I Became the Youngest Disciple of the Martial God - Chapter 307

The Youngest Disciple of the Martial God – Chapter 307

Chapter 307

The crackling of a bonfire reaches my ears.

A perfectly comfortable warmth, the soft touch of a mattress, and the rhythmic sound of… rustling paper?

Is someone reading a book?

The question soon leads to the awakening of my mind.

“…….”

My mind, adrift in a hazy dreamscape, slowly returns to my body.

Suddenly, I realize I’m lying in bed, a fireplace beside me, and someone sitting in a chair at an angle, flipping through a book.

“…….”

“…….”

And the moment I turn my body, I meet eyes with a snake.

To be precise, a person with a snake’s face.

I didn’t mistake her for Arakasad, because this person’s scales are red.

Moreover, for some reason, she gives off a different impression than the Lizardmen, making me wonder if my time with the Corrupted has sharpened my eye for discerning different races.

“…….”

Crimson eyes stare at me, and then her mouth slowly opens.

“Lanfero. He’s awake.”

“……?”

For a moment, I’m confused, but then I realize she isn’t talking to me. Moreover, her voice is unexpectedly thin and clear.

In other words, it’s a woman’s voice.

The snake woman rises from her seat, closes the book, and walks out of the room with a stoic gait.

Strangely, she carries herself with an air of dignity. She seems even more aristocratic than Lanfero, who actually is a noble.

And as if taking her place, Lanfero enters.

“Did you sleep well? You seem to be a heavy sleeper. You sleepyhead.”

“…Good morning.”

“Yes. Good evening.”

I follow Lanfero’s gaze out the window to see the already darkened landscape.

Slowly recalling my memories, I speak.

“What’s going on?”

“Well. Where should I begin… First of all, you’ve been asleep for three days.”

I feel a sense of familiarity with this unfolding.

Whenever I get entangled with those damn demons, I always end up unconscious for a few days before waking up.

As I listen to Lanfero, I realize my throat is parched and my stomach is empty enough to touch my spine.

It’s only natural, after three days of fasting.

“Would you like some water?”

“I would appreciate that.”

I readily accept the water from Lanfero and gulp it down in one go.

My thirst is quenched, and my stomach feels slightly less hollow.

Lanfero goes outside, brings in a jug, and repeatedly refills my glass with water.

After drinking two more glasses of cold water, I feel my mind fully awaken.

“By the way, who was that person just now?”

“She’s one of our clan members, Rukukuruku. Have you heard of her?”

“Only her name.”

“We’ve been quite busy these past few days. Rukukuruku has been taking care of you. Be sure to thank her when you see her.”

“Ah, yes.”

Rukukuruku.

The name Ramon mentioned.

Judging by her name alone, I expected her to be a cute demi-human like Slime Senior… Sharmut, but seeing her in person, she radiated an icy aura colder than the northern winds.

Didn’t Ramon say she doesn’t like people gossiping about her?

Seeing her now, I understand why.

Is it cold, or is it cool…?

Still, for her to silently care for me for three days, she must be a considerate person. Yet, she left as soon as our eyes met.

She doesn’t seem to be the shy type either. She’s an enigma in many ways.

“For the record, she’s not a Lizardman.”

“Then what is she?”

“A dragon.”

I’m taken aback at this.

“A dragon? The kind of dragon I’m thinking of?”

“That’s right. The same kind of dragon as the Hero Headquarters Director, Taon Glad. Of course, unlike the Director, she’s only half.”

“Half…?”

“In short, a half-dragon. There are certain circumstances that led to her current appearance.”

“Circumstances…?”

“A kind of curse.”

“…….”

“Well, let’s stop talking about others. It’s rude to pry.”

“I suppose so.”

“Still, you’re the first person who didn’t make a fuss after seeing her face. Rukukuruku probably likes you quite a bit, even if she

“Shut up, Lanfero. Come and eat your food.”

A cold voice calls from outside, and Lanfero shrugs.

“Eavesdropping on our conversation? How rude.”

“Who started talking about me first? And if you’re going to talk about manners, why don’t you close the door?”

“I will. Oh, eat first. I still need to talk to Ruan.”

Without responding to her words, I hear the clatter of dishes, and Lanfero closes the door.

With the noise from the living room gone, silence descends upon the room.

A single flickering candle illuminates the space as Lanfero speaks, his voice low.

“The cult issue is mostly resolved.”

“Ah.”

“Normally, the mere summoning of the Legion Commander would have contaminated the entire area, but fortunately, it didn’t reach that level. Do you know why?”

I frown slightly.

The answer doesn’t seem that difficult, but my mind isn’t fully recovered yet, so I can’t come up with it immediately.

“It’s simple. The incident happened inside Ymir’s body. Even though he died thousands of years ago, Ymir’s remains haven’t decayed. Thanks to that, the evil energy didn’t completely leak out. An unexpected stroke of luck, wouldn’t you say? Well, regardless of that, we couldn’t stop the evil energy that escaped from the stone gate, so some parts of the north will be dangerous for a while.”

“Is the evacuation over?”

“Yes. There are a lot of bodies to recover, so it’ll take some time. To make matters worse, evil energy still lingers within Ymir’s remains, so we can’t rush it.”

“Ah.”

At the mention of bodies, a certain person comes to mind, and Lanfero nods, as if reading my thoughts.

“Mir recovered Ramon’s body.”

“…I see.”

“What did he say in the end? Knowing him, he probably nagged you until the very end.”

“He left a letter.”

I reach into my pocket, take out the letter, and hand it to Lanfero.

Lanfero reads the letter slowly and then lets out a low chuckle.

“Worrying about others until the very end. That stubborn fool. He should have worried about himself…”

“…….”

“Say, is this the first time someone died in your place?”

I’m startled by Lanfero’s sudden question and nod.

“Uh, probably?”

“Then you couldn’t have imagined it before coming to the Corrupted. That a little goblin would save your life.”

“…….”

“Many more things that you can’t even imagine will happen in the future. That’s what it means to be a hero. When you fight against injustice, you’ll face countless shitty situations.”

What is this man trying to tell me?

As I look at him questioningly, Lanfero continues.

“Don’t get hung up on it. Ramon would be satisfied if you just remember him.”

“…….”

“There’s no need for regret or guilt. Any other clan member in Ramon’s place would have done the same. That’s separate from the strength you possess.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was your senior.”

“…….”

“And someday, you’ll become a senior too. That’s how it goes.”

I quietly meet Lanfero’s gaze and then speak impulsively.

“What if I could turn back time?”

“What?”

“If I could go back in time and bring back Ramon, Feed… or anyone else who’s already dead, what would you think?”

“I don’t like ‘what if’ scenarios.”

Neither do I, to be honest.

If I didn’t have this Blessing, I wouldn’t be tormented by such thoughts.

“That’s a strange question. Or can you actually turn back time?”

“…….”

“Hehehe. That’s going too far. I was just kidding.”

At that moment, the wind howls, and the window frame creaks.

Lanfero looks out the window with a smile.

His usually pale face seems even more shadowed than usual today.

“I guess anyone would think that. The desire to go back comes from regret, and who lives without regrets in this world? Hmm. Let’s see…”

Lanfer

o crosses his arms and contemplates seriously, which is a bit unexpected.

This side of him is somewhat surprising.

I remember the image he showed at the last moment.

It was Lanfero Nosferatu who revealed his predatory nature even as he faced the demonic army.

Now, I sense wisdom and kindness in him, like a benevolent old man.

“About your hypothetical situation, let’s say you can go back to the past multiple times.”

“No. Only once.”

“Is that so? Then there’s no right answer.”

“No right answer?”

“How about this? You successfully go back in time and save Ramon, but Arakasad dies instead?”

“…….”

“Or both Ramon and Arakasad die, or I die, or things get twisted, and you fail to stop the cult’s plans. Wouldn’t that be possible?”

“Well, at least if we go back, we won’t repeat the same mistakes. We can’t ignore the advantage of information. Wouldn’t the outcome be better than now, no matter what?”

“That’s why this mission was so complicated, and the cult’s preparations were meticulous. Just look at the end. If I had arrived even a moment later, you all would have been killed by the demons.”

“…….”

He’s right.

“If you had multiple chances, you could repeat your failures and find a solution. But I think, in this operation, the fact that the damage was limited to this extent is truly a miracle. I don’t know about a thousand or ten thousand times, but this is probably the best outcome you could achieve after repeating it a hundred times.”

“…Ah.”

I understand Lanfero’s point.

The current outcome was also possible due to a combination of lucky breaks.

Such luck is beyond the realm of calculation.

There’s no guarantee that the same result would occur even if we were to repeat the events.

“Of course, your point is valid. There’s also the possibility that things could turn out better. So, my thought is…”

Lanfero looks at me and says,

“It’s fine whether you go back or not. Of course, as the Clan Head, I regret Ramon’s death, but if that was the choice he made, we must respect it.”

I close my mouth.

Lanfero seems indifferent to the death of his comrade.

I can guess why.

He’s lived for so long that he’s accustomed to farewells.

I guess I’m not that mature yet.

“You’re saying strange things that don’t suit you. Did you read some kind of novel?”

“Huh?”

“Novels about going back in time and succeeding. I hear they’re popular in the capital these days.”

“…No.”

I didn’t know such novels were popular.

“Anyway, let’s talk about the rest later. For now, let’s eat.”

I nod but remain on the bed, watching Lanfero’s retreating figure.

Actually, there’s one more thing I want to ask.

‘…What if it wasn’t just a hypothetical situation, but a real possibility to go back in time?’

Would you still give me the same answer, the same advice?

Most people can’t turn back time or change the past.

So, Lanfero’s seemingly rational thought might also be a self-justification, or a compromise, formed over a long period.

Lanfero may have dismissed my worries as a naive hero’s escapism, but that’s not true.

What I mentioned is a real possibility.

I let out a sigh.

My thoughts are getting too long for my own good.

‘…Shall I eat first?’

As Lanfero suggested, I decided to fill my stomach first and think later.