The Commander

My ears are ringing loudly, my vision blurry, and my chest feels tight.

I struggle to figure out where I am, but I guess I'm on one of the city streets, stranded there after being thrown from the palace.

A question arises in my mind, asking,

'How did I survive?'

Which is then answered by Z.

"It was me using mana shield to save you, cushioning the impact so that your body didn't shatter like shards of glass."

Cushioning, you say?

I feel like my body is being repeatedly struck and thousands of long needles are relentlessly piercing me. I can't even feel my legs.

I'm just like someone standing at the gates of death.

"You're still lucky. I'm not sure about Celine's subordinates. They may have turned into spaghetti somewhere."

You're cruel to say something like that to those who are fighting for their lives.

"Sorry, I guess the stress is making me a bit sensitive. I'm really worried. If we had been just a little late, we might not be alive now. You may have the ability to regenerate, but it doesn't mean you're safe from death."

Before I could respond, an excruciating pain surged in both of my legs, causing me to scream uncontrollably, unable to bear it.

It was a miracle that I didn't faint during the process of healing my legs, which felt like they were being torn apart and forcibly reassembled.

Sweat drenched my body, my breath was heavy, and my heart raced alongside me as I slowly rose to my feet, swaying from side to side like someone standing on a ship in the midst of a storm.

I reached for a nearby carriage, using it as support while I regained whatever energy was left in me to search for the whereabouts of the others.

It didn't take long to find one of them, lying on the road, their body scattered like spaghetti, just as Z had described.

On the wall of a building to the left, there were splatters of blood and the remnants of a body that had collided with it.

It seemed that whoever they were, they had been thrown at high speed, too late to react, and the wall became the final chapter of their story.

A brutal death.

I had to gather my strength several times to avoid vomiting on the spot, seeing the contents of a body scattered on the road.

Something like this would become a daily occurrence for me in the future. I had to prepare myself mentally, or I would surely lose control and go insane.

"Don't worry, you are much stronger than others who might have already been vomiting on the street, haunted by trauma for the rest of their lives. However, don't let yourself get used to it. Learn to strengthen yourself but never let yourself become accustomed to this, or you will create a monster."

As you said, Z, don't worry. I also don't want to become a monster who no longer values a life.

That is not a life, but rather a nightmare...

Except for those who deserve it.

Z shook his head.

I continued my steps, which soon turned into running once I felt my body capable. I ran through empty streets with dark, ownerless shop windows, reminding me of the dystopian films I used to watch.

It turns out, this is what it feels like. A strange feeling that is difficult to describe. A mixture of calmness and eerie silence. Something that makes you feel safe yet vigilant.

I wondered, where are the people?

But the question was answered shortly after. As I accidentally passed through the main street of the city, I found a line of horse-drawn carriages filled with goods and people who appeared restless and fearful, constantly looking towards the palace, where a dim purple light could be seen.

Most likely, it was the foreign woman.

"Ah! You're Zent, aren't you? Knight Anderson asked us to inform you that the city has been evacuated, but it will take some time for everyone to safely arrive at the camp," said one of the royal soldiers on duty, saluting me.

"How do you know I'm Zent?"

"Your hair, it's not difficult to recognize," he replied without shifting his gaze, then turned to the line that seemed to still take quite a while to move, and let out a sigh. "We've been like this for the past 30 minutes.

The reason is that we ran out of space at the camp, and a large area across the camp is being set up to accommodate the remaining residents.

However, due to the suddenness of the situation, we didn't have enough time to complete the area, which is still under construction. So, they have to wait until the trees are cleared for them to have a place."

"Why don't you ask them to leave the carriages?" I asked curiously.

The soldier sighed again. "We have asked them, but they refused because their valuable belongings are inside. We didn't want to create a commotion that would only lead to bigger problems, so we complied with their request after assessing whether the situation allowed it or not."

"And you think the situation allows it? Even Celine, the Tier 5 knight, was thrown out of the palace, and you consider that feasible?" I asked with an elevated tone, surprised by the lackadaisical attitude of the royal soldiers. "What were you thinking?"

"Forgive us, but we were simply following the commander's orders," he replied softly, unable to meet my gaze directly.

"What's the matter, Gero? Is there a problem?" asked a short-haired, blond male knight, walking from the direction of the gate with his hand ready on the hilt of his sword.

The soldier in front of me shook his head, trying to reassure his commander. "There's nothing, sir. The evacuation is going smoothly. I was just explaining the situation to Lord Zent here," he replied, slightly too loud and fast, drawing the attention of several onlookers.

The knight observed me from head to toe, shuddering when he noticed my blood-splattered attire, and then he uttered, "You're the man mentioned by Celine?"

Oh?

"You're not worthy of her."

I know that.

But hearing someone else say it makes my blood boil a little. "We don't have time for this. They need to leave their carriages, or their lives will be in danger!" I urged, while keeping an eye on the growing brightness of the purple light at the palace.

"We are safe as long as we have Celine! And I'm here to protect them as well. No one can harm us as long as we are inside the capital," he countered, fueling my desire to smash that cold and arrogant face.

"You care more about your ego than their safety? Even Celine is unable to face her! Do you think these people will be safe? They will only perish under your so-called 'protection'," I retorted angrily, struggling to contain the anger that had reached its peak.

I'd better make my way to the palace and find out what's happening there instead of wasting time talking to that mindless creature.

"What will you do? Become a burden to her?"

Suddenly, from the direction of the palace, the bright purple light soared upwards and swiftly moved in our direction. I summoned my shield forward, hoping it would protect those behind me.

In less than a second, a powerful impact occurred, causing a massive earthquake that made me kneel, unable to maintain my balance.

The residents ran towards the gate, leaving their belongings behind in a state of hysteria. Their screams and shouts drowned out any instructions from the knights, who were now confused about what to do, terrified by the tremendous force attempting to penetrate the shield.

The commander drew his sword, imbuing a bright blue mana on the blade, and turned to me. "I will show you the true power of a Tier 5 knight," he declared before charging forward.

He leaped out from within the shield and managed to push back the figure with a powerful swing of his sword, unleashing a massive blue energy, as formidable as Celine's mana sword, only to be effortlessly parried by the woman.

Two blue energies formed an 'X' shape from the commander's sword swing, which the woman evaded as if facing a child's attack, her gaze fixed on me.