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“Your body seems to have become more robust since we last met.
It must just be my imagination.”
“Come on… It hasn’t been that long since we parted.
If I had really grown that much, that would be an exaggeration.”
As they talked about what had happened during their time apart, Glenn and Lowen walked through the icy region.
The cold wind howled like it wanted to tear their skin apart, and threatening cries of monsters could be heard in the distance, but neither of them cared.
Even though Hildesheim was filled with high-level monsters, they were nothing compared to a 9-star Magic Swordsman and someone who had surpassed the realm of the Rings.
“I heard about the Second Legion Commander.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
The defeat of Kacerto Rienz.
It was certainly news that should have made them happy, but Glenn apologized to Lowen first.
Deep down, he felt guilty for not being able to call her to the place where he defeated him, because more than anyone else, she had wanted to bring him down.
“Don’t apologize.
Why should you apologize?
Shouldn’t I be the one bowing my head and thanking you instead?”
“Even so, I think there was enough time to call you there.”
At Glenn’s sincere apology, Lowen smiled faintly and shook her head.
“I don’t mind in the slightest.
I wouldn’t have been able to defeat him in my current state anyway…
Knowing that he was defeated by none other than you actually makes me feel relieved.”
“You’re pretty big-hearted.”
“Big-hearted?”
“It means you have a broad mind.”
“Me, broad-minded…?
I’ve never really thought of myself that way.”
Seeing the complicated and subtle expression on Lowen’s face, Glenn slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
“Anyway, that’s not important…
Actually, you still have a chance to take revenge.”
“A chance to take revenge?”
“Kacerto Rienz.
I kept him alive.”
“……Is that true?”
Lowen’s eyes widened.
“I won’t forgive him…
But whether you want to take revenge or torture him, I wanted to give you the choice.”
The hero who had traveled across countless battlefields without killing anyone had been manipulated by that man and ended up committing the crime of killing thousands.
Glenn had not been able to give Lowen the chance to defeat Kacerto together with him.
But at the very least, shouldn’t he give her the right to decide how his life would end?
That was what Glenn had thought at the time.
“……Even if I thank you for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be enough.”
Lowen raised her head and looked up at the sky as sleet fell from above.
“Honestly… I don’t know what I should say to him or what punishment I should give him.
But I promise I’ll do my best so that you won’t regret the choice you made.”
“Good.
That matter is settled, so just work hard on the thing I asked you to do.”
At Glenn’s playful voice, Lowen met his eyes and smiled faintly.
“I will.
The Legion has finally been disbanded, so I am free now.
That means I can move around for you more comfortably.”
They continued walking silently for several minutes.
After dealing with several monsters that recklessly attacked them, they entered deeper into the frozen region.
Suddenly, Lowen looked at Glenn.
“But I heard that Rominia and Ridenhall are also moving to do the same thing as you.
Won’t it be dangerous?”
“Uh, well…
It’ll be just barely within their level.
So compared to them, this is a pretty easy mission for me.”
“Then do you need me?”
In truth, there was no need to call Lowen.
Although Mythic-grade artifacts were difficult to retrieve, they could still be recovered by a party whose average level was below 9 stars.
Rather, it would be better to put Lowen into a party whose combat power was unstable.
Of course, that was only if they assumed there was no time limit.
‘If I had waited for Lowen, who was in the Demon Lands, to arrive at Obenu across the border, it would have taken too much time.’
In that case, the right decision had been to send the party members ahead and have them join him after he came to the Demon Lands.
‘And who knows what kind of damn situation might happen to me again?’
Most of the crises Glenn had faced recently had only been overcome because there were party members who could help him.
After being separated from everyone and working alone for the first time in a while, he had started feeling strangely anxious.
So he had called Lowen in preparation for any unexpected situation.
Just having her around would help calm that anxiety.
“Yeah… I really need you.
I feel less anxious when you’re here.”
“……Is that so?”
“Isn’t it?”
At his straightforward answer, Lowen lowered her head and muttered something.
Glenn could not hear her clearly, but it seemed like she had said that she would do her best.
Shaaak-!
“Graaaargh!”
An ice cave deep within Hildesheim.
About thirty minutes had passed since they entered the dungeon in search of the Mythic-grade artifact.
During that time, Lowen had truly done her best, just as she had said.
Tap-!
“……!”
Worried that Glenn’s strength might be diminished, she confronted the high-level monsters with a more serious expression than she had ever shown against any powerful enemy.
Crack-crack-crack-!
Boom!
A gigantic monster emerged by tearing through the ice beneath them.
Its level was at least 8 stars.
Yet it was sliced apart by Lowen’s sword.
“Kieeeeeek!”
Boom-!
The monster collapsed with a horrible scream.
Lowen retrieved the greatsword Frugament that was embedded in the top of its head and brushed back her hair.
Of course, it was an easy opponent for Glenn.
But watching Lowen defeat alone a monster so tough that a four-person 7-star party would need to attack it for three or four hours to kill it was truly an incredible sight.
‘No wonder she was the second-in-command of the Demon Race.’
Of course, the gap had grown much larger because the First-in-Command had even formed a Divine Avatar Contract with Nox.
But Lowen’s abilities were still absolutely nothing to be looked down upon.
In fact, she was probably stronger than Romina, whose position in Glenn’s party had already been decided.
Thanks to her, Glenn easily cleared Hildesheim’s Glacier Cave without using even a single Gray Ring.
“Good work.”
“Compared to the favor you have shown me, this is nothing.
By the way, is that the boss of this place?”
Looking up at the corpse of the gigantic monster, Lowen raised an eyebrow.
“It looks strong enough to be a Legion Commander of the Demon King’s Army at the very least.
But now that I’ve actually fought it, it’s a rather disappointing boss.”
“That’s because you’re too strong.”
Even a Legion Commander was a powerful being who ranked among the eight strongest members of the Demon Race.
It was just that they had recently encountered too many monsters.
