Chapter 99 – The Day Before

“What is certain is that power reinforcement is needed.”

“Is that so? I think we can do it on our own.”

“It was like that until now. But the further you go into the land of the demons, the more powerful you will have to deal with. It will be too late to regret it then.”

“We will become stronger that much. Besides, what more do we need when we have this genius wizard, Serah, with us?”

“Arrogance is a shortcut to failure. If you have any shortcomings, it is right to make up for them while you can. Now may be your last chance.”

“The last time… Isn’t it too solemn? Nadia, I heard you get too serious sometimes.”

“Sera. Rather, you are accepting this expedition too simply. Don’t you know that your attitude is weakening the discipline of our party?”

“True. This isn’t some kind of army…”

“Serra, stop. And Nadia, please don’t criticize me too much and just get to the point. So what’s the conclusion?”

“It’s about getting a new colleague.”

“…”

New colleagues.

From some point on, she started talking about that topic as a habit. Something new is needed. Change must be made. There are so many things we lack today.

It was a true story. It’s just that the cause of that deficiency was herself. The knight, who lived his whole life looking only at the sky, did not know how to look down and did not even notice that his body was rotting.

And so the fuse of destruction was lit once again. Quietly, but quickly and surely. Disaster, as always, came wearing the captivating cloak of the unknown.

“Just look at it yesterday. I didn’t notice the enemy’s ambush, so I pursued it deeply and almost got killed. If there had been just one person in charge of scouting, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“That’s true, but…”

“There are no proper healers there and, crucially, no one who knows much about the land of demons. No matter how genius a magician you are, you cannot fill in all the details. Can you argue, Sarah?”

“Ugh…”

“Luca?”

Nadia, who had easily defeated Sarah with her logic and reason, turned her gaze towards me this time. Her attitude was that if she had anything to say, she would do it, but I, who had treated her as her teacher until then, could not say anything and just silenced her.

Then Ellie opened her mouth instead of me. In addition to being in charge of our party’s chores, she was also our wisest advisor.

“Nadia is right, but she also wonders if that is the best option.”

“What’s that story about, Ellie?”

“To enter the land of demons, of course we need to increase the number of people. However, since the ultimate goal is the demon lord, adding a few mercenaries whose origins are unknown does not seem to make a difference. It would be better to be more certain.”

“What do you want to say?”

“It’s about cooperation with the military.”

Nadia’s eyebrows twitched slightly at her answer. Perhaps it was because she intuitively sensed that a headache-inducing story was about to begin. Although she prided herself on being a capable knight, debate was not her strength.

“Ellie, I think that conversation is already over. The military does not want an all-out war with the demons. In this situation, the only way to kill the demon lord is to surprise him with a few people.”

“I’m not saying to move the entire army right now. Rather than mercenaries whose origins I don’t know, I’m trying to find allies among proven personnel on the front lines. They will certainly have a clear motive to eliminate the Demon King.”

“Don’t you know that they won’t cooperate easily? In their eyes, we are just mercenaries who can’t be trusted.”

“But it’s different if it’s the hero in the prophecy.”

“…”

“And we also have Nadia.”

It was a fair point, but Nadia bit her lip gently. We didn’t know it at the time, but in fact, she had a much more insignificant presence than the empty name of the warrior in the prophecy.

The girl’s innocent innocence tore apart the heart of the knight who was full of deception. Her lips formed a bitter smile as she chewed and swallowed her past. For a warrior drowning in regret, laughing at the past was the only source of entertainment.

“It would be nice if things were that easy. But it’s not that simple, Ellie.”

“In what way? Is there something else we need to know?”

“It’s not like that. It’s just…”

“Just?”

“… By the way, we weren’t listening to the most important person’s opinion. What do you think, Luca?”

You ran away like this. My idol, my teacher, and my one-time dream. I deliberately erased what I said from her memory in order to pay more attention to what she said.

[…

“I see.”

Immediately afterward, Nadia looked this way with a faint smile. I guess she told a story that she felt was quite remarkable.

“You might think so. But you don’t have to shoulder everything, Luca. Even the greatest warrior needs companions.”

“Wait. Does that mean we’re not good enough as colleagues?”

“I had no intention of underestimating you, Sarah. You are a better wizard than anyone else. And Ellie, you too… Help me a lot. But isn’t it clear that you have some shortcomings?”

“For example?”

“It would be good to have more combatants. Priests are also needed. People who are familiar with dealing with demons are also essential.”

“Nadia. I…”

“So I actually chose a few candidates.”

Once again, Ellie tried to refute it, but it was a discussion whose conclusion was decided from the beginning. Nadia was already laying out some of her papers on the table, and Sarah was also giving her attention curiously. In the end, even Ellie reluctantly pulled up her chair.

“First, I think we need one person to handle reconnaissance. It would be better if it was someone who is familiar with a long-range weapon such as a bow or crossbow. But…”

“But?”

“There are very few people who fit the criteria. At most, there are two of them: Laurend and Rick.”

“Wait a minute. I know this guy, Rick. I saw him fighting at the bar because there was some conflict with the previous party. His skills may be okay, but his personality… Doesn’t seem to be the same.”

“I heard that. On the other hand, this person named Laurend is quiet, but he doesn’t have that long of experience. He’s only been active in the land of demons for about two months.”

“Experience and character. You have to choose between the two. Which is better?”

…

We already know the answer.

But they don’t know. There’s a crocodile living in the pond beneath my feet. Without knowing the fact, he is pushing his delicate feet into the pond.

I watched it from behind the hour hand and instinctively moved my lips. But before it could turn into a meaningful whisper, Nadia opened her mouth first.

“Still, it would be better to have someone with experience. It wouldn’t make a difference if we hired more newcomers here. Isn’t that right, Luca?”

[…

“But what if this guy named Rick causes trouble?”

“I am there.”

A fish that struggles even more pitifully because it knows the truth. Nadia smiled fakely in front of him and stepped into the pond. I didn’t want to see her being swallowed, so I raised my hand and covered her voice.

[…

“… Well, if you’re that confident. Then it’s time to select a priest? Who do you think would be better, Eli?”

“Still, there are quite a few candidates for priests. There are some who have war experience.”

“Experienced person is good. Who is it?”

“Here, this person is Vanessa. Even though she has a bit of a disability, she seems like a pretty trustworthy person.”

“But they say I have to use crutches. Wouldn’t that be a bit difficult?”

“It’s not wrong.”

At Sarah’s point, Ellie bit her finger as if thinking for a moment. Then she raised her hand and pointed to the middle of the stack of documents.

“Then what about the other priestesses who worked with that person? They have a lot of experience, and most of all, they all seem like good people.”

“Huh? Now… Wait a minute. A priestess?”

“What do you think, Nadia? I think it would be better for the Lysien Church, especially since they specialize in healing abilities.”

[…

“Yes. The last time I saw them, they all had a good impression. They also had a very nice appearance. So, even more…”

“Wait! Wait a minute, Ellie!”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Sarah?”

“That’s…”

…!

At that moment, the lips of the person who knew the future moved even more violently. You can’t talk about that, Sarah. I know you didn’t mean anything bad, but you still shouldn’t do it.

I wanted to convey that. Of course, that story was never heard by anyone beyond the hour hand.

“No women. It’s okay as long as it’s not a woman, so let’s use someone else.”

“Women can’t do that?”

“Yes! Well… The land of the demons is a rough place. I guess it would be a bit… Difficult for a woman to go there, right?”

[…?]

“I know I’m a woman, Nadia! That’s not what I’m talking about right now! I’m just saying that if I were the priestesses you mentioned, it would be more difficult to adapt. Having a good impression isn’t particularly good, and it’s useless… Even if you have a neat appearance, Luca will just be eye candy…”

“Then the pool of candidates is reduced considerably. If you add the condition of being a member of the Risien Church, it decreases even further.”

“Yeah… That’s right. But there is someone here who is perfect.”

“Who is it?”

“Bobby.”

…

Those two letters, which I thought would no longer hurt, struck my heart sharply. I don’t like Sarah calling his name, so I’ve even shut down her voice.

After that happened, there was only one person left in my mind. A dark-haired girl left alone on an island where all the residents have drowned. The one-act play of the poor dandelion rang out in a monotonous voice.

“… I see. Lastly, it would be good to have one more person who knows the land of the demons inside out. Is there a good candidate?”

[…

“I’ve heard of that name. They say he’s a fairly skilled mercenary. But wouldn’t that cause more problems? He might try to lead our party however he wants, relying only on his skills.”

[…

“Yes. I feel safe with Nadia, but…”

[…

“What do you think, Sarah? Does this person look okay?”

[…]

“Yes. The stronger the person, the more willing he or she can be.”

[…]

“Huh? What are you saying, Nadia?”

…!

My heart is pounding. Even though I couldn’t hear their voices, I know that this moment was the most critical time.

That’s why I shook my head even more fiercely and pounded on the intangible wall. Stop it, Ellie. Stop. Let’s pretend this story never happened.

[…]

“It was said that he was almost comparable to a hero. If Nadia says that, she must be a really strong person.”

[…]

“That’s right, Sera. Maybe I can defeat the Demon King instead of Luca.”

[…]

“… Yes. I know. It was just a joke, Nadia. I have no intention of bringing it up again now.”

[…?]

“So what is the conclusion?”

[…

“I…”

At that moment, Ellie turned her head this way. Of course, it’s not because I can hear my voice. She just wanted to make eye contact with me at that time.

Is it human ignorance or a prank of the gods that causes us to struggle even though we know? Chewing on her tongue with her bloody teeth, she eagerly reaches out for her hand. Don’t do that. Please go back. If you made eye contact with me, tell me to go back to that time.

Because I can listen to anything you say.

Ellie gave me a sad smile as I was hoping so.

“I will abstain.”

And then he whispered in a very low voice.

“For me, as long as Luca doesn’t get hurt, that’s fine.”

“No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

It seemed like he shouted like that.

But I know that that didn’t happen.

All that remained after the worthless monologue was the crumbled afterimage of the dawn.

When I woke up from a dream and opened my eyes, the world was an empty blank page.

The world filled with pure white light was pure white no matter where you looked.

It would have been a crazy sight for an ordinary person, but I actually found peace. I finally lost my sight. It’s okay to not see anything anymore.

But then a hand so warm that it brought tears to my eyes passed by my head. Not only was it warm, but it was so soft that I wanted to entrust my eternity to its touch. The hand that grazed the hair, forehead, and eyebrows one after another finally gently swept over the eyelids. Then the white world shattered, and the original world began to regain its color.

And the only inhabitant of that world was the person I loved more than anyone else.

“Hello. Luca.”

Ellie smiled automatically as the snowbank that was blocking her eyes was swept away. She brushed away the snow all over my face and then warmed my cold hands with her breath.

“Ho… Ho…”

The breath that passed over my face pleasantly smelled like mint, as it always did. She put her newly red hands in her pockets and suddenly smiled mischievously and said,

“Hey handsome oppa.”

“What are you doing here alone?”