Re-Estize, Gazef's Home.
As the Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef's home was undoubtedly much smaller compared to the manors where the nobles lived.
It was a house located outside the busy district, and rather than calling it a manor or a mansion, it was more like the house of an upper-middle-class citizen.
"Oh, is this where you live, Stronoff?"
Gagaran looked at the house in front of her, feeling a little surprised, then turned to Gazef.
"How should I put it... It's completely different from what I imagined."
It went without saying that Gagaran had expected Gazef's house to be bigger and more luxurious—at the very least, not any less impressive than a noble's manor.
"My house is just me and an elderly couple who help out—only three people in total. A place like that would be a waste for us." Gazef calmly shook his head. "I also can't get used to living in something too fancy, maybe because I'm originally from a commoner background. Well, a lot of nobles like to mock me for it."
"I think it's great here! It feels like home!" Climb said seriously.
"Nah, no need. We're not here as guests, just here to stir things up." Gagaran waved her hand nonchalantly. "Still, I really can't believe it... Brain Unglaus actually lost his spirit and ended up being helped by his own opponent..."
"Ms. Gagaran, have you met Lord Unglaus?" Climb asked curiously.
"Well, I've seen him..." Gagaran shrugged casually. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I was at the kingdom's tournament too, y'know. It's just that I got completely beaten down by Sir Warrior Captain."
Gazef smiled wryly at the mention, but Gagaran didn't seem to care about his feelings as she sank into her memories and kept speaking.
"I never spoke to Brain Unglaus, but I saw the tournament's final with my own eyes. I watched the duel between him and Stronoff."
"At that time, Brain Unglaus was already an incredibly skilled swordsman—probably the only one in the tournament who could truly threaten Stronoff."
"Even though it's not great to say it to your face, Stronoff, I believe that in terms of talent as a swordsman, Brain Unglaus is ahead of you."
Gagaran's statement made everyone turn to look at Gazef, who remained silent, not denying it.
He obviously agreed that, in terms of pure talent, he couldn't compare to Brain. It was not without reason that Brain was known as a genius swordsman, as his talent had earned him widespread recognition.
"I remembered that even after losing to Stronoff, that guy didn't show the slightest hint of discouragement or any sign of giving up—he just looked at Stronoff with eyes full of intense fighting spirit." Gagaran continued, her face scrunched in a frown. "That's why it's so hard to believe that a guy like him has fallen now."
Needless to say, this was the reason Gagaran had come along, clearly wanting to see with her own eyes what had become of Brain Unglaus.
Evileye, on the other hand, seemed uninterested, just quietly following along without saying a word, and didn't seem to care at all about Brain's current condition. Instead, she seemed more focused on Riezel, watching his back intently, though it was unclear what she was thinking.
As for Riezel, he ultimately agreed to Gazef's request to check on Brain's condition.
He was simply curious if Brain's current condition was due to the same reason as in the original work, or if it was due to something else.
"Let's just ask him directly. We'll know what happened then."
Saying this, Riezel took the first step toward Gazef's house, leaving everyone behind.
Glancing at each other, everyone then quickly followed suit, entering the house under Gazef's lead.
===
Even though Gazef's house wasn't big, it still had a courtyard dedicated to his sword practice.
It was small, with no flowers, plants, or trees, while in one corner, a few unsharpened swords for practice were neatly arranged, showing their usual purpose clearly.
"Look, he's over there."
Gazef led everyone into the courtyard and pointed toward the corner.
Over there, a scruffy-looking man was holding a sword, huddled in the corner of the wall, staring blankly at the practice swords across from him, lost in thought.
"Damn, he looks horrible..."
Gagaran made this comment as soon as she saw the man known as Brain Unglaus.
"I-Is that the genius swordsman who could go toe-to-toe with Lord Stronoff, like in the rumors?" Climb asked incredulously.
"Looks like he really ran into monsters." Evileye remarked, her brow furrowing slightly beneath her mask.
Everyone immediately saw how helpless Brain had become, looking like a stray dog. It was impossible to connect him to the genius swordsman who had once fought Gazef to a standstill.
Even Riezel, who knew the original work, seemed quite surprised by Brain's condition.
'He looks even worse than he did in the original work...' Riezel pondered, stroking his chin. 'I'm curious... what did he go through?'
In the next moment, Riezel glanced at Gazef, exchanging a knowing look.
Understanding Riezel's meaning, Gazef immediately stepped forward, entering the courtyard with everyone following him from behind.
Soon, Gazef, with everyone behind him, reached Brain's side.
"You're still here, Unglaus."
Gazef looked down at Brain, who was huddled in the corner of the wall, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Didn't I tell you to sleep after you ate and bathed?"
Gazef's question finally brought a slight reaction from Brain.
"I can't sleep..." Brain replied in a hoarse voice. "Every time I close my eyes, I can't help but remember everything I saw that day... It's like it's right in front of me... There's no way I can sleep..."
Surprisingly, his voice was not only hoarse but also weak, giving off the impression of a dying man leaving his final words.
"What the heck... is he really Brain Unglaus?" Gagaran couldn't help but speak up, her voice filled with disbelief.
Hearing her words, Brain turned his gaze toward her.
"Who are you...?"
Despite seeing a huge, muscular female warrior in front of him, someone who could easily crush him, there was no sign of surprise on Brain's face, and his voice still carried no strength.
"I'm Gagaran!" Gagaran snapped, clearly irritated. "I'm a warrior from the Adamantite Adventurer Group, Blue Roses. Remember that, Brain Unglaus!"
Unfortunately, the only response she got from Brain was a sneer, as though he found it all amusing.
"Adamantite Adventurer? Heh..." Brain mocked without thinking. "I can't believe you can say something like that so confidently."
"What the fuck did you say?!" Gagaran's eyes practically shot fire, as if she had been insulted.
"Nothing, just giving you a bit of advice..."
Brain spoke weakly, truly looking like a dying man.
"Even the highest-ranked Adamantite Adventurer is, in the end, just a human—a weak, powerless human. You might've put in a lot of effort and trained hard to reach this level, but sadly, I gotta tell you, all of that is useless."
"As soon as you encounter a real monster, a real powerhouse, a human like you will be trampled no matter what. In the future, don't go around confidently bragging about your status. It's for your own good."
Such depressing words, which sounded less like giving up and more like complete despair, made Gagaran extremely furious.
"How dare you say that, you damn asshole?! Can you even call yourself a man?!"
Gagaran grabbed Brain by the collar and yanked him right in front of her, shouting angrily.
Brain, however, did not attempt to resist, simply staring at Gagaran with blank eyes.
Such a stare made Gagaran's anger dissipate without her realizing it.
"Tch..."
Gagaran clicked her tongue, then let go of Brain, dropping him.
"Give up. He's beyond saving."
She immediately gave a harsh assessment, not holding back at all.
"Seriously, his heart's completely dead. Saying he's fallen apart might actually be too kind. Someone like him can't be called a swordsman or a warrior anymore. He's nothing more than a walking corpse, so the best thing to do would be to leave him to rot."
Even though Gagaran continued to criticize him relentlessly, Brain didn't show the slightest emotional reaction.
"How can…" Climb muttered, feeling sorry for Brain.
"Mental trauma, huh? Well, that's such a human thing to have." Evileye remarked, though it wasn't clear whether she was mocking or feeling sympathy.
All three of them were thoroughly disappointed with Brain's current condition, and if anything, they even felt pity for him, which showed how serious his condition was.
"Sir Brynhart..."
Gazef could only turn to Riezel for help.
Riezel, who had been silently watching Brain from the side, showed a thoughtful expression when Gazef called his name.
A moment later, Riezel's gaze fixed on the sword Brain was holding in his hand.
Like someone desperately clinging to their last thread of hope, Brain was gripping the sword with all his might—anyone could clearly feel the struggle in his heart.
Realizing this, Riezel's eyes flickered slightly.
*Schwing!*
Riezel suddenly drew his sword.
""!!!""
In that instant, Gazef, Gagaran, Evileye, Climb, and even Brain had their expressions change drastically.
As soon as Riezel drew his sword, an overwhelming sense of deadly danger and terror instantly erupted in everyone's heart.
At this moment, the entire courtyard suddenly became a battlefield, filled with deadly pressure.