Nadav was not one skilled with words.
He had never particularly found that troubling, but in this moment, Nadav felt frustrated for the first time by his wretched eloquence.
If only it were Tristan or Soana, they would have been able to explain this heart more gracefully.
What he worried about, and what he rejoiced over.
Nadav, who had been working his lips, let out a low sigh. Then he carefully stroked the back of Zigor's head as the younger knight sobbed.
"Zigor, do not cry. Do you intend to greet the Captain in such an unsightly state."
At those words, Zigor pressed his lips together firmly.
Zigor knew well that forcing it would accomplish nothing. Zigor, who had been pursing his lips and somehow holding back his tears, finally opened his mouth with a voice that had somewhat settled.
"I do not wish to die either. This time, truly, I want to guard the Captain's side until the very end."
Naturally, they did not seek death through rest.
No, honestly, while Zigor might not have, Nadav had not deeply considered the specific meaning of rest.
For he had always thought that upon reaching rest, Anelli would decide the appropriate ending for them on her own.
However, now that it had come to this, he understood. Rest was not something Anelli decided on her own.
It was asking for what one desired from Anelli.
"The Captain still hasn't seen how well I fight in the vanguard."
"That's right, she hasn't seen it yet."
"That is why I must stay by the Captain's side."
The Knights of the Round Table followed the Captain's will from the closest position and kept their loyalty for a long time, so they certainly had the qualification to demand a reward.
The realization came late, but it was fortunate to understand even now. Nadav glanced at Zigor, who had regained some of his reason.
Zigor learned quickly. His skills were good enough that Nadav had kept him close and taught him directly.
"The rest that the Captain grants me will not be death. Because I do not desire it."
At Zigor's words, Anelli's gaze wavered greatly. She still had a weary face.
However, the divine power was gradually shining more brilliantly.
Nadav, who sensed that the time had come, turned his eyes. He saw Mori poking his head out above Anelli's waist, from her pocket.
"Mori."
[Brother....]
Somehow, Mori had ended up being the last one.
It would be a lie to say that as an older brother, he did not worry about his faint-hearted younger brother, but Nadav deliberately put on a stern expression.
"Be steadfast."
Mori was his younger brother, but he was also a Knight of the Round Table.
"You are the Captain's knight."
There was no answer from Mori. However, Nadav thought that Mori had understood his words well.
Mori always seemed timid and withdrawn, but he simply thought a lot and acted more cautiously than others.
Finally, Nadav's gaze reached Samuel.
「You will regret it.」
The conversation from that day came to mind. The rough, malicious words he had spat at Samuel, who was covered in blood.
At that time, the sense of betrayal had been as great as the trust he had placed in him. Samuel was Nadav's most intimate friend. Once, Nadav had even thought he wanted to resemble him, even if just a little.
Whether it was right for him, not Samuel, to stand as the commander, he had agonized dozens of times a day.
Nevertheless, the reason Nadav became the commander was because they concluded that Samuel, the strongest, had to become the Captain's personal guard.
「No, I will not regret it.」
To Nadav, who was shedding tears of blood, Samuel had answered thus. Nadav saw Zigor, pierced by a sword, fall before Samuel as he spoke those words.
At that time, Nadav had prayed earnestly. That due punishment would fall upon that traitor, that his rest would be eternally deprived.
"You still won't regret it, will you."
At Nadav's words, Samuel's pupils gazed straight at him. Staring at his face, from which almost no emotion showed, Nadav formed a faint smile.
"But you do feel resentment."
Having confirmed his brow faintly furrowing, Nadav felt somewhat relieved.
The prayer was answered. The traitor lost everything he desired, and the rest he so earnestly sought to obtain would also be lost.
"Trying to monopolize everything and losing it all, it is a natural feeling."
"......Sir Nadav."
"I am not curious how you obtained the goddess's mercy. Whatever you do at this end, we will not be grateful."
Samuel, who had been working his lips, soon fell silent.
Toward his former comrade, the traitor who had once had everyone's trust, Nadav spoke his last words.
"The first sword of the Round Table is broken, so let us not meet again."
Having severed even his resentment, he completely parted ways with his old comrade.
* * *
The two knights who had regained their heads drew their swords and brought them to their chests.
It was the salute of a pious oath. The most reverent etiquette the Knights of the Round Table offered to the Captain.
Samuel could not bear to watch their salute to the end and turned his gaze away.
That was something he too had done hundreds of times in the past. Raising his sword, bringing it close to his chest with the edge facing down, he would feel the heartbeat transmitted to the sword, as if the sword itself was weeping.
He had been proud of that. The beating of his own heart that made the sword weep, and the Captain's smile that seemed to understand it all.
"Nadav, Zigor."
Anelli, who had been standing still, approached the two with long strides. Embracing them, who stood at attention, with both arms as greedily as she could, one could feel that favoritism which could not be seen in the past.
That very favoritism Samuel had once so yearned for.
"I will give you the rest you desire."
Samuel recalled when he first met Anelli. Resurrected, she distrusted everything in the world and would not open her heart to anything.
She was completely different from the past. The virtuous agent of the goddess who said she must save everything was nowhere to be found.
Though she was doing the same things as in the past, the current Anelli was not moved by philanthropic sentiments to save all creation.
Samuel, who had watched her journey from the beginning, knew this all too well.
'Favoritism.'
She acts only for the minority she loves. Everything else, she would not even care what becomes of it.
It was the very appearance of her that Samuel had once desired.
By betraying her, he had created the her he had wished for, but at the same time, he could never progress to the relationship he desired.
「Trying to monopolize everything and losing it all, it is a natural feeling.」
It was exactly as Nadav's mockery had said. He tried to monopolize everything and lost it all.
"We will meet again."
Samuel glanced up. The expressions of Zigor and Nadav, held in Anelli's embrace, looked peaceful, and also happy.
The expressions of the knights obtaining rest were all like that. Surely the remaining one knight would also reach rest with such a happy face.
At the end of this journey, only one person would be unable to smile, and Samuel knew all too well who that was.
'But......'
Even so, if he were to go back to the past again, he would take the same action.
Because he wanted to obtain a Captain who would love only him, he would have done anything.
Having confirmed the green light growing increasingly dazzling, Samuel turned his body. It would be better for them if he did not watch.
* * *
'It's a somewhat familiar moment....'
It was the thought that came to mind the moment consciousness returned. While my head was pounding, I searched through my mind wondering what kind of situation this was, but nothing properly came to mind.
Precisely, I had no memory after granting rest to both Nadav and Zigor.
'Could it be again......?'
After resurrection, my body had become extremely sturdy. Enough to recover in a single night even if I fell from a horse.
Yet to collapse like this just because I used divine power.
'No, this body was resurrected for that very purpose.'
It could be that it was wearing out because its usefulness was ending.
Thinking that, I got goosebumps a little. It felt exactly like someone had brought me back to life to use me.
No, such thoughts would not help at this point. I slowly raised my body.
Seeing that it was daylight, I hadn't been collapsed for very long.
The place I was lying was the hall where I had sent off Zigor and Nadav, and beside me were camping supplies that looked hastily laid out, scattered about.
Looking around roughly, neither Zenon nor Samuel was visible.
[C, Captain!]
I, who had been trying to rise without thinking, turned my eyes toward the voice. I hadn't noticed right after waking, but it seemed Mori had been guarding my bedside.
"Where did everyone go?"
[The, the traitor went to check the upper floor, and the wizard went to get drinking water.]
"Drinking water?"
With the situation constantly changing moment to moment, Zenon always kept food supplies sufficiently stocked. The same went for drinking water.
Water created by magic was not potable, so we always made sure to bring drinking water along with food supplies....
I glanced toward the stairs where Samuel would have gone up, and decided to go find Zenon first. Samuel would return on his own.
"Wait here for a moment, Mori."
[Y, yes!]
Leaving the hall, I retraced the path we had taken. Perhaps because it was a road I had traveled once, it didn't take long to get outside.
Zenon was at the entrance of the main tower. Precisely, he was crouched beside the entrance, lost in thought, and he didn't even notice I had come out, so deep was he in whatever thoughts he was having.
Only when I tapped his shoulder did he startle and rise to his feet.
"You woke up early."
"Did I collapse again?"
"Yes. You collapsed the moment those two Dullahans disappeared."
Zenon answered in a gloomy voice and placed the back of his hand on my forehead.
"You had a fever earlier too. Is it alright for you to already be up? Please lie down a bit more."
"It's fine."
"You said there's not much left. There's no reason to rush."
"I want to end it quickly."
At my words, Zenon hesitated. Working his lips, he ultimately couldn't find words and quietly turned his gaze away.
"I'll go in shortly. Please go ahead."
Instead of answering, I quietly gazed at him, and Zenon formed an awkward smile.
"Just a moment will do."
"Are you afraid of dying?"
The smile that had been there, however clumsily, faded away hazily. Zenon, who had been blinking in silence, looked back at me.
"Yes."