Elliott stood frozen, his gaze tracking each unfolding event before him.
Even when the grotesque figure of Agreas appeared before a stranger wielding a radiant Battle Axe, he could not muster the strength to move. Separated by the Barrier, he remained rooted in place, a tumult of helplessness and inner conflict swirling within him.
In his line of sight, he saw the man’s glowing Battle Axe cleave through Agreas’s monstrous half, and Flora’s eyes were fixed on that man. Her expression was a blend of concern and hope, suggesting a bond of trust that had already formed between them. He bit back a surge of jealousy. After betraying her, presenting her with Divorce Papers, and casting her aside, he felt he had no right to such feelings anymore.
Soon, the voice of the man with the Battle Axe called out to Flora. With a serious expression, she rushed toward the Barrier, clutching something that resembled a rope.
──It’s dangerous out there, beyond the Barrier…
He muttered silently to himself, recalling his past self who had scorned being in a “safe place.” It was strange to think that he had once looked down on such a situation alongside Emily, even though there had been nothing wrong with it. The Flora he remembered was a common woman working as a seamstress in the Royal Capital. She had no means to fight. It was astonishing that she could move without showing fear in a place filled with Undead monsters.
The group surrounding the covered carriage was quite peculiar. While the knights and mercenaries of Beresford were to be expected, the elderly couple and Flora seemed out of place in such a dangerous situation, almost as if they were at the center of this gathering for some unknown reason.
“…I’m glad, Miss Flora, you seem much healthier than before,” came Chelsea’s voice, who was nestled close to Kevin.
“…Before?”
Elliott couldn’t help but murmur, prompting Chelsea to turn her gaze toward him. He sensed a flicker of anger and disdain in her eyes. She quickly averted her gaze, returning her focus to Flora as she began to speak again.
“Miss Flora, come see me before you leave the Royal Capital. You owe me a debt of gratitude for the dress you gave me. I have nothing else left… I thought everything might just disappear, and that scared me.”
Her voice trembled as she began to recount the circumstances Flora had faced back when they were in the Royal Capital.
He had already understood that the Promissory Note was forged. Yet, it was only now that he learned of the malice Flora had been subjected to in the Royal Capital. It was something he had chosen to ignore.
He could easily imagine the involvement of Agreas’s schemes, but even without that, there were nobles and wealthy individuals who sought to exploit the Holy Knight’s reputation. He could also envision the petty jealousy of completely unrelated individuals and the misuse of her name in lowly scams.
Hearing all this now, he realized that even the things he could imagine were things he had chosen not to know.
He learned that she had prayed for his safety every day at the church, living frugally after losing her job, all the way until the day of his triumphant return. The ugliness of his own beliefs—that she had been living lavishly while in debt—became painfully clear.
──How could I have said she was “just a useless person who prayed,” while wielding the Holy Sword…?
Hearing about the dress Chelsea mentioned, he was reminded of the days spent in the Royal Capital before his deployment, filled with simple joys that he had taken for granted.
However, he was told that the Holy Maiden was the only one worthy to stand beside a Holy Knight, and that Flora had lost her place because of such rumors. A chilling sensation coursed through him, as if all the blood in his body had frozen. The cause of it all was his own actions.
There was no going back; he had shattered what could never be restored. The self-loathing that had come too late to matter now relentlessly berated him.
Agreas was easily captured, undergoing a bizarre treatment that left Elliott feeling bewildered. He had no time to laugh; he could only stare at Flora in a daze.
Once the treatment for Agreas was complete, everyone retreated into the Barrier to strategize their next move. The knights of Beresford were rescuing Marcus and Richard from where the Undead Slime had retreated, bringing them back inside.
Amidst the rapidly changing situation, Elliott felt utterly miserable, standing there unable to do anything.
Chelsea waved her hand, and Flora turned to look at him. Perhaps it was because he had entered her line of sight, but her smile seemed shadowed, causing his heart to ache. She hesitated, took a deep breath, and then walked toward him.
“…Flora,”
His voice, finally squeezed out, was hoarse. There were so many things he needed to say, yet none of them came forth.
“…It was my fault…”
As he managed to voice that, Flora shook her head.
“It’s all in the past now.”
“But you… must resent me.”
He had done things that warranted resentment and hatred. Acknowledging this aloud, Flora awkwardly smiled and shook her head again.
“…No. Resenting or hating you would be a waste of time. Right now, I want to spend all my time for the sake of my loved ones.”
Though her voice trembled slightly, the words Flora spoke were sincere. Yet, to Elliott, they felt like a rejection. He thought it was too late to seek forgiveness.
“I’m just glad you’re safe.”
With that final statement, Flora smiled as if to shake off everything and turned her back, walking away. It felt like a renewed farewell was being conveyed in her silence, and he bowed his head, gritting his teeth to suppress his emotions.
After standing there for a while, he finally spoke to Kevin and Lloyd, who stood nearby.
“I want to check on Marcus and Richard… I have things I need to tell them.”
He had to clear Flora’s name. He needed to put the truth into words himself. That was the only atonement he could offer in this moment.