It was all crimson blood. Everywhere I looked, it was the same.
"Heh."
Laughter escaped my lips at the absurdity. What in the world was this... The hand holding the sword trembled. The number of arrows embedded in my body was one, two, three…
Why were there so many?
"Cough!"
A large amount of blood poured from my mouth with a cough. The sound of my heart beating grew fainter. The Mana Heart, which had once pulsed so arrogantly, was also losing its vitality. Just half a day ago, these things had been more alive than ever.
I took a deep breath to fill my diminishing lungs. I readjusted my grip on the sword. I struck down the arrows that hindered my movement to clear them away. How many more did I have to cut down to get out of here? The bodies of the dead formed a carpet, yet there were still too many of them left.
"Like a bunch of ants."
Just counting the ones with spears and swords, there seemed to be over a thousand. Behind them, there were countless more with arrows. It would probably take another half a day to cut them all down. A hollow laugh burst out.
-Did I not tell you to doubt and doubt again!
The words of Alfred, who called himself a bag of tricks, came to mind. If he saw this mess, he would probably sneer, saying he knew it would happen. But I had my own excuses.
Who would have thought that the one who always claimed to be my right-hand man, who never shied away from death on the battlefields we shared, would betray me?
"How futile it must feel."
The man who was my right-hand man until half a day ago, the captain of the Royal Guard, the one who had spent the most time with me, the bastard who stabbed me in the back, sneered.
"Mathias."
"The sound of your deflating voice is quite pleasant to hear."
Mathias said, looking at me.
I let my sword hang low and closed my eyes. The image of Mathias, with whom I had been like a brother, came to mind.
I remembered when Mathias was surrounded by enemies and on the verge of crossing the river of death, how I had rushed into the enemy camp, insisting I had to save him even when everyone else tried to stop me.
I remembered his face, crying as he came to rescue me when I was facing the enemy's knight order alone, when I thought it was no longer possible. But why?
"Why is this happening?"
The unification of the continent was right before our eyes, the completion of the great work that would end all chaos was within reach, we were supposed to achieve peace for the empire together, so why?
"Because the empire no longer needs its mad dog."
Mad dog… Mathias often called me that. He would ask how my words and actions were any different from a mad dog's. He called me his dog-like older brother. At least back then, I was his brother, but now he just called me a dog. This son of a bitch, who was worse than a dog.
"Did you make a deal with Breston?"
Alfred had said so. That Mathias seemed to be dealing with the enemy nation, Breston. I had ignored Alfred's words back then. No, I had even rebuked him. How could Mathias, of all people, do such a thing?
"Alfred, Alfred. A fearsome friend, he is. It was done without anyone knowing, yet how did he find out."
"You son of a bitch!"
"Tsk, tsk. You should have listened to the Prime Minister. Then this wouldn't have happened.
Thinking about it again, that friend Alfred is truly fearsome."
Mathias snapped his fingers. At that, a battered and broken Alfred was dragged out by the soldiers.
I was so shocked that my mouth hung open. My voice wouldn't come out. Alfred's hands and feet had been cut off. Blood had clotted in his eyes, and it seemed he couldn't see.
"Pay your respects. This is the renowned Prime Minister you cherished so much."
"Why? Just why?"
"Why, you ask? Is there any reason for me to keep this man alive?"
Mathias let out a hollow laugh as if I was spouting nonsense.
Alfred was thrown to the ground.
"Your, Your Majesty."
Alfred called out to me, squeezing out the last of his life. His voice was filled with worry for me.
Stab!
Mathias stabbed Alfred in the back. Alfred breathed his last.
"You won't be lonely on your way."
Mathias said to me, as if doing me a favor.
Strength entered my hands. Blood flowed from between the arrowheads embedded in my arms.
"Who else did you kill?"
Alfred was the center of all our great work. The system to protect him was far more robust than the one for me. So, for Alfred to end up like that meant…
"Your world is no more."
I could no longer just stand and watch. My life was almost over anyway. While I could still move even a little, I had to cut down that vile traitor. It was fine if I couldn't grant him death.
If only I could leave a scar that would never fade for the rest of his life, just once, even a single time. If my fury could be engraved upon his body…
"Cough!"
Mathias' sword pierced my abdomen. Strength left my arms and legs. My senses grew dim.
I couldn't tell if I was holding the sword or if the sword was stuck to my hand.
"Even if you easily cut down 100 4-star knights, even if everyone calls you a near-god, you are nothing but a mere human."
Mathias mocked me.
If only I hadn't fallen into the trap, if only I hadn't drunk the poison that bastard sent, I wouldn't have been defeated like this. No, if I had been stronger, he wouldn't have even dreamed of such a betrayal.
It must have seemed feasible, which is why he threw me into the heart of the enemy and watched me die. And he must have waited for me to tire. To devour me in one bite.
"Did you want the emperor's throne that badly?"
"Why? Did you seem to be sure that the emperor's throne was yours forever?"
"That throne is not mine. But it's not yours either."
"I don't need your permission."
I glared at Mathias. In that moment, Mathias' sword tore into my side. Blood overflowed. It seemed it would be difficult to even stand now.
Still, just once, I will leave a scar on you just once.
I pulled out one of the arrows embedded in my body. Blood sprayed out, obscuring Mathias' vision. A fleeting chance, I swung my sword with all my might.
"Kugh!"
Mathias clutched his face and groaned in pain. It would have been better if I had cut his neck, but in my current state, slashing his cheek was all I could do.
"A gift."
May you live all your days falsely claiming to be the emperor with the scar that remains on your cheek.
Clang, clatter.
All the strength I had was gone. The sword in my hand fell. My knees fell. My gaze fell.
The path I had walked until now flashed through my mind.
The rugged days as a mercenary, the days of sharing joy as the lord of a small castle, the day I became the master of a nation and declared that I would enjoy peace with everyone…
-Brother, do we not have to starve anymore?
It depends on you. If you want to eat your fill, you have to do the work of two men. Only then can we ask for double the pay, right?
-Are we finally counts? It's something to see if you live long enough. Can we go around telling people we are the knights of a count's family now?
Say it to your heart's content. It's fine to keep saying it until the listeners' ears are sore. No.
Let's not do it alone, let's do it together. Let's walk the streets, share food with the hungry, and be a shield to those being tormented. Let's make it so that we can be their pride!
-Your Majesty! The nobles do not know hunger. They do not know the cold. They do not know what it's like to feel sleepy just by breathing. But we know. So we must step forward. If not us, the world cannot be changed.
That's right. If not us, it cannot be changed. Since we changed our world, let's change theirs too. Prepare yourselves! I will raise my sword for the path of all!
I was gallant. It was desperate and miserable. I created many deaths and witnessed many deaths. Those I cherished died too. A world where anyone could become a noble, that plausible justification was truly heavy.
-In the end, can Your Majesty abandon yourself? If that is what Your Majesty intends to do, I will join you. If not, then just kill me.
Alfred, you are truly relentless. That's why everyone hates you, isn't it? But I cannot hate you. So do as you will. That will is my will.
-Do you regret it?
I regret it.
-It was arrogant. So arrogant. Still, didn't we show that even those like us who have nothing can become something?
That's why I regret it. If I had been stronger, everyone would have known, but I failed. I couldn't stand at the end of that rough road.
-Is it a pity?
It is.
-It's a pity for me too.
-It's a pity for me too.
-I'm dying of pity!
Yes, it's such a pity. But what can be done? My world and I have collapsed.
-Brother, are you giving up?
I can't help it.
-My Lord Count, are you giving up?
I told you, I can't help it.
-Your Majesty, are you giving up?
I said I can't help it! There's nothing more I can do. I can only hope that what I have done becomes a seed, receives light, and becomes a flower. So, I should close my eyes now.
"Your Highness, don't give up. Please."
No! I can't help… Your Highness? What's this now? Why is the sound ringing in my ears and not my head?