18.THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE
“It seems you were able to successfully pull back.”
“Well, Kimon is really exceptional after all. Kahaha.”
After they had exchanged many liters of sweat and both of their preys started to dwindle, both took distance from each other as if they had planned to do so beforehand. Both Baldias and Strakules could feel that the battle had ended.
“Are you going after us?”
“Won´t. After all, you would scatter around using the speed of your cavalry in the end.”
“Gahahahaha! Thanks to you, I was able to have some fun in this battle!”
“Hmph, in the end, this is nothing more than a play.”
“You aren´t honest, are you? Well, it is that thing… Well, I still don´t know well, but let me tell you one thing.”
“…?”
Strakules showed a smile that had profound meaning to Baldias, who was curious to what he was about to say.
“Times change! An era we know nothing about is coming!”
Strakules spread out his arms and shouted. It was to the point his happiness could be felt even through the helmet. Baldias raised his visor.
“Did you see something in all this farce?”
“Many things. To begin with, it isn´t just this war. Let´s just say that I´ve gone through a lot of things.”
Saying only that, Strakules made his horse turn around by skillfully handling the reins.
“Both of us won´t want to be late for what is about to come, guhahaha.”
“I don´t have any intend on following with such worthless things. If you are going to retreat, then do it already.”
“Gahahahaha. Well then, farewell!”
That back that gallantly left the battlefield was overflowing with ambition to the point it couldn´t be thought of that being the back of a defeated general.
“A new era, is it? How stupid.”
However, Baldias had a presentiment. He felt that something was going to change. In this case, the fact they were able to take Raconia back being the sign of that…
Until now, the territory of Raconia had been drawn as part of Arcadia in the maps for less than ten years. This was a very extended period of rule comparing to how the historic went. This time, Arcadia decided to govern this land for a even more extended period of time. This was the beginning of this war between the kingdoms of Arcadia and Ostoberg.
To which of them the advantage leaned towards, n.o.body knew yet.
“…an , Willian, Willian!”
“…Hm.”
When Willian opened his eyes, he saw Karl with a crying face in front of his eyes. At his surroundings, there were the people of the ten man squad he was part of. Since there was a ceiling, it meant that he was inside the encampment of the Arcadian army.
“I… What happened to me?”
“It isn´t just what happened to you! You suddenly ran off and went up to the walls. We desperately tried to follow after you, but there were so many people… When you jumped down the walls, I entered in panic and didn´t know what was happening anymore!”
Unusual to him, Karl was showing an angry face. Willian felt a strange feeling of exhaustion when he looked at that face. Letting aside Karl´s scolding shouts for now, Willian needed to put his mind in order about his current situation.
“”This time, I lost. This time, only faint memories are remaining. There was a black sheep that was burning intensely. I can´t remember where those memories came from, but because of the heaviness of that last attack… my hand got burned.””
The numbness in the palm of his hand still didn´t fade away. This was a hint that his memories were true.
“”Beast, it was like a beast. The me reflected in their eyes was just like an horrendous beast.”
Willian remembered the reflection of his appearance at the eyes of the people he killed. He was drooling saliva mixed with blood, his face was twisted into becoming unrecognizable and his eyes were bloodshot. Willian´s appearance was so terrifying to a point there was nothing that could be done about it.
“”After that, I… met with nee-san. We had a conversation like we would always do…. No, after we talked, I became her? As if. Something like that is just stupid.””
However, the numbness that remained in Willian´s hand and the memories that remained in his head about the monologue between his sister and himself, who had returned to his childhood self, were definitely there. It was difficult to believe on that, but when he was facing the enemy, Willian couldn´t control his body at all.
“”I was affected by that thing that was wrapped around that man and lost contorl of myself. Besides that, I picked up a fight with someone much more distant in the world than me. ….Kk, kakah…””
“Khahahahahahahah!”
The people around him were startled.
“Wh-what´s the matter Willian? Are you angry? Did I say too much?”
“Haha, no Karl, you are not at fault. It´s only that I am really not good at all, and that I was only able to notice that after all this time. I thought of myself as someone that was rational; I thought of myself as someone calm. However, after opening the lid… It was all this. I can´t help but laugh at that.”
Willian was burning in the anger he had of himself. He wanted to kick the himself that had been so full of confidence until now. He wasn´t superior at all. He only mistook himself as someone excellent. He thought everything he learned from the books was the truth and only looked at things on the theoretical side. He, who was the embodiment of all that, mistook himself as someone superior than others.
“Willian is already good enough. I am not good at anything after all.”
Willian was thankful of Karl´s consolation. He had received the comfort of Karl, who was at a overwhelmingly lower standing than himself. This was a complete disgrace. However, right now, this was something comfortable. He needed to throw away this feeling of anger, this stupidness, all all those negative feelings.
“Thank you Karl. It really helps me that you say that.”
This was the level of Willian´s driving force. He was quickly expelling those feelings of anger that were directed at himself.
“Sorry everyone. I´ve troubled you.”
Why did he need to lower his head to small fries that weren´t worth of even remembering the name? This was all due to his mistakes. Because he failed, he needed to lower his head. This was the meaning of losing.
“”I won´t lose… ever again.””
Since he wouldn´t allow that, all he could do was to keep winning. He needed to keep winning and seize a position where he would have people lowering their heads to him. He would become superior than anyone, stand higher than anyone…
“”I won´t lose. I will win keep winning.”
Willian made an absolute vow to himself. He swore he would be winning all his battles from now on.