Leonardo gripped the greatsword.
At that moment, all the noise and disputes faded and dimmed.
Though he didn't realize it, the spotlight that had been spreading widely around Leonardo gradually gathered into a single point, and the rest of the world became less significant.
The king, who had claimed the spotlight as his own, quietly gazed at Leonardo. His red eyes traced a thin line.
Eyes that did not regard humans as humans.
The face of one who views people as mere tools to be used and replaced at any time to achieve their goals.
The king in front of me knew how to shed tears over a single life, but he did not hold the lives of ten thousand dear. This was the expected quality of one who ruled a great nation, as if to say it was necessary.
However, Leonardo, facing this king, showed no signs of wavering. He simply stared at his opponent. He was always like that. Whether his opponent was a beast, a grotesque anomaly, or a human.
Before his sword, all were equal.
The ruler of man, crowned in gold, and the beast, covered in filthy muck—perhaps it's because he knows that the screams of pain when bones break and the sight of someone on the verge of death are the same for both.
If the most noble and the most despicable both bleed and die, then what, truly, makes the difference?
As the hunt drew near, and as Leonardo's mind and body grew cold, the king quietly shifted his gaze from Leonardo to me, standing behind Leovald.
"You hide behind him, pretending to be so pleased to see me."
Godric gave me a sly smile as I furrowed my brows. His long, graceful fingers gently swept the sword's hilt, leaving a lingering trace in the air.
"I thought I treated you quite well… Was it not enough?"
In that instant, without the slightest hint of hesitation, a vein violently popped out on Leonardo's hand.
Though all I could see was his back, I instinctively held my breath. There was something chilling running down my spine.
Leonardo's movements grew strangely frequent. It was as if, like a taut bowstring, his every sense had been sharpened, ready to pierce through his target at any moment with ferocious anger.
The man I knew would not lose his composure in the face of battle.
The storms of the past years had gradually chipped away at his emotions, smoothing them over. There was always something that took precedence over desire or impulse for him.
He had to survive. That was always the priority.
Therefore, he did not waver. He did not get angry. He did not lose his reason. Because survival was at stake.
Just as a starving person has no time to hesitate in front of bread and meat, he had no luxury of personally hating or caring for someone. In this way, he became both a skilled swordsman and a rational commander.
"Leo" was not someone who would lose his composure before a battle.
So, when did he change?
The current Leonardo was like…
It seemed as though an intense impulse, one he had never experienced before, was thinly slicing through his reason. Something sticky and suffocating, invisible to the eye, was contaminating the air around him. His silence was quieter than ever before, yet it carried more weight than any furious shout.
It was only then that I belatedly realized this was Leonardo's rage.
'No, don't waver.'
I desperately wished for that.
I felt unnervingly anxious. Was it because I knew that Godric had the ability to delve into a person's heart and manipulate it skillfully? Or perhaps because I knew how treacherous he could be?
Or maybe, it was because something Godric had said was gnawing at my mind.
The words 'Once you've done it, why not do it again?' squeezed my heart relentlessly, as though the blood was draining from it. The ringing in my ears was deafening, and my hands and feet began to grow cold.
This time, I could not afford to be angry. I knew the moment I had feared was now right in front of me, and anger seemed almost like a luxury.
I didn't want to lose.
"…It won't be possible a second time."
At that moment, Orlie picked up the spear dropped by the fallen royal guard, who had turned to ashes, and pointed it toward Godric. Upon seeing the interrupter, Godric's lips twisted into a straight line, as if bored.
In that moment, a message from the assistant writer appeared in my view.
[Assistant Writer: Isaac, if there's a gap, leave with the protagonist as quickly as possible. I'll draw their attention.]
Though it was reassuring, I knew. Since the incident in the underground prison, Orlie's condition had not been at its best.
'He had his joints torn apart and put back together. How could he be normal…?'
Even now, I could see his arm faintly trembling.
When he had been facing the royal guards who came to stop us, his abilities had been less than before. The long imprisonment and the grotesque display of his limbs being disassembled had clearly taken their toll.
Perhaps having sensed my faint hesitation, Orlie added:
[Assistant Writer: Aren't you both very exhausted? You and Leovald.]
I realized with a deep breath, from behind Leonardo, that I couldn't deny those words. The brief joy of reuniting with Leonardo had made the pain disappear for a moment, but it was fleeting.
The longer I stood, the more my legs grew numb with pain, and my lungs felt as though they were being torn apart, making even breathing agonizing.
Leonardo's condition wasn't great either.
He had been rescuing the field troops and then immediately heading to the old castle ruins. He had clearly been running without rest. At times, Leonardo pushed his body to its limit.
If it had been Leovald's body, it might have been able to keep up, but the body he was currently using was the original body of Leonardo, one that had lived neglecting physical training.
It wasn't a body that had been honed over time; it was merely a body that had been pushed to its extreme limits in just under a year. That was something I shouldn't forget.
If not for the fact that Leonardo's body inherited the bloodline of the Ertinez family, he would not have been able to endure this.
A small part of me wondered whether this was just my own selfish desire to not lose Leonardo, justifying it in my mind. Despite this, I placed my hand on the back of Leonardo's hand, which was holding the sword.
'…Leo?'
I had never seen Leonardo this angry before.
So, I doubted whether my voice would even reach him. I instinctively shrank back, wondering if I might be provoking him further.
But what I received in return was a gentle touch. He seemed to hold my hand firmly, as if not wanting to let go.
「I'm listening, Isaac.」
"…"
Why, instead of relief, did a fear so intense that it made my fingertips tingle flood over me when I heard those words? I didn't know; I just felt it instinctively.
The faint, crackling light of the spotlight, which had gathered toward the peak, suddenly scattered.
Godric, who had been bathed in that light like a halo, too returned to being just one of many participants on the stage.
Orlie stepped forward, raising his spear in place of us, aimed at what had once been his own creation.
The expression on Godric's face, aimed at the spear's tip, sank into a chilling stillness.
[Assistant Writer 1: If this is how it's going to be.]
Soon after, the king's voice spread across the outpost.
"Are you all truly going to betray your lord, only seeing a fragment of the whole?"
In response, the nobles who had already been subjugated by Godric began to move, forming an opposing faction. His fingertips pointed toward Orlie and Leonardo.
"This is clearly a rebellion taking advantage of the chaos. Those who understand honour and have sworn loyalty, capture these traitors!"
[Special ability,
The red light blinked rapidly over the eyes of the extras and minor nobles, whose presence and roles had been faint outside the spotlight.
Staggering, they raised their curved swords, stumbling as they walked forward.
Unlike the other Godric-aligned nobles who had already completed their submission, their movements were unsteady, and their sense of self remained intact. It seemed that the subjugation had not been fully effective. As if to confirm my thoughts, Butier intervened.
[Main Author: It's only temporary. Just hold on a little longer!]
'Damn.'
Things had become more complicated. It wasn't as simple as cutting through those who weren't loyal to Godric, nor was it easy to just cut down those who were being used.
Above all, these weren't mere lackeys. They were skilled enough to participate in the hunting campaign, so they weren't opponents to take lightly.
"Leo, avoid direct confrontation for now!"
Leonardo completely turned his back on Godric and, pulling me into his arms, leaped into the fray. Swords came at us from all directions.
He swung his greatsword with the intent to slice through the attacking weapons, but in the split second, he tilted the sword, deflecting the attacks with a glancing angle.
Perhaps due to the pressure of the curved swords, Leonardo's breath began to grow heavier.
Normally, this wouldn't have fazed him. But, this place was far too disadvantageous.
'It might be easier to maneuver if you let me go…'
It seemed as though the thought had slipped out of my mind, because Leonardo's grip tightened around my waist.
「That won't do.」
As if he would never let go again.
In the end, I tightened my grip around Leonardo's neck, trying to alleviate at least some of the burden on him.
From behind, I could see the assistant writer and Godric in a standoff. Though Leonardo was quickly moving away, and I couldn't hear the conversation, I had my own way of reading the situation with my eyes.
[Assistant Writer: There are times when you must know when to stop. Your actions have already gone too far—]
[Sub-writer 1: Stop?]
The atmosphere turned cold and eerie.
[Sub-writer 1: Didn't you shape me into this?]
[Assistant Writer: ...]
[Sub-writer 1: I'll make sure you don't know how to stop.]
My heart raced uneasily. Even though we had gained some distance, it felt as if just a little more, just a tiny bit more, and we could escape from the old castle ruins.
[Main Author: It's enough now. I'll close this chapter.]
The certainty that Godric wouldn't let us go so easily lingered in my mind.
[Clear Condition Achieved!]
['Scenario Note #032' has been successfully completed....]
Then, I saw it.
The moment Godric moved his hand as if he was going to throw his sword and pierce Leonardo. And Orlie, in an attempt to block it, tilted his body to the side.
I saw the king's lips twist into a grimace.
[Sub-writer 1: I had saved it for when it was certain…]
"Orlie!"
Godric's sword, which had been aimed at Leonardo, twisted its trajectory in midair, cutting a sharp line through the air. No blood splattered.
It wasn't alive anymore.
[Abnormal error detected.]
Thud.
The body and head of the knight separated and collapsed softly.
['■■■■' is currently unavailable.]
['■■■■' cannot be located.]
[■■■■■....][Changes are being reflected.]
['Main Author (31% stake)' has been confirmed.]
['Sub-writer 1 (32% stake)' has been confirmed.]
['Sub-writer 2 (??% stake)' has been confirmed.][Notice: 'Main Author' has been changed.]