Chapter 75
“…Did he pierce through the entire hide?”
It looked as if he had completely split the head and neck apart—it was truly unbelievable.
I kept a blank expression as I looked at Winter, the one who had killed the Ghostgroom.
The last time I saw him, he had leapt over the Ghostgroom’s head as if flying, and now it seemed that he had indeed killed it.
A moment later, through the split in its body, we were able to safely escape from inside the Ghostgroom using the rope that the squad had lowered.
“Sarubia, we were really worried…”
“I got out safely, didn’t I? Geez… that was terrifying…”
“Gasp, we really—!”
“We were so scared!”
“Are you alright?”
“Are you okay?”
Amidst the flood of concern from my comrades, I sat down and smiled faintly, reassuring them that I was fine.
After rescuing El and me, the squad began splitting open the Ghostgroom’s belly to check for the remains of the people it had swallowed.
As expected, they were all dead. In a manner similar to how Sarubia in the original story had died…
‘…If they were swallowed without the perfume, they would’ve died.’
As I shivered at the sight, someone suddenly grabbed my arm firmly.
“I—I thought I lost you.”
“Aquila…”
Aquila clung to me tightly, unable to speak for a long time.
The trauma from the deaths of my previous comrades had resurfaced, and silently, I held him tightly in return.
“It’s okay. I’ll never die. I really hate dying…”
“Please… please don’t die…”
“Yeah, I won’t die.”
While I comforted Aquila, Winter approached me.
“Sarubia, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine…”
But as I tried to respond calmly, I noticed Winter’s right hand, dripping with blood.
“…Winter?”
Only then did I realize that the hilt of the sword at his waist had been completely smashed.
‘Winter…’
I touched his right hand with trembling fingers, and seeing the blood stain my hand, my face grew even paler.
Thinking back, no matter how strong Winter was, he couldn’t have easily killed the Ghostgroom—which dozens of soldiers had struggled with—by himself.
Our time inside the Ghostgroom was far too short. If he had killed it alone in that brief time…
He must have injured his hand severely from forcing the sword through its tough skin.
“A-Are you okay?”
At that moment, the hilt of Winter’s sword completely broke off, and his sword fell to the ground.
‘How much force must one use for that to break…?’
I stared helplessly at Winter’s hand, and he calmly replied:
“I’m fine. Once I get back and get treatment, it’ll heal quickly.”
“E-Even to this extent…”
“It had to be done.”
“Ah…”
I quietly looked up at Winter.
So many words were swirling in my head, but I had no idea which to say aloud.
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Sarubia.”
Even though he was more seriously injured than me, Winter spoke as if trying to reassure me.
“I promise, you will never be in a situation where your life is in danger like this again.”
His gaze was more steadfast than ever.
“Sarubia…”
As I sat between Winter and Aquila, Karon—who had been glancing this way since earlier—ran over.
He surely had been given orders to assist with the Ghostgroom’s dismantling, but seeing me emerge from inside, he seemed too shocked to remember his own instructions.
His eyes widened as he approached me, and he shouted:
“B-Blood! Are you okay?! Apply pressure, apply pressure!”
He seemed to have mistaken the blood on my hand for mine. Winter intervened in a low voice:
“That’s my blood.”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
…I think I just said something a bit harsh to Winter.
However, Winter paid no attention to Karon, and Karon, in turn, didn’t care about Winter, simply fidgeting around me.
“Well, at least we survived…”
After everything was over, I felt an emptiness.
The worry about my death from the original story seemed to have vanished as if it had never existed.
More than anything, after going through such a huge ordeal, I felt like nothing in the future could scare me.
“It’s all okay now…”
I muttered as I stood up. El, who had been catching her breath nearby, thanked me.
“Sarubia, I don’t know what that perfume was… but you practically saved me. Thank you.”
“Oh, if you could keep it a secret that I stole the perfume…”
“Of course! Without it, I’d be dead too!”
As things settled down, I looked around blankly.
Aquila continued supporting me, Winter kept checking on me even while supervising the subordinates, and Karon nervously prowled around me.
Then, from beyond, I locked eyes with Ishina, who was staring at me in a daze.
“…Huh?”
Ishina’s expression was one I had never seen before.
He seemed surprised, scared, and angry all at once.
What was certain was that the kind expression I had always seen on him was gone.
Ishina strode toward me.
“Sarubia…”
It was the first time he had spoken to me since asking if I was okay when I had been pale from insomnia.
It had been more than a week since I last spoke to Ishina, who had always been around me for almost three years.
“Are you alright?”
Hearing his gentle tone, tears suddenly streamed down my face.
“Huh?”
Even I was confused by my tears. It wasn’t sadness, depression, or fear—yet they kept flowing.
As I cried in surprise, Ishina reached out with trembling hands and gently rubbed my face. His hands were smeared with tears and dirt.
‘…So my face has had dirt on it all this time.’
Damn, I thought I was okay because the others beside me looked clean. They could’ve told me if there was dirt…
“Sarubia, I’m sorry…”
“Pardon?”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…”
Ishina murmured incomprehensibly, gently wiping my face. Despite the gentle touch, he muttered as if dazed, almost insane.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”
…He’s apologizing.
So, Ishina’s apology must be…
‘He’s sorry for turning away when I asked if I’d survive.’
If asked who my closest senior at the Border Defense Force was after three years, I would unhesitatingly say Ishina. The time I spent with him was similar to the time I spent with Aquila.
So, when I realized, as in the original story, that Ishina had considered me insignificant, I couldn’t bear it.
If someone like the morally corrupt 85th class or the commanding officer Dear thought me insignificant, I wouldn’t care. But it hurt that Ishina thought so.
Yet, now that everything was resolved and Ishina was apologizing, I could tell he finally accepted me as his own.
“Why… why…”
My voice trembled as more tears poured out.
It finally felt like everything was over.
The relief from Ishina accepting me was overwhelming.
At last, I could feel that I had avoided the death from the original story.
Everything was changing from the original.
The pent-up sadness and tension burst forth, and though my vision was blurred with tears, I stared toward Ishina.
“Why… why did you…?”
“I’m sorry, Sarubia…”
“If you were going to do this… why… why treat me so coldly… and not even as a person…”
“You were really upset. It was my fault, so please stop crying, okay?”
“No, but Ishina, you started it first…”
“Sarubia, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. Stop, stop.”
I whimpered at him, and Ishina kept repeating the same words, trying to soothe me.
Then I suddenly realized I was standing on my own two feet.
Four years since I was possessed in this damn apocalypse world.
I survived, I am alive.
I will remain alive.
Ishina had always been described similarly by those around him: kind, thoughtful, and good-hearted.
From childhood, his parents, the villagers, and his peers all saw him this way.
He was an only child born to the Arcon couple. His parents loved each other and him, embodying a family straight out of a fairy tale.
Ishina’s parents provided everything. Not luxuriously, but enough: proper food, clothing, and shelter, education suited to his intellect, a backyard to play and train, and most importantly…
Love.
Ishina grew up receiving their love.
With proper upbringing, he became polite, patient, selfless, grateful, capable of apologizing, reflecting, and interacting gently with others.
Even as an Arcon, his mature and kind personality made him popular among peers, who enjoyed playing with him. Their parents, too, looked upon him fondly.
So Ishina seemed like an exemplary and perfect son.
Except for one thing he lacked.
“I want a younger sibling too. I mean, a little sister.”
When young Ishina said this to his parents, they replied:
“Hmm, that might be difficult. You’re an Arcon, and one day you’ll join the Border Defense Force. It’s a dangerous place, so raising a sibling would be hard. It’s important for us to focus on raising you.”
In truth, what he lacked wasn’t a sibling.
Ishina had been denied desire from an early age.
From a childhood he could hardly remember, he was told he must join the Border Defense Force, making him a child without selfish wants.
Playing with peers was temporary; he couldn’t form lasting friendships. He must go to the Border Defense Force.
Learning was enjoyable, but he couldn’t pursue further studies. He must go to the Border Defense Force.
His recently enlisted cousin Kyle was a good person, but Ishina shouldn’t become attached. He must go to the Border Defense Force!
Ishina grew up unaware of desire, which made people view him as a good child.
In reality, he had never been able to grow attached to anyone.
After all, everything would eventually be severed.
