Page 210

We immediately began moving toward the Demon Dungeon, carrying the unconscious Prince Maron.

Among us were still some injured, but the situation was urgent.

We had to move before the Demon Dungeon closed for the day.

"Please take care of things."

After exchanging farewells with Sir Crama, who chose to stay behind at Aquiline Academy, we left the academy.

The academies are always built not far from the Demon Dungeon.

Thus, the Demon Dungeon for Aquiline Academy wasn’t too far away either.

"Ugh, ugh..."

Just then, Hannon woke up.

He had been carried around while unconscious.

On Ban’s back, Hannon blankly looked around.

Then, when our eyes met, a glimmer returned to his gaze.

"Oh, it's the Hero!"

Still calling me that, huh?

"How does it feel to survive getting a hole punched through your body?"

At my question, Hannon thoughtfully rested his chin on his hand.

"Since I'm this much of a hero, maybe if I confess to her again, she'll give me another chance?"

Seeing him say such nonsense the moment he wakes up, it seems he's fine.

Hannon lightly jumped off Ban's back.

He was still staggering a bit, so it was clear he wasn’t fully recovered.

Yet, oblivious to the situation, he trotted along behind us anyway.

"A hero is good enough to be worth another shot, right?"

"What exactly do you like so much about Professor Vega?"

"Her maturity."

All the martial arts students following behind me fell silent.

Naturally, mentioning "maturity" about someone as far from it as possible caused that.

Just look at Vega’s usual behavior:

Her half-dressed, disheveled appearance, the overpowering stench of alcohol from her body, and a face worn down by life.

Anyone could see she was the very image of what not to become.

However, if you knew Vega’s true inner self, the story would be different.

She carries a deep sense of responsibility for the past and still fights against the Demon Dungeon to this day.

"Then give it another shot."

If Hannon was serious, I was willing to support him.

Before we knew it, the entrance to the Demon Dungeon came into view.

Thanks to our quick movement, no one else was there yet.

BOOM!

At that moment, a commotion was heard from the direction of Aquiline Academy.

"The main force has arrived."

Card, staring toward the academy, spoke.

The main force of the Noble Faction had finally arrived at Aquiline Academy.

At the same time, we heard noises from the forest.

Trackers.

"Must have been a leak from inside."

Card clicked his tongue.

You can't trust everyone.

From the servants remaining at Aquiline Academy to even the knights who had stayed by Prince Maron's side —

Any of them could have already sided with the Noble Faction.

That’s why we moved so urgently.

"Let's go inside."

Without hesitation, I stepped into the Demon Dungeon.

For a moment, there was a sensation of space twisting, and then the first floor of the Demon Dungeon spread out before us.

There were a few newly spawned magic beasts.

Fortunately, there were no apostles left — they had all gone down to the lower floors.

However, because of the magic beasts, it would still take time to move forward.

We swiftly broke through the first floor.

Then, we felt space shift near the entrance.

Someone was coming.

Before long, we reached the stairs leading to the second floor.

"You go on ahead."

I stopped walking.

"You?"

Isabel turned around, looking at me like I was spouting nonsense.

But my face remained firm.

"Trackers are coming. Since they know we're heading to the Demon Dungeon, they must've narrowed down the list of people capable of entering."

Or they could be Aquiline Academy students.

Either way, someone needed to stop them.

"But why you?!"

"Because I'm the one who can handle both close combat and magic."

My body could counter both magic and melee attacks.

Even against mystical arts, I was the best match.

"More importantly..."

I glanced over my shoulder.

"They’re coming with the intent to kill us. Isabel, can you kill someone?"

That was the real, practical problem.

Are teenagers following the Noble Faction's orders truly villains?

Who knows.

It's meaningless to divide people into good and evil based on double standards.

But at least when it comes to villains, there’s no hesitation in killing them.

However, once you realize your peers were just pushed by adult selfishness —

Hesitation is inevitable.

Isabel couldn’t immediately answer.

And being unable to answer easily about taking a life was, without a doubt, the right thing.

"I can kill."

At that moment, Sharin answered in her usual lazy tone.

There wasn't a shred of hesitation in her voice.

"If they’re trying to kill me, not fighting back doesn't make sense."

A very Sharin-like response.

"If you're not in the team, dealing with unexpected situations will be tough."

None of the team members were in full condition.

We barely rested a few hours after escaping the Demon Dungeon earlier.

The vanguard, not to mention the two who summoned spirits, were still exhausted.

They needed at least a full day to properly recover.

If Sharin left, an accident was bound to happen.

"Besides, there's no guarantee the apostles have all been wiped out."

Sharin pouted.

But she didn’t refute my point.

"I can kill too,"

Isabel said, glaring fiercely.

That determination was enough.

"Don’t worry. I’ll just buy some time and catch up."

I had no intention of dying here.

Maybe sensing my true intent, Isabel bit her lip hard and turned away.

"If you don’t come back... you’re really gonna be locked up."

Ah, she’s still holding that grudge, huh.

"Solvas, I’m counting on you to protect Prince Maron."

"Yes. I’ll guard him with my life."

Prince Maron was carried on Solvas’s back.

Thus, Solvas expressed his firm resolve.

We were already in the same boat.

I could feel his determination to fight to the bitter end.

“And Eve.”

I looked at Seron, who was being carried on Eve’s back.

At that time, Seron was still unconscious and hadn’t regained his senses.

“When she wakes up, she’s going to be incredibly cranky, so take good care of her.”

“…Alright.”

Without complaint, Eve adjusted Seron on her back and carried her more securely.

If it was her, she would handle Seron even if she caused trouble.

“Midra.”

Finally, my eyes turned to Midra.

Midra had helped us, but it wasn’t wholehearted assistance.

He had shown just about the level of skill expected from the runner-up in first-year martial arts studies—nothing more.

“Well, see you later.”

One by one, the others left me behind and entered the second floor.

Isabel and Sharin looked like they had a lot to say, but without delay, they moved on.

They knew that the longer they stayed here tied up with me, the harder it would be for me.

After they had gone.

I turned to the one person who remained.

“Card, why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’ve been waiting for the moment when only you and I would be left, Wagnon.”

Card smiled meaningfully.

Watching him silently, I soon frowned.

“Don’t try to set up some weird atmosphere just to mess with me.”

“Ahaha, Wagnon, you catch on too quickly, it's no fun.”

Card stood next to me, gazing toward the entrance.

“My friend is fighting for our country’s sake. How could I shamelessly leave first?”

Shadow magic spread from beneath his feet.

“And besides, because of my line of work, I’ve already killed people. Based on my own judgment too.”

His face showed that killing a few more people now wouldn't bother him at all.

“There could be your comrades over there.”

“Comrades? No way, they’re just people I happened to meet once or twice. I’ve known you much longer, Wagnon.”

“Maybe you should have picked better friends.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Card and I exchanged a laugh.

“Card, if it gets dangerous, I’ll leave you behind.”

“Wagnon, you get me. I was thinking the same thing.”

“Good. Then don’t get yourself into danger.”

At those words, a flame of ash ignited in my hand.

Without hesitation, I swung the flame of ash into the sky.

Fwoosh!

The incoming arrows collided with the ash flames and burned up.

At the same time, a group of people around our age drew their swords and charged at us from ahead.

“There they are!”

“Bring back Prince Maron!”

Most of them were students, pushed forward by the adults.

Yet, the children's eyes sparkled as if they truly believed they were about to become heroes.

They had surely heard promises whispered by their parents or some other adults:

Capture Prince Maron, and you will become a hero of Panisys.

Personal glory, and great honor for their family.

For nobles, reputation was everything.

This was their chance to build prestige in one fell swoop.

The sweet lies of adults made the children believe they were heroes.

The adults no longer even cared about using children as tools.

If things went wrong, not just the individual, but their entire family could be ruined.

So they pushed their children into this fight to retrieve Prince Maron at any cost.

Thus, the children were sacrificed.

Even staining their hands with blood was twisted into something heroic in their confused minds.

Beyond the children's eyes, I could see the grotesque gleam of adult greed.

It was sickeningly bright.

The children had the excuse of being "heroes."

Now, they wouldn’t hesitate to swing their swords at people.

“I’ll be first! Out of my way!”

And, tragically—

Crack!

I was about to shatter their so-called heroism.

The first boy who charged at me had his sword pierced through by my hand blade.

He must have been filled with excitement, dreaming of reviving his family name and becoming a hero.

Given the nobles' uprising, this was a golden opportunity for glory.

Moreover, they were on the attacking side, not the fleeing one.

They had rested, built up their strength, and outnumbered us.

He probably never even imagined he could die.

But misguided ambition often leads straight to death.

"Huh?"

Crunch!

My hand blade, which pierced through his sword, also pierced through his neck.

The severed head soared into the air without even spraying blood before falling down.

The ash flames that clung to my hand had evaporated the blood instantly.

Thud!

The boy’s body tumbled onto the ground.

I felt no emotional change at the sight.

Sadness is a form of empathy.

All that burned within me now was anger, enough to spark a feeble fighting spirit.

I felt no guilt about hurting or killing others.

“Uh, uh!”

As one of their comrades died in an instant, the other boys hesitated.

Their faces showed disbelief that someone could die so easily.

Their overheated minds, blinded by the dream of heroism, were being dragged back into reality.

Yet even seeing their expressions, I felt no sympathy.

In my eyes, they were no different from zealots.

If I hadn’t stopped them here, they would have driven their swords into not just Prince Maron, but into all of us.

All for their little dream of becoming heroes.

I pushed off the ground and lowered my body forward.

Taking advantage of the hesitation caused by the first boy’s death, I moved without pause.

“W-Wait!”

“I-I surrender—!”

Before they could even finish speaking, heads flew and hearts were pierced.

I killed them in one strike, making sure they couldn’t even be healed.

Four of them fell dead almost instantly.

The ambition cultivated by the selfishness of adults proved to be this fragile.

The deaths of the four who had charged ahead.

These deaths quickly spread fear among the children.

Death is the most primal terror.

Facing it directly froze their bodies and sent their hearts pounding wildly.

A pitch-black shadow spread beneath my feet.

The shadow pierced through the legs and groins of the frozen children without mercy.

Screams rang out from the confused mass.

Thud—

I stepped toward them.

And they stepped back, retreating from me.

There were roughly a hundred of them.

And more were still gathering.

Yet they were retreating, overwhelmed by just two people: Card and me.

Nobody wants to die.

Especially young boys who are even more desperate to live.

I raised my hand blade toward them.

The hand blade that had just pierced through four boys.

I burned the primal fear into their hearts.

The ash flames surged violently.

The ancient terror of fire roared to life.

A cruel smile spread across my lips.

That monstrous image—smiling while killing—drove even more fear into the children.

Aspiring young heroes.

Today, I will show you just how foolish the choice you made truly was.