Anyway, Hans successfully joined Cluna and Clara. He let out a sigh of relief about that. But still, it couldn’t be helped that he was worried after causing such a mess.
Time said something about transcending oneself, but what could that possibly mean? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out. But even so, nothing could change. Now that he had come this far, he had no choice but to move forward…
Clara was resting her head weakly on Hans’s shoulder. Hans didn’t push her away. Clara’s condition wasn’t great. After all, she had just died and come back to life.
Hans quietly raised his hand and gently stroked Clara’s hair. Perhaps feeling his touch, Clara’s stiff expression softened. Cluna smiled and said.
“Clara seems to be settling down now.”
“That’s good.”
“But Commander, about that power from earlier…”
“……”
Hans raised his index finger to his lips. It meant secret. Cluna understood perfectly with just that one gesture. She didn’t know what had happened, but the Commander was still the Commander.
He was someone they could only trust and follow. Cluna nodded and started a fire. Maybe because she was an Elf, the fruits and herbs she brought tasted surprisingly good.
But they didn’t look very appetizing at all. So, she had avoided them entirely. Who would have thought they would taste this good? What was all the hardship I went through until now? Hans said.
“It’s quite delicious.”
“And it’s not lacking in nutritional value either.”
“……What happened during that time?”
Hans met Cluna’s eyes. His gaze showed a mix of relief and slight distrust. The situation was a bit ambiguous, but right now, things were not too good for Hans and the others.
However, he didn’t want to talk about it right away. Before that, he wanted to hear from them how they had been living. Cluna sighed and said.
“Every day was Hell.”
Cluna’s words were no exaggeration at all. After Hans vanished, the Royal Knights fell apart. But the biggest reason for their collapse was the infighting among themselves.
After Hans, their centerpiece, disappeared, their suppressed anxiety and fear amplified. It made them irritable with each other. But even that wasn’t a serious problem.
The biggest issue was the next steps for the Royal Knights. Everyone doubted the Commander’s death, but their next steps were all different. Cluna and Clara chose revenge.
“We were going to attack the Demons for revenge. But Maquenis stopped us.”
“That’s a relief.”
Hans’s sincere words slipped out. If Maquenis hadn’t stopped them, Clara could have died before Hans even arrived, making things irretrievable.
But somehow, the mother and daughter managed to escape and move into Demon territory. Perhaps they even wished to die along the way.
Their hands stained with the blood of countless Demons every day. They took countless lives. And today, they moved to take the life of the Blood Demon. Cluna bit her lip.
“I didn’t think it would come to this.”
“……”
If the Commander hadn’t arrived on time. Then Cluna would have lost her family again. The thought terrified her. Her body shook with fear.
Hans clenched his eyes shut. At first, he intended to speak coldly. Because the mistakes had to be addressed. But, given the current situation, it was true that his heart was softening.
Ultimately, Hans sighed and looked at Cluna. Then, he pointed with his finger at his knee. Cluna, taken aback by the unexpected action, asked again.
“What?”
“Lie down.”
“That is…”
“A storm always comes unexpectedly.”
The storm that sweeps nature always arrives suddenly. Each time, they struggle to cope with it, going through a lot of trouble. When the typhoon finally calms down, they look at the ruins left behind.
Looking at their hometown, home, and foundations swept away and turned into chaos makes one want to give up. But at times like that, they must gather their mental strength and continue to move forward.
Even so…
A brief rest should be okay.
After all, these kids have suffered a lot.
Cluna hesitated for a moment, but she didn’t refuse. She finally approached Hans and lay down with his knee as a pillow. Just like a little child. Hans quietly closed his eyes and said.
“You’ve worked hard until now.”
There were still many things left to say.
But for now, let’s rest.
*
It felt like living in darkness.
Under the sky where the sun had vanished, experiencing the feeling of nature drying up. She never thought she would feel this way. What had gone wrong? Her complacency had caused troubles once more.
If Clara pointed the Arrow of Anger at the Demons, Cluna turned it towards herself. If only she had been a bit more thorough. If only she had supported more certainly. Such an occurrence would never have happened.
The guilt soon became a worm gnawing at her heart. She couldn’t help but blame herself. Yet, she still couldn’t die. Because her daughter was still alive.
In a way, she was a failure as a parent. She should have been more cold-hearted, urging her daughter and giving direction. But it was too difficult; she couldn’t do that. She merely pushed along, riding on her daughter’s anger.
And this was the result. Cluna once again saw her own flesh and blood die before her eyes. It felt like the sky was collapsing, but surprisingly, the shock wasn’t as great as she expected.
Why was that?
Now, only two treasures remained.
Everyone else had left.
Ah, I see. It’s not that nothing matters. It’s that she was already broken and can’t change anymore. Just then, as Cluna stood in despair, staring blankly at the sky.
A familiar face appeared before her eyes. The man with familiar black hair who had suddenly disappeared three years ago, with a short beard all over his face. The name that couldn’t possibly be, Cluna uttered.
“Commander…?”
“Later.”
Am I seeing a vision? Or did I also die, and the Commander came to greet me? Cluna’s futile fantasy was put to shame as the Commander reassured her with his dependable voice, just like always.
Then, a light appeared. That brilliant light was warm and intense, like that of the World Tree. Finally coming to her senses, she saw her lifeless daughter opening her eyes wide.
In that moment, Cluna felt herself waking up from a terrible nightmare. Her shoulders no longer felt heavy. She felt no fear of falling back asleep. Finally, Cluna opened her eyes once more.
Suddenly sensing a chilling cold, her body trembled from the cold. When Cluna opened her eyes, she saw Hans peering outside the entrance of the cave.
Cluna shifted her gaze to the side. Certainly, Clara, who should have died once, was now sleeping against the cave wall. Cluna let out a sigh of relief, but she still felt a slight worry.
“Can I really indulge in you like this?”
Three years. A moment so brief for an Elf. Yet, Cluna felt that time stretched endlessly. Every single day, she hadn’t had a moment without regret. If only, once again…
If the Commander returned, she swore she would never lose again. Despite having resolved this many times, having the Commander right there made her resolve waver.
“Commander, what are you looking at like that?”
However, her mouth had already moved first. She felt as though Hans would suddenly disappear if she stayed silent like this. In her pitifully ringing voice, Hans turned back.
“Awake?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
“If that’s the case… excuse me, could you please hold me again?”
It was cold. So cold, she felt like she might freeze. Perhaps that was why she sought warmth. Or maybe… was she afraid this warm light might vanish? Even Cluna couldn’t tell.
But Hans, complying with her request, silently embraced her warm body. Cluna closed her eyes once more. Her breathing calmed down again. Like a baby lying in a cradle.
“Damn, my thighs are sore from sneaking out for a moment. Did they really catch me?”
Even so, lending shoulders and legs to two people was too much of a stretch. Thanks to that, blood circulation had been cut off, making it tough on Hans, who was secretly trying to stretch out beside them.
Eventually, he was caught and ended up in this situation again.
No matter how much Hans went through, he was still Hans.
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