Extra in a Romance Fantasy

29 – The End of the Festival (6)

He tightly clenched Estelle’s shoulders and infused magic into her.

And at the same time, he placed his trust in her.

Calling Her.

In order to bring Estelle, who had run away from the cruel reality and locked herself in her own heart, back to reality, I speak directly to her heart.

With earnestness.

How long has it been since then?

“……?”

A faint light returned to Estelle’s vacant eyes.

Slowly, her eyes moved. And in those sparkling eyes, she saw me.

“You… are…?”

While I was able to bring her back to her senses, she still seemed perplexed, looking at me with a puzzled gaze.

“You’ve finally woken up.”

I said, quietly gazing into those eyes.

“Wade… why are you here… no, where is this…?”

Estelle’s violet irises trembled slightly.

Unusual for her usual self, she seemed to be in a state of confusion.

“This heat… this fire… what on earth…?”

As Estelle’s gaze wandered around, her eyes finally landed on my arm.

“……! Your arm…?!”

It was a sight that was difficult to imagine from Estelle, showing considerable agitation.

Well, it was to be expected to see such a reaction.

My left arm was completely burned due to the fire.

On top of that, it was not in a good condition, as it had been strained to break through the protective barrier.

“Why am I like this… huh?!”

Even amidst the confusion, Estelle, who showed concern and confusion while trying to stand up, lost her balance.

I immediately tried to grab her, but my left arm did not listen and I failed.

In the end, Estelle sat back down in her place.

The only fortunate thing was that she didn’t appear to be injured.

After confirming her condition, I swung the sword I held in my right hand.

Swish!

The sword stirred up the wind.

The flickering flames that were floating around finally dissipated.

“…?”

Estelle, with a perplexed expression, tried to move her body again, but it seemed not to go as she intended.

The reason was clear.

The recoil of the Gift had only now manifested.

While the Gift didn’t consume magical power, it did deplete stamina in equal measure. The outburst of such a Gift had caused Estelle to lose control, leaving no strength in her body.

“Take a rest.”

Leaving Estelle as she was, I turned away.

Even if she had regained consciousness, her condition remained uneasy.

The reality that had driven her into a dream still persisted.

Although she seemed fine now in the midst of confusion, if the chaos continued, her condition would worsen again.

Normally, I should have taken proper care of her.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury at the moment.

There were those watching this scene, observing with bated breath.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but…”

The man who seemed to be the leader of the thugs targeting Estelle spoke up.

He was the one I had pushed away a while ago.

“You’ve done us a favor.”

The man smirked.

Not that it wasn’t true; from their perspective, it might appear that way.

It might seem like I had resolved the relentless fire that they couldn’t handle.

No, it might actually be the case.

Though it wasn’t described in the original, considering that everyone here might have died if I hadn’t intervened, Estelle being alive now spoke volumes.

“I’m not entirely heartless.”

As if reluctantly admitting, the man said, “If you leave the princess now, we’ll spare your life.”

There should be reciprocity in receiving and giving, right?

…he added.

“How about it?”

A subtle smile appeared on his face.

“Honestly, you know, don’t you? There’s no chance on your side.”

As if becoming friendly, he continues the conversation.

“I acknowledge that you have some skills. I do.”

However.

“The numbers are different. You can’t handle it alone over there.”

As he says, the numbers overwhelmingly favor the other side.

There are a few who died from Estel’s flames, but to put it the other way around, it’s only a handful.

“We have the power to face even the ‘Ten Swords.’ You wouldn’t want to die here either, right?”

Confident enough to face the ‘Ten Swords.’

That’s impressive confidence.

Regardless of its truth, for now, it’s clear that they believe in their strength.

And that confidence might not be entirely unfounded.

Just looking at it, each one seems to be beyond ordinary.

“So, let’s settle this amicably.”

Saying that, the man puts on a friendly smile.

Well… setting aside the fact that I can’t trust this guy’s tone or expression at all, the statement itself isn’t wrong when you look at it.

Their strength is undoubtedly formidable.

Even if I don’t know if they can truly face the ‘Ten Swords,’ they are at a level where the term elite is not wasted.

On top of that, I am currently in a state where I practically can’t use my left arm.

I can’t exert any power.

So, fighting them won’t be easy.

I might have to stake my life.

But.

“I am a person with a conscience too. It doesn’t sit well with me to only receive.”

So.

“Let me propose something in return.”

Looking directly into the man’s eyes, I calmly utter.

“If you give up now and leave this place, I’ll spare you, especially.”

“…What?”

The situation isn’t favorable.

However, the thought of giving up on Estelle never crossed my mind, not even a bit.

“hahahahaha!”

The man who heard my declaration opened his eyes wide for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, soaking himself in it.

How long did that laughter last?

The man straightened up.

“…This guy is completely insane.”

The smile on his face had completely disappeared.

He gestured, and the thugs raised their weapons.

Given the clear implication of their stance, I let out a bitter laugh.

The outcome was essentially predetermined from the beginning.

Well, in the end…

“I guess there’s no choice.”

It meant we had to fight.

***

Chills!

Jeran felt goosebumps all over his body.

‘The atmosphere…’

It had changed.

If a little while ago, the opponent was an uncontrollable, cloud-like presence.

The current opponent felt like…

‘A sword.’

A well-forged, endlessly sharp blade.

Jeran knew well what kind of people emitted this kind of atmosphere.

Those familiar with combat. Individuals for whom killing and being killed in battle were everyday occurrences.

The atmosphere they exuded was now palpable even from this academy student.

‘Who on earth is he?’

Suddenly appearing, he looked like a student from the academy.

However, his skill level was not that of an ordinary student.

It was almost an ambush, and even in an unprepared state, he managed to deflect his sword and repel him in a matter of moments.

Not just that. The swordsmanship displayed when calming the flames was exceptional.

It was undoubtedly an extraordinary skill.

After observing the scene, Jeren made a judgment.

The opponent’s level was one not to be underestimated.

Thus, Jeren tried to avoid the fight, but the opponent refused his proposal.

It might not be regrettable, but it didn’t matter much.

Initially, it wasn’t about avoiding a likely defeat in combat.

Simply put, it was about minimizing harm.

The gathered bandits were the elite core of the Ewhangja faction.

Considering what lay ahead, reducing potential casualties was wise.

However, there was no choice if the opponent emerged in such a manner.

While a few subordinates might perish, the chance of defeat was nonexistent.

That’s what Jeren believed.

But.

Gulp—

Meeting a sharp, icy gaze, Jeren involuntarily swallowed.

Perhaps, a thought crossed his mind that his calculations might be wrong.

Yet, Jeren swiftly shook his head, dispelling negative thoughts.

It’s just that the momentum is a bit sharper than anticipated.

The fact of victory remains unchanged.

That’s how Jeren rationalized it.

“Kill.”

Jeren spoke.

With that command, his subordinates surged forth towards the opponent all at once.

Each one’s ferocity was immeasurable, numbering in the tens.

Jeren believed the opponent would swiftly fall like a beehive.

Surely.

“…What?”

That’s how it should have been.

However, the unfolding scene was different.

Thud!

“Screaaam!”

Thump!

“Gasp…!”

The ones falling down were not the enemy soldiers, but his subordinates.

The soldier, who should have fallen coldly to the ground as a lifeless body in an instant, was instead mercilessly slicing through his subordinates.

The soldier’s sword mercilessly struck down one of his subordinates, and the magic emanating from the sword explosively burst another one.

Scenes like that continued one after another.

The soldier, who was thought to be the hunter, looked more like a raging beast leaping into a flock of sheep, rather than a helpless prey being hunted down.

‘What on earth…’

What is happening here?

These are elite forces gathered in one place.

It is not a lie that they are capable of facing the “Ten Swords”.

Although it may be impossible to kill the “Ten Swords,” they took pride in being able to face and contain them.

One might argue that there is no reason to be proud of merely enduring and not winning, but that is a remark made out of ignorance.

The “Ten Swords” were monsters that had already surpassed the boundaries of humans. Just being able to withstand them was enough to earn the title of elite and surpass the norm.

But even with such forces…

He couldn’t even finish off a single student from the academy and was being overwhelmed instead.

If that’s the case…

‘Is he… on the same level as the “Ten Swords”…?’

A mere academy first-year student?

That was… logically impossible to believe.

Being a newly turned eighteen-year-old, it was more reasonable to say he was young than to compare him to the “Ten Swords”.

It was an unbelievable story. It was something that should not happen.

‘There’s no way.’

Jerun shook his head.

He denied the suspicion that he reluctantly raised.

It was an absurd story that a student like that could be on par with the “Ten Swords”.

Just looking at the scene unfolding before his eyes confirmed that.

Although the opponent was struggling, it was impossible to say that he was unharmed.

Amidst the counterattack, wounds began to appear on his body, one by one, and some of them were quite significant.

Now, with these accumulated injuries, it was safe to say that he had already suffered considerable damage.

If it had truly been the ‘Ten Swords,’ he wouldn’t have sustained such wounds.

Even if it took a bit of time, he would have managed the situation without significant harm.

From that perspective, the opponent’s skills couldn’t match up to the ‘Ten Swords.’

“…But.”

If you considered it, the opponent wasn’t in their full capacity from the start.

Well, the author is in a situation where he can’t even use his left arm now.

Being unable to use one arm poses more significant hindrance in combat than one might think.

Beyond simply not being able to use both hands, a situation where one arm doesn’t move at all changes the body’s balance itself.

Suddenly losing the ability to move one arm, in a state where you’ve been accustomed to acting with the ability to use both hands your whole life, creates a disturbance in your sense of balance. Naturally, every movement becomes awkward.

Of course, in normal situations, this might not pose a significant problem, but in a moment where life is on the line, it becomes a fatally distinguishing factor.

Yet, despite being in such a state, the opponent is not only enduring but also launching a counterattack.

Against this level of power.

“Then… really…?”

If the unthinkable were happening?

If an entity that shouldn’t exist was boldly existing, and it manifested right before your eyes?

Jeren looked at the opponent with trembling eyes.

It was a pitiful sight. His body was already a mess with wounds and blood.

However, despite the injuries and bloodshed, his momentum showed no sign of diminishing.

He didn’t falter in pain, nor did he cower in the face of the approaching blade.

Consistently, with cold, composed eyes, he simply swung his sword.

Witnessing this scene, Jeren felt a chilling fear crawling up his spine after a long time.

The anxiety of not knowing what might happen took root in his heart.