper?”

“Yeah, but it’s not that big, just dense enough. I don’t know if you know, but if you leave a forest alone, the ecosystem can get messed up.”

That was news to him.

“Not always, but that’s what happened in our forest. So you have to cut down trees at the right time, and if the forest gets too dense, sunlight doesn’t reach the smaller plants and animals. Without sunlight, the small plants can’t grow, and when those run out, the animals go hungry. Old trees get twisted and… apparently, it gets tough for them too. But I still don’t really understand all of it.”

I don’t know either.

It was something rarely found even in books.

“In some seasons, we used to prune the trees near the village. Otherwise, the trees might get hurt, or so they said.”

Leo spoke on, almost as if rambling, but trying to make things a bit less dull for Cariel.

“Does this kind of story sound unfamiliar to you?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Cariel simply shook his head.

Originally, he’d been interested in everything in the world.

He was curious about everything.

Even after his memories became unclear, it hadn’t bothered him much.

He thought there were more new things to learn than what he’d lost.

…At least, he vaguely remembered thinking that way.

Very vaguely.

“Why… are you helping me?”

Was it because Luines asked?

“Isn’t it natural to help those in need?”

“Because of that, you ended up in trouble.”

If things had gone wrong, their lives could have been in danger.

And if, during the riot, they had pointed weapons at the villagers or fought back with violence…

…That would have brought on even more misunderstandings and disasters.

It was a statement with a lot of implications, but his mind couldn’t keep up, so he left out the middle part.

“In our village and country, all kinds of races live together, not just people. Sometimes, even a small misunderstanding can blow up into a big fight.”

But when they actually talked, it was usually nothing serious.

It was when those conversations didn’t happen that misunderstandings and distrust piled up, leading to problems.

Leo continued.

“The other day, when Lady Luines asked me to go save Rio. Riel, you took the lead without hesitation, didn’t you? No one paid you, and it wasn’t a formal request, just a simple favor.”

“……”

“If you want to be strict, this situation is the fault of those remnants of the Demon King’s army, not yours, Riel. So… I just followed my heart.”

And also.

“My grandfather once said his life was saved by your father, Sir Riel.”

“……”

“As long as you’re human, you should do what’s right. My father always said that turning away from what’s right is just cowardice.”

People.

Sometimes, they’re strange.

Even in places where everything is ruined and there’s nothing worth saving.

Sometimes, flowers bloom.

Suddenly.

A snow-white scene stretched out before his eyes.

No, it was different.

Starting from the ground, it froze everything connected to it.

The dirt, the plants, the common weeds, the houses, the livestock.

Even the people.

Stepping across the frost-covered ground in leather shoes, the boy was at a loss in a world that had turned completely white.

Overnight, everything froze solid.

Everyone was frozen, as if peacefully asleep in bed or at home.

A few, very rarely, were outside, but they were only in storage rooms or leaning against the wall.

The boy.

Leo wandered around, unable to tell if what he was seeing was a dream or reality, spending a long time looking and searching.

Nothing changed.

In a single day, he lost his neighbors and his family.

Everyone ended up buried in ice, sleeping.

Even in the middle of the day, when the sun was high.

Even under the blazing heat.

The blocks of ice and frost covering the area kept releasing a pale, white chill, just like smoke rising from burning wood.

He waited for days and days.

But the ice never melted.

And none of them ever… opened their eyes again.

“Shall we rest a bit?”

“……”

Cariel shook his head.

Now, just a few more steps up the stairs and they would reach their destination.

More importantly, what he just saw…

– There was a great disaster in the village before, wasn’t there? That must be the aftermath.

“……”

Maybe it was fate.

He felt as if the Demon King already knew everything about this disaster and its cause.

– ….

Normally, she would have picked up on Cariel’s mood and started chattering right away.

But now, the Demon King was unusually quiet.

His head was spinning.

It felt like just yesterday that Luines had used her powers to help, but his whole body was in pain, and more than that, he was exhausted.

Chills and fatigue.

A persistent ache.

Even the smallest movement felt like being struck all over his body.

If he stayed still, it was as if his body was rotting and decaying from the inside.

The senseless unfairness of it all made him feel like he might lose his mind at any moment.

Ever since meeting the Demon King, he had never been in such a difficult situation.

More than anything, this wasn’t a dream.

This was reality. If he made a single wrong move, his life and everything else would be laid bare.

“……”

Death was approaching.

But in equal measure, the presence of life was ringing out sharply within him.

Yet all of it was buried beneath the pain and the struggle.

“We’ve finally made it.”

Again.

That cursed sword.

He stood before that damned holy sword, stuck in at a slant.

“You said you wanted to talk?”

“……”

And now.

He would ask all the questions he’d been holding back.

The reason he hadn’t refused when Leo offered to help.

“You said you heard the voice of the sword, right?”

The reason Leo was able to find Cariel early in the morning and guide him to the chapel at just the right time.

“That’s right. Every time I see it, all it does is criticize me and chase me away.”

“……”

The sword criticizes him?

Even Venus never got treated like that.

Or maybe everyone else just didn’t mention it, and the sword had always been saying something from the beginning.

“……”

His thoughts wouldn’t come together, wouldn’t connect.

Just like the Demon King said, maybe there really was a limit to his willpower.

Maybe it was because he was enduring and holding back the pain.

Even simple thoughts were difficult, as if his mind was being squeezed dry.

“I hope you get the result you want.”

“……”

Leo, who gently set him down in front of the sword, gave him a word of encouragement with unwavering eyes.

Maybe he’d noticed he didn’t even have the strength to reach out on his own.

Supported by Leo’s hand,

He barely managed to grip the hilt of the holy sword.

“…Hoo.”

He steadied his breathing.

He didn’t believe that getting an answer here would make the situation any better than it was.

However.

…That wasn’t a reason not to try.

Holding the sword, he used the ability he’d always used, not on a living creature this time, but on the sword.

And once again, 

[You’re… going to die soon.]

He faced that damned holy sword.