Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 36



Only Noblemtl

036

Only User, Ban, and Aganzo faced the Apostle Lotus.

Knight Robato of the Duchy of Bel Myer, along with Hearts and other members of the Imperial Iron Wolf Knights, all kept some distance from Lotus.

“Ah, um… this is-.”

“Was it a hallucination…?”

Still, everyone was hallucinating due to Lotus’s telepathy.

Jinseong muttered beside them, who were staggering and touching their foreheads.

“What happened?”

Appearing with a shameless expression, as if they had been hallucinating with him,

Harts glared at Jinseong.

“Hmm? You – Fiona and Dan? And Lenny?”

It was clear that Jinseong had left with three people, but was it because he felt a sense of unease at the sight of Jinseong returning alone?

Since he had already seen the adventurers, that is, the users, go out to fight Lotus, it must have been strange for Hearts, who had thought that Lenny, Fiona, and Den had done their jobs well, to see only Jinseong returning and muttering.

“As I was following the adventurers… I saw three people trying to stop them – and the brainwashed GBL believers around me tried to interfere with the three, so I stopped them… I don’t know what happened after that.”

Of course, it wasn’t like Jinseong didn’t know about that.

Jinseong showed it to Ha-tsung.

Clothing that shows traces of a fierce battle, covered in ashen dust and gravel.

Of course, it wasn’t because of the fight between the real thing and the brainwashed believer, but because the real thing himself faced the Apostle Lotus while wearing that outfit, but of course, there was no way that Hearts would know about that.

“Then… Lenny and the other two-”

“Vice-captain!”

Just as Harts was about to ask Jinseong one more question, Fiona’s voice was heard.

It was a desperate voice that made even Lobato turn her head, let alone Harts.

And the two of them could immediately see why.

“Huh? Fiona! Den! Re-…ah?”

“……Oh. What a shame.”

Because Fiona and Dan were approaching, carrying something covered in cloth on a stretcher.

Who is the person being carried on a stretcher?

Harts asked urgently.

“Fiona! Dan! What happened? Where’s Lenny? Could it be Lenny-”

But it was just a reconfirmation of what I had already noticed in my head.

“…Lenny Blainscock, a junior knight of the glorious Iron Wolf Knights of the De Los Empire! He died a heroic death while completing his mission to awaken the adventurer who had been mind-controlled!”

Fiona shouted loud enough for everyone around her to hear.

She didn’t cry, but she didn’t bother to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“……Ugh.”

“That’s ridiculous. Then… ”

“Lenny is dead? Lenny?”

“He was a bit clumsy, but he was the most skilled of the lower-ranking knights.”

“This can’t be happening……”

The Iron Wolf Knights were instantly engulfed in grief.

Even Harts seemed speechless and just looked at Lenny’s body covered in cloth with a slight tremble.

Looking at the vice-captain like that, Den shouted.

“The will was… that I wanted to see my mother. And-.”

Den’s head, which was pressed deep into his helmet, moved slightly.

It was the same with Fiona.

Jinseong completely absorbed the gazes of the two people.

Den tried to say something, but couldn’t finish.

Instead, it was Fiona who cut him off.

“That was all! I report that Lenny did his best as a proud member of the Iron Wolf Order until the moment of his death!”

“……Yeah……Thank you for your hard work.”

Fiona had officially declared that Lenny was looking for no one but her ‘mother’.

And Jinseong also knew why she made that choice.

Above all, Jinseong himself admitted that he was not qualified to be ‘the person Lenny wanted to see’ in his last will and testament, so he did not say anything.

‘I knew about Lenny’s death, but I didn’t stop it in the end. You could say that there was nothing I could do, but in any case, I… … NPC-.’

He changed his mind after seeing the death of the NPC he had been attracted to.

‘-No, he was a person. You can’t just say he was an NPC, at least to me, Lenny was… … a person.’

Lenny’s smiling face, his embarrassed expression, his eyes that turned round when he was surprised, and his warm heart that wanted to share all his experiences of eating delicious food and seeing good things with his mother.

Jinseong had to realize once again that Plain: Arad was real to him and that Lenny, who was dead in front of him, was a person.

Jinseong didn’t cry.

But he bit his lower lip so hard that it turned white and drops of blood flowed down from it.

* * *

“The unpleasant air that was weighing on my body is gradually fading away. Lotus is…….”

While everyone in the empire was in a state of melancholy, Robato spoke to lighten the mood.

And only then did the people near Lotus start walking out.

“It was close. It’s fortunate that the adventurer came just in time. Huh? But adventurer, why are you looking like that? You defeated the apostle and saved Arad from danger, but your face is gloomy.”

At the moment when the light voices of the class began to be heard, Jinseong also had to quietly move his seat.

At least it had to be to the point where it was invisible on the user’s monitor screen.

Harts couldn’t even pay attention to Jinseong anymore.

“Captain. Not all of the members are safe.”

Because there was something I had to report to the class.

It was a heart that indicated a stagnant atmosphere, but in reality, half of them were just lightly waving their hands.

“Ah, yes… it’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“You can’t help it?”

“Still, it’s fortunate that it ended like this. The adventurer came to his senses, and Arad is safe. Isn’t that enough?”

Ban shrugged and said.

Harts gritted his teeth at the sight of such a class, but that was all.

“……I will go and collect my subordinates.”

Only after Harts left with quiet anger did Robato look at Ban.

Although she belongs to a duchy that is at odds with the Empire, she is also a knight.

“It’s not my place to get involved, but don’t you feel bad for your dead subordinates?”

It was only natural that he couldn’t bear to not say a word to the leader who spoke so lightly about the death of a member.

But half of it was dignified.

“I have no intention of pitying a knight who died in battle. Pity would rather be a dishonor to a knight who upholds his honor.”

The voice was also loud, as if he was addressing all the members of the Iron Wolf Order.

So Jinseong also heard those words.

‘When I first saw that horse in-game, it seemed like his personality was ruined… … .’

In some ways, it made me think that Ban was the one who was best adapted to the harsh world of Arad.

Lenny is a knight. She is the first person to bring back the user’s mind, an adventurer who was almost mind-controlled by Lotus.

If we can see that her sacrifice was what saved Arad.

‘Half of it is clear – you could say that he’s one of the people who will eventually become my enemy… … but at least I can say that what he said is true.’

At least Jinseong could learn that his attitude was not wrong at the moment.

However, in an atmosphere that still did not improve, Ban turned around.

Aganzo asked.

“Where are you going?”

“Before I leave, I’d like to take one more look at Lotus’s body. As you all said, he is the enemy of my subordinates, and if he was just pretending to be dead, I have to finish him off. I’ll be right behind you, so you guys go ahead.”

Aganjo nodded in agreement with Ban’s answer.

“……We’ll go first. Even though it looks like that, it seems like you need to gather your thoughts. In the meantime, I guess I’ll have to call Magata.”

Then, he soon began preparing to leave Behemoth with the Iron Wolf Knights and the Knight of the Duchy, Robato.

Jinseong also naturally joined them and looked at the class.

There is only one reason why Ban is approaching Lotus now.

To absorb the remaining power of the Apostle Lotus.

‘Because of the power of the apostles that I’ve absorbed like that, someday… … Well, that doesn’t mean I need to step forward and stop it now.’

But there’s no need to touch it.

If you think that’s also the main scenario quest flow of the game Dungeon & Fighter, then in the end you’ll just have to tolerate Ban’s actions for now.

Jinseong rummaged through his pockets and glanced at a small card.

[The 8th Apostle, Long-Footed Lotus (Polluted)]

‘… … Anyway, the contamination is over now. At least I’ve done everything I had to do in this quest.’

A card that fell next to Lotus right after he dealt the final blow.

Enemies that you encounter while uncontaminated and then fight while contaminated.

‘We still don’t know what or who the is. However, it is certain that they possess apostle-level powers.’

Although it has been significantly weakened, it still has the ability to contaminate even Lotus.

And that’s not all.

‘-A contaminated entity can exert its abilities more strongly than before being contaminated.’

Lotus read the thoughts that Jinseong had in mind.

Even though I read the memories, I only understood what could be called superficial parts.

But the polluted lotus was different.

‘I pulled out the quests I experienced in the Dungeon & Fighter game, understood them, applied them, and showed them to myself. And judging from Lotus’s attitude as she struggled to survive, I think I can roughly understand what kind of effects has… … That’s why I’m even more worried.’

What Jinseong was worried about was what would happen later.

Phiu …

A signal flare was fired calling Magata.

Jinseong thought as he watched the bright mass of light cutting through the dark sky.

* * *

It was the moment of the final attack on Lotus.

“!”

With his skill level increased by two due to the effect of equipping the item, Jinseong cut down Lotus’ tentacles and body with his attack power that was further strengthened.

At the same time, a golden glow pouring down as if striking the true body, that is, the level up effect.

Unlike the vibrant and sparkling Jinseong, Lotus’s body quickly turned ashen.

“Ugh… Do you know what the consequences of my death will be?”

Now, facing complete death, the once-ruler of all life on his planet and now a corrupted apostle spoke.

Jinseong answered, putting away his sword.

“If you’re talking about the , well, I know that too. I won’t end up like that anyway-”

“Kuhu, kuhu, if you knew, you’d speak quickly. You stupid human… Who did I die to? Khuhahahaha… ha… hot.”

And Lotus cut off Jinseong’s words.

“-Hmm…? Huh?!”

The moment Jinseong realized something, Lotus let out the last laugh and completely died.

Jinseong had to quickly clean up and leave the place with a face similar to Lotus’ corpse.

* * *

Immediately after that, he started to pretend to be brainwashed as well, next to Hearts and Robato, and Jinseong was currently aboard Magata, which was leaving Behemoth.

Jinseong rummaged through his pockets and fiddled with the Lotus card that proved the contamination.

‘The contamination is over. The card has definitely come out. The main scenario quest went without a hitch.’

The user believed that Lotus was dead before falling into a hallucination state, and upon waking up, he would have found Lotus truly dead due to the truth, so there is nothing wrong with the current flow of female archer users.

Still, there was something that bothered Jinseong.

It was because of the last words Lotus uttered as she died.

‘Lotus also knew the general content of and Hilda’s plan. Meeting Scirocco’s thoughts was already ‘a thing of the past’ to him.’

If it is based on the content of , then who should kill the Apostle Lotus?

Who is the person that Sirocco’s thoughts told Lotus to ‘be careful’?

‘… … Adventurer. It’s a blade. According to the prophecy of and Hilda’s plan, killing Lotus is… … .’

It is the blade that kills the Apostle Lotus.

[The Blade That Is Forged] by Hilda.

That is, it must have been a user.

But what actually killed Lotus at this point?

Jinseong sighed.

At that moment, Kagon, who was controlling Magata, spoke.

“Hey! I’m here! Get off quickly!”

The contamination was corrected.

Other users have also obtained several hard-to-find GBL High Priest and Archpriest items, including discontinued items that are no longer available.

There are other benefits as well.

The level has increased and we have also confirmed how to use ‘invincible’ and other methods.

I have gained a lot.

There is much to gain, too. I haven’t even calculated the future profits I will receive from Sharan after reporting to the Magician’s Guild.

But Lenny died. He killed the Apostle Lotus ‘with his own hands’.

Some things are lost, some things are ambiguous.

Jinseong let out a deep sigh.