After finishing the search request that involved many tasks, we made our report to the village chief.
Given that so much had happened, I thought it would be a good idea to take a day of rest before moving on to the next mission.
When I asked for opinions, everyone agreed, so we decided to rest fully today and depart for the next task tomorrow.
Olivia spent her day off checking her magic formulas, while Ruina and Bliss seemed to be engaged in religious activities.
As for Agnes and me, we came to spar.
Wielding swords inside the village probably wouldn’t be well-received, so we went outside to find a place suitable for training.
“It’s been a while since we sparred,” Agnes said as she drew her sword from its sheath.
Indeed, it had been a long time since our last sparring match.
The last time was probably the day before we departed for the Demon King’s castle, as a final warm-up based on Ruina’s prophecy.
“That’s true. We’ve been pretty busy lately,” I replied, unsheathing my holy sword.
As I said, we’ve been incredibly busy.
After killing the Demon King, who was called humanity’s greatest enemy, there were many tasks to handle.
After the Demon King’s death, we first had to report his demise to the Holy Vatican and the royal family, followed by attending a celebration banquet.
To be honest, I wanted to refuse the invitation, but missing a banquet hosted by the Emperor was impossible.
So, I was dragged around without even getting the chance to process everything.
During this time, we received many congratulations, heard countless praises, and were treated with great respect.
People were overjoyed, relieved, and moved by the fact that humanity’s greatest threat had been vanquished.
Everyone seemed happy and full of joy.
And amidst this celebratory atmosphere, we had to bid farewell to a dear companion.
“Yes, that’s right,” Agnes said, breaking the silence.
Then, in that quiet moment, she added softly, “Here I come.”
With those words, the sparring began.
I raised my sword, pointing its tip toward her, keeping my eyes fixed on her every move, not daring to blink.
I couldn’t predict when she would make the first strike.
Though I could initiate the attack myself, I preferred to parry rather than strike first.
My swordsmanship was about adapting my style based on the situation.
On the other hand, Agnes’ sword style was more defined.
Watching her movements long enough allowed me to predict her next action to some extent.
However, despite this, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
Her technique, being the swordsmanship of a dragonkin, was fast and powerful—difficult to block, even when anticipated.
It would be disadvantageous for me to strike first, so I waited for her.
After a brief moment of facing each other.
‘She’s coming!’
Agnes initiated the first attack—a downward strike.
Her sword came down swiftly from above my head.
~Clang!
The sound of our swords clashing echoed in the air.
Simultaneously, I felt a heavy weight in my hands as I caught her strike.
‘Heavy.’
True to her dragonkin strength, her attack was fast and powerful.
I thought to myself as I absorbed the force of her strike—she had become stronger than before.
In our last sparring match, I hadn’t felt this much weight in her strikes.
It seemed she’d undergone a lot of training since then.
After deflecting her sword, I immediately swung mine horizontally.
~Clang!
The sound echoed once more.
‘Blocked.’
“Dane, what do you think of our new comrades?” she asked as she swung her sword at me.
I hesitated, unsure whether to respond to her sudden question, but since this was a spar and not an actual battle, I figured answering wouldn’t hurt.
“The new comrades… you mean Ruina and Bliss?” I replied, deflecting her sword.
“There’s also a girl named Reina.”
“Oh, right!”
I struck down harder with my sword this time.
“They all seem like good people.”
Though I hadn’t spent much time with them, I could tell they were good-hearted individuals.
Especially Ruina, who had joined us despite my near-blackmailing tactics, never once complained.
I still felt guilty for involving her in such dangerous work, especially since she had a child with her.
And yet, she played a crucial role in our recent mission.
Those we rescued unanimously credited her for saving them, so she must have worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
I would have to thank her later for helping resolve the disaster that my poor judgment had caused.
“I did make quite a fool of myself in front of such good people,” Agnes said with a smirk, deflecting my sword effortlessly and following up with a swift counterattack.
…
“Yeah, you’re right!”
I hastily corrected my stance to defend myself.
I certainly had shown them a poor first impression.
I couldn’t even find the mission site properly, and I nearly endangered everyone due to mismanaging the search team.
I wondered what they thought of me after witnessing all that.
Did they think I was unreliable? It wouldn’t be surprising if they did.
Before, Aelia had been the one in charge of such tasks.
Receiving missions, setting destinations, planning tactics—she handled and resolved everything.
But with her gone, we needed someone to take over her duties, so we decided that each of us would try and see who could handle it best.
I was the first to take up the responsibility, and the result?
A complete disaster.
I keenly felt Aelia’s absence.
If she had been there, she would have corrected my poor decisions.
“Dane,” Agnes said as she created some distance between us after her attack was blocked.
She then swung her sword in a wide arc and approached again.
Her sword drew a large curve.
I tried to deflect it, but Agnes wouldn’t allow that.
So she’s trying to force a power struggle, huh?
“Are you troubled by something?” she asked, her sword locked with mine, her golden eyes almost seeming to gleam.
“No, I’m fine,” I replied, looking her in the eye and pretending nothing was wrong.
But the truth was, I had many concerns.
Whether we could manage without Aelia, why my holy sword suddenly refused to lend me its power, and what I even wanted to do now—all weighed on my mind.
I wondered, having lost the most precious thing I wanted to protect, what should be my new goal for fighting?
Even if I continue to protect humanity, she won’t be there.
Can someone who’s lost what’s most important to them still have the strength to protect?
“Hmm… Is that so?”
“Yes!”
Fearing that my inner struggles might be exposed,
I forcibly broke away from her grip on my sword.
I immediately lunged at her, but before I could even get close, her blade was at my neck.
It was my loss.
“I’ve lost,” I said, raising both hands in surrender.
“It’s unlike you to make such a simple move. It was almost as if I could see your next steps. You seemed more rushed than usual,” Agnes remarked.
“Haha… Is that so?”
“You weren’t giving your all during our spar,” she added.
“Sorry…”
I apologized, lowering my hands.
She was right—I had been distracted during the sparring.
Agnes watched me quietly for a moment, then sheathed her sword and asked, “Is it because of Aelia?”
Agnes’s sudden question caught me off guard.
Normally, I would have immediately said no, but for some reason today, I couldn’t find any words. It was as if she’d struck a nerve.
So that’s it, huh? Once again, I’ll tell you—it wasn’t your fault.
If anyone’s to blame, it’s me for not being of more help back then.
Agnes’s face darkened with self-loathing.
I wanted to say, “No, Agnes, she died protecting me.”
How pathetic must it feel to be protected by the person you promised to protect?
But my voice wouldn’t come out.
Don’t beat yourself up.
Aelia wouldn’t want that. I believe you’ll come to terms with it and overcome this soon.
Agnes’s face softened, and she smiled at me again.
“Because you’re a hero.”
Her words, carrying a glimmer of faith, and her comforting smile brought nothing but a bitter smile to my face.
Agnes was right. I had to overcome this myself—because I’m the hero.
No matter how sad, painful, or difficult it gets, I can’t stop.
Not until the end of my life. No matter how miserable or unfair it feels, it doesn’t change anything.
That’s what it means to be a hero, chosen by the gods.
I must move on.
I’m the hero.
“Alright, pick up your sword again. We still have time.
Swinging the blade mindlessly will help you calm down.”
“Yeah.”
She smiled as she spoke, and I lifted my sword once more.
After that, for a while, the only sound that filled the air was the clash of our blades.
***
“Damn it!”
Shocked by what I’d seen in the church, I ran out as if fleeing.
I kept walking, faster and faster, until the church was far out of sight and I could finally stop.
“Ruina! Wait for me!”
Turning around, I saw Reina rushing toward me with a piece of paper in her hands.
“Why did you leave so fast?”
Out of breath, Reina asked, panting heavily.
“I’m sorry.”
I just… had to get out of that creepy place as quickly as possible.
I shivered as I recalled what I’d witnessed earlier.
Why on earth is Bliss gathering that kind of information?
Her face looked so peaceful and redeemed, but she was doing *that* behind the scenes?
Does she still not trust me? Whatever the reason, it’s definitely unnerving.
Now, I’m not sure what to do next.
According to my plan, I was supposed to spend the afternoon at the church, but after seeing *that*, I don’t want to go anywhere near it.
Going back to the inn seems out of the question too since Olivia is busy with her magic circle.
If we went back now, she’d likely get irritated—or worse, angry.
Mages, especially those with their own unique magic, hate being disturbed when working.
That leaves… the hero.
But there’s no way I’m going near him, considering I’m part demon.
Looks like we’ll have to find a way to pass time outside.
What should we do?
While pondering our options, the village scenery caught my eye.
Maybe we should just explore the village?
Neither Reina nor I have really seen much of a human village before.
That might be fun.
I turned to Reina.
“How about we look around the village? Who knows when we’ll be back here again, right?
We might as well take a look around while we can.”
“As long as I’m with you, Ruina, anything is fine!”
Thankfully, Reina didn’t object. Perfect, that’s settled. Wandering around and chatting should help pass the time.
I took Reina’s hand.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yeah!”
And so, we started exploring the village hand in hand.
Though it wasn’t a large village, we toured the fields where crops grew and watched the villagers at work.
Time passed faster than expected as we took in the sights.
“What did you draw on that paper?” I asked curiously, remembering the drawing Reina had with her earlier.
At my question, she let go of my hand and eagerly spread out the paper with both hands.
“This? Tada!”
On the white sheet were three figures.
One tall, one medium, and one small.
Around them, there was a dark shading, giving the impression they were trapped or enclosed.
“What is it a drawing of?”
I asked as I examined it. The tall and small figures had long hair… could that be me?
“That’s you and me, Ruina.”
Just as I thought. Then who’s the third person?
“And who’s this one?”
I pointed to the figure next to what was clearly supposed to be Reina.
“A goblin!”
She answered with a bright smile.
A goblin, huh? Wait, does that mean this is from yesterday?
“It’s when you saved me, Ruina.”
Bingo.
“Why did you draw it?”
“So I can remember it later! When I look at this picture, I’ll remember what happened!”
Reina beamed as she looked down at her drawing.
So it’s kind of like taking a photo, I guess?
Judging by what she said, yesterday must have really left an impression on her.
“I was going to send it back home so I could look at it when we go back later… but I couldn’t…”
Home? Does she mean Slane’s church?
“Where’s home?”
“The church!”
“Why is that home?”
“Because it’s where you and I stayed together, Ruina!”
She tilted her head, answering as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Hearing that, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.
Reina called it home simply because we stayed there together.
That means being with me is that important to her… It’s heartwarming. How should I describe this feeling?
Contentment? Yeah, that’s it.
I feel content.
“I’ll let you send it next time, I promise,” I said, patting her head.
“Really? You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Reina’s face brightened once more, and I took her hand again.
“Shall we continue exploring then?”
“Hehe, yes!”
We continued walking hand in hand, visiting different parts of the village.
By the time the sun began to set, we returned to the inn.
As we opened the door, Bliss greeted us warmly.
“Ah, Lady Ruina, you’re back.”
“Yes, Miss Bliss, we’re back,” I replied as casually as possible, doing my best to seem composed. Bliss smiled.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Huh… why would she be waiting for me?
Bliss has locked on to her prey
thanks for the chapter !