Chapter 452: Mercenaries and Adventurers

Chapter 452: Mercenaries and Adventurers

After witnessing the death of Zephyrd, Fran was unable to move. Fatigue and drowsiness seemed to have kicked in. Thanks to the adrenaline that had been pumping her, she had been able to forget her fatigue during the battle.

However, now that the tension of the battle had settled down, the fatigue was outweighing the excitement. She was too tired, and her body needed to rest. She was rubbing her eyes constantly.

「Munyaa……」

『Are you okay, Fran?』

「…I'm…fineー」

『Whoa』

「Suー……」

She had completely fallen asleep. I hurriedly caught her collapsing body with my telekinesis and gently laid her down on the ground. She's sleeping with a cute face.

『Hmm. What to do now…』

The battle was not over yet. From the direction of the royal castle, I could feel a tremendous magic power. The distance was too far to get a complete grasp of it, but it seemed that there was a being that radiated as much magic as the Marquis Ashtner in his potential release state. Moreover, I could feel more than one of them.

The occasional rumbling of the earth and the slight shaking of the ground were probably not unrelated. The fierce battle is still going on.

『If it's like this, I'm rather glad that Fran fell asleep』

It would be suicide to fight a strong enemy in her current state. However, Fran would still challenge them to a fight. In order to protect the capital.

『Even so, I didn't realize that the price of Fran's potential release was that she would be incapable of recovery…』

How long it will last is also a question. If it's only for a few hours, she might be able to manage to use it. That is, if she uses it only for a moment and kill the enemy instantly, she won't be driven to the brink of death.

However, the fact that she can't win without using the potential release means that the strength of the enemy is at a considerable level. I don't think it can be killed instantly.

And if they fought for a long time, Fran wouldn't be able to get away with anything. If she couldn't recover in such a condition, the probability of her death would increase.

A few minutes of inability to recover would be fine, but a few days would be quite dangerous. I don't think it would be for a lifetime, but it was possible that the effects could last for months.

I can't even try it carelessly. After all, potential release was dangerous. If the user body would never be able to recover when she used it, she would have to be prepared to risk her life when using it.

Because I'm a special kind of inorganic being with a will, I'm sure the cost of the magic stone value is something that can be recovered.

If it had went on like that, Fran might have died. No, if it hadn't been for Zephyrd, she would have died. Just thinking about it brings up some strange feelings. It makes me want to scream out meaningless words and scratch my head. I hate myself for my inadequacy and helplessness, and I can't help but feel bitter.

I don't want to go through something like that for a second time. To do so, I must become stronger.

As I was making up my mind to do so on Fran's back, Colbert saw her sleeping on the ground and rushed over to her.

「Fran? Oi, are you okay?」

「Shuー…Shuー…」

「Don't do that, Colbert. She's too tired to stay awake, right?」

「A, aah. You are right. But, even so……」

「What's wrong?」

「No. In her state, I can't think of her as the adventurer who defeated that monster」

「Well, you're right」

Eliante and Colbert stare at Fran as she sleeps, her face innocent sleepy face.

Colbert looked delicate. He realized once again the difference in power between him and the others. He still looks like a child. It must be complicated in many ways.

But then he remembered that now was not the time for this. He tightened his expression and stared in the direction where he could feel a great presence of magic.

「So, what should we do now?」

「First, let's take Fran and Zephyrd to the guilds」

「Okay」

Eliante carries Fran on his back, and Colbert carefully carries Zephyrd's body as they move. I'm glad Eliante didn't try to take me off Fran.

「There's been too much damage……」

「Yeah, it is」

Eliante's muttering was probably directed more at the human casualties than the physical damages.

In the battle at the Marquis' mansion alone, nearly 30 adventurers of medium rank or higher were killed, and the life of Zephyrd, a rank A adventurer, was also lost. Fran, who she can rely on for strength, is still unconscious. Moreover, the battle in the royal capital is still ongoing.

「Young master Zephyrd is just like this…」

「That's what being an adventurer is all about. You never know when or where you'll die. Compared to that, Zephyrd looks quite content」

「You are right……」

「He had avenged the death of his companion for 30 years」

It seems that Zephyrd and his party had been working together for 30 years. It seems that they were more like family than friends.

「Maybe it wasn't such a bad end for Zephyrd」

「You said it's not bad……But it's always good for all of us to survive」

「I hope everyone can survive. But it was impossible against that monster. You know that. Besides, it's hard to lose your friends while you survive on your own」

「Aah…Is that so, guild master…I'm sorry」

Colbert, overheard Eliante's murmur, and bowed his head in fear.

「…Even if only one person had been saved here, he would have eventually lost the will to live, and would have lost his life prematurely by repeating his recklessness」

「…But you're still alive……」

「Fufu. I've been through a lot……」

Eliante smiles sadly as she says that.

「It's hard when I lose my friends, but it's painful afterwards. After retreating for my life. I was eating tasteless barley porridge in a fort full of wounded soldiers, I suddenly burst into tears and couldn't stop……After all, the lack of that noisy conversation during dinner, I finally realized that everyone was gone」

「…But you're still getting back on your feet. Even Zephyrd's might……」

「Maybe. But in our case, we weren't wiped out, some of us survived. We were able to lick each other's wounds. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be alive today. I really appreciate it」

「I've always wondered. Why did you go from being a mercenary to an adventurer? Couldn't you have continued as a mercenary with your surviving comrades?

So Eliante used to be a member of a mercenary group that was nearly wiped out? After that, she apparently turned into an adventurer. That's how she made it to be a Guild Master, as expected, she's no ordinary person.

「In fact, your comrades are still working as mercenaries aren't they? They helped me this time too」

「A solo adventurer can carry the whole load by themselves, right?」

「Is that so?」

「That's what I thought……Well, what I've learned is that as long as you're alive, you can't break ties with people, and you'll end up carrying a lot of things on your back」

「……Even now, do you still feel like you want to die?」

「Well, I don't know. But I do sometimes dream about it. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't retreated that day, but had launched a suicide attack with my friends against the Crimson Knights Order of the Kingdom of Raidos……」

While listening to the conversation between the two of them, I also kept a vigilant eye on my surroundings. On the way, I saw many knights and adventurers in the town working together to evacuate people. Not only that, but there were also alchemists carrying large quantities of magic potions. Count Bailleys' instructions must have been properly conveyed.

Some of the enemies had pseudo fanatic swords stuck in them, but Eliante and Colbert worked together to defeat them. However, it was when the Adventurer's Guild came into view.

『……!』

What is it? Something with tremendous magical power has appeared all over the royal capital. The number of them might be close to a hundred. The mysterious presence could be sensed even in our immediate vicinity.

Boooom!

Immediately after that, a tremendous fire erupts from the depths of the alley, and the knights are blown away in their cruel forms.

「Tsk. Colbert, I'll leave Fran to you!」

「Okay!」

Following the carbonized knights was a swordsman who was controlled by a pseudo fanatic sword. However, something was wrong. The magic power I can sense from it is too great.

And I shuddered as I appraised its state.

『Divine Swords Release…?』

What a surprise, the status of the pseudo fanatic sword showed that it was a divine sword release. However, the host's ability was poor. But he was as strong as Marquis Ashtner before his potential release.

I know it won't last long. After all, his vitality continues to decline at tremendous rate. It won't last more than three minutes.

「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

And as if to confirm my fears, the swordsman began to indiscriminately unleash sword skill and magic. It didn't even seem like he had a purpose anymore. He just seemed to be trying to spread destruction until his life was over.

『What should I do…! No, if I didn't protect Eliante, Fran will be sad! Damn it!』

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