I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc5] - 18. Sin of Pride

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"Ohhh… So dizzy. Isn't a headbutt supposed to be like that? I headbutted someone, and yet I can still laugh 'haha' afterwards."

Cyd staggered forward like he was half-drunk, the dizziness making him helplessly pat his own head. Even under the sun, this dizziness had lasted so long. Without the blessing, he would probably have passed out on the spot.

"I wish I could crawl. It'd be so much easier."

Cyd walked in the direction Escanor had flown off, feeling more and more uneasy as he saw the traces left behind by Escanor's path.

"He's not dead, is he…? Escanor!"

Initially planning to stroll over leisurely, Cyd broke into a run, leaping over the mountain that was almost split in two. Finally, he found Escanor, who had returned to a somewhat normal size, lying in a crater-like hole.

Though his body size had returned to normal, the bump on his head was still unusually large.

"Phew, that's a relief." Cyd walked over to Escanor and patted his face. "Hey, wake up. The minute is over. You've already lost."

"Lost?" Escanor opened his eyes with difficulty. "I… lost?"

"Yes. It's fine to tell you now—my power is tied to the time the sun is out. I haven't even reached my strongest moment yet."

"I see… I'm not alone after all."

The proud man shed tears, like a lone wolf filled with contradictions—ferocious and disdainful during the day, but curling up in a corner at night, trembling from loneliness.

Though his appearance remained the same, his immense power left him unable to find any sense of belonging.

Now, perhaps he could finally lift his head high and tell that person…

"Though it's arrogant of me, I want to ask you…"

"You want to find the person who 'saved' you, right?" Cyd sat on Escanor's massive chest, crossed his legs, and yawned. "Relax. We've got a very capable magician on our side. If it's her…"

"She's not just 'capable'; she's truly remarkable."

Merlin suddenly appeared in front of Cyd, holding a flask as if she had just left an experiment. Cyd had every reason to suspect she'd been monitoring him all along.

"Well, let's hear the new member's recruitment conditions."

Escanor suddenly fell silent. Cyd tilted his head and saw Escanor staring blankly at Merlin.

"Though Merlin's outfit is a bit… breezy, you can't just stare like that. Or do you prefer taller women?"

"Miss Merlin… it's not about that…" Escanor suddenly smiled softly, as if his long-held tension had finally eased, and then he passed out.

"Hey! You just passed out! How am I supposed to explain this to the person you wanted to find when I carry you there?"

Cyd grabbed Escanor's shoulders and shook him hard, but Escanor was already out cold.

"Vice Captain, I did some investigating on this person. Look."

Merlin pulled out a parchment from her chest and handed it to Cyd. After hesitating for a moment, he accepted it. Besides being a little warm, it seemed ordinary.

"Let's see… You call this a little investigation?" Cyd had expected just to learn Escanor's identity, but Merlin had given him something akin to a full life resume.

"Please call it thorough. I take every task seriously."

"So this guy was a prince, huh? Though his country is gone now… So the person he's looking for…"

Cyd's grip on the parchment tightened.

"Died many years ago. A maid named Rosa betrayed her country to protect Escanor, a prince feared by all."

"So, there's no way to find her?"

"Not necessarily. Escanor just wants to see that maid again, and there are ways in this world to meet the dead."

Cyd's eyes darkened. If only there were a chance…

"Oh my, it seems the Vice Captain has someone they want to meet too. I can tell you the method," Merlin said, showing a curious smile.

"A strong longing for the dead can guide you to the city of the dead, but you might end up unconscious."

"I'll pass. Who knows what you'd do to me while I'm unconscious." Cyd waved his hand, rejecting Merlin's definitely self-interested proposal. He turned away to hide his expression from her.

"So Escanor went to meet that person?"

"That's right. He's probably crying his eyes out in front of her right now."

"Not necessarily." Cyd hoisted Escanor onto his shoulders and patted his head with a grin. "This guy is our [Pride], after all."

"Escanor, you are the sun. We agreed that one day you will surpass that one-minute limit and be proud of it."

...

"Huh?" The shrunken Escanor lifted his head as if he'd sensed something. "Ah… I feel like someone's calling me. Is that Mr. Cyd's voice?"

Not only had Escanor's body shrunk, but so had his strength and spirit.

Terrifyingly strong by day, incredibly weak by night—this was Escanor, the Sin of Pride, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"But where is this place? There's no such place in Liones."

Huge pillars like mountain ranges filled his view. The place could only be described as a spectacle, and if it existed, it should have been famous.

"Young master Escanor, I've been waiting for you."

A gentle voice called out behind Escanor, belonging to the one who had once saved him, who now supported him, and also caused him much pain.

"This voice… Is that Rosa?"

He couldn't possibly forget—the one who had hidden him in the wooden box, the only person who had ever been kind to him.

"It's me, young master. Turn around so I can see you."

You must be disappointed seeing me like this, right?

He wanted to say that, but the throbbing pain in his forehead seemed to forbid him from showing weakness.

Ah… Mr. Cyd, please go easier next time.

Escanor exhaled lightly and turned around to face the owner of the voice. She looked at him with the same gentle expression as before. Perhaps because he had never changed, she still appeared as she had in the past.

"Sorry, Rosa. I must've caused you so much worry."

"No, I was happy to be by your side, young master."

"Is that so? Well, I can't help that. But you no longer need to stay with me here."

Escanor smiled confidently, pointing his finger towards the sky. "I'm no longer alone. I'll move forward, so you can rest easy and leave."

"Is that really the case, young master?"

"Yes, of course. I promise I'll live this life you saved to the fullest."

Though he said it with his mouth, tears were already streaming down Escanor's face. How could he bear her leaving? But if he remained weak like this, neither of them would have a future. Saying goodbye to his past self—that was his [Pride].

"You really are arrogant, young master. But I'm so happy you've made friends. However…"

A pair of arms wrapped around Escanor from behind.

"Please allow me to stay with you a little longer. Please allow me this small indulgence."

"Mm." Escanor nodded heavily, wiping away his tears with force.

Those pure white arms turned into starlight and disappeared, but Escanor gripped his fists as if he hadn't noticed.

"Rosa, I swear, this life I almost gave up on will one day be dedicated to my dearest friends!"

"Oh no, dedicating it to Mr. Cyd seems a bit much," Escanor suddenly muttered, his momentum fading as he scratched his head with a small chuckle, taking steady steps toward the brightening exit.

"I really am [Pride]."

From that moment on, he shed his lonely solitude and embraced the proud isolation, continuing to live with [Pride]!

This is the Sin of Pride.