Chapter 29: A Feast in Grayke (2)

Six years ago, during the northern front war against the monsters, many lives were lost.

Derient, originally from the knight order, was the captain of the vanguard unit in the 3rd Infantry Division of the expeditionary force.

The expeditionary force was a temporary unit formed to fight the monsters, consisting of conscripted soldiers from various territories, central army troops, and knights.

As the captain of the vanguard unit, Derient made a significant mistake by leading his troops into a monster ambush due to a wrong judgment.

Surrounded on all sides by monsters with no escape in sight, Derient thought it was the end. A knight lives and dies by honor; surviving such a mistake would warrant seppuku.

An ogre’s sharp claws grazed his forearm, drawing blood. If the vanguard were wiped out, the supply units would be next, leading to a devastating loss for the 3rd Infantry Division.

Facing the worst-case scenario of total annihilation, Derient gritted his teeth and decapitated the ogre that attacked him. But he was the only one putting up a fight; his subordinates were falling one by one, blood spraying everywhere. The screams of the dying filled the air.

“Die, you monsters!” Derient roared, determined to take down as many monsters as possible before his inevitable death.

Although it pained him that he wouldn’t see his wife or the child in her womb back in the capital, he had accepted his fate.

At that moment, powerful magic struck the center of the ogre horde, causing chaos. The front row of monsters was incinerated by a second wave of magic.

The newly created path of escape saved them. The mage who appeared suddenly asked Derient, “Are you the captain of the vanguard unit?”

“Yes, but who are you?” Derient asked, bewildered by the mage who had turned the tide of battle with a single spell.

“I am Ellesion, newly appointed as the strategist for the 3rd Infantry Division,” the mage replied with a calmness that belied the chaos around him.

This was before I, El, consumed the dragon heart. Before I met Rurin, and before becoming the central figure in the monster war.

The strategist of the 3rd Infantry Division was second only to the division commander, making him Derient’s direct superior. Derient immediately knelt in gratitude.

“Thank you for your help! But being surrounded was my fault alone! My subordinates are innocent!”

Derient began to confess his guilt instead of focusing on the battle. El responded with another question.

“Do you think such trivial matters are important right now?”

“What?”

“Ogres are coming. Right now, just focus on killing as many as you can. That’s what war is about.”

It was a straightforward command.

Derient snapped back to reality, nodding as he gripped his sword and charged the ogres. His mistakes had nearly led to the division’s destruction, and he fought as if to atone for it with his life.

Thanks to El’s intervention, the monster ambush was broken, and the vanguard unit held the line. The 3rd Infantry Division managed to set up a frontline base.

The next day, Derient visited El’s tent and knelt before him.

“Strategist, I am a disgraced knight! Why am I being rewarded?”

A knight who almost destroyed his unit should not be rewarded. Derient, driven by honor, requested punishment instead.

“You made a mistake, but you redeemed yourself by killing more monsters than anyone else. Your actions boosted the morale of the soldiers. Punishing a commander like you would reduce our fighting strength. Even though you live and die by honor, shouldn’t you have the chance to restore it? You earned that chance by winning the battle. Your men wouldn’t accept their rewards if you didn’t. So take it.”

“Such…!”

“Or do you want to dishonor your men twice? If you’re punished, they will be too. Do you want that?”

Derient was speechless but couldn’t bring himself to harm his innocent subordinates. Honor was important, but not at the expense of others.

Reluctantly, Derient nodded.

He decided to forget about restoring his honor but fought even harder from that day on.

During El’s three-month tenure with the 3rd Infantry Division, they won numerous victories, largely thanks to Derient’s vanguard unit.

The resulting rewards were significant, but Derient refused them. Knowing his wife was pregnant, El secretly sent the rewards to her.

Despite the difficulty of war, Derient’s wife safely gave birth thanks to those rewards, a fact Derient only learned after the war ended.

El later left the battlefield to become entangled in even larger conflicts, unknown to Derient.

But Derient knew that he owed the recovery of his honor and the safety of his wife and daughter to El.

After the war, Derient’s merits were recognized, and he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the vice-captain of the 1st Knight Division.

—

Derient briefly recounted his story.

“So this man is not the vice-captain’s enemy…?”

“Not an enemy, but a benefactor! I’m only angry because he disappeared without letting me repay the debt! It’s not a grudge. I called it such to make you act faster,” Derient shouted, looking around.

“Sheathe your swords immediately!” he commanded.

The knights, confused, quickly obeyed, sheathing their swords. Derient then knelt before me.

“It’s been five years, Strategist. Though our time together was short, I’ve never forgotten it. Do you know how shocked I was to see you? I sent my men ahead and got permission from the prince to rush here! Do you know how desperately I’ve been searching for you?”

Apparently, he had spotted me while watching the procession.

“It’s been a long time.”

I had fought on many battlefields before gaining absolute power. That was my life after being summoned to this world. I rose from the bottom to become a high-class mage through sheer effort. I only transcended human limits after a fortunate encounter. I wasn’t born an extraordinary being; I spent more time fearing death in the treacherous battlefields.

Derient was a subordinate I met during those times when I only possessed human strength.

But whether it’s human power or transcendence, it’s all just memories now.

I helped Derient up, saying, “Can you forget who I was back then? Now I’m just a retired restaurant owner, tired of fighting.”

“That’s why I couldn’t find you. I never imagined you’d be in a place like this! But the war is over, isn’t it? There’s no more fighting to worry about, so you should be enjoying the rewards you deserve!”

Derient only knew me as the man I was with human power, unaware of what had happened since. His eyes held only the joy of seeing an old comrade, not reverence.

“What use are rewards? They only lead to more battlefields. I prefer a peaceful life with good people and beautiful scenery.”

“That’s…”

Derient seemed at a loss for words but nodded, understanding that everyone has their own ideal life.

“How about a meal since you’re here?”

“No, I rushed over after getting temporary permission, so I need to finish my duties first. But now that I know where you are, I’ll return with my wife and daughter. My wife still talks about the reward you sent back then… Ha ha.”

Derient scratched the back of his head.

“That sounds good.”

It was a heartwarming story.

“You’re not going to disappear suddenly again, right?”

“I won’t. This is my home now, just like you have yours.”

With a dragon’s lair under the hill, this place is undeniably my home now. My firm words reassured Derient, and he nodded before leaving with his knights.

He had probably spotted me while watching the procession and rushed over. Given his duties, he couldn’t stay long. It felt like a whirlwind had passed through.

“Arrogant humans. I don’t like them,” Rurin grumbled.

“He’s an old acquaintance.”

“If I wasn’t eating, I would have killed them all!”

Rurin raised an eyebrow, annoyed but still eating.

“Since they knelt before you, I’ll let it slide. I won’t mistreat anyone who shows you respect.”

“Thanks.”

As I picked some rice off her face, Rurin started giggling. Then she put the rice and my fingers into her mouth, biting down gently.

“Hehe.”

Still smiling.

But then she started biting harder.

“Hey, don’t bite!”

When I yelled, Rurin boldly declared, “Your finger is mine now!” before running off to the second floor. Of course, I had to chase her.