His companions then gathered behind him, who had drawn his sword before securing his mana neatly.

“Legion, are you okay?”

“You definitely did it brilliantly. Still, I don’t know if this is actually enough to be seen right from the Demon King’s Castle though?”

“Yes, I just wish it did.”

Right under the short blonde hair, his blue eyes shone clearly. His gaze was looking up at the dark red sky of the Demon Realm with such apparent longing.

When Legion and his companions slipped through the cracks in the Demon Realm, unfortunately, there was already a demon who presumably of a high rank nearby.

The demon, whose eyes were slightly lowered and appeared rather unpleasant, had not been able to overcome Legion’s sword as he ran away, but he sprinkled a lot of high-purity magic to entice those beasts instead. Thanks to that, their feet got tied immediately and they were struggling for a while.

Finally, after a short break, his companions sank to the floor helplessly. Legion, who had used his mana up close to the limit when he had just transcended before, sighed deeply before taking a seat on the nearby rock.

“I came here with a single purpose, but it’s absolutely hard as expected.”

“You won’t be giving up though. Isn’t that right, Captain?”

“Of course. Julia is waiting for me.”

Finally, he was standing under the same sky as herself. She had been the only jewel in the world that made it possible for him to survive and move on even amidst the battlefield where every single day was just utterly terrifying.

When he first heard that Julia had been taken to the Demon Realm, it felt like everything was going to crumble to pieces.

She was born miserable and had always been looked down on with contempt. On top of that, she had been brutally kicked out of the world just because she was descended from Ingrem V. The person who should be held responsible was doing just as well as usual, in such a way that the tragedy was actually no one’s at all.

It was his companions and the two Sword Masters whom Legion had become acquainted with right on the battlefield that eventually stopped Legion himself, who got angry as he immediately wanted to turn the Imperial Castle into ruins.

As the news was heard, they ran straight to Vestra and carefully pointed out the place where there was a gap in the Demon Realm. Then, they carefully voiced their opinions.

‘I’m pretty sure that this went rather well. Even if a Sword Master were to belong to a country, the work would only increase. And how much would that trouble you if the weak Princess were to take advantage of you then?’

‘Isn’t fate actually a miracle itself? I think that happiness comes after hard work and the fact that you can still achieve your childhood dream even now. If you succeed in saving the Princess, you can then stay anywhere in the countryside and live there quietly.’

‘Ah, in that manner, just be happy so you won’t regret it later. And also, do contact me when the time comes……’

It had been true that the lifespan of a Sword Master was not as infinite as that of a demon’s, but it could still be seen as absurdly long compared to some ordinary humans. The two Sword Masters who transcended previously appeared like they had been in their early 30s, even though they were already over 200 years old.

Legion had no choice but to just nod his head without uttering another word at their nagging jokes that ultimately asked him to come to them after Julia’s death.

“If everyone has already rested, shall we just get a move? It’s going to be difficult once the beasts are here again.”

“No, wait a minute. I have something that I want you guys to listen to first.”

Legion stood up and grabbed a hold of his companion who was just about to get up before starting to walk away.

“From now onwards, it would be better for me to move on my own. You all should return to the Human Realm.”

“I thought that the matter had already been settled before. Of course it won’t be comparable to you as a Sword Master, but each of us has the strength of one unit to spare.”

“But this is only the outskirts of the Demon Realm. The closer you get to the center, the more powerful those beasts and demons…”

“Then, wouldn’t you be needing one more hand to save your precious Princess?”

After a brief moment of silence, Legion shook his head.

Right after opening a rift in the Demon Realm along with all kinds of hardship, they had butted heads countless of times. Legion wished to send them all back, but they still wanted to follow alongside Legion himself.

The talk was then muddled by the sudden appearance of those disgusting demons yet Legion still thought that it had already been time to send them back. And that was the way it should be.

“If any situation arises, I will definitely choose Julia without any hesitation—and not you.”

“I know. So, you’re welcome to use us freely.”

“But I…!”

“Don’t forget, Legion. Your dream is our dream too. We will save the Princess whom you really love at any cost. Since, in a way, we were saved by her as well.”

At that moment, Aaron, who had been silently listening in to their conversation, got up and dusted himself off before tapping Legion’s chest with the tip of his staff. He had been a talented person who was just about to become an Archwizard—an equivalent status to a Sword Master in the magic world.

“Don’t listen to that guy. If it really gets dangerous, he’ll definitely leave you alone before running away quickly.”

“……”

“I’m really serious, so don’t feel so burdened after all. Though, it is a bit unfortunate that I wouldn’t be able to meet your Julia before going back.”