I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 105

“This way!”

Grondar led the way down the mountain with a bright and cheerful voice.

Looking at Grondar’s back, Jereuth thought.

‘Barut’s son…… He really takes after his father.’

When Grondar first appeared, Jereuth drew his sword in caution. He did not know what kind of Giant he was.

However, Jereuth was actually somewhat confident that a ‘Giant’ would not attack their party.

Because, contrary to what was known, Giants were not a warlike race at all.

‘Unless one trespasses on their territory or harms a friend.’

What would happen if someone trespassed on a Giant’s territory without permission, or attacked someone a Giant considered a ‘friend’?

To put it bluntly, a massacre would ensue.

One could imagine a Giant, with strength rivaling or exceeding an ogre, the agility of a goblin, and combat skills surpassing a human, swinging its fists and feet wildly without a care in the world.

Jereuth then turned his gaze to Leonardo, who was walking beside Grondar.

‘That aside…… His Highness was truly magnificent earlier.’

Leonardo was listening to Grondar’s stories the entire way down the mountain. He did not say much in response, but from the way he nodded his head from time to time, it seemed Leonardo quite liked Grondar.

‘When Anakros appeared earlier. To be honest, even I froze up. If that creature had tried to harm His Highness, I would have immediately drawn my sword and charged, but…… it is a fact that my body froze.’

Just like Grondar, Jereuth also felt it. Unlike the other Anakros he had seen before, the Anakros he encountered this time was a monster on a different 'level.'

It was not simply because of its size. That Anakros had something beyond that, something that could not be described with words.

‘If a creature like that were to attack a city…… it would be a catastrophe.’

To put it very simply, imagine an Anakros over 10 meters long striking with its tail.

Knights and soldiers alike would die instantly. No matter how strong they were, humans had their limits.

What if it struck the castle gate with that tail? It would not be breached in a single blow, but it would not last long. The same went for the castle walls.

Anyway.

‘But His Highness faced that creature with courage. Without a hint of fear.’

Earlier, Leonardo had met the giant Anakros’s gaze without backing down in the slightest.

There was a moment he looked away, but in the end, he made Anakros retreat with just his gaze.

‘His Highness Leonardo was that strong of a person…… just as Grondar said. As expected, royalty is different from me. They are not ordinary humans.’

While Jereuth was lost in various thoughts on his way down the mountain.

Before long, Grondar led Leonardo’s party to a clearing on the mountainside.

“The sun is starting to set, so let’s rest here for today! I can keep going, but I heard humans go to bed early at night!”

Saying that, Grondar skillfully and familiarly began to prepare a place to sleep. Looking closely at the clearing, there were traces of someone having stayed here.

Jereuth asked Grondar.

“There are traces of someone having stayed here. It seems the ground has been artificially packed down.”

“Ah, this is a clearing I made yesterday when I was hungry and wanted to rest for a bit.”

“A clearing you ‘made’?”

“Yes. I made it by pulling out the trees that were here. There were some rocks too, so I moved them to the side.”

Pulling out trees and moving rocks by himself.

It was the strength of a Giant, incomprehensible by human common sense. It was the same for Jereuth and the King, who had adventured with a Giant for a long time.

“I was going to replant the trees after I finished eating, but the roots were all ruined. So I threw them off that cliff over there. The rocks rolled off somewhere.”

“……I see.”

As Jereuth nodded his head while looking at the cliff Grondar was pointing at nonchalantly, Grondar then spoke to Leonardo.

“Brother, brother! The deer here is really delicious, should I go hunt one?”

***

Grondar, who called me ‘Brother.’

It was a bit burdensome for me to be called that by a Giant whose frame was four or five times larger than mine.

Grondar had started calling me ‘Brother’ a little while ago. When he asked me how old I was, I told him I turned thirteen this year, and he said he turned ten this year and promptly started calling me brother.

―I had been so busy I had not noticed, but thinking back, the new year had passed while we were traveling to the Wasteland of Ruin.―

‘Except for his large build, his words and actions are like a child’s, so it suits him in a way.’

“Yes, please do.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back!”

After answering brightly, Grondar dashed into the mountains like an arrow. His massive body disappeared from sight in an instant.

“It seems you get along well with that Giant.”

“Ah, Father.”

As I answered with a slight bow of my head, the King continued.

“It is not an easy thing to be acknowledged as a friend by a Giant. Both I and Jereuth had to spend quite a long time with the Giant we traveled with in the past before we were called ‘friend’.”

“Yes.”

“But you were called ‘friend’ by a Giant in less than a day after meeting him. Of course, it could be because of the courage you showed against Anakros earlier, or perhaps that Giant is just unique…… but in any case, it can be called fate. Cherish it.”

The courage I showed against Anakros earlier?

‘……So that’s how it looked.’

I had simply had a conversation with Anakros.

However, to the others who did not know, it might have looked like I was having a battle of wills with Anakros.

‘It’s not entirely wrong, though.’

“That monster was just glaring at me, so I just glared back.”

“You just glared back because Anakros was glaring at you…… You say it so simply, but not backing down in front of an Anakros is great courage. Above all, that Anakros was a truly dangerous creature.”

Being praised to that extent made me feel a bit awkward.

“More importantly, an Anakros roaming the land is not an event to be taken lightly. There must be…… some reason for it.”

I knew it. The ‘reason.’

But I did not tell the King.

Instead, there was something I wanted to ask the King.

“Father, I have something to ask about the Minotaur’s dungeon.”

“Ask away.”

“I heard that after conquering the dungeon, there is some kind of ordeal when sealing the Minotaur at the end. What is that ordeal?”

“……Ordeal?”

The King frowned slightly, showing he did not particularly want to talk about it.

“Who did you hear that from?”

Anakros, and Jereuth.

“I heard it from Commander Jereuth a while ago.”

“Hmm…….”

The King looked at Jereuth, then sighed and continued.

“You do not need to worry about it.”

“I need to know to prepare―.”

“You do not need to know. That is a problem for me to solve, not you.”

“What do you mean by―.”

“Do not worry. I have already made up my mind to do it, and it will not change anything even if I do not, so I will do it. You will find out everything soon enough.”

The King cut me off as if he did not want to say any more.

Since leaving the royal capital, the King had always been kind to me during our journey, so his tone was a bit startling.

“Leonardo. Sometimes, it is better to find out about things that will happen later, later. It is better not to know what you do not need to know. Because those things will only complicate your mind, and beyond that, they will have no meaning for you.”

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“If it is a problem that someone else can solve for you, then do not worry about it any further. It is the same now, but after you become king, you will have many more things to agonize over besides that.”

The King said in a profound voice and picked up a fallen tree branch from the ground.

“Draw your sword. While I can still teach you the sword, I want to teach you as much as possible.”

***

Two weeks passed since Grondar joined us.

Nothing special happened during that time. As usual, we ate, moved, and practiced swordsmanship during our breaks.

However, there was one change after Grondar joined us, which was that the time for preparing meals and campsites was significantly reduced as Grondar helped out.

Thanks to that, Jereuth could also rest a bit more. And I could learn the sword from the King more comfortably.

Because meals were prepared quickly, and sleeping arrangements were made quickly.

The only problem was…… the King’s training became harsher to match.

Thwack―!

“Ugh……!”

‘I-I can’t…… breathe!’

The King, who had kicked me in the stomach, immediately rushed at me and swung a tree branch. I could not move properly because of the kick to my stomach.

“Kuh……!”

Still, I somehow tried to raise my sword to block the King’s branch. Having been hit by that branch countless times, I knew very well how much it hurt.

Without any exaggeration, it felt like being hit with a switch. To the point where flesh would tear and blood vessels would burst. The wounds would heal in a few hours, a night at most, but the scars remained on my arms and body.

Swoosh― Swack!

The King’s switch came flying at my head from my right.

So, if I thought simply, I could block it by holding my sword in that direction.

‘But no. The King’s swordsmanship is not that simple.’

I learned while being hit. The King’s swordsmanship.

Especially in the last two weeks, I had learned a lot.

If I had learned the ‘basics’ for the first month and a half, now I was learning practical application.

‘Which path will it change to? Downwards? Or a thrust? Or will it spin around and attack from the right? The branch could be a feint, and he might kick again?’

Several of the King’s movements that I had etched in my eyes came to mind.

But no matter how much I pictured the King’s movements, responding and reacting to them was a different story.

Swish―!

“Kuh……!”

My third prediction was correct.

The King, with a movement that seemed to defy the laws of physics, suddenly twisted his body in the opposite direction, spun around, and whipped my left arm with the branch.

“Ugh…….”

I tensed my stomach and tried to endure the pain, but it was unbearable. But the King did not stop.

“Leonardo, do not try to block! Feel the flow!”

‘Son of a bitch……!’

If I could feel the flow, no, if I could even block it, I would have.

But there was an insurmountable skill gap between the King and me.

Swoosh―!

This time, the King’s branch was coming for the top of my head. I had no idea how that attack would change. I could see it, but I did not think I could block or dodge it.

‘……I don’t know, shit!’

It was natural to get angry after being hit like this continuously.

Even if the King was training me.

So, with a feeling of ‘whatever happens, happens,’ I thrusted my sword. I just went with my gut, so my posture was a complete mess.

An attack in a clumsy posture, solely for the purpose of thrusting my sword and hitting the King.

‘Where should I thrust?’

I did not know why, but.

‘Right arm, the elbow!’

Shlick―!

My sword was faster than I expected.

As I had hoped, my sword hit the King faster than his branch came down on me.

Blood flowed from the King’s right arm, grazed by my sword.

The King’s blood was on my sword.

I could not help but be flustered. I had thought the King would dodge my sword or block it somehow.

“A-are you alright―.”

“Excellent. You aimed for the only opening I left. As expected, you have my talent for the sword.”

“……Pardon?”

As I asked blankly, the King held the branch in his left hand and stanched the bleeding on his right arm.

“A moment ago, you felt the flow of my attack. Leonardo, there are attacks that you cannot block even if you see them and know they are coming. Not just with the sword, but also the dangers approaching the kingdom.”

“…….”

“At times like that, you need the courage to take the initiative, just as you did now. Just now, it was an attack filled with uncontrolled anger, so it was too direct and rushed, but next time, look for your opponent’s opening and attack. That is how you feel the flow and take control.”

The King clenched and unclenched his right hand as he continued.

“But it is foolish to stop after an attack filled with anger like just now. A thrust is a dangerous attack, so once you have thrust, you must pursue your opponent to the end and cut them down. As I did to you, and as you did when you purged the nobles.”

“Ah…… I understand.”

“Then let’s stop here for today. I’m scared of your friend glaring at me, so I can’t do any more.”

Hahaha! I should run away―!

The King, who had been speaking seriously until just a moment ago, burst into laughter and went into the bushes with fleeing footsteps.

“I’ll go relieve myself for a bit!”

It seemed he was going to poop.

As the King had said, Grondar was glaring at the King with fire in his eyes. He reacted like that every time the King beat me up while teaching me swordsmanship.

Crack―.

Grondar, unable to even force a smile, spoke to me while grinding his teeth.

“……Brother, even if he is your father, isn’t this too much? He says he’s teaching you the sword, but it looks like he’s just hitting you?”

Listening to him speak, it seemed Grondar would have attacked the King long ago if he were not my ‘father.’

“It’s fine. It all heals after a night’s sleep anyway. Though the scars remain.”

I glanced at my arms and body. My jade-like skin—it was a bit much for me to say it, but my skin really was like jade—was covered in all sorts of scars.

But it was not bad. The scars did not look hideous, but rather like manly scars.

‘Wait. But the King has never hit my face.’

He had aimed for my face many times, but the King had never actually attacked it.

Did he not want to hurt my face, even if he hurt other places?

“Huu…… You’re really nice, brother. I learned to fight from my dad before too, and he beat me up then? My friends saw that and rushed at my dad, and then my dad’s friends jumped in to side with my dad, and it became a group fight between the sons and the fathers―.”

Grondar’s chatter started again. To summarize what he was saying: 「Grondar’s friends rushed at his father—the Giant Elder Barut—for hitting Grondar. Seeing Barut being ganged up on by the young Giants, Barut’s friends joined in, and a civil war broke out between the sons and the fathers. In the end, they were all subdued in 5 minutes with a few broken bones. Adults are strong.」

To rush at the elder just because a friend got hit, perhaps to a Giant, a ‘friend’ was an existence beyond what I thought.

***

Four weeks later.

Leonardo, Jereuth, the King, and Grondar’s party finally crossed the border of the Plank Kingdom and reached the Wasteland of Ruin.

Whether it was a mystery of nature, to the northwest of the Plank Kingdom's border, a wasteland of rough and untamed sand stretched out. As if drawn with a line, the north of the border was a desert, while grass grew to the south.

Whoooooosh-!

The moment they set foot in the Wasteland of Ruin, a sandstorm so strong it was hard to open one’s eyes obscured the view. When breathing, one could feel a mixture of air and dust.

Especially on a windy day like today, the Wasteland of Ruin was a truly difficult environment for a human to endure.

“Your Highness, pardon the intrusion for a moment.”

Jereuth put a scarf on Leonardo’s head to block the sand from entering his nose and mouth.

He covered his eyes as much as possible, leaving just enough of an opening to see.

“Oh, what’s that? Can’t I try it too?”

“A Giant doesn’t need it, does he?”

“Ah! Still, do it for me! Me too! Me too!”

“……Fine.”

Unlike with Leonardo, Jereuth was still not used to Grondar’s personality.

“Bend down a bit.”

“Yep.”

As Jereuth made a scarf for Grondar’s head with a spare cloth he had brought, he thought.

‘Barut also asked me to make him one after seeing me wear a scarf. I went through the trouble of making it, but he took it off in less than 10 seconds, saying it was suffocating.’

Just as Jereuth was thinking.

“Ah, it’s suffocating. I’m just going to take it off.”

“…….”

This kid was 100% Barut’s son.

Grondar, who untied the scarf and shook his head.

Jereuth asked him.

“Grondar. There is something I want to ask.”

“Yes?”

“As you have also heard, the reason we are going to meet the Giants is to conquer the Minotaur’s dungeon with their help. To be precise, we are trying to get your father’s help.”

“Ah, yes. I heard. ……I heard it a lot when that ‘King’ human was beating Brother Leo.”

At Grondar glaring at the King, Jereuth spoke in a way to get his attention.

“I want to ask for your help regarding that as well. Will you not enter the Minotaur’s dungeon with us?”

“Me? Sure, why not.”

“……You will? Do you know how dangerous that dungeon is?”

“It’s to help Brother Leo, isn’t it? Then I have to do it, whether it’s dangerous or not. That’s the right thing to do. And the Minotaur’s dungeon? I don’t know what that is, but if it’s a dangerous dungeon, that’s even better. I’m going to become a brave Giant like Brother Leo too.”

Helping a friend is the right thing to do. No matter how dangerous.

Jereuth let out a hollow laugh at the simple and straightforward way of thinking of a Giant.

‘Yes, this is a Giant. And that is why Barut will also help me. Even though we fought badly in that dungeon.’

While Jereuth was briefly recalling the past, Grondar spoke.

“I am Brother Leo’s friend. And since Brother Leo is royalty of the Plank Kingdom, the Plank Kingdom is also my friend. Even if Brother Leo says he never wants to see me again, I will work hard for Brother Leo.”

Grondar probably said it without much thought, just expressing his thoughts as a Giant.

But those words made Jereuth think a lot again.

‘Never want to see again…… That is what I said. To Barut.’

While Jereuth was lost in various heavy thoughts.

Cough…….

He heard the King coughing quietly beside him.

It was not a cough from the sand and dust. It was a cough trying to spit out something bad boiling up from inside his body.

Leonardo did not hear the King’s cough.

“Are you alright, Philip?”

Jereuth, who knew about the King’s physical condition, asked with concern.

The King shook his head and said.

“No, I feel like I am dying. I do not know if it is because I gave Leonardo the necklace, or if my life is truly running out…… but I can feel my body dying from the inside.”

Though he said this, the King’s voice was bright.

“But Jereuth. I feel more alive than ever before. I have shown Leonardo all of my swordsmanship, and though he will need a lot of training in the future, Leonardo will be able to master it. The boy definitely has talent. And Leonardo has made a Giant friend…… so if any problems arise, he will be able to receive great help. I am truly happy about that.”

A bright voice.

However, the King, who had been speaking with difficulty, looked Jereuth straight in the eye and smiled.

“Now, it seems the only thing left for me to do is to become the Minotaur’s sacrifice. No, that is the last thing left for me to do.”

“…….”

“Do not look at me with that expression and just follow that Giant named ‘Grondar.’ And make sure Leonardo does not fall behind.”

“……I understand.”

The King, who said he would become a sacrifice for the sealing of the Minotaur.

At those words, Jereuth sighed with a heavy heart and followed behind Grondar.

Lastly, as the King followed behind Jereuth.

Toss―.

The King took a book out from his bosom and threw it into the desert.

It was the King’s <Future Diary>, with not a single page left.

‘I do not need it anymore…… and there is no new future for me to know.’

The empty diary flew lightly in the sandstorm.

Carried by a wind that comes from nowhere and goes nowhere-

the diary of the king who did not give up until the end disappears.