Togui swallowed his humiliation and retreated.
He couldn’t overcome the overwhelming presence of Hans. Everyone in the refugee camp praised Hans for defeating Togui. In fact, Hans had never shown his full power directly.
When Blade Wolf attacked, only a few soldiers had witnessed it. The only witnesses to the slaying of the Evil Female were merely two. Therefore, there were people who couldn’t trust Hans.
However, that doubt was shattered today. At first, the low-level monster Minotaur was overlooked by everyone. Of course, one couldn’t dare to say that the Minotaur was a weak monster.
It was just that its sheer ignorance led it to only charge forward. It was indeed easier to tackle compared to other monsters. Hence, experienced soldiers mocked Hans, saying he was overreacting.
At least until they saw the battle themselves.
That thing called Togui swiftly dispatched three soldiers in an instant, showcasing its overwhelming power. Naturally, not only the soldiers but even Andrew was overwhelmed.
It was as if a predator was right in front of them. No one dared to move. However, there was one person who moved amidst it all—Hans. He walked forward with confidence.
And with all his might, he fought the monster and achieved victory. Everyone watched Hans’s triumph. In front of everyone in the refugee camp, he proved his true power.
“Did such a monster really exist?”
Andrew, completely overwhelmed by the momentum, chuckled nervously. He was a famous knight known in his own right. In fact, his skills were not inferior to those of active knights.
However, even he couldn’t keep up with Hans’s movements with his eyes. It was a speed that was truly beyond sight. But it wasn’t merely fast; there was skill involved.
Hans cleverly targeted just the monsters’ tendons to subdue it. It was indeed a masterpiece of experience and technique. Who would have thought that the clumsy Hans was hiding such skill?
Without a doubt, he must have handled the Evil Female in the same manner. The surprises just kept on coming. The Minotaur, with power close to that of a demon, was easily subdued by Hans.
“If Hans hadn’t been here, we might have faced annihilation.”
Times are changing. Even when one tries their hardest, the younger generation starts to surpass their seniors with ease. It was such a world. And Andrew realized once more that he had come to understand this era.
[I didn’t cut the tendons! I just used paralysis poison!]
Of course, if he had heard that, he would have immediately retorted, revealing the truth. Because Hans felt an immense burden in being treated as a strong man. After all, there were expectations.
In the first place, Hans’s goal was to find a way to return to his original world, no matter what. Naturally, while wandering about the world, conflicts were unavoidable, so he was merely training.
But if he was treated as a stronger figure than he is, he would inevitably have to face monsters that are stronger than himself. That was something Hans absolutely did not want.
Unfortunately for Hans, Andrew simply kept his thoughts to himself, and thus the opportunity for Hans to explain the truth was lost forever.
“Clarence, are you okay?”
“…Margaret.”
“Your face is pale.”
“I’m fine.”
If Margaret hadn’t shaken his shoulder, Clarence would still be stuck in shock. It was the first time he had faced a monster with power akin to that of demons.
Those with rich battle experience can gauge approximately the strength of their opponents without fighting. And when Clarence imagined clashing with that creature—
The end was always him becoming a chunk of meat. This was from someone who had risen to the position of candidate for the Royal Knights. Of course, there were strong monsters among them, but—
The Togui he had just seen was fundamentally different. It wielded strength akin to a knight who had refined his power to the extreme, rather than a mindless brute.
“I’m really glad. The captain defeated that monster.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, in the end, both of us were able to be safe, right?”
“…”
Tears flowed from her eyes, which she had long suppressed. She had always hidden her sorrow with a bright smile, but Clarence knew how immense the pain of losing her home and family was.
While training in the capital, Clarence deeply realized the preciousness of his family and friends back home. However, when he finally returned home after finishing his training—
Everything had already become too late. All that remained were ashes of the burnt ruins of his home and the bones of family, friends, and neighbors. Lost in dreams and honors, he couldn’t protect what truly mattered.
Had Margaret not been the only survivor, had she not remained by his side, Clarence would have surely succumbed to despair. But because he had something precious left, he stood back up.
“But, Captain. You…”
[Monsters beyond imagination roam the earth.]
There was a time when the captain had said something along those lines. Back then, he thought it was merely to scare them, but it wasn’t. He must have known about Togui, which no one else did.
That meant the captain had indeed fought against monsters beyond imagination. That was why he was able to respond so calmly even in the face of a creature wielding demonic strength.
Thinking back, no one knew about Hans’s past. At some point, he simply appeared in the village. What had he gone through in the past? It was unknown.
However, he was by no means a villain.
Because he had seen it. Others might not know, but Clarence knew for sure. He did not deliberately retreat to protect the child behind him; he clashed head-on.
In the same situation, would he have been able to do the same? With Margaret behind him, when he fought that creature called Togui, could he have protected her?
“My eyes were not wrong.”
Against the Evil Female in the past, he had shown overwhelming prowess. From that moment, Clarence had seen the fragments of the Royal Knights. And today, that had turned into a firm conviction.
“The captain is a warrior on par with the Royal Knights.”
[Who are you snickering in front of? Couples die!]
Of course, if Hans had heard that, he would have immediately shot back with all sorts of curses and insults. From Hans’s viewpoint, Clarence’s thoughts were indeed just snickering.
If you take away the Time Stop Ability, he was overwhelmingly weaker than Clarence. At least that’s what he thought. But how could he have a childhood friend beside him?
And they call him a Royal Knights-level warrior? Who are they messing with? It’s like saying, [I pulled this only after ten years; is it good?] and pretending it’s any different!
“I couldn’t do anything.”
Caught in the torrent of emotions, he couldn’t accept the fact that his mentor was disregarded. So he was filled with rage. But the outcome was too horrific. He knelt before overwhelming strength.
If he had been alone at that moment, Helia would surely have perished. Yet ironically, it was his mentor who saved her. He loathed his own powerlessness.
He hated his weakness so much. But more than anything, he felt the bitterness of having done nothing when his mentor was subjected to such outrageous humiliation.
“The sight of you not retreating a single step was… magnificent.”
Just by thinking about it, hot passion flowed from her crimson eyes. It was none other than her mentor. She knew he would have been aware that she was behind him.
But the mentor didn’t back down; he fought. For Helia, to protect herself. Like a prince from a fairy tale. If that’s the case, then she wanted to be the princess from that fairy tale…
“KYAAAH♡”
Just imagining it made her body heat up. But her mind couldn’t help but imagine even more. But could she really be satisfied with that?
Of course, she couldn’t be satisfied.
She didn’t want to always be a burden to her mentor.
Rather than being a princess saved by a knight, she wanted to be a princess who protects the knight.
This wouldn’t do. She couldn’t be content with merely being protected by her mentor. She would get much stronger. When the day comes that she can protect her mentor, then she’ll be able to speak.
The battle between Togui and Hans left many things for the people. Most praised Hans, some felt inferiority, some felt awe, and others realized their own hearts.
And the one who left all that behind, Hans was now…
“That was great, my stomach feels full.”
He was checking his physique in a cabin. The training he had been doing nonstop finally bore fruit. And perhaps because he fought Togui to the extreme three days ago?
Hans noticeably had put on weight. Of course, his belly was still round, but it was no longer that of a middle-aged man. Moreover, he had lost a lot of cheek fat.
“If things go on like this, success in dieting isn’t that far off!
Whatever others might think, he was focused solely on dieting. Because that was the only way to erase the image of the absolutely terrible Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
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