My Strange Savior - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

[Hagria Mountain Range]

As Gia stepped out of Gregory’s room, she saw Kalion standing over there.

“Why are you spacing out here?”

Touching his wrist bracelet and wearing a dazed expression, Kalion snapped back to attention when called, returning to his original sharp-eyed state.

“Ah…”

“That bracelet suits you well.”

“Thank you.”

Upon the compliment, Kalion quickly lowered his sleeve to cover his wrist. He seemed a bit embarrassed.

“Give it to me.”

“Huh?”

“The mana bullet, please.”

Finally, Kalion extended the bullet he had stored within his embrace. The bullet, shining with an opaque color, sat on Gia’s palm.

“So, this was made with dragon mana?”

“Yes. It’s hard for ordinary armor to even scratch dragon scales. Killing them is possible only with weapons made from dragon parts.”

“Ah, I see.”

In awe, Gia held the bullet between her thumb and forefinger and examined it closely.

“It’s precious.”

“Yes. In the first place, capturing a White Dragon was also a stroke of luck.”

“How did you know that?”

“It’s written in the Asperon Empire’s history book. It’s part of the legacy left by the founding hero, Felician. He’s noted to have captured a White Dragon.”

“I see.”

Capturing the White Dragon had been purely a stroke of luck. Exhausted from battling for territory with other dragons, and on the verge of death, Felician managed to capture it using a dragon bone sword, an heirloom from Felician’s legacy.

Of course, even weakened, a dragon was still a dragon. It took many sacrifices to capture it.

“Now, what do you think we should do?”

Glancing around, Kalion paused before replying.

“Let’s go to the reception room and discuss the rest.”

“Alright.”

Kalion led the way, and Gia followed. The wind was chilling, announcing the beginning of winter, but the sunlight was warm.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Gia adjusted her slightly damp hair in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“I mentioned this before, but a man named Morrison is likely in the place where the dragon awakened.”

“I see… Well, hiding with that huge dragon, the place would be suitable.”

Gia agreed, and Kalion continued with the answer he had in mind.

“I’ll lead the members to lure the dragon out of the lair.”

“Isn’t that too risky?”

“But to lure the dragon out of its lair within the realm, this is the only method. We can’t hit it accurately if it’s hidden, after all.”

Despite Kalion’s valid reasoning, Gia couldn’t hide her concern. It was a way to lure, but it was as good as becoming bait.

Weak humans would vanish without a trace in a single breath from a dragon.

“Are you sure this will be alright?”

“I am prepared for this.” 

Kalion assured, appearing resolute and unwavering.

“So… please, make sure to bring down the dragon in one shot.”

Kalion’s young and innocent face seemed filled with tension.

“Alright… I’ll… I’ll do my best.”

Though Gia wasn’t entirely at ease being relegated to the rear, she knew she was the only one capable of handling a sniper rifle. With a reluctant expression, she accepted his proposition.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Realizing Gia’s worried look, Kalion averted his gaze, his lips sealed.

“It’s useless if you die. You must survive and return. Both you and the team.”

“Understood.”

Her warm words and concern seemed to melt him strangely. It was as warm and boundless as the sunlight streaming through the window.

Gia was genuinely worried about Kalion’s life.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving my life the first time…”

It was a belated expression of gratitude, but Kalion desperately wanted to say it. 

If it hadn’t been for Gia, Kalion might not have found his body in the Hagria Mountain Range and would have met a lonely death.

“Ah, never mind. What… you came to say…”

Gia waved her hand, looking a bit embarrassed.

“No, I wanted to tell you.”

In his sincere eyes, Gia put down her hand that she was waving and made eye contact with Kalion.

“Alright… I’ll take it to heart.”

Even though it wasn’t a great feat, Gia earnestly accepted the heartfelt thanks.

“At first, I grumbled, thinking you saved me for no reason…”

Gia scratched her cheek with her index finger, feeling a bit shy.

“By the way, when are we planning to depart?”

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Preparations were already complete.

With only the departure left, Kalion felt the weight on his shoulders increase.

“Got it. Let’s rest well today then.”

“Understood.”

Their peaceful daily routine came to an end that day.

* * *

Gia looked around the empty room. It had been so comfortable and pleasant. She could take a warm shower, the food was delicious, and most importantly, she could sleep without any worries.

She wondered when she would have the chance to enjoy such hospitality again.

People say humans are adaptable creatures. Even the thought of being homeless made her yearn for this room.

“Take care.”

She stroked the cozy quilt with regret.

Shaking off any lingering feelings, Gia left the room confidently and headed to the command center in her original attire.

Everyone appeared tense and focused. They wore armor representing the enemy’s knight order, and the armor sparkled whenever it caught the sunlight. A fiery red flame, as if ready to ignite at any moment, was depicted on their chests.

“Have you arrived?”

Gia, dressed entirely in black, carried only a small bag on her back and another bag with a sniper rifle on top of it.

With each step she took, not burdened by the weight, courage overflowed in her every stride.

Instead of awkward stumbling, she walked with grace and restraint, her face stern.

“Horses… are we using horses?”

“Yes. We plan to move on horseback until just below the mountain range, where it becomes a plain.”

“Haha… horses. Horses.”

Snorting and brushing the hair off its face, the horse she was assigned to made eye contact with Gia.

‘What… why.’

The horse’s eyes seemed to echo its whinnies, causing Gia to suppress a chuckle.

“I…”

“Yes?”

The whispered words were barely audible, prompting Kalion to bend down, bringing his ear close. Each time he moved, the metal attached only to vital areas on the leather made a rustling sound.

“Is this your first time riding a horse?”

“Yes?”

Kalion’s face showed a sign of distress as he hadn’t considered this aspect.

“Well…”

He looked around at the team members, each tending to their respective horses.

“At least… uh…”

He seemed at a loss for words, glancing around at the members, who were also managing their horses.

“Let’s ride together.”

His attempt to explain fell flat. Why did he assume Gia could ride a horse? Kalion scratched his forehead, dumbfounded by his own unreasonable mistake.

“Let’s ride together.” 

Gia repeated, she prepared words now useless.

She glanced at Kalion’s sleek black horse, glistening with a glossy sheen. Her worried gaze reflected her lack of experience with living creatures; she knew how to ride a motorbike or drive a car but had never ridden a living being.

“Is it safe?”

“Yes… We can’t travel on foot. Riding a horse should get us to the base of the mountain within half a day.”

“It’s my first time riding.”

“It’s okay. I’ll…”

“Yes?”

This time, Kalion stumbled over his words. When Gia asked why, he finished speaking with an oddly reddened face.

“But I’m here.”

“Oh… of course. I trust you… I do.”

Why is his face turning red? Something was off. Sensing the peculiar atmosphere, Gia glanced around nervously.

Swoosh, swoosh.

A gentle breeze seemed to tickle the surroundings, making Gia absentmindedly scratch her cheek.

“Have you come out, Master?”

Kalion greeted Oscar respectfully as he came out to see them off. Behind him stood Gregory, looking a bit flushed from just waking up.

“I sincerely hope… that you return safely, without any trouble.”

The wrinkles on Oscar’s worried face expressed his concern and affection for his disciple.

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

“We’ll have guards accompany you to below the mountains. It might be better to have them, as we can’t keep the horses tied up all the way.”

Thankful for Oscar’s consideration, Kalion expressed his gratitude.

Gregory still had a somewhat puzzled expression on his chubby face as he observed Kalion and Gia. 

Why bother coming out if he was going to look like that? Gregory, with a forced expression, seemed like he had something to say but just blurted out a few words before quickly disappearing.

“Be… be safe, everyone.”

Bam.

What was that? Huh? In that instant, something blazing red leaped into the facility. 

Seeing this, Oscar burst into good-natured laughter.

“He’s a very bashful lad.”

Kalion nodded in agreement at Oscar’s words, which were accompanied by an inviting arm gesture, suggesting that they head inside and freshen up.

“Yes, he is. He’s a good person, resembling the master.”

Kalion fastened his sword at his side. He recalled the precious gift that Gregory, who took all the knights’ swords before they set off, had given them—something invaluable that couldn’t be measured in terms of value. 

The high-output mana stones Gregory had attached to all their swords with his alchemy were a generous gesture, and Kalion expressed his gratitude.

“If you think of it that way, I’m grateful.”

Oscar, revealing his deep love for his grandson, chuckled affectionately.

“Oh, right.”

“Yes?”

Oscar turned his gaze to Gia’s voice.

“The kid… I’ll rely on you.”

“Don’t worry.”

At Gia’s request, Oscar thought of Rey. Knowing that Gia had deliberately not mentioned her departure today, he replied with a knowing wink.

‘Rey, I’ll do my best… don’t worry, big sister’s got this.’

Thinking about Rey, whom she had promised to find his parents but had achieved nothing and might be hurt when Gia returned without success, made Oscar worry. He sensed that Rey would bear considerable emotional pain. 

In the end, Gia decided not to bring up her departure separately.

“Now, we’ll depart.”

At Kalion’s words, Oscar also bid them farewell. It could be the last farewell.

“Stay safe… be careful.”

Oscar struggled to open his lips, knowing that this might be their last encounter, and watched his disciple’s departing figure as he headed toward the mountains.

As originally planned, Gia did not mention her departure separately. 

Kalion, who had prepared for Gia to ride a horse, secured their baggage firmly and leaped onto the horse in a single bound.

Perched on the turquoise saddle, Kalion’s figure on the horse was flawless, with not a single flaw. Even though Gia, who didn’t know much about horseback riding, looked at him, she couldn’t find anything to criticize.

The black horse, perfectly matched with the green saddle, was a sight to behold. Each movement of the horse, perfectly synchronized with Kalion’s gestures, caused the ground to tremble slightly, and a cloud of fine dust lifted into the air.

Gia was mesmerized by the beautiful harmony between the majestic black horse and Kalion. The horse, significantly larger than the average, radiated power with its taut muscles, giving off an impressive aura. 

Kalion’s posture on the horse was reminiscent of a seasoned commander leading an army on the battlefield.

“Wow…”

Gia exclaimed in awe as she gazed at Kalion.

“Let’s go.”

As Kalion extended his gloved hand, Gia promptly clasped it, ready to embark on their journey.