Chapter 52

[What to Lose]

“Hurry!”

While Gia faced Morrison alone, Kalion took care of the fallen members. 

He needed Gia to hold on until he returned.

Grappling with the throbbing ankle and enduring unusual pain, Kalion, with clenched teeth, gathered the unconscious comrades.

“Heuk, heoak.”

Rockt, bleeding from his forehead, soon regained consciousness and, along with Kalion, led the other members.

“Hup.”

Even without saying a word, they all knew what needed to be done next.

The dragon’s heart.

However, piercing through the thick dragon scales and skin to extract the heart was no easy task. They needed to do it quickly. Frustrated, Kalion anxiously bit his lip.

‘Please. Gia. Hold on until I return.’

Kalion cursed at the slow progress. Even in midwinter, sweat droplets formed on Kalion’s forehead, sliding down along his sharp jawline.

Desperately, he raised the raise of his mana stone to the maximum to tear through the leather and extract the heart inside. The muffled thumping sound from within was gnawing at Kalion’s nerves.

Please hold on. Please.

“Damn it!”

Kalion, who usually spoke rough words, looked unfamiliarly furious as blood trickled down his forehead. It was the first time the calm and rational leader had displayed such anger. 

Rockt and the other members discreetly crowded around the dragon’s carcass.

As several of them exerted force, the tough leather finally tore, revealing the dragon’s heart within.

“Hurry, take this.”

“What?”

“Take this and go.”

“But, Commander…”

“Quickly! There’s no time to waste!”

Rockt immediately blocked Kalion, who seemed ready to return to the cave right away.

“You’re not going, are you?”

With a single nod, Rockt clamped his mouth shut.

Just by meeting the burning red eyes directly, despite the absence of words, Rockt could understand. The Commander intended to go inside and face destiny alongside Gia.

“Rockt. No, Vice-Commander.”

Kalion’s thick hand rested on Rockt’s shoulder.

“Take care of the rest of the members.”

Rockt was also sure that he couldn’t capture Morrison here. Just by observing the onslaught against Gia, Rockt knew he couldn’t win.

Right now, Kalion was as good as heading to his death.

“Get going.”

As if feeling frustrated, Kalion tried to pass by Rockt, who was blocking his way.

“Commander!”

“Hurry…”

While Kalion, who had been banging on Rockt as if to vent his frustration, was about to enter, he noticed Rockt’s following actions.

“We will go with you, please let us join.”

“What?”

“Please allow us to join you.”

The eyes of the surviving members were filled with sincerity towards Kalion. The guilt and loss of abandoning their comrades were deeply engraved in their bones. The same determination not to leave their leader alone as they had done before flowed into Kalion.

Thud. Thud.

At the sound coming from inside, where an intense battle was taking place, Kalion looked back at the cave.

“You might die too.”

Upon seeing that nearly half of the members had decreased since their initial arrival, Kalion’s eyes darkened.

“No, we will go regardless.”

“That’s right! We can’t leave the Commander and Gia behind!”

Spencer, mustering strength in his words as if to support Rockt, spoke up with determination.

“Don’t tell us to abandon our comrades. Gia is the same. You know better than anyone how we feel about her.”

As Spencer shouted, his neck turned red with anger, and the veins stood out on his temples. The other members seemed uneasy, their breaths not quite steady.

They would follow the Commander no matter what, even if it meant going through hell. The determined gaze in their eyes conveyed a resolve to stay together until the end.

Gratitude for the members and regret for not protecting them – these complex emotions entwined within Kalion. Unable to release these emotions outwardly, Kalion rubbed his forehead roughly.

For the sake of Gia, who was likely alone in the bloody battle, they needed to hurry inside. However, Kalion couldn’t figure out what order to give to the members who declared they would follow him to the end.

Their lives were not to be taken lightly, making Kalion’s decision even more difficult.

“Haah.”

Kalion’s heavy breath settled enough to dig into the ground, and his decision was directed at the members with shining eyes.

“I will respect your honorable decision…”

“Let’s go.”

Clang, clang.

Rockt urged Kalion to go inside quickly, but instead, he was stopped.

“Wait a moment.”

Kalion, who had stopped his steps, looked at the still-beating heart in Rockt’s hand.

If they all died here, their efforts to come and capture the dragon would be in vain.

“Spencer.”

“Yes!”

Spencer responded energetically, his eyes bright.

“Take this.”

Kalion handed the dragon’s heart in Rockt’s hand to Spencer.

“Commander?”

Why was he giving it to him…

Spencer’s eyes narrowed as he took it, his heart racing.

“The rest of the comrades didn’t sacrifice their lives to come this far without reason, right?”

Spencer looked down at his sturdy hands. The heart of the Red Dragon was still pulsating, as if alive. It was larger than a child’s skull, surrounded by gruesome veins, and its color was a deep crimson.

“Yes…”

Understanding Kalion’s words, Spencer stared intently at the dragon’s heart in his palm. If they were to die here, all their efforts so far would be in vain. Spencer closed his eyes, then opened them again. 

Understanding what the Commander was trying to convey, he firmly held his comrades’ fate in his mind.

“Tell the master. The rest will take care of itself.”

Faith in Oscar finding the dragon’s remains and informing the emperor about the situation. Trust that the remaining members who died here would be taken care of. With this confidence, Kalion entrusted Spencer.

“Hurry! The rest of the members will follow me!”

“Yes!”

Leaving only Spencer behind, Kalion and the other members disappeared into the cave. Spencer, left alone, carefully cradled the pulsating heart in his palms.

He had to be helpful, even if just for the sake of their fallen comrades who had faced the dragon. With tears streaming down his face, Spencer turned away.

“I will definitely deliver the message.”

Spencer felt that today might be the last day he would see the knights’ order. The weight of knowing how they fought until the end, the sacrifices they made – Spencer felt a duty to convey all of that.

“I will definitely…”

Spencer, burdened with the heavy task of descending the mountain alone, securely tied the heart to his cloak like a makeshift bag.

Looking down from the mountain, Spencer’s legs moved like the wind, and his eyes, now more resolute than ever, glistened with determination.

* * *

Spencer alone, could he descend the treacherous mountain range? 

If anyone could, it was him. Despite being young and the youngest, Spencer was still a formal member of the knight order.

Kalion hoped Spencer would deliver the heart successfully, so the sacrifices of their remaining comrades would not be in vain.

Kalion entered the cave without hesitation.

‘Darn it!’

As soon as he entered, the sight before Kalion left him speechless. The end of a spear poised as if to pierce Gia’s head.

The sharp spear seemed ready to pierce Gia’s forehead and leave a hole in the back of her head at any moment. Seeing this, Kalion’s body moved instinctively.

‘No!’

He couldn’t allow that to happen. Kalion’s eyes gleamed fiercely, his face tensed with determination. Despite his injured ankle slipping, he felt no pain at that moment. The only thought dominating Kalion’s mind was that he had to block the attack aimed at Gia.

Kalion firmly gripped the sword in his hand, fixing it like a lance. Steadying his left foot on the ground and extending his waist as far back as possible, he released the tightly coiled body like a bow. As he let go, the sword in his hand flew forward like an arrow.

Swish.

With the sound of slicing through the air, the tip of the flying sword posed a threatening presence toward Morrison.

“Keuk.”

Unexpectedly, Morrison’s side was pierced by the attack. 

Just as Gia had predicted, Morrison’s lack of experience in combat was evident. It was his current weakness. Although Morrison took the hit without parrying the flying sword, Kalion urgently rushed forward, grabbing Gia’s waist.

“Kalion… Why…”

“Please get up.”

The question in her eyes, as if asking why he was here, silenced Kalion. 

‘Did I not agree to be with you until the end?’

Kalion bit his lips painfully in response to Gia’s skeptical gaze, unsure whether he should resent her for not trusting him or blame his upbringing in an environment where trusting others was difficult. Kalion’s face contorted as if about to cry.

“Quick! Please get up!”

The expressions of Rockt and the other members, who were blocking Morrison’s attacks, twisted mercilessly. Despite the charge of eleven generals, Morrison’s smirk remained as he stepped back a few paces. That was the best they could do.

“Why… Did you come to die?”

Morrison chuckled, his smiling lips twisting as if mocking the insignificance of those before him.

“Pitiful.”

Morrison’s mouth opened wide as if to yawn, his sharp teeth clicking together.

He’s got a bunch of people, and they’re no match for him. Morrison, whose wounds had long since healed, moved like a bird in flight, tightening his grip on all sides. 

The pressure was overwhelming, even with just one person.

Feeling the difference in strength, defeat showed on the faces of the members. Yet, they continued to block the sharp attacks one by one, staking their lives on each defense.

Rockt and the others tried to stand their ground, but the only thing left on the ground was the imprints of their retreating footsteps. 

Snap.

An attack that had seemed like a joke so far tore through the air and instantly ripped apart Rockt’s stomach.

“Heuk.”

“Rockt!”

Blood gathered at Morrison’s fingertips as he pushed Rockt away as if brushing off dust.