Chapter 92

EP.92 Love's Dilemma - 3

This is not a prayer.

Nor is it a goal or revenge.

It is even more dogmatic and selfish,

yet endlessly worthless,

merely an oath.

When the oath weakens, I revisit the beginning.

The moment I found 'life' in 'survival.'

And the end where I lost everything.

Repeating this, strength flows into my empty hands.

Strength grips the weak hands that could neither grasp nor protect anything.

***

"...Is it really true?"

"...Is it really that shocking? Even as a child, one might have a light first love."

Of course, Leo's own first love was in the most ambiguous boundary. It was also hard to distinguish whether that feeling was love or longing.

<First, where did you meet...>

Caught off guard by the unexpected probing question, Lios quickly switched to Plan A-2.

"...If it's not too much to ask, may I ask where you met?"

"...Um... That's..."

Leo showed a difficult expression, feeling a wave of awkward emotions. After all, explaining the cause and effect, the regression, and the disparity would be quite severe. However, saying it was hard to talk about now would make the atmosphere awkward, so a compromise was necessary.

"...I can't just say it."

<...Sir Chris, the prepared first love story...>

What Lios and Chris had in mind was a conversational strategy in the form of an exchange. By sharing their first love stories, they aimed to increase the trust in their conversation.

"There might be some embellishments, but is that okay?"

However, what Leonardo focused on was something a bit different.

"By embellishments... what do you mean?"

"Given the circumstances, it would be a bit inappropriate to tell it as it is."

Crack

Aria's hand clenched with a rough sound and force from the other side of the door. If not for the high-level elemental and holy magic concealment, everyone in the room would have sensed the murderous aura.

"...It seems fine."

"If so, I'll tell you. But since there are many embellishments, don't take it too seriously."

Despite his words, neither the person listening directly, the eavesdroppers, nor the wiretappers were taking it lightly.

"...Um... Where should I start..."

Since forming a light sense of empathy would suffice, it seemed best to only mention the beginning and a bit of the process. After all, it wasn't a deep and romantic story, so there was no need to drag it out.

"So, I met that guy when I was still a mercenary."

"...A comrade from your mercenary days?"

"Comrade... Yes, I guess so."

In the end, the starting point was the same, whether the story was embellished or real. The only difference was whether it happened during or at the end of his mercenary life.

'...That expression, it's definitely not false.'

Given that it was an embellished story, the emotions conveyed were genuine, making it difficult for Chris to detect any lies in Leo's words.

<Let's listen now!>

Though it was a wise instruction, Chris felt a strong sense of displeasure from Lios's overly excited voice. It seemed Lios was an unpleasant romantic who couldn't help but get carried away with such first love stories.

"While I was working as a mercenary, we met and ended up fighting. There was a quarrel."

It was a quarrel, indeed. Though he was responsible for hanging a man from a tree and beating a security guard to a scarecrow, the quarrel was the trigger.

"A memorable first meeting, I see."

"Memorable? It was more like etched in my memory."

Creak... Grind...

Through the shared vision by the spirit, Leonardo's face truly looked lost in fond memories.

Ariasfil, who rarely saw such an expression on Leonardo, gnashed her teeth out of jealousy.

She was a rival. That woman was definitely a rival.

"So, you won the fight, and then became comrades..."

"There's no way."

When Chris naturally assumed Leo had won, Leonardo immediately corrected her.

"I was completely defeated. I lost perfectly."

"...Completely defeated? You?"

<...That's impossible. Really...?>

'...Leo...?'

Upon hearing that definitive answer, both those who heard it directly and those who eavesdropped were shocked. It was the first time they had seen Leonardo use the term "completely defeated" so casually.

"I'm human, so losing is natural. Especially when I was young."

"...Ah, was the opponent older?"

Since he was young, Chris thought the older opponent might have had a size advantage. It was a reasonable guess, but the opponent was a girl who broke all norms and standards.

"No. We were the same age. That's why it was even more shocking. It was my first time. To lose so perfectly."

"...That... That must have been an incredible girl."

"Yes, she was. An amazing girl."

She was too incredible, too shining.

To the point where he couldn't just look but wanted to keep watching.

Upon hearing this, Aria felt her position as a childhood friend being threatened in real-time.

Dangerous.

Moreover, the rival had an advantage that she didn't possess.

<The first person to defeat you... This is a common plot in pure love novels. It would definitely leave a lasting impression.>

Though Lios was basing his comments on some non-professional sources, Chris couldn't help but agree.

After all, if someone of the same age had defeated you so overwhelmingly, it would be hard not to notice them.

"So, did you become comrades and work together after that?"

"No. She accidentally stabbed me in the chest, and I had to recuperate for a few weeks."

"...Stabbed in the chest?"

"Later, I got a severe scolding from a healer. If the blade had gone in 1mm deeper, it would have injured my heart's blood vessels, and I would have died from excessive bleeding."

It was the first time he heard that the crude first aid he received was somewhat fortunate. However, it also came with a warning to never do such a crazy thing again due to the risk of shock.

"...Um... This story is far from what I expected."

"Because of that, it left a lasting impression."

While listening to the story, Aria resolved to ask Luminé, the hero, to check if all of Leo's scars could be removed.

Seeing Leo's wistful expression while looking at the scar near his heart was something she couldn't tolerate.

"So, I thought I wouldn't see her again, but about a month later, I ran into her again."

<Where did you see her? The place is important.>

Lios's love circuits were almost overloaded. This was similar to the plot where you bump into someone while carrying bread to the academy and later meet them as a transfer student in the classroom.

"Where did you see her?"

"That might sound strange, but the second place we met was at a black mage's residence."

<...Huh?>

"...Hmm?"

'...?'

The black mage's residence as the second meeting place was surprising, but the next part of the story was even more astonishing. It was dramatic, flashy, and had a twist, as if it were not a coincidence but a destiny.

"Eventually, one of her acquaintances appeared and saved me, and we managed to escape the residence safely."

"...Hmm... That acquaintance must have been a formidable expert. Given that you were a mercenary, they likely had a reputation."

Though it was his own story, Chris, who didn't know the details, still tried to embellish it. Leonardo judged this as instinctive self-love.

"So, what happened after that?"

At some point, Chris had forgotten the surface topic of the love consultation and was fully engrossed in the story. Despite knowing it was embellished, everyone, except for the increasingly jealous Ariasfil, was deeply absorbed in the story.

"I joined the large mercenary group she was part of."

"...A mercenary group..."

"After that, I was busy adapting. There, I could temporarily forget about my deceased parents."

Leonardo recalled.

The first time he truly met Reinhardt.

He was bullied as a seed and despised by other knights.

He fought 199 times and lost 199 times. If you include unofficial sparring and training, there must have been countless sword fights.

Still, it was fine and good.

The light given by Reinhardt and the hero, her, was enough to melt his frozen heart.

Though it was tough, it was better than being a lone mercenary.

When he finally managed to land a hit on her, he was ecstatic, and when he achieved something as a knight, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

"So... I don't understand. Why did you end up as a lone mercenary...?"

<Aunt, wait a moment...! That's...!>

Lios had already sensed the flow of the conversation. This was the most regrettable, heart-wrenching, and unwanted ending in both novels and reality.

"In the mercenary group, we were on a mission to eliminate a threat."

It was a task to deal with a gate that suddenly appeared inside a castle.

It might have been an appropriate mission for her, who had just received the holy sword. At least for her.

"At the time, I was young, so I was only assigned a supporting role."

As a young man, he was tasked with reconnaissance inside the castle. In reality, it was a mission that was almost a death trap, given that a high-level monster had taken up residence there.

"I caused an accident there."

What he encountered was a colossal Balrog, not a juvenile but a fully grown, giant Balrog.

Reconnaissance was out of the question; he was almost incapacitated, screaming and fighting for his life. The knights who went in with him for reconnaissance were torn apart like flies, and he might have lost his mind.

"And the one who cleaned up the mess was her."

At that moment, she, who was dealing with other monsters outside, rushed in and beheaded the Balrog in an instant.

With four comrades already dead, and himself barely alive with superficial wounds, she struck the neck with such speed and precision that it made his injuries seem insignificant.

"When the mission was over, I received a form of punishment. Even though the mercenary life seemed relaxed, there were strict rules."

He was summoned to the council. The ridiculous reprimand was for causing the deaths of four comrades through poor reconnaissance and for making the hero, her, personally intervene due to personal reasons.

"In a fit of anger, I said I would leave the mercenary group and walked out."

What truly angered him was not the reprimand.

It was not the mention of his parents' names and background.

'Why did Aria have to risk her life to save a guy like you? Could it be because of a personal relationship?'

At that moment, the pent-up frustration exploded. He threw away his knight's badge and everything else, declaring he was done.

No one tried to stop him, but a few people tried to persuade him.

Would one moment of anger ruin everything?

Was pride so important?

Would all the efforts up to that point be in vain?

But they didn't know.

He wasn't just angry about the humiliation.

He had secretly acknowledged the humiliation.

Ariasfil had no reason to.

To stab a person who wouldn't even bleed.

To someone who had never been properly stabbed.

There was no reason.

"...So, when she came to see me later, I asked her."

[...Why did you care about me? Childhood connection? Or out of pity? I... What am I to you?]

Everyone held their breath at Leo's question. Even though it wasn't directed at them, it felt like he was asking them.

"...What did she answer?"

"It was simple."

[...A comrade. A friend.]

It was a response befitting a hero.

'Maybe that's enough.'

It might not have been. It might have been far from enough, leaving a thirst.

But he had no right to argue.

'Then I'll go. I'm deeply sorry for repaying kindness with enmity.'

Snap

What flew was the hero's gauntlet.

The man who caught the gauntlet asked.

Do you know what this means?

The strongest hero, who threw the gauntlet, replied.

This is how we understand things.

The boy thought.

What bad luck. Never lost before.

Never challenged anyone first.

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