The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.196 The Life of Herbivores (5)

There was neither negligence nor arrogance.

They were in a perfect state of readiness, and their formation was impeccable.

During the surprise attack, the core members, Zilga and his comrades, were somewhat separated.

But labeling that beautiful gap as a flaw was indeed too harsh given that they could have closed it at any moment.

Zilga and his comrades had been completely defeated.

There was no room for excuses regarding that truth.

Hence, their only remaining task was to discuss what they lacked this time and use this defeat as a foundation.

Should they have conducted more thorough reconnaissance of the enemy?

How about re-evaluating their formation?

If they could sharpen their strength or technique more than they currently had…

No, that’s not it.

Zilga’s thoughts suddenly clouded.

His instincts as an S-Rank Adventurer, honed through countless adversities and trials, had already informed him of the cause of this defeat.

The gap in existence as a being.

It was a gap pure and brutal enough that neither effort nor experience could bridge, and Zilga had no choice but to accept that this tragedy was caused by it.

In truth, it could hardly be called a defeat.

Just as an elephant would not be said to have defeated an ant that it stomped to death.

What had occurred between him and that girl could be more aptly described as the rape of a former predator rather than a life-and-death struggle.

This was the second time he had felt such a vast difference in skill.

In fact, this time was relatively better.

The first time, they hadn’t even had a chance to clash.

The festival of the century known to every citizen—a Blessing Ceremony.

Among the throngs gathered to witness the glorious spectacle of a Saint bestowing a blessing upon a Hero, Zilga and his comrades were, of course, mixed in as well.

Zilga, who was confident that his admiration for the title of Hero was unmatched, looked on at the spectacle with envy and jealousy.

However, it didn’t take long for the expression of thrill in Zilga’s eyes to be consumed by sheer horror.

Red and blue eyes gazed at each other atop a pure white stone building.

The rough spirit that hovered around them, resembling a subtle aura of danger, engraved an unprecedented sense of defeat deep into Zilga’s bones.

He himself had felt a sense of dread rising to the point of nausea, a disgraceful secret promised to be taken to the grave.

From that moment, Zilga’s yearning for the title of Hero was fully extinguished.

It was only natural.

Humans naturally give up on looking up to something that is far beyond their reach.

Zilga could assert confidently.

The current Hero—Triana Abigail.

She was the embodiment of the strongest existence of humanity.

◈◈◈

“Are you okay!? Stay with us!”

“Y-You are…?”

The gentle voice of the man nearby carefully pieced Zilga’s fading consciousness back together.

“Don’t worry. I’ve treated your wounds perfectly. If you rest for a while, your life won’t be in any danger.”

“….Ugh!”

As he slowly lifted his eyelids, heavy like soaked cotton, the indistinct sight began to regain its original shape.

The unknown benefactor who had earnestly cared for him while he hovered near the edge of death.

Because of the white hair that briefly appeared beyond the foggy view, he thought for a moment that it might be an elderly man, but he was actually a young priest in his early to mid-twenties.

The signs of training visible throughout his physique subtly indicated that he was quite seasoned, yet.

In terms of capability, even being generous, he was at best B-rank. He was definitely not someone who could wander through risky areas where Special Dungeon Disasters had occurred without any escort.

Could he be a survivor from this village!?

Realizing quickly that he was not an adventurer sent by the Guild to rescue them from peril, Zilga’s voice became urgent.

“R-Run away! This is no place for someone like you—”

“Hero! Right now, I am in the middle of treating this person! You absolutely must not come this way! Understood!?”

“Y-Yes! Understood!”

“—!?”

He couldn’t even fully comprehend the current situation, yet the continued rush of chaos only thickened the confusion in Zilga’s mind.

Clank! Bang! Crash!

Every time the agile new models collided violently, the sound of Pangongseong echoed majestically, sending chills down his spine.

One of them belonged to the unknown girl that had annihilated his party, and the other… was undoubtedly the weapon of the current Hero—Triana Abigail, a presence he had not forgotten since witnessing her from afar on the day of the Blessing Ceremony.

“Toy. I’m going to play with you. Move aside.”

“You resemble someone I despise more than anyone else in the world.”

Zilga found that the chilling voice of metal clashing felt far more frightening than the calm discourse leaking out intermittently.

“How could this be…?”

It wasn’t a dream.

He had thought the appearance of the Hero before him just moments before losing consciousness was some sort of fever dream, but he couldn’t hide his shock.

Why was the Hero here?

And who on earth was this man?

What was the relationship between him and the Hero?

The intense headache swirling in Zilga’s mind was certainly not only due to his injuries; he firmly believed that.

“R-Right! C-Comrades! What about my comrades!? Ugh!”

“Don’t move! Calm down. Your comrades are all safe.”

Suddenly, the image of his comrades’ corpses flashed through his mind.

Though he had reflexively lunged toward them just before losing consciousness, he had no idea how the situation had developed thereafter, so his panic was somewhat justified.

“Aren’t you the one who leapt to protect everyone? Thanks to you, the remaining comrades are unharmed. Look.”

“….!”

Chwa-reul-leug.

Following the pointing of the man’s chin, Zilga’s eyes widened in astonishment.

In front of him lay his comrades, perfectly unharmed, neatly lined up on the ground.

But that was not what astounded Zilga.

Surrounding the fallen comrades was a circle of chains.

That peculiar aura, which he had never felt in his life, shielded Zilga’s comrades from the fragments of the life-and-death struggle reaching their way.

The chains, executing a dancer-like movement after slicing through a massive rock fragment with ease, seemed almost alive.

With the flood of information pouring in, Zilga found his mind reaching a state of overload.

Though the hypothesis that it could all be a dream flickered through his mind, the faint but unmistakable pain all over his body firmly communicated that this was undoubtedly reality.

Time passed as he observed.

Even Zilga, an S-Rank Adventurer, could barely track the extraordinary duel unfolding before him.

Crack!

“Cough!”

The girl struck directly by the Hero’s sword strike scattered blood like red petals, momentarily stumbling as she fought to steady herself.

The horizontal slash that crossed her torso left fatal wounds, striking multiple vital spots without question.

Yet, even as her spark of life began to fade, no emotion could be discerned on the girl’s face.

“Oh?”

“It’s over.”

Click.

Only after gazing at her bloodied hands did the girl seem to finally comprehend the injury she sustained, but the Hero’s merciless sword tip was once again aimed at her.

Even from afar, Zilga could sense the sheer malice he had previously felt on his skin.

He could intuit that the impending massacre in this very spot was something no one could stop.

“Hero! Wait a moment!”

“Yes! Priest!”

Boom!

Once again, the scene shifted dramatically.

Right after the Priest’s urgent voice called out, a thick cloud of dust exploded skyward, obstructing Zilga’s view completely.

“P-Priest—!?”

Despair engulfed Zilga’s thoughts.

The center of the explosion was directly in front of him.

It was where the Priest, his lifesaver, had stood.

No matter how newly revived he may have been from impending death, it was unthinkable to let the benefactor who had saved both his and his party members’ lives depart in such a manner.

Zilga lunged desperately.

Though his first step might have been hesitantly taken, there was no doubt that his determined strides breaking through the dust were akin to a hero stepping out of a fairy tale.

“Priest! Are you okay…?”

Zilga’s vision blurred in an instant.

His beloved blindfold snapped loose and fell to the ground, but he couldn’t even notice it.

The phrase “as mute as a fish” was undoubtedly meant for someone in Zilga’s current plight.

“Hero! Wait! What are you doing suddenly hugging me? We promised not to behave like this in front of others!”

“Oops! I completely forgot about that!”

Seeing the transcendent being he had believed was the strongest acting like a puppy in front of someone far weaker sent Zilga’s thoughts spiraling into another dimension.