episode_0033

[Orlando, the Knight Commander of Shahlnu Stellarum, is a Grand Master who has reached the seventh stage. He is one of the strongest individuals in history.]

[A true paragon of a great hero, he dedicated himself to the continent without ever shirking his duties as a hero.]

[Befitting the title of a great hero, his words were weighty; he never made promises he couldn’t keep.]

*Talfinus, from 《The Mantle of Heroes》*

The Imperial Army’s forces were divided in half.

The Numenlora expeditionary force, centered around Orlando, and the Imperial Army, centered around Kara.

It was expected to take a long time to persuade and reorganize the allied nations, but their surprisingly eager agreement allowed reorganization to be completed and preparations for the return march to be made in a single day.

“……”

Facing the situation of commanding tens of thousands of troops, Kara’s expression seemed complex.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

Orlando approached her side.

“Uncle.”

“Yes.”

Though he had only seen her a day ago, Orlando’s face had aged dramatically.

He looked utterly exhausted, as if he had stayed up all night, and the fine lines on his face had deepened into wrinkles.

The change in Orlando’s appearance in just a single day showed how much emotional hardship he had endured overnight.

“…Are you going to be alright?”

“…Honestly, I can’t say I’ll be alright.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“But don’t worry. I haven’t aged so much from just one night of staying up that it would hinder me in battle.”

Of course.

A superhuman who had reached the level of a Grand Master wouldn’t have their condition affected by just one night of staying up, let alone a month.

However, what Kara wanted to ask wasn’t about staying up all night, but something else that had plunged Orlando into deep worry.

“Don’t just laugh it off.”

“……”

Perhaps it was because she had asked with genuine concern.

Only then did the deep worry he had been trying to conceal with a nonchalant smile begin to show on his face.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever faced such a crisis in my life.”

It was the first time.

The first time Uncle had seemed so unsure.

Uncle, who had always shown confidence and conviction, bearing the title of the continent’s greatest hero, appeared vulnerable for the first time.

“But I must overcome it.”

Yet, even if he showed a lack of confidence, he did not appear weak.

If he, the greatest hero and strongest on the continent, were to show weakness.

“It would be betraying the people who believe in me.”

As the brightest beacon of hope, he himself must illuminate the light of hope until the day this world perishes.

That was the duty a hero must bear, and their most crucial role.

Orlando spoke, simultaneously flashing a bright smile.

“So, please don’t tell anyone else that you saw me like this.”

‘Uncle…’

She had never once wished to be a hero, and even at this moment, she wanted to throw away the title of hero.

Nevertheless, seeing the image he projected as a hero, Kara, as someone bearing the title of hero herself, couldn’t help but feel respect for him.

‘I’ll probably never be like Uncle.’

The greater good, justice, the duties a hero must bear.

Unlike Uncle, she wanted to cast off such burdens and run away immediately.

If she could just live happily with the man she loved, she could throw away such things like a worn-out shoe.

With genuine respect, she spoke to Uncle.

“I probably won’t be a hero like you, Uncle…”

Orlando let out a small laugh.

“Don’t even joke about such things.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, don’t be like me.”

*Tap*.

Orlando placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder.

“Kara.”

His voice held seriousness.

“For a knight who wields Aura, conviction is more important than life itself.”

Losing conviction means weakening.

And weakening, ultimately meant that knight’s end.

As such, upholding conviction was a very basic yet absolutely essential rule, but conversely, it was also the most difficult rule for a knight to uphold.

“And a hero must protect everything they carry on their back.”

That is the image of a hero this continent desires, the image of a hero that fate, which guides this continent, desires.

“It’s impossible to protect everything. As long as one is born into this world, it’s impossible to bear all the burdens. Otherwise, they would be crushed by an unbearable weight.”

It’s okay for people who aren’t heroes to abandon one or two things.

Otherwise, they would be crushed to death.

But as I just said, unlike ordinary people, a hero must not do that.

Unlike the burdens carried by ordinary people, a hero carries countless burdens incomparable to theirs on their back.

They must protect everything they bear, without exception.

In his youth, Orlando had considered that a virtue to become a great hero.

So, to become a great hero, he had lived desperately, trying to uphold that virtue throughout his life.

“……”

Orlando, who had been speaking to Kara, closed his mouth tightly.

‘Why is it?’

Why does he seem to be regretting something?

Though he tried hard to hide his weakness, at this very moment, as he advised me, he seemed weaker than ever.

“In any case, don’t be like me. Don’t try to protect everything.”

*Pat. Pat.*

“That’s all I have to tell you.”

“Uncle? Are you leaving already?”

“It seems too many people are waiting for me for us to talk any more than this.”

Uncle looked at the allied forces as he spoke.

“Anyway, if we return alive, let’s talk again then.”

By then, there would be mountains of stories to tell, and things he wanted to say.

With those words, Uncle left.

As if no more conversation was needed, as if urgently fleeing from me.

“What, he just says what he wants and leaves.”

After grumbling for a moment, a strange magical fluctuation suddenly began to be felt from behind.

‘A magical fluctuation?’

Following the sensation, she turned her head, and it was in the direction of the teleportation gate.

‘Could it be activating already?’

Just as she felt a magical fluctuation much earlier than expected and felt puzzled.

*BOOOOM*!

*CRASH*!

With a tremendous explosion, a powerful blast of wind swept over the hill and reached them.

“Ugh…!”

Kara furrowed her brow, looking at the explosion site, and immediately wore a look of dismay.

“No…!”

The gate had exploded.

***

The view of the imperial capital from the throne room below.

A total of ten districts, and Feanor’s lighthouses gradually lighting up.

And even the massive gate, the ‘Lapis Lazuli Gate,’ visible at the end of the grand boulevard that cut through the capital.

After surveying all the city’s scenery, Agape’s gaze stopped at that gate.

Recalling the heroes and Imperial Army who had gone to Numenlora via the teleportation gate, a voice reminiscent of a cheap speaker echoed in the throne room from behind his helmet.

“What happened?”

“We successfully blew up the gate.”

Law-master Chevalier bowed his head and said.

“It must have been a difficult task. You’ve worked hard.”

“But Your Honor, the Judge.”

Chevalier broke into a cold sweat.

“I understood that the Creator had instructed us not to touch the gate, as it was destined to be broken and unusable anyway.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I wish to hear Your Honor’s wisdom as to why you deliberately completely blew up the gate.”

“……”

*Click. Click.*

The whirring of gears echoed from the complex magical armor.

The ticking sound, like a clock’s second hand, was the only sound in the silence for a moment. Then, Agape, who had been looking down at the city’s scenery from the window, turned to face Chevalier, who was reflected in the window.

“Whose subordinate is the Law-master?”

He had made a mistake.

As soon as he heard the Judge’s question, such a thought reflexively flashed through Chevalier’s mind.

Chevalier hurriedly bowed his head and replied without the slightest hesitation.

“I am always Your Majesty’s loyal subordinate.”

*Drip*.

*Drip*.

Beads of sweat formed and fell from his black armor.

Because he still remembered.

The sight of him fighting, wreathed in black flames.

The monstrous sight of him fighting countless knights alone in the ruins where the Bauglir Knights were sealed, slaughtering their comrades.

Unlike ‘that person’ who was the master of the Bauglir Knights, he knew his ferocity, which was more brutal than anyone else when he was in a rage.

Chevalier trembled, recalling the nightmare of when he first saw him.

“I will not deny that the Creator is an excellent prophet.”

Ten years ago.

When I was on the verge of death, it was none other than the Creator, Cerebus, who saved me and gave me a chance to live a new life.

That is why, since joining the shadow organization named Gram, I have been the one who has faithfully carried out Cerebus’s orders more than anyone else, and I am the one who has never betrayed his expectations.

As such, the old man Cerebus was a benefactor who had bestowed upon me an unpayable grace, and I had lived my life doing my best to repay his kindness.

However, that’s one thing, and this is another.

I still remained loyal and grateful to Cerebus, the prophet.

But just because he, a prophet, bestowed grace upon me, my perception of prophets and destiny did not change positively.

Since Cerebus was a prophet, it may have been that he saved me according to the guidance of fate.

But that damned fate and the prophets who wielded it were nothing short of the root cause that had driven me into ruin.

Of course, the emotion of hatred had long since diluted with time.

‘But I still don’t like it.’

For a moment, as I recalled past memories, my mind became as muddled as a swamp, regardless of my will. I turned my body to face Chevalier and spoke.

“I will not deny that the Creator is an excellent prophet.”

“But just because he is an excellent prophet, must I obey all of the Creator’s orders?”

When I spoke his title without honorifics, Chevalier’s face began to turn even paler.

“It seems there was a misunderstanding, so I’ll clarify it now.”

As black aura began to manifest, Chevalier started clutching his throat with both hands as if unable to breathe.

“As the First Judge and Gram’s second-in-command, it is true that I am in a position to obey the orders of Cerebus, Gram’s Creator.”

“*Gasp… choke…*”

“But I entered Gram by making a contract with Cerebus; I was never his subordinate.”

“*Choke*…”

“Have I acted so faithfully on Cerebus’s orders that I seemed like his subordinate until now?”

“*Choke*… N-no…”

“Law-master, whose subordinate are you?”

“A knight… of the Bauglir… Knights…”

“Who is the master of the Knights?”

Chevalier, choked beyond the ability to speak, desperately tried to motion towards Agape with fear-filled eyes.

Seeing this, Agape finally withdrew the black aura.

“*Gasp*…! *Haah, haah, haah*…!”

“You’ve already used two chances.”

What is he talking about?

Chevalier, who didn’t understand Morgos’s words, struggled to lift his head and look up at him.

“The failure of the mission to detain all members of the imperial family, and your disrespect towards me.”

Golden eyes gleamed from behind the helmet.

As the artificial eyes stared down at him with a chilling gaze, without a word, Chevalier bowed his head again in fear and replied.

“N-next time…”

His mouth was dry, and he swallowed.

“I-I will answer with my life…”

With those words, he turned his gaze back to the window.

Chevalier left the throne room, looking like a drowned rat.

*Creak—*

*Thud—*

“……”

I placed a hand on the pommel of the sword at my hip.

Unlike in the past, when I always carried two swords, only the Sword of Ancient Calamity remained at my hip.

*Creak. Creak.*

I looked at the black and white landscape of the imperial capital.

“……”

Once, there was a boy who had a dream.

A boy who held his father’s sword and dreamed of becoming a great knight like his father.

A boy who held a pure dream, a conviction to protect what was most precious.

But as time passed, everything turned to dust and vanished.

And here, there was no longer a boy who purely chased dreams.