A Place That Won't Welcome Us
"Guh!"
The only thing that filled his vision was a single streak of light. Nothing else entered his sight. Even if he tried to block it, even if he wanted to block it, even if the desire burned so fiercely it drove him insane, he could not stop an attack he could neither see nor feel.
"That makes one hundred and twenty-two. The number of times the people behind you have died, Gerard."
"...Cough, cough."
"It's not too late even now. You can throw away that shield and choose something else."
At those words, Gerard looked up at the man for a moment. This was the same man who had promised to make him strong, to ensure he would never lose anyone again. Gerard had chosen the shield without the slightest hesitation, yet the man continued trying to persuade him otherwise.
"...No. I don't want that, Master."
"Stubborn as ever."
"...."
"What kind of shield are you if you can't protect a single thing?"
At the man's harsh words, Gerard bit his lip. The past he had tried so desperately to forget rose up unbidden.
He had been the sole survivor discovered in a village ravaged by monsters. They said passersby had rescued him when he was on the brink of death. He had barely clung to life and was taken to a place full of children in similar circumstances—an orphanage in the city. He thought he might somehow continue living there, but even the orphanage was reduced to ruins by another monster attack.
The friends who had shared his pain died. The teachers who had comforted him died. He could do nothing. He could neither block nor protect them. As he despaired, the only one left alive, his master had come to him.
Asking if he no longer wanted to lose anyone. If he no longer wanted to writhe in self-loathing. At those words, Gerard had bitten his lip until it bled and nodded. Just as the man said, he no longer wanted to lose anyone. He wanted to protect them.
He would have to steel himself to die—or rather, to endure something even harsher. Even then, Gerard had given a firm nod and followed him.
From that day onward, brutal training began within the man's domain. He had believed the man—who was now his master—must be strong. Only the strong could speak with such certainty; the weak could not. His honest heart had simply wanted to rely on that strength and become strong himself.
"Guh! Cough, hack!"
"Get up."
"Ugh..."
"I told you to get up, Gerard. How long do you plan to stay down there?"
He had never imagined it would be this merciless. Not even a little.
The man showed no mercy whatsoever, trampling Gerard with ruthless brutality. It was not only his body being crushed—his spirit was being utterly shattered. As if the man meant to ensure he could never rise again, as if he intended to turn him into a complete wreck.
"This is the third time. Everyone behind you has died."
"Ugh, ughhh..."
"You'll become monster food and soon enough turn into monster dung."
"Kuh...!"
"Is there any life more pitiful than this?"
"Aren't you being too harsh!"
"Go tell the monsters that. Tell them it's too much. Do you think they'll shed tears of remorse and say, 'Oh dear, we were the wicked ones. Sob sob'? Don't spout nonsense."
"Even so..."
"Either protect them or kill them. It's one or the other. You chose to protect. And once again, you failed to block them. You failed to protect them. So what exactly are you trying to say?"
Gerard's master was harsh, ice-cold, and sharp as a honed blade. He permitted no mistakes and tolerated not the slightest opening. There were times when such a master felt cruel and hateful. He was trying so hard, pouring every ounce of effort into it, yet the master shattered even that. There were moments when he had lamented why he had to suffer like this.
Until the day he witnessed that man—his master—silently slaughtering monsters and demonic beasts for the sake of a single village, unseen by anyone.
"Hoo."
After annihilating every monster and demonic creature that had been charging toward the village, his master vanished as casually as if he had merely stepped out for a light walk after a meal.
In the empty space he left behind, Gerard stood motionless, lost in thought.
"...."
Strong. He was truly strong. Stronger than anything Gerard could ever dream of becoming. That was why he could cut down any approaching threat without hesitation. In that man's eyes, Gerard—who could neither strike first nor block—must look like a pathetic fool.
But still. Even so, I want to become someone like him.
Even if he could not match that overwhelming strength. Even if he could not crush enemies with transcendent power. If he could protect the innocent people standing behind him with nothing but his own will and endurance. If he could do that, it would be wonderful. He wanted it more than anything, and his inability to do so filled him with rage at himself.
"Will you try again?"
When he returned to their quarters, the man spoke those words and tossed the shield at him. Gerard stared at it for a moment, then steadied his breathing and stood before him.
He cast aside all the arrogance of protecting the world, the nation, the city, or the village. He held only the pure desire to protect even one single person completely.
With a will that would keep protecting even while spitting blood, though he lacked overwhelming power. With a steel-like solidity that refused to yield easily, though he possessed no cutting sharpness.
Kwaaaaaang—!
Only after planting both feet firmly and enduring before his master's sword for the first time did Gerard finally understand who he was, what kind of existence he was meant to be, and what he must do from now on.
I want to become like Master. I want to become a hero who can truly protect.
Muttering those words, Gerard clenched his fist tightly.
One day, a strange girl who had joined after him approached.
She was supposedly a noble, yet she didn't act like one. She couldn't possibly win, yet she kept charging at Master. From Gerard's perspective, she was a junior sister who was nearly impossible to understand.
"What is it, Airis?"
"Senior Brother, have you ever beaten Master?"
At her question, Gerard's face twisted. His junior sister was always like this—always saying things that made no sense. Who could beat whom? Why even discuss something impossible?
"Say something that makes sense. How could anyone beat him? Besides, I don't even want to."
"Really? I want to. So intensely, so madly that I can hardly stand it."
What kind of ridiculous girl is this? The words rose all the way to Gerard's throat.
But sometimes he could understand Airis's feelings. His junior sister who charged in every single day only to be beaten—Airis Freesia. His own situation of enduring to the end, getting hit again and again, was remarkably similar.
Yes. Someday, just once...
He wanted to stand in that spot and firmly block Master's sword. He wanted to declare it proudly—that he had blocked the attack. As the Guardian Hero, as that unbreakable shield, he had finally done it.
"What the heck? Why does your face look like that, Senior Brother? It looks like someone beat the crap out of you."
"You're one to talk. You don't exactly look like you're in great shape either."
"Me? I obviously charged Master and got pummeled right away."
"...Let's just say it's similar for me. Except I didn't charge at him like you did."
"Come on. Isn't it better to get hit after charging in? Getting hit without even trying is way more stupid."
"Shut up. Just eat your breakfast already."
Gerard and Airis seemed like they would be completely different types of people, yet they had some strangely compatible sides. Perhaps it was because they had grown under me during similar periods in similar ways.
Garam and Jenia, who were in comparable situations, were always at each other's throats, ready to tear one another apart. But these two seemed to get along well enough, which was at least a relief.
In truth, even without Airis, Gerard got along well with the others. He had no sharp edges in his personality, and after I had put him through so much, he had become quite smooth and rounded. Just thinking about the letter he had sent to Garam showed how extremely polite he could be. That was likely why, despite being the only male disciple, the others didn't avoid him or keep their distance.
"...Did you really beat up two people first thing in the morning?"
Iris, who had been quietly eating breakfast beside me, muttered those words. But wasn't that the kind of statement that invited all sorts of misunderstanding? It wasn't that I had beaten them for no reason—one had charged in saying she wanted to get hit, and the other only grew stronger when struck by me. I had no choice but to be somewhat merciless, yet she was accusing me of simply pummeling them.
"Iris? The only one I beat without any reason is you and you alone."
"Eek?! Why! How come!"
"Because you're the one who doesn't even dream of getting stronger and simply wastes time, obviously?"
"I-I'm making an effort in my own way! This is unfair, Master!"
"If it's so unfair, then get seriously stronger and start pushing the enemies back with a whoosh whoosh."
It wasn't as if she had any hidden stats or skills from her regression perk. It seemed the only weapons Iris possessed were the experiences and memories from the future. In that case, she ought to know methods to grow even faster. Unfortunately, her growth rate was slower than that of the other disciples. If the others' absorption rate was a ten, Iris was around a six. It made one suspect some kind of balance patch due to the regression.
"...What can I do? This is my limit."
Iris muttered dejectedly. It was neither a joke nor an act—it was sincere. She probably understood her own slow growth better than anyone. She must have tried, failed, repeated the cycle countless times, despaired, and then forced herself to stand up again.
"So follow me well."
"...."
"If you follow well, this master of yours will help you properly fulfill your role as a hero."
"...Yes."
We would soon leave the west and head to our next destination. In the process, it seemed I would need to pay a little more attention to Iris.
"All right, everyone's here?"
"Yes, Master."
After we finished breakfast, I stood before the three disciples and began explaining our future course.
"You've all rested thoroughly for two days. We can move now without any issues."
"That's correct. This was practically a vacation."
"From now on, we will all head straight for the center of the continent—more precisely, to the vicinity of the royal capital."
"...The royal capital, sir? Taking everyone with us?"
When I nodded, Gerard's expression darkened instantly. Noticing that something was worrying him, I fixed my gaze on the boy.
"Is there a problem, Gerard?"
"You might find these words unpleasant, but..."
"I don't mind, Gerard. Speak."
"The truth is, I'm a little concerned."
"Concerned? What exactly are you worried about?"
Actually, I already had a rough idea. The royal capital had never suffered a single attack from monsters or demonic creatures, yet it maintained the strongest defensive posture. And my disciples—the continent's heroes—had arrived before its gates one step too late. When all those points were considered, they converged on a single conclusion.
"The royal capital's side... probably won't welcome our heroes getting close."