Chapter 507
someone has to die
Countless people have already died, including the Royal Class students.
A group of flying monsters attacked the rear area where wounded soldiers were being treated during the base defense battle.
Ashur was torn to pieces by the monsters and died on the spot.
It’s not even that long ago.
That’s why this depression and sensitivity in the royal class garrison was intensified after Ashur’s death.
A classmate died.
Someone knows that dying is inevitable due to the gate crisis and war, but the death of someone close to them was bound to shock everyone.
Everyone is sad, and some are still sad.
But what Ellen felt in Ludwig’s eyes was not sadness.
In the midst of those emotions sublimated into anger and hatred, Ellen had no choice but to intuit that Ludwig wanted revenge.
Even though she didn’t witness Ashur’s death, Ellen was equally shocked.
And the death returns to Ellen as guilt, not resentment and hatred.
Who will be dead and who will be alive when this last march is over.
-Dalgak
Ludwig takes a bite of the sausage, rolls it up, and sets it down on a plate.
“you.”
“… … huh?”
“Last time, when Reinhardt came to the ecliptic.”
At those words, Ellen’s heart tightened.
The demon king’s attack on the ecliptic and the capture of the princess.
There is no one who does not know the story. It ended with the story that Ellen had defeated the demon king, so the damage was very great, but the morale of the emperor pierced the sky.
Ludwig tells the story of that time.
What happened at that time, which had no choice but to remain as a huge scar in Ellen’s heart.
“on purpose… … . Didn’t fight properly… … . Isn’t it like that?”
At those words, Ellen’s hands trembled slightly.
“… … .”
Under Ludwig’s gaze, Ellen felt like being interrogated. After looking at Ellen for a moment, Ludwig shook his head.
“… … no. It can’t be. You can’t do that.”
“… … .”
Ludwig stares at Ellen with eyes deep and dark like an abyss.
“It can’t be. yes?”
“… … .”
“You are a warrior. I was chosen by two sacred objects, and I was chosen by the gods to have to defeat the demon king.”
Ludwig looks at Ellen and says.
“Warrior.”
To Ellen, Ludwig’s words sounded like threats.
“Sorry, excuse me. off topic. That’s not what I’m talking about. Something like me dares you.”
Seeing Ludwig repeating himself like he was talking to himself, Ellen felt goose bumps all over her body.
“I’ve never beaten Reinhardt before.”
So, defeating the demon lord is not something I can do.
Saying that, Ludwig looked at Ellen.
“But you were always stronger than Reinhardt. So what… … . wonderfully… … .”
What I can’t do, what I can’t do
What you can do but don’t do.
It was a penetrating gaze, as if doubting whether that was the case.
“Ludwig.”
“… … Uh, Scarlett.”
A red-haired girl with a calm expression who was eating next to him called Ludwig.
“Don’t burden Ellen.”
“… … .”
“At least, I should be comfortable here. Ellen must be the hardest.”
Ellen is already under strong pressure from many places.
Ludwig slowly nodded his head at Scarlett’s words, warning Ellen about whether she should say such a thing even here.
“okay. I guess.”
Ludwig sees Ellen.
“I’m sorry, Ellen. It made me uncomfortable.”
Ellen lowered her head and shook her head horizontally.
“no… … . are you okay.”
Ellen stared blankly at the hand holding the bread, but said nothing more.
In the end, Ellen didn’t eat properly.
* * *
Ellen’s barracks in the Royal Class Garrison are not particularly the largest.
The largest barracks are those of Adelia and Christina, who are talented in alchemy. Equipment required for magic research is needed, so a considerable amount of manpower is required to set up and evacuate the barracks, so even personal research items require a few wagons.
Adelia does not participate in the battle itself, but in a large-scale battle, the artifacts developed and improved by Adelia are the most important.
Christina and Adelia.
If the Gate incident was completely over and humanity could build history again, the names of the two would be mentioned on the same line as Ellen.
The two had a lot of necessary research items, and Ellen didn’t have any personal items except for two holy relics.
Originally, Ellen has no interest in activities such as decorating a room.
That’s why Ellen’s tent is quite spacious, divided into compartments, and the convenience is guaranteed to make it as comfortable as possible, but it’s not fancy.
Garrison where the night fell.
As soon as Ellen reached the barracks, she removed her plate armor.
– clap
Ellen watched in silence as the armor’s seams came undone on its own, and it floated through the air and was reassembled on the cradle.
This type of armor requires someone to help put it on and take it off, but the specially designed silver plate didn’t.
“Whoa… … .”
It was an armor made to ensure maximum activity, but it was uncomfortable.
Rather than the actual discomfort, the pressure of the very act of wearing such fancy armor was more suffocating.
* * *
Ellen sat quietly in the bathtub in the tent that served as the bathroom.
several times.
Ellen splashed hot water on her face.
Ellen took a deep breath while pressing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.
“ha… … .”
again and again
“ha… … .”
again and again
I feel like I’m going to choke on the pressure and die several times a day.
It is true that we are doing whatever we can.
It is true that he is better than others and has more things to do than others, so he is actually handling more heavy duties than others.
But people’s expectations are too high and too high.
And at the end of those people’s wishes, it’s something they don’t want to do with their own hands.
I’d rather die.
If you disappear from the world.
If I died during the mission, I wouldn’t have to feel these feelings anymore.
Ellen thought about it dozens of times a day.
But he also knew that he was not allowed to do that.
have to live
Because people don’t lose hope just by being alive. can’t die
No matter what end you have to face alive, you have to live until that moment.
Even if you don’t know what to do
It must be alive.
Ellen swears.
A hopeless future awaits, but it’s a hopeless future only for you.
For now, the first thing to do is to finish the march.
Destroying the continent’s warp gate is a good thing for the whole world, and it is something that must be done.
Until then.
The next thing is the next thing, so I’ll think about it then.
“Whoa… … .”
Ellen takes a deep breath and somehow calms her confused and dark mind.
After calming herself enough, Ellen finished her bath and changed into new clothes.
After drying her hair properly, putting on a towel and coming out to the central space of the barracks, Ellen couldn’t help but be startled.
“!”
Although properly dressed, Ellen was reflexively adjusting the collar of her shirt, looking at the uninvited guest who had entered without warning.
Ellen’s tent is set with magic, so if you activate the lock, you can’t enter without permission. There were obviously some rude people who came into the barracks right away.
However, someone has entered his tent with the lock activated.
Someone a little smaller, wearing a robe, sat as if waiting for Ellen.
“… … Who are you?”
Feeling ominous, Ellen immediately summoned Rapelt and Rament and aimed at the unknown figure.
However, Ellen soon had no choice but to open her mouth involuntarily.
In-young, who is wearing a robe, takes off her hood.
“Long time no see… … . is not.”
“Harriet… … ?”
Harriet de Saintoine was looking at Ellen with a sad expression.
* * *
A few months ago, Harriet and Ellen had run into each other.
At the time of the Demon King’s attack on the zodiac, Ellen and Harriet met eyes for a very short time.
Of course, we didn’t talk.
Inside Ellen’s tent.
Harriet was looking at Ellen with a sad expression.
Harriet came looking for her. Ellen reverse summoned Lament, but she faced each other with some distance.
The two were friends.
As things happened after Reinhardt’s disappearance, Ellen and Harriet had become friends who could call each other friends before they knew it.
Harriet hated Reinhardt, but was crying in the rain when Reinhardt was gone.
Ellen thought that Reinhardt disappeared because she said something unspeakable to Reinhardt.
Together, the two went looking for the missing Reinhardt.
Because of that, we became friends.
And now.
In the end, because of Reinhardt, the two had a strange relationship where they couldn’t help but call each other friends.
Ellen still doesn’t know what Harriet is looking for.
However, I think it’s totally crazy.
Are we still friends?
Ellen quietly lowered her eyes.
Harriet seemed to have similar thoughts, but she couldn’t meet Ellen’s eyes properly.
“It’s not like that, but… … .”
Harriet cautiously opens her mouth.
“Do you want to go out and take a walk?”
“… … .”
Clearance of the surrounding area has already been completed.
“huh.”
“I’ll be waiting for you in the southern outskirts of the garrison.”
Ellen nodded silently, and Harriet disappeared by teleportation.
* * *
At Harriet’s suggestion, Ellen ventured out to the south of the garrison. No one stood in the way of Ellen.
In the southern outskirts, Harriet was waiting for Ellen in the moonlit field.
Harriet and Ellen walked through a moonlit field.
The corpses of monsters were scattered everywhere.
After stationing for a while, the monsters around are dealt with and the unit moves again. Arrive at the next destination, proceed with the gate destruction operation, and head to the next gate.
Until the last gate is destroyed, the last armies of mankind will move like that.
“How are you?” … . This is not the case.”
Harriet laughed bitterly as she tried to rhyme, probably thinking it was too strange.
Like Reinhardt, Harriet was constantly watching the human world, including the ecliptic, from somewhere.
Ellen had many questions. Where she was and what she was doing so far. Was she all doing well?
Somehow, in this miserable world, is everyone doing well?
But Ellen couldn’t bring herself to ask any questions because she didn’t think she was qualified to ask such a question.
The two walk for a while without talking.
Choosing what to say when dealing with each other already means that the two of you have gone too far.
No one else should see you having a conversation like this.
Heriot isn’t a demon lord, but he’s hated to the point of hating him.
This allied army is the last and strongest army of mankind.
That’s why there are the Archduke of Saint-Ouan and wizards in the garrison right now.
Because of her daughter who betrayed humanity, Ellen was aware of the situation of the Grand Duke of St.
Although he is an excellent magician and is already doing great, the soldiers and even the commanders were treating him as a semi-spy ready to betray the Grand Duke of Saint-Ouane at any time.
Harriet must have known that his father and his army were in that garrison.
“Our motives… … . Bye?”
Harriet asked about her siblings, not her father.
Ellen gasped at the question.
Until now, everything was somehow safe.
but one.
“Ashirga… … . dead.”
“ah… … .”
Neither Ellen nor Harriet were close motives.
Class B 4 times.
Ashir, who had the divine power talent.
All Harriet knew was that he had a good-natured, timid personality.
After the Gate Crisis, Ellen knows that Ashir saved many people with her talents in rear support even if she was not involved in combat.
I wasn’t very close, but the death of a classmate.
Hearing the story, Harriet walks quietly with a stunned expression.
The deaths of classmates will now be just the beginning. Whether by an accident of injustice or by too many monsters.
one by one.
will die out
Both Ellen and Harriet knew it would.
Harriet did not pray for peace or weep over the death.
However, I just walked for a while in a daze.
Usually, when meeting for the first time in a while, it’s easy to get lucky with an appropriate story before moving on to the main topic.
However, it is a world where such an appropriate topic does not exist.
When I bring up the story of my classmates, I have to talk about the classmates who died.
It is difficult to bring up a light topic that can be brought up near the military bases dispatched for war, and if you bring it up, you will only feel a sense of separation from reality in the end.
It is impossible to talk in moderation and get to the point.
Harriet finally stopped in her seat as if she had made up her mind.
Melancholy and sadness in those eyes.
He was filled with a sense of shame about having to take responsibility for something he could not handle, hoping that someone else would sacrifice it.
“Ellen.”
“huh.”
When Harriet stopped, Ellen stopped too.
“Reinhardt… … . I might die.”
“… … what?”
Ellen was feeling for the first time that her heart stopped because of some words.
Harriet started talking to Ellen, who had lost her temper.
Heriot couldn’t tell the whole truth because he couldn’t tell the really important story, the story of the demon king’s country built on the Edina Archipelago.
feeling embarrassed about it.
The story that there are so many deaths in the world, and the ghosts are getting bigger and bigger as they unite as one.
The story of Olivia Ranze being dominated by it, but Reinhardt banishing the ghosts and absorbing them instead.
As a result, there is even a story that the demon king is slowly dying under the pressure of the ghosts who have hatred and resentment towards him.
Ellen was stunned by that fact.
And, because of the harm and damage it would cause, I had no choice but to open my mouth blankly at the unbelievable story that I had accepted it into my body.
After speaking, Harriet wiped her eyes.
Its eyes were bloodshot red.
If you can do it yourself, you want to do it yourself.
I’d like to find out if there is another way.
However, the sight of Reinhardt dying in real time clearly showed that there was not much time left.
I can’t save you, so I ask you to save me.
I feel sad, miserable, and shameless at having to say such a thing.
I could have sent someone else.
Antirianus, who proposed this, could have come himself.
However, Harriet chose to come herself.
Such a request could not be conveyed through the mouth of another person.
at least as a friend.
No matter how miserable and painful it is for herself to say such a thing, she thinks it is her responsibility to ask Ellen for such a favor.
“Reinhardt… … . save me Reinhardt… … . help me.”
“… … .”
Ellen looks at the weeping Harriet.
How could he save Reinhardt?
Ellen seemed to know what Harriet was talking about.
“If I can handle it… … . are you going to be? I don’t know how… … . You mean you can do that?”
“… … .”
Harriet looks at Ellen quietly.
-nod
I couldn’t bear to do it with my mouth, so I nodded while crying.
“I will.”
Without a moment’s thought, Ellen nodded. Harriet was taken aback when Ellen said it without any hesitation.
“Ellen… … . It’s what I asked for, and I know it’s funny to say this out of my own mouth, but… … . too, too fast… … . It is not a matter of decision.”
“I will.”
“Ellen… … .”
Harriet asked and said, but Ellen didn’t know exactly what she had to deal with. So instead of tricking Ellen, Harriet had to explain how dangerous this was and what else she would bring.
“You will die. Your soul may disappear. You may be eaten by those ghosts and your existence will disappear. Or it might turn out to be a completely different being.”
Death, or the extinction of existence, or permanent alteration of the self.
“Then, I will ask you one question.”
“… … huh.”
“If I accept it into my body, and the ghosts rule over my body… … . I, Reinhardt… … . Are you going to hate me?”
Ellen Artorius disappears, and a new Ellen Artorius is born who has been eaten by the ghosts who hate the demon king.
“maybe… … . It will be.”
“To the extent that I want to kill him. It actually happens to the point of trying to kill… … . Are you talking?”
“maybe… … .”
The hero who loves the demon king disappears.
Only a doll that hates the Demon Lord to the point of wanting to kill it, carrying hatred and resentment on its back.
“Are you sure it will be like that?”
Harriet trembled at Ellen’s question.
One possibility in a million.
Ask about the possibility that one’s ego will survive without being destroyed.
“I don’t know… … . I don’t know too much… … . But Reinhardt… … . As if I’m holding on somehow… … . You may not disappear either. but… … . I can’t be sure. No one really knows what will happen… … .”
Nor can it be said that there is absolutely no possibility that Ellen Artorius’ ego will remain unidentified with the ghosts.
Reinhardt has already done the impossible, so Ellen Artorius can do even more impossible things.
There is no such thing as absolute.
However, it is infinitely close to absolute.
Ellen thinks.
If she herself disappears, Ellen will one day fight Reinhardt.
Ellen’s body, possessed by the will to hate the demon lord, would try to do such a thing.
Of course I don’t like that.
However, Reinhardt will die if he doesn’t use his hands right now.
There may be other ways, but I don’t have time right now to find them, even if they exist.
Save Reinhardt by bearing the hatred of humans. It’s not ideological, it’s practical.
He really accepts hatred and grudges all over his body, and later becomes the adversary of the Demon King.
If it can save Reinhardt.
If he could save Reinhardt now, putting off the later matters until later.
Can I disappear
Is it okay to die
Will it pay the price of distrust?
It cannot be a complete indulgence.
However, I live a little forgiveness with my life.
There is no guarantee that their existence will disappear completely.
Even if it’s a slim chance, there’s no reason not to bet on it.
There is no guarantee that you will definitely die.
And the words you once said.
Those words from when I said I could die for you.
Beyond time, the moment to keep that word has arrived.
The moment has come when he can at least pay for the sin of disbelief against Reinhardt.
“I thought I could die for Reinhardt. continue.”
“however.”
“On that subject.”
“When it was important, I put Reinhardt in more pain than dying because I didn’t trust him.”
“To me, something like me… … .”
Ellen smiles sadly.
“I feel fortunate to be able to do something like this.”
“… … .”
“You’re lucky. Even for me like this, even if it happens like this… … . There is at least one thing we can do for Reinhardt.”
Ellen sees Harriet crying.
“Thank you for what I can do for Reinhardt.”
In the end, Harriet burst into tears seeing Ellen like that
