“I…I don’t…”

  A soldier mewled in pain as three demonic wolves munched on his body. The only thing they weren’t eating was his left arm, and it slowly began to aim a crossbow armed with an enchanted smoke arrow to the sky.

  “I don’t…wanna die,” the soldier said. “Damn you all…just you all wait…I swear…Major von Eisen will make sure…that you’ll all just be a bad nightmare one day!”

  His finger pulled the trigger, sending the arrow flying high into the sky, as it released a bright, red magical smoke in its wake. This defensive line was overrun, and this was his final act for the cause.

  It was small, but after the girl who spoke in his mind earlier, he felt a measure of pride. Even as he died, he chose to fight.

  Even if he didn’t want to die, he chose the valiant option.

  A fourth wolf closed in on him, its mouth opening as it hovered over his neck.

  I guess that’s it then. It’s over—

  Out of nowhere, all demonic wolves were suddenly sliced by a form of wind magic combined with fire magic. Their bodies dropped dead around him.

  With his senses dulled by the pain, alongside shock from blood loss, he could only faintly sense the laboured steps coming his way. Only then did he fully realize that a human was deep in this place when a man in a Royal Guard uniform looked down at him.

  His uniform’s white coat was in tatters, some of it burned. He could faintly see signs of blood on some of the sliced areas of his clothes too, though it seemed this man had healed it. Must be a powerful battlemage or swordsman in that case…

  The knight kneeled close to him.

  “Good soldier. Do you have any idea where that girl who spoke to all of us earlier is?” the knight asked.

  “...I…I don’t,” the soldier said, as his vision began to blur. “You listened to her, right? Say, is this…all worth it, as she said? Is there really a good reason for any of us to stay and die here?”

  I don’t even know him, why am I asking this?

  Suddenly, he felt the knight’s gloved hand holding his bloodied hand, the one he used to fire that smoke arrow earlier.

  “Of course. I’m sure your sacrifice won’t be in vain. We’ll make sure of that. I realized that too after what the princess spoke to us earlier. We’re all in this together, and everyone who stayed and fought here had a good reason to do so. We cannot fail those who died for whatever cause they believed in to remain here. Make no mistake, the demon horde will be stopped here, and your contribution helped in that.”

  “Ha…ha…” The soldier struggled to laugh. “Is that so? Now, that…makes me curious about your name…”

  “...My name is Alfred von Gott—no,” the knight bitterly hardened his hold on the soldier’s hand. “My name is Alfred von Eisen. I think you’ll better recognize that than my new name.”

  “You’re from the Eisen clan too?” The soldier asked, as his eyes locked on the sunrise and the birds above them. Maybe, just maybe, that princess was right, that there was something everyone could proudly fight for, so that they could all reach the light at the end of the tunnel. He may not see the sun fully above them all, but he sure could see the sunrise now.

  Because he chose to do his part.

  That made him feel so much better.

  “I see…I believe your words then…” The soldier smiled. “He told us we’ll win no matter what. Win this one for us then. If your reason for staying here is to protect that girl…then…I wish…you…good…”

  As his final words died out, the soldier stared at the sky with bliss. He didn’t even finish his words, but it seemed that the knight understood him. He closed the dead soldier’s eyes.

  The knight took a deep breath, before standing up and looking around for any remaining enemies. Then he moved onward.

  He still had a part to play in this battle, and he had to finish it.

  +++

  Alexa had been utterly red-faced after that little stunt she did earlier. She just…spoke to an entire crowd, the entire damned city, and everyone around it.

  She spoke to them as if they were her friends.

  Ugh, peasants, peasants, peasants, how dare they trick me into saying all of that? Why do I have to play the role of an emotional support mascot?!

  Worse of all, it was well-received. Everyone who heard it felt as if they somehow ‘related’ to her. She literally said in the speech that she couldn’t fully understand them, so she urged them to find their own reasons to fight, yet somehow that worked?

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She didn’t even write a speech. She completely winged it, making up whatever her heart wanted to say, and she had no filter because practically it was her mind speaking and she didn’t know how to stop her ability well and…

  “You’re still hung up on that?” Wilhelm asked as he suddenly appeared in her room.

  He had been working since last night and this early morning at conducting the ‘resonation’ and ‘synchronization’ rituals on his communication crystals. Well, that was what Alexa called it because it seemed that Mr. Scary Face sucked ass at naming things, so…that was that.

  Most of what she did was just follow his instructions. She activated her domain skill earlier. Then she imagined herself imparting said ability on one of the crystals, until, somehow, someway, a glyph formed on it.

  Wilhelm told her afterward that he was going to do the rest, and he allowed her to rest for a while, assuring her that he already had the battle under control for a while and she could afford to lie down.

  She couldn’t fight back because she was genuinely tired. She wanted to stay awake to protect Adele and Phoebe from whatever schemes this bastard had, but…well…

  She realized he had no reason to harm them directly. The story assured her of that. Of course, from here on out she realized that Wilhelm may or may not have schemed to create these conditions for whatever messed-up reason that would warrant his interrogation later.

  But Alexa already realized that his actions ensured Phoebe would awaken her saintly abilities, and that humanity would win against demons as a result. As she said earlier, everyone who chooses to stay and fight has to do so for their own reasons.

  She presumed that Wilhelm was just doing the same. He had his reasons, and it aligned with her interests, so for now, in the context of them most likely becoming demon food, they had shared reasons to want to cooperate.

  Alexa buried her face and sighed.

  “All these…this has to be a dream. My, I have not once worked this hard. I feel like melting…”

  “Ah, whining again…”

  “I wish for some fine cake and macarons and…I want some nice tea again. I need parfait. My life fuel has been cruelly denied…”

  Wilhelm seemed to be unfazed by her bellyaching.

  “But…” Alexa raised her face. “I guess this is just how it is. Tell me, has the synchronization been successful?"

  “Yes. All we have to do now is test it. Then, I can make adjustments with my ‘final victory’ plans based on how well or how badly this ability of yours works,” Wilhelm then stared at Alexa’s eyes. “Once we’re done with that, the only thing left to do is activate Phoebe’s saintly powers.”

  “...You’re going to do something that might harm her, no?”

  “And I am not going to be asking her consent. Or yours.”

  “I see. So your gambit is to sacrifice the Imperial Capital and endanger us to win against the demon horde?”

  “Place me on trial for treason after this, humiliate me, drag me to the mud, execute me whatever—I’ll finish my masterpiece for myself,” he frowned. “You asked everyone who stayed here to fight to have a good reason to do so. I have one, so I’ll see this to its end.”

  “And what is it?”

  “It’s an exceedingly selfish reason. But, if it’s the last reason I’ll have to keep fighting in this world,” he smiled to himself, as he fished out a vial, its contents black with shadows around it. “I’ll do it. Then everything I did before this will finally matter.”

  Alexa leaned forward, watching Wilhelm curiously. Indeed, she was starting to understand those eyes of his. He may laugh, he may help people, and he might be someone who fought for humanity.

  But he was…truly, beyond cold.

  Those were the eyes of someone who accepted his guilt, embraced it, and decided he would die with it once he saw its finality. He wouldn’t have an ounce of remorse about anything unless he somehow regained his humanity.

  How fascinating.

  “Tell me,” Alexa’s voice was inquisitive and neutral. “Do you think all of this is worth it?”

  “Those who became pawns will say no. Those who will hear of the story afterward will say no. Those who will have years to think and create a better plan than I will say no. You will say no. My brother will say no. My most loyal men will say yes.”

  Wilhelm’s lips curled into a thin smile.

  “And I’ll say yes. In the end, it’s all a matter of perspective. It doesn’t concern me,” he laughed. “You’ll be a leader too, Alexa Theresa. I assure you, one day, you’ll realize too that there’s only one way forward. That you will eventually have to make a grand gambit against the forces of this world.”

  He looked at the wall behind Alexa. On it was a painting, depicting a heavenly struggle between the goddess’s angels and the demons of hell. It looked apocalyptic. Certainly, right now, they were tethered to one.

  “You win some, you lose some,” He nodded to himself. “Just as all action has a reaction to it, all decisions have costs. Your job isn’t to save everyone, or to be remembered fondly, or to leave a heroic legacy. No, you can’t do any of that. Your job is to decide whether the cost to enact your vision is worth it or not, and right now, I have decided that the high cost of attaining total victory over my mortal enemies is worth it.”

  No. Not really. I think I’ll prove you wrong one day. I’ll learn to avoid being like you by getting better at this leading thing. One day, I can have my cake and eat it too, unlike you! And, as a result, my peasants will be having their best times too.

  It may sound naive now, but Alexa was starting to realize that this must be her calling. She didn’t want this cynical world anymore. This was supposed to be a fantasy world, a place where one’s wildest dreams could be realized.

  Wilhelm, her best mentor, and most likely going forward—the best advisor and military officer she’ll have, stood against that ideal.

  But no matter, she could already see where he would fit once all of this was over. So she allowed him to continue.

  “In any case, I’ll call you later,” Wilhelm said. “You needn’t see what’ll happen to Phoebe before she wakes up.”

  “Before you go,” Alexa called out, smiling at Wilhelm. “I’d just like to say that you overlooked one thing. Those views of yours are shaped by the Northern Front, are they not? It is by no means absolute.”

  Wilhelm seemed surprised that Alexa pushed back. But, he didn’t flinch, instead, he seemed to have gracefully taken those words to heart.

  “You can keep telling yourself that. I did say, it’s all a matter of perspective. Maybe you’re wrong, maybe I’m right, or it’s the other way around. Makes you feel better about yourself, doesn’t it?”

  “It does. It must work for you too to justify that logic of yours, doesn’t it?”

  “I wouldn’t tell you if it doesn’t,” he turned his back again. “Rest well. I’ll call you when I’m done with my part, Lady Alexa.”