NOVEL NEXT Chapter 83.2
Stage 3-16. Carrying Hope
“Answer me, Captain! Did you really kill our comrades?!”
“…”
“Gah!”
She responded with a kick to my stomach, sending me tumbling backward.
I quickly got to my feet, gritting my teeth as I faced her.
“So… that’s your answer.”
The way she looked at me made it clear—she intended to kill me just as she had the others.
It was I who had to make a choice.
She was no longer the Lilishane Spride we had idolized.
I adjusted my stance and prepared to face the monster standing before me.
“I have no choice.”
There was no room for hesitation. To prevent further losses, I had to stop her here and now.
If our positions were reversed, she would have made the same decision.
I couldn’t allow anyone else’s memories of her to be tarnished.
If someone had to bear this burden, it would be me.
With a deep breath, I steadied my grip and lowered my blade, adopting a stance focused solely on countering.
This wasn’t a stance I’d normally use. But against a monster devoid of reason…
“Don’t you dare call yourself Lilishane Spride.”
This would work. Against a mindless beast, this stance would hit its mark.
“Come at me!”
“…”
Her speed and strength were undeniable, but her attacks were nothing more than brute force.
There was no technique, no finesse.
“—[Hornet’s Sting]!”
I waited until the last possible moment to sidestep her headlong slash, slipping inside her guard.
Her blade barely grazed my shoulder as I thrust my sword with precision into her chest.
“Ahhhhh!”
The sensation of piercing flesh and bone was all too familiar.
The seconds it took to withdraw my sword felt like an eternity of agony.
Her sword fell to the ground with a clatter as her strength left her.
Captain Lily collapsed, crumpling like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
“Haa… haa…”
“…Chris.”
“?! Captain Lily!”
When I rushed to her side, her faint, fragile voice called my name.
Her eyes, back to their former brilliance, looked at me.
There was no doubt—this was the person I had loved and respected.
“See…? I told you, didn’t I? That you’d surpass me someday.”
“Don’t speak! I’ll stop the bleeding… Someone! Anyone who can heal, come here now!”
“Promise me… Remember? My sword… it’s yours now…”
She clasped my hand and pressed it against the scabbard at her side.
It was her beloved sword, the essence of her knighthood.
Even amidst the bloodshed, she hadn’t drawn it.
“I haven’t surpassed you! Not even once! That sword still belongs to you!”
I used my coat to try to stem the bleeding, desperately pressing against the wound.
Her hand rested lightly on my head, motionless and cold.
It was then that I understood the inevitable truth.
“Chris… One last thing… My… desk… underside…”
Her voice faded into a whisper, barely audible.
“…Thank… you, Chris. I’m glad… it was you…”
“Captain? Captain…!”
No response. Her eyes lost their light once more.
Her death was ruled a heroic sacrifice against a monster, and the truth of her final actions was never revealed.
As her successor, I inherited her position as Captain.
But the weight of that title felt hollow.
Sitting at her desk, I buried my head in my arms, hoping in vain for her comforting touch.
“Captain Lily…”
Tomorrow, everything in this room would be removed. Her very existence was being erased, leaving only her sword at my side.
But then, her last words resurfaced in my mind.
“My desk… underside…”
Turning the desk over, I found a hidden compartment filled with documents detailing the crimes of corrupt nobles.
At the top of the list: Juke Andraus, the one evil she couldn’t defeat.
Holding the papers close, I made a silent vow.
“I’ll avenge you, Captain.”
Her final act gave me a reason to live.