Editor : Amethyst00



"Lord Dweno is amazing as always!"

"He was so brave, sweeping away those demon bastards all by himself!"

Praise for Dweno echoed everywhere.

Hearing it, Aru muttered to herself.

"As expected of Lord Dweno. Even before he achieved the great feats of a hero, he's already held in such high esteem by the people."

'It makes sense. In the early days, Dweno was the most renowned in our party.'

He and Lysinas were also widely known.

'Well, in our case, it was infamy.'

A fool who uttered the naive ambition of saving the world.

And a hero who survived alone by sacrificing his comrades.

Because of the rumors that he brought death, he was not a welcomed presence.

As for Luna, she was just starting to make a name for herself at the time, and Aaron was still a child.

The most famous hero of that time was Agon of Raysar.

Aaron's master, known as the "Guardian of the Azure Sky," and a companion candidate once chosen by Lysinas.

Dweno was a name with fame rivaling even Agon.

"Truly amazing."

"Of course he is! He's Lord Dweno!"

"Right. Everyone in this city respects him. He's a great leader."

Enniha downed her drink heavily as she said this.

Next to her, Drianna nodded enthusiastically.

Hearing their words, Leo silently sipped from his cup.

"I was a failed leader."

That day, after the battle had ended and during the celebration—

Leo recalled a moment when he and Dweno had quietly shared a drink together.

"The warriors of Ivaldi were brave, and there were many skilled craftsmen. If I had protected them to the end… perhaps the outcome would have been different."

It was one of the few times Dweno spoke about his past.

"How wonderful it would be to turn back time. I could have saved more lives."

"Are you drunk? You know better than anyone that's impossible."

"……"

"We don't have the luxury of looking back at the past. We have to look forward."

"Heh… you're right."

"Dweno, you're already carrying so much. Don't try to bear the past too."

"Don't say such creepy things."

"Even when I'm being nice?"

Dweno smiled as he looked at Kyle, who scowled.

"Let's make a promise, you and I."

"A promise?"

Dweno chugged his drink.

"Regret the past, but never be bound by it."

"That won't happen."

"Yes. You, of all people, would never let that happen."

"Leo?"

Chelsea's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Your glass is empty… Want me to refill it?"

"No, it's fine."

"That's unlike you, Leo Plov. Spacing out like that."

Duran scoffed, and Leo chuckled.

"Just… got caught up in some memories."

"Playing the old man again, huh?"

Eliza smirked slightly, and Carl spoke.

"Eliza."

"What?"

"Careful, or divine punishment will strike you."

"What did I even do?"

Carl shook his head at Eliza's scowl.

"Hey, Leader. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing much."

Leo glanced around at the beastkin and dwarves enjoying the celebration.

"Just… I have one regret about something I did long ago."

"That's rare. Didn't think you were the type to regret anything."

At Eliana's remark, Leo laughed softly.

"Who doesn't have regrets?"

They didn't know it, but the people here were beings of the past.

Five thousand years ago.

Countless lives lost in the final resistance before Ivaldi fell.

Dweno's regret.

But suddenly, a thought struck Leo.

'If I had just taken his hand a little earlier…'

If he had taken Lysinas's hand and set out to save the world sooner.

'Could these people have survived?'

He knew it was a meaningless regret.

But Leo couldn't stop himself from regretting.

These were the regrets left behind by a dear friend.

The unknown past of a comrade who had saved his life on the battlefield many times.

Heroes who vanished without his knowledge.

'History cannot be changed.'

Even if they won here, history would not change.

But…

'I can pass on their existence to the future.'

The existence of those unknown to the people of this era.

The final stand of those who fought to the end for the world.

'I can tell their story to future generations.'

That was his role in this time.

'I'll make sure your story is passed on.'

Leo turned his head.

Toward Dweno's forge.

'So don't be bound by the past either, Dweno.'

bl

The next morning.

Chelsea, still in the tent, suddenly sat up.

"Yaaawn!"

With a huge yawn, she rubbed her eyes and stood.

She had fallen asleep relatively early, around dawn.

'Aru, Drianna… and Eliana aren't here. Off to training?'

In one corner, Eliza, Aina, and Artienne were sleeping like the dead.

The battle yesterday had been fierce.

It was natural they'd be exhausted.

Stepping outside, Chelsea realized it was already late morning.

'Guess I overused my mana yesterday.'

Her muscles ached all over from the mana overload.

"I really am more suited for fighting at the front lines than casting magic in the back."

After massaging her shoulders, Chelsea stretched.

"Hey there, little lady! Good morning!"

"Ha ha ha! You were incredible yesterday! If it weren't for you, we'd be in big trouble!"

"Need a magic staff? I could make one for you."

Dwarves and beastkin passing by the fortress walls greeted her kindly.

"It's okay! My staff is really good! Want help moving the repair supplies?"

"No, no. We can't ask such a precious mage to do that."

"I'll help!"

"I said it's fine! Just rest!"

Chelsea cheerfully approached a beastkin woman, who waved her off with a flustered smile.

Chelsea let out a small sigh of relief.

'The walls are still pretty damaged.'

The blatant suspicion in their eyes had faded.

Fighting together to fend off Tartaros and enjoying the feast together seemed to have helped.

'Anyway, we're ready to tackle the dungeon now.'

To conquer the current dungeon, they had to explore its interior.

Whether it was within the fortress or in the surrounding area—

They had to locate and destroy the record that generated the dungeon's legion.

That alone would complete the mission perfectly.

'Before that… Can't we request support from Damien?'

While she was mulling it over—

"You're up early."

"Leo! Good morning!"

Chelsea smiled brightly and ran up to him.

"Where'd you go?"

"Took the kids to Dweno."

Early in the morning—

Leo had woken up Aru, Drianna, and Eliana and dragged them to Dweno's forge.

"Huh? Even Aru is training?"

Chelsea tilted her head, and Leo laughed.

"I thought she needed it. It's the same training Aaron did long ago."

"And Aru just went along with it?"

She already knew what the training entailed.

"No."

But he wasn't worried.

'Let go of meeeeee! You perveeeeert!'

Hearing the situation from Leo, Chelsea muttered.

"A water ghost… no, a fire ghost."

Clicking her tongue, Chelsea scoffed.

"Getting training from Lord Dweno and Leo is a privilege!"

"Want to join too?"

"…I'm good."

Chelsea smiled awkwardly.

Having been caught by Leo for training since her first year, she knew better than anyone.

'Just how horrifying Leo's training was.'

'Well, the results are guaranteed.'

Shuddering, Chelsea said—

"Want help preparing breakfast?"

"No. We'll just have something simple today. There's something else I need to do first."

"Something else? Is it related to the dungeon?"

"No. It's personal."

"Personal…?"

"Yeah."

Leo looked toward the city within the fortress.

"I need to find the person who saved my life."

"The person who saved your life?"

Leo headed for the weaponsmithing district next to the residential area of the fortress.

Dweno had a private forge, which was rare.

Most smiths worked in the communal area.

The same applied in Godthrone.

Clang Clang

Huff Huff

Whoosh! Sizzle!

The sounds of hammering, bellows, and metal being heated and cooled filled the air.

"You two. This area is off-limits to outsiders, you know?"

Normally, outsiders weren't allowed here.

But this morning, Leo had gotten special permission from Dweno.

He showed the letter Dweno wrote to the manager.

After reading it, the dwarf in charge nodded.

"What's your business? Here to get a weapon repaired?"

"Is there a dwarf named Dinette here?"

"Dinette?"

The female dwarf in charge tilted her head.

"A smith who made swords. I heard he was a mid-level smith."

Dinette.

A name engraved alongside Ivaldi's emblem on the hilt of the sword Kyle had used.

Leo had asked about him in his past life, but even Dweno hadn't known him.

'There were many smiths in Ivaldi. A mid-level smith would have been competent… but unfortunately, not high-ranking enough for me to remember.'

Ivaldi was one of the few fortresses that had long resisted Erebos during the Age of Calamity.

It was massive in scale.

Even now, the fortress population was large.

So it was only natural that even the supreme commander Dweno wouldn't remember every mid-tier smith.

"Dinette… Dinette… Ah! That Dinette."

The manager nodded.

"Why are you looking for him, outsider?"

"He's my lifesaver."

"What?"

"I owe my life to the weapons he made. I wanted to thank him."

"Huh… Never thought I'd see the day someone came to thank a smith from Ivaldi…"

"I know I'm late."

From their point of view, perhaps. But in truth, it had been five thousand years.

Leo gave a sheepish smile, and the manager smiled bitterly.

"Dinette would've been thrilled to hear that. It's the highest honor for a smith."

"Would've?"

"He died. Right before the transfer to this place."

"……"

Leo closed his eyes, and Chelsea gasped.

"The grave is in Ivaldi, but we have a memorial stone for the fallen. I can take you there."

"Please do."

bl

The place they were taken to was lined with tombstones.

This was apparently intended to become a new cemetery. Some new gravestones had appeared after crossing into this world.

Leo stood before the stones.

He searched for the name and found Dinette's.

He had never seen his face.

And Dinette likely never knew, even in death, who had used her weapon.

The Surviving Hero had merely picked up the weapon by chance on the battlefield.

Dinette had simply done his duty as a smith.

But—

"Thanks to you, I survived more times than I can count."

That truth did not change.

"Thanks to that, I was able to save the world."

A weapon forged by a smith who never gave up hope in a world of despair became the cornerstone of salvation.

"Thank you. For saving my life."

Though the words would never reach him.

Leo turned and walked away after delivering them anyway.

bl

Whoosh!

Black flames blazed in the forge.

Swish—

Giath lifted a massive hammer.

Before him stood an anvil resembling a mountain of iron.

And on that anvil—

Another Giath lay.

Thud—

Gripping the hammer with both hands, Giath grinned.

"All is according to the will of the god."

With a chilling smile, the massive hammer came crashing down.

Crunch! Crunch!

The Giath on the anvil had his arms crushed mercilessly.

Agonizing pain as his body was mangled while still alive.

"Keuhuhuhuhuhu! Kahahahaha!"

The broken Giath burst into manic laughter.

Through bloodshot eyes, he watched black flames engulf him.

"All is according to the will of the god!"