“N-No….”
By the time the boy noticed the attack, it was already too late to respond.
His terrified eyes squeezed shut.
However, Joshua saw it clearly.
FWOOSH―
The flames Hannibal unleashed with all his strength to protect his comrade.
ROOOAR―!
Engulfed in the intense flames, the ogre screamed and staggered backward.
After quickly creating some distance, Galev looked toward Hannibal.
“Th-Thank you!”
“If you have time to thank me, then swing your sword, long-ears!”
The boy answered irritably as he prepared his next spell.
Galev kicked off the ground and pierced the heart of the badly scorched ogre.
A pleased smile appeared upon Joshua’s face.
‘I cannot allow myself to fall behind.’
He drew out as much Aura as he could and deflected the enemy’s attack.
At that moment, Lunae’s and Heria’s magic rained down upon the ogres.
Joshua concealed himself within the thick smoke.
He rolled between an ogre’s legs and took its back.
A startled gleam appeared in the eyes of the two ogres.
SLASH―!
The moonlit blade danced.
Blood scattered like flower petals.
When the breeze swept past moments later, the enemies’ severed heads rolled helplessly across the ground.
It was swordsmanship bordering upon the divine, accompanied by movements resembling an acrobatic performance.
‘…He truly resembles the legendary Joshua.’
Sezelin, who had been observing the battle, quietly voiced her admiration.
If every swordsman in the world possessed the same potential as that boy, even she would never have looked down upon the sword.
The battle had been a continuous series of surprises for Sezelin.
The perfect coexistence of swordsmen and Mages.
The abilities that had grown remarkably within a short time.
However, as their Instructor, she could not simply shower the Squires with praise.
‘The coexistence of those two combat roles is built upon the swordsmen’s one-sided sacrifice. Had these monsters been capable of using magic, the battle would have unfolded very differently.’
As the sword gradually disappeared from the world, attempts to combine swordsmen and Mages had naturally continued.
However, every attempt had ended in failure.
Before demons that had learned to wield magic with exceptional skill, swordsmen were little more than human shields.
Even with the support of allied Mages, their mortality rate remained overwhelmingly high.
Naturally, no one fought for the purpose of dying.
In the end, swordsmen either left the battlefield of their own accord or put down their swords.
‘Joshua, can you ask those who take up the sword after following you to die beside you?’
If the boy wished to draw the faded sword back into the world, he would have to find an answer to that question.
‘One day, you will abandon the sword as well, just as Instructor Light… just as he did.’
A bitter feeling lingered upon her lips.
It was the sigh of an adult worn down by the harsh trials of life.
Meanwhile, the Squires cheered and delighted in their victory.
“We can defeat ogres with our own hands now!”
“It is the result of our arduous training, Freya.”
Heria spoke as she descended from the hill.
“…Why would an outstanding Mage like you adjust your fighting style for sword-wielders?”
“Because those two are more exceptional than I am.”
“Exceptional? They would both be dead if I had not saved them.”
“They entrusted their lives to you because they knew how exceptional you were.”
Hannibal and Lunae acknowledged one another’s abilities.
After returning from the vanguard, Galev immediately approached Hannibal and bowed his head.
“Thank you so much for saving me.”
“…I only saved you because we would have been forced to return to the Knight Order if you were injured. You sword-wielders are nothing but a nuisance.”
“Why are you being so contrary after doing something kind? On a joyful day like this, we should smile and celebrate!”
As always, Freya restrained the boy.
Joshua found the sight of his comrades mingling together deeply pleasing.
For a moment, the people connected to him in his previous life flashed before his eyes.
‘They are surely waiting for me in Valhalla.’
They were people who had fought to die.
When the second life he had been granted finally ended—
He would cross swords with them every day.
It was truly something he could not help anticipating.
Later generations would come to call Joshua’s previous life the Age of Warriors.
They would also call it the Age of Barbarism.
“The village is not far. We will move quickly.”
Sezelin gathered the Squires and gave the order.
Still intoxicated by the joy of victory, they continued with steps light enough to carry them through the air.
The long night passed quickly, and morning arrived.
The village beneath the warm sunlight overflowed with vitality.
It was not large, but that gave it a welcoming atmosphere.
It was not magnificent, but its simple scenery possessed a charm of its own.
“When I become as old as my father, I want to live somewhere like this. Just my husband, our child, and me, living peacefully together.”
“Simply imagining it makes me happy, Freya.”
Heria smiled as she imagined that distant future.
After admiring the scenery for some time, Freya looked toward Joshua with wistful eyes.
“What about you, Joshua?”
“It is peaceful. I find it pleasant. It is also close to Haradin.”
“Exactly. I knew we understood each other.”
Haradin was the heart of Galahad’s territory, where the Knight Order was situated.
“When we all become adults, let us gather and live in this village.”
“I would love that!”
“I wish we could grow up quickly.”
Freya and Galev answered without hesitation.
Lunae, who had quietly approached, also nodded.
“Then everyone has promised, understood?”
Sezelin, who had overheard the Squires’ conversation, suddenly chuckled.
“Are all of you already considering retirement before you have even been knighted? Children move quickly these days.”
“W-We apologize.”
She had only intended it as a joke to become closer to the Squires, but the atmosphere rapidly turned cold.
Sezelin sighed and scratched the back of her head.
‘…People are far too difficult.’
Had Light said the same thing, everyone would have laughed.
That troublesome man surfaced in her thoughts once again.
‘I miss him.’
The Instructor who had departed for the Sanctuary of Water was thinking the same thing.
With their comrades who had traveled throughout the North in their thoughts, the group continued toward the Abyssal Chasm.
As they drew closer to the edge of the continent, it felt as though winter had returned.
The weather began with sleet before becoming a blizzard so dense that they could not see a single step ahead.
It was a journey that seemed to carry them backward through time.
There were no villages nearby, so they had spent the past several nights sleeping outdoors.
“We will soon enter the territory of House Betlimier, one of the Five Great Count Houses. Endure for a little longer.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Their voices were considerably quieter than when they had first departed from the Knight Order.
That was how exhausted the Squires had become.
‘It would be disastrous if monsters ambushed us under these conditions.’
Only Joshua kept his mind alert and vigilantly watched every direction.
While he turned his head from side to side to survey the surroundings, Lunae suddenly collapsed.
“Are you all right?”
“…I merely twisted my ankle.”
“Can you walk?”
“There is no problem.”
However, the girl could not rise.
She bit her small lip hard enough to split it and forced strength into her leg, only to fall once again.
“Climb onto my back.”
“I’ll carry her luggage!”
Galev quickly approached and added his assistance.
A heavy sigh escaped Lunae along with a cloud of white breath.
She was deeply frustrated by the thought of becoming a burden upon her comrades.
“…I’m sorry, everyone.”
“It is all right, Lunae. Have you forgotten that I once relied upon you as well?”
“We are comrades. Helping one another is only natural!”
Perhaps their words lightened the burden upon her heart.
Lunae closed her empty eyes and entrusted herself to Joshua.
Within the silent snowfield—
The girl quietly listened to the boy’s breathing.
He was clearly struggling.
Although he did not show it, his breaths had grown rough.
“…Am I heavy?”
“It seems you have gained weight since last time. It must be because Galev’s cooking is too delicious.”
“Good. I’ll make every member of the Squad fat!”
The two swordsmen exchanged lighthearted remarks.
Their joke succeeded, as laughter escaped Lunae’s lips.
“Th-There is a village!”
Freya, who had been walking ahead, shouted.
“Really?”
Even Heria, who had practically been dragging herself along the ground, brightened.
“We will stay there tonight. Everyone, take out your Galahad Knight Order insignia!”
Since they were entering another house’s territory, they needed a means of proving their identities.
The Squires moved swiftly according to Sezelin’s order.
When they reached the entrance to the village, which was surrounded by a wooden palisade, a guard wearing thick fur armor blocked their path.
“You appear to be outsiders. Where have you come from?”
“We are from the Galahad Knight Order in Haradin.”
Sezelin stepped forward and answered on behalf of the group.
“Are those Squires behind you?”
“That is correct. We are traveling to the Abyssal Chasm.”
“Wait here for a moment.”
“We have sufficiently proven our identities. Everyone is exhausted, so I ask that you handle this quickly.”
Lunae was still on Joshua’s back, while Galev carried packs both in front of and behind himself.
The man looked over the other exhausted Squires and hesitated.
“…There is no helping it. Follow me.”
“Thank you.”
The gate in the wooden palisade soon opened.
The snow-covered village was barren and devoid of vitality.
It resembled a place a demon had recently passed through.
While the Squires were delighted by the prospect of finally resting, Joshua became even more vigilant.
‘…This is not a village in which I would wish to remain for long.’
As they reached the marketplace in the village center, they heard another person for the first time.
“Have you seen my father?”
“Why are you looking for your father here?”
A young girl even smaller than Lunae—
“Please… Please help me find my father.”
“What is wrong with you? Get lost!”
She clung to every merchant she saw and asked about him.
Joshua could not ignore someone in distress.
“W-Wait! Stop right there!”
Despite the guard’s attempt to stop him, Joshua left the formation and approached the girl.
“What is wrong, young lady?”
“Have you seen my father? He went to hunt a monster nearby, but he has not returned for several days.”
The situation already reeked of suspicion.
“Is your father a Mage?”
“Yes. He is an incredibly powerful Mage. He even received an Adventurer License from the Guild in Haradin.”
“Haradin?”
Her father was even from the same place as Joshua.
Moreover, there was something strangely familiar about the girl.
‘I may have seen her in passing.’
Once Haradin was mentioned, even Sezelin could no longer remain uninvolved.
“Guard, is there some problem in this village?”
“…I was going to explain shortly. The Village Chief will tell you everything, so please restrain your questions for the moment.”
Joshua held the girl’s hand firmly as they headed toward the Village Chief’s house.
He was a white-haired old man with a long white beard, but nothing else about him appeared particularly remarkable.
“That emblem… Are you knights of Galahad?”
“Yes. We heard there was a problem in this village. A child from Haradin is searching for her father.”
The old man glared at the guard for a moment before hesitantly speaking.
“The truth is that a spider monster has built a nest near our village. It does not move during the day, but every night, it attacks the village and devours our people.”
“Did you not request assistance from the Betlimier Knight Order?”
“…Those people have no interest in a remote village like ours. In the end, we have been commissioning the Adventurers who occasionally visit, but none of them have returned. The girl’s father was no exception. Ah… do not misunderstand. We have provided her with food and lodging.”
After understanding the situation, Sezelin nodded.
“We will eliminate the monster.”
“Y-You truly will?”
“We require no payment. We will depart tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you. If you are knights of Galahad, then I can trust you. I will provide you with a place to stay and an evening meal. Please rest comfortably.”
Despite its decline, Galahad was still counted among the Five Great Count Houses.
The old man placed a hand upon his chest and sighed in relief.
“You all remember how to fight the spider monster known as an Arachne, do you not?”
“Of course, Instructor!”
Though utterly exhausted, the Squires answered with their chivalrous spirits blazing.
“We will move as soon as dawn breaks. Rest well tonight.”