“It’s dangerous.”
The composed少年 (Male) opposed again, but Cariel’s will didn’t waver.
“In this area, we cannot properly face anyone. Then, we should visit another territory.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“…We must take the risk. What worries me most is the danger that could arise here while I’m gone. That’s what concerns me the most.”
“I’ll do my best to protect it.”
“…There’s nothing we can do but hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Even horses, which were rare in the village, now only had one left.
This one too was a truly precious creature managed collectively by the village.
Now, there’s only you left.
Until the moment of saddling the brown horse and mounting its back,
the boy’s eyes were filled with anxiety.
“I’ll return. Whether it’s an antidote or a priest who can solve this.”
“…There’s nothing else to be done.”
The boy ultimately had no choice but to pray for his success.
….
There were several crises.
We dealt with the ambushers, but with the horse dead, we had no choice but to run on foot.
The rainstorm only got worse—it was chaos.
The mud clings to your ankles like quicksand.
Even if you somehow manage to overcome and move forward…
…nobody awaited Cariel’s arrival.
Priests and Priestesses demanded money.
Some even cursed him, blaming him for spreading demons’ work or divine punishment—
Asking if he came here to spread the plague.
‘Why.’
Had the rumors really spread this far?
But if I give up here, what good would it do?
He wandered around town half-naked.
Though quickly reduced to looking like a beggar, he didn’t give up.
The longer it went on, the more people died.
Suffering grew longer, and hope gradually faded.
The number of patients will increase soon.
With farming disrupted, the problem of survival will soon become a crisis.
The village we’ve worked so hard to build…
It’s fine if it collapses, but the people’s homes, their hopes, their wills—
If those go out, it’s unacceptable.
….
“You’re putting in effort.”
Somewhere in the forest, after collapsing, an old man appeared with a wooden cane and scolded him.
“What’s so urgent that you’ve been wandering these mountain paths without rest for days?”
“…Has it been that long already?”
He hadn’t realized.
In the dark forest, he hadn’t noticed the sun rising or setting.
“You should worry about yourself. Why are you worrying about others? You could’ve died here.”
“I can’t die. There’s still something I need to do. I can’t be irresponsible and stay here.”
“You’ve got strong resolve. Unlike those who blindly throw themselves into sacrifice thinking they can fix everything, you’re different—and not bad at all.”
“…Elder?”
“If you keep going straight, you’ll find some yellow mushrooms. Only pick the ones with lighter colors and take them. With that, you might achieve what you seek.”
You’ve worked hard.
“Elder…?!”
His body trembled.
Waking from what felt like a dream, he headed toward where the old man pointed, as if hypnotized.
And sure enough, there was a cluster of mushrooms.
“What in the world…?”
Should I trust this dream?
It’s just a dream, after all.
Still, he couldn’t let go of even the faintest glimmer of hope.
So Cariel did as the elder instructed and,
Without hesitation, headed toward the place he felt the elder indicated last.
-AAAAAAHHH!
A scream came from afar.
Dragging his exhausted body, he quickly moved toward the source.
In the desolate ravine,
he saw a group of soldiers struggling against creatures with bark-like, rigid skin.
Clearly, the humans were at a disadvantage.
Without thinking, he rushed into the fray.
….
“If fate brings us together twice, it must surely be destiny.”
The disheveled, pitiful appearance was gone.
Though his face was smeared with accumulated fatigue, cleaning up and changing clothes made Cariel look completely different.
Moreover,
The golden-haired youth showed an unusual respect for Cariel.
“Twice?”
The young man, who had become the master of this region earlier than expected.
And once upon a time,
Fought to the death against Cariel’s own lord.
The very lord of that domain.
“When your forces tried to invade a village, didn’t you stop them?”
“That time, I was there.”
“…”
“Though abandoned by my father, if I had been captured, I would have either been killed or exploited.”
Yet strangely enough,
The father fell off his horse and died,
And his older brothers also perished one by one, either from illness or battlefields.
…And somehow, the legitimate heir remaining was himself.
After all, he was also the rightful heir born of the main wife.
“My father had many desires. He dreamed of becoming king during this unstable period of the Berke Kingdom.”
However, kingship isn’t something you can claim just because you want it.
Not to mention, he lacked both the ability to lead an army and the overwhelming power to slaughter enemies alone.
“I’ve started collaborating with the Enzul family, who now leads the Berke House. By providing part of my territory, I joined their alliance.”
“The Enzul family…?”
“Yes. Led by the great warrior Ilannd, five legendary Sacred Swordsmen renowned across Berke. And soon, the Pope is said to consecrate the head of the Enzul family. The Berke Royal Family may have fallen, but perhaps His Holiness will ascend the throne.”
Is it really that serious?
There’s quite a distance between the northern Berke Kingdom and this southern region.
Of course, riding a horse, it’s only a few days’ journey, but with a mountain range in between and lakes and swamps scattered around, while individuals or small merchant groups can pass through without much trouble, moving armies inevitably causes problems.
“I see.”
They seem to be reshaping the world, unlike me.
“But even in southern Berke, there’s Lord Cariel, right?”
“…Me?”
“I once saw Lord Ilannd directly and witnessed his divine prowess with my own eyes.”
But…
“I couldn’t confidently say who surpasses whom between him and Lord Cariel.”
“That’s…”
It’s absurd.
How could someone like me, who knew nothing and acted recklessly in the south, compare with him?
Many famous warriors existed, but…
“Southern warriors have built up resilience facing barbarians. That confidence is what gave my father the delusional dream of wearing a crown.”
There were countless renowned warriors, but…
“Half of them fell under Lord Cariel’s blade, and we couldn’t help but tremble.”
What makes this single knight from a small fiefdom so extraordinary?
If only he had been my subordinate!
Why hasn’t Heaven bestowed such a soldier upon me!
“My father lamented greatly back then.”
The young man spoke.
“Do you know? Even your own master feared you.”
“…”
Cariel thought.
The reason his lord sent him away completely.
The reason he never interfered with the village afterward.
And during the time they stood shoulder to shoulder.
Even in the final confrontation…
He, unlike other subordinates, couldn’t treat him oppressively.
He only pretended to.
…I wasn’t unaware of it.
Because he respected me.
Because we understood each other well, relied on each other—that’s why.
…But from the outside, it looks like this.
And maybe, it’s true.
Cariel felt somewhat uneasy inside.
“I know you wish to leave quickly, but I fear accidents might happen if you ride in the dark.”
“…Are you offering me a horse?”
“Didn’t you save my life? How could that be all? I’ll spare no support I can offer you, not just now, but in the future too.”
I heard the story.
“The knighthood you speak of differs from the warrior’s mindset and oaths they swear, but I found myself drawn to it.”
Please.
“I sincerely pray that whatever you attempt goes smoothly.”
At this point,
Cariel thought everything was going well.
He sighed in relief.
Fatigue washed over him like melting snow.
For the first time in over ten days, he could sleep peacefully.
….
“I hear the barbarian army is rampaging across the Baroneur territory.”
The next day.
Until hearing that news,
Cariel believed everything was going perfectly.
A single horse galloped until it foamed at the mouth.
Considering that, he couldn’t help but be grateful for the backup horse the young man had prepared.
When the second horse also began foaming, he started running.
Running was familiar to him.
Since childhood, the boy trained his stamina and strengthened his body as ordered by the knight.
He ran.
Through mountain paths, uphill, downhill, across flatlands at breakneck speed.
Ultimately, I’m back here now.
If he hadn’t been accustomed to running,
He’d have had to wait patiently for the horse to recover.
Because that’s the right thing to do.
That’s why the reason he can choose to run instead,
The reason he can bet on the possibility, lies in the efforts he piled up in the past.
Though his body aged, and training wasn’t as intense as before,
He never stopped for a moment.
It wasn’t just for teaching kids.
Maybe, to escape reality, he threw himself into training for a while.
Whenever his body rested, nightmares, despair, negative emotions, and thoughts flooded in.
The sky grows darker.
Still, he doesn’t stop.
His breathing is perilously shallow, but—
It’s fine.
This is routine.
Compared to enduring four days on the battlefield without sleep while being harassed by enemies, this is nothing.
This is trivial.
No one is trying to take my life.
If this feels hard,
It shouldn’t.
What nonsense.
Even as his whole body soaked in sweat,
Even as his consciousness blurred,
He sharpens his mind fiercely.
Breathing more steadily,
Struggling to move his heavy limbs, body, and head.
He moves.
He runs.
While ensuring his body doesn’t collapse entirely,
Though impossible to prepare fully, he absolutely refuses to fall helplessly.
He adjusts his condition.
Desperation is necessary, but not excessive desperation.
What if enemies arrived the moment you reached your destination?
Would you just stand there watching?
Offer your neck willingly?
None of that is acceptable.
Think despite the hardship.
Prepare for the worst.
All sorts of negative emotions held him back, but he shook them off.
And so, as the sun rose,
Finally, it began to appear.
Fortunately,
The village didn’t seem burned or destroyed yet.
It’s still unclear from afar.
Maybe I was too hasty.
…If that’s true, isn’t that something to be thankful for?
Suppressing his impatience, he somehow reached the village.
“Lord Cariel?!”
A group of modestly armed individuals, faces filled with anxiety and fear,
Greeted him.
But.
“Where’s Ruel?”
In response to Cariel’s question,
One of the youths looked at him uneasily.
No, not just him—everyone did.
“Surely…?”
“He caught the disease. His condition… isn’t good.”
“…”
For a moment, darkness clouded his vision, but Cariel steadied his spirit again.
“Take this.”
The youth, receiving the pouch from him, asked curiously,
“What… is this?”
“It’s not much, but grind it appropriately and feed it to everyone who’s sick. Also… tell them reinforcements will arrive soon, so they should hold on with hope.”
“Did you hear that news too? The barbarians are leading an army around here…”
“That’s right.”
That’s why I rushed here.
“Look over there!”
Far from the village, on the plains,
A line of bandits stretched across the horizon.
“…”
Taking a brief breath, but—
His current physical state was at its worst.
For over ten days, he wandered foreign lands braving storms.
Even though he barely caught his breath thanks to a miraculous opportunity.
He pushed himself to the limit to reach here.
So, he was grateful.
…At least, unlike before, I can prevent something terrible from happening in my absence.
There’s no way to undo what’s already happened.
But if it hasn’t happened yet…
“We sought help from the lord, but he refused to meet you.”
“It’s fine.”
Cariel calmly accepted their anxieties.
“Now that I’m here, don’t worry.”
Cariel instructed them to check on the sick and remaining villagers, then,
After glancing at the worn-out village sign,
Walked toward the group observing the area.
Long ago, to lighten his load while rushing here, he discarded anything unnecessary.
So now,
All he has left is clothing drenched in sweat, wobbling as he stumbles, dirtied beyond recognition.
Still, I still have two swords.
One I sacrificed for the village,
The remaining one, I could never abandon to protect the village.
Even that, I eventually sold at a bitter price to buy medicine for the villagers.
…But somehow,
An old enemy gifted me an even better sword.
Ultimately, nothing remains in my hands.
But all of these are merely tools, means.
Even the precious sword given by my master long ago—
Wasn’t it lost meaninglessly while wandering a battlefield?
So.
All I have left now is…
Just this body.
“I beg of you.”
Oh God,
If you truly exist,
If you’re watching this moment,
“Let me be enough.”
Then I will gladly,
Without a shred of regret,
With gratitude in my heart,
Crawl into that blazing inferno.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
