Chapter 26: The Reason I Didn’t Kill Part 1
“He must have run away!”
One of the knights uttered abusive language.
At the same time, the sticky tentacles emitted by the demon rushed at them.
“He didn’t run away!”
Estelle brandished the sword and cut off the tentacles. At the same time, the red blood it spewed out soaked Estelle’s gray hair.
An indescribable odor filled the tip of her nose.
This is what happened when Estelle was an apprentice. Horses were stormed on a large scale, and the king dispatched knights from the royal family.
It was not strange that the Duke of the Gavrin family, famous for his sword, and Estelle, who was raised by the Duke of Gavrin himself, were dispatched to protect the country, even though she was not an official knight.
But there was one thing the knights overlooked. The number of demons was dozens of times greater than their number.
Neither the city nor the town was destroyed.
Time was too short of asking for support from the royal family, and the mayor of the city, which is located over a mountain, has long refused to provide support.
Knights besieged by demons, unable to obtain any aid.
The ending that was set for them was one: to fight until the end with a sword and become a star that protects the country and hug the Goddess.
Estelle was one of them. But there was no Khalid in the party. By the time the demons occupied the village where they stayed, Khalid suddenly disappeared.
Everyone criticized Khalid. But Estelle thought he had his own reasons.
It was always later that convinced the situation, and Khalid used to act like he was testing a person.
For example, he left the sword she loved in charge of repair and abandoned it, or seemed to be sitting on the sidelines of the bullying she was subjected to, and then punished them brutally in the background.
“Are you saying that even in this situation? Wake up, Estelle!”
“….No!”
“Kalid ran away!”
At that time, the stomach of a knight who had not seen the tentacles was pierced.
The knight vomited red blood from his mouth and died. Thirty knights and one hundred soldiers were dispatched, but only about ten of them remained.
The situation was absolutely devastating. Still, trusting Khalid was the stupidest thing in the world.
She knows, too, because she’s been through the back alleys. How common people’s betrayal is, especially when ‘money’ or ‘life’ is involved, and how mean a person can be.
Can you really trust Khalid? Anxiety began to wriggle in my mind.
“Damn it, Estelle, come this way! Come on!”
One of the knights pulled Estelle back. It was the last consideration to save her, who was a woman and young.
“Special treatment is a no-no!”
Estelle shouted and fixed her sword curiously. But the number of demons was still high.
“Khalid, you son of a bitch!”
You’re the bad one for making me suspicious!
This may be the last time, where is he! Estelle let out her anger and swung her sword.
The monster that stumbled upon her was cut in two. There was no way he would have betrayed me. He couldn’t have betrayed me!
But how can you not doubt it?
There is no Khalid when she was dying like this. Either it was not a betrayal.
Then she heard a beeping whistle. Estelle looked up at the familiar sound.
Khalid was looking down at them on horseback on a cliff just above them. Standing against the sun, he was like a mythical hero.
Estelle was briefly enraptured by the sight. At a distance where voices could not reach each other, Khalid smiled and lowered his index finger.
‘Bend down.’
It was his hand signal.
“Bend down!”
Estelle shouted and bent down. At the same time, arrows poured down.
Sharp arrows pouring down like rain began to pierce the demons that had been holding on to victory and bearing their teeth until a while ago.
The rain of arrows poured down for a long time. Until the monsters are annihilated.
When she looked up after the slaughter, she saw Khalid driving a horse to her way.
Khalid’s gaze was fixed on Estelle. He sighed in relief and smiled broadly after checking Estelle’s condition.
Estelle looked at Khalid’s face with her eyes wide open.
Does he know? She didn’t trust him perfectly until the last minute. He tried so hard by himself, but she finally blamed him.
Khalid said, sweeping Estelle’s cheek.
“Your face is slightly injured. Sorry, I was distracted at the time and couldn’t tell you my plans. I had heard of a ruined bridge across the river. Crossing over there, the last reinforcements…. Estelle!”
Estelle hugged his neck.
“Estelle.”
Khalid’s bewildered voice was heard.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Khalid.”
“….huh?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you for a second. I’m really sorry.”
“…..”
Khalid didn’t say anything for a moment. His face, which she thought would be angry when she looked up, had the same bright smile as before.
“Oh, my God, you didn’t trust me again? How can I get you to trust me”
“Khalid.”
“Well, should I swear to the priest, too? If I show you five seals of priests, will you believe me? Oh, Estelle. What a poor man I am to be so distrusted by my one and only friend.”
“Hey, you’re responsible for that, too.”
At Khalid’s sly words, Estelle was furious. Then Estelle’s expression distorted again.
This is because Estelle could see his face as messed up as her. She was sure this guy was desperate, too.
Estelle raised her hand and carefully swept Khalid’s cheek.
“It’s all right, Estelle. It’s fun to see that guilty face again and again and again. Well, it all worked out, didn’t it?”
“Hey, do you think my face is funny?”
As Estelle growled, Khalid stroked her head, which he was hugging, and said.
“Isn’t that obvious? Estelle, I find your face the funniest in the world.”
“I told you not to treat me like an idiot!”
Khalid burst into laughter at that.
Of course, he still continued to shake Estelle’s trust. Until she did the same thing and punched him in the face after becoming the Commander of the Citora Knights.
And Khalid betrayed her trust. In the worst way to kill her.
***
Lucifella knelt next to the man who was lying in front of her.
She laid her hand on his back with trembling hands. Her white palms were stained with red blood.
“Hey, you crazy….”
That’s not it. You didn’t do this. You weren’t the type to save a stranger’s life by sacrificing your body. What is this….
No, this is an accident. She was well aware that he didn’t mean to save her.
“Khalid, Khalid, wake up!”
He was unconscious and can’t answer. Only a motionless body showed that he had survived.
It was a scratch from the Lynx’s tail. Life will not be affected. But if he bleeds like this, he will die.
“Hey, hey, you bastard!”
Lucifella unknowingly shook his body with a bewildered expression. She had no time to question his actions.
Then Lucifella was shocked by the sudden realization and stopped all actions.
What am I doing now?
Now was the best time to kill Khalid. But why is she now calling his name and telling him to come to his senses?
I can see Khalid’s expression with his eyes closed in pain. In an instant, all the feelings I had were forgotten.
“Why would I…”
Lucifella looked at him confusedly and bit her lip.
The way to kill him is simple. Just stand up like this and get out of the mountain. Yes, let’s go down the mountain like that.
Lucifella got up, turned her back, and slowly took a step away from him.
One step, two steps, three steps.
As she was about to go back to the woods, she looked back one last time.
The image of Khalid lying down caught her eye. There is still blood running down his back. He will die if she goes on like this.
Lucifella opened her eyes wide, then closed them tight, then shook her head and tried to take her steps away.
“Oh, damn it!”
She shouted.
No, this isn’t it! This is not a proper revenge. She doesn’t know what she did wrong, and Khalid doesn’t even know about Estelle’s existence. For Khalid, that was an ‘accidental death’, not a death due to ‘revenge’.
Besides, Khalid saved Lucifella’s life no matter what. Unlike Estelle, a knight who has been covered in all kinds of dishonor by death, would she likely allow him to be a knight that ‘sacrificing himself to protect a weak noble lady’?
Absolutely not. Khalid must suffer. She would regret it for the rest of her life if she went on like this.
This is a vague revenge. If I have to, I will do as my heart desires most.
***
Thank you for reading!
Grrrr