“…Do you still remember the promise you made to me three years ago?”
Damien’s words triggered an old memory, one from three years ago.
It was back during the Tutorial Stage, on that day at the Forward Base.
— I promise. If I make it out of here alive, whenever you decide, I’ll let you kill me.
I had made a promise to Damien back then.
He had lost his friend Ban and was engulfed in despair, letting go of everything. To spur him into action, I had pledged to give my life to him someday.
At that time, Damien had harbored deep resentment toward me. He wanted to kill me for sending the troops from the Forward Base, which had led to his friend’s death.
— Someday, after all the monsters are defeated and peace returns to this frontline, Your Highness. Ask me again then.
— I’ll tell you if I still… hate you.
After that, Damien became my ally, and the fulfillment of that promise was postponed until after the war with the monsters.And now, three years later…
With all the nightmares vanquished and peace restored to the frontlines, Damien was finally asking for that promise to be fulfilled.
“…Of course, I remember.”
And I…
I nodded without hesitation.
“If that’s what you want, I’m ready to die for you.”
Three years ago, at the Forward Base on that day…
If Damien hadn’t taken the shot and killed the Queen Spider, I would have died there.
Without Damien, I would never have made it through these three years. My conquest would have ended in failure long ago.
Damien was the trigger that set my journey in motion and launched the first shot… He was my trigger.
“You were the reason I made it this far. The promise we made that day still stands.”
Smiling faintly, I asked the young man standing behind me,
“But what about you, Damien? Does the hatred you felt for me three years ago still remain?”
“…”
“Do you still… want to kill me?”
A long silence followed before Damien finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
“…To be honest, I’d almost forgotten about it. The hatred I had for you, that promise…”
His voice wavered.
“But with the disbandment ceremony today, as I was thinking about the path ahead… that promise came back to me.”
“…”
“And I realized I couldn’t just bury it and pretend it never existed.”
I listened quietly to Damien’s words as he continued.
“I still can’t forget Ban’s death. I’ll probably remember that boy’s final moments for the rest of my life—the boy who died in my place.”
“…”
“But at the same time… I remember Ban’s life.”
There was a warmth returning to Damien’s voice, which had been heavy with sadness.
“The boy who led me out of the orphanage, who showed me the sunrise from the mountaintop, who fought fiercely for his life… I remember his life.”
“…”
“Not to focus on death, but on life—not to dwell on despair, but on hope… You taught me that, Your Highness, like the two sides of a coin, that dawn always follows a nightmare.”
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, before speaking again with conviction.
“The days I spent on this monster-infested frontline left me with wounds that will never fully heal, but they were also the most radiant memories of my life. Painful, but precious moments.”
“…”
“So, I’ve come to a conclusion.”
I listened to his voice, which now carried a newfound strength and resolve…
“I no longer want to hate… that version of myself from back then.”
Closing my eyes tightly, I heard Damien’s voice, now tinged with emotion, continue,
“I want to acknowledge it and accept it.”
…I still dream about that day.
The thousands of corpses lined up on either side of the flickering blue sacred flame.
That scene from the Forward Base, which had always weighed on me like a debt.
Every time someone fell under my banner, the image of that day would flash back into my mind.
“So please, Your Highness.”
The past three years, burdened with guilt over the lives I couldn’t save.
“Don’t hate the person you were back then anymore.”
Could I finally stop hating the person I was then?
Could I finally acknowledge and accept that version of myself as he was?
“…That’s my conclusion.”
It suddenly hit me.
That my marksman, until the very end…
Was someone who wanted to heal the wounds of others.
Not only his own wounds from that day, when guilt left its scar, but also my wounds—he was trying to heal them too.
“…Thank you, Damien.”
Damien would never forget Ban.
And I would never forget the funeral from that day.
But maybe we could carry these scars forward as we move on with our lives.
That’s what I wanted to believe.
“Huuh…”
I let out a long, relieved sigh before carefully asking Damien,
“Uh, Damien.”
“Yes?”
“Could you maybe… put down whatever it is you have pressed against the back of my neck? It’s really terrifying…”
Something cold and hard was still pressing into the back of my neck.
I mean, if you’re not going to kill me, could you just take this thing away already? It’s seriously scary! Having something like this against your neck would make any normal person faint from fear!
“What? Your Highness, I haven’t pointed a gun at you…”
“Huh? Then what is this?”
Puzzled, I turned to look behind me.
And there, I met the gaze of a yellowish, reptilian eye.
A gray-scaled snake with a long, flickering tongue.
It was Jörmungandr…
The snake was coiled around Damien’s neck like a scarf, its head extended to poke and prod the back of my neck.
“Waaaah?!”
Startled, I jumped back.
“Why is it here?!”
“Well, when I told it I was going on a journey, it wanted to come along.”
“A journey?”
“Yes.”
Finally, I was able to face Damien properly.
He was completely unarmed, wearing a warm-looking coat with a thick scarf… or rather, a snake draped around his neck.
His hands were empty.
He had never intended to kill me.
Damien glanced south, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
“I’ve seen the end of the south. Now, I want to see the ends of the north, east, and west.”
“…”
“It was Ban’s promise to explore the ends of the world, after all.”
And Jörmungandr, who also wanted to go north, would accompany him on his journey to the far north.
As an adventurer, setting off toward a new horizon, Damien smiled gently.
I watched him for a moment before speaking up,
“Damien.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Let’s make a new promise.”
I extended my hand.
“When your journey is over, come find me.”
“…”
“And tell me what you saw at the end of the world and how it made you feel.”
“…I will, Your Highness.”
Damien reached out and clasped my hand.
“Promise.”
We shook hands slowly.
“It was an honor to accompany you on your journey, Your Highness.”
“I’m really, truly… so glad you were there, Damien. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am.”
His hand, covered in burns, blisters, and calluses, was the hand of a sniper.
And at the same time, the hand of a healer.
As we held on, the remnants of the past three years lingered in that grip, and I didn’t want to let go.
Eventually, we released our grip.
With one last respectful bow, Damien took a few steps back, only to stop abruptly…
“…”
He turned back to look at me, his gaze piercing.
Then, with his thumb and index finger forming a gun shape, he pointed at me with his index finger.
As if mimicking the gesture of aiming a gun.
And then…
He smiled peacefully.
Damien raised his hand slowly, pointing his finger at the distant sky.
“Bang.”
He mimicked shooting toward the sky.
At the same time,
Boom!
A celebratory shot rang out from the nearby temple.
Following that, the sound of a large bell echoed through the air.
Ding… Ding… Ding…
Startled by the sounds of gunfire and bells, birds took flight en masse.
All kinds of birds, perched on the rooftops and stone walls of the alley, flapped their wings, creating a picturesque scene as they soared into the sky.
Amidst the flurry of wings, Damien smiled one last time and nodded at me before turning away.
“Goodbye, Damien.”
I whispered to the departing figure of my trigger.
“May you have another amazing journey.”
I, too, turned around and took a step forward.
No longer bound by past wounds, each of us heading toward our new paths.
Leaving the shadows of the alley, stepping into the bright sunlight that bathed the plaza…
And beyond.
When I arrived at the temple, the service had just concluded. The celebratory shots and bells must have signaled the end of the ceremony.
“Since this is High Priestess Rosetta’s final service here, it’s more crowded than usual.”
“Ah, I see. It’s not every day you get to witness a service led by the High Priestess herself.”
As always, I stood alongside Torkel, who was stationed at the temple entrance, and we chatted for a bit.
“So, what’s next for you, Torkel?”
“Thankfully, I’ve received many offers.”
Torkel scratched his helmet with a hint of embarrassment.
“I’ve been scouted by several well-known mercenary companies, and even a few kings have offered me knighthood.”
“Knighthood? Wow, that’s impressive.”
It seemed that several kings were impressed by Torkel’s diligent and dedicated attitude, as well as his willingness to sacrifice himself for the tasks assigned to him. Many countries were vying to recruit him…
“Lady Evangeline… I mean, the Cross Margrave also offered me the position of Captain of the Crossroad Infantry.”
“This is turning into a heated off-season recruitment battle…”
But I couldn’t afford to let him go. Torkel was someone I had my eye on as well. I’d do whatever it took to bring him to Bringar Duchy!
Just as I was about to make my offer, Torkel spoke up first.
“But first, I think I’d like to rest for a while… and visit my home island.”
“Oh. Your home island?”
“Yes. The island where people like me, those with leprosy, once lived.”
There was a far-off look in Torkel’s eyes as he spoke.
“I haven’t returned since I left, but I’ve realized something during my time here in Crossroad. That island, too, was always a place bathed in sunlight, just like Crossroad.”
“…”
“So… I’m thinking of returning home with my hands full of gifts and reflecting on my future there.”
I grinned and patted Torkel on the back.
“That’s a great idea, Torkel. You’ve worked hard, so take some time to rest.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And when you’re done resting, make sure to get in touch with me…”
Before I could finish making my pitch for next season’s contract, a voice interrupted.
“Torkel!”
I turned to see who it was, and sure enough, it was a group of priests emerging from the temple. Leading them was none other than High Priestess Rosetta, wearing her trademark gentle yet intimidating smile.
“Oh, Your Highness, you’re here as well.”
“Rosetta.”
“Apologies, but may I speak with Torkel first? Thank you.”
With that, Rosetta smoothly positioned herself between Torkel and me.
My eyebrow twitched. No way, Rosetta, you too…?
“I’ll get straight to the point. Torkel, have you considered becoming a priest?”
So you’re a scout too-!
She must have noticed my interest in recruiting Torkel, so she blocked me and made her offer first! This cunning priestess!
–TL Notes–
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