Chapter 507

Someone has to die. Many people have already died, including Royal Class students. A flying monster attacked the area where wounded soldiers were being treated during a base defense battle. Asher was torn to pieces by the monsters. It hasn't been long since then. Therefore, the depression and sensitivity felt in the Royal Class base were no different from what happened after Asher's death. A classmate died. Everyone knows that someone has to die in the Gate crisis and war, but the death of someone close to them was still shocking. Everyone fell into sadness, and some still remain in sadness. However, what Ellen felt from Ludwig's eyes was not sadness. She could sense his desire for revenge, fueled by anger and hatred. Ellen was also shocked, even though she didn't witness Asher's death. And that death returned to Ellen as a sense of guilt, not resentment or hatred. Who will die and who will survive when this final march is over? - Dalgak. Ludwig puts down the sausage on his plate instead of taking a bite. "You." "Uh?" "Last time, when Reinhardt came to the Huangdo." Ellen felt her heart skip a beat at his words. The story of the attack on the Demon King's Huangdo and the kidnapping of the princess was known to everyone. Although the damage was significant because it ended with the story of Ellen defeating the Demon King, the morale of Huangdo was still low. Ludwig tells the story of what happened then, leaving a big scar on Ellen's heart. "Did you do it on purpose... not fighting properly... something like that?" Ellen's hand trembled slightly at his words. "..." In Ludwig's gaze, Ellen felt as if she was being interrogated. After staring at Ellen for a moment, Ludwig lowered his head. "No. That's unlikely. You wouldn't do that." "..." Ludwig stared at Ellen with deep, dark eyes. "That's unlikely. Right?" "..." "You're a hero. You were chosen by the gods to choose two relics and defeat the Demon King." Ludwig looked at Ellen and spoke. "A hero." Ellen felt Ludwig's words were like a threat. "Sorry, I'm out of line. It's not my place to say that. How dare someone like me say that to you." Looking at Ludwig muttering to himself, Ellen shuddered all over her body. "I've never beaten Reinhardt even once." So defeating the Demon King is not something I can do. Saying that, Ludwig looked at Ellen. "But you were always stronger than Reinhardt. So, somehow... strangely..." I can't do it, something I can't do. You can do it, but you don't. It was a penetrating gaze that seemed to suspect that it wasn't like that. "Ludwig." "...Oh, Scarlet." A calm red-haired girl who was eating next to them calls out to Ludwig, "Don't burden Ellen." Ludwig slowly nods at Scarlet's words, as if warning him not to say anything more to Ellen, who is already under a lot of pressure. Ludwig apologizes to Ellen for making her uncomfortable, but Ellen just stares at her bread and doesn't say anything. Ellen's tent is not the biggest in the Royal Class base, but it is divided into sections and provides convenience. Ellen arrives at her tent and removes her cumbersome armor, feeling suffocated by the pressure of wearing such flashy armor. Ellen sits in the bathtub, taking deep breaths to relieve the pressure she feels. She is capable of doing more than others, but the expectations placed on her are too high. "If I disappear from this world. If I die during a mission, maybe I won't feel these emotions anymore. Ellen had thought this dozens of times a day. But she knew that such thoughts were not allowed for herself. She had to live. Just by being alive, people wouldn't lose hope. She couldn't die. Even if there was an end she had to face, she had to be alive until that moment. She didn't know what to do, but she had to be alive. Ellen promised herself. There may be a despairing future waiting for her, but that was only a despairing future for herself. For now, finishing the march was the first priority. Destroying the continent's warp gate could only be a good thing for the world, and it was something that had to be done. Until then. The next thing was the next thing. "Hoo..." Ellen took a deep breath and somehow calmed her confused and dark mind. After calming her mind enough, Ellen finished her bath and changed into new clothes. When she came out to the central space of the barracks with a towel on her head, Ellen was surprised. Although she was properly dressed, Ellen reflexively grabbed the collar of her shirt and looked at the uninvited guest who had come in without warning. Ellen's tent was set up with magic, so if the lock was activated, no one could come in without permission. There were certainly rude people who came into the barracks without permission. But someone had come into her tent with the lock activated. Someone with a small build wearing a robe was sitting there as if waiting for Ellen. "Who are you?" Feeling uneasy, Ellen summoned Raphael and Lament and aimed at the unidentified figure. But Ellen couldn't help but open her mouth. The humanoid in a robe takes off the hood. "Long time no see... isn't it?" "Harriet...?" Harriet de Saint-Futuan looked at Ellen with a sad expression. A few months ago, Harriet and Ellen had met briefly. During the invasion of the Demon King's Imperial Palace, Ellen and Harriet had briefly met. Of course, they didn't talk. Inside Ellen's tent. Harriet was looking at Ellen with a sad expression. Harriet had come to find her. Ellen had summoned Lament, but they were facing each other with a little distance. They were friends. After various things happened due to the disappearance of Reinhardt, Ellen and Harriet had become friends. Ellen had hated Reinhardt, but Harriet had cried in the rain when Reinhardt disappeared. Ellen had thought that Reinhardt had disappeared because she had said something she shouldn't have to him. They had gone to find Reinhardt together. That incident had led them to become friends. And now. They had become strange friends who couldn't call each other friends because of Reinhardt. Ellen still didn't know why Harriet had come." However, she had a completely wrong idea. Are we still friends? Ellen lowered her eyes quietly. Harriet also seemed to be thinking the same thing and couldn't meet Ellen's eyes properly. "It's not that kind of situation, but..." Harriet cautiously opened her mouth. "Do you want to go for a walk outside?" "...Okay." The surrounding area had already been cleared. "I'll be waiting in the southern outskirts of the base." Ellen nodded quietly and Harriet disappeared through teleportation. Following Harriet's suggestion, Ellen went out to the southern part of the base. No one blocked Ellen's way. In the southern outskirts, Harriet was waiting for Ellen on the moonlit plain. Harriet and Ellen walked on the moonlit plain. The corpses of monsters were scattered everywhere. After a brief stay, they would deal with the surrounding monsters and the troops would move again. They would arrive at the next destination and proceed with the gate destruction operation before heading to the next gate. Until the last gate is destroyed, the last army of humanity will move like that. "Asking if you're doing well...is not the situation." Harriet laughed at her own strange words. Like Reinhardt, Harriet had been watching over the human world, including the Yellow Emperor, from somewhere. Ellen had a lot of questions she wanted to ask. Where have they been and what have they been doing? Are they all doing well? How are they all doing well in this miserable world? But Ellen couldn't ask those questions because she didn't think she had the right to. The two walked without talking for a while. The fact that they had to choose what to say to each other already meant that they were too far apart. Someone else shouldn't see them talking like this. Harriet wasn't the Demon King, but she received enough hatred to match him. This coalition army is the last and strongest army of humanity. That's why there are Saint Futuan archers and magicians in the base right now. Ellen knew to some extent about the situation of the Saint Futuan archer, who was a traitor to humanity because of her daughter who betrayed humanity. She was an excellent magician and had already made great achievements, but even soldiers and commanders were treating her like a spy who could betray the Saint Futuan archer at any time. Harriet must have known that her father and his army were in that base. "How are our classmates...doing?" Harriet asked about their classmates, not her father. Ellen felt like she was suffocating at that question. So far, everyone had somehow survived. But one person. "Asher...died." Ellen and Harriet weren't close enough to be considered friends. Class B, number 4. Asher, who had the talent of divine power. Harriet only knew that he had a kind impression and a cowardly personality. Ellen knew that even if she wasn't involved in the battle after the gate incident, Asher had saved many people with his talent in the rear support. It wasn't that close, but the death of a classmate. Harriet listened to the story with a mournful expression as they walked in silence. The deaths of their classmates were just the beginning, whether it was due to accidents or the many monsters. They both knew that they would die one by one. Harriet didn't wish for condolences or cry about the deaths. She just stood there for a while, feeling guilty about bringing up something she couldn't take responsibility for or handle. Harriet then revealed that Reinhardt might die, leaving Ellen shocked. Harriet couldn't reveal the whole truth about the demon kingdom built on the Edina Islands, but she did mention the increasing number of deaths and the pressure from the souls of those who hated and resented the demon king. Ellen was amazed by the story and felt the harm and damage it caused. Harriet's eyes were red and swollen, and she wanted to save Reinhardt, but she couldn't do it alone. She asked Ellen to save him, feeling miserable and ashamed of herself for making such a request. Ellen didn't know how she could save Reinhardt. Ellen seemed to understand what Harriet was saying.

"If I can handle it... I don't know how, but can I do it?"

"..."

Harriet looked at Ellen silently.

-Nods-

Unable to say it out loud, she nodded her head while crying.

"I'll do it."

Without any hesitation, Ellen nodded her head. Harriet was surprised that Ellen agreed so quickly.

"Ellen... I know it's a request from me, but it's not a decision you can make so quickly."

"I'll do it."

"Ellen..."

Although it was Harriet's request, Ellen didn't know what she was getting into. Therefore, Harriet had to explain how dangerous it was and what kind of consequences it could bring, rather than deceive Ellen.

"You might die. Your soul might disappear. You might be eaten by those spirits and your existence might disappear. Or you might become a completely different being."

Death, or the disappearance of existence, or the permanent distortion of the self.

"Then, let me ask you one thing."

"....Yes."

"If I accept it into my body and let those spirits take over my body... will I end up hating Reinhardt?"

Ellen Artorius disappears, and a new Ellen Artorius, who is possessed by the spirits that hate the demon king, is born.

"Maybe... that's what will happen."

"To the point where I want to kill him. Is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe..."

The warrior who loves the demon king disappears.

Only a doll remains, burdened with hatred and resentment.

"Is it definitely going to happen?"

Harriet pursed her lips at Ellen's question.

A slim possibility.

She asks about the possibility of her own self surviving without being assimilated with those spirits.

"I don't know... I don't know in detail... but like Reinhardt is somehow holding on... you might not disappear either. But... I can't be sure. No one really knows what will happen..."

It cannot be said that there is no possibility that Ellen Artorius' self will be maintained without being assimilated with those spirits.

Since Reinhardt has already achieved the impossible, Ellen Artorius may be able to achieve even more impossible things.

There is no absolute.

It is just infinitely close to absolute.

Ellen thinks.

If she disappears, she will eventually fight Reinhardt.

Her body, captured by the will to hate the demon king, will try to do such a thing.

She naturally hates that.

However, if she doesn't act now, Reinhardt will die.

There may be other ways, but there is not enough time to find them now, even if there is a way.

Saving Reinhardt by bearing the hatred of humans is not a conceptual thing, but a practical one.

Truly accepting hatred and resentment and becoming the enemy of the demon king.

If that can save Reinhardt.

Postponing the future for later, if she can save Reinhardt now. "I am willing to disappear.

I am willing to die.

Is this the price of disbelief?

It cannot be a complete redemption.

But I will trade a little redemption for my life.

There is no guarantee that my existence will completely disappear.

Even though it is a slim possibility, there is no reason not to take that chance.

There is no guarantee that I will definitely die.

And the words I said before.

The moment has come when I can keep that promise.

I thought I could die for Reinhardt. Keep going."

"But."

"On that subject."

"When it was important, I fell into greater pain because I couldn't trust Reinhardt and doubted him more than killing him."

"To me, someone like me......"

Ellen smiles sadly.

"I'm glad I can do something like this."

"......."

"It's fortunate. Even for someone like me, even though it turned out like this.... There is at least one thing I can do for Reinhardt."

Ellen looks at Harriet, who is crying.

Harriet eventually burst into tears at the sight of Ellen like that."