CH 675

Ellen had left.

Olivia gritted her teeth as she watched her retreating figure.

Although she didn't like Ellen, she still thought it wasn't right to send her away like this.

The mere thought of imagining Reinhardt's expression when he woke up was agonizing.

Olivia couldn't understand why she had been asked to let Ellen go.

She thought that if it were anyone else, Charlotte would have wished for Ellen to stay.

But beyond just telling her to leave, Charlotte's attitude felt cruel.

Charlotte had been responsible for Edina's internal affairs.

So when the era of the Demon King began, it would be Charlotte who would actually rule the world.

In the end, Charlotte would become the de facto emperor.

With an immeasurable number of big plans to devise, she couldn't afford to be caught up in petty feelings.

So, was it because it would be better without Ellen that she could tell her to leave so easily?

With such thoughts in mind, when Olivia looked back at Charlotte, she couldn't help but hold her breath.

“...”

With her eyes tightly shut, and her lips sealed, Charlotte was crying more sorrowfully than anyone else.

How could her heart be at ease?

Charlotte, who had betrayed together with Ellen, felt the greatest guilt for saying that Ellen shouldn't be here.

So, watching Ellen's retreating figure, Charlotte cried silently, unable to even make a proper sound.

She knew very well that they were in the same situation.

And because she made Ellen leave with her own words, she couldn't bear it.

Although everything seemed to be resolved well, not everything could end well.

That's why Olivia did something she would never normally do.

“Crying your eyes out on a good day like this.”

“Ugh... Ugh...!”

Olivia hugged the silently crying Charlotte, and gently comforted her.

------

Ellen, with her hood pulled down, walked through the chaotic allied camp.

There were those tending to the fallen warriors, those checking on the damage, those crying, and those sitting somewhere, staring blankly.

The extent of the damage was the greatest among all the battles thus far.

The fight was over, but there was no one filled with joy.

More people were filled with fear of the new world that would come now that a certain fear had ended.

No one knew what would happen from now on.

The Demon King, who was defined as absolute evil, and the Hero who was designated as the one to defeat him.

The Demon King saved humanity, and the Hero fled from the allied camp as if running away.

People would never know who was truly in the wrong.

Those who encountered the manipulated truth would only learn another manipulated truth.

As one chaos ended, another began.

The fight against monsters wasn't completely over either.

But now that all the warp gates had been destroyed, civilization could be rebuilt.

As time passed and passed.

Someday, civilization would return to the era when it spread across the entire continent.

And although it couldn't be certain, if the Demon King did his job well, there would be no fighting between demons and humans in that world.

A world where demons and humans coexisted.

Could such a world be created in its entirety?

Could the hatred between them be overcome?

No one knew.

However, as Ellen was the last remnant of the ancient era, she could not join the new world.

She had to live somewhere quiet.

As if she existed, yet did not.

There were still two relics.

Monsters remained.

So Ellen still had much to do.

The people must not know that the hero was still alive.

From a lowly position, on the edge of the world.

She would live, killing the remaining monsters.

If she could take responsibility for her actions in such a way, she had to do it.

Charlotte said they would meet again someday, but Ellen didn't think it would be possible.

She couldn't even hope for it.

After such a long time, wouldn't it be too shameless to return and ask if her place was still available?

As time passed, her name would remain a memory of the past for Reinhardt.

Therefore, it was enough to watch from afar.

Hoping that the new world would be a good one.

It was enough to do what could be done for the people from a lowly position.

And so, as the chaotic allied forces' base was left behind, a dense cloud of smoke arrived at the outskirts.

Where should she go?

In the vast, desolate field, she was about to walk aimlessly, following the stars, when—

"Ellen...! Ellen!"

Unable to ignore the tearful voice from behind, Ellen clenched her teeth and looked back.

"Where... Where are you going! Where are you going...! Where are you going!"

Harriet de Saint Owan, with a distraught expression, was running desperately toward her, crying.

Barely able to run, stumbling on the rocky ground, she approached, wailing.

Although she had become a great mage, her physical strength was still poor. Gasping for breath as she arrived in front of Ellen, Harriet clutched Ellen's sleeve.

"Don't go... Where are you going... You said we'd stay together. Together... You said we'd be together..."

It's all over now.

We can be together now.

Her face reddened as she sobbed, gasping for breath.

"Don't go... Please. Don't go... It's all over now. Sad things, they're all over. You don't have to go, right? Huh? Why, why are you doing this... What about Reinhardt? What will Reinhardt do... Huh?"

She didn't want to see this.

It was painful enough for others to hold her back.

But seeing Harriet was especially painful.

She told Ellen everything would be fine now, and only good things would happen in the future.

Seeing Harriet cry her heart out after hugging her when she woke up, and then smile brightly while saying those words, Ellen felt pain.

That's why she had tried to disappear while Harriet was briefly away.

Why were they doing this?

People who should be happier without her were holding her back from leaving.

Even those who should wish for her absence more than anyone.

With Reinhardt unconscious, those who should hope for her departure were holding her back.

As Harriet clung to her, crying as if determined to never let her go, Ellen looked down at her silently.

Harriet had been her friend, second only to Reinhardt since their time at the temple.

But they couldn't fully like each other.

From the beginning, they knew their hearts were heading in the same direction and became friends despite that.

As such, they couldn't help but resent each other to some extent, as much as they liked and cared for one another.

And that resentment had always manifested itself, to some degree, as Harriet's jealousy towards Ellen.

But now, Harriet was pleading with Ellen not to leave.

Asking what Reinhardt would do.

Talking about such things.

"Don't go. Okay? I don't know why you're doing this, but... if you don't have to go, then you shouldn't. Let's stay together, alright?"

It was probably because Harriet de Saint Owan valued herself as much as she loved Reinhardt.

Come to think of it.

It had always been that way.

At some point, Harriet had always been that kind of person.

Always yielding, always wanting to be together, but always giving up so much to Ellen.

When her jealousy and sadness had reached their peak, she would merely say,

"How pathetic."

That was the harshest thing a friend could say to another.

"Actually, I might not... have to go."

In truth, there might not have been a real reason for her to disappear.

She could have just stayed by his side somehow, for whatever reason.

Whether people said the Hero had surrendered to the Demon King, or that she had betrayed him.

Leaving people to their own imaginations, pretending not to know what was happening, and simply enjoying happy days together.

But she had been selfish enough up until now.

She had betrayed Reinhardt and received far too much in return.

In the end, she had crossed an uncrossable river and somehow been saved.

Having received so much, she couldn't be any more selfish.

Blind to the problems that would arise because of her.

Longing for love, longing to be loved.

Wishing for more than that would be a cruel thing.

She couldn't allow herself such a thing.

She couldn't accept such happiness.

Such safety.

She couldn't convince herself that such a life was coming her way.

The compulsion to live in despair.

The compulsion to live for atonement in the midst of guilt.

Casting aside all other reasons.

The dark compulsion to leave, just for that reason, was recognized.

"So don't go... if you don't have to, it's right not to go..."

Looking down at Harriet, who was pleading through her tears, Ellen didn't cry.

Instead, she smiled.

"Reinhardt is right."

"Huh...?"

At the sudden words, teary-eyed Harriet looked up at Ellen.

The words Reinhardt always used to call Harriet.

Wishing only for everything to go well, not wanting anything good just for herself.

Not knowing how to act selfishly.

Pleading for Ellen to stay for Reinhardt's sake, even though his biggest problem was willing to disappear on its own.

"You're a blockhead."

"Huh...?"

What else should one call such a person, if not a fool?

Harriet may have been the smartest person Ellen knew.

But in the end, she was the biggest fool.

Harriet stopped crying and stared blankly at Ellen, confused by her sudden words.

"I've already received so much, haven't I? An overwhelming amount, too much."

There was also a sense of anxiety that if she were any greedier, she would be punished severely.

"..."

"If you continue to act so kindly, you won't be able to have anything."

Being kind alone won't let you have anything.

After yielding, yielding, and yielding again, in the end, your place will disappear.

In order to have it, one must take it.

If you dream of a too perfect situation, by the time you come to your senses, you might find that everything else has been taken away.

"Don't let Reinhardt take you for granted."

"..."

He may cherish you, but if you let him take your presence for granted, he won't feel desperate.

Then you will always be pushed to second place, or even third.

Without Ellen, Reinhardt was desperate for her.

Because Ellen's life was in danger, Reinhardt thought only of her.

Ellen didn't know Reinhardt's heart either.

The heart is neither absolute nor eternal.

After so much time had passed, everyone's feelings had changed, and the same was true for Reinhardt.

They might not even realize it themselves.

Upon reflection, Ellen had never yielded before.

She hadn't even thought about it.

She didn't know if what she was doing was yielding or if she had the right to say such a thing.

However, having received so much, it was time to step aside for those who deserved it more.

Any more greed would only bring about more pain.

That's why, even if only a little, such a kind person must come to their senses.

Looking at her friend, who didn't even know what she was hearing, Ellen smiled sadly.

As her precious friend said, she was pitiful.

It had always been that way.

"I'll go."

In the end, she would disappear pitifully and selfishly.

------

It was an unfamiliar ceiling.

"..."

The moment he thought that, his body sprang out of bed.

Somewhere, there was a pungent smell.

He could instinctively tell that it was the smell of a battlefield.

A simple bed.

And a barracks.

It meant he was in a tent.

What had happened?

"Uh... huh!"

Then, as he turned to the sound from beside her, there was someone who had been startled awake by his sudden movement.

Harriet.

"You're awake...!"

-Wow!

He was relieved to see Harriet was unharmed.

"What... What happened?"

He had passed out at the last moment.

After giving the final order to Antirianus, he didn't know what would happen next.

Being alive meant that Antirianus either hadn't killed her or had failed to do so.

Harriet gently patted Reinhardt's trembling back, filled with anxiety.

"Don't worry... It's all over."

In Harriet's voice, he could sense many things.

A sadness mixed with relief.

That told him that many people were safe.

However, the sadness in her voice.

He couldn't help but sense what it meant.

------

He had been unconscious for three days.

Soon, three days had passed since the end of the Diane battle.

He heard about what had happened afterward from Harriet.

Charlotte was reorganizing the allied forces and quelling the chaos in his stead.

It must have been an exhausting situation, dealing with the chaos and division of each army.

At the end of various stories, he heard the words that Harriet uttered through her tears.

Ellen had left.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't hold her back... I wanted to stop her somehow... somehow..."

As Harriet sobbed, struggling to speak about something that had happened three days ago, Reinhardt carefully embraced her.

Ellen had left.

Her heart felt heavy.

But she was safe, wasn't she?

In any case, she had returned to her original state and left on her own accord.

There were several reasons why it was shocking but not utterly devastating.

Perhaps it was because he had somewhat known that Ellen would do such a thing.

He only thought about getting Ellen back.

Just thinking about how to do it was overwhelming.

After getting Ellen back, he hadn't considered at all how to proceed with Ellen in his arms.

He didn't know how to handle it and couldn't even fathom it.

As Ellen had said, her existence in the world they would create was a seed of great discord.

So.

Rather than being relieved, he was almost frightened.

He had an inkling that he could only become a different being in the path he had to take now.

Things he once cherished became worthless in the face of reality.

There would be moments when he would have to let go, and even destroy things with his own hands, and now he would have to accept them as a matter of course.

Ellen had returned.

She was alive.

Wasn't that enough?

Their relationship had been one of luxury for both of them.

They had no future other than one of them dying, or both of them dying.

It had been impossible for them to face the future while both were alive, so shouldn't they be grateful for this situation where it was somewhat possible?

Wishing for more than that was too much, wasn't it?

With such thoughts, he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

She probably left with those thoughts too.

Thinking that anything more would be a luxury.

Just like he did.

She must have felt the same way.

"Don't cry. It's okay."

"Sniff... Sob! Ugh...!"

That's why he quietly patted the sobbing Harriet's back while holding her in his arms.