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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Without a doubt, Cluna could be said to be my toughest opponent.
With my current skills, all I could do was either bluff or use ti stop to make myself look as strong as possible.
But the other party was a monster who had lived for at least a few hundred years.
Naturally, any ordinary speaking skills wouldn’t even co close to matching her.
Moreover, she also had the justification of bringing her daughter back.
Of course, as the commander, I also had justification.
But now that the Royal Knights had been annihilated, the justification of taking her daughter back was much more relatable than the justification I had as the commander.
So I gave up on persuading her.
Instead, I chose to provoke her and put on an act.
Simply put, it was the logic of deciding through a duel.
Fortunately, the other party seed to be confident in her skills.
She accepted right away.
“To think I couldn’t even react, and against a human at that.”
“…”
“Your movent surpasses imagination. It’s been hundreds of years since I was caught from behind…”
Cluna spoke as if lanting.
Thanks to that, I realized that she was an amazing lady beyond imagination.
Well, she said she had been fighting since the demons appeared.
Not only in terms of experience but also in terms of skill, I couldn’t even follow her toes right now.
But fortunately, I had ti stop, which was equal to everyone.
Thanks to that, I barely won.
I put my sword back into its sheath and stepped back.
For soone of her caliber, she wouldn’t urge to fight again if I put my sword away.
I didn’t want to fight again either.
“You’re surprisingly retreating first without hesitation.”
“I can’t help but understand the feelings of a parent worrying about their child.”
“Aren’t you going to say it’s disgraceful? You could criticize for not being able to separate public and private matters.”
“How could I criticize the heart of a parent worrying about their child?”
Of course, if it gets too excessive, it has to be criticized.
But there’s no need to say that here and now.
Clara, who had been standing back, finally approached at that mont.
“Did you see? That’s our current commander.”
“It seems you’ve acknowledged the current commander.”
“Yeah, the commander is really strong. And… he has sothing different from the races I’ve seen so far.”
I couldn’t ignore the part about being strong.
But thanks to Clara holding Cluna’s hand and persuading her, I felt Cluna’s heart slowly changing.
“I wondered why a human was acting as the commander. With this level of skill and character, it’s overwhelmingly clear.”
“This much isn’t really a big deal.”
Actually, it was a huge deal.
But I couldn’t stiffen my neck and brag about it here.
Here, I score points by showing a humble attitude.
Cluna chuckled and said,
“Even humility can be poison if it’s excessive.”
“That’s right, Commander. In the past few hundred years, there hasn’t been a single person that penetrated Mother’s magic and caught her from behind, right?”
“…Magic?”
“Yes, I’m not only a swordswoman but also a mage, and at the sa ti, an archer.”
According to Cluna, while pretending to accept the provocation, she used magic to limit movent.
She said that if I had moved even one step there, the spell would have activated imdiately.
The mont I heard that, I couldn’t help but shudder from head to toe.
If I had moved to do reconnaissance, thinking I was going to do a scouting battle, I would have been hit by the spell right away.
“You’re surprisingly versatile beyond imagination.”
“Of course! Mother was a warrior who had been active since her days as a hero!”
“Hero? Don’t tell you’re talking about that first-generation hero?”
“It’s just sothing that happened a long ti ago.”
Seeing Cluna’s slightly blushing face as she answered as if embarrassed, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Of course, there were monsters long before the demons descended from the demon world.
And there were heroes who defeated such monsters.
People called them heroes with respect and awe.
This was the content of the records that could be found in the ga.
In fact, the first-generation hero even appeared directly in the ga.
If you activated the DLC, a dungeon called the Tomb of the Beginning would open.
There, you could et the first-generation hero and fight them directly.
And if you fought the first-generation hero and gained their recognition, you could greatly enhance your skills and stats.
But let’s think about that later.
Right now, there was sothing more important.
“Cluna, I have a proposal to make.”
“What kind of proposal?”
“How about joining the Royal Knights?”
“What? Joining the Royal Knights?”
Not only Cluna but also Clara, who was listening to the conversation next to her, looked surprised.
It was out of the blue.
But in fact, she was a very necessary talent for us right now.
In this worldview, magic played an excessive role.
It was the only ans to counter the blood magic used by demons. But if we had no mage?
It would be a suicidal act.
In fact, even in the ga, if there was no mage, even the strongest party could be wiped out in an instant.
In other words, mages were like the last insurance for humans.
But a mage who was much better at using a sword than a decent knight, and on top of that, could support from a distance with archery while saving mana?
It was almost like a self-indulgent mode character.
“Th-thank you for the offer. But I have things I need to do…”
“That’s right! Mother has things she needs to do as a guardian!”
“Then, Cluna, let ask you directly.”
I was aware that I was being forceful.
But in order to sohow revive the current Royal Knights, we needed talented people.
So I would forcefully recruit her no matter what.
“Is that thing you need to do more precious than your child’s life?”
“…!!!”
“Probably not. Because despite the problems it could cause, you led your troops all the way here to find her. Am I wrong?”
It was fortunate.
Honestly, I was prepared to get slapped. But Cluna answered as if she was willing to listen.
No more tricks.
Here, I’ll clash head-on without caring about anything.
“Protect your daughter by your side directly.”
And while you’re at it, please protect who will be behind you too!
* * *
[What are you drawing so intently?]
When she was still a novice, she asked a comrade she was adventuring with.
He loved to draw and always scribbled pictures on paper whenever he had a chance.
Of course, apart from liking it, his drawing skills weren’t that great.
Anyway, when he heard her question, he thought for a mont and then handed her the paper he had drawn on.
[Take this. It’s a gift from to you.]
[It’s just a scribble. I don’t need it.]
[A scribble… But I did my best to draw it…]
[Okay! I’ll take it! I’ll take it!!]
The only ti he would get discouraged was when she insulted his drawings, even though he always moved forward firmly without being discouraged in any situation.
It was both interesting and fun to see that.
Without realizing it, she always ignored his drawings. Because his reactions were funny.
Then, suddenly wondering why he had given her the drawings, she went to him directly and asked.
[But why did you give the drawings back then?]
[Are you asking about sothing that happened decades ago?]
[It hasn’t been that long.]
[For an elf like you, it wouldn’t be.]
However, when she t him again, he had a very different appearance.
His skin was cracked like the bark of an old tree. His once-intelligent eyes were withered like a flower about to die.
In fact, she knew.
The fact that she, an elf, and he, a human, couldn’t be together.
For elves, a fleeting mont was enough ti for humans to start and end their lives.
He smiled and opened his mouth.
[Even if ti passes and I die, the drawings can stay by your side forever, can’t they?]
[But in the end, you’ll return to nature.]
[That’s right. But they can live on forever. Until the mont you forget .]
[I’ll probably never be able to forget you.]
Everything was a first for her.
She tried human food and experienced the pain of war firsthand.
She even competed with dwarves, with whom she had a bad relationship, to save each other’s lives.
For her, that ti was nothing more than the ti it took to blink an eye. But it beca the best ti of her life that couldn’t be replaced by anyone else.
At those words, he chuckled.
[Go on an adventure again soday.]
[I don’t want to anymore. I don’t want to have this kind of experience anymore.]
[That’s exactly why.]
[…What?]
[A new adventure, a new bond. Those will accumulate and accumulate, and in the end, they will make you stop feeling lonely.]
And the next day, he died.
The expression on his face in the coffin was unbelievably peaceful. As if he were just sleeping.
It seed like he would wake up again if she shook him.
From that day on, she shut herself up in the forest.
The sense of loss she experienced for the first ti in her life hurt more than she had imagined.
She was so afraid of it that she didn’t want to lose anything anymore.
She didn’t want to be in pain anymore.
But why?
“Protect your daughter by your side directly.”
Why did she see his image in that man?
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