Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Ronel Feels Refreshed
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In the heart of the city, Sector A.
A massive crowd had gathered in front of the exit leading to Sector X.
The group included battle-hardened heroes from the front lines, central garrison soldiers, and even rookie heroes who had volunteered to join the fight.
Despite the throng of people, a heavy silence hung in the air, laced with a sense of grim determination.
"You all heading off to die? Lighten up those faces a bit~"
A voice that clashed wildly with the solemn mood rang out brazenly. It was Ronel.
The veterans from the front lines, who had seen it all, simply steadied their resolve without much visible tension. But the garrison soldiers and rookies were a different story.
Having never experienced combat against magic beasts on the front lines, they were all visibly on edge.
Ronel amped up her energy artificially to ease their nerves and rally them.
"Come on, everyone in the Ronel Corps garrison squad! I know the sudden call-up has you rattled, but you all had a pretty good idea this was coming, right? Today’s the day we reclaim Sector X—lost for the past three years—and crush those demons! For us, who’ve devoted our lives to humanity, isn’t this a joyous occasion? Let’s smile. It’s a happy day!"
Yoon Na-rin shot Ronel a sidelong glare from afar before muttering bluntly.
"Look at her yapping away. She must really not wanna go."
"Pfft."
Han U-sol burst into laughter at her curt tone.
Come to think of it, Ronel had always had this habit of talking a lot whenever she dreaded something.
And that habit got especially bad when it was time to head to the front lines for battle.
She was putting on a brave front to encourage her subordinates now, but deep down, she might be crying her eyes out at the thought of fighting. The idea made Han U-sol chuckle involuntarily.
"...By the way, Daniel, why’d you volunteer to go when you didn’t have to?"
"I-I just wanted to go. W-what’s wrong with that? I can’t?"
"Check it out. He’s so nervous he’s stuttering."
Yoon Na-rin teased Daniel, who was stammering from tension, with a giggle.
She wasn’t thrilled about an inexperienced rookie like him volunteering for the dangerous front lines.
But she knew the reason he’d decided to join, so neither she nor Han U-sol scolded him for it.
"I-I’m not nervous or anything."
"Don’t get cocky out there—keep your head on a swivel. If shit gets dangerous, stick right to one of us. Got it? Rush out alone like an idiot, and you’re dead meat."
"O-okay, I got it..."
"Haha, you’re totally nervous."
"Hyung!"
She just teased him a little extra.
"It’s been a while since I left the front lines, so I’m a bit tense too..."
Reisi’s quiet mutter went unheard by anyone.
"Alright, if you’re still anxious, I’ve got paper and pens here. Write your last wills ahead of time. If you die or go missing, we’ll deliver them to your families later."
The moment Ronel mentioned "last wills," the garrison soldiers’ faces stiffened even more.
Undeterred, she casually handed out paper and pens to them with a straight face.
"Holy shit. Look at her crushing her troops’ morale."
Yoon Na-rin clicked her tongue.
Of course, it was common for soldiers heading into battle to write wills.
But cracking jokes about death like it was inevitable? No wonder morale tanked.
Especially for newbies like them, heading to the front lines for the first time.
'Now that I think about it, I’ve never written one of those.'
Han U-sol suddenly realized he’d never written a will, despite being a front-line hero who probably should have at least once.
It made sense, in a way.
If Han U-sol died, humanity was pretty much done for anyway. What good was a will?
Even knowing it was pointless, for some reason, today he felt like writing one.
"Should I write one too? You never know with life."
"Don’t jinx it, you idiot."
Ignoring Yoon Na-rin’s genuine disgust, Han U-sol approached Ronel.
"Ronel. Gimme one too."
"Oh, even you,前辈?"
"Yeah."
"What’s with the sudden urge? Feeling suicidal all of a sudden? That’d be a disaster!"
"Nah, nothing like that."
He wasn’t suicidal—he just had a random itch to try it.
"Here."
"Thanks."
Han U-sol took the pen and paper from Ronel.
He hesitated at first, unsure how to start, but soon began slowly filling the blank page.
I don’t wanna go.
That was Ronel’s honest feeling.
But what could she do?
When it was an order from the top brass, who held the city’s fate in their hands—the city lord himself.
When it came from the man who’d taken in a lowborn orphan like her, fed her, housed her, and raised her.
She had to go.
"...Fuck this."
Ronel crumpled the paper with a low curse after scribbling a few words.
Last will? What a joke.
It’d just bring bad luck.
An orphan from the outskirts, abandoned by her mother—who would she even write it to?
Even if she wrote it to Colton, would he even bother reading it?
They’d had dinner together just yesterday after ages apart, but how many words had he even said during the meal?
'...Hmph.'
He was too much. Way too much.
Couldn’t even hook her up with a cushy desk job, and now he was sending her heartlessly to the front lines.
What was she to him, really?
He called her like a daughter, but treated her like a slave.
If he valued her that much, he shouldn’t have sent her to the front lines in the first place.
She stewed in quiet resentment for a moment before snapping herself out of her whining and steeling her resolve.
"...Sigh."
She knew.
It was spoiled, ungrateful bullshit.
Colton was the type who’d throw not just those around him, but himself, into the fire for his goals.
Even if that wasn’t true, humanity didn’t have the luxury to cater to one Ronel.
She knew she shouldn’t demand too much from the man who’d pulled her back from death’s door.
She knew she was just craving elsewhere the love she’d lost from her parents as a child.
No matter how much she griped, Ronel knew her place perfectly.
She might feel hurt deep down, but she didn’t want to disappoint him and betray his kindness.
"Ugh... Huh?"
As she sulked, kicking at the ground with her toes, Ronel spotted a familiar figure.
A man she’d once desperately craved affection from.
And who had ultimately turned away.
"Fancy meeting you again?"
It was Fergus.
"……"
Fergus froze the instant their eyes met.
Ronel knew it stemmed from guilt toward her.
She smirked as she watched him flounder before her.
Contrary to Fergus’s worries, Ronel didn’t resent him much.
He’d been the first to speak to a worthless little girl who’d only get you in trouble if you got involved.
And he’d given her warmth.
His visits had made her small, lonely world a bit brighter and bigger.
The isolated girl, drowning in solitude, soon forgot her loneliness and counted the days until he’d come again.
Dreaming of the day she’d hold his hand and leave that cramped room.
...Though she’d been cast aside in the end.
Still, even if he’d turned away, Fergus had added color to her gray world.
And those rare colors had ignited her will to live.
That’s why.
When Fergus left, Ronel didn’t resent him.
She knew he hadn’t turned away because he wanted to.
He was too kind-hearted—and thus too cowardly.
She was sad, but she didn’t hate him.
"……"
...Or so she told herself.
In truth, she did resent him.
Quite a bit.
If he was gonna do this.
If he was gonna turn away and abandon her, why give her affection in the first place?
Why offer pity without helping or saving her?
Just toss some cheap sympathy and run.
Why not crush her hopes from the start?
That’s what she’d thought.
That’s why she never sought him out, even when she thought of him sometimes.
But after everything, spinning in circles with her grudges.
In the end, the first person to give affection to the young, scarred Ronel was Fergus.
So she loved him. Loved him while resenting him—it was bittersweet.
Ronel flashed a bright, nonchalant smile and asked Fergus.
The man she’d once loved, and now felt bittersweet about.
"I was happy to see you after so long last time, but today I’m even happier~"
"...Yes, Ronel. Good to see you."
"But why’re you by yourself? Daniel’s over there."
"……"
Fergus didn’t answer right away.
But Ronel’s sharp instincts picked up on why he was standing alone.
"Aha! I get it! You two fought! Daniel insisted on joining the front lines, and you tried to stop him, so you had a big blowout~"
"...Something like that."
For some reason, Ronel felt a rush of satisfaction.
It was just a minor spat that’d blow over soon, but she was glad—at least temporarily—that Daniel and Fergus were at odds.
"Oh no. Everyone else is in the cars already. At this rate, you’ll have to ride alone with your grandson and feel all lonely."
Was it jealousy toward Daniel, who’d achieved the bond with Fergus she never could?
Or a twisted hunger for the affection she’d once craved, now monopolizing it even briefly?
Or both?
Either way, she knew Fergus’s love could never turn to her again.
Yet she beamed innocently and offered the old man a ride with her.
"If you’d like, why don’t you sit with me?"