"Alright. I think everything is ready."
Reno was under the sun, tapping on a horse.
Nathanaël was there too, watching everything get ready for his departure. Azraüs, meanwhile, was still being scolded one last time by the adults around.
"Are you really leaving, Warrior Nathy? My mom says you'd be better off staying in the village."
'Warrior Nathy? Where did that come from?'
Suddenly, a small hand tugged at Nathanaël's pants. He bent down to see a child with eyes full of tears.
Nathanaël tried to smile to quickly ease the sorrow, but seeing that it didn't work, he preferred to explain gently.
"I didn't come here to stay. I have friends waiting for me."
"Friends in the capital? There are only great warriors there."
Nathanaël smiled, but his mind felt disgusted.
'Friends in the capital ?.... in this crazy world?… no, thanks…'
However, despite the words he wanted to spit out, he chose wiser ones in front of a child.
"Not in the capital, no. But I will bring you souvenirs."
"Are you sure? Otou says only Reno ever came back from the capital. Everyone else dies."
'I know.'
"I'm not going to die. I'm almost immortal in this world."
"What? Really?"
"That's nonsense."
"Wow."
The children debated fiercely, fists and all, over whether Nathanaël was truly immortal or not.
And the one being debated about calmly stood up and looked toward the village.
He had grown fond of the little ones in the Hyuga clan. The fire, the tents letting the wind through, the fights with Azraüs while the whole village watched admiringly, the delicious meals that Azraüs would trample over; eventually, he had even eaten at villagers' houses; or the gentle warmth of the morning that woke him softly.
All of this was a bit like a paradisiacal vacation, one he didn't feel he truly deserved. The world was dying little by little, and even though none of the evils seemed to reach this nation, his friends were out there fighting with their lives on the line.
He felt guilty for living such a peaceful life while everyone else fought like dogs. He didn't even know if they were alive…
So he couldn't stay…
And suddenly, a little girl came up to him with a flower barely standing.
"Warrior Nathy. Here, my father gave it to me before leaving. He said this flower is very special and protects from all misfortune."
Nathanaël looked at the flower carefully. A flower with blue petals and a golden heart. He had never seen anything like it during his entire stay in Nozras. After all, the landscape was dry and not conducive to flowers like this.
The petals slightly wilted at the edges, but instead of fading normally, they turned white, making it even more beautiful. As if in death, it could finally be beautiful…
Nathanaël smiled as best he could. He knew this gift must be rare, so he didn't want to give the little girl any reason to think he didn't like it.
"Wow. Thank you. What's the name of this magnificent flower?"
"Peace."
The little girl said it with a big smile, and Nathanaël understood where the flower came from. Hearing its name, he froze for a moment. Then a few seconds later, he knelt and accepted the flower as a knight would bow.
"I'll take care of it."
"Little one. Let's go. I need to talk to you before we leave."
Suddenly, Reno's voice rang in his ears. Faces turned to the giant ogre, and Nathanaël calmly stood, straightening his clothes and placing the flower safely in an upper pocket where everyone could see it.
"Oh. I'm coming. Goodbye, children. I'll say goodbye again later."
Nathanaël waved to them and walked toward the village chief's tent. Inside, everything was tidier and more organized than the last time. It pleased him for a moment, though he wondered where this sudden urge for order came from.
"Azraüs hasn't come by in a while. You can feel the difference."
So that was it…
"Yes."
"Sit down. We don't need to act like strangers anymore, you and I. My little Nathy, know that I see you as a son now."
"Uh… thank you."
Although it made him slightly uncomfortable, Nathanaël said nothing. He was afraid of upsetting the two-meter, two-hundred-kilogram monster in front of him. What made it even scarier was that he didn't have a single gram of fat.
"Hahaha. You're really discreet, huh. I thought you'd reveal your true nature now that you feel more at home, but still, you stay discreet. You're like Azraël."
At those words, Nathanaël's ears twitched.
"Azraël, that's your second son, right?"
Reno picked up a cup on a desk. Behind his broad back, no one could know what he was really thinking, but Nathanaël was quite good at this and was starting to knwo them well. He was sad.
"Yeah. A real stubborn head. He was discreet and meticulous. Every action of his was planned while we saw him do nothing. He also used his brain in battle. Like you. It was monstrous."
"I see."
Suddenly, the cup he had barely filled with water was empty and crushed like a rag.
"Oh, you don't need to feel sad. That bastard is still alive."
Nathanaël's heart skipped two beats in shock. A few weeks ago, he had learned that Azraüs' brother had been left for dead, and now he had just heard the opposite from his father.
And the fact that Azraüs didn't know meant that something huge was hidden behind that terrible statement.
Suddenly, Nathanaël trembled. He trembled from shock. He felt that the story he had gotten himself into was becoming more and more uncontrollable.
Eyes wide open, with a shocked expression still on his face, he asked Reno:
"Azraüs doesn't know, right?"
Reno didn't even acknowledge the shock of his guest, preferring to continue as if he hadn't said anything.
"No. That's the last thing I had to tell you so that you don't let him lose his mind at the capital. I know both of you will reach the throne. But the final battle will surely be far worse than anything you've imagined. I don't want Azraüs to lose."
"Why not tell him?"
Reno sank into a chair and looked at the ceiling. His eyes got lost in a wave of unexpected thought. But his calm terrified Nathanaël. He was too calm for someone who knew so much and pretended that his son was dead.
"I simply don't have the courage."
Nathanaël didn't fully understand. He knew Reno was hiding a lot about his past in the capital. But his family should at least be aware, right?
"You will learn the whole story there. Whether you like it or not. You will also find your book and what it contains. And…"
Reno stood up without finishing his sentence. He slowly crossed the room and placed his large hands on Nathanaël's shoulders.
"Save the world, my boy."
Nathanaël's eyes widened. He immediately understood something when he saw Reno's eyes.
"You… you've read the book…"
But Reno didn't answer and preferred to turn away.
"Alright, let's go. It's not that the night scares me, but I still prefer to go during the day. I like the sun."
Azraüs entered the room with a big smile. He was really excited to be able to leave with his friend.
But when Nathanaël saw him, he suddenly became cold. Frozen in a moment where that smile didn't know the truth. His father had just told him the biggest revelation of his life, and he wasn't even aware.
No, the worst part was that he didn't know what else Reno knew.
"Good. Let's prepare your departure then."
Reno went out after Azraüs as if nothing had happened. His huge back blocked the sun, and Nathanaël was plunged into shadows. He looked at the back of this warrior who had seen many battles and had probably read the ending—a back bent not under the weight of age but under the weight of knowledge. Too fearful to share it.
"Reno Gazor. You really are special in this story."
Nathanaël stepped out as well. Now also carrying an even heavier burden.
It was time to say goodbye to the Hyuga clan.
"Here are your horses."
Reno pointed to two horses waiting at the edge of the village. One was as dark as night, while the other had a warm, earthen tone. They were far less massive and imposing than Reno's, but Nathanaël found them much more elegant.
A line of honor had formed along the path. The entire village was there to salute the two warriors. Hands waved wildly in the air. Shouts echoed through their souls. Feet stirred up the dust, and for the first time in his life, Nathanaël felt excited.
Suddenly, he forgot all his problems — and all those yet to come. The crowd stood before him, cheering. Under the thrill of such a send-off, his heart was pounding fast.
No one knew what he was truly going to do, no one knew what he would really face. But for him, that was more than enough. For the first time in his life, Nathanaël truly wanted to go and win.
Azraüs was speechless too. It was the first time he had ever received so much admiration. Even if the people of the village didn't like him before, they had learned to like Nathy — and by liking Nathy, they had come to appreciate him as well. And now, he too had a line of honor, he too had the cheers — and he too wanted to fight for these people.
"Crush them all!"
"Come back victorious!"
"It's weird to say, but I actually believe in Azraüs."
"I'm sure it's Nathy who'll shine the most."
"Does anyone even know my real name in this village?"
Even though no one wanted to pronounce his name correctly, Nathanaël let it slide this time.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Nathanaël drew his sword again and planted it in the ground just as Reno opened his mouth. This time, his horse clung tightly to him. That laugh was even louder than before.
"Hahahaha! I've never seen them this excited. I owe you for that, Nathanaël."
It was the first time anyone had spoken his full name in Nozras.
"They're afraid, and they live in fear — fear that warriors will invade the village and destroy their homes, their families, their lives. Thank you for being their hope to stop all that."
Nathanaël's eyes widened, and he thought of Marc.
"I kind of stole his spotlight here."
Reno stood beside them, admiring the line of villagers. The cheers — he had heard them before. The waving hands — he had seen them before. Back when he had a partner stronger than anyone...
"You know, my hands are dirty, and I probably don't deserve to see this new world. But I truly want to save it."
Nathanaël lowered his head toward his horse.
"Not just Nozras?"
"Especially Nozras."
Reno's gaze was serious this time. Nathanaël understood.
"I see. Before I go, I have a question."
"You want to know how it ends?"
Nathanaël was surprised.
"You're not the only one who can be perceptive sometimes. But I'll tell you this—there is some good..."
Those words struck directly at Nathanaël's heart. Reno had chosen to reveal only the good part, leaving that lingering fear of the bad. No — at this level, that fear wasn't small at all. But the fact that there was some good in the story strangely comforted him.That small spark made him want to keep fighting. It made him want to see that so-called good side of things.
"I see..."
"Don't think too much. Otherwise, you won't be able to move forward."
"Are you two done? I'd like to leave already."
Azraüs poked his head from behind his horse to watch the two mysterious men talk about things that didn't interest him at all.
"Okay, okay. Son?…"
Azraüs raised an eyebrow, suspecting some trick from his father.
"What?..."
A short silence fell.
"Beat them all to a pulp!"
Hearing that, his face relaxed. Then, a wide, mischievous grin spread across it, lighting up the world.
"I was planning to!"
Azraüs kicked his horse twice on the sides, and it galloped off.
"Come on, try to keep up, Nathy!"
Nathanaël turned one last time to look at the village. He saw the children, the little girl, and then looked at Reno before waving to them all. He tapped twice on his horse as well. It reared up on its hind legs before dashing off toward the arena.
"Well, the tutorial's over. No more room for mistakes now."
Reno also waved, watching him leave.
"From now on, everything is in your hands, Nathanaël."
Then, the sun swallowed them into the horizon — and nothing could stop them anymore.