In the village, the atmosphere was tense.They had received no news from the rescue team for several days. They were all stressed at the thought that something bad might have happened to them.
So when they saw the team returning with the two latecomers, they all jumped with joy.
-They're here!
-They're alive.
-They're back.
It wasn't the first time Kayle had witnessed this sight. About thirty pair of hands raised in celebration at the sight of them returning. Kayle had already done exceptional things. Not enough to be known by the world, but enough to be recognized by those around him. It was always emotional and comforting, even for him.
This time, a small warmth came to heat his heart because it had been a long time since he had seen this scene.
Seeing the joy of the village, he lowered his head and smiled.
'Well, I thought I would never see this again. It feels good.'
Of course, the joy had to pass so they could take care of the wounded. The entire team was in bad condition.
However, it remained a relief for everyone to see them return.
Lilly was unconscious and wouldn't wake up. Jean was injured despite his armor and his immense azure shield. Roald was also unconscious, the scars on his pierced body still visible. Roïd was tired and bruised. Rack had burned feet. François was undoubtedly the worst off, and the poison had to be treated without Lilly.
'Strangely, I'm one of the ones who got out the best.'
The only one who looked perfectly fine, though tired, was the former soldier. Kayle had a burned and badly blackened foot.
In the end, the team took an entire week to fully recover. Especially François, who had to wait for Lilly to regain strength before being treated. Roald was much better, though slightly traumatized. Rack smiled more than ever. The former soldier remained as mysterious as always in his corner but did not leave the village that week. Jean and Roïd waited for their last companion. As for Kayle…
Well, he was Kayle.
'Eh! You can say that I'm doing super well and that my foot healed thanks to my charming girlfriend.'
…
He was Kayle.
'Screw you'
And then came the day when they had to consult each other before the village festival. Indeed, the village had decided to organize a celebration for the victorious return of its few warriors. Hunting an Apostle was no small feat, and it obviously deserved its place among the great achievements of a poor little village like this one.
The group gathered in Rack's house while his wives prepared the festival.
Rack's house was a beautiful residence. Too beautiful to be called simple.
The walls, made of a mixture of pale stone and carefully maintained daub, bore the marks of time without ever appearing dilapidated. In the way every crack had been filled, one could sense an ancient pride, almost ceremonial. The roof, covered with slightly curved dark tiles, formed a sturdy silhouette that contrasted with the surrounding thatched cottages.
A narrow veranda ran along the façade, supported by polished wooden pillars still marked with carved patterns made by a village artisan. Nothing ostentatious. Just enough detail to remind anyone that this house did not belong to a mere farmer.
In front of the entrance, two large clay jars contained medicinal herbs, a discreet sign that the chief was not only an administrator, but also a guardian of tradition.
Inside, the space opened into a bright common room where daylight slipped through windows larger than those of the other houses. The furniture, carved from dark wood, was simple but impeccably maintained.
And at the back, behind a linen curtain, was the chief's office. A massive table covered with maps, registers, and official seals. The place where decisions shaping everyone's lives were made.
They were seated there now, dark gazes lowered, as if waiting for one of them to speak. Even the former soldier was present. After all, he had things to say too.
Kayle did not want to speak first because he had nothing special to say. He had seen everyone, so he more or less knew how everything had happened.
The silence was long, and no one looked into anyone's eyes. An uncomfortable atmosphere settled in, even though they were supposed to discuss what had happened together. Lilly was seated between Rack and Kayle. The former soldier was to Kayle's right, while across from him sat Jean, who could not look forward because the soldier was too intimidating. Across from Lilly was François, with Roïd to his right and Roald to his left.
Finally, Rack broke the silence with a loud voice.
-Well. All's well that ends well. Now, we're going to eat.
Everyone watched him stand up calmly without saying anything.
But suddenly, a violent black aura burst from the former soldier, who looked at the village chief with an extremely powerful killing intent.
-Sit down.
Rack did not hesitate and sat down at lightning speed.
No one showed the slightest expression during this interaction. They were like zombies with serious, indifferent faces.
Then the former soldier broke the silence again.
-I assume no one has anything to say. So I will summarize. Fourteen days ago, we left to look for the Apostle of Knul who was making rather ugly chimeras, and Rack and I crossed his domain. We were trapped and captured. For us, a few hours later, you came, you were trapped as well and—
He paused before looking at Kayle, who was suddenly confused.
-What?
-Tell your point of view.
-Me? Okay. Well, we came, we got trapped and were separated. After that, I found several people in the forest including Defrus, but I was saved by Roald, Lilly, and Roïd a bit later. I told them to regroup and blow up the area while I went to find you and Rack. I found you—or rather you found me—while Jean had found Lilly's group. You told me you had destroyed the strange crystal maintaining a spell… az. Except that crystal was actually maintaining the Space Suspension spell.
Rack continued.
-Exactly. On our way back, we found François and then found you. You told us your plan, which I find absolutely stupid by the way, and we panicked knowing that space was returning to its origin due to the destruction of the crystal and that Lilly's spell was much more powerful than you thought. In the process of fleeing Enees Gloria, we lost the former soldier and ended up hiding from the explosion.
'Absolutely stupid?'
Then Lilly spoke.
-Yes, with space altered I found myself alone, so I decided to launch fireworks to indicate my position so you could flee in time. I crossed the Apostle along the way, but he fled. I then cast my az, Enees Gloria, and I believe I caught Defrus inside.
The former soldier spoke next.
-No, you did not catch him directly. When I was teleported elsewhere, I first thought of finding Rack, Kayle, and François. Fortunately, I arrived in time to save his foot from the explosion with an Organ shield. Then we decided to split up. I would find the Apostle, Rack would find the rest of the group, and Kayle and François had to stop the chimera that survived the az.
Roald spoke in turn.
-Exactly. Separated from Lilly, we had to flee the beast chasing us. It was intense, but we managed. After that, Lilly cast Enees Gloria and the chimera was caught in it, taking the blast on its back. It did not kill it, but we had another problem. The Apostle arrived. He was badly injured but still moving. He ordered the chimera to retrieve Lilly while he dealt with us.
The former soldier continued.
-That's right. So I found myself with Rack to defeat the Apostle, then we went to look for the youngsters Rack had thrown at the chimera.
Finally, François spoke.
-Yes, we struggled to stop it. Once on it, we realized it was nearly invincible. So we stabbed it everywhere and tried to cut its heels. Unfortunately, it was useless. But fortunately for us, it bled out and eventually collapsed. Then you came to get us.
Rack resumed.
-Defeating the Apostle was not easy either. Our fears that his tree domain would expand beyond the dome's borders turned out to be false, fortunately. But his domain was not weak for all that. It extended from his own body up to about fifty meters around. I am convinced that without Enees Gloria it would have been more. In the end, the crystal turned out to be a subsidy core. Once destroyed, he only had his own, much less powerful. And for once, we could reach him. This soldier here took care of it.
Silence fell over the room for a while before Rack stood up again.
-Well, all's well that ends well. Now, let's go eat.
Drops of sweat ran down his forehead. He had feared the former soldier's reproaches, but to his great surprise, he managed to slip away without any issue.
No one stopped him, and Rack left a trail of dust behind him as if fleeing a battlefield.
The former soldier then stood up silently and headed toward the door.
-He's right. Enjoy the feast. It's for us, after all.
The rest of the group watched him for a few seconds before suddenly bursting with excitement and rushing toward the door all at once. Only Kayle lagged slightly behind, remaining in the room.
In the end, he looked through the doorway and saw the entire village smiling, children running everywhere, and the smell of food reaching his nose. It had been a long time since this too. A long time since he had celebrated anything.
'That's true. I've had it rough lately. A good festival won't hurt, I suppose.'
Suddenly, Lilly broke away from the group and grabbed his hand, a wide smile on her lips.
-What are you doing? Come on.
Kayle was startled and widened his eyes. It might have been the first time someone had almost forced him to come along.
It was a strange sensation.
'Huh… This is the first time it feels like this. That's not normal… Am I finally feeling at ease around people? Is this what it means to be home?'
But suddenly, the horrible expression and face of Trane Rakis resurfaced in his mind, as if to shatter the atmosphere.
"Your goal is simple: to become the best antagonist to oppose the hero."
Kayle felt a sharp pang in his chest.
'It's a little strange for an antagonist to want to stay somewhere like this… and feel at ease in this world.'