Chương 209: B3 - Chapter 41: Humanity Anchor

Seth stepped out of the swirling Rift portal just as the sun began sinking beneath the horizon, casting long, crimson shadows across the battlefield. Thirty hours. That was how long this battle had taken him to finish. Not his fastest one. Not his longest either. His gaze drifted toward the glowing summary hovering a few feet above him. [SUMMARY] [Battle #105 Kastal Kingdom vs. Bridan Empire] KINGDOM OF KASTAL: 47 SURVIVORS | 0 CAPTURED BRIDAN EMPIRE: 12 SURVIVORS | 0 CAPTURED Twelve. Far too many.

The moment the imperial soldiers had laid eyes on Seth, Nightmare, Colossus, and Lumi inside the Rift, nearly half the formation had fled for their lives. They hadn't even attempted to fight. The soldiers had scattered in every direction like frightened insects, and Seth simply hadn't been fast enough to kill all of them before they'd managed to escape the boundaries of his Distortion Rod's field. Seth slowly scanned the neutral zone. No new Rifts were currently forming across the plain.

For once, the plain stood strangely quiet beneath the dying sunlight. After a few slow steps forward, Seth lowered himself and sat in silence on the dirt in the middle of the battlefield. His eyes locked directly on the distant lines of the Empire's camp. This was the part Seth had grown to hate most over the past two weeks. The waiting. Whenever he sat here, stood watch while Nightmare and Colossus slept, or tried to snatch a few hours of rest himself inside the Warfare Rifts, it was always the same.

The moment he stopped moving and no fight demanded his attention, his mind turned against him. Memories resurfaced: Eddin's lifeless stare, the mangled corpses of the people from his squad, Henry on his knees in the soot, utterly crushed beneath the weight of his soldiers' deaths. Then the spiraling thoughts always followed. Could he have pushed himself harder over the past year? Could he have entered the war stronger than he had?

Could he have accumulated more powerful gear, climbed faster, done more—anything more—to truly change the outcome?' It is not your fault, Seth,'Colossus said through Link, his voice low.' You told me yourself during the first battle: we cannot protect everyone. We can only focus on saving as many as possible.' Seth remained silent, fingers slowly digging into the dry earth beneath him. Those had indeed been his words. Back then, they had sounded valid. Now they felt hollow.'

Letting this grief consume you will help no one,' Nightmare added through their mutual bond.' And yet we saved more people over the past two weeks than anyone else in this entire damned war,' Seth replied bitterly.' That's true,'the direwolf answered.' But we cannot continue forever at this pace. You cannot continue forever at this pace. Eventually, you'll break.' A beat of silence followed.' And besides,'the direwolf added,' you're starting to smell terrible.'

A faint, fleeting smile tugged at the corner of Seth's mouth despite himself. Just as Seth was about to retort to the remark, a familiar voice rose from behind him.

"Seth." He closed his eyes. The sound struck him with a weight far heavier than any blow from the battlefield. He would recognize that voice anywhere. Despite that, he couldn't bring himself to turn around. Elena's distinct crimson hair flashed in his peripheral vision as the noblewoman took a seat on the dirt beside him. The fabric of her sleeve brushed lightly against his arm, the warmth coming from beneath cutting through the cold evening air. For several long seconds, she said nothing.

She simply stayed there beside him. The silence made it impossible to tell whether she truly lacked the words to comfort him, or if she understood this was the only thing she could offer right now. Her presence.

"I'm alright," Seth finally muttered before she said anything.

"You don't have to spend the entire night sitting out here in the dirt with me." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Elena shifted slightly beside him.

"You don't have to spend it here either." Seth's eyes remained on the distant horizon.

"I don't want to miss the beginning of the next battle," he answered.

"I don't know if the King or any of his allies will try to stop me from entering if I'm not already standing here."

"They wouldn't do that," Elena replied. She leaned forward and locked her arms around her knees.

"You've become the only real source of hope left for most of the soldiers of Kastal's army. You're the reason the other squads still march into those Rifts despite knowing there's a good chance they might not come back alive." A faint breeze swept across the plain, stirring the grass around them.

"Many are saying the Empire might actually surrender because of you." Seth's jaw tightened.

"That's just one more reason to stay right here. People are counting on me." Elena turned to him.

"But everyone on this plain would understand if you took one night to rest." She paused, and humor slipped into her tone.

"Or at least took a bath." Nightmare's voice echoed from inside the teardrop necklace, "That's what I told him." A smile touched Elena's lips, softening some of the tension in her expression.

"I'm glad to hear your voice, Nightmare," she said quietly.

"Are you holding up alright?"

"I am," the direwolf answered with a low rumble.

"This much fighting is nothing to me."

"And Colossus?" Elena asked while looking at Seth's chest, where his necklace was buried under his leather armor.

"I am also well," the scorpion replied.

"But I am worried about Seth." Seth raised a bloodstained gauntlet and rubbed at his forehead. Before he could dismiss their concerns yet again, Elena spoke first.

"I'm worried too." Seth's lips turned into a thin line.

"You don't need to be," he muttered.

"Like I said, I'm fine." Elena didn't argue. Instead, she quietly leaned against him and rested her head against the pad covering his shoulder.

"You don't have to lie to me, Seth." His body instinctively tensed. Part of him wanted to pull away. Rebuild the distance. Return to the isolation that had wrapped around him ever since most of his squad had been killed. But he stopped himself. Seth let the tension leave his shoulders and allowed Elena to remain there with him in silence.

"I just want to be able to say I did absolutely everything I could," Seth whispered.

"You did," Elena replied softly.

"You've already done more than anyone ever thought was humanly possible." Strands of her crimson hair danced in the passing breeze.

"The tale of Seth, the People's Champion, is once again being sung in every inn across the kingdom. No one would blame you for taking a single night to recover some strength." Her voice softened further.

"Your intentions had always been so pure, Seth… but I don't want you to lose yourself along the way." Seth remained silent. His gaze shifted from the imperial encampment stretching along the horizon to the far left side of the staging grounds. The two NEVAK representatives were nowhere in sight, but the Spirit still hovered at its post, floating inches above the ground. Its smoky form glowed faintly beneath the rays of the setting sun, carrying the same detached indifference it always displayed.

The sight reignited the anger smoldering within Seth's chest. To that thing, every death on the battlefield amounted to nothing more than pieces moving across a game board. Temporary entertainment. Seth clenched his fists. Some people need to be reminded that those sitting at the top of the food chain can still be overthrown and killed. The warmth of Elena's hand sliding gently down his forearm abruptly pulled him back to the present.

She grasped his hand before rising to her feet and giving him a persistent tug upward.

"Let's go." Her green eyes were warm and gentle, yet they left no place to argue.

"You need a bath." A smile spread on her lips.

"And a night of sleep on an actual bed." Seth pushed himself up to his full height, his heavy boots sinking slightly into the dirt.

"It's not necessary," he said, though his voice lacked its usual edge.

"Yes," Elena replied, keeping hold of his hand and giving another firm tug.

"It absolutely is." Seth sighed and allowed her to pull him across the neutral zone. As they walked, his gaze instinctively drifted back toward the distant fires of the imperial army.

"Hey," Elena chided.

"Eyes on me." Seth looked back at her. The last rays of the setting sun reflected within her emerald eyes, and a genuine smile slowly rose across her face. For one brief moment, the blood-soaked grassland surrounding them seemed distant. Insignificant. Elena turned back toward the road ahead and continued guiding him forward. And for once, Seth stopped fighting the pull. The two of them crossed the darkening plain in silence before the massive walls of Veretia rose before them.

Their boots clicked against the stone threshold beneath the towering wooden gates as they entered the city.

"Half the people here probably want to talk to you," Elena said while leading him through the shadows cast by the outer wall.

"But I'm guessing you're not exactly in the mood for a grand reception." Seth gave a nod.

"Not really."

"Then we're going straight to the Surani outpost," Elena decided while guiding him toward a quieter, dimly lit street.

"There are far fewer people there, and you won't attract nearly as much attention. If we walk into your inn right now, the entire place is going to start cheering the second they recognize you." Seth looked down to adjust his belt.

"I think you're exaggerating a little. I don't see why—" Before he could finish the sentence, the doors of a nearby tavern suddenly burst open. Warm lantern light spilled across the street alongside a wave of drunken voices loudly singing in unison:"~He hunts, he chases, he never stops! A beast born from us, the people! A beast that will save us, the people! ~" Seth's stride faltered. Elena glanced back at him, her lips curving into a mocking grin.

"You were saying?" A genuine, albeit tired, smile broke across Seth's face as he shook his head.' Why do all these ridiculous songs and heroic tales always focus entirely on you?

'Nightmare grumbled through Link.' Why do they never mention me or Small Bite?'' I don't know,'Seth replied mentally, his thoughts lightening.' You'll have to complain to the bards, not me.' Seth and Elena continued through the winding cobblestone streets as the twin moons appeared in the sky. Eventually, they arrived at the fortified entrance of the Surani outpost. Seth followed the noblewoman inside, stepping into the quiet warmth of the building before climbing the wooden staircase to the upper floor.

The blood on Seth's gear drew the attention of several guards stationed along the walls. It didn't take long after that for them to recognize him. Their eyes widened, but to their credit, none of them said a word. Elena led Seth to a secluded room at the very back of the hallway. The moment they stepped inside, she grabbed a clean towel from a wooden washstand and tossed it to him before pointing at the door at the far end of the room.

"There's already a hot bath prepared in there," she said. She then glanced down at the state of his armor.

"And there's a cleaning kit on the counter. You should scrub all that grime off your gear." Seth caught the towel and looked at the noblewoman. The bath is already ready. She knew I would follow her.

"Thanks," he muttered. Elena nodded before turning toward the door.

"I'll be in the room beside yours." She paused, one hand resting against the iron handle before glancing back over her shoulder. Her expression suddenly sharpened.

"If I hear even a single footstep suggesting you're trying to sneak back to the neutral zone tonight, I will personally freeze your door shut and trap you in here until I decide to let you out."