"I also want to secure my future…"

-Don't make me laugh. Phoebe, why do you worry so much about us but don't accept that we worry about you?

Phoebe closed her mouth.

Gorgon, full of emotion, stared at Phoebe.

-Phoebe, I'm a man too.

Gorgon said.

-Before inheriting the blood of the Yellow Dragon, before being the vanguard of the empire, before being an experimental subject of the Astheria family, I was a man. Do you know what kind of creature a man is?

"I-I don't know..."

-They say that men live and die by their pride. At first, I found that saying strange. But... now I can understand it.

Gorgon's gaze deepened.

His eyes looking at Phoebe became more affectionate.

-I also... want to keep my pride in front of the person I love and die trying.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her with the last memory of his life.

That's why Gorgon chose to die instead of Phoebe.

But Phoebe didn't fully understand his words.

No matter what, he was talking about dying, so Phoebe wanted to stop him.

Thinking of a good excuse, she racked her brain and replied to Gorgon like this.

"But, but I... Yes! I'm the eldest! It's only right that the eldest should lead the way!"

-...I've told you many times, I'm the same age as you, Phoebe.

"But since I'm number one in the hierarchy, I'm the older sister..."

Phoebe hesitated, fiddling with her fingers.

Seeing Phoebe trying to come up with another excuse, Gorgon sighed.

-Why don't you just say it's because you're the captain?

"Th-that's it!"

Phoebe's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands.

"I'm the captain, so I'm responsible for everyone!"

Seeing Phoebe like this, Gorgon covered his face with his right hand.

It seemed as if he was hiding his face in shame, but it was actually to hide his laughter.

Seeing Gorgon's reaction, Phoebe fiddled with her fingers again.

Suppressing his emotions once more, Gorgon spoke to Phoebe.

-Let me say it again: I don't want to raise a child or get married. My life is about fighting and dying on the battlefield. That's just what you wish for.

"I am..."

She tried to argue but closed her mouth again.

Gorgon was right.

Getting married, having a child, and living happily was Phoebe's dream.

She just forced that on Gorgon and Saul.

-So you'll live like that. This time, either I or Saul will bear the burden.

"Will it be okay?"

The last question she asked.

There was no hesitation on Gorgon's face.

-It'll be fine.

"I understand."

Phoebe didn't insist anymore.

Having succeeded in persuading her, Gorgon sighed and tried to end the conversation.

"But Gorgon."

-Huh?

"Did you find a girl you like?"

Phoebe smiled brightly, fiddling with her fingers. Gorgon's face showed confusion.

-Wh-what are you talking about?

"Listening to what Gorgon just said, it seems like it has something to do with a girl you like."

-That... was just a mistake because I was excited. Just let it go.

"No! Gorgon, when you're flustered, your true feelings often come out. If you're stammering, it's definitely true."

Phoebe smirked mischievously. Gorgon blushed and avoided her gaze.

Seeing his flustered figure, Phoebe was sure and shook her hips.

"Who is it? Tell me quickly. If you don't, I'll sneak in!"

-...I don't really want to talk about it.

"Just whisper it to me! My lips are sealed! They're really heavy!"

-I know very well that you can easily be tricked when you're interrogated since we've been together, so there's no need to introduce yourself.

Phoebe's face suddenly became serious.

"Is it an action a member should take to hide something from the leader?"

-It's useless even if you try to act weighty for nothing.

"Ugh... That's too mean."

Phoebe pressed her lips tightly and thought about Gorgon's lover.

Gorgon just stared at her.

The innocent girl beyond the screen.

Would she ever know?

That she, Phoebe, was the one he loved.

'She'll never know even if I die.'

He was different from Phoebe, who thought of everyone in the Astheria family as her family.

Gorgon didn't think of Phoebe as family. To him, Phoebe was just a woman pretending to be a leader.

'I've fallen for her so pathetically.'

He couldn't remember the exact moment.

By the time he realized it, his feelings for her had grown uncontrollably.

He could barely suppress his adolescent passion through training and battle, but the more he suppressed it, the more it grew like a bomb.

That's why he wanted to make up for what Phoebe lacked.

'I wanted to make her laugh...'

Phoebe was always either chubby or expressionless.

He remembered laughing more than her since she couldn't laugh.

Until the Astheria extinction event, Gorgon couldn't make Phoebe laugh.

It was an outsider who accomplished that difficult task. And it was an outsider who opened her heart.

'And...'

Phoebe is in love with that outsider.

Reed Adeleheights Roton.

The current master of the Silence Tower.

'She's truly hateful.'

Seeing her smile kindly, his heart was filled with anger, but his mouth tried to smile.

Either way, it was a difficult situation for Gorgon.

"Anyway, Gorgon."

-Huh?

Gorgon raised his head at Phoebe's call.

"Thank you for considering me too. As Gorgon said, I... I don't think I've thought about myself for others."

It sounded a bit strange, but he could understand.

-So Phoebe, leave this matter to me. I'll make sure you can't make that choice.

"I understand, Gorgon. Really... Thank you."

The conversation ended there.

Phoebe's face, which had been smiling while talking with Gorgon, calmed down after the conversation ended.

"Thinking for others... my thoughts."

Phoebe knew what she had to do.

Courage was needed to face the uncomfortable truth.

Phoebe made up her mind.

***

* * *

Dream big tl dot com

***

The west was swept away by a disaster that no one could stop.

The eyewitness information varied depending on who was asked.

Sometimes it was a small boy, and sometimes it was a dragon larger than a castle.

He had the ability to freely control his body.

No magic or weapon could affect him.

'He escaped unscathed.'

Some places tried to trap him with self-destructive magic, but he escaped without a scratch, as if laughing at such magic.

-The origin of the dragon has returned.

People called it the origin of the dragon because, in addition to being able to change its appearance, it could use magic that was only recorded in legends.

The origin of the dragon was different from the hero; it didn't even bestow mercy.

It tore everything it saw with its claws and burned it.

Sometimes it let them go with a sneer, but they died soon after from suffocating in fear.

-Nothing works. Swords, spears, traps, magic... nothing works at all.

Not only the masters but also kings of medium size or larger couldn't stop the rampaging origin of the dragon.

Unable to trace its whereabouts as it destroyed the west, they had no choice but to abandon their homeland.

When people face despair they can't overcome alone, they tend to lean on someone.

Their savior was not the order but in the Silence Tower.

The wide open space around the Silence Tower was quickly filled with refugees.

Not only were there commoners who had lost their homes and land, but also the majority were nobles with tents and attendants.

That's why the situation was even more difficult.

Especially during a time like now, when a secret project was underway, it was not a good thing for people to gather around the tower.

The tower's owner, Reed, personally went out to mediate with the refugees.

"I'm sorry, but there is a high concentration of mana in our tower area, so non-mages cannot stay here."

"Didn't many soldiers used to gather here and keep watch?"

"Even if there's a lot of mana concentrated, there's no difference for ordinary people, right? We all know that."

If they were just commoners, Reed could warn them and send them away, but nobles were more difficult to handle.

Not only did they know a lot, but their pride and dignity were the main reasons.

Reed couldn't speak ill of them easily and had to talk in a roundabout way, so dealing with them was very stressful.

"How about going to the Hupper Kingdom? They said they could accommodate refugees temporarily."

"Even if you cling to this place, there is no one here who can save you, poor little lambs."

A young woman's voice echoed through the crowd.

"What young girl...ugh!"

The raging energy cooled down instantly.

A crown with the emblem of the God of Light, the Althea Order.

And the woman, her eyes covered with a black cloth.

Just by those features, all the nobles knew who she was.

"The Saintess!"

"May Althea's protection be with you..."

Non-believers quietly retreated, and the believers made a sign of respect to her, drawing a holy symbol.

It was the Saint of Meditation, Isel.

"Have you lost your way?"

"Magic cannot provide the answer. Relying on them can only solve human problems, but it can't avoid the punishment from the gods."

"What do you mean...!"

"Do you know that this is all a punishment from the gods, Saintess?"

At their desperate questions, Isel nodded her head.

"Yes. Everything is God's punishment to test humanity. Those who cannot overcome this moment are destined to be unsaved and perish."

Isel walked up to King Bradley and grabbed his hand. The once passionate Bradley stiffened at her touch.

Her lips moved, and she breathed out a gentle warmth.

"Do not abandon your faith. Althea is watching over you. He will surely give you the strength to overcome even this ordeal."

Isel's words calmed the crowd, and they looked to her for guidance and hope in the face of the terrifying disaster that had befallen them. The power of the Saintess and the faith they held in their hearts would be their only chance to face the mysterious and unstoppable force that threatened their world.