Chapter 21

“Are you not going to snap out of it?”

“Ouch…”

I barely managed to dodge the sword Abelin thrust at me.

It was a light sparring session with Abelin after lunch.

Even though we were using wooden swords to avoid any injuries before tomorrow’s battle, getting hit would still hurt quite a bit.

I pulled my body back and corrected my stance.

But even though I left a pretty big opening, Abelin didn’t take advantage of it as usual. She didn’t chase after me aggressively.

Instead, she just lowered her sword and stood there, staring at me quietly.

“…What’s really going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not acting like yourself. Your movements are sluggish, your reaction time is slow, and your sword swings are sloppy. Where is your mind right now?”

Even though her sword was lowered, Abelin’s sharp gaze was even more piercing.

“I told you, didn’t I? You can’t lie. You’ve been like this since before lunch, even before we started running. It’s strange. You didn’t have that worried look on your face when you woke up this morning.”

Abelin set her wooden sword aside completely.

“Training isn’t important right now. You’ve got something weighing on your mind, don’t you? You can’t fight properly tomorrow in this state.”

“It’s amazing. How can you tell all that?”

“It’s all over your face, your face!”

Abelin walked over to a spacious chair in the training area and sat down, then patted the seat next to her.

“Come here.”

“Haha, I’m not a kid. But you’re treating me like one…”

“Come on!”

Her voice was quite sharp, so I didn’t argue further and sat down beside her.

“Tell me. What’s bothering you so much with the wave right on our doorstep?”

“Umm…”

Even though I sat down, I hesitated, unsure how to explain it.

I glanced at Abelin, and despite her sharp tone earlier, her gaze was surprisingly calm and warm.

As I hesitated, Abelin sighed and spoke.

“You know this yourself, Kairon. You’re a core member of the Vanguard. So don’t get it wrong. I’m not trying to comfort you for your sake, but for the sake of the Vanguard.”

“So you weren’t trying to comfort me…?”

“Well, it’s a bit of both! Besides, I’ve been giving advice to my younger sister since I was a kid, so I think I’m pretty good at it.”

So she had a younger sister, five years her junior.

Anyway, the core of what Abelin said was, “for the sake of the Vanguard.”

Hearing that, I made up my mind.

After all, Abelin is the only one I can talk to about this.

“I got invited to dinner.”

“By who?”

“Commander Balthazar.”

“…Ugh.”

Abelin immediately understood the gravity of the situation and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Thinking about it, it’s not that big of a deal. The Commander often invites unit leaders to his house for meals, right?”

“That’s true, but lately, the atmosphere between you and the Commander has been really tense. That changes things.”

Abelin looked up at the distant sky.

“Do you remember the order the Commander gave me a while back? He told me to keep an eye on you and report anything unusual to him immediately.”

“Something unusual about me.”

Thanks to Abelin’s defense, I let it slide, but honestly, even I can see that I’ve been acting strange.

I did things more demonic than the demons themselves, like figuring out Rajeing’s true identity when he was hiding among us.

I even tracked down Sophia, who pretended to be so kind, and took her out at her house.

But no matter how strange I’ve been acting lately…

“The one who’s really strange is the Commander. Giving you orders to watch me, and even when I subdued the insane Benedict and took him to the hospital, he was watching from afar with that meaningful look.”

“So he didn’t leave after giving me the order.”

Abelin bit her lower lip slightly.

“I don’t know. The Commander, who drove out the demons that once ruled the world and founded the Vanguard, is someone to be respected. But lately, the way he’s been treating you…”

“Right? I don’t get it either. That’s why I’m not going to decline this invitation. I need to find out what’s really going on.”

“I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe…”

Abelin seemed to make up her mind, nodding firmly and looking at me with determination.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Suddenly?”

“I thought we were on the same side. Aren’t we?”

“Same side. We’re both members of the Vanguard, but your Silver Guards and my Black Iron Vanguard are rivals. But when it comes to hunting down hidden demons, we’re comrades.”

“Two good points, one not-so-good point. So we’re on the same side, right?”

Abelin emphasized that we were on the same side, her eyes shining.

In my previous life, we were always clashing, never sitting side by side like this.

And now, Abelin was the one saying we were on the same side.

Something that was unthinkable in my previous life was happening now.

“I guess we are on the same side.”

“Don’t say it so ambiguously. You know what happens when I open my mouth, right? So it’s better to just admit we’re comrades.”

“This… That’s not a suggestion, it’s a threat!”

“I’ll vouch for you. Nothing will go wrong. As long as you admit it.”

Abelin lightly tapped my arm and smiled brightly.

Suddenly, a question crossed my mind.

How many times have I seen Abelin’s smile in this life, something I only saw at the very end in my previous life?

That apostle guy said the world was doomed to be destroyed by increasingly powerful demons.

But if gentle changes like this keep happening…

Maybe there’s still hope.

“So you want to come with me to the dinner I was invited to, is that it?”

“Yes. If I’m by your side, the Commander won’t be able to treat you recklessly. The Commander’s power is overwhelming, but if he tries to harm you, I can help stop him!”

“Alright, I appreciate the sentiment.”

I was grateful for her concern.

That’s why I had to answer like this.

“But no.”

“Huh? Why not? You’ll have to give me a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, I’ll follow you anyway!”

*Tap*

I gently pushed Abelin’s forehead with my finger as she leaned in, indignant.

“That’s exactly why. You said it yourself, my worries are secondary, and the Vanguard comes first. Didn’t you just say that?”

“Well, I did say that…”

“So if something goes wrong, it should only be me. You can’t afford to get involved. For the sake of the Vanguard. Understand? And like you said, I’m a core member of the Vanguard. The Commander won’t be able to harm me.”

Abelin nodded, understanding my words, but her slightly bowed head still showed her worry.

Seeing that,

I reached out without thinking.

“Huh?”

Abelin flinched in surprise.

It was because I gently stroked her soft bangs.

Abelin looked surprised but didn’t push my hand away.

“That’s enough. I know how much you care about me as a comrade. So don’t worry. You know, right? The kind of life I’ve lived so far.”

Instead of answering, Abelin slowly nodded, then lifted her head and brushed my hand aside, her eyes sparkling.

“Kairon, but you have to come back safely. If things seem off, run away. Got it?”

“Of course. We have to fight the wave tomorrow, right? I’ll definitely come back to do my part for the Vanguard. Now, let’s get going.”

I stood up and picked up the wooden sword I had set aside.

“Shall we finish our spar? Be my opponent. Help me shake off this heavy feeling.”

“Alright. I won’t go easy on you like before! Hah…!”

Abelin also stood up with a smile, gripping her sword, and this time she charged at me without giving me any room to breathe.

Abelin’s claim that she was good at giving advice wasn’t just talk.

I felt lighter after sharing what I had been trying to handle alone.

***

“Brother Kairon is here!”

“Whoa, these kids…!”

Before I knew it, it was already evening, and I arrived at Commander Balthazar’s house in the residential area.

As I knocked politely, two young boys rushed out and clung to my legs, almost making me drop the basket I was carrying.

The older one was the second child, and the slightly shorter one was the third.

Above them was the eldest daughter.

Commander Balthazar was a father of three.

“Hey, you brats, if you keep bothering your brother, you’re in trouble! Take what’s in my hands first!”

“Yes~!!”

And he even had a beautiful and elegant wife.

But such a person,

“Welcome.”

Commander Balthazar greeted me with a pleased expression.

…While a violent purple demonic energy swirled around his body.