In Greek mythology, there’s a figure nad Atlas.
He fought on the losing side during Zeus’s war against the Titans, and as punishnt for his insolence, he was condemned to forever hold up the heavens.
'Kind of a naïve guy in a lot of ways.'
...Anyway, that’s not the important part.
The reason I suddenly found myself thinking of a figure from Greek mythology—rather than sothing from Lafdonia or Korea—was simple.
Because I looked exactly like him right now.
"......"
I dropped to my knees and bent my back.
Arms stretched out to either side, I held up the heavy debris above with my back.
As pitiful as it was, I hadn’t started out in this position.
'Fucking hell.'
After I finished the performance test of the Urae the Marquis gave , ti flew by fast.
A bunch of full-grown adults cramd into a narrow pit—yeah, it was stifling to the point of madness. But thanks to Alia’s usual stockpile of explorer gear, at least breathing wasn’t an issue.
Though those were consumables too, so it wasn’t like they’d last forever.
The real problem was the debris.
A building five stories aboveground and two floors underground—by architectural standards, it counted as a “large-scale” structure—had completely collapsed.
If I had to look on the bright side, maybe that’s why the damage from Urae was relatively light...
'Still, what the hell is this weight...'
Even using [Giant Form] and linking together every skill I had to max out my strength, it wasn’t easy.
If I pushed hard, I could lift it slightly—but that was it.
Maybe if there’d been enough room to pull pieces out one by one and clear space... But in this deep pit, there was no such space.
And it’s not like I could just sit still, right?
I tried all sorts of things—lifting bits, pulling out fragnts—but the end result...
'...I should’ve just stayed still.'
The debris collapsed inward, and now here I was.
If I moved even a little or let up the force, the whole thing would cave in—and I wouldn’t be able to recover from that.
"...Bjorn! Are you okay? Ah, your face doesn’t look good... Let help!!"
"...Don’t yell. My head hurts."
I put on a strong front for my companions, but to be honest, it was hell.
The weight pressing down had worried my spine might snap again—I just wanted to rest for a mont...
"Ainard, scratch here. It’s itchy."
I couldn’t use my arms, so even a simple itch had to be scratched by soone else.
"No, higher up than that..."
"Ugh... your armpit? Ew! That’s gonna stink!"
Are you fucking kidding —!
"Uh...? If you don’t want to, should I do it?"
"...Forget it. I’ll do it. Move, Ainard Prnelin."
Ugh... if only she wouldn’t make that face.
It’s humiliating enough already.
I asked Ainard—but why is Alia the one scratching ?
...Well. It did feel good though.
'Damn, how did things end up like this...'
Looking back, complacency was the biggest problem.
Urae detonates, we hide underground.
Then, once things calm down, I push aside the rubble, climb out, and head to the royal palace.
I thought that was a given.
At so point, I stopped ever feeling limited by my own strength.
Even if a whole building collapsed, I never considered the possibility that I wouldn’t be able to break through it.
"This is more serious than we thought. Yandel doesn’t have infinite stamina, after all."
"If we don’t want him to get crushed to death, we’d better co up with a solution before that happens."
"Harin Suevi, you got any ideas?"
"No, nothing really cos to mind..."
While I held up the debris, the others kept trying to co up with solutions—but honestly, none of it mattered.
Not because they couldn’t find a solution.
But because, before they could, the solution ca to us from outside.
"Hold on a sec. Everyone quiet."
I halted the nonstop strategy eting and focused all my senses—not just hearing.
And then, I felt it.
At first, I thought it was just so confusion brought on by extre stress...
"...It’s real. It’s getting lighter."
With every faint vibration coming from above, the weight I’d been holding up lightened ever so slightly.
"Wow! Is it a rescue team...?"
"We can’t rule out the opposite. District 4 is occupied by Noark."
Like Hyunbyeol and Alia said, there were two possibilities.
Personally, I leaned toward Alia’s guess—but even if it wasn’t, it was still a better situation than before.
Fighting Noark soldiers beat being crushed to death a thousand tis over.
'Huu...'
Still, that didn’t an I felt relaxed. I was definitely on edge.
Can you bla ?
I didn’t know what happened to the others after we got separated, but as of now, the only death I’d confird was Rotmiller’s.
'Two more...'
For the record in the mory Stone to co true, there were still two left to die.
I couldn’t help but worry—would soone else die in the chaos to co?
"I think I can lift it now."
I steadied myself and waited for the right mont.
Eventually, that mont ca.
With all my strength, I shoved the debris upward.
And then—
KWAHAAAAANG—!
As I steadily pushed, it was like I struck a pressure point—suddenly my arms felt lighter, and the rubble surged upward.
SHWAAAAAA—!
The sunlight I hadn’t seen in ages was harsh on my eyes, but its warmth was deeply welco.
Still, no ti to bask in it.
"Now!"
I scrambled up to the surface, and my companions followed in formation, taking combat stances.
But it didn’t take long to realize all that caution was pointless.
The soldiers clearing the debris looked at and shouted warmly.
"It’s Bjorn Yandel! Sir Yandel is alive!"
...The Royal Army?
***
We were riding in a massive military wagon—large enough to comfortably carry over a dozen people if packed efficiently.
It was huge and very much “military issue,” so the ride quality sucked—but I wasn’t about to complain.
I was just grateful we were heading back without a fight.
"Once again, it’s truly an honor to escort you, Sir Yandel. I’ve long admired and respected you."
Sitting next to was so tall-ass knight I’d never seen before.
Na: Denez Akel Zaire.
He repeated it constantly, like he was trying to brand it into my brain—so I rembered it against my will.
He was apparently a royal knight from the Zaire baronial house...
"Truly incredible. The soldiers said the debris you lifted during your escape weighed several tons!"
With how clingy and flattering he was, he seed more like a politician than a knight.
Not that I minded.
Every organization turns political at the top anyway.
You do what you have to do if you want to rise.
And to his credit, this guy wasn’t bad conversation—he was a commander, so he had plenty of up-to-date intel.
"So currently, the Royal Army has reclaid over half of District 4?"
"Yes. We’re currently in a standoff around the central plaza. I, Denez Akel Zaire, received intel about your last known position. I never doubted that you would survive even in that horrific wasteland—"
"So you got permission directly from the commander and led your own unit to clear the rubble?"
"Yes, that is correct, Sir Yandel."
Does this guy have a parrot in his bloodline?
He keeps repeating the sa thing every chance he gets.
Still, it’s the era of self-marketing. I get it.
"Ah, we’re entering the capital now. There will be a checkpoint, but don’t worry—I’ll take care of it."
Eventually, the wagon arrived at the capital.
After that, we switched to a different carriage.
"Sadly, my orders were only to escort you as far as the capital, Sir Yandel. Please forgive for not accompanying you the rest of the way."
Even at the end, the tall knight kept trying to leave a good impression, glancing back at us multiple tis as he returned to District 4.
We boarded the new carriage and headed toward the royal palace.
Watching the capital streets slide past the window gave a strange feeling.
More accurately... it didn’t feel real.
'Is it really... over? Just like this?'
I couldn’t believe it.
Buried under rubble, I’d braced for a final showdown with Noark.
And now... it just ends, like this?
'...Stay sharp. It’s not over until it’s over.'
With that mindset, I resud gathering information—though this new knight was a very different type from the last one.
He was dead silent.
"Which unit are you with?"
"...I serve His Majesty."
Ah, a mber of the Royal Guard.
No wonder he wasn’t talkative.
People like him had no reason to suck up to .
"We’re headed to Commander Berun. If you have questions, you can ask her when we arrive."
I kept trying to glean sothing on the way, but that was all I got.
The carriage continued forward and passed through the palace gates.
Then—
"Please disembark."
Finally, we arrived at Gaebyeok Palace.
Once inside, the Royal Guard split our group.
"The commander has summoned Sir Yandel alone. The rest of you will be shown to the reception room."
I’d already anticipated that, so I just gave Alia a nod and followed along.
We walked for a while.
Then—
"...It’s been a while, Bjorn Yandel."
As I stepped through the door, Astarotta greeted .
The knight escorting left and shut the door.
I imdiately opened subspace and pulled out the Marquis’s corpse.
"That makes three left now."
At that, Astarotta tilted her head.
"Three? Ah—are you talking about the deal with His Majesty?"
"What else?"
"But the numbers don’t add up. The first condition was to spend seven days with —but you ran off early, saying you’d kill the Chancellor."
Tch. So she’s counting it that way.
Worth a shot, I guess.
"That ans you still owe four, Yandel. Got it?"
"...Yeah, yeah. Drop the smug tone."
I grumbled, and Astarotta chuckled, then changed the subject.
"So... what happened out ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ there?"
"You an you don’t know?"
"Most of what I know cos from the intelligence bureau. And the bureau can’t know everything—especially these days."
Right. If you’re trying to seize the royal family, the first thing you cut off is intel.
The Marquis said they blinded the other side first in this war.
"Tell . What happened?"
I gave Astarotta a summary of all the key events.
Going to rescue Ainard. Joining forces with the Marquis’s traitor son. Fighting the Evil Eye. Finding the secret garden. eting the bespectacled guy...
Eventually deceiving him to et the Marquis.
I told her everything I could.
The best place to hide a lie is within the truth.
"The Marquis, after losing everything, fired Urae mid-conversation. We hid underground."
The one thing I couldn’t reveal was the deal I made with him.
Ragna had already been exposed during the escape—so I couldn’t hide her anymore.
But the rest...
"Ohh? And?"
"That’s it. The rest, you already know."
"Hmm, I see..."
Astarotta rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
"So Urae didn’t fall into Noark hands, at least. Assuming your story’s true."
She was clearly probing for my reaction.
I didn’t show anything, just nodded and moved on.
"Anyway, now it’s my turn to ask sothing."
"Go ahead."
The mont she said yes, I felt a tightness in my chest.
When the Urae struck and I killed the Marquis, the others who’d been caught in the teleportation scattered across the city.
So landed safely in royal territory—but others, like Ainard, landed deep in District 4.
"...Have you confird the status of everyone who was caught in the teleportation with ?"
I asked quietly, and Astarotta nodded without hesitation.
"Ah, that? We checked a while ago."
Her words filled with an indescribable emotion.
'So it’s all been sorted out...'
As far as I knew, only Rotmiller had died.
But now—whatever she says next...
I can’t avoid it forever.
"Hoo..."
I took a deep breath and asked:
"Are you ready to tell ?"
"Yeah. I’ll tell you now."
So then...
Who lived?
And who died?
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