95 — Lunar Eclipse

After the goblin host had passed… Kuon slumped down onto the ground.

“That was a huge number… but, but. The Hero Gate won’t fall that easily. It should be fine.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That place is the very front line of the defense against monsters.”

“Mm. So it’ll be fine… We’ll be fine even if we don’t do anything.”

Really?

That doubt rose inside Kikori.

If they left it to the guards defending the Hero Gate… would everything truly be safe?

Maybe it would.

It was such an impressive wall and gate.

If they fired arrows and magic from above, even that Goblin General would—

…Really?

Did he truly, honestly believe that?

“…Is it really fine?”

“Kikori?”

“Even the wall fortress might get breached. There’s no guarantee the Hero Gate won’t be breached.”

“That’s…”

What happened if the guards weren’t enough?

They would surely call in anyone who could fight.

And who would that be?

With high probability, it would be “former” adventurers, or staff from the Adventurers’ Guild.

And… Aria fit both.

Then Aria would surely… be sent out, wouldn’t she?

And once again, she would push herself too hard, wouldn’t she?

Kikori didn’t know the details of that “minor mana abnormality.”

But judging from how panicked that medic had been… depending on the case, it might be life-threatening.

In a situation like that—

Could he really keep saying that hiding meant everyone was safe?

No.

That wasn’t it.

He’d only just realized a moment ago that he couldn’t win.

Aria wouldn’t approve of charging in recklessly and getting himself killed.

That wasn’t courage.

But.

Even so.

“…Sorry.”

To Kuon, who was here.

To Aria, who wasn’t.

Kikori apologized.

Tears ran from his eyes.

From the fear of death that was undeniably there.

From the guilt toward Aria, who surely wouldn’t want him to do this.

From the foolishness of himself, still trying to decide anyway.

He cried, and still—Kikori gripped his two axes.

“Kuon, I’m going. I’m going to kill the Goblin General.”

“You can’t…! This isn’t like killing hobgoblins, you know!?”

“I know. I’m not telling you to come.”

“…!”

“Doing something this reckless… is something only I need to do.”

“If you know it’s reckless, then why!?”

“Because I’m an idiot. I can’t think of any better option than this—anything else I can do.”

At that answer, Kuon started to say something, then stopped.

And then… he lowered his head quietly.

“I can’t go. I don’t want to die.”

“Yeah. I think that’s fine. I can’t tell you to die with me.”

“But.”

Kuon lifted his face. In his hand was that magic-item staff.

“If you’re choosing to throw yourself into that recklessness anyway… then there’s one thing I can do.”

Magic gleamed within Kuon’s staff.

“As a priest of the Moon God, there’s a spell I can cast on you. It might, at least a little, keep death farther away from you.”

“That… what kind of spell is it?”

“Lunar Eclipse. A spell that draws the moon’s mana into your body.”