It was nothing but an uphill climb the whole way.
I couldn't see the end of the road at all. Using my divine power didn't tire me, but purely physically, I was getting out of breath.
If I, who had been living healthily since my resurrection, found it this difficult, it meant this mountain terrain was truly rugged.
"Even without the monsters, this is a place not just anyone can climb."
Gritting my teeth and muttering, I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. Warm sweat soaked the back of my hand.
"That's what I'm saying. It's because I'm me that I'm climbing this well. If I were an ordinary mage, I would have collapsed ages ago."
"You don't particularly look like you're in good color, though."
As soon as Xenon finished speaking, Samuel interjected with an indifferent voice.
Samuel, a large muscular man even at first glance, had the best complexion among the three of us.
Having spent his life chasing criminals, he seemed relatively familiar with mountain terrain like this.
"Ha, do you think it's easy to find a mage with as much stamina as me?"
Xenon scoffed and looked back at me as if seeking agreement.
"Right?"
"How would I know that?"
It's not like I have a string of mages following me around.
At my retort, Xenon frowned as if disappointed.
"My Lord Aneli even acknowledged my stamina, didn't she?"
"When did I..."
I was about to retort asking when I ever did that, but I closed my lips as a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
I did have a memory of saying something like, "Mages are supposed to have poor stamina, so why are you so persistent?"
...in a private setting, too embarrassing to bring up in front of others.
"Stop the chitchat and start moving."
I retorted curtly and put strength in my legs to move.
The corpses of dried-up plant-type monsters crunched under my feet.
Black land spread all around. This was because black earth revealed itself wherever my divine power had passed.
I wondered if poison qi might have seeped in like the dead land in the Montel territory, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
"But it's strange that aside from the plant monsters blocking our path, no other monsters are particularly visible."
"That's not true."
I felt it while camping too, but this mountain range had many monsters.
Such a variety of monsters that I wondered how they maintained their territories.
"They're just hiding and watching us."
Xenon probably couldn't hear it. But I could tell.
The presence of bird-type monsters whispering while hiding on large tree branches, or beast-type monsters concealed in the bushes.
Perhaps something was holding its breath and watching me from even farther away.
"Are they intimidated by Lord Aneli's power?"
"They hold respect."
It was Samuel who answered Xenon's question in my stead. Walking at the front, he glanced back at Xenon and spoke.
"Because the stopped time will soon flow again."
"The time of Belladia, long sealed to avoid the Eye of Birth, will flow according to the Captain's divine power."
Dearis, speaking benevolently, came to mind. I unconsciously glanced down at the hand that had received the key from him.
Perhaps because I had repeatedly used my divine power since arriving at the mountain range? Even without consciously trying, it seemed a faint green light was hovering around my hand.
"Ah, we've finally climbed up!"
At Xenon's words filled with delight, I reflexively lifted my head.
Just as Xenon said, the sky was visible. It was the end of the interminable uphill climb. Seeing the end, strength surged from somewhere and my steps naturally quickened.
"So this is really the Belladia Valley now?"
"Yes. That's the place."
Finally reaching the summit, the view suddenly opened up as if the large trees and bushes blocking my sight had all vanished somewhere.
The valley carved in graceful curves was truly massive and majestic.
Amidst deep greenery, I could see a stream winding and flowing below, and sheer rock cliffs on the opposite side.
The clear and overwhelming great nature was scenery I had never seen anywhere before.
But above all, what caught my eye was the castle rising sharply between the valley.
"Belladia Castle."
It was surprising that it was large enough to be clearly visible even from this distance, and its form was completely preserved.
I stared blankly in the direction of the castle and unconsciously took a step. And at that moment.
*Crack.*
Something breaking sounded by my ear.
"Lord Aneli!"
It was the sound of a gem that had been cracked but precariously held together finally shattering.
* * *
A nostalgic scent, tender air, familiar dust carried on the wind.
All of those things awakened Dasha.
They finally reached it.
The goddess would take his captain from him.
* * *
What appeared with pitch-black smoke were two Durahans.
Dasha, and Bark who had been sent to the same subspace with Dasha.
"Step back!"
Sensing an unusual aura, Samuel drew his sword and Xenon spread a barrier.
Perhaps having suffered damage from the forced summoning, Bark was curled up groaning softly.
Dasha also seemed to have taken some shock, but didn't appear to be in as much pain as Bark.
However, black smoke billowing from his entire body didn't make him look like he was in good condition.
"It was supposed to hold..."
When Xenon had conveyed the story about the bracelet to Dekin, Dekin, having heard the condition, had certainly said that. That it would hold for at least about ten days.
At that time, Dekin had offered to repair the magical tool, but I thought it better to reach the destination right before me quickly rather than delaying to meet him.
I thought it would be fine for at least five days, if not ten.
Well, what could be done about something already broken.
"Dasha!"
I called Dasha while covering the bracelet with one gem completely shattered with my hand.
Dasha, who had been standing unsteadily right after being summoned, turned toward me as if responding to that call.
[Dasha...]
Mori, who had been quietly staying in my pocket, wiggled out and transformed. A Durahan of quite large size, though not as large as Dasha, positioned itself between me and Dasha.
[D, Dasha!]
A taut tension hung in the air as if a major battle might break out at any moment.
I swallowed dry saliva and examined the bracelet. I hesitated whether to summon the other Durahans.
What if the other summoned Durahans regained their memories and went berserk?
'Before that, what state is Dasha in right now?'
I narrowed my eyes and observed Dasha. Above the neck where particularly thick smoke was gathering, some form was beginning to take shape.
It was a head.
...Dasha's head.
* * *
My throat was burning.
It felt as if someone was pressing a heated iron skewer against my throat.
It hurt so much that my vision momentarily turned pure white.
Dasha, who had been mouthing silent screams with only his lips moving, barely regained consciousness.
Then the pain that seemed like it would never end vanished as if washed away by water at some moment.
'Ah.'
The world that had been nothing but white gained contours. Dasha realized he was surrounded by many people.
[Dasha, can you understand my voice?]
As soon as he heard the voice, he knew who it was.
Soana.
Dasha gazed straight at the Durahan in front of him. Other knights were visible beside Soana. His comrades, the Twelve Knights of the Round Table.
Dasha slowly turned his head. Among those looking at him, one was particularly tense.
Samuel.
Dasha recognized him immediately. Just like the last moment he had faced him, he was pointing his sword at him with a wretched and desperate expression.
There was also a human he was seeing for the first time. Judging by his aura, he seemed to be a mage, and he was looking at Dasha with his guard fully raised as if trying to protect someone.
Actually, he wasn't the only one acting that way.
Those surrounding Dasha were prepared to subdue him at any time. To protect just one person.
"Dasha."
The one standing at the back, receiving everyone's protection, called Dasha with a calm voice.
A woman with brilliantly shining silver hair. Dasha unconsciously sighed.
Instead of answering her, Dasha raised his hand and touched his own neck.
Past his nape and jaw, to his cheek and the back of his head. Dasha, gropingly touching his own head, let out a hollow breath.
"...Captain."
Like forcing open a hinge that had rusted from long disuse, an old and rough metallic sound flowed from his throat.
The soft beautiful voice that once sang along beautiful melodies had long since disappeared. All that remained was a voice that seemed to crack and crumble.
"Dasha, are you okay?"
The Captain spoke to Dasha again, who was standing still.
"If it's hard to speak, you can express your intentions through action."
At her blunt yet kind words, Dasha smiled with the corners of his eyes crinkling. Unstable emotions stirred chaotically in his chest.
If it were before, he would have been consumed by this emotion and obsessed only with moving the Captain to a safe place.
Especially to separate her from that traitor. But having regained his head, reason actually took the lead.
"I am the bard who praises the Captain from the highest place."
Because he had been that way in the past too. Because he had understood that traitor.
Because he had understood Samuel's mindset in trying to protect the Captain from the goddess.
Dasha also wanted to protect the Captain, but Dasha didn't have the courage to throw himself at Birth to protect the Captain's soul like he did.
He could only rage; he couldn't even dream of resisting.
So he didn't resist under Samuel's sword.
"I always sent songs on the wind to proclaim your mercy. So that all things would praise you, so that all would know death."
He wanted to protect the Captain, but he couldn't give up his own rest that would free him from his painful suffering.
"And thus I completed my final duty here."
The soul of the knight, not saved by god and suffering for a long time, finally regained its complete form.
"Therefore, Captain."
He would now enjoy the promised peace.
"Please grant your knight freedom."
The knight in black armor knelt before his master.
* * *
Green light spread faintly.
For the first time since my resurrection, I led one of the Round Table knights who had been wandering headless to rest.
Dasha's rest was a peaceful death.