Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: Not a Blessing, but a Curse (2)
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Destel the Craven.
He hadn't always been called by that insulting moniker. Sure, he had a somewhat cynical and shady side to him, but Destel had always been faithful to his duties.
He strove to minimize sacrifices and participated in rescue operations time and again. He would share drinks with the Knight Commander nearly every day, begging to be allowed to retire, but everyone knew those were just jokes tossed out lightly.
The Realistic Hero.
That was the name people used for Destel back then.
If Gallahal pursued ideals, Destel was the realistic hero. But if you asked whether the two heroes clashed because of that, the answer was no. They respected each other's ways and showed mutual regard.
That respect didn't last long.
One incident broke out, and after that, Gallahal and Destel drew a clear line between them.
The Latenaile Defense Battle.
This operation took place without the Ashen Mage—who was humanity's greatest asset at the time—or Kyle Toven. The reason was simple. The two of them were in no condition to fight.
Right after the battle with the Demon King.
Raniel, who had traded his lifespan, had a broken body.
Kyle Toven could no longer wield Starlight.
The Saintess couldn't offer prayers, and the Divine Archer had fled into the forest in terror.
The Latenaile Defense Battle unfolded against that backdrop. Destel took command of the operation, and the knights moved under his leadership.
There were some sacrifices, but the plan proceeded smoothly. Right up until a massive variable struck the battlefield.
"Black mist is rolling in."
"...The mist is teeming with countless demonic beasts. We've confirmed five Armored Dragons."
The Apostate's forces had appeared on the battlefield.
The Apostate himself didn't show, but the five Armored Dragons were more than enough to turn the field into a wasteland. The walls crumbled, and the operation flipped in an instant.
The knights were swept away.
The battlefield was dyed in blood.
And then.
"Flee, Lord Destel."
"We'll hold here."
Destel ran.
He survived by sacrificing everyone gathered there. No one condemned that choice.
Even if Destel had been in command of the defense, a disaster was an unpredictable variable no one could foresee. Only a handful of humans could stand against it, and not every hero could face one down.
The knights understood that.
Because they understood, they neither resented nor blamed Destel. They simply mourned their fallen comrades.
"You've come. Destel."
"......"
And then.
"Uncle Heinkel."
Upon his return, Destel made the worst choice possible.
"I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I want to go back home. I want to quit everything. I'm just... tired now."
In front of all the watching knights, Destel pleaded with the Knight Commander. The Knight Commander's face hardened, and the knights fell silent.
"It's all useless. The operations, the formations—none of it matters. If they push, it's over. What's the point of a battlefield that only holds because of the disaster's whim?"
Kneeling on the rain-soaked, muddy ground, Destel screamed that everything was meaningless. His voice lingered amid the patter of rain for a while.
"What did you just say? Destel."
Gallahal was there too.
He had taken over the battlefield Destel fled from and lost all his comrades there.
"I asked what you said, Destel."
"That I'm quitting. That I can't do it anymore. What's the point of this? It's all meaningless. When the disaster pushes, we can't do a damn thing. It's all just... pointless."
Right after, Gallahal lunged at Destel.
Numerous knights had to step in to hold him back, and after that incident, Destel was no longer called the "Realistic Hero."
Craven (? ?).
Destel the Craven.
That's what he came to be known as after the event.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
Lania shot a withering glare at the pathetically ugly man standing before her.
Destel the Craven.
His gray hair reminded her of a broom shoved in the corner of Aphria's storage room, and his black eyes evoked the image of a fish on its last legs.
He had the face of someone who'd eaten bitterness for breakfast.
But it wasn't just his looks—it was his personality too. Which meant he was exactly the type she despised most.
Lania wrinkled her nose and waved her hand dismissively.
"Move."
That she wasn't cursing him out was already the height of her patience. But Destel had no way of knowing that.
"What if I don't want to?"
Look at this guy.
Back in the day, he'd slink away at the mere sight of her, but now here he was smirking like a smug bastard. Lania furrowed her brow a bit more. Savoring her reaction, Destel continued.
"You and your brother don't exactly get along. Looks like you've heard a lot from him, but that's..."
"Didn't you hear me? Move."
Lania snapped again.
Destel flinched involuntarily and took a step back at the sight of her narrowed eyes.
'What kind of glare is that...'
It was the kind of look that could kill a man.
Hard to believe it came from such a soft-featured face. Destel naturally backed up a few more steps and gestured ahead.
"...Well, we'll talk later, I suppose."
Destel walked on ahead.
Lania glared at his back for a moment before reluctantly following.
This isn't good.
That was Lania's thought.
Running into Destel was annoying enough, but she could grit her teeth and bear it. The real problem... was the girl standing behind her right now.
"What's wrong, Professor Lania?"
"...Nothing."
Chloe.
A girl still so immature, and thus easily influenced.
For a girl like Chloe, Destel was nothing but a bad influence. That's why Lania had hoped Chloe would never cross paths with him.
'...I didn't completely ignore the possibility when coming to the front lines.'
But she'd thought the chances were slim.
Destel avoided Gallahal like the plague, so if he was with Gallahal, they'd never meet.
'So why the hell is he here?'
It made no sense to Lania.
Glare fixed on the back of the walking Destel, Lania whispered to Chloe.
"See that broom-headed bastard up ahead?"
It was a bit loud to call a whisper.
Lania tilted her head slightly and continued.
"Don't talk to him. He's got bad vibes."
"Huh...?"
"His heart's all twisted up. He just spouts useless crap, so stay away. It's bad for your mental health."
Chloe tilted her head in confusion.
Destel, who'd been quietly listening, let out a hollow chuckle and turned around.
"What the hell do you take me for?"
"A craven loser."
Lania answered without a second's hesitation.
Destel shrugged.
"Well, if you've been fed distorted info from that Raniel guy, I guess you might think that."
"...Distorted?"
"I just pick the fast and sure methods. If that makes me a craven loser, oh well. I'm different from him."
Different.
With that, Destel narrowed his eyes.
"Better to maintain the status quo than charge headfirst into the impossible and wreck yourself, right?"
Lania froze mid-step.
Chloe stopped too, and Destel twisted his lips as he looked back at them.
"Did I say something wrong?"
It was a jab at the Ashen Mage's exploits.
"Ah, or maybe it was all planned. Better to ruin your body once and retire than roll around on the battlefield till you die? Brilliant plan."
Destel clapped.
"Truly worthy of being called a sage."
Lania's eyes chilled at the sneer curling on Destel's lips. She took a step toward him as he halted.
Thud.
Her shoe heel struck the ground sharply. Just as Lania reached to grab his collar—
"That's enough."
Gallahal, who'd been standing silently, yanked Destel back by the scruff of his neck.
"You know Raniel isn't that kind of person. Don't provoke with baseless talk. It's in poor taste."
"Who knows."
Destel slapped Gallahal's hand away with a smack.
"In the end, I'm all that's left."
His voice was laced with irritation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
"I've been waiting."
Knight Commander Heinkel warmly welcomed the three into the room.
"Long journey—must've been tough. Rox prepared a carriage, but I hope it suited you."
"It was a comfortable trip."
Gallahal nodded slightly in response.
Heinkel gave a wry smile at Gallahal, who had inevitably found an excuse to return despite being stationed far from the front.
"So, you're Chloe, then?"
"I-It's an honor to meet you...!"
Chloe stammered in a trembling voice.
"The Wall of Humanity, guardian of mankind...!"
"Just call me Knight Commander casually. Or Uncle Heinkel if you want to be friendly."
"C-Can I really?"
"Of course."
Heinkel chuckled at Chloe's tense, overstrained voice. With a gentle smile, he nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Chloe, next Hero candidate."
She seemed far brighter than the rumors suggested. That fact stirred guilt in Heinkel. After all, he was the one pushing a girl like her onto the battlefield.
After gazing at Chloe briefly, Heinkel turned.
Shifting his gaze sideways revealed the girl with ash-gray hair standing beside her.
Ash-gray hair and blue eyes.
Her expressionless face was worlds apart from the Raniel he remembered. The rumors of a complete change weren't exaggeration.
"So, you're the young lady..."
"Lania van Trias."
The girl stated her name.
Her calm, emotionless voice echoed through the office. Flat and devoid of warmth.
'She's even stiffer than I imagined.'
Raniel had been solemn when needed but often showed a lighter side. This felt different.
"I heard you're handling Chloe's education. Rumors reach me now and then. And..."
Heinkel tapped the table.
"That you're Raniel's successor as well."
Raniel had declared it himself in a letter.
Lania van Trias was his personally raised heir. She'd inherited all his magical knowledge.
'Indeed.'
Her presence was unique.
The girl exuded a gravitas beyond her years, like a veteran hero who'd rolled through battlefields for years.
"So."
Heinkel spoke up.
"I hear Chloe's training as next Hero candidate will happen here. Experiencing the front-line atmosphere, observing Hero battles up close, that sort of thing."
It was all in the reports.
"Any spots you've considered?"
Heinkel stroked his chin.
"If you have a place in mind, speak up. Lania, you might not know the front well, so maybe Gallahal should—"
"Eastern Third Front, Hafreion."
He was about to unroll the map and pick a suitable stage when someone named a precise location. Heinkel blinked, map half-open.
It was Lania who'd spoken.
Caught off guard by the quiet girl's words, Heinkel was quite startled.
"What was that...?"
"Eastern Third Front, Hafreion."
Heinkel recalled the place and who was in charge there.
Third Front, Hafreion.
Handled by Destel the Craven.
'...Why there?'
Heinkel tilted his head at the sudden mention. Was it suitable for training? There were plenty of better spots.
As if answering his puzzled look, Lania brushed back her hair and lifted her head. Her blue eyes gleamed through the rippling ash-gray strands.
"In my view, it's the most suitable place for training. Plenty to show her, in all sorts of ways."
Lania smiled.
It was an utterly chilling smile.
'...She's pissed?'
Her voice sounded gritted through clenched teeth.
Heinkel glanced at Gallahal for explanation. Gallahal just silently shook his head.
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