Chapter 61: How to Cross the Desert (8)

Loner.

The girl always thought she belonged in that category.

Because it was a fate of not receiving any love in life, wandering from one lonely journey to another, drifting without a destination.

Perhaps she was a vessel for containing sadness.

-Don't call me mom.

-It gives me the creeps.

-You ruined my life...!

-Get lost! Stop being a nuisance!!

Her mother abused the girl while crying every time.

When she was kicked while cornered in a narrow space, Regia began to gradually learn about her world.

From the start, there was no home for her to stay in.

-I-I'm sorry... Mom.

-I did wrong. Don't, don't cry...

Perhaps it was due to her pure nature from birth?

The girl couldn't hate others.

Even seeing her mother shedding tears, she only repeated apologies as if she were the criminal.

The protagonist of the world grew up embracing such an unfortunate environment.

As time passed, Regia became smaller.

Losing her originally innocent appearance, she became a mute who even found basic communication burdensome.

It was the result created by ugly adults.

-Why on earth.

When she had grown to some extent, the girl's mother died in an accident.

She was hit by a carriage while walking on the street in a drunken state.

It was a death that ended pathetically.

As there was no father to begin with, the girl instantly became an orphan.

Regia had to leave the slums to survive.

-Wh-Where should I go...?

She walked aimlessly.

Perhaps due to childhood trauma?

The girl became afraid of people.

Thanks to that, even while traveling all over the continent, she lived wandering places with as few people as possible.

She ran and ran from the fear of breaking her shell.

For the girl, loneliness was like an absolute proposition that would never break.

Tears flowed when walking under the cold night sky.

It felt like living as an eternal foreigner.

Each time, she thought inwardly.

That perhaps the words she heard from her mother were right.

-A useless girl like you... should never have been born in the first place.

It was still words that constricted her chest.

It meant having her value of existence denied by the person who created her.

The protagonist's depression deepened.

Repeated sadness, skepticism, loneliness.

She tried to close her heart to the world like that, but an umbrella someone had put over her caught her sleeve.

It was a gentle voice ringing out.

-So you were here. Miss Regia.

Slit eyes with deep golden hair.

For the first time, someone set foot in her lonely world.

After that, the snake steadily stayed by the girl's side.

He patted her back when she was sad, clapped together when she was happy, and stroked her head when she was tired.

It was an infinitely warm temperature.

-Because we're friends.

The boy didn't want anything from Regia.

He simply helped her over and over.

It was truly blind devotion.

The girl's winter gradually melted.

-You'll definitely be able to do well.

-Because Miss Regia will become a star shining brighter than anyone.

What on earth was the reason?

Why would someone as great as you cherish such an insignificant self?

Why do you always smile with affectionate eyes?

-It's a secret.

Even when asked, only a mischievous smile returned.

Though her chest felt stuffy at such reactions, on the other hand she ended up thinking that was just like him.

'...I want to be of help too.'

She wanted to protect him.

She felt like wanting to repay that unconditional devotion, trust, and expectation.

She didn't want to lose the light she had found for the first time.

Thump thump thump thump-.

Her heart beat rapidly.

The fresh pulsing gently dyed the girl.

She opened her closed eyes.

"......"

A quiet dawn.

Tens of thousands of scorpions bared their teeth before her eyes.

It was a terrible scene.

Kieeek-!

Kyarruk!

Kuaaaak!!

The monsters seemed like they would reach within arm's length at any moment.

Though the usual Regia would have burst into tears with plenty to spare at such a scene, this time she was calmly shining her eyes.

A morning star twinkled beyond her transparent pupils.

'I feel strange.'

The world flowed slowly.

As if time was stopping.

At the same time, a tingling sensation was felt.

Light faintly lingering at her fingertips.

Hot heat crept up from her chest.

What melted her inner self that had been frozen in fear was none other than the emotion called 'courage'.

For the first time, her body didn't tremble.

-When you're afraid, hold my hand.

-No matter what happens, I won't let go of Miss Regia.

A voice whispering in her ear.

When she lowered her gaze, she could really see the boy's hand wrapping her own.

An intense sense of fulfillment washed over.

'I think I can do it.'

The girl concentrated her consciousness.

The huge wall in her heart.

That obstacle which had given her disappointment over and over, she felt like she could overcome it now.

Regia applied force to their clasped hands.

'I'm not afraid.'

She muttered as if casting a spell on herself.

The warm body heat felt on the back of her hand.

The girl quietly chewed over that.

If she safely spent this pitch-black dawn, she wanted to have her head stroked by this hand once more.

Leaving such a frivolous wish behind, her lips moved.

"Lend me your strength."

It was calling out.

To the summoned beast that had always been waiting for the protagonist's awakening, eager to appear.

Regia calmly recited the name.

"Efri."

Right after.

A pure white flash covered the area.

Flames illuminating the pitch-black night sky.

The silhouette brilliantly lighting the surroundings was none other than magnificently fluttering wing beats.

A resounding roar rang out.

Kuooooo-!!

Efri majestically crossing the sky.

Only after seeing that scene could Regia finally burst into tears she had been holding back.

It was crying pouring out all at once.

"Miss Regia."

Someone caught her collapsing body.

As she blinked her eyes with difficulty, sure enough the golden-haired boy appeared in her vision.

Relief washed over.

The girl muttered while catching her breath.

"I-I... did it."

She had finally overcome the wall.

***

The protagonist's awakening that no one had expected.

After the wyvern's appearance, the tide of battle reversed in an instant.

Boom-!!

With one breath, the area was annihilated.

The scorpions that had covered the golden desert in black and more were helplessly swept away by the surging flames.

It was truly an overwhelming scene.

The dawn covered in pitch black.

The pure white flash completely removed the darkness covering the world without a trace.

As if saying it wouldn't leave even a trace of despair, flames poured out from the huge maw over and over.

The waves of magical beasts shattered becoming mere ashes.

Even amidst that, not even a single spark flew towards our side.

It showed that not only overwhelming attack power enough to cover the earth, but even minute control was possible.

Indeed, it was worthy of being called the strongest summoned beast without objection.

"Amazing."

An exclamation leaking out quietly.

I was blankly watching the brilliantly dyeing light.

So a summoned beast could be this strong.

I had vaguely guessed, but actually seeing it with my own eyes was a scene that drew admiration involuntarily.

It would have been only about 10 minutes.

While we were catching our breath for a moment, it had completely slaughtered the scorpions crawling in the desert.

It felt like an excavator digging up an ant hill.

Well.

Even among living things, there exists something called 'class'.

Among them, Regia's summoned beast [Efri] was one that far transcended the ordinary level.

Even Yuda in the original work expressed that those flames were dangerous.

'Of course, I made it disappear with just a snap of my fingers though.'

I shook off the random thoughts arising one by one.

As I was keeping silent like that, Regia held in my arms stirred.

"Y-Young Master... What's happening?"

"It's almost over."

Green eyes out of focus.

Only consciousness barely remained.

The girl was clinging to me as if entrusting her body, with her head leaning on my chest.

Her rough breathing now seemed to have stabilized.

"I... I succeeded... I was scared, but I overcame it."

"You really did well, Miss Regia."

"I wanted to be of help to Young Master at least once."

"Thanks to you, we all survived."

"He-hehe... Please stroke my head a little more."

Pat pat.

Regia melted under the gentle touch.

As if this moment was happiness, clean smiles were falling from the corners of her mouth.

It seemed she had loosened up due to her hazy consciousness.

"Huhu."

As I was enjoying the protagonist's rare state, someone with tired steps approached.

It was the old man holding a broken crossbow.

"Young ones."

"Elder."

"Tsk tsk... I didn't think I'd see your faces alive like this again."

"It's truly nothing short of a miracle."

"I thought it was really the end this time."

The old man smiled gently.

His aged eyes were silent for a moment, then soon gazed beyond the horizon where dawn was breaking.

Before we knew it, morning was coming to the desert too.

"I thought I wouldn't see today's sun... Life is truly unpredictable."

The desert gradually brightening.

The fierce final attack seemed to be ending too.

Efri was approaching our way leisurely while trampling the last remaining scorpions.

It seemed to be coming to check its master's condition.

Just as everything seemed to be wrapping up like that.

"Cough cough...!"

Suddenly the old man standing beside coughed.

He clutched his chest as if in pain, then soon dark red blood poured onto the ground.

Though I had watched this scene many times before.

This time he looked particularly unwell.

"Are you alright?"

"Huff, huff... Don't worry about me."

The old man waving his hand.

He wiped the blood staining his mouth, then soon smiled brightly and spoke.

It was a voice without even a trace of trembling.

"The destination is finally right before us."

"......"

"Take a short rest, and move as soon as you've recovered somewhat."

The old man looked calmer than ever before.

***

The battle that ended in the morning.

Only after a full half day had passed could we continue our steps again.

It was due to the final wave that had continued all night.

We advanced with the red-dyed sunset at our backs.

Rustle rustle-.

Footprints left behind treading on sand.

The snake, pilot, and old man... the three people walked the final path towards the destination like that.

Even amidst that, the coughing sounds showed no signs of stopping.

"Cough cough...!"

"E-Elder!"

The old man's symptoms worsened as time passed.

He coughed up bright red blood each time.

But there was nothing we could do.

We could only support his staggering legs and move our feet.

Though he looked almost like a corpse, the old man was smiling broadly as if something was so good.

He seemed to be waiting for the reunion soon to come.

"When I was young, Rosalyn and I would play on the hills......"

The old man occasionally told us stories of the old days.

Most of the content was related to the girl.

Though he had clearly lived 65 years.

What he spoke of was only the 15 years spent together in his hometown.

We quietly listened to that.

"When we cooked together, the kitchen would become a mess."

Fresh stories.

We sometimes read books with the two in memories, learned clumsy magic, and watched them running around in the forest.

Lying side by side on the highest hill in the village.

They even spent nights counting the stars in the night sky one by one.

That was all of the life the old man had loved.

"Whenever our parents saw us......"

Thanks to that, there was no time to be bored.

The desert gradually deepening.

As we got closer to the destination, the surrounding scenery was changing in a somewhat strange direction.

We only noticed it after some time had passed.

"Is this...?"

"Hmm."

At first, there were just strange fragments rolling on the ground.

As Regia had said last time, remnants of buildings could be seen buried among the sand.

But such scenery became increasingly blatant.

A church cross sticking out of the ground.

Windmills standing half-collapsed.

Buildings standing as if people had once lived there.

"......"

Before we knew it, we were no longer in a desert.

We were just walking in the middle of a terribly collapsed city.

As we crossed the ruins swallowed by sand, suddenly Regia who had been checking her surroundings threw out a question.

"Y-Young Master... Are we going the right way?"

"The Elder knows the way."

"No matter how I look at it, this isn't an ordinary desert. It's like a city where people used to live before."

"It's certainly strange. How did it end up in such a terrible state?"

"...I'm a little scared."

Voices exchanging quietly.

The old man hadn't moved his mouth for a long time.

He was just silently leading the way forward.

Though he occasionally flinched while scanning the surroundings, even that was only for a fleeting moment.

We followed him while harboring doubts.

Before we knew it, the time was night.

The starlight flowed slowly towards dawn.

As we rubbed our tired eyes and trod the dark streets one step at a time like that.

Only then did the old man stop.

"......"

It seemed we had arrived.

We were standing on a sand-covered hill somewhat separated from the village.

Regia beside me asked.

"Elder?"

"......"

"Are you perhaps feeling unwell again? If that's the case, I think it would be good to take a short rest."

"......"

"E-Elder...?"

No answer returning.

The girl raised question marks.

After holding a meaningful silence for a moment, before long the old man's mouth opened.

"...We've arrived."

"Wh-What?"

Regia tilting her head at the sudden words.

But despite such a reaction, the old man only pointed with a calm gesture to something standing before him.

There was a single gravestone placed shabbily.

An old gravestone with traces of time imprinted.

Though part of it was covered in sand, fortunately there seemed to be no signs of damage.

We blankly read the words engraved on the tombstone.

And.

[Rosalyn Meriart, Rests Here.]

We discovered the shocking sentence.

We who had been frozen blankly soon turned our gazes towards the old man again.

"You all look surprised."

The old man was smiling bitterly.

As if he had known from the start, he just slowly caressed the gravestone before him.

His aged voice spoke.

"I'll explain. What exactly happened in this desert."

His transparent pupils were shining quietly.