A week had already passed since then.
Nothing particularly special happened. Except for the little kid avoiding me.
Could it be that he was avoiding me because of what happened that time?
If that was true, it hurt a little.
Of course, I admit that I went a little overboard that time.
But still, to avoid me for a whole week was a bit much.
Thanks to that, I was struggling to find the little kid today as well.
At the very least, I wanted to meet him directly and hear the reason.
It hurt to suddenly be ghosted like this.
So, I grabbed people walking on the street and asked them about the little kid.
“Have you by any chance seen a little kid with red hair?”
“That’s not the important issue right now!”
“Pardon?”
“The Royal Knights are finally making a move! To end the war!”
“Ah, that.”
Seeing the man shouting excitedly, I thought, “Oops.”
Especially now, there was a reason why it was difficult to find the little kid.
It was because of a certain piece of news that had spread widely in the refugee camp.
Coincidentally, a week ago, a letter was delivered to the refugee camp.
It was a letter stating that the Royal Knights would advance northward with the army to end the war.
Moreover, it wasn’t just us who received it.
Nearby refugee camps had all received it as well.
Of course, the content itself was about requisitioning necessary supplies and troops, in other words, extorting them.
But no one disliked or opposed it.
Rather, everyone was welcoming the news and cheering.
As if the Royal Knights had already won.
However, I couldn’t be happy about it.
If my memory was correct, according to the setting, the Royal Knights were supposed to be annihilated around this time.
And from then on, a dark age would dawn upon humanity.
Moreover, such a sudden expedition to the point of being perplexing.
Could it be…?
“…So that’s how they get annihilated?”
“Captain.”
“?!”
Geez, you startled me.
Please make some noise when you approach.
I frowned and turned my head.
As expected, Clarence was standing there, still looking at me with an expressionless face.
Your class wasn’t assassin.
Why would you move around concealing your presence like this!?
As I was looking at him with that in mind, Clarence, who had been quietly observing me, finally opened his mouth.
“What did you mean by that just now?”
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I was just talking to myself. Forget it.”
Did he hear what I muttered earlier?
I deliberately laughed it off loudly.
In the first place, who would believe me if I said the Royal Knights would be annihilated?
But it was like scratching a scab.
I didn’t want to create unnecessary problems.
On the other hand, when I tried to laugh it off, suspicion started to mix in Clarence’s eyes.
Damn it, I needed to change the subject somehow.
“More importantly, have you seen the little kid I’ve been taking around?”
“I don’t even know who that little kid is.”
Yeah, because you were so great, you bastard.
I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud. Because Clarence was stronger than me.
If we fought without the time stop ability, I would lose ten times out of ten.
“Then I’ll be going now. I need to find the little kid.”
“Alright. Good luck.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Lucky bastard.
Ptooey!
I spat on the ground and nervously checked if Clarence had seen it.
Fortunately, Clarence had already turned his back, so he couldn’t see this way.
I didn’t know why, but Clarence made me very uncomfortable.
How should I put it, it felt like he was watching me?
Moreover, he always appeared behind me without any presence.
No, in the first place, I couldn’t help but regard him as a lucky bastard.
He was an elite from the capital, doing well. He even had a childhood friend who grew up with him by his side.
Damn it.
“Damn it.”
I directly touched my belly.
It had definitely gone down a lot compared to before, but it still looked like a middle-aged man’s belly. It was unfair.
While I was suffering with an uncle’s body, someone else was a talented genius with a future wife by his side!
Sigh, I had to stop thinking about it.
If I thought about this anymore, I’d become too miserable.
Putting aside the gloomy thoughts, I wandered around the village to find the little kid.
The village was openly in a festive mood.
The security forces had pulled out the cheap liquor they had been saving up until now.
They were also having a party with the meat they had hunted outside.
They were probably expecting the Royal Knights to end the war soon.
It was natural for people to believe that.
Because it had been too hard until now.
People starved without food to eat, and endured the cold winter gusts with just animal skin due to the absence of fuel.
In such a situation, the smoldering ember of hope had reignited.
Moreover, they weren’t just anyone, but the Royal Knights.
The legendary heroes who had protected more than half of the continent until now.
Each and every one of them was called a hero.
They were the strongest force in name and reality.
When those Royal Knights were directly going on an expedition, people naturally had no choice but to have expectations.
But that was why they needed to be prepared.
If they failed…
They would fall even further than now.
If it were up to me, I would want to follow them.
But with my current skills, if I followed them, it would just be a dog’s death.
I wasn’t a fool.
At least I could clearly distinguish when I needed to step down.
Moreover, frankly, even if I made a fuss saying the Royal Knights would be annihilated, who would believe me?
“More importantly, I need to find the little kid first.”
Where the hell was this damn little kid hiding?
Not even a single strand of his hair had been seen for a week.
Red hair was already a rare hair color, so it was impossible not to notice it.
Today, I didn’t even train.
I just searched for the little kid with determination since morning. And thanks to that, my effort bore fruit.
I had finally found the little kid in an empty lot where no one was around.
To be precise, it wasn’t an empty lot.
It was a place that was originally filled with trees.
It was a place where the trees in the forest were deliberately left behind to prepare for when they couldn’t chop wood outside.
That was why I couldn’t find it.
However, now I could find the little kid.
Because the trees that were there were all left with only their stumps.
I immediately ran over.
“What is this…?”
“Teacher, I finally completed the task.”
“Task? Could it be…?”
“I saw the Thunder Dragon.”
“???”
Don’t tell me, was this what he’s been doing all this time?
I was dumbfounded.
That was just a joke.
Of course, there was no way you could see the Thunder Dragon, right?
I was definitely going to say that.
If the little kid hadn’t taken a stance, that was.
He placed his hand on the end of the wooden stick he had at his waist.
At the same time, the figure of the little kid in front of me disappeared in an instant.
In a fleeting moment, what my eyes caught was a red light.
It shot out like lightning, as if it were a flash.
I couldn’t even blink my eyes.
Soon, at the end of the flash, he was standing alone.
Before I knew it, the wooden stick that had been drawn like a sword from his waist was back at his waist.
It was right then.
A gruesome creaking sound rang out.
Only then could I see it.
The giant tree that had been standing firm in front of me was cleanly split like a sheet of paper.
There wasn’t even a crunching sound.
It was literally as if it had been cut with a ruler.
The cross-section of the tree was clean.
I blankly stared at that sight.
What was that?
Even I couldn’t cut a tree with a sword.
Moreover, with just that wooden stick?
As I was standing there dumbfounded, the little kid smiled at me.
“This is the Thunder Dragon I saw.”
“…”
Thunder Dragon? What’s that?
I didn’t know, it’s scary.
* * *
The expedition of the Royal Knights was decided too suddenly.
Clarence, who was struggling like a dog on the scene, had no way of knowing what was going on in the current situation.
He knew there was ongoing discord within the Royal Knights.
But since they were called heroes, he could only hope that it wasn’t decided based on personal feelings.
Anyway, thanks to that, the recommendation of Royal Knights candidates was put on indefinite hold.
Could it be that they decided on the expedition for political reasons?
He had such suspicions. And he denied them.
He was getting tired of the endless chain of suspicious thoughts.
Right at that moment,
“…Are they going to be annihilated?”
The moment he heard those words, Clarence felt a chill run down his spine.
The worst possible situation unfolded before his eyes.
The annihilation of the Royal Knights. And the ensuing attacks.
It was undoubtedly hell.
However, just before the flames of that hell reached Clarence, he barely came to his senses.
In front of him, gasping for breath, stood a man.
It was an impossible story.
The Royal Knights being annihilated?
How could that be possible?
Even those who disliked the Royal Knights acknowledged their skills.
But the Royal Knights being annihilated?
“What did you mean by that just now?”
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I was just talking to myself. Forget it.”
He laughed loudly, as if exaggerating, and hastily changed the subject.
Thanks to that, Clarence’s suspicion grew even stronger.
Was that really nonsense?
Or was it advice from experience?
He didn’t know.
For now, it would be best to discuss this matter with my lord.
Surely, his lord would provide a wise answer.
Clarence’s footsteps as he walked back were incredibly heavy.
A week had already passed since then.
Nothing particularly special happened. Except for the little kid avoiding me.
Could it be that he was avoiding me because of what happened that time?
If that was true, it hurt a little.
Of course, I admit that I went a little overboard that time.
But still, to avoid me for a whole week was a bit much.
Thanks to that, I was struggling to find the little kid today as well.
At the very least, I wanted to meet him directly and hear the reason.
It hurt to suddenly be ghosted like this.
So, I grabbed people walking on the street and asked them about the little kid.
“Have you by any chance seen a little kid with red hair?”
“That’s not the important issue right now!”
“Pardon?”
“The Royal Knights are finally making a move! To end the war!”
“Ah, that.”
Seeing the man shouting excitedly, I thought, “Oops.”
Especially now, there was a reason why it was difficult to find the little kid.
It was because of a certain piece of news that had spread widely in the refugee camp.
Coincidentally, a week ago, a letter was delivered to the refugee camp.
It was a letter stating that the Royal Knights would advance northward with the army to end the war.
Moreover, it wasn’t just us who received it.
Nearby refugee camps had all received it as well.
Of course, the content itself was about requisitioning necessary supplies and troops, in other words, extorting them.
But no one disliked or opposed it.
Rather, everyone was welcoming the news and cheering.
As if the Royal Knights had already won.
However, I couldn’t be happy about it.
If my memory was correct, according to the setting, the Royal Knights were supposed to be annihilated around this time.
And from then on, a dark age would dawn upon humanity.
Moreover, such a sudden expedition to the point of being perplexing.
Could it be…?
“…So that’s how they get annihilated?”
“Captain.”
“?!”
Geez, you startled me.
Please make some noise when you approach.
I frowned and turned my head.
As expected, Clarence was standing there, still looking at me with an expressionless face.
Your class wasn’t assassin.
Why would you move around concealing your presence like this!?
As I was looking at him with that in mind, Clarence, who had been quietly observing me, finally opened his mouth.
“What did you mean by that just now?”
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I was just talking to myself. Forget it.”
Did he hear what I muttered earlier?
I deliberately laughed it off loudly.
In the first place, who would believe me if I said the Royal Knights would be annihilated?
But it was like scratching a scab.
I didn’t want to create unnecessary problems.
On the other hand, when I tried to laugh it off, suspicion started to mix in Clarence’s eyes.
Damn it, I needed to change the subject somehow.
“More importantly, have you seen the little kid I’ve been taking around?”
“I don’t even know who that little kid is.”
Yeah, because you were so great, you bastard.
I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud. Because Clarence was stronger than me.
If we fought without the time stop ability, I would lose ten times out of ten.
“Then I’ll be going now. I need to find the little kid.”
“Alright. Good luck.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Lucky bastard.
Ptooey!
I spat on the ground and nervously checked if Clarence had seen it.
Fortunately, Clarence had already turned his back, so he couldn’t see this way.
I didn’t know why, but Clarence made me very uncomfortable.
How should I put it, it felt like he was watching me?
Moreover, he always appeared behind me without any presence.
No, in the first place, I couldn’t help but regard him as a lucky bastard.
He was an elite from the capital, doing well. He even had a childhood friend who grew up with him by his side.
Damn it.
“Damn it.”
I directly touched my belly.
It had definitely gone down a lot compared to before, but it still looked like a middle-aged man’s belly. It was unfair.
While I was suffering with an uncle’s body, someone else was a talented genius with a future wife by his side!
Sigh, I had to stop thinking about it.
If I thought about this anymore, I’d become too miserable.
Putting aside the gloomy thoughts, I wandered around the village to find the little kid.
The village was openly in a festive mood.
The security forces had pulled out the cheap liquor they had been saving up until now.
They were also having a party with the meat they had hunted outside.
They were probably expecting the Royal Knights to end the war soon.
It was natural for people to believe that.
Because it had been too hard until now.
People starved without food to eat, and endured the cold winter gusts with just animal skin due to the absence of fuel.
In such a situation, the smoldering ember of hope had reignited.
Moreover, they weren’t just anyone, but the Royal Knights.
The legendary heroes who had protected more than half of the continent until now.
Each and every one of them was called a hero.
They were the strongest force in name and reality.
When those Royal Knights were directly going on an expedition, people naturally had no choice but to have expectations.
But that was why they needed to be prepared.
If they failed…
They would fall even further than now.
If it were up to me, I would want to follow them.
But with my current skills, if I followed them, it would just be a dog’s death.
I wasn’t a fool.
At least I could clearly distinguish when I needed to step down.
Moreover, frankly, even if I made a fuss saying the Royal Knights would be annihilated, who would believe me?
“More importantly, I need to find the little kid first.”
Where the hell was this damn little kid hiding?
Not even a single strand of his hair had been seen for a week.
Red hair was already a rare hair color, so it was impossible not to notice it.
Today, I didn’t even train.
I just searched for the little kid with determination since morning. And thanks to that, my effort bore fruit.
I had finally found the little kid in an empty lot where no one was around.
To be precise, it wasn’t an empty lot.
It was a place that was originally filled with trees.
It was a place where the trees in the forest were deliberately left behind to prepare for when they couldn’t chop wood outside.
That was why I couldn’t find it.
However, now I could find the little kid.
Because the trees that were there were all left with only their stumps.
I immediately ran over.
“What is this…?”
“Teacher, I finally completed the task.”
“Task? Could it be…?”
“I saw the Thunder Dragon.”
“???”
Don’t tell me, was this what he’s been doing all this time?
I was dumbfounded.
That was just a joke.
Of course, there was no way you could see the Thunder Dragon, right?
I was definitely going to say that.
If the little kid hadn’t taken a stance, that was.
He placed his hand on the end of the wooden stick he had at his waist.
At the same time, the figure of the little kid in front of me disappeared in an instant.
In a fleeting moment, what my eyes caught was a red light.
It shot out like lightning, as if it were a flash.
I couldn’t even blink my eyes.
Soon, at the end of the flash, he was standing alone.
Before I knew it, the wooden stick that had been drawn like a sword from his waist was back at his waist.
It was right then.
A gruesome creaking sound rang out.
Only then could I see it.
The giant tree that had been standing firm in front of me was cleanly split like a sheet of paper.
There wasn’t even a crunching sound.
It was literally as if it had been cut with a ruler.
The cross-section of the tree was clean.
I blankly stared at that sight.
What was that?
Even I couldn’t cut a tree with a sword.
Moreover, with just that wooden stick?
As I was standing there dumbfounded, the little kid smiled at me.
“This is the Thunder Dragon I saw.”
“…”
Thunder Dragon? What’s that?
I didn’t know, it’s scary.
* * *
The expedition of the Royal Knights was decided too suddenly.
Clarence, who was struggling like a dog on the scene, had no way of knowing what was going on in the current situation.
He knew there was ongoing discord within the Royal Knights.
But since they were called heroes, he could only hope that it wasn’t decided based on personal feelings.
Anyway, thanks to that, the recommendation of Royal Knights candidates was put on indefinite hold.
Could it be that they decided on the expedition for political reasons?
He had such suspicions. And he denied them.
He was getting tired of the endless chain of suspicious thoughts.
Right at that moment,
“…Are they going to be annihilated?”
The moment he heard those words, Clarence felt a chill run down his spine.
The worst possible situation unfolded before his eyes.
The annihilation of the Royal Knights. And the ensuing attacks.
It was undoubtedly hell.
However, just before the flames of that hell reached Clarence, he barely came to his senses.
In front of him, gasping for breath, stood a man.
It was an impossible story.
The Royal Knights being annihilated?
How could that be possible?
Even those who disliked the Royal Knights acknowledged their skills.
But the Royal Knights being annihilated?
“What did you mean by that just now?”
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I was just talking to myself. Forget it.”
He laughed loudly, as if exaggerating, and hastily changed the subject.
Thanks to that, Clarence’s suspicion grew even stronger.
Was that really nonsense?
Or was it advice from experience?
He didn’t know.
For now, it would be best to discuss this matter with my lord.
Surely, his lord would provide a wise answer.
Clarence’s footsteps as he walked back were incredibly heavy.
