That world might be invisible to him, but Gazef was still fully aware of its existence. A fact that could even be considered common sense to any warrior, did Brain truly not know?
“There is a world where only the strong exist. Are we not training so we can win against such foes?”
With hope that one day, they will reach them.
But Brain emphatically shook his head, causing his drenched hair to fling droplets of water to his surroundings.
“No! That’s not the level that I’m talking about!”
A shout like coughing up blood.
The man before him overlapped with his image from Gazef’s memories. Despite his energy seeming to be directed in the complete opposite direction when compared to back then, it was the same spirit as when they crossed swords.
“Stronoff! We can never reach the world of the truly powerful, no matter how hard we try. As long as we’re born human, this is the truth. In the end, we’re just children holding sticks. We’re playing with swords now, but we are still mere children pretending to be swordsmen.”
A calm expression that lost all traces of emotion stared at Gazef.
“…Listen, Stronoff. You should be confident in your sword too, right? But… that’s garbage. All you’re doing is deluding yourself if you think that you’ve been protecting these people with that useless thing in your hand.”
“…Was the peak you saw really that high?”
“I saw it and realized; a height that humans can never reach. Actually—”
Brain let out a self-mocking laughter.
“What I saw was just a glimpse. I was too weak to see the actual pinnacle, you see. It was like child’s play, hilarious.”
“Then if you were to train so you could see that world…”
Brain’s face twisted in anger.
“You don’t know anything! You can’t ever reach that monster’s level, not with a human body. Even if you were to swing the sword without end, it’s obvious that it still wouldn’t do any good! …Useless. Just what was I aiming for all this time?”
Gazef could say nothing.
He had seen a person whose heart was this wounded. A person whose heart was shattered from seeing his comrades die in front of him.
There was no way to save such a person. He cannot be saved by others. Without the will to stand with their own strength, any attempts to help him would only be futile.
“…Unglaus.”
“…Stronoff. Strength achieved from the sword really is garbage. It’s useless in front of true power.”
As expected, those words showed no signs of his past splendor.
“…I’m glad to have met you in the end.”
As Brain turned his back and walked away, Gazef stared at him with pained eyes.
The pitiful figure of his once greatest rival with his heart in tatters. Gazef could no longer find the energy to speak to him. However, he did not miss the short phrase that he heard as they parted.
“Now… I can die.”
“Stop! Wait, Brain Unglaus!”
He shouted feverishly to Brain’s back.
He ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around.
His staggering appearance no longer had the light from the past. However, despite the fact that Gazef pulled him with all of his strength, Brain’s posture did not falter nor collapse. It was proof that he possessed both a well-trained lower body and an outstanding sense of balance.
Gazef felt a small relief. In the end, his skill had not rusted.
It still wasn’t too late. He couldn’t leave him to his death.
“…What are you doing.”
“Come with me to my home.”
“Forget it. Don’t try to stop me. I want to die… I’m done with being scared. I don’t want to be constantly looking over my shoulder, frightened by shadows. I don’t want to face reality anymore. And to think I used to be content with this trash in my hand.”
Hearing Brain’s pleading voice, Gazef felt his irritation swell up inside him.
“Shut up and follow me.”
And with that, Gazef began to walk while holding onto Brain’s arm. Seeing how Brain followed with faltering steps, without putting up resistance, Gazef felt a sense of displeasure that he couldn’t describe with words.
“After you change your clothes and eat something, immediately get some rest.”
The Kingdom of Re-Estize and its capital, Re-Estize.
A country with a total population of 9 million, ‘old’ would be the best way to describe its capital. A place of history, the unchanging daily life, a dirty city that hides under the guise of antiquity, a static city— the place held various such meanings.
It was something that could be easily understood with a simple stroll through town.
Aside from the few actual houses on either side, the apparent harshness of the surroundings meant that freshness or splendor was sorely lacking. However, how this was interpreted was different depending on the individual. Indeed, there may be those who see it as the tranquil atmosphere of a land rich with history. Others could see it as a dull city, endless in its stagnation.
It looked as if the capital would continue to exist as is, even if there was nothing that was immune to change.
The capital had many roads that were left unpaved. Because of this, in the event that such places became wet from the rain, they would turn into mires that raised doubts over whether one was truly inside a city. This did not mean that the Kingdom was poor. You could not compare them with places like the Theocracy or Empire.
With the roads being narrow, people did not walk in the middle of the path — in the way of the carriages — instead, they squeezed through the sides in a disorderly manner. The Kingdom’s citizens were already used to such congestion and walked like they were trying to slip through the cracks, skillfully avoiding others heading in the opposite direction.
Despite this, the path Sebas was taking was different from the norm in that it was wide and paved with the seldom seen stone blocks.
The reason was obvious with a glance of the surroundings. As the central road of the capital, the houses that were lined up side-by-side were large and magnificent, radiating a feeling of wealth.
As Sebas walked briskly with a dignified air, followed by the eyes of various middle-aged women and young ladies charmed by his elegance. Though there was the occasional woman who would brazenly send him a sultry gaze to his face, Sebas paid them no mind. With an upright back and steady eyes directed straight ahead, his feet did not falter for even a moment.
The feet that seemed to show no signs of stopping until it reached its destination suddenly halted and focused its attention on the carriage that was approaching from the side. It then turned ninety degrees and crossed the road.
At the place he was heading to was an old woman. She was sitting next to a bulky carrying frame while massaging her ankles.
“Is there a problem?”
Surprised at having been suddenly approached by a stranger, the old woman raised her face, revealing a pair of wary eyes. But that suspicion immediately weakened upon seeing Sebas’ appearance and elegant attire.
“You seem to be having trouble. Is there any way I can be of assistance?”
“N-no sir. Not at all.”
“Please do not let it bother you. Extending a hand to those in need is a matter of course.”
Sebas showed a bright smile, causing the old woman to blush. The handsome smile from the gentleman overflowing with charisma shattered her last vestige of defense.
Having finished peddling from her street stall, the old woman was returning home when she sprained her ankle and had found herself in a difficult situation.