The sun began to sink, and while the sunset normally looked stunning, today it made it seem like the world was on fire.
Biting her lip for the hundredth time, Miledi looked over at Meiru and Laus as the three of them flew over the continent. Both of them were looking resolutely forward, but Miledi could clearly see the sorrow in their eyes and the pain in their expressions, so she couldn’t think of anything to say to either of them.
Both Meiru and Laus had lost people they cared about, so nothing she said could possibly provide any comfort. The only good news they’d found was that Sharm and Reinheit had managed to escape from the Dragon Kingdom. They’d also managed to rescue Diene, who was currently nestled in Meiru’s arms.
“Lau-chan. I’m sure Sharm-kun’s fine, so...” Miledi trailed off, unsure how to finish. She wanted to say that as long as Reinheit and Nieshika were with Sharm, there was no way he’d died, but there was no real guarantee that was the case. They had already made the mistake of assuming there was no way Ehit would be able to hurt anyone in the Dragon Kingdom, and many of their comrades had perished as a result.
Miledi and the others had found the Melusine in the valley between the mountains. It had been a complete wreck, and Salus, Mikaela, and every other Liberator on board was dead. Laus’s spirit magic could only bring back people within a few hours after their death, and even with the help of Lyutillis’s evolution magic, he couldn’t extend that time limit beyond half a day. Unfortunately, it had been days since Salus and the others had died, meaning there had been no way of reviving them. All they had been able to do was review scenes of the past to see what had happened. They’d seen how the Melusine had been attacked by the very same dragonmen the Liberators had trusted, and how Salus had left behind a final warning, knowing that Meiru would use restoration magic later to recreate the scene.
Upon rushing to the Dragon Kingdom, Miledi had found Tragdi, Grice, and several other dragonmen generals crucified to the palace. Most of the citizens were in chains, but the Dragon Kingdom’s new ruler, Shival, had been giving a speech about the bright future that awaited the dragonmen race. She’d had apostles and knights by her side, and the younger citizens who weren’t in chains had all been cheering on her speech. It had been such a nightmarish scene that it had taken Miledi time to comprehend what had even happened.
Fortunately, Meiru had at least been able to use restoration magic to recreate the past and discover that many other dragonmen had managed to flee the capital and were hiding out in the mountains.
That was also how they’d discovered that Nieshika had evacuated Sharm and Reinheit.
“Miledi, you don’t need to comfort me,” Laus said in a hoarse voice. “I’m not the only one who’s lost my family.”
Salus and the others had been like family to Miledi, so she felt the pain of their loss keenly.
“Besides, Salus, Karg, and Grice-dono all fulfilled their duty splendidly.”
Miledi didn’t even want to think about how she’d break the news to Oscar, or how Vandre would feel knowing the grandfather he’d just been reunited with was dead.
Miledi had, of course, seen their final moments...and one thing was for sure, none of them had given their lives in vain.
“Kaime and Selm made their choice of their own free will. You saw how they looked. I’ve never seen them look so satisfied,” Laus stated.
Kaime and Selm had fought against Darrion and his apostleified knights to the very end. Licoris and Debra had clung to their faith and attacked their two sons upon Darrion’s orders, but Kaime and Selm had remained steadfast. They’d fought against the church that had been their whole life with unwavering resolve.
Their valiant struggle had kept Darrion and the knights stuck in the Dragon Kingdom until Tragdi himself was slain and the kingdom was fully overrun. It wasn’t just Sharm and Reinheit who they’d saved with their actions; many other dragonmen had managed to flee thanks to them. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to accept their deaths.
Miledi vividly remembered how Laus had cried as he’d cradled their mangled corpses. They didn’t have the time to take Kaime and Selm’s corpses back, so Laus had dug a family grave for them in a nearby grove. Miledi had never seen him look as defeated as he had in that moment. For the very first time, the strongest knight, who’d shouldered countless burdens without a word of complaint, had looked like a tired old man.
As the Liberators’ leader, Miledi felt as though she had to say something.
“I’ll say it again. You don’t have to comfort me. I... I’m...” Laus trailed off, his voice trembling with emotion.
“I’m proud of them.”
“I know...” Miledi said with a nod, holding back tears.
“You’re proud of your family too, aren’t you, Meiru?” Laus asked, prompting Meiru to look off into the distance.
“You know...”
Meiru thought back to when they’d been on their way to the Dragon Kingdom and passed over the mountains where her pirate crew had been hiding. They’d found a mound of corpses there, all belonging to her own men. Meiru had, of course, used restoration magic to see what had happened, but...
“It’s no use. There are too many of them!”
“We’re surrounded! There’s nowhere to run!”
“We’ll act as bait! Find somewhere to hide in the meantime!”
“Diene, that’s enough! If you use any more renewal magic, you’ll die!”
“This is an order from your first mate! Kyaty, take Diene and get out of here!”