It was nothing but an uphill climb the entire way.
I couldn't see the end of the path at all. Using my divine power didn't tire me, but purely physically, I was getting out of breath.
If even I, who had been fairly healthy since my resurrection, was struggling this much, it truly spoke to the ruggedness of this terrain.
"Even without the Monsters, this is not a place just anyone could ascend."
Gritting my teeth, I muttered and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. Warm sweat dampened my skin.
"Indeed. It's only because it's me that I'm managing this climb so well. An ordinary mage would have collapsed long ago."
"You don't look particularly well, though."
As soon as Xenon finished speaking, Samuel interjected with an indifferent voice.
Samuel, large and muscular in appearance, had the best complexion among the three of us.
Having spent his life chasing criminals, he seemed relatively accustomed to such terrain.
"Ha, do you think it's easy to find a mage with stamina like mine?"
Xenon scoffed and looked back at me as if seeking agreement.
"Right?"
"How would I know that?"
It's not like I have a string of mages at my fingertips.
At my retort, Xenon frowned, looking somewhat hurt.
"You acknowledged my stamina yourself, Lady Anelli, didn't you?"
"When did I…"
I was about to retort, 'When did I do that?' without much thought, but a sudden memory flashed through my mind, and I closed my lips.
I did have a memory of saying something like, 'Mages are supposed to have poor stamina, so why are you so tenacious?'
……It was a private remark, too embarrassing to bring up in front of others.
"Enough chatter. Let's keep moving."
I retorted curtly and put strength into my legs to move forward.
The corpses of withered plant-type Monsters crunched underfoot, rustling.
The surroundings were entirely covered in black earth. Wherever my divine power had passed, the black earth was revealed.
I wondered if it was tainted with miasma, like the dead land in the Montel territory, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
"It's curious, though. Aside from the plant Monsters blocking our path, no other Monsters are particularly noticeable."
"It's not that there aren't any."
As I felt even when camping, this mountain range was teeming with Monsters.
So many different kinds that it made one wonder how they maintained their territories.
"They're just hiding and watching us."
Xenon probably couldn't hear them. But I could sense them.
The avian-type Monsters hiding on the branches of large trees, whispering, or the beast-type Monsters concealing themselves in the undergrowth.
Perhaps something even farther away was holding its breath, watching me.
"Are they frightened by Lady Anelli's power?"
"It's respect."
It was Samuel who answered Xenon's question instead of me. Walking at the very front, he glanced back at Xenon and spoke.
"Soon, the time that had stopped will flow again."
「The time of Veladia, sealed away for ages to evade the Eye of Birth, will flow once more according to the Captain's divine power.」
I recalled Dearis, who had spoken kindly. Unconsciously, I glanced down at the hand that had received the key from him.
Was it because I had repeatedly used my divine power since arriving at the mountain range? Even without consciously focusing, a faint green light seemed to shimmer around my hand.
"Ah, we've finally reached the top!"
At Xenon's cheerful words, I reflexively looked up.
Just as Xenon said, the sky was visible. It was the end of the interminable uphill path. Seeing the end in sight, strength surged from somewhere, and my pace quickened on its own.
"So this is truly the Veladia Valley now?"
"Yes. That is it."
Finally reaching the summit, the large trees and thickets that had obstructed my view vanished as if they had disappeared, and my vision opened wide.
The valley, carved in graceful curves, was immense and majestic.
Amidst the deep greenery, I could see a winding stream flowing below and sheer rock cliffs on the opposite side.
The clear, overwhelming grandeur of nature was a landscape I had never seen before.
But above all, what captured my gaze was the castle sharply rising between those valleys.
"Veladia Castle."
It was astonishing how large it was, visible clearly even from this distance, and how perfectly its form was preserved.
Staring blankly in the direction of the castle, I unconsciously took a step forward. And at that moment.
*Crunch.*
A sound of something breaking reached my ears.
"Lady Anelli!"
It was the sound of a gemstone that had been cracked and barely holding on, finally shattering.
* * *
A nostalgic scent, a dear atmosphere, familiar dust carried on the breeze.
All of it awakened Dasha.
We have finally reached it.
The goddess will take his Captain from him.
* * *
Revealing themselves along with pitch-black smoke were two Dullahans.
Dasha, and Bark, who had been sent into the same subspace with Dasha.
"Step back!"
Sensing an ominous aura, Samuel drew his sword and Xenon deployed a barrier.
Perhaps damaged by the forced summoning, Bark was crouching, letting out a small groan.
Dasha also seemed somewhat impacted, but didn't appear to be in as much pain as Bark.
However, black smoke was billowing from his entire body, and he didn't look to be in good condition.
"You said you could hold on……"
When Xenon had relayed the story about the bracelet to Dekin, Dekin had clearly stated, upon hearing the condition, that it would hold for at least ten days.
At the time, Dekin had offered to repair the magical artifact, but I thought it better to quickly reach the destination right before us rather than delay by meeting with him.
I had hoped it would last at least five days, if not ten.
Well, it's already broken. What can be done now?
"Dasha!"
I called out to Dasha while cupping the bracelet in my hand, from which one gem had been completely shattered.
Dasha, who had been staggering upright right after being summoned, turned his body toward me as if responding to the call.
[Dasha……]
Mori, who had been quietly in my pocket the whole time, wriggled out and transformed. Though not as large as Dasha, a fairly sizable Dullahan emerged and positioned itself between me and Dasha.
[Da, Dasha!]
A tense atmosphere swirled, as if a great fight could break out at any moment.
I swallowed dryly and examined the bracelet. I was conflicted about whether to summon the other Dullahans.
What if the other summoned Dullahans regain their memories and run amok?
'Before that, what state is Dasha in right now?'
I narrowed my eyes and observed Dasha. Above his neck, where the smoke was particularly dense, a form was beginning to take shape.
It was a head.
……Dasha's head.
* * *
His throat was burning.
It felt as if someone was branding his neck with a red-hot iron skewer.
The pain was so intense that for a moment, his vision turned pure white.
Dasha, who had been silently screaming, only moving his lips, finally regained his senses.
Then, the agony that had seemed like it would never end vanished as if washed away by water at some point.
'Ah.'
Outlines formed in the world that had been only white. Dasha realized he was surrounded by many figures.
[Dasha, can you hear my voice?]
He knew who it was as soon as he heard the voice.
Soana.
Dasha stared straight at the Dullahan in front of him. He could see other knights beside Soana. His comrades, the twelve knights of the round table.
Dasha slowly turned his head. Among the gazes fixed on him, one was particularly tense.
Samuel.
Dasha recognized him immediately. Just as when he had last faced him, Samuel was pointing his sword at him with a devastated, despairing expression.
There was also a human he didn't recognize. Judging by the aura, likely a mage, he was glaring at Dasha, bristling as if to protect someone.
In truth, it wasn't just him.
Those surrounding Dasha were all prepared to subdue him at any moment. All to protect just one person.
"Dasha."
The one standing at the back, protected by all, called Dasha in a calm voice.
A woman with brilliantly shining silver hair. Dasha sighed without realizing it.
Instead of answering her, Dasha raised a hand and felt his own neck.
Passing over the nape and chin, to the cheek and the back of his head. Feeling his own head tentatively, Dasha let out a hollow sigh.
"……Captain."
Like forcing open a long-unused, rusted hinge, an old, rough metallic sound flowed from his throat.
The soft, beautiful voice that once sang along to lovely melodies had long since vanished. All that remained was a voice that seemed cracked and on the verge of breaking.
"Dasha, are you alright?"
To Dasha, who was standing dazedly, the Captain spoke again.
"If speaking is difficult, you can express your intent through action."
At her blunt yet affectionate words, Dasha twisted the corners of his eyes and smiled. Unstable emotions struck his chest erratically.
In the past, he would have been swept up by these emotions, single-mindedly focused on moving the Captain to safety.
He would have especially striven to separate her from that betrayer beside her. But having regained his head, reason now took precedence.
"I was the minstrel who sang your praises from the highest place."
Because that's how he had been in the old days. Because he understood that betrayer.
Because he understood Samuel's heart, which sought to protect the Captain from the goddess.
Dasha, too, had wanted to protect the Captain, but Dasha lacked the courage to throw himself before Birth to protect the Captain's soul.
He could only feel anger, unable to muster the resolve to resist.
That is why he did not resist Samuel's sword.
"I sent my songs upon the wind to proclaim your mercy. So that all things might praise you, so that all might know death."
He wanted to protect the Captain, but he also could not forsake his own promised rest, liberation from prolonged torment.
"And thus, I fulfilled my final calling here."
The soul of a knight, who had suffered for a long time without receiving salvation from the god, had finally regained its complete form.
"And so, Captain."
He would now enjoy the promised peace.
"Please grant your knight his freedom."
The knight clad in black armor knelt before his master.
* * *
A green light spread faintly.
For the first time since my resurrection, I led one of the round table knights, who had wandered headless, to his rest.
Dasha's rest was a peaceful death.