Chapter 80: Hero....

Some people said that if they could kill a person, they wouldn't feel anything. Believe it or not, I was one of them, too, before I entered this realm.

I expected a journey filled with women and overpowered abilities like the ones that conquered the market. However, as soon as I arrived in this place, all I felt was pure suffering.

People died because of me…. And now, I killed someone with my own hands. The nonchalant feelings I thought I would have got replaced by my human emotions. Empathy kicked in like a drug, torturing every cell inside my body.

The eyes of those two corpses stared at me, blaming me for their death. I, who stained my hands with blood, couldn't face anyone but Merleen….

"No... I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to…."

Amidst the war, I froze in place and stared at the dead bodies. Merleen desperately tried defending me, but her magic was not enough to stop the soldier from swinging his sword.

Fortunately, the sword's slash avoided my vital organs and hit my shoulder blades. My powers, which came from Clarent, also fled alongside the wounds.

'Whoever wields this sword would feed the heroicness of the player.' The game described this weapon before I purchased it from the market.

Before this war, I received an enormous amount of arcane inside my body. That mana came from my Clarent, since my reason was heroic enough for its taste. And now that I doubted my actions, Clarent took my powers away.

I did not know if I considered myself a hero. I just killed two soldiers without even controlling my strength.

What kind of hero am I?!

I was just a man wielding a stick. And now that I received some powers, I took someone's life.

I wanted to protect the village regardless of my statistical power. I wanted to conclude this fight and talk with the king. All I had in mind was my conviction of defending these people from the tyrant king who wanted them dead.

But now, these dead bodies scarred my confidence as I doubted myself for being a hero. I never wanted to become a hero who kills their enemies…. Those people... soldiers I slew had dreams and families to home to after this war. They may have children waiting for them inside their homes, with their wife preparing their meals.

However, in the blink of an eye, I killed them. Those children (if they had one) lost a father from this day. The wife that loved these men would never eat with them on the dining table. It all happened because of my overpowered strength….

Clarent became a curse and a blessing.

"A-Arthur! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

The cries of Merleen woke me up from reality. My eyes wandered around and spotted a light wall covering in front of us. Upon looking behind, two pale yet soft hands wrapped themselves around my neck, embracing me with everything they had. As I raised my eyes, Merleen's face greeted me.

However, instead of the smiling face I felt accustomed to, Merleen welcomed me with tears and pain.

"M-Merleen! I-I'm here... I'm sorry….," I said, and returned her embrace.

I looked around and confirmed my surroundings. The soldiers, mages, and other classes finally closed the distance while knocking on the front door. They tried piercing their weapons on the light barrier, but those arsenals were no match against Merleen.

Well, those armies needed more than that to break the shield. And if they planned on attacking us, they should have the dark element with them at all times.

Merleen continued transferring her magic at the barrier while gritting her teeth. A waterfall of blood cascaded from her lips since the pain slowly became unbearable to Merleen. And the worst was…. I could not help her with sorcery. Since I was a puny knight with limited powers, I had no use but to cheer Merleen on.

But my voice was not enough to strengthen Merleen's will. The shield she created slowly flickered, telling us that the barrier would almost collapse. Upon looking at the side, dark shadowy lines desperately tried barging themselves inside our light wall.

If I had to guess right, we only had a few minutes before this shield would break in half.

"Merleen, do you have spare mana to fly? You need to get out of here. I have a plan. But I need you to be safe first….," I said, which I meant as a lie.

However, I was not much of a liar. Considering the weeks Merleen and I spent together, that girl saw through my mask.

"You…. Idiot…. If you die…., I will die with you."

A mixture of emotions clouded my mind, unsure if I needed to feel happy or sad. I did not want Merleen to die, and I also did not want to die alone. But giving up my life for the sake of Merleen's was the right thing to do… Well, for me. I could do nothing heroic inside this different world.

And dying to save someone's life became the optimal solution for my problems. Instead of killing myself, I would die for a reason. Merleen had more potential than me, so she would use her life more fulfilling than tossing it away.

"I told you... I'm going to be here with you... No matter how many times you push me away, I will always stay by your side…. You saved me…. I want to save you too…. You're here to protect those families who cannot walk or move on their own…. You're a hero, Arthur…. If we win, we win together…. If we lose, we lose together."

After hearing those words coming out of Merleen's mouth, the light shield shattered before me. With a blaring sound like breaking glass, the shield finally wore off, leaving us naked in front of that army.

When the shield broke, Merleen closed her eyes and leaned on my shoulder. Despite losing all my strength from Clarent, I still had the spare energy of catching Merleen's head.

Hundreds of footsteps alarmed my senses as I gazed in front of me. The hunters and mages held their fire as soon as they noticed our figures. Those soldiers and warriors also sheathed their weapons, knowing that we won't do a thing against them.

Within a few seconds, the soldiers went apart and paved the road for the crown. The king finally showed himself to me and walked towards the red carpet.

The king's eyes expanded upon witnessing Merleen in my arms. Something around his hips, protruding as if it was the morning stick of the male's genitalia. As the crown came closer in my direction, I placed Merleen behind me, protecting her with everything I had.

"Where is Merchant and his potions? I need it."

I never gave the king my reply, knowing that he would only use it for his personal needs. And fortunately for me, I knew nothing about those potions and Merchant's whereabouts. He may be walking with the evacuation group right now as we speak.

"You're not talking. Fine. I have never expected a peasant warrior to talk back against me. Please take care of him. But don't harm the girl. I could use her as my slave. And while you're at it, search the entire village for any villagers. They could be wonderful experiments for my recent potions."

As soon as the king said his fill, he waved his hand and ordered his men to attack me. He left the place in search of the villagers still inside this town. That tyrant leader let his knights do the dirty work while he would collect taxes in the distance.

Those glittering eyes from the army told me they planned on touching Merleen on her private parts without her consent! They would sexually assault her even before selling her to the slave master!

I did not want to let that happen! But upon forcing my muscles, my body collapsed on the floor, rendering me immobile for... god knows when.

As I kissed the ground, the soldiers behind me kicked my abdomen. I jerked forward and succumbed to the pain resonating through my body. Those bastards even punched me in the face and dragged my mouth on the road while laughing at themselves. They enjoyed every second wasted on me, with their sadistic smiles painted on their face. I could only grit my teeth in pain and bear with these humiliations.

However, the worst had yet to happen.

Those soldiers finally found their way to Merleen and flocked her body. They slowly stripped the unconscious mage girl and attempted to kiss her lips. But before anything else could happen, a mysterious figure slammed the knight on the ground.

That pound was not enough to kill the soldier, which made me heave in relief. Although these knights planned on dirtying their chastity to the person I cared for the most, I still wanted them alive. If they needed some punishment of some sort, the law would be a perfect example for them.

But right now, my eyes focused on the eerie figure appearing out of nowhere. And that shadowy shape saved Merleen and me from despair.