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The wind grew sharper as they moved forward. If they hadn’t properly protected themselves with magical power, it felt like their skin would be cut at any moment.
Rohan walked through this fierce storm. However, unlike his calm expression, his footsteps were heavy with lingering attachment. Anxiety welled up to his chin.
“Are you okay?”
Many people, including Leriana and Casia, were following behind him. Leriana, who was hurrying her steps near Rohan, asked quietly.
“I’m fine.”
“…Really?”
Rohan answered in a plain tone. Even though he knew the question wasn’t limited to just his condition.
It was quite an ambiguous question. Perhaps Leriana wanted to ask something like, ‘Is it really okay to do this?’ It wasn’t hard to guess. At the same time, her attitude of not wanting to mention someone’s sacrifice, even though the promised situation was right before their eyes, was noticeable.
Rohan habitually reached out and stroked the blade hanging at his waist. He could feel intense magical power at his fingertips. It was the blessing that the demon god had not yet withdrawn from Arpel.
The blade vibrated briefly. Despite the short tremor, Rohan felt as if Arpel was comforting him. The following words were the same.
<It’s okay.>
Unlike the answer he had given to Leriana, this single phrase, which would surely only penetrate his mind, was filled with clear sincerity. Rohan pouted his lips.
“Ugh…”
After forcing their approach for a few more minutes, a faint groan was heard from behind. As they got closer to the place where the power of wraiths was swirling with an overwhelmingly clear presence, they felt severe pressure. The wind brushing their cheeks had also intensified.
<I’ll withdraw the blessing I’ve given you when you approach the center.>
The demon god’s voice settled in his ears. As Rohan listened to that voice, he unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword. His pounding heart left an ominous sensation.
<Remember. You have only one chance. When the time comes, I’ll give you a signal. Then…>
“I know.”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”
He forcibly cut off the following explanation. He had already heard these words once. He didn’t want to feel the sensation that made his chest cold just by imagining it again. It was close to a reflexive response.
Leriana, who had heard what seemed like a sudden soliloquy, asked belatedly, but Rohan firmly shook his head. It was overwhelming enough just trying to drive related thoughts out of his mind.
“Stop!”
Daniel, who was commanding the movement of the priests from behind, stopped. Soon, following his gesture, the seemingly endless procession began to surround the area where the power of wraiths was surging. Meanwhile, some were still skeptical.
“Um… Priest Daniel. Is this really right? No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like it will end this easily. If there’s any unexpected damage…”
“No. There will be no change in the plan. You just need to attack with all your might according to the signal given by Lord Rohan.”
“Towards that whirlwind?”
One of the priests with a doubtful face asked another question. For him, it was a natural conclusion to draw without any suspicion. After all, what they wanted to eliminate was the dark blue whirlwind spewing out a terrifying force.
However, Daniel showed a slightly different reaction. With a face full of bitterness, he slowly shook his head.
“No. That’s not it either.”
“What? Then in which direction…”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
That was all he could say for now. Troubled gazes turned towards the one with light brown hair. At the same time, memories from a few hours ago stirred in Daniel’s mind.
‘What… I can’t do that. I can’t! How could you do such a cruel thing!’
Even his own words that he had uttered after hearing the whole story from Rohan.
It was still an incredibly cruel, insane act. But he had no choice but to follow Rohan’s words. The moment he realized that Rohan’s face had been painfully contorted throughout the conversation, the moment Leriana, who had reacted more violently and refused at first, finally nodded with a brief apology… he suddenly realized.
Lord Rohan has already made all the preparations. Even with such a pained expression as if his heart was being torn apart.
‘…I understand.’
In the end, the choice given to him was only one from the beginning. Seeing the one who would become the protagonist of the sacrifice with a clean face made him think even more so.
Watching the back of the priest who was moving away to carry out the order without gaining anything, Daniel tightly closed his eyes. He could feel the overwhelming power of wraiths surging ahead even more clearly.
It was as Rohan had said. There was no way to stop that. Just facing it from this far away was enough to unconsciously feel despair.
Unless someone steps up and sacrifices themselves.
“…I’m sorry.”
Soon, Daniel briefly apologized, his lips moving. It was a voice that wouldn’t reach the one he was addressing.
Today, they would kill Arpel.
***
The time had come.
Rohan slowly took a breath after hearing from Daniel that all personnel had been deployed according to the plan. He once again tightened his grip on the sword.
“…Promise me. That you’ll return to my side.”
<I will.>
“Promise that you won’t get hurt, that you’ll be safe… that you won’t die.”
<I promise.>
Rohan recited those words over and over. Even with his face turning pale from fear, even while breathing heavily from terror.
Moreover, that ‘promise’ was not something Arpel could make. He knew. Arpel’s survival ultimately depended on his own hands. Didn’t they say he had to earnestly wish for Arpel to live, to return to his side?
The demon god had said that only he could do it. That there would be no one who desired Arpel’s safe return, who wanted him as much as Rohan did. Despite the god’s boast, Rohan trembled with anxiety. With every step towards this place, he imagined and re-imagined the worst future where Arpel wouldn’t return. It was almost an instinctive action.
Everything was horrifying. The fact that they had finally devised a plan based on Arpel’s sacrifice, and that he had to push him into the abyss of death with his own hands. His hand, gripping too tightly, trembled.
“Ha.”
He slowly took a breath. Rohan, with a distorted expression, let out a breath that resembled a hollow laugh. It was utterly ridiculous that he would end up making the same choice even if this situation were repeated countless times.
If he did nothing and remained, Arpel would inevitably be used as a vessel for the descent. It was called a vessel, but it was no different from death. This way was much better than that. Although the fact that he had to face death remained the same.
Instead, Rohan gathered all the despair stirring inside him and left his final words.
“If Arpel dies…”
<…Rohan?>
“I’ll follow and die too.”
Let’s be together forever, us.
Despite the brutal content, his tone was infinitely plain. Rohan did his best to wear a bright smile. Because this might be the last time. Arpel was distracted by the smile, more beautiful than ever before. It was a reaction that didn’t fit the situation at hand.
Then, before Arpel could open his mouth to say anything, Rohan pulled back the hand holding the sword behind his body. The high-ranking priests positioned around them could be heard murmuring.
“See you soon, Arpel.”
With those final words, Rohan swung his arm strongly while relaxing his grip. The black sword in his grasp flew through the air at high speed.
At the same time, the bright smile on Rohan’s face cracked. Because he couldn’t bear the emotions piling up anymore. It was as if the mask had broken only after Arpel had left his side.
“L-Lord Rohan?! What is this!”
“What are you doing! Throwing the sword in there!”
“T-The demon sword bestowed by the god…”
“Lord Rohan!”
In an instant, the surroundings became noisy. They were all people who didn’t properly know about this operation. Some of them also knew that the sword was ‘Arpel’.
A long time ago, when the high-ranking priests of the demon god’s temple were exposing a spy within the temple, they had directly witnessed Arpel transforming into a demon sword. It had been such an impressive scene that the memory remained clear in their minds even now, nearly 10 years later.
At least they couldn’t raise their voices and shout. Because Rohan’s face, with his head deeply bowed, looked so sorrowful.
The murmuring noise gradually spread. Those who hadn’t witnessed Rohan throwing the sword were busy raising their voices together, shocked by the story they heard from others.
“Enough!!!”
At that moment, Leriana, who had been keeping her mouth shut, shouted angrily. Her voice, imbued with holy power, spread like a wave around them. Those who had been chattering together stopped talking as if by magic. It was because of the subtle pressure contained in that voice.
“He acted with a plan in mind. This was the ‘operation’.”
“But…!”
“Even if you find it unreliable, it’s already happened. If you’re so dissatisfied, go in there and retrieve it yourself. No one will stop you.”
Leriana spat out sharp words on behalf of Rohan, who kept his mouth shut. She even sent a cold gaze to those who raised their voices in objection. The priest who had been expressing his dissatisfaction with his whole body until the end had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and shrink back.
“It’s okay.”
“…”
“It will be okay.”
Leriana whispered, eyeing the settled situation. It was directed at Rohan, who had half-dead eyes. He didn’t respond even to the clumsy comfort.
A bitter smile settled on her face. Who was that comfort really for? Leriana quietly closed her eyes. Her bitten lips were tinged with impatience.
Yes. Perhaps this… might be a consolation for herself.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
