<b>? Fracture (3) ?</b>


    [I beg of you, please protect my family.]


    The vision ended with Ardain’s voice.


    As soon as the vision ended, Vera left the room.


    He was heading to where Friede was.


    <i> — You must not go any further.</i>


    He recalled the words that were spoken when Friede stopped Gorgan.


    <i> — Please cease your anger. Mother said it’s not the time yet.</i>


    <i> — …What if I must go?</i>


    <i> — Then I have no choice but to use force.</i>


    He remembered Friede charging at Gorgan with the ring shown at the meeting.


    <i> — What…?!</i>


    <i> — You may resent me all you want. No, I won’t me you even if you resent me for eternity.</i>


    A ring on a white finger.


    The army of beasts that fell one by one.


    And Gorgan’s screams at the end of it all.


    Vera engraved all those scenes in his head as he stepped forward.


    <i> Bang—!</i>


    The door mmed open.


    At the end of Vera’s gaze was Friede, an androgynous elf who was looking at him with wide eyes.


    “What is it at thiste hour?”


    <i> Thump.</i>


    <i> Thump.</i>


    Vera stomped on the floor as he walked ahead, and stood in front of Friede.


    “Was it you?”


    “What are you talking…”


    “The one who drove the Karel to extinction. I’m asking if it was you.”


    The ck beasts, the Karel.


    The Children of Gorgan.


    The ones who brought them to extinction in the vision he saw were definitely Friede and Aedrin.


    Friede’s expression hardened at the question as if confirming it.


    Vera crumpled his face.


    “…You guessed it right.”


    Now, he finally understood.


    The reason why Gorgan was targeting Aedrin.


    How Friede knew so much about Gorgan.


    As well as why Ardain had to die, and ysia’s goal.


    There was a lot to think about, but since there was something important at hand, Vera simply red at Friede.


    The gaze of the two people crossed.


    Friede stared deeply into Vera’s eyes, then soon dropped their gaze.


    “…Come to think of it, you said that Orgus is keeping a close watch on you.”


    It was an admission.


    The chuckle that apanied it was so weak.


    Vera clenched his fists so strongly that the tendons on the back of his hands stood out and asked Friede.


    “Why…?”


    “Because it had to be done.”


    Friede’s head snapped up again.


    Vera saw the remorse in Friede’s face.


    “We had to stop Gorgan. Everything would have gone wrong if Gorgan went to ysia right then and there.”


    “…Give me a proper exnation.”


    “Ardain.”


    Vera’s eyes widened.


    “What?”


    “Ardain sent a message to Mother.”


    Friede arose from the seat, then slowly walked and stood before Vera.


    “…He made a statement. He said that the ones who will stop ysia are not the Parent’s First Children. That the fight between them will solve nothing.”


    The stiff face and the firm tone held an unshakable conviction.


    “It had to be done. Mother knew all too well that he wouldn’t stop, and Ardain’s n shouldn’t fail because of us.”


    Vera’s expression crumpled.


    “What the hell was his n…?”


    “Don’t you know?”


    <i> Flinch—</i>


    Vera’s movement stopped.


    Friede smiled sadly, then spoke to Vera.


    “You should know better than anyone. Whose sake his n was for.”


    Vera couldn’t answer.


    <i> — I beg of you, please protect my family.</i>


    It was possible to notice who Ardain’s n was built for by those words.


    A silence emerged.


    Then, Friede took out the ring and spoke.


    “I’m sorry for hiding it. Yes, Gorgan’s anger is justified. But I, too, have something to protect. Furthermore, it’s a fact that Gorgan will target the continent after destroying the Great Woonds. And Gorgon will not stop until ysia is found.”


    The long exnation wasn’t something Vera could understand.


    “There’s no other way except for sealing Gorgan again. There shouldn’t be any movement until we’re done with ysia. Of course, when everything’s over, we, too, will dly pay for it.”


    Vera stared nkly at the ring.


    It was a ring made from Aedrin’s first branch.


    A seal made only for Gorgan.


    “…The reason Gorgan awoke and is rampaging like this is because ysia disappeared, right?”


    “That’s right. Gorgan must have felt her aura as well, so she must be Gorgan’s next target after Mother.”


    “The reason Gorgan is stopping in front of this fortress…”


    “Gorgan knows I’m here and is waiting for me.”


    Friedeughed bitterly.


    Vera let out a deep sigh.


    Indeed, as Ardain had said, their situation was a tragedy.


    It was a tragedy born of someone’s greed, which made it unstoppable.


    Vera finally realized it.


    The War of the Ancient Species that ended the Age of Gods was a conflict between those who wanted to protect the dying wishes of their loved one and those who could not ovee their grief.


    When in fact, there was only one enemy they had to face in the first ce.


    <i> Buzz—</i>


    The shortsword pulsed.


    Vera gripped the shortsword tightly, staring at the ring in front of him.


    In a way, what Friede said wasn’t wrong.


    It was right that Gorgan had to be sealed to protect the continent.


    In this situation where facing ysia alone was beyond their capability, he had no power to stop Gorgan as well.


    However…


    “…That’s a ridiculous excuse.”


    Vera couldn’t admit to such a thing.


    His hand reached out.


    He grabbed the ring that Friede was holding.


    <i> Snap—!</i>


    The ring shattered into pieces.


    Friede gasped.


    Vera looked at Friede straight in the eye and said.


    “…You haven’t changed a bit.”


    Thud—dud—thud—


    As Vera opened his hand, the shards of the ring fell to the ground.


    “I already told you in the Great Woonds. We do not believe in a sacrifice offered against one’s will for the sake of righteousness.”


    Sealing Gorgan was an easy task. There would be sacrifices, and dealing with future tasks would be easier.


    However, Vera couldn’t ept that.


    He couldn’t just turn a blind eye to someone in grief.


    He couldn’t turn a blind eye to someone’s screams for the sake of efficiency.


    Vera was no longer someone capable of doing such a thing.


    “There will be no sealing.”


    “What?”


    “Be it persuading him with words or beating him until he can’t move, I will face him straight on.”


    The shortsword cried once more.


    Friede’s face filled with confusion.


    In the room, a man and an elf stared at each other for a while, seemingly trying to understand each other’s intentions. Finally, Friede let out a bitterugh.


    “…Really, it’s hard to understand you.”


    It was a wistful, almost relievedugh.


    ***


    “Did the talk go well?”


    Renee asked.


    Vera answered with his head lowered.


    “Yes. The talk ended with the cancetion of the sealing.”


    Vera hesitated.


    It was because he knew that this choice was driven by his greed.


    Of course, Renee also noticed it.


    “Vera.”


    “…Yes.”


    “Can youe closer?”


    Vera looked up.


    What filled his sight was Renee, who was opening her arms to him.


    Vera showed a brief hesitation at that sight, but soon walked over to her.


    Renee’s arms folded, embracing him.


    Leaning her cheek on Vera’s head, Renee caressed the back of his head and asked.


    “Do you regret it?”


    “…No.”


    “Then, are you not confident?”


    “That’s not it, either.”


    “So what’s the problem?”


    Reneeughed.


    It was because of Vera’s hair that had grown quite long.


    Recently, or more precisely, from the moment he had taken over Vargo’s work, Vera hardly had any personal time. Renee thought this might be the cause of his current unease.


    He had no time to take care of himself, so he was starting to worry too much.


    “This is the problem with Vera.”


    “…What do you mean?”


    “You’re trying to be too perfect. Even if the people around you advise you, this side of you doesn’t change.”


    Vera’s mouth closed shut.


    For some reason, he felt embarrassed because of the gentle hand stroking him.


    “Am I?”


    “Yes. Everyone will help you, but you think as if this is only your problem.”


    Renee’s hand, which had been caressing Vera’s head, gently moved to cup Vera’s cheek.


    “Your skin has turned rough.”


    “Is that so?”


    “Your lips are dry, too.”


    “…I need to drink more water.”


    “And you have dark circles under your eyes. Have you been sleeping well?”


    Was it that obvious?


    Had he really pushed himself to the point it became so noticeable like this?


    As Vera pondered, Renee pulled Vera’s head out of her arms.


    “It’ll be okay.”


    Renee resented her blind eyes.


    In moments like this, the best thing to do would be to look him in the eye and reassure him, but it was a shame that she wasn’t allowed to do that.


    “Everyone is in this together, and I’m also with you.”


    This was the most she could do at the moment.


    “We’ll have to change our ns. We’ll leave the army to protect the fortress, and I’lle with you.”


    “But…”


    “You’ll try to convince them, right? Won’t you need me for that?”


    “…It’ll be difficult to avoid a fight. Gorgan is furious right now.”


    “It’s a good thing I memorized the defensive spells. I should be able to withstand a few attacks if I use what I know.”


    “Saint…”


    Reneeughed.


    “Yes, like you said, I’m the Saint. That’s why I shouldn’t be hiding in the back.”


    A sphere of white light appeared on Renee’s hand.


    It gently brushed against Vera’s cheek and began to energize him.


    “About the thing Orgus showed us… I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but still, there’s something I thought of as I listened.”


    She continued to talk in a hushed voice.


    “It urred to me that maybe… this is the reason why the power to manipte fate is needed in thisnd, the reason that Ardain decided to give that power to humans.”


    “…”


    “I wonder if it was because we would need this power when a catastrophe we couldn’t resist came upon us. Maybe this is the power he left behind to protect us.”


    Vera looked at Renee with his mouth shut.


    “In other words, this is the moment when I’m needed.”


    The sight of Renee as she spoke of her duty was as dazzling as ever.


    The light he had been trying to chase after was now walking side by side with him, and in front of his very eyes.


    “Vera.”


    “Yes.”


    “I’m here with you, so Vera can do anything.”


    The words were followed by a mischievous joke.


    “Oh, except for being King of the Slums. That’d be too embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”


    Vera couldn’t help but smile at that.


    “…How long are you going to use that one?”


    “Until you be a grandfather.”


    “You’re awful.”


    “So, you don’t like me?”


    Vera’s lips twitched.


    He paused for a moment, and then his lips drew a soft arch as he answered.


    “…There’s no way I dislike you.”


    Renee giggled at Vera’s answer and replied.


    “Well, that settles it.”


    Renee leaned her head forward.


    It was really a good thing that she could use her hands to locate his face.


    Their lips ovepped.


    Their breaths intertwined.


    He should have gotten used to this kind of contact by now, but it still made his insides melt.


    After some time had passed, Renee pulled her lips away slightly and spoke.


    “As expected, your lips are too dry.”


    After saying so, she stuck out her tongue and tapped Vera’s lips.


    The corners of her mouth lifted.


    “We should moisten them a bit.”


    The cheeks that began to blush were so lovely.


    Vera thought so, and this time, he moved his head towards Renee first.