Chapter 269






〈 Chapter 269 〉 Reality and Ideal (6)

*

A vast field.

The cool breeze swayed the green grass. It wasn’t just the grass that swayed. Galahal’s white collar fluttered in the wind.

“······.”

Galahal was looking at Chloe.

He didn’t say a word. After asking a question, Galahal remained silent, waiting however long it took for an answer to come.

Or rather, it was as if he wouldn’t let go until he got an answer, no matter how long it took…

Chloe met his gaze.

Who was the young man standing before her? The one known as the most heroic hero, Galahal. The most heroic hero had asked her about heroes.

『What kind of hero do you want to be?』

What kind of hero did she want to be?

Chloe mulled over the question. To answer it, she had to reflect on her life.

She did just that.

She recalled her 18 years of life.

2.

Chloe’s life began in a slum where abandoned things gathered.

By the time she came of age, her parents were already gone, and the young girl understood that she had been abandoned. All she knew was her name: ‘Chloe.’

She had been abandoned among filthy things.

Living on the ground, crawling around.

Terrified by footsteps, she ran away, and lived off the things others had discarded. She couldn’t even clearly remember how she survived.

She simply struggled to live.

In the deep corners of the slum, the narrow gap between walls was her home. It was filled with dirty books and newspapers she had dug out of the trash.

The girl who could read began to read the books she found. She looked at fairy tales and stared at newspapers reporting battlefield news longingly.

The world of fairy tales was beautiful.

In the beautiful world, there were magnificent heroes.

It wasn’t just in fairy tales; newspapers also contained stories of heroes living in reality. The girl read and re-read them. Because reading helped her forget her own life, even for a moment.

Because she was dirty, because she was at the lowest point.

Humans yearn for things that shine.

They wish to reach higher places.

The little girl was no different. She dreamed while reading books. She would look up at the sky from her narrow gap, wishing to shine as well.

Was it coincidence?

Or was it fate?

【Do you wish for it?】

One day, someone whispered in the girl’s ear.

When she asked who they were, the voice answered.

【An existence that responds to wishes.】

The being asked the girl for her wish.

The girl answered. She wanted to shine, to live a brilliant life. To that earnest wish, someone revealed the answer.

【If you wish for it, it shall be so.】

A warm platinum light enveloped the girl.

The once murky white hair of the girl regained its original pure white color. A platinum ring of light appeared in the girl’s green eyes.

On that day, the girl was chosen.

It was simply a whim of the divine, a coincidence coiled around another coincidence that had unfolded into fate. The chosen girl would later come to understand the source of the power she had received.

Upon learning the source, the girl understood.

Those chosen by force were different from her.

She had wished and longed to shine brightly, and therefore, she became a hero. There was no way she could flee, saying that it was a wish made in her foolish days.

There were responsibilities and duties.

The girl didn’t turn away from them.

‘What must I become?’

The girl asked and answered herself.

‘An always shining figure.’

Because she wished for a life like a hero from a fairy tale.

Always shining, giving hope to others through her brilliant life… she must become that.

‘But…’

However, the girl pondered.

Could she really become that?

Time flowed and flowed.

The time to bear responsibilities and duties was approaching.

Under the looming time, the girl’s worries only grew. She had seen it herself.

He, who had survived in the most filthy place, stood proudly in the light.

She observed a mage, who understood and utilized his talent better than herself.

She saw a proud princess loved by the stars, stepping forward on her own.

And.

She saw a hero, exhausted by reality, but unable to give up, wandering aimlessly. She closely watched a hero who continued to dream while facing reality.

They all shone brightly.

So bright that she felt insignificant in their presence. Looking at them, the girl thought.

‘Can I…?

Can I become like them?

Was I not meant to receive this star?

Shouldn’t this power go to them instead of me?’

A worry she couldn’t voice to anyone.

The girl poured her thoughts into words.

“I…”

The girl said.

“I wanted to be like the heroes from fairy tales. I wanted to live a shining life like them. I admired them. I wanted to be like them.”

Longing, wishing, and desiring.

“That wish was answered by the star. The star granted me power in response to my wish…”

Having become a hero was the end result for Chloe.

“But.”

But, she posed the question.

“Isn’t this something that shouldn’t belong to me?”

A story she had not shared with anyone.

Galahal, upon hearing her story, momentarily held his breath. To have become a hero because she wished for it. That point didn’t faze Galahal at all.

The star answered a wish.

It bestowed her with power to become a hero.

While such occurrences were extremely rare, it wasn’t entirely impossible. What startled Galahal was the sentence that followed. The question of whether such power should belong to her.

“···Ah.”

Galahal let out a bemused smile.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

Because it was a question he had pondered himself. And still sought an answer to.

“I understand.”

Galahal spoke.

“I understand your worries, Chloe, and the turmoil you’re feeling… I understand.”

Slowly raising his hand, Galahal gestured toward himself. With a shy smile while pointing at himself, Galahal said.

“I once thought that way too.”

“···Really?”

“Chloe, as you know, I have no talent. I wasn’t born with the ability to manipulate stars, nor with martial skills or anything else.”

Galahal let out a short breath.

“The First Prince mocked me, and Draka firmly declared that I had ‘no talent.’”

You have no talent.

You’ll have to make dozens of times the effort compared to others just to achieve the same results. It’s a brutal truth; you have no (?) talent.

Draka had told Galahal that.

“It’s true. I still cannot resist disasters. I am a weak hero who cannot even protect a single companion in the face of disaster.”

Galahal chuckled bitterly.

“There are many who shine brighter than I do. So many. I often wondered why the stars of light were given to me rather than to them.”

Why to me.

Why this power was bestowed upon him, someone without talent, Galahal questioned.

“Why to Raniel van Trias.”

“Why to Kuntel.”

“To Kelharlem, to Draka, and others…”

“Why, why, why…”

Why was the star not given to those shining figures?

Why had it come to him instead of them?

In the midst of his failures, Galahal kept pondering.

The worries deepened, and he never found an answer. He could never find out why the star bestowed him with power.

“But.”

Galahal let out a short breath.

“I couldn’t just remain stagnant like that. Even while pondering and agonizing… I had to move forward. If I do so, then perhaps this agony might hold some meaning.”

“Meaning…”

“Yes, and listen.”

Galahal smiled at Chloe.

“Surely, if you move forward, you might find something. Something only you can do, something that only you can achieve… there must be at least one such thing.”

Life was not over yet.

If she kept moving forward, kept walking without giving up, she might find the answer.

“Life is, after all, the process of searching for that answer.”

It was something he had once told Roks.

Recalling those words, Galahal patted Chloe’s shoulder a few times.

“Worrying is fine. But please don’t get so caught up in it that you miss what’s important.”

What was important.

“Chloe, what did you say was the hero you wished for?”

“A perfect hero like those in fairy tales…”

“Please don’t forget that.”

Do not forget your longings.

Do not forget the self you wished to become.

That’s what Galahal said.

“Sometimes, you can run away. You might feel frustrated, and sometimes, you might just stop. There will certainly come a time when that happens. Humans cannot be perfect.”

But that’s okay.

That is what makes them human.

“Every time that happens, remember who you wanted to be. The dream you first cherished.”

Then, Galahal said.

“You’ll be able to move forward.”

Because he had also done so.

Searching for answers.

With a certainty bordering on conviction, Chloe swallowed hard. Looking into Galahal’s eyes, she spoke.

“Can I…”

Can I really become such a hero like you?

“Yes, of course.”

To Chloe’s question, Galahal replied.

With no hesitation, filled with strong conviction.

“As long as you wish for it, you can become so.”

3.

Eastern 3rd Front, Harprion.

Days had passed since the Berta Canyon extermination battle. Over the past few days, Galahal had focused on Chloe’s training, and she had been growing every day.

There seemed to be a change in her mindset.

It seemed her fingers drew circuits with less force than usual, and those circuits had become smoother, containing more mana than before.

A good change.

“So, what on earth did you tell Chloe to make her act like this?”

“Just my experiences. Rania, didn’t you say that the best advice is that which is based on experience?”

Galahal avoided giving a specific answer and merely shrugged. I cast a dubious glance but still headed somewhere with Galahal.

No matter how challenging the Phantom Territory was, there was bound to be a place or two to rest amid the search. A location I had marked on the map as a prime spot the last time we were on the battlefield… and now we were headed to one of those places.

‘A place where people’s gaze does not reach.’

Hence, a place to talk comfortably.

It was a place where a lush green field spread out, and we each found a spot to sit. It wasn’t unfamiliar since I had been here in the past.

The breeze was refreshing.

As I was tidying my windswept hair, Galahal opened his mouth first.

“Seems like you’ve had a talk with Destel.”

“I did.”

“Your attitude toward Destel seems a tad different now.”

“It was different than I thought.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to.

“…I was mistaken in some ways.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you asking when you know everything?”

“Some things only hold significance when spoken aloud, you know.”

With a sly grin, Galahal shrugged as I clicked my tongue.

“Honestly, I thought I had completely given up. I thought having that kind of quitting language was just something he’d toss around…”

“Destel does have a tendency to speak strangely. It’s like he does it on purpose.”

“…In any case.”

I took a short breath and spoke.

“I can see it now, being on the outside.”

I saw the whole flow of the operation.

I could see where Destel made judgments, what he was thinking. Now that I had seen, I couldn’t deny it. I had been wrong in my assumptions about him.

“Using quitting language is one thing. It’s true that he says ‘to throw away’ so easily. However… he’s also trying to take responsibility in his own way, so I have no intention of saying anything about that.”

I reflected on it from Destel’s perspective.

If I put myself in his position without the strength he currently wielded, the answer became clear quickly.

“You said it yourself.”

I looked at Galahal.

“There’s a way for each person. So, I just decided to think that way.”

“…Is that so?”

“Are you surprised?”

“You weren’t someone to change so easily with just a few words.”

I forced a smile.

“Back then, I didn’t have the luxury for that.”

I lived busily and had no time to think deeply.

I was caught up in the obsession of having to stand in front of others. I had no time to look around. I was too busy running straight ahead.

“Is it different now?”

“Not drastically.”

But, I said.

“There’s a little more leisure now.”

The breeze was quite refreshing.

After taking a deep breath, I pointed my finger at Galahal.

“Galahal.”

“Yes, Raniel.”

Not Rania, but Raniel.

“You said you wanted to consult with me.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I can guess it’s about your lifespan.”

Galahal nodded in silence, affirming my presumption.

I asked directly.

“How many years do you have left?”

“Umm…”

Galahal hesitated for a moment.

The hesitation wasn’t long.

As if he had made up his mind, Galahal opened his mouth.

“Three years.”

Three years.

That was the time left for Galahal.

*