Chapter 7

But I wasn’t Allen Kalstein.

I wasn’t here to run away.

For Rickby.

For the Hero Squad.

I knew exactly what I had to do.

And dying…

Wasn’t one of the options.

Right now, what I needed was the courage to do something completely insane.

So I shut my eyes tightly and prayed to survive.

I thought of Rickby, bleeding among the monsters.

When I opened my eyes again, the charging monster was already upon me.

I rolled through the snow, barely managing to hide behind the horse’s corpse.

Pain shot through my shoulder—I must’ve dislocated it when I fell.

Compared to what was about to happen, though…

It was nothing.

A heartbeat later, the monster’s enormous horn pierced straight through the horse’s body—

—and tore into my side.

Agony exploded through me.

“Aaah—!! Ngh…!”

I swallowed my scream and endured it.

Thankfully, the monster gradually slowed.

Its horn shredded through the horse’s flesh but stopped before reaching my internal organs.

The instant it did…

I forced myself upright.

Then climbed onto the monster’s horn.

Even now, it still had its head buried inside the horse’s carcass, greedily tearing into the flesh.

It hadn’t noticed me.

Just as I’d thought.

Its hardened shell came at the cost of duller senses.

But I’d only bought myself a few seconds.

The moment it realized where I was, it’d thrash wildly and fling me off.

Given its size…

I’d be falling several meters.

…I probably wouldn’t survive.

So I had to finish this quickly.

I ran with everything I had.

Charging along the monster’s horn and across the ridge of its massive spine, my mind raced.

How far can I make it?

Can I reach the horse Rickby sent me…?

The thought crossed my mind.

Then I threw it away.

This wasn’t about whether I could.

I had to.

Even if I smashed into the ground and died trying.

I planted my foot against the monster’s hard shell and crouched for a leap.

The freezing wind tore through my wounds.

Every inch of my body screamed in pain.

Still…

I gritted my teeth and kept moving.

“Please…!!”

The moment I kicked off—

…

Ah.

The ground wasn’t actually that far away.

…

But I realized I didn’t have enough distance.

I’d given everything I had.

Even so…

My battered body simply couldn’t make the jump.

Acceptance came quickly.

Only…

Regret remained.

Regret that I hadn’t thanked Rickby.

Looking up, I stared at the purple storm clouds overhead.

Just as my body began to fall—

Wooooooosh—!

The world suddenly flashed crimson.

A torrent of red mana erupted from somewhere among the monsters.

It surged across the battlefield like a gigantic whirlwind.

A violent gust.

A crimson wave of mana.

As the scarlet current swept across the snowy plain…

My falling body was suddenly lifted high into the air.

From my new height, I quickly judged the distance again.

I can make it now!

Only then did I realize…

This was Rickby’s final gift.

With the last of his strength…

He’d fired one final attack.

So my plan could succeed to the very end.

“I’ll protect you with my life, Young Master!”

Rickby Hegment had believed in me until his very last breath.

He’d kept his promise.

“…You idiot.”

The storm smelled thickly of blood.

A crimson tide raced across the snow.

Leaving hoofprints behind…

Its masterless warhorse charged toward me.

My body descended slowly, guided by the mana current.

Almost naturally…

I landed in the saddle.

I lifted my head.

The icy wind and snow lashed against my face.

Yet my eyes burned hot.

I wiped away the blur clouding my vision.

My hand came away soaked with tears.

Gripping the reins…

I urged the horse forward even faster.

Finally…

In the distance…

I saw that beautiful flash of light once again.

❖ ❖ ❖

As I rode across the desolate battlefield, I surveyed my surroundings.

Death hung thick in the air.

The bodies of soldiers lay piled into hills.

Their blood stained the plains red.

Humans…

Monsters…

Neither had survived this place.

Amid the wasteland where sinister demonic energy clashed endlessly with radiant justice…

Few living things could hope to survive.

I spotted a fallen figure and pulled my horse to a stop.

An elderly man sat beside a shattered shield.

He looked utterly exhausted.

I approached and offered him a healing potion—

Then immediately realized my mistake.

His eyes…

Could no longer see.

“A monster?”

the old man asked.

His massive build made him easy to recognize.

Gillian.

Helior’s mentor and companion.

The vanguard commander who always stood before the Hero, shielding him with the Ironblood Shield.

The Hero Squad’s steadfast pillar.

Its spiritual leader.

A veteran who had survived countless battlefields.

But now…

Even he had reached his limit.

His shield had been shattered.

A monster’s claws had taken his eyesight.

Opening the system window, I checked his status.

Then I understood.

Deployed Forces

• Transcendent Heroes: 2

The number spoke for itself.

One…

Was obviously Helior.

The other…

Was Gillian.

Which meant…

Everyone else…

A heavy feeling settled in my chest.

Just then, Gillian spoke again.

“Since you haven’t killed me yet… you must be human.”

“…I came from the forward outpost.”

“Then what you’re offering me is medicine?”

He chuckled warmly.

“For a moment, I thought you’d come to poison this old man.”

“Though honestly…”

“In times like these, poison might be the kinder choice.”

“…It’s not poison.”

I held out the bottle again.

“It’s a healing potion. I brought plenty of supplies, so Vice Commander Gillian, please drink this first.”

“Plenty of supplies…”

His smile faded slightly.

“Interesting.”

“You sound as though you already know everyone else is dead.”

His sharp observation sealed my lips.

I’d been relying on information from the system window this entire time.

Until now…

No one had questioned how strangely informed I seemed.

But perhaps…

A veteran who had survived countless wars couldn’t be fooled so easily.

His insight was terrifying.

My mind went completely blank.

“W-Well… there wasn’t anyone else nearby, so…”

Sensing my panic, Gillian burst into hearty laughter.

“Young man.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Did Joanna send you?”

“…In a manner of speaking.”

I answered cautiously, trying desperately not to slip up.

Then he caught me completely off guard.

“Did she come here herself?”

I froze.

Searching for the right answer took just a little too long.

That…

Was my mistake.

Gillian had spent his entire life on battlefields.

He understood the meaning hidden inside silence.

He had already figured out what choice the Saint had made.

“…Saint Joanna remained at the outpost.”

The words came out with difficulty, like swallowing sand.

Gillian slowly tilted his head upward.

Though his eyes could see nothing…

He smiled faintly toward the sky.

A sorrowful smile.

As though remembering someone from long ago.

Several times I tried to say something.

Nothing came out.

Instead…

I offered him the healing potion once more.

He gently shook his head.

Raising his bloodstained hand, he pointed somewhere across the battlefield.

“Give it to that one instead.”

“He’s probably suffering the most.”

I turned toward where he pointed.

There…

Was the Hero.

Even from this distance, the sharp arcs of his sword sent shivers down my spine.

I rubbed my goosebump-covered arm in confusion.

Did Helior really need a healing potion?

He looked perfectly fine.

Unlike Gillian, who stood at death’s door…

Helior was still cutting down monsters one after another.

“Vice Commander Gillian.”

“The Hero still looks perfectly capable.”

“You should drink the potion first.”

Instead…

Gillian only smiled knowingly.

“A moment ago you seemed quite perceptive.”

“Now you’ve missed the obvious, young man.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Look again.”

“Sometimes there are things your eyes alone cannot see.”

I frowned.

What a strange thing to say.

How was I supposed to see something my eyes couldn’t perceive?

Whether it was advice or some kind of metaphor, I couldn’t tell.

Still…

I looked toward Helior once more.

His swordsmanship remained flawless.

Elegant.

Flowing like water.

Yet unwavering.

It was almost as if the Goddess herself had created him solely to define the word perfection.

It wasn’t just because Helior happened to be my favorite character.

Anyone who saw him would think the same.

Which only made Gillian’s words bother me even more.

The Gillian I knew never spoke meaninglessly.

If anything, he was the game’s guide.

There was even a popular saying among players:

“If you’re stuck, go ask the old man.”

It felt like he was trying to teach me something again.

Something my eyes can’t see…

My gaze shifted toward the system window.

Helior’s status screen appeared.

I’d probably looked at it thousands of times while playing.

I’d practically memorized every detail.

But…

Maybe…

This time…

I’d notice something different.

Holding my breath…

I opened his status window.