◈ 493. [STAGE 23] Rock (3)
The fallen Medusa lay face down on the southern plain.
I slowly approached him.
Then Medusa, who was coughing up blood, raised her head.
“this… human… .》
Kiiying –
The sound of the magic eye resounded.
But I snorted.
“Catch something. Cover your eyes.”
Kwajik!
I raised my foot and stepped on the monster’s head.
Medusa’s eyes, which somehow tried to use the magic eye, fell to the ground.
“It’s good that you caused mayhem in my city.”
《Kuh… .》
“Your spirit cores have already entered the extinction stage. Your life will end in the next few minutes.”
I sighed.
“Any last words? If you apologize now, I could kill you comfortably.”
《… I hate you humans.”
Medusa let out a voice filled with resentment while chewing on dirt.
“I just wanted to live a quiet life with my two older sisters… You always break into our lair… … .》
“Don’t talk bullshit.”
Knowing all about Medusa’s past, I fiercely threatened.
“The things that turned my sisters into monsters and attacked humans were all acts of your own will, right?”
《… !]
The distant past.
Medusa made a wish to the devil and transformed her two sisters into her own form.
Another reason is to find a way to lift the curse of the sisters for the reason that they will protect them.
Giving various reasons, Medusa slaughtered all the humans in the area.
And they occupied the island area where ships had frequent routes and indiscriminately killed all humans who came close.
That’s why he became a legendary monster and was finally subdued.
“Don’t make excuses. Don’t make excuses. Don’t pretend to be the victim. After all, you are an unmistakable monster who has brought misfortune to others by your own will.”
“I mean, there was a reason why it had to be like this… !》
“Everybody has a reason.”
Medusa inherited the curse through her parents’ fault.
She was obviously born with an unfortunate and sad fate.
But that doesn’t make it a basis for forgiving the monster.
“Everyone has a reason to give up. But not everyone becomes a monster.”
Where is the flawless being?
Where is life without misfortune? But despite all the adversity… … There are people who are struggling to live as human beings.
That ordinary everyday is truly great.
“You tried to trample on the great mediocrity of others because of your own misfortune.”
《… !》
“So you die here monster.”
“What are you talking about as if you know everything!”
Medusa screamed.
“You don’t know my heart that had no choice but to hate the world! If you were born like me… … !]
Medusa kept her mouth shut.
The monster’s quivering gaze turned to the north of the city.
《… Did you say Ha Torquel?”
A despondent smile hung on the monster’s lips.
《There must have been a counterexample in this land that seemed to have been drawn in a picture.》
“… .”
“As you said, not only my body, but also my mind… It must have turned into a complete monster.”
In front of me who was silent, Medusa hung her head helplessly and slowly died.
《Ah, Sister Steno, Sister Euryale, I am sorry.》
The light gradually faded from the eyes that harbored the poison.
《Neither in my previous life nor in this life, I couldn’t break the curse I passed on to my older sisters… … .”
“… .”
“White night to that damn thing… … I was tricked… … . I made my sisters die again… … .》
Great. damn
The monster’s entire body hardened completely into stone.
“I want to go back… .]
Medusa spat out the last words in a hoarse voice.
《To that night of the Milky Way… … .》
Everything turned to stone, even the drooping snake hair. next moment.
rumbling… … .
Shattered and collapsed.
The monster of petrification that made the Crossroads a mess returned to earth and sand in vain.
“… As you said, a monster.”
I silently looked down at the remains of the monster.
“I cannot know or cure the misfortune that everyone is born with.”
Putting my feet away, I declared with a promise.
“But if there are people who want to live with that misfortune… only help within my reach.”
That’s what I’m trying to do as a leader.
***
When Medusa, the subject of the curse, was eliminated, those who were petrified were also released from the curse.
“Lord!”
“Seniors!”
Across the city, Lucas and Evangeline ran this way.
The two knights who were freed from the petrification stopped in front of me with bright faces –
“Heuk!”
“Queuck!”
It made a strange noise and fell asleep.
The two knights, who had collapsed in disgrace, saluted me in a hurry.
“Sorry, my lord, I still have trouble moving… … .”
“Is it because you just got released from petrification? My body can’t move on its own.”
“Oooh, Yonsuks. I understand everything, so take a break.”
Although it should have been cute to see them jumping up and down like puppies waiting for their owners.
All the people who were petrified this time will have to suffer from the ‘aftereffects of petrification’ for a while.
Of course, the movement is inconvenient.
The aftereffect of petrification is a debuff that makes your actions inconvenient in proportion to the petrification period and causes you to feel pain whenever you move.
While this is there, combat activities are impossible.
If you are petrified for a day, you need to recuperate for a month.
Fortunately, Lucas and Evangeline were petrified for less than an hour, so the aftereffects would be short-lived, but they should still take a break.
They rescued those who escaped from petrification all over the city.
In severe cases, some were petrified for nearly three days.
These guys are out of season for three months.
I nodded my head as I inspected the interior of the city, which began to move busily.
“There will be not enough hospital rooms. The temple must also be expanded… … .”
Afterwards, I corrected my words while looking at the inside of the messy and ruined city.
“… No, the temple is not the only problem.”
The inside of the Crossroads suffered terrible damage.
Buildings collapsed block by block, and the petrified roads had to be completely rebuilt.
Most of all, the places that suffered the most damage were the two places where the monsters had built their nests, literally reverting to primitive times.
All traces of civilization have disappeared, leaving only piles of stones.
As I swallowed my moan as I inspected the interior of the horrendous city, Lucas lowered his head in embarrassment.
“I have nothing to say, lord. I’m lazy… … .”
“No man. The fact that the Gorgon sisters invaded in the first place was an abnormal situation. Besides, I gave the order for street fighting.”
Operation tag is what I had in mind.
The strategy is to send me a request for support while wasting time with street fighting.
Of course, it was reserved just in case, and I really didn’t expect the Gorgon sisters to come and make this mess… … .
“Where did you stop it with this level of casualties?”
As I soothed Lucas, Evangeline nodded violently from the side.
“that’s right! Uncle Lucas has done enough! Above all, the most important wall was preserved!”
“Mum. That’s right… … But what is it? You hit Lucas’s shield.”
Evangeline is the successor to the Margrave of Crossroads.
So, strictly speaking, this guy is in a position where the city management of this territory is as important as the defense of the monster.
Since the inside of the city has become like this, if it was usual, I would have lightly poked at Lucas, blaming him. Why do you hit the shield?
Then Evangeline smiled and put Lucas on the shoulder.
“It’s hard to die together! We know that we did our best for each other.”
Lucas was still much taller than Evangeline, and Evangeline’s shoulder straps forced Lucas to stoop awkwardly.
I thought they were anxious because they were bickering all the time, but now I stare at the two knights who are becoming more like real colleagues and I smile.
Then he tapped the two knights on the shoulders.
“Good job. I’ll make you a late night snack later.”
A childlike smile hung on the faces of the two knights… No, they are still children. really.
I straightened my back and looked around.
“The others?”
“The wounded were first sent to the temple. Treatment is urgent.”
“okay. I’ll come over later and say hello.”
A detailed report has yet to be made, but everyone must have suffered to death.
I was thinking of doing it myself.
After that, Lucas reported to me with a slightly stiff face.
“yes. And the dead… … We are working on the western grave site.”
“… okay.”
The corpses of those who died after being petrified are much more horrific than ordinary corpses.
Their funeral cannot be delayed for long.
I looked west as the setting sun set.
“Let’s have a simple funeral today.”
***
The bodies of the deceased were gathered together.
Death is always gruesome, but these deaths were worse than usual.
Properly recovered bodies were rare.
Those who were physically torn by the Gorgon sisters could have preserved their form, but those who were petrified and then smashed were even impossible.
Lucas recorded the names of all those who went to the battlefield, and the names of heroes and soldiers whose deaths were confirmed through cross-checking were engraved on a simple stone monument and stood in front of me.
widely.
I planted my flag next to the stone monument.
Whoo-oh-oh,
the wind blows. It was a wind mixed with dry winter air and sand.
The plain black flag fluttered quietly in the wind.
“… .”
I looked down at the stone monument in silence for a long time.
Another proper funeral was scheduled to be held later, but the heart of the memorial was still sincere.
chuck. chuck. chuck.
Surviving heroes and regular soldiers lined up behind me.
What are the feelings of those who lost a colleague who shared life and death?
and… Also beside it. Before anyone knew it, citizens who had returned from evacuating from the north began to stand one by one.
What is the mind of those who have to leave their place of life every time and leave?
What is the mindset of those who return to this place again?
‘It’s difficult.’
And since it’s difficult, I’ll have to try harder to figure it out.
Without anyone telling them to, heroes, soldiers, and citizens bowed their heads in front of the stone monument and silently meditated.
After a moment of silence, I also suddenly spat out.
The recitation of the poem was over
as soon as it was cut away by the rain and wind,
without being stained
with sorrow or moving with joy .
The area was still enveloped in silence.
Turning away from the stone monument, I faced the heroes and soldiers lined up behind me.
“… Rocks are cut into soil and sand over time.”
Weathering, erosion, and crushing are the fate of rocks.
“But when the soil and sand pile up again, the accumulated weight presses on each other… … It hardens for a long time and becomes a rock again.”
The finely broken pieces are put together again, and soil and sand become rocks again.
The world turns like that.
“Even though they are broken into pieces today. Their sacrifices and dedication are gathered and piled up to become the cornerstone of the reconstruction of the Crossroads here again… … It will be a pillar that supports the future of the entire world.”
I took a moment to catch my breath and catch my breath.
He used to tremble with sorrow at the funerals of his subordinates.
It’s still sad even now. My heart hurts so much.
but.
When I grabbed this flag again, I realized. I swore.
As a leader, my job is not to grieve… … That we must continue the legacy of those who died for the sake of this flag and sublimate their sacrifices into the cornerstone of the future.
It will. certainly.
“I’m back.”
Looking around the city, I said.
“And now, until the moment the monster is annihilated… I will not leave this front.”
Suddenly, I remembered the first funeral.
After receiving near-annihilation damage from the black spiders at the outpost. The funeral was held here.
It was a large and grand funeral that was hard to see here at Crossroads.
Nevertheless, the eyes of those who saw me at that time were full of doubts.
But now.
At this simplistic, simple funeral that was incomparable to that time.
I could feel the solid trust in the eyes of everyone who looked at me.
okay.
Our time in the past is all that pain and sacrifice… … It brought us, who were like sand, together and weaved them together.
In front of the citizens was Lily in a wheelchair.
In her arms was a newborn baby she had never seen before.
Facing the child, I smiled.
“Raise the flag over the city! Start rebuilding!”
This is a city on graves.
It is also an acronym for the number of dead, but it also means that people live on graves.
“My people!”
As much as the number of graves that have increased today, as much as the size of the sorrow that has grown… … .
May I give them joy and faith.
While begging, I cried out.
“Let’s live together again!”
