The Paladin Owns the Relic

Chapter 194

194 – Back story (4)

Alpina, who was helping to restore the northern section of Garnet, stretched her back.

It was getting dark before I knew it. But she had no time to rest.

Reconstruction of a city that was almost collapsing was very difficult, and the citizens of Garnet barely had a place to sleep.

Just one more.

I made up my mind like that, and it has been going on until now. Of course, there was one more reason to leave besides that.

“……”

When will it happen…?

Alpina wiped away the sweat. She glanced back at the Ascalon on her back.

“Ascalon.”

-…Yes?

“What do you think?”

-Oh, no…Nothing.

The answer was ambiguous. She has been like this ever since she encountered that strange being called the turning point of destruction.

“What the hell is going on?”

-That… That’s… Ah…

The hesitant Ascalon trembled.

-Ah, no…I can’t…I couldn’t…Could…Be…Attracted…To a being who pushed me into so much pain the moment I saw him…!

“Yes?”

-I, I am a righteous dragon of injustice! It is Ascalon, the very essence of nobility! That, right?! Arpina?!

“That’s right, right?”

-So…I couldn’t have been attracted to that strange being…!

The frequency of muttering has increased. Even after asking, I didn’t get a proper answer.

Alpina couldn’t understand. In the sky that day… What the hell happened?

The cause of the problem in the first place is Zahard…

What kind of existence is he now?

“…Everything is uncertain except that I am no longer an apostle of Ra.”

The moon paladins who suddenly appeared did not tell the whole story.

It’s just that ‘she’ who descended instead of the world tree is very dangerous.

That I have to talk to the watchers again.

All I was told was to return to the Church of Ra, prepare for the situation, and stock up on strength for a dangerous future that might come.

How does something work? Arpina was frustrated. She hoped that an existence that could relieve the suffocation would arise soon.

…No. In fact…

I just plain…Want him to wake up.

Arpina wiggled her hand holding her shovel. The back she saw then. The trail of light flying toward the darkness was very beautiful.

She may have the back that she may have dreamed of all her life. A paladin running towards destruction.

A sacrificial figure that is completely different from before.

You must have been worried and conflicted. It’s because it takes a lot of hard work to overturn oneself so far.

Throw away everything you have.

You have to turn away from even the things you have piled up in order to grasp them.

What if he…Was a different person when he opened his eyes again?

What face should I greet him with…?

“Saint!”

Arpina raised her head. The workers she worked with hurriedly ran to her.

From noble mtl dot com

“The saint has awakened!”

“…Yes?!”

Revisiting Zahard was exactly the same as before, regardless of the tension in his heart.

No.

It was worse.

“Shout out!!!”

“Kyaaa!!!”

“Oppaaa!!!!”

Fantastic Gathering. Arpina froze when she saw Zahard spraying sparks into the air on stage.

Not a clown, what is that?!

Hey, aren’t you the patient who just woke up in the first place?! What are you doing?

No one says anything?! Why?!

Boo, I’m sure Eve is…?

“…Certainly, the reaction of the believers is enthusiastic…But it’s a bit lacking to spread the greatness of the headmaster…So it’s better to put together the achievements so far and make it into a bible…”

“Eve?! What are you doing without drying it?!”

“…?! I-I fell for the teacher’s words without even realizing it…!”

A band from unknown origin played wildly behind Zahard. An intense hymn that shakes the stage.

Music resonates as if praising the return of a hero.

There are no lyrics, just one accompaniment. The person who will be the main character of the sound of music is not even keeping his body.

Just something…

It’s like an idiot.

“……”

Arpina blinked her eyes. Looking at the lights and the dancing Ja-Hard, she didn’t know where she got them from, she smiled and smiled without realizing it.

“Why, why can’t you dance like that?”

What is this?

Really, what the hell is this!

. . .

Rakkeum mingled with the crowd and looked at the stage.

What started off as a simple rally has now spread like a festival.

At some point, an orchestra joined in and started playing by tuning the broken instruments.

The singers clung to each other and started singing with their own voices.

Changed from improvised hymns to folk songs. Before they knew it, their own song started, and the divided voices began to merge into one.

Suddenly, street vendors began to bake food nearby, and the gathered people secretly held each other’s hands.

The dance started to begin. My feet mingled to the song. Even without drinking, everyone shook their shoulders and enjoyed their own time.

“……”

Rakkeum laughed.

“I feel… strange.”

“What is strange?”

Vulcan sat down beside him. Glancing at Zahard on stage, he grumbled.

“Why does that bastard say that sh*t as soon as he wakes up?”

“What, how is it? Each of us will start the back party in our own way.”

“…Huh. I don’t like it.”

Rakkeum glanced back at Balkan. When our eyes met, Balkan hurriedly covered his mouth.

“What, what are you looking at?!”

“You’re smiling.”

“When am I?!”

“Your brother is disingenuous.”

“Honest! I’m always honest!”

“Give me the meat there.”

“Shut up! Mine! Bring yours!”

A shaman from the east split between the two growling. She popped the meat in her middle, which she was fighting over, into her mouth.

“What did you fight for during the good times?”

“Tsubaki?! This child!”

“Ugh! What a small meal!”

“Can’t you see there’s a street vendor nearby?!”

“So you can go and get it!”

”You have to stand in line!”

Eve quietly sat down in the middle of the quarrel and naturally took the glass of Balkan.

“Don’t fight. Not even children.”

“Naturally, don’t drink my alcohol!”

“How much is this?”

“Isn’t it? Because that’s what I mean.”

“These bastards! Follow me! Let’s stick together today!”

Rakkeum laughed. Friends who are happy just to be together without having to forcefully wear a mask.

…But.

“…This won’t work.”

She felt the power gap. Even at her best, she felt helpless, having only been toyed with.

Everyone here must have felt it implicitly.

That what I did to become stronger had no effect on the being I faced.

Even where he was forced to climb up, he couldn’t help.

“…We.”

Rakkeum looked at him on the stage.

“We must become stronger. Brothers and sisters.”

“…..”

After exchanging glances, the four quietly sat down.

“…Well, it can’t be helped.”

Vulcan bit off the meat that Tsubaki had stolen.

“Because it was us who decided to follow him.”

“Isn’t it necessary to practice samurai?”

“What is samurai training?”

“It is a custom in my hometown to go on a journey alone to become stronger. While hanging out with the other kids.”

“…Isn’t that inefficient?”

“Because there are things that sharpen and polish the mind, so what…”

Tsubaki sucked his seasoned finger.

“…At least, wouldn’t it be more helpful to that person than doing nothing?”

An explosion crackled and bounced from Tsubaki’s hand.

“I felt it this time. How strong were those who stood on the other side of Zahard. And to him on stage… I can’t be of any help.”

“……”

“I’m not ready to go on stage yet. I can’t even stand next to him. So…you have to be a little stronger.”

“Likewise… Eggplant.”

“It is the same.”

“I hate to admit it, but…It’s true.”

The four exchanged glances. Without saying who was first, he shrugged.

“A little more.”

“A little farther.”

“Let’s try it.”

“Let’s do our best!”

. . .

Lucia, the apostle of the moon, watched the festival in the shadows.

A mysterious person. That was the first impression. But impressions change, and evaluations of people are rewritten.

Lucia changed his evaluation of Zahad.

He’s a weirder person than I thought.

“……”

I almost died, but how can I laugh like that?

I just woke up, how can I be surrounded by people right away?

It must still be painful, but how can I smile like that casually?

Lucia brooded over her thoughts.

What he did was obviously heroic. A hero who saved people without thinking about side effects on the body.

However, his appearance was different from the heroes he had known so far. He didn’t hold his weight nicely, and he didn’t show condescension outright.

Just casually.

As it should be.

“……”

Lucia removed her body from the wall. The paladins following her asked her.

“What are you going to do? Miss Lucia.”

“How do you do it? You know. Lou’s words must come true. Even if that’s…”

The sound of footsteps disappeared into the darkness.

“Even if it means killing Garnet’s hero.”

. . .

I leaned against the wall and looked down at the festival.

Beatrice laughed bitterly.

-The meeting turned into a festival.

“I will. It’s ruined. Master.”

I glanced at the air.

[Discipline: 5]

The number of believers remained the same. Apparently, certain conditions were required to increase the number of followers.

Those five are probably Hector’s group, whom I handed out the stigma myself.

What…

Let’s slow down for now. I just woke up, so there’s no need to rush.

I watched the festival. I saw the sound of people cheering and the twinkling lights.

-It was only possible because of my proud disciple.

“If you paint your face with gold, does a high nose look taller?”

-You can brag a little today. Zahard.

“…Is that so?”

I grinned. Walked into the scene of the festival.

-Zahard is good at using his body, but he doesn’t have much talent for dancing.

“…Isn’t that enough?”

-I can’t help it. Let me teach you something.

“Should I dance alone?”

-Unfortunately, I can’t manifest due to lack of divine power. I don’t think I’ll be able to escort you today… So I’ll have to give it to someone else.

Beatrice gave a small laugh.

-There are a lot of people you have to dance with anyway, right?

Not really.

I made my way through the crowd. He grabbed the hand of a man who was surrounded by people and was making a puzzled expression.

The woman who followed opened her eyes wide. Looked up at me slowly.

“Zahard…?!”

Silver hair was disheveled in the air. The cardinal’s eyes went round and round in his flimsy overalls.

“Go, why is this all of a sudden…?”

“Would you like to sing a song?”

“Ah, what the heck?!”

Arpina trembled her hands.

“Can I… Dance with me?”