124 – 54. Conclusion (2)
“Ian, what are you talking about, telling me not to leave…?”
Ria Hirst couldn’t understand at all what Ian was saying right now.
Stay like this? Has he not heard what she has been saying all this time?
It’s understandable that she doesn’t want to send him away. The Ian Volkanoft she had seen so far had been someone who cherished people around him terribly.
But that was the same for Ria.
“At first, it was just an opportunity to seek learning for my growth. But as we spent time together and faced dangers, I felt.”
To her, Ian Volkanoft was precious.
Now, to the point where she could regard him like family, even if the world turned its back on him, she could still look at him in the same way.
Calling him a loved one didn’t feel awkward at all. The emotions she felt, Ian felt the same way.
That’s why she couldn’t bear to send him away.
“Ian, I understand what you mean by saying that. It’s not necessary to be helpful, just sticking by your side is enough. But I feel like I won’t be able to endure if such things happen again.”
“…”
While the world had regained peace with the loss of the Archangel Lucifer, it didn’t seem like there would be no twists in the future life.
There might be hardly any threats to life, but there would still be moments when they would need each other’s help and cooperate.
Being young, they would be more exposed to such things.
Each time, instead of helping Ian, she would just hold him back. Is that what he wants her to endure?
“So Ian, once again.”
“I know what you’re saying. It’s not just about sticking by your side.”
“What?”
“Ria, you were born as the youngest daughter of the Hirst family. Your family probably had a harmonious atmosphere unlike our house.”
“That’s…”
“Parents who love their children. Siblings who are closely connected. Even living a luxurious life as the daughter of a viscount.”
As Ian calmly continued, Ria’s shoulders began to tremble.
You might wonder how Ian knew about the situation of the noble family. But when Ian set his mind to it, there was nothing he couldn’t find out.
He was not only the leader of the same 3rd Platoon, but most importantly, Ian was the one who communicated the most with Kayen.
If he wanted, he could easily glance through the records of the interview between Kayen and her from when she entered the school.
Of course, the information he obtained was not acquired through shady means.
Anyway, when Ian set his mind to it, it meant he could easily figure out things like her inner thoughts.
Furthermore, he could even understand what kind of worries she had at the moment she brought up such words.
“Lia, you were born into a wealthy family, more comfortable and luxurious than anyone else. However, that doesn’t mean you were always happy. Perhaps the reason was the family that was overly protective.”
“…How so?”
“Your siblings must have adored you as the youngest while shielding you with absolute protection. If you expressed a desire, they would help you out, watching over you secretly, worried that you might get hurt.”
Though they showed excessive protection due to love and care, it not only protected Lia but also stifled her.
From a young age, whenever she tried to do something, her siblings would rush to help her, and as a result, Lia probably never got to achieve anything on her own.
In simple terms, one could say her independence was lacking.
“As time passed, comfort gradually turned into anxiety. ‘Am I going to end up not being able to do anything on my own? I should do something to become someone who can achieve something without the help of others,’ is what you must have thought.”
It was probably then that swordsmanship caught her eye.
The Hest family had prospered in commerce, but compared to other viscount families, they were somewhat lacking in military aspects. To alleviate her father’s worries about how to resolve this, she decided to train in swordsmanship herself.
And upon entering Ark and meeting Ian, she faced another dilemma.
“Furthermore, I probably started wanting to contribute and be of help to someone through my actions. Am I wrong?”
“Oh… right, that’s why I!”
“As you traveled the continent, you wanted to gain experiences and build your own strengths that others didn’t possess, right? Isn’t that what you mean?”
“Even though you know all this, are you telling me not to go? Knowing exactly how I feel…”
Ian wanted to be of help to her. He wanted to be the person she needed and to be by her side.
Ian was not unaware of these feelings.
In fact, he knew them very well.
On the other hand, even though he knew what she was thinking, there was a reason he had to tell her not to go.
“There’s one misconception. You are not someone who doesn’t help me.”
“I’m not someone who doesn’t help?”
“The person who came to me when I was at my lowest… who approached me with no ulterior motives, just pure kindness. That person was none other than you. And knowingly or unknowingly, I relied on you.”
Of course, it was Erei who had approached him first. She had approached him to uncover Ian’s true nature, a different case from Lia.
Excluding Kayen, Lia was the only one who had approached Ian with simple affection, despite him not gaining anyone’s trust in Ark. Despite numerous difficult or dangerous moments that came their way, she had never left, steadfastly by his side.
In other words, she was the person who approached him with no reason and never left until the end.
For Ian, Lia was that person. He had received a lot of help from her.
It would be accurate to say she became his pillar of support.
“If you weren’t here, I would have crumbled at some point. I’m sure of that. So, don’t say you’re not helping. It’s the same as saying nonsense.”
“I want to be of help. It’s a good intention. I’m very thankful.”
However, there was no need for that help to manifest in helpless situations or to show prowess in handling tasks.
Filling the gaps, filling the emptiness in his worn-out and desolate heart. That was the help Ian needed the most.
And the only one who could achieve that was none other than Lia.
“I don’t need to go somewhere to be of help. Just being by my side is more than enough.”
“…”
“If you really want to be helpful. Stay by my side.”
Ian held her trembling hand, and at the same time, a ring made of pure mana appeared on the ring finger of her left hand.
“Ian… sniff…”
Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Leah could only shed tears endlessly.
***
Time flowed swiftly, the confusion subsided, and the world was returning to its original state.
First, Eri decided to stop being Ark and return to being Erzebet.
Although she had expected it to be discussed with the upper ranks, the swift acceptance of her resignation decision seemed definite.
‘Even if Ark had created a sophisticated false identity, the admission process wouldn’t have been taken lightly.’
As an institution nurturing future leaders of the empire, thorough background checks were essential to ensure their safety before entering.
Especially in cases where there was a high risk of external individuals causing terror, the investigation would be even more rigorous.
‘Considering Erzebet’s character, she probably chose to inform the superiors and enter efficiently rather than meticulously prepare and break through.’
If the princess, who had the highest chance of ascending to the throne, wanted to briefly attend Ark, there would be no way to refuse.
Thanks to their permission, Eri would have obtained the information she had aimed for. From that moment on, there would be no reason for her to attend Ark anymore.
‘So her resignation and return must have been hastily arranged like this. It’s a bit enviable.’
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As she gazed blankly at the blue sky, a sigh escaped her lips.
Comparing it to her own resignation process, it was a completely different story.
‘Her resignation application was rejected due to strong opposition from above, but eventually, after discussions, they agreed to treat it as early graduation.’
The expressions of those who had looked at her with a questioning gaze when she submitted her resignation letter still lingered in her mind.
Whether it was to make an Ark graduate a hero who would leave a mark in the empire’s history or for another goal of the school’s dean, she wasn’t sure.
The dean was somehow trying to establish a connection between Ian and Ark.
‘Well, it’s not a bad proposal after all. Early graduation is better than resignation.’
One could argue about the impurity of the intentions, but in the end, Ian had no choice but to accept the proposal.
Given that academic achievement wasn’t that important, especially since he would eventually become a father, wasn’t it better to take some responsibility rather than neglect it altogether?
‘Resigning from Ark is like living as a high school graduate in Korea. What will people think when they see it later?’
If it became known that the father of the empire’s most prominent figure was a high school graduate, wouldn’t that mean one wouldn’t have to go to school either?
These thoughts might come to mind.
Moreover, if he had resigned from Ark without reason, wouldn’t people start to question the quality of education at Ark? Such rumors might spread.
From Ian’s understanding of how much attention the current emperor paid to Ark, while he was occupying the throne, he had to be cautious.
‘In the end, it’s an early graduation ending. Since all the paperwork is done, there’s only one thing left.’
Leaving behind the final process before departing from Ark, Ian sat on a bench and waited patiently.
“Oh, you’re early.”
“Ah, have you arrived?”
Standing up abruptly as he saw a man approaching with a cane from a distance, Ian greeted him with a raised corner of his mouth.
“Captain, are you feeling well?”
“I’m walking fine, can’t you see? My leg is still messed up, but it’s almost healed. What’s up? Sit down.”
Kaien. After recovering from the battle with Satan and returning to Ark, Ian slowly took his seat as he watched him walk over with a cane.