Only the Party Members Returned, Not the Hero

38. Prayer of the Apostate (2)

38.

Kaang-

The iron resonating inside the carriage and the sound of iron sparking.

It was a simple swordsmanship that did not use mana.

Perhaps Flevor noticed that there was no mana in it, he lightly blocked my sword by unleashing the sword halfway diagonally.

A moment of confrontation and silence.

I was the first to speak.

“It’s good, isn’t it? Flavor.”

“…What’s good about it?”

“If I had raised the prayer of the goddess, there might have been a knife mark on her face right now.”

“It doesn’t matter if I cut off my head. As long as the world can welcome a full-fledged warrior with that level of sacrifice.”

Flavor said that, looking at me with an unsurprised look.

What pisses me off is that his words feel like he’s sincere, not bluff.

Kagagak-

Swords rub against each other and make a clicking sound.

Flevor tried to push my sword down with force, but the sword was not so carelessly trained that it could be pushed lightly.

Only then does he show an interesting look.

“You seem to be more skilled than before, Hero Ellen.”

“It’s difficult to live thanks to someone.”

“Sorry, I’m trying to help the hero.”

Tak.

Flevor soldered his sword, and since I had no intention of killing him here, I lowered the blade.

His gaze lands on my old sword.

“Are you still using the sword you used back then?”

“The only thing that is good to me is this sword.”

Even though he openly drew his sword in front of the head of the Royal Knights, the surroundings were quiet.

When I tried to attack him a few years ago, I failed because the knights thrust their spears into my throat as soon as I grabbed the handle of the sword.

Now there’s a fairly loud knife sound, but there’s no response.

“I told the knights not to interfere.”

As if he had read my gaze, he said that in an awkward tone, and Flavor stood up from his seat.

The half-split table just then collapses on its side with a squeaking sound.

“Oh, that was an expensive table.”

Taktak.

After tapping the cut side of the table several times, Flavor points to the carriage door with one arm.

I meant to stop now.

I got out of the wagon without a word, and the knights who looked at me once started to lead the wagon.

The place they are heading to will be the home of the Caucasus.

It was where I had to go until dawn tomorrow.

***

Swords collide and red mana bursts out like flames.

The training ground at Ergenuke Castle was almost the same as in the past when Tania first held the sword.

I wonder if the only thing that has changed is the height of Tania and Elise.

Tania dreamed of reviving her family here, dreaming of becoming a hero, and dreaming of becoming a swordsman.

Until the anchor’s ban was expressed in her blood.

The day after her 18th birthday, she recklessly went to the bedroom of the hero, Ellen.

Ellen told her Tania to leave, saying she was crazy, but seeing her face covered with her tears, she couldn’t bear to push her away.

Tania spoke to Ellen in a hushed voice.

Ask for a birthday present.

You took everything from me, so you should give me something too.

Seeing Tania talking incomprehensibly, Ellen could have just shut the door.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and put it in her hand.

And I told the professor to go before he gets caught.

The door closed quietly, and Tania looked down at her handkerchief clutched in her own hand.

The figure of Ellen, who had suffered so much insult and contempt, did not lose her humanity to the point of frustration.

She looked even more shabby because she looked like a white handkerchief even with hazy eyesight.

I already did everything I couldn’t do.

“Tania.”

Elise’s voice woke Tania from her thoughts.

It was her voice calling cautiously to her as she stood blankly for a long time with her sword in one of her hands.

“… Yes, sister.”

“If you are tired, you can go and rest now. Tomorrow is the subjugation battle, so I have to conserve my stamina.”

“Ah, it’s already time like this.”

After the early evening, the night has truly arrived.

The subjugation war planned right after the return is just around the corner.

“The swordsmanship has changed a little. My little brother.”

Elise said as she stood her practice sword in the corner of the training room.

Elise remembered Tania’s swordsmanship until a few weeks ago.

At least it wasn’t the vanguard knight’s.

The knight’s sword, which shrewdly avoids and gives irregularities while not forgetting a powerful blow, was rather closer to that of a warrior.

“Yes. To change.”

“What wind is blowing all of a sudden?”

To be honest, Tania’s swordsmanship in the past did not suit her expedition.

It was rather dissonant.

If Ellen and Tania move only in one direction of attack, the flow of the expedition, which must be hit and run as one body, will not be smooth.

“I just have to do my job.”

So, like Elish, Tania began to change her roots.

As a secondary knight’s swordsmanship, with more emphasis on defense and defense.

Now, Ellen is not a warrior she can replace at any time,

Because she became her only warrior.

“…I see, everything went well. By the way, Tanya.”

“Huh?”

Although Elise was proud that her younger brother, who had gradually lost interest in her sword after getting caught in her anchor’s restraint, regained her energy.

Still, I decided to point out something to point out.

“I heard that the Erantel Knights and the Magic Priest Corps are not coming.”

“…… Ah.”

“It’s strange, I think I gave permission because my brother was coming.”

“… That, um sister….”

“Did my brother lie to me?”

Elysee’s unique soft gaze is directed at Tania.

Tania, who was about to stand her sword in the corner of her training room, stiffened as it was, and only turned her head to face Elise in an awkward posture.

To be honest, nothing has changed since then.

It’s too late for Elise to revoke her permit.

She’s not like that, but she’s not going to imprison herself so she can’t get out.

I don’t think it’ll change anything even if I try to be honest here, or even if I cheat.

She

The fact that she had lied to her sister for the first time in her life began to prick her conscience.

“… ….”

“… ….”

Sister silence.

And it was Elise who broke that silence.

“… Can you do it on your own?”

With her generous voice.

“Ugh, huh? Huh. Then. I’m fine. It’s an expedition, we….”

Things have changed from Elise’s point of view as well.

Even when I was writing her permit, there was no information about the hero Ellen’s skills, but now I was overflowing with confidence.

I don’t know about anyone else, but if only Ellen participated in the expedition, Tania would not be hurt.

“Yes. If anything happens, run to Ellen.”

Elise said this because she wanted Tania to entrust her safety to the strong Ellen, should something happen.

Tania, on the other hand, took it as meaning to help Ellen if she was in danger.

“Yes, of course. Don’t worry.”

Tania is quite energetic and speaks boldly.

Elise let out a small sigh.

I wonder when this little brother will grow up.

***

Right after meeting Flavor.

She didn’t want to go to bed right away, because somehow her mind was complicated.

“Please go to bed first.”

“Don’t be too late. You know you have to leave early tomorrow, right?”

“Have a good trip, Ellen.”

A walk seemed to make her feel better.

I left the worries of El and Elish behind and went to the meadow.

I didn’t mean to go to the pasture, but if I wandered around the temporary lodging, I ended up going to a meadow where the moon was visible and good for walking.

In the aftermath of the sparring with Elise, the pasture that had doubled in size looked like a wide meadow.

I looked up.

A full moon rose in the dark sky.

I felt like the goddess was looking at me, so I stretched my middle finger out to the sky and sighed wondering what it was doing.

I sat down on the stump of a tree that had been cut down.

I wasn’t feeling very well.

I tried not to think about it on purpose.

“Prayer of the Goddess…”

The prayer of the goddess is the symbol of a warrior.

The reason why I am not recognized as a hero must have been that I am a commoner.

The failure to show formidable inaction through the prayer of the goddess probably also played a role.

What people want from a hero is not the strength of a knight commander.

He fights quite well, but he’s not quite active.

You can really change the difference between winning and losing.

The mere presence of a hero is a great threat to the demons.

I want the existence of such a demigod.

And so far, all warriors have been like that. Except for me.

I also felt it emotionally.

If you use the prayer of the goddess in this situation, you will be able to fully realize the image of the sword as well as the next level.

But if that happens.

If you become that strong.

“Ha ha.”

What is the reason to be strong?

The goddess has completely destroyed my life.

Without giving a reason, I had to lose everything I had.

If I beg the goddess for strength.

What is the difference between denying my life and denying it?

You killed the goddess with the power you borrowed from the goddess?

Sounds like a clown.

So I didn’t even open the apostate prayer.

I’m afraid I’ll unknowingly mumble when I’m struggling.

I only filled up the lacking parts through training.

Kkuyeok kkuyeok, foolishly.

“It is not easy.”

Small self-talk like a habit.

Shiny.

Perhaps the vision was blurred, so the moonlight was reflected excessively on the grass.

A rim of sparkling light covered the grass and swayed.

I raise one arm and rub my eyes with my wrist.

“…… ?”

The sparkle was still there.

Now beyond the shiny.

Moonlight began to paint over the few remaining grasses and wilderness.

No, it is not a picture, but a letter begins to be engraved.

It looked like Erantera, not a continental language.

I got up from my seat and approached the letter with no movement of mana.

After reading the first line of the article.

I slowly raised my head and looked at the sky.

“……Ah.”

The moon in the sky.

It was being split into three pieces.

Elish’s words that three moons will rise and three moonlight Colcass will appear rang in my ears like hallucinations.

“Dawn hasn’t even come yet.”

My self-talk scattered meaninglessly.

The darkness began to take shape.

There was only one warrior in the pasture.

Writing in light in front of the hero was the prayer of an apostate.