“Hero Kael! Echo!”
Sarah exclaimed as Kael and Echo walked into the room she was in.
“Kuuu!!”
Echo instantly dashed towards her and rubbed his head with hers.
“Echo!”
Sarah called out again as she hugged her Bond. In an instant, her exhaustion faded away as the Luminark got closer. Echo wasn’t any different either. Now that he was next to his Sarah, he closed his eyes and quickly entered dreamland.
Yes, he was that exhausted.
And Sarah, who could sense that, gently pulled him into her embrace, making sure he was comfortable.
“He missed you.”
Kael commented with a light smile on his face as he sat in the corner of the bed Sarah was resting on.
“He didn’t create trouble for you, did he?”
Sarah questioned as she glanced at Kael. Of course, she didn’t stop rubbing Echo’s fur—she knew Echo slept well whenever she did it.
“Trouble? He is the reason I am alive.”
Kael smiled as he glanced at Echo.
Sarah, who saw his smile, stared at Kael’s face for a little longer. Then, a beautiful smile appeared on her face and,
“I am glad.”
She spoke.
“Are you okay…?”
Kael questioned with a guilty look on his face.
“Hmm? Of course. Aria is an excellent Healer.”
Sarah answered with a bright smile on her face.
“I am as good as new!”
She exclaimed as she patted her bicep jokingly.
“You wouldn’t be on the bed if you weren’t hurt.”
“Bah! That’s on Aria, she is too overprotective!
She thinks she is my mother. I am the oldest amongst the three of us, you know?”
“You are the first woman I know who willingly tells everyone how old she is.”
Kael chuckled.
“T-That is not what I am saying!! I am not that old! I am still young, very young! Also, the difference between the three of us isn’t that big anyway! Just a few days.”
She quickly defended herself. Of course, despite being flustered, she kept her voice down since Echo was sleeping.
“…”
Kael stared at the woman in silence.
‘…Should I tell her I can see her age?’
He wondered in his head.
Soon, however, he shook his head, deciding against the idea.
Misunderstanding Kael’s silence, Sarah overexplained with a flushed face.
“W-What I am trying to say is that I am not that hurt. I am fine. It is Aria who is keeping me here by force.”
“She let the other soldiers go, though.”
Kael commented.
Yes, he was teasing her.
Her reactions were amusing.
“Exactly! That’s what I am saying. She is still keeping me here! It is so unfair.”
Sarah complained.
“Well, you are doing the most important thing from here.”
Kael smiled as he looked at the rune on Sarah’s forehead.
Yes, even when she was injured, the archer was looking over the entire battlefield just to be sure that nothing unexpected happened.
“This is what I am supposed to do…”
Sarah answered as she lowered her eyes, secretly stealing a few glances at Kael.
‘I am also doing this to make sure your first mission is a complete success.’
Of course, she didn’t say those words out loud.
“What about them? Are they alright?”
Kael questioned in a solemn tone.
Sarah, knowing who Kael was talking about, nodded, and her tone deepened.
“Yes. They have taken six down and have surrounded the last one. It should be over soon.”
“Any casualties?”
“None after they regrouped.
Lyra is with them. With her Bonds who specialize in defense, it is very difficult for the Flying to attack them, and since most of them are archers, they have an easier time attacking the flying beasts because of their weak defense.
Since all the soldiers who were in critical condition here are healed, Aria is on her way to the forest.
With a Healer there, things should be even simpler.”
“…”
Kael nodded silently.
Sarah, who saw his expression, called out,
“Hero Kael.”
Kael turned towards her, and the archer continued,
“It was not your fault.”
Sarah commented.
She could see it—Kael was blaming himself for those deaths.
And that was not acceptable.
“You did not know.
You came up with a plan. A plan that, if the information we had been given was accurate, we would be victorious without a single death. A plan that could have saved every life.
And even now, when the information provided to us turned out to be wrong, your plan was so well put together that it still saved the town.
Do you realize what that means?”
Kael stared at Sarah, and she continued,
“Hero Kael, you took a hopeless, doomed situation and turned it into a victory.
You saved everyone.
Yes, those deaths were tragic, and no words can ever fill the void they’ve left behind. But Hero Kael…”
Sarah called out, her eyes still on Kael.
“You didn’t fail.”
She spoke, her eyes shining with an intensity Kael had never seen before.
“You fought for those people.
You saved hundreds of lives. You saved families.
You won.”
Those words echoed inside Kael’s mind, and he clenched his fists.
Feeling how his strength had risen after he leveled up, countless thoughts he had been suppressing all this while rushed into his mind.
“Yeah…
We won…”
He muttered as he smiled at Sarah. Then, he glanced at the new skill he got after reaching level 20.
[Skill: Draconic Surge]
[Description:]
[Harnessing the power of dragons, Kael temporarily gains incredible speed and agility, allowing him to outmaneuver enemies and strike with unmatched precision.]
[Effect:]
[Speed Boost: Increases movement speed by 70% and attack speed by 50%.]
[Enhanced Reflexes: Improves reaction time and evasion, increasing dodge rate by 40%.]
[Momentum Strike: While Draconic Surge is active, the first melee attack after moving at least 5 meters deals an additional 25% damage, knocking back weaker enemies.]
[Duration: 8 seconds]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
…
“We did.”
Sarah smiled back.
Kael nodded back. Then, he stood up and,
“You should rest now. I will not bother you any more than I already have.”
He spoke in a gentle tone.
“Okay…”
Sarah nodded, and once Kael walked out, she lowered her head in a pout.
“But you weren’t bothering me though…”