Book 20 Chapter 28
The last rest,
in the holy city of Shuriganakyus (3)
I would have been chatting with Nils and Link all day long like that.
If Rista hadn't summoned all the hero party members with this <Vanesis>.
This place, located north of the Keltimus Volcanic Zone surrounding <Shuriganakyus>, had not yet undergone reconstruction and remained a ruin just as it was when the High Priest's ruins fell.
“What's the important thing you wanted to talk about?”
Lin asked.
Rista was sitting on the uneven surface of <Vanesis>'s castle wall.
Rista, who had been gazing at the vast and expansive land stretching out to the north, suddenly spoke.
“Lin, what did you feel in this battle?”
“?”
“Cardin Alma (01) was a legendary senior I greatly admired. For Lin, Cardin Bete (02) must have been a similar case, right?”
Lin recalled the miraculous time of accompanying Julak Kefel. Overwhelmed with longing, she averted her gaze.
A gag order was placed on the identity of the Carditpol Knights.
This was because the fact that the first Faequerier and the 4th Archmage had fallen and become servants of the abyss would clearly cast an ominous shadow over the future of human history.
“So, is that crazy witch a senior that Friede respects? This is completely terrifying.”
“Hey, you rascal! That's not a senior! I'll just…!”
“Then what is it?”
“I asked His Holiness the Fire Dragon, and it seems Cardin Del (03)'s belief was that ‘the judgment of this world is too merciful to the wicked, preventing the world from having proper vigilance.’”
“Gasp.”
“He believed that all humans are irredeemable trash and can only be made human through the fear of punishment… How could we treat someone with such a crazy idea as a senior? Of course, I also had such thoughts when I was young, but I never put them into practice. Humans should be judged by law, not by personal anger or hatred.”
White Genesis Palace Serwevon extended its verdant branches and wove the number [5].
Cardin Cata (05), Bihkisa.
He was the man for whom Kies had inadvertently felt a sense of camaraderie and sympathy during battle.
‘If I hadn't met these guys… I might have become like that.’
After all her companions had gathered, Rista, who had been staring only at the north, finally turned her head this way.
“Look at that north. The south is covered in volcanic ash and yellow dust, making it impossible to see, but it's so clear over there. You could say it's the traces of our battles. Looking at that, I wondered. Didn't Sarandis or Senior Julak also have similar thoughts to us on some day of their journey?”
“……?”
“Thinking about that… I get scared. What if we, too, in this battle, did something that left regrets… and someone among us were to be revived like that? What if they were revived and followed the abyss?”
Silence descended. If a similar topic had been brought up before this battle, everyone might have scoffed.
But…
Even if we don't know about Cardin Del (03) and Omek (06), the other four were individuals of noble character, preserving the light of their convictions even while following the abyss. Twisted, yes, but still dazzling.
“So, let's make a promise to each other, right here, right now.”
“What?”
“That we'll stop each other then. So that our souls don't commit evil. We'll give each other rest. So that we can reach the embrace of light.”
Rista smiled brightly and extended her hand towards the center of the group.
“Alright, I probably won't, but if you guys become like that, I'll take responsibility and beat you up!”
Above that, Friede was the first to stack her hand, giggling.
“Especially Lin! You, representing the women who cry because of those swallow tribe members, even more sincerely, several times over.”
Kies, who had been leaning against the castle wall and sipping from a gourd bottle, let out a chuckle and placed his hand on the back of the Hero's and Priestess's hands.
Lin thought for a moment.
Could she really throw a full-power punch at these guys later? Hmm, she probably could.
“Sounds good? Doesn't it mean I can genuinely fight against the [Strongest Hero], the [Strongest Priestess], and the [Strongest Archer]? And it'll be legal to beat them up as much as I want then, right? Right? I'm right, aren't I?”
Now that all her illusions about being the strongest were broken, she had no particular regrets.
If she were to fight these guys…
She thought she might be able to have that kind of soul-to-soul conversation she'd felt with Julak Kefel then.
“Seriously, consistently crazy. That's why he's someone you can't hate.”
[(ㅋ-ㅋ)]
“Ahahahahaha…”
Looking at Lin, who was incredibly pure even in such a moment, Friede, Kies, and Rista laughed. They weren't laughing at Lin, but purely laughing.
“So, it's a promise, then? Anyone who doesn't keep the promise gets 100 knuckle-flicks!”
“Gasp, that's a bit much.”
“Hey, you crazy Hero! If we don't keep our promise when you become like that, who's going to give you a knuckle-flick? Think about it.”
[(ㄹ.ㅇ)]
“Ah, that's right… Then, should we leave the judging role to Pipi or Sval? What do you think? My idea is brilliant, isn't it?”
▶ ▶ ▶
‘Back then…’
I ended up making that promise with such a light heart.
Because I was immature…
No, because I had no depth of thought at all. I… should have said I couldn't, that I wouldn't be able to.
“Nen! I can't overcome his physical strength alone! Forget about magic assistance, concentrate power on hardness! I might break!”
[Aruu!]
“Pipi, get the sight! I have no idea where it's coming from!”
Even with Setsnen assisting in gauntlet form, when she received the slash that the ‘Hero’ delivered at an invisible speed… she felt like she would shatter into a million pieces.
Firstly, her entire arm bone.
Secondly… her heart.
She wanted to ask. Surely, you didn't know all this would happen and make me make that promise back then, did you?
‘I didn't know.’
What could I have possibly known in those naive, young days?
‘How painful and terrible it is to have to fight a battle of life and death against a companion… with whom I laughed, walked, and fought back to back.’
And yet, the memories of being together are still so vivid, so clear when I close my eyes and recall them…
‘Because it's a promise, because I promised, I'm keeping that promise now, but…’
If, truly if…
If I could turn back time just once…
‘If I could go back to the moment I placed my hand on top of yours…’
I would say to you.
I would say this to all of you.
Clearly, with a fragile smile that looked like it would break at any moment.
- No, Rista. I won't make that promise. I can't. I won't be able to. I don't want to…