Chapter 159

I can’t fall like this… Every bone in my body is broken, my shattered ribs are piercing my lungs, and I won’t last much longer. But even so, I can at least take one person with me. The Black Round Table wanted you captured alive, but I’m going to kill you, Werner Altan. That’s the only way to minimize the innocent casualties.

“I… this dream… no matter what…!!!”

I converted all my life force into mana and activated a spell. I created a massive boulder arm and lifted it. Even if I’m a mess, I can at least take him down with me.

“Haa… haa… Impressive, Gaius.”

If I just bring it down now… he’ll die. I can end it all here. But his last words bothered me too much. If I just swing this arm…

Then, someone stepped in front of him.

“Master… please run… I’ll hold him off somehow…”

It was Werner’s disciple. My disciple died… alone in pain and misery… Werner, why is it only you…

But when I locked eyes with Werner’s disciple, those golden eyes froze me in place. They were the same golden eyes as my disciple, Trisha… Yes, she had eyes like that. The only difference was the deep hostility directed at me.

“Step aside, Airi. I’ll handle him.”

Werner, despite his condition, pushed his disciple aside and stood before me. Even though we were both battered… he prioritized his disciple. I wanted to be a master like that. One who sacrifices themselves for their disciple… like Skadi, like you. But in my ignorance, I pushed my disciple to their death.

Maybe that’s why I killed the elders and the Tower Lords. I wanted to believe it was all their fault, that they were the bad ones, that I did nothing wrong.

My resolve wavered.

Then, another voice called out. His fiancée, was it? She suddenly appeared, also trying to protect Werner. Her red eyes… they were just like my master’s. The only difference was the intense hostility directed at me.

Have I become such a villain that those eyes now look at me with such hatred…? I’ve returned to this cursed wasteland, back to the path of evil. I’ve made my master’s death meaningless.

“Step back, Lady Glacia… You’re injured, and this is not an enemy you can face… Besides, he’s mine to deal with.”

Even in that state, he still wants to settle things with me. Impressive, Werner Altan. So this is what a sorcerer is. This is what a man is. I didn’t know.

“Werner Altan.”

So that’s the posture of a man and a sorcerer, as my master said. A true sorcerer and man should have eyes like that. The golden eyes that resemble my disciple reflect me, but the red eyes that resemble my master reflect a completely different gaze.

“I admit defeat.”

I dispelled the magic. And the released mana flowed into Werner Altan’s body.

“What is this…?”

“Just some first aid. You never know when the pursuers will come, so get out of here and get treated.”

“…You’re not coming, are you?”

I struggled to avoid sin, but I also turned a blind eye to countless murders. I remained silent in the face of countless deaths, ignoring the hands reaching out for help. They called themselves moderates, but they were just fools pretending to be noble.

“Werner Altan. Look at my eyes.”

“Hey… why are you suddenly…?”

“Look with your clear eyes. The eyes of a defeated man, clouded by pain, sorrow, and frustration. Look at that fate.”

I took a step toward my destination. Yes, this must be the proper ending prepared for me. I trampled on my master’s dreams, my disciple’s dreams. I insulted the lives of countless people with unfulfilled dreams.

“Hey, that’s a cliff! If you slip, you’re dead!”

I know. I used to know this place like the back of my hand when I was young. For a trash like me who’s been committing sins since then, this is a fitting end.

I took out a ring I had been carrying and threw it.

“I came across this by chance. This must be your relic, right? I never wore it, so you don’t have to worry about it being tainted by a villain.”

The Ring of the Sage, was it? It enhances the power of various spells and can even die in place of its wearer once. It’s not something that suits me, who’s about to meet my end. So it’s right for you to have it, Werner. It was yours to begin with.

“How did you get this…?”

“It was originally a gift for my disciple. But now it’s useless.”

If only I had given it to them sooner. Then maybe I wouldn’t have ended up here.

“And… Bedivior, Gallahad, Agravain—those three might become your allies. Among them is a skilled doctor. How you persuade them… is up to you.”

“Wait! You too…”

“Don’t be soft, Werner. I’ve killed thousands of soldiers. If you think of their families… this is the right ending.”

Even if you kill me in the end… you’re truly kind, Werner Altan. No, it’s because you’re kind that you won’t walk this path. Don’t lose that heart.

“And one last thing… I admit it, Werner Altan. You are a true ‘man’ and the ‘greatest sorcerer.’ To the point of division.”

I took the final step of my life. But what marked that step was none other than Werner’s voice.

“Forgive me, Gaius. I’m truly sorry for insulting your dreams.”

So that’s what I was sorry for… If only I had said that from the beginning…

“Thank you.”

I hate magic. More than anything, it’s ugly and has taken precious things from me.

I love magic. More than anything, it’s beautiful and has brought me to precious things.

I hate rain. When it rains, I can’t help but recall memories I’d rather forget.

I really love rain. It can hide my flowing tears.

I love the wasteland. That wretched rain doesn’t fall here.

I hate the wasteland. That wretched rain doesn’t fall here… so I can’t hide that I’m crying.

Ah, now that I think about it, it’s raining in this wasteland. A warm rain, like my master’s embrace. Those warm raindrops are forming on my cheeks.

—

Bloodstained footprints painted the barren wasteland red. Kay, wounded by Glacia, dragged his tenacious life force as he took each step. Her death was inevitable, but she didn’t want to die powerless.

The place she kept walking toward held the body of her only friend, Tristan.

“So… this is it? All that talk about proof and you couldn’t even kill anyone… dragged me into this and now I’m dying too… Was all that suffering just to end so pointlessly? You dragged me into this for nothing!”

Kay was furious. Her insides felt like they were spilling out, her blood had already drained more than half, her mind was foggy, and pain and nausea overwhelmed her entire body. What kept her going was the anger that her friend had died helplessly, and that she was about to die without achieving anything. Her anger was justified, as it was clear she would die a meaningless death otherwise.

But when Kay saw Tristan’s smiling face, she couldn’t help but lower her voice.

“But… what’s so happy about that grin, you idiot…? Are you that happy even after losing? Are you that happy to drag me to my death too? Is that the answer and proof you wanted, you fool?”

She slumped down beside Tristan’s body and leaned against his shoulder. This was her limit. It was a miracle she had even made it this far with a body that could have given out at any moment.

“…Hey, are you that happy?”

Tristan’s body just smiled silently.

“Then that’s enough.”

Even if it led to her death, if her friend was satisfied, Kay thought that was enough.

“Rest in peace, my friend… Oh, the clouds are gathering. Should I sing that song you used to sing? I don’t remember all the lyrics, so I’ll just improvise a bit…?”

With a body too weak to even lift her eyelids, Kay cleared her throat and began to sing.

“Why does the skylark sing so joyfully in the sky?”

“For whom does the violet in the field hold its dew?”

“The drunken stonemason will soon return to his family.”

“And why are you so happy, smiling like that?”

“My precious friend…”

And then, silence enveloped the wasteland. As if no one had ever been there. But in that wasteland, the satisfied smiles of two people lingered.