The same red hair from before fluttered in the wind. The girl’s youthful appearance still held traces, but now she had transformed into a dignified woman. Hans clicked his tongue.
Even after three years, the reason he could recognize her at a glance was simple. It was because Helia looked like she had simply grown from her appearance three years ago. Thanks to that, he recognized her immediately.
Strangely, this made him feel more out of place. It was only natural for people to change over time. However, Helia seemed to reject that notion entirely.
Hans swallowed hard. For some unknown reason, as he looked at Helia, his body tensed without him realizing. It felt like a predator was right in front of him.
He had never felt this way toward Helia before. What on earth had happened in those three years? Thinking back, something felt off. The other members at least had some news, but…
Very few knew anything about Helia. And those who did said they wouldn’t have a clue unless she was active in the Human Kingdom. In other words, they had no idea what Helia was doing.
“How have you been?”
“I’ve managed to stay safe, but I’ve survived somehow.”
“Survived somehow? Was something going on?”
“The hardest thing to endure was the absence of our teacher.”
The moment Helia spoke those words, there was not a trace of a smile on her face. The expression that recalled the past was filled with sadness and loneliness. However, the instant her red eyes met Hans, all the pent-up emotions vanished in an instant. What filled the void was the shy, rosy blush of joy reminiscent of a girl. Like the other members, Helia firmly believed.
Simply, the difference was that while the other members had essentially resigned to disappointment over time, Helia had unyieldingly maintained that faith on her own. She would never go back.
The rock of faith standing firm against the waves of time remained in Helia’s heart. Finally, she had received her reward. At last, she could smile.
“I’m not like the other fools. I didn’t throw myself into revenge.”
“Ahem…”
“I didn’t try to set the continent on fire either.”
“Um.”
“I didn’t try to drop an island to destroy the world.”
With each word from Helia, Hans saw the other members beside him sinking one by one. It was a magnificent rural massacre. However, as he listened, Hans felt a question arise.
“Are you telling me you knew everything?”
“I had some idea.”
“Then why didn’t you stop it?”
“Because my abilities were lacking.”
“R-Right. I see.”
With her boldly saying her capabilities were lacking left Hans speechless. Indeed, the scale of the other members was not something he could stop alone. Hans acknowledged that as well.
If he had been alone, he couldn’t have stopped it. But what could Helia have done? Hans also accepted this point. Then, the only remaining question was just one.
In a way, the one lingering question from the moment he regained consciousness to now. The one he was most curious about, felt quite resentful towards, and had posed many questions about. Hans soon brought it up.
“Then why did you hypnotize me?”
All the members except Helia held their breath at Hans’s statement. Even Lua, who was unrelated, could feel the mixed emotions of anger, resentment, and longing in Hans’s voice.
It would be a lie to say they weren’t resentful. Suddenly being hypnotized while having a clear mind had left them feeling bewildered. However, as time passed, the strongest feeling that grew was precisely that of longing.
During the time together, they had built many memories and experiences. They had developed deeper affections for comrades they fought alongside at the cost of their lives. But because of that, this fact could not be buried.
“Mistakes can be regretted. And they shouldn’t be repeated.”
“Indeed, you are the teacher.”
“Well then…”
“However, I don’t believe it was wrong. Teacher.”
The unexpected declaration left Hans at a loss for words. She didn’t think it was wrong? That was the same for the other members. But Helia’s expression remained calm. Like the sunshine of spring.
“What does that mean?”
“You intended to leave someday, right?”
“…Yeah, that was the case.”
“At first, I thought if I worked hard, you wouldn’t leave.”
Helia honestly expressed all her feelings. Initially, she believed with all her heart that if she worked hard, the teacher would never leave. She trusted that it couldn’t be true. But eventually, she realized.
“That the teacher would someday have to leave.”
“Yet that doesn’t make hypnotizing me the right thing to do.”
“Yes, that’s true. But… I didn’t want to have regrets.”
“You didn’t want to have regrets?”
“Because I didn’t want to experience losing something precious again.”
Helia had already lost precious people. The parents whom she loved enough to sacrifice their lives for her, and because she remembered the love she received from them, she didn’t want to lose anything precious any longer.
She thought it would be better to die than to repeat that pain. So, she committed such acts and felt no regret. Helia raised her hand tightly.
“Precious treasures must be protected by oneself. Wailing after they’ve already been lost will only leave emptiness behind.”
“…”
“Others won’t be able to say anything. Because they had agreed to those acts at that time.”
With Helia’s proclamation, the members who had been riled up suddenly fell quiet like a lie. It was true that they had all agreed with Helia’s opinion back then. That fact would never change.
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
“Well then…”
“But these kids are different from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“They sincerely apologized to me.”
Yes, Cluna, Clara, and Ruby, of course. Even Bayard and Yuren, who had been the most against it, had apologized to Hans. They were even stopped from doing the naked dogeza or omankko dance of apology.
But Helia was different. She believed her actions were justified and truly held that conviction. Hans sighed. Where had it all gone wrong? He didn’t know.
However, he understood. For a child, parents are the world itself. The child grows within that world until they mature. But Helia couldn’t do that. The world shattered before she could even grow up.
“I’m sorry for not facing you back then.”
Hans apologized sincerely. Hearing that, the Divine Sword argued that it wasn’t his fault. But Hans shook his head. To Hans, Helia was like a daughter. At least, that’s how he felt.
And just like no parent outweighs their child in this world, seeing Helia’s distorted form brought about feelings of guilt within Hans, whether he wanted to or not. However, that was separate from this.
“From now on, I will face you.”
Helia’s words weren’t entirely wrong. In fact, Hans had once thought he didn’t care what happened to the world in the past. The reason he joined the Royal Knights and became the Commander was all to buy time to return to his original world.
If the world turned into Hell, finding a way to return smoothly, even with the Time Stop, would be incredibly difficult.
Hans quietly unsheathed the Divine Sword he had at his waist. He felt no hesitation from Hans anymore. However, even after drawing his sword, Helia only tilted her head.
“Teacher, did I do something wrong?”
“Not knowing what’s wrong is the mistake. And it’s also mine.”
“Then…”
“So take responsibility. I will make you realize your error.”
Like you think of me as your teacher and trust me. As Hans walked forward with a serious expression, a blush bloomed on Helia’s cheek like flowers. It’s been a long time since she saw her teacher looking so magnificent.
“To think you’re looking at me… How glorious that is! My heart feels so fluttery I can barely even speak…!!”
“Helia.”
“Right, you must be wanting to see the strength of your only disciple, right?”
“…!!”
A flash of red lightning struck. It was a fleeting moment, but the thought remained in her mind. However, it wasn’t coincidental that she reacted. The experiences she had built up until now responded.
Helya Style One Sword Advance Slash!
Even without Time Stop, she could react to Helia’s high-speed sword. The enhanced body through the Dragon Heart and the accumulation of experiences created synergy. Hans sighed with relief as he looked at Helia.
“While you were away, I’ve fulfilled my role. Teacher.”
“…”
“Unlike those fools who spiraled into confusion and acted recklessly.”
The red glow in her eyes flickered. Amusingly enough, Hans had seen that look before. Back when he wasn’t yet a member of this world. He had seen it during the first bad ending he faced.
“So, I am the only one qualified to serve you, Teacher.”
It closely resembled Helia betraying the protagonist’s party.
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