Some might call her foolish.
After all, everyone dies someday, and everyone experiences loss at some point in their lives.
It was a common tragedy.
Some might be surprised.
That the woman who seemed so cold-hearted was being driven to ruin by the death of a family member.
Some might call her weak.
That she couldn’t overcome something that everyone else could in twenty years.
Even Amelia thought they weren’t wrong.
But…
Thud!…her sister would have said this.
She would have stroked her hair and said, “You must have had a hard time.”
She would have hugged her tightly and said, “It’s okay, I’m here for you.”
Even if everyone else thought she was strange, even if they called her cold-hearted.
To her sister, she was just a young and sensitive girl.
The only person in the world who saw her that way.
Right, that’s what she would have done…
“So, sorry…”
“Who are you apologizing to?”
Amelia closed her eyes, ignoring the pain in her stomach.
“Sister…”
She had failed.
She had trained for twenty years for this day, but she was still too weak to defeat him.
She had tried to talk to him, to clear up his misunderstanding that she was from the Rose Knight Order, but he didn’t listen.
A battle ensued, and she desperately tried to buy time for her sister to escape.
But that was it.
“What, are you seeing things?”
The man scoffed and twisted his blade.
Amelia felt a burning pain in her wound.
“You think I’ll let you get away?”
The sharp pain brought her back to reality.
“You have to see it too. What I had to go through.”
He pulled out his sword, and Amelia collapsed. He grabbed her hair and dragged her forward.
What was about to happen was clear.
[I can show you what it feels like to lose something.]
He was going to kill her sister in front of her.
Just like that day.
Splash!
Her heart pounded with every step.
Her consciousness faded, and the scene before her eyes changed every time she opened her eyes.
“You didn’t get far.”
The man’s mutter.
“Si, sister…”
“Go! I’ll…!”
The conversation they had that day.
“Amelia…!”
The sword aimed at her younger self.
And…
Thud!
Her sister, hugging her younger self.
“Sister…!!”
The sword pierced her sister’s chest, just like that day.
‘I couldn’t change anything…’
Amelia finally realized.
That this was the end of her twenty-year-long wish.
That the happy ending where they lived happily ever after only existed in fairy tales.
“You have a good expression.”
In reality, there was only a weak and foolish human woman standing there.
Whoosh!
He pulled out the sword from her sister’s body. And Amelia’s consciousness faded, and the scene changed again.
A dark sewer filled with the stench of blood.
Kwaaang!
A deafening roar filled the passage.
“Sigh, why are you even crying?”
She felt warmth on her cold skin.
“It’s not over yet.”
Not over yet?
What did he mean?
She didn’t know.
But…
“You’ve worked hard. Let me take care of it now, get some rest.”
…her tense body relaxed, and she closed her eyes at his words.
“It will be all over when you wake up.”
It was the last scene she saw.
______________________
“What are you doing! Take your sister and run!”
I shouted at young Amelia.
Baby Amelia, for short.
“Ah, ah…!”
Baby Amelia hesitated for a moment and then lifted her sister onto her back and started running.
Phew, then I can leave the old man to her…
I shifted my gaze.
“You…!”
Liuhen Praha was looking around in confusion. It seemed like he was checking if the ‘Knight of Light’ was also here…
‘This guy is ridiculous.’
“You should have just run away. Why did you come all the way here?”
He didn’t answer my question.
He just averted his gaze with a strange expression.
“Don’t tell me… you got lost while trying to find the way out?”
I asked, even though I didn’t think that was possible.
He answered briefly,
“…Fate led me here.”
“Damn it, fate, my ass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but then I realized that ‘fate’ wasn’t entirely wrong.
If everything happened as it was supposed to, no matter how hard you struggled, what was the difference between that and fate?
He then asked me a question.
“By the way… are you alone?”
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t even friends with the Knight of Light, so there was no need to hide it.
I nodded and then asked him something I was curious about.
“Hey, can I ask you one more thing? Why are you so obsessed with her?”
“…It’s none of your business.”
“Geez, you’re prickly.”
I subtly glanced at Amelia. Her injuries were healing rapidly, even to the naked eye.
It was because I had torn another Bond scroll before entering the fray.
In other words, Amelia was no longer affected by [Flameless Spirit] because we were now in a 3-person Bond.
‘It would have been easier if she was conscious.’
It was a bit disappointing, but what could I do?
It was a small price to pay for a Companion Recruitment Ticket (SSR).
Right, so…
“Move aside. If you just let her go—”
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re just a one-trick pony.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Just attack me.”
This would be my last battle in this time travel.
______________________
“Huff, huff…”
The young girl, running through the sewer passage, gasped for air. Her burning muscles showed no signs of cooling down, and an even more intense heat was coming from her back. ṛà₦ＯＢÊȘ
“Si, sister… are, are you okay…?”
Amelia kept talking to Laura, even though she was struggling to breathe.
“…….”
There was no answer.
But she tried to ignore her growing unease and continued running. But could it be because she was carrying Laura on her back while running with her exhausted body?
“Ugh…!”
Amelia, who had been jogging, stumbled and fell. It wasn’t because she tripped, but because her legs gave out.
“Sister! Are you okay? Huh?”
Amelia checked on Laura first, worried that she might have been injured in the fall.
“Ah, Amelia…”
Laura’s voice was weak, as if she had regained consciousness from the shock.
“Si, sister! It, it’s okay! We’re almost there. Don’t talk and—”
“Alo, alone…”
Her voice trailed off, but Amelia knew what she was going to say.
She was telling her to leave her behind.
If she had the energy, she would have added all sorts of reasons, like how she was already done for, or that it was more rational for Amelia to live.
But…
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re saying.”
Amelia pretended not to hear and gently helped Laura up.
Laura’s body, which used to be at least 15 centimeters taller than hers, felt unusually small.
It also felt lighter than before.
Her stamina hadn’t recovered.
“Blood…”
It was because of the blood she had lost.
Laura’s body had become lighter as her life force drained away.
Amelia leaned her sister against the wall and tore her clothes to apply pressure to the wound.
And she poured all the potions she had on it.
She had been too flustered to think straight, but she should have done this sooner.
‘Wh, why am I so stupid…’
She felt a sense of self-deprecation.
Her sister, who was always calm, would have known what to do in this situation.
“Ugh…!”
Laura groaned in pain as the potion started to heal the wound.
The veins on her forehead and neck were bulging.
“Si, sister! Just hold on a little longer…”
Amelia lifted Laura onto her back again.
But just as she was about to get up…
Kwaaang!
…a deafening roar shook the passage.
And…
Thud, thud, thud.
…the ceiling collapsed, raining down rocks.
Amelia stumbled forward.
Someone had pushed her from behind.
Thud!
Amelia quickly turned around.
And she saw her sister.
It was a surreal sight.
Her beloved sister’s lower body was crushed beneath a giant rock.
“Amelia…”
“Si, sister…”
Amelia approached her, as if in a trance.
But Laura pushed her hand away.
“Wh, what are you doing?!”
Amelia shouted, and…
…Laura’s eyes, half-open, looked at her.
“You… were resentful… even of your enemies…”
“Ah, I know. You would have done the same. Anyway, I know, so stop being stubborn—”
“Listen…!”
Amelia shut her mouth at Laura’s shout.
Her voice was raspy, and it wasn’t even that loud, but Amelia froze, as if she couldn’t disobey.
Thud.
Laura placed her hand on Amelia’s cheek.
And she spoke in a gentle voice, unlike before.
“He… came, didn’t he?”
“…….”
“He’s… here, isn’t he…?”
Tears streamed down Amelia’s cheeks.
She didn’t know if they were tears of sadness or relief.
But one thing was certain.
Thump!
Her heart started pounding like crazy.
Maybe she had known all along, even though she had tried to deny it.
“Wh, why… are you saying that…?”
Laura’s words didn’t include herself.
As if this moment was her last.
“Si, sister… don’t give up. You drank a potion, right? We’re almost there… Don’t worry about the rock, I, I’ll take care of it. I, I will… Okay?”
Laura bit her lip, her expression pained, at Amelia’s plea.
But it was only for a moment.
“Forget… all the painful memories… you had here.”
“…….”
“Your… normal life… is finally beginning.”
Laura forced a smile.
And…
“……!”
…it happened in an instant.
Thud.
Laura reached out, pulled out the dagger from Amelia’s belt, and stabbed herself in the neck.
Thud!
“No…!”
Amelia hurriedly pulled out the dagger.
And she poured the remaining potion on the wound and pressed down on it with both hands to stop the bleeding.
But…
“No, no, no…”
…it wasn’t enough.
The blood stopped flowing.
Sizzle.
The potion stopped bubbling.
The warmth in her hands faded.
The blood was sticky, but it was no longer warm.
“Ah… ah, ah…”
Amelia realized.
Her sister was gone.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!”
Amelia screamed, hugging her sister’s upper body.
And at that moment…
…the ceiling collapsed again, raining down rocks.
Rumble!
Amelia saw it, but she didn’t dodge.
She was going to stay here until the end.
But the cruel world didn’t even allow that.
“…Ugh!”
Her body was pulled back, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.
Thud!
Her vision blurred as the back of her head hit the wall.
Amelia looked at her sister, who was buried under the debris, as her consciousness faded.
That’s when…
Thud.
…she heard footsteps.
Amelia instinctively turned her head towards the sound.
An old man was walking towards her.
“Wh, who…”
The old man looked at her with an emotionless expression at Amelia’s mutter. But if you looked closely, he seemed to be contemplating something.
A brief silence followed.
“Sigh, he’s so demanding.”
The old man sighed and spoke.
“Auril Gabis. That’s my name.”
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