The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 244

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 244

In the end, several people clung to the meat hanging over the campfire. Those who hastily chewed and swallowed the hot, disgusting chunks of meat immediately began showing signs of contamination.

These were soldiers who couldn’t become Oathbinders in the first place at the Last Line of Defense, which churned out Oathbinders like a factory, due to severely poor Oath aptitude or side effects. They inevitably had weak resistance to contamination.

Rita Pascal gritted her teeth. With an endlessly devastating feeling, she placed her hand on the trigger. She had to kill the helpless ones before they transformed into monsters and devoured each other.

Her eyes met those of the contaminating soldiers beyond the muzzle. She unconsciously recalled their faces.

The face that had carried injured comrades on his back. Or the face that had greeted her, saying he survived thanks to her and expressing gratitude.

The face that had come asking if she could teach him shooting techniques. The face that had smiled sheepishly, saying he too wanted to become an Oathbinder. The face that had boasted that his family could live in the city thanks to his enlistment in the Last Line of Defense.

Just as she was about to shoot Matan toward those faces, a large hand covered her eyes and pulled her back. A gentle, low voice reached her ear.

“Leave this kind of thing to me.”

Gid, who had been lying in the barracks, had somehow gotten up and was beside her. He pulled her behind him and stepped forward.

The sword mercilessly, or perhaps mercifully, took their lives. After all the soldiers showing contamination symptoms died, the remaining soldiers seemed to come to their senses belatedly and fled in panic.

Rita saw that the bandages around his lower back were stained red. She spoke like a sigh.

“I told you to rest quietly, so why did you crawl out?”

“This is resting.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“Watching you wake up and suffer while huddled in a corner is more exhausting.”

He swung his sword to shake off the blood, then looked back at her with his one eye. A bitter smile.

“You like people too much, Rita.”

“I don’t like them.”

“No, you do. You observe and remember them.”

“I do that because it’s necessary. With things like Doppelgangers and Mimics potentially infiltrating at any time, I need to properly remember the people around me.”

“I do that too, but, hmm.”

Gid Pascal lifted the head of the soldier he had cut and aligned it properly with the body as he continued speaking.

“This face is Private Jonathan Green from the 613th Battalion, 4th Company. That’s all I remember about this person. What about you?”

“…He said he had two younger siblings and enlisted after his parents died. That way he could get the kids into the Command Headquarters Orphanage… He said it was such a shame he couldn’t become an Oathbinder due to severe Oath side effects. His siblings sent letters frequently, and I once caught him crying while reading a letter.”

“I see… Do you understand the difference in our memories?”

Gid, showing her his back, spoke decisively.

“You’re not suited for this kind of work. From now on, don’t push yourself unnecessarily and call me. I’ll handle it.”

A memory of feeling somewhat hurt in her pride, wondering if he was pointing out her weakness or soft spots.

A memory of feeling slightly ashamed, wondering if she appeared so anxious and inexperienced that he had to intervene despite his injured body.

That memory now took on a different meaning.

Through the honest language of dragons that doesn’t deflect or mumble.

So, even then, it was because he liked her. Because such work wasn’t particularly difficult for him, but she found it hard. So.

Not because he didn’t trust her or saw her as inexperienced, but because he wanted to take on the work that the girl he liked disliked.

That’s how it was.

After a moment of silence, Lillieta suddenly threw a question at the Black Dragon. It was a question that came out without going through thought.

“Why did you do that?”

-…?

“After I died… all those things that happened. Why did you do that? Why did you go so far because of me…”

Her breathing became labored and her mouth went dry. She inhaled the forest air that still held a faint warmth and moved her dry lips.

“In the end, you regretted it too. You suffered so much that I felt like a curse to you, so why didn’t you stop… until the very end… did you resent me while doing that?”

She wanted to hear complete sincerity. From him who couldn’t hide anything now.

She swallowed the end of her words and shrugged her shoulders.

The Black Dragon stared down at her blankly. His face seemed like he didn’t properly understand her question.

Then he moved the thorns at his fingertips.

Rita isn’t something like a curse

Precious person

More than anything

Why resent?

If it’s because of Rita

Won’t regret anything

“…”

Rita stared blankly down at the letters written messily on the muddy ground, then raised her head.

Somehow a hollow laugh escaped.

I see, Gid.

However you may have changed. Whatever you may have experienced. Even if you became twisted and distorted. Even if you embraced contamination and became a monster.

“Rita, I did my best to remain as the me you know. I’m still trying now. I’ll keep trying in the future too. Forever, until I die.”

To the extent that you would suppress and hide all of that, showing only your best side, to the extent that you wouldn’t regret even pain, to the extent that you wouldn’t resent me even while feeling me as a curse, the fact that you loved me was, certainly.

“So… won’t you please forget?”

I can’t. I can’t forget, Gid.

Now that I know, I can’t forget all of that. Never.

But, yes.

I can’t forget, but I won’t leave you over such things.

Just as you don’t resent me, I won’t resent you.

I want to be by your side. I can’t do without you.

She didn’t voice that answer. The current Black Dragon wouldn’t be able to understand her words.

Instead, she placed her hand on the dragon’s massive fingertip.

“I won’t regret either, Gid. If it’s for you.”

She whispered while looking up at the eye sockets that were empty like an abyss.

“I won’t resent anything either.”

Learning of your abyss, the secrets of yours I’ll someday learn.

My decision to take your hand, what I experienced to save you, what I’ll experience in the future.

Anything.

If it’s you, because it’s you, I can accept everything.

“Still, anyway… let’s agree not to act on your own without saying anything from now on. I was really scared this time.”

-Groooooo…

“Will you promise me you won’t do that again?”

At her whisper, the head of the black dragon that had been at a tremendous height came down. The massive dragon’s nose, with thorns laid flat, gently touched her tiny forehead.

Like making a vow.

* * *

Some presences are revealed more strongly when they don’t exist.

This was a fact that the people who had hastily packed their belongings and left the cave were desperately experiencing firsthand.

For the past few days, the Whispering Cave had not experienced any monster attacks at all.

Though they had heard through the Knight that this was due to the Black Dragon’s presence, none of them had truly felt it. It seemed no different from just being lucky enough to have a few quiet days.

That difference became starkly apparent once the 300 or so people began moving through the Black Forest.

“Trolls approaching from the left! Three of them, no, five!”

“Platinum Guard! Go deal with those trolls!”

“The goblin horde following behind is persistent! The Night Patrol of the Vigilante Corps says they need support—”

“Damn it, we don’t have anyone to send there! Tell them to hold out somehow!”

“The orc horde in front keeps growing!”

“Ugh… s-save me…”

“We called for a Priest, so just hang in there a little longer!”

“Captain of the Self-Defense Force, the day patrol up front is in danger!”

“Mages! Light up the area! Stealth movement is out of the question, so make it bright!”

“Captain of the Guard, the Silver Guard members who went to stop the ogre haven’t returned! We’ve lost contact!”

“Wyvern! There’s a Wyvern in the sky!”

“Ahhhhh!”

“No! Block it with the luggage if you have to!”

About 300 tender human prey compared to the tough monsters. The sound of babies crying and patients groaning in pain. Chaotic and clumsy movement.

Every monster in the Black Forest swarmed in, trying to take even one bite of this weak and appetizing prey.

When they first encountered a few monsters and combat broke out, causing delays, other creatures detected the noise and presence and continued to swarm in.

The people who had held hope fell into despair as soon as they departed. Some regretted that they should have stayed in the cave, while others angrily demanded why they had departed so hastily.

Prince Elision had to embrace all that despair, regret, and anger while comforting the people.

Because he held the most noble status here. Because everyone was looking at him as if he would somehow handle everything. Because as a prince, he had to take responsibility for everyone.

At this moment, there was only one hope that Elision could offer to the terror-stricken people.

“The Black Dragon!”

He put strength in his stomach and raised his voice.

“The Black Dragon will return soon!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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