Chapter 60: Those Who Can Never Be Forgiven (11)

The Unyielding Rock had died.

The corpse was so mangled it was unrecognizable.

Could it be a mistake?

Such thoughts came up, but the feather left behind by the Black Gale remained still. The blessing of the gods does not err. The Guide’s Blessing, imbued in the artifact, would not lie.

It hadn’t been long, but she had saved me and the warrior from the river—a kind and helpful person.

Such a person, now dead, had passed away all alone in this remote wilderness.

If nothing else, at least we found her body and held a funeral. That, perhaps, was a small mercy.

But how could I explain to her younger sibling how their sister had died in such a way?

More importantly, her death signified the absence of the Guide’s Blessing in this world.

Some might criticize me for focusing on the implications of her death, but it was true.

Without her, the enchantments that stopped unwanted wanderers from entering would leave us permanently lost.

We had entered the White Misty Forest, and now, even the path directly ahead couldn’t be trusted.

In the distance, the World Tree loomed.

A massive, silver tree that stretched to the sky, radiating a faint blue glow.

It felt as though the Elves’ sacred ground was just within reach.

But now, reaching it seemed impossible.

Despite the momentary shock, the funeral was completed.

The body vanished into light, leaving no trace, and none of us said a word.

Despite the freezing weather and forced marches, sweat beaded on our foreheads as we panted for breath.

No one spoke, likely because they shared my thoughts.

We were lost, and even tomorrow was uncertain.

Yet one person—the warrior—viewed this death differently.

“Are you okay?”

When I asked, the warrior glanced back before lowering his head again.

This world’s warrior had truly loved her.

The reluctance to speak of his lover’s death seemed fitting for him.

With his Mesmerizing Eyes, the warrior could have any woman he wanted.

To choose true love under such circumstances required extraordinary willpower—a choice only someone who genuinely desired to love one woman could make.

I didn’t know how to interact with him anymore.

“…There’s no way back now, is there?”

“Even if there was, we wouldn’t find it.”

In this enchanted forest, returning to the cave we stayed in last night was impossible.

Mourning the Unyielding Rock’s death was natural, but the living still had tasks to fulfill.

That was the courtesy owed to the dead and the rule of life.

It wasn’t surprising for Natalia and Laura to begin discussing our next steps after the simple funeral.

Still, talking about it in front of the warrior felt a bit cruel.

“I’m sorry. It’s because I insisted we come here…”

“…No, it was a journey to complete the Sacred Sword. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes, the warrior has no fault in this… not at all.”

We had a magic-treated tent in case of emergencies and enough food supplies left.

It would be cold, but we could survive for now.

While the others prepared the base camp, I couldn’t shake the thought that the warrior was forcing himself to hold on.

I knew the journey to find the Elves and explore the White Misty Forest was our shared goal.

Yet the warrior had ignored my advice and rescued the beastfolk slaves—a choice that brought us here.

If I’d said this last night, I would’ve scolded him relentlessly for not listening.

But now, with the loss of the Unyielding Rock, the warrior was the last person who should be reprimanded.

I felt a dull ache inside.

How should I comfort him?

Saying the wrong thing could break him completely, and he might misuse the power of his Mesmerizing Eyes recklessly.

But leaving him to his sorrow could make him forget our goal of defeating the Demon King.

“Both of you, go to that tent over there.”

“Serah?”

There were two prepared tents, each large enough for two people to share.

Normally, I would’ve chosen the one without the warrior, but this time, I pointed to the left, signaling Natalia and Laura to move.

Laura blinked in confusion and protested.

Her displeasure was clear, but I didn’t have the time to explain.

On the surface, the warrior seemed strong, but deep down, he was fragile—someone who had fallen into this world alone and could easily break.

And now, having lost the one he loved, his spirit must be crumbling.

I didn’t intend to talk about the warrior’s tears or how he once admitted to being lonely.

Nor did I plan to leave him alone to suffer.

So I forced the two out.

Thankfully, they seemed to sense the serious atmosphere and stopped arguing.

Though it took some time, they left, and I stepped into the tent with the warrior.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…Just wondering who killed her. And what to do next. Because of me, everyone’s lost now.”

The Unyielding Rock.

Who had killed her?

His heavy expression, staring at the ground, seemed like one filled with thoughts of vengeance.

“Su-hyun, did you think everything would turn out fine?”

Looking back, we should have prepared for the possibility of not finding her.

We needed to restore the Sacred Sword and save the Unyielding Rock, but nothing in life goes perfectly.

We should’ve always prepared for the worst and valued life above all.

But none of us, including the warrior, had done that.

In the capital, in the fortress, in Edirne—we faced situations that could be called the worst, yet we overcame them all.

Perhaps we believed the warrior party was too strong and righteous to lose.

This situation was different.

Before, we at least knew who the enemy was.

Now, we wandered aimlessly, not even knowing what to fight.

Effort and determination wouldn’t solve this.

The burden of responsibility weighed heavier, and guilt over failing to save her grew stronger.

“Those blessed by the gods have talents others lack.

The chosen companions to aid the warrior in defeating the Demon King.

Long ago, even the Five Heroes were corrupted by demonic energy but didn’t die.

Maybe you thought those blessed by the gods couldn’t be killed by others.”

The warrior didn’t respond.

“Someone who received the gods’ blessing—a heroine meant to join the warrior’s party—didn’t.

Looking back, it’s simple.

No fool would willingly endanger someone they love.”

“Serah…”

“Even those blessed by the gods can be killed by evil.

But the one you love wouldn’t blame you for their death.

And they wouldn’t want you to blame yourself either.”

I truly hoped the warrior wouldn’t take the Unyielding Rock’s death as his fault.

Though my words felt clumsy and selfish, I meant that sincerely.

Translator’s Note:

Thank you guys so much for the support on this Novel

After seeing the Demand we have decided to start Patreon for this Novel

You can check it out on the Novel page below the description

Means a lot!