Full of joy and relief, I reached out my hand to Veltis.
[Guh..!!]
The moment I reached out my hand to Veltis—he suddenly lunged at me.
"You bastard! What are you doing?!"
Startled by his unexpected, abrupt action, I barely regained my balance and shouted—but Veltis only smiled at me without a word.
[Thud..!!][Clack..!!]
Veltis dropped the sniper rifle to the ground, fixed a bayonet to the assault rifle,and took a posture as if ready to charge at me at any moment.
"Hehe?"
Veltis, ready to rush at me, looked at me with a lecherous smile—a smile that carried the meaning: [You won't be able to run from me. Fight—or I'll kill you.]It was a provocation I could neither reject nor ignore—I had no choice but to meet his expectations.
"Is that so? So you're going to come at me like that?"
We smiled at one another and took our stances.Veltis looked strong—but fortunately, I couldn't sense murderous intent in him—that meant he wasn't actually trying to kill me.
[Haap!!]
He let out a faint smile and a powerful shout—then charged at me with his assault rifle,now fixed with a bayonet, held forward.
[Guh..Ugh..!!]
"Hey! We met again after a long time—isn't this too much!? Look at my injured leg!!"
I barely dodged his attack, glared, and shouted—but Veltis only gave me a lecherous smile and prepared to rush at me again.In his eyes, there was also the meaning: [Satisfy me—and I'll stop.]The meaning and attitude contained in Veltis's eyes made my anger boil.
"Hey! You bastard!! If you keep this up, you'll definitely regret it!?"
"Is that so?"
Veltis sneered at me—as if mocking—preparing to rush at me once again.
"Then shall I see for myself the skill of the one rumored to have embraced death? Hehe!?"
[Heave...!!!][Guh...Ugh..!!]
Veltis swung his bayonet again and charged in an instant.He was truly formidable—it was clear he had undergone rigorous training.Moreover, he had applied that training multiple times in real combat,becoming a thoroughly seasoned warrior.I wondered how he had become so strong—and I even felt a sense of reliefthat someone like Veltis was my friend.
Veltis didn't rest, swinging his bayonet continuously and attacking relentlessly.It was as if he already knew all of my movements.His relentless, cruel attacks were like a tornado that destroyed everything.All I could do was dodge or block Veltis's strikes—to make matters worse, the pain from my wounds made my head spin.
"Why? Just going to keep dodging like a little rat?Come on—satisfy me. That title, 'one who has embraced death,' is crying out in shame."
[Guh...Ugh..!!]
"Stop it, damn it!"
I barely blocked a blow from Veltis that almost cost me my life and shouted in anger—but he only laughed at me with that same mocking smile.
"Hah!"
Veltis didn't care at all about my condition—he, like a child throwing a tantrum at his parent,simply charged mercilessly with his bayonet.
[Thud!]
While fleeing from Veltis's attack—unable to bear the pain in my leg—I stumbled, and Veltis sharply kicked me.His boot connected with my face, and I collapsed onto the cold ground,covered in blood and flesh.I felt my brain go numb from the pain flooding through my legs and face,and Veltis approached me with a mocking smile.
I was furious—humiliated—by the sight of Veltis looking down at me.I had no confidence to rush at him again,but the impulse to stand up and punch the one looking down at mestill burned somewhere deep in my mind.
"You okay? Need help?"
Veltis, looking down at me, smiled brightly and offered his hand.The moment I took his extended hand and stood up,I longed to rush at him—but I gave up,knowing I'd pay a harsher price if I did.
"Ah! Wait, wait…!""Really, you're putting me through so much trouble!!"
Veltis grumbled as he helped me.I felt hurt by him—but I had to be satisfied with that;if I complained now, it was obvious what kind of predicament I'd end up in.
"How did you hurt your leg?"
Veltis sat me down nearby—as if throwing me—and grumbled irritably.I had to answer, but I didn't know where to begin—so I hesitated, staring blankly at the family photos.After staring for a long while, I handed the photos to Veltis.
"I wanted to sweep away all the rulers and elites of the Kingdom of Belloras."
Even while listening to my story, Veltis carefully received the photos.
He kept staring at my family photo, and I slowly began to explain everything.
"When we first entered the Belloras Military Academy,I was a citizen of the Kingdom of Belloras—ready to give my lifefor the peace and prosperity of my homeland."
While I was speaking to Veltis, a small seed buried deep within me began to sprout—it was clearly anger.As I continued my story, I could feel that anger growing stronger.
"But after graduating at the top of the academy and being recognized as a high-ranking knight,everything changed.My hopes turned into disappointment—and what I began to seewere the greedy rulers and entrenched powers of the Kingdom of Belloras."
I felt the anger inside me swelling further and glanced at Veltis.Whether or not he was paying attention to my story,he was still staring at my family photo.I took a slow breath and spoke to him.
"Do you remember? When we first met at the Belloras Military Academy—at that time, I was a citizen of Belloras,and as a cadet, all I had was the determination to give my lifefor the peace and prosperity of my homeland."
With no response from him, I continued.
"But my life was no longer for the wellbeing and prosperity of the Kingdom of Belloras—nor for its citizens."
As I continued my story, the seed of anger in the deepest part of my heartbegan to grow cold and sharp.That anger spread through my entire mind.Feeling it grow, I looked at Veltis—he was staring at my daughter's smile in the photo.A faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.I smiled slightly and continued.
"The moment I faced that reality, I was consumed by disappointment, hatred, and anger."
As I spoke, I recalled the moment when the entrenched rulers and powers—consumed by greed—were leading my homeland, the Kingdom of Belloras, toward ruin.
"I no longer wanted to be a mere expendable lifefor the endless greed of the Kingdom of Belloras.They were nothing but insects—chasing insatiable greed,leading my homeland down the path to ruin."
The anger in my chest felt ready to ignite.I clenched my teeth, swallowed, and tried to control my emotions.
"So I made a decision—I would kill all the rulers and elites of the Kingdom of Bellorasand create a new Belloras."
I looked at Veltis to see if he found what I just said uncomfortable.Should I feel relieved?He still couldn't take his eyes off my daughter, smiling brightly in the photo.A gentle smile spread across his face.
"She resembles your wife a lot—thankfully, she doesn't look like you."
Veltis handed my family photo back to me.
"So?"
Veltis asked as he returned the photo—his question simple, yet loaded with meaning.
By the time he handed the photo back to me,the seed in my heart had already borne the black fruit of hatred.I couldn't control the emotions consumed by hatred.My fingertips trembled, and even the air felt heavy.I carefully took the photo he returned with my shaking hands.
"I was forced to face reality.What could I possibly do alone? I couldn't bear it.In the end, I abandoned my position as a high-ranking knight—and ran away."
"You ran?"
I nodded while looking at the photo of my family.
"Yes. I ran off with the Guidance Sword."
Veltis widened his eyes in surprise.
"You ran off with that?"
Looking at the photo, I recalled the moment I fled from the Kingdom of Belloraswith the Guidance Sword—overwhelmed by despair and hopelessness.Cold, lonely, exhausted—my body and mind replayed the scene.My breath felt frozen.
"I wanted to protect at least the Guidance Sword.So I fled deep into the mountains—and when I could go no further,I had to stop in front of a small cabin.Completely exhausted, I collapsed inside and lost consciousness."
"Respectable—going through all that just for the Guidance Sword,"
I felt Veltis's absurd gaze and continued my story.
"How long had I been unconscious inside the cabin?Someone began nudging me awake—with their foot."
Recalling that moment inside the cabin, I let out an awkward laugh.That moment had made me believe that fate truly exists.
"The moment I barely overcame my exhaustion and saw who had woken me—I froze on the spot."
Veltis tilted his head.
"Why?"
Recalling that moment, I took a deep breath to suppress a laugh that wanted to escape.
"It was Valdion."
Veltis, who had been sitting and listening to my story until now,looked at me with a face full of shock.
"Valdion? That Valdion? Really?"
Veltis looked at me with an expression that he couldn't believe—he started bouncing up and down from his seat.
"You're saying the Valdion you mentioned is the same person as the Valdion I know?"
Veltis kept asking, looking like he couldn't trust me.
"The Valdion who, in the First Carbanis Conflagration,defeated 150,000 Glorence troops with only 30,000 soldiers—that Valdion, right?"
Veltis looked down at me in disbelief.I nodded, narrowing my eyes to make it clear.
"Yes. That Valdion."