The Slayer of Nomadic Civilization (5) — Finale
Vesta had just finished the battle, and his first priority was to check on Ushun's life. He believed Ushun was safe. But realistically, the chances of her being seriously injured were high.
'I have to help her too.'
Vesta found the spot where Ushun had fallen. He saw the broken remains of a giant scarab. There was no sign of Ushun. She might have been buried in the sand.
"Ushun!"
Vesta and Ahor, who had followed him, dug through the sand.
"Here she is!"
They hurriedly pulled her out. Since she was still wearing her armor, her injuries weren't visible on the surface.
"Pull yourself together, Ushun."
"She's still breathing."
When Ushun didn't respond, Ahor, looking panicked, slapped her cheeks from side to side.
"Get up! If you lose consciousness out here, it's over!"
Slap! Slap!
"H-Huh... Ahor... I know you're worried, but..."
Ushun's head turned left and right.
"Ouch."
"Huh? She reacted! Hit her harder, Ahor!"
"Understood."
Slap!
"Ugh... What...?"
Ushun's unfocused eyes finally refocused. Of course, her cheeks were also swollen and red.
"Haa... So... I was right. You really are alive."
"Ah, it's the chief. And... Vesta-nim is here too."
Since Ahor was right next to him, Ushun used the respectful form when addressing Vesta.
"I thought I was going to die after crashing into the ground."
"No need to worry. Do you think I would fall that easily?"
Ushun laughed proudly, but then groaned. Could it be that her ribs were broken and piercing her lungs? Vesta looked at Ushun with worried eyes.
But there was no blood or foam coming from her cough. Ushun spat out a mouthful of dirty phlegm with a rattling sound. Seeing that, Vesta could finally relax.
"Kek... I ate so much sand that I started coughing."
"Are you really all right?"
"Well, I guess I got hurt after all. My right arm... That's the only one."
"My right arm? Now that you mention it..."
Vesta made a strange expression and sniffed the air.
"...Is there some kind of charred smell coming from your right arm?"
"Kruh. I got hit by lightning."
Ushun curled her right hand into a fist. She was squinting one eye in pain.
"But it didn't break completely. It hurts like hell, though."
"Getting hit by lightning and acting this relaxed? Isn't that too careless?"
Ahor sighed in disbelief, while Ushun let out a short laugh.
"If you hadn't died, it would have been just a scratch. More importantly, I feel bad I didn't get to watch Vesta-nim's performance."
"Well, I fought together with everyone, so..."
The situation with Ushun fighting alone was completely different. If they were going to share the credit, it was everyone's achievement, not just Vesta's.
"The Khan also supported us."
"Eh? For real?"
Ushun looked surprised for a moment, then gave Vesta a sly expression and whistled.
"Th-that's..."
"...What?"
"No, I didn't say anything special."
"Your expression looks like you have a lot to say."
"I thought it was amazing."
Ushun poked Vesta in the ribs with her elbow. Then she winced as if she was the only one in pain.
"I'm going crazy. I really need to drink my fill today..."
"Because you're able to talk normally. If it were anyone else, they would have passed out. Go treat yourself for alcohol and all that."
"Ugh..."
Ushun stuck out her tongue, then hurriedly put it back in. She seemed to have found something.
"Vesta-nim."
She lightly pushed Vesta's back. It looked like she had noticed something far away. Ashtien was walking toward them.
"Please go ahead. I'm fine now."
"...Got it. See you later."
After greeting Ushun and Ahor, Vesta left the area.
Against the backdrop of the desert, two men and one woman walked toward each other with light steps.
Ushun, watching them, said,
"Who in the world could make our princess laugh like that?"
Ahor nodded in agreement.
"...Yeah. That's true."
*
"How did the mission go?"
"It went well. It was finished without any major problems."
Vesta and Ashtien naturally started walking across the desert.
Two sets of footprints stretched long across the sand.
If those footprints had maintained their shape for a long time, someone with keen eyes would have found them quite amusing. For example, Ashtien, being tall, had deliberately shortened her stride to match Vesta's. And the distance between them had been uneven, like it was constantly adjusting.
"How was this mission?"
"Frankly, it wasn't fun."
It was new, but not exactly pleasant. If Vesta had hated bugs, he would have passed out multiple times.
"I didn't expect something like that to appear. You aren't the type to think short-sightedly, and since you arrived, nothing but unexpected things have happened."
Ashtien rarely complained.
"But this time we didn't arrive too late, right?"
"...It has always been like that."
Thinking about it, it was true. When he was almost sold into the desert. When he fought Narinhoon. And in situations like this today.
"Ashtien."
"......"
She looked slightly startled. Probably because he had called her name without hesitation.
"Yeah?"
"I have something I want to say."
"It's a bit sudden."
"I felt the timing was right."
Vesta closed and opened his eyes slightly. He had prepared his heart.
"Do you know the Imperial Arena?"
"...Yes. I've heard of it. You, Vesta, are..."
"A gladiator who came from there, right."
"Yes. That's correct. I don't like the 'came' expression, but..."
"Why not?"
"I was born in that place."
"I see. That's what it was."
"I was a gladiator. So I was born as a gladiator slave. I came from low-born blood."
"Don't say 'low-born' like that."
"A gladiator slave is worse than other slaves; he's a commoner."
"Do you think I care about such things?"
Ashtien said it clearly.
"...Understood."
"Hmm. I got excited too. Keep talking."
"Slaves sold into the arena can become free by paying their body price, but gladiators cannot. There are three ways for a gladiator to gain freedom."
"One is to die and become a corpse." "Two is to keep fighting until you win and gain freedom." "Three is to escape with good luck."
"I was the third case. When the gladiators revolted, I slipped away secretly."
"......"
"Ashtien. I plan to return to that place once."
"Why? Why choose that?"
"I don't want to go back as a gladiator slave. But that place is definitely my hometown."
"Is home that important?"
"When the revolt happened, I didn't join in. I abandoned my comrades and fled. Because of that, I still remain a gladiator slave."
Maybe forever. And that was because Vesta had fled as a slave.
"I want to visit there again and see what the end of the revolt was like."
"I can investigate for you. I promise."
"I must go there and confirm with my own eyes what my comrades' blood changed at that time."
"...You might get captured again."
Ashtien seemed reluctant to say it.
"If that happens, I will seize my freedom with my own hands. I will definitely return and give you an answer."
To do that, he had to become a champion.
It was a thought that seemed impossible.
'But.'
If only he could do that, wouldn't he be able to correct his mistakes?
In the arena, victory was the only thing that affirmed everything.
"Ahor seemed to think you are the heir of the martial family."
"Didn't she think of you as a side son?"
"Well... You could say she was right. Ahor saw it."
—But she should have called you the legitimate heir, not a side son.
"You were born in the martial family of the arena and inherit its martial arts completely."
Vesta fell silent for a moment at her words.
He had never thought like that.
Ashtien grabbed Vesta's necklace.
"...Hmph. Do you think I would wait forever? As I said, it's one year. One year."
"Ashtien...?"
"Do you know how important an answer is for an elf? It is like a wedge in our long lives. Something like a shackle. We sometimes wait a hundred years for someone's answer."
It was an unreasonably long time for a human.
"I'm not as patient as you think. If you don't return from being locked in the Empire, I will go to the Empire myself to hear the answer."
"Haha..."
Ashtien released Vesta. She walked away from him briskly. Was she angry? But it seemed he couldn't just leave her alone.
"Ashtien."
"......"
"Ashtie...?"
"What? Haa..."
Ashtien couldn't hold back her laughter. She gently stroked Vesta's hair.
"You mischievous one."
"It is the first time I've heard such praise."
Vesta said as if remembering something.
"By the way, Ashtien."
"Why keep calling me Ashtien? Is it embarrassing?"
Luckily, she didn't tease him further. Vesta asked the question he had been curious about for a while.
"The supernatural power you mentioned before to me was a lie, right?"
"Of course it was a joke."
Ashtien readily admitted it. Vesta stared at her in disbelief.
"I believed it quite seriously."
"I see. What to do about this."
"Not supernatural power, then why did you...!"
"Vesta."
Ashtien cut him off. She looked down at Vesta intently.
"I hate lies. I like jokes, but not lies. At that time, I clearly told you the real reason."
"The real reason?"
'Was that possible? The things she said then...'
[What if my supernatural power chose you? How about saying it like this and would you understand?]
—And then she clearly said.
[Or how about thinking it's fate? For me and for you. At least I think so.]
"Fate...?"
Ashtien smiled. A proud and upright smile.
"Would you not believe me if I said it was love at first sight?"
*
Ah, yes. That's right.
—The Khan has arrived, and we have gathered everyone without missing anyone.
"Why go that far? You're just going to watch..."
It was the first time he looked into your eyes.
"......"
"For what reason are you doing this?"
I knew you at a glance. I knew you were an extraordinary man.
You were curled up tightly, but your eyes. Your eyes told me.
Deep, deep sadness, tragedy. Beastly nature. Resilience. Anger. Kindness that you couldn't discard to the end.
And the spirit of the Baatar.
Among the countless beasts I have met so far, you had the most brilliant eyes.
It was truly a gaze that a hunter could not look away from. It truly stimulated the competitive spirit.
Vesta, Vesta Baatar.
You, a beloved beast.
I sensed at that time that you were something that would completely change everything for me. Something in a literal sense.
Something I had not known.
Ah...
I swear, it was the first time it had ever happened in my life.