Hans lay silently in bed, blinking. His head pounded like he had a hangover and his memories of last night were fragmented.
The Vampire Lord had come here.
She reached out to him, and then... strangely, he had no memory after that.
Did Lucy do something to me?
He examined his body, but there was nothing wrong.
But a person of the Vampire Lordâs standing wouldnât have come here for no reason. She must have done something.
Hansâs suspicion deepened, but he couldnât investigate further.
He had to deal with Helia, who was lying in bed with him.
Hans looked down.
He saw Helia clinging to his side.
From Hansâs perspective, who had been possessed by Time last night, it was natural that he had no memory.
However, Helia was different. Although her memories had also been erased, her instincts remembered that her relationship with her teacher had been threatened.
Was that why?
Helia was scared. Scared that her teacher would leave her behind.
âDid you have a nightmare?â
âTeacher...!!â
âItâs okay. Iâm here.â
For a moment, Helia felt a tightness in her chest.
Her teacher was smiling at her, but for some reason, she couldnât bear to look at that smile.
She hadnât yet learned the emotion called guilt.
Hans, still unaware of Heliaâs actions, simply tilted his head in confusion.
Whatâs wrong with her?
âSheâs being especially clingy today.â
He briefly thought that, but then he raised his hand and gently stroked Heliaâs hair. This was how it should be.
Helia was still a young child of 13 years old. If this were the modern world, she would be just starting middle school.
Of course, in this world, you became an adult at 16, but she was still young.
âItâs okay, itâs okay.â
Besides, she had endured so much at such a young age. Thinking about that, it wouldnât hurt to indulge her a little.
Perhaps reassured by her teacherâs words, Heliaâs trembling gradually subsided.
Relieved, she slowly closed her eyes. Even if it was just a dream, she wanted to stay like this forever.
After confirming that Helia was asleep, Hans stayed for a moment before getting out of bed.
The Commander of the Royal Knights had more to do than he thought, especially now.
âCommander, youâre here?â
âYes.â
âToday is the real beginning.â
âThereâs a lot to prepare.â
Cluna, who had arrived at the office in advance and was waiting, smiled and handed him a stack of parchments.
Hans understood their feelings.
No one wanted to take risks. Especially since their last attempt, just a year ago, had ended in failure.
It would be incredibly difficult to persuade them.
But if they continued like this, they had no future. The Holy Empiresâ barrier was weakening, and the demons were growing stronger.
Ironically, thanks to the Royal Knightsâ expedition a year ago, the gap had narrowed, giving the Multi-Racial Alliance a slight advantage.
Now was their chance.
How long could they maintain this advantage?
The answer to that question would determine their victory or defeat.
Hans might have forgotten his initial goal, but his instincts still craved victory for the Multi-Racial Alliance.
âIs there any way to persuade them?â
Hans readily asked Cluna for advice.
He didnât realize it, but the very act of seeking advice showed his dignity as Commander.
At least to Cluna. She had seen countless people self-destruct due to their arrogance, clinging to meaningless pride and reputation.
Why?
Cluna thought it was probably fear. Fear of losing their position, or being looked down upon, if they relied on others.
âIf youâre really going to do this, I would persuade the Human King.â
âThe Human King? Thatâs an unexpected answer.â
âHe harbors ambitions beyond your imagination. Heâs also intelligent and capable. He must have made preparations.â
That was Clunaâs impression of the Human King.
He wasnât simply content with being the central figure of the Multi-Racial Alliance. He had greater ambitions. Such as reclaiming their lost territory.
Of course, such ideals were meaningless now.
They had never succeeded in retaking land from the demons. But for some reason, it felt possible.
It was because of the man standing before her.
The man who, in just one year, revived the Royal Knights and resurrected the Multi-Racial Alliance, which had been practically scattered.
Furthermore, the Dwarf Kingdom and the 12 Tribes, indebted to him, were effectively his allies, supporting him. That support would likely continue until they lost their trust in him.
âHeâs so similar to him.â
Cluna tried to shake off the thought, but she couldnât help but compare him to the First Hero.
She had seen the First Hero in him.
At first, she didnât understand why. But now she finally did.
He was similar to the First Hero, yet different.
The First Hero was somewhat clumsy and incompetent.
On the other hand, the Commander was a superhuman who accomplished everything perfectly. But they had one thing in common.
They didnât settle for the present and dreamed of a better future. And they did so without demanding sacrifices.
He was truly worthy of being called a hero.
[Translator Notes]
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