A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat
Chapter 133.1: Establishment (10) Part 1

Establishment (10)

“That concludes all the proceedings of the memorial service. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has gathered here today.”

Professor Sharon’s composed voice echoed through the air.

The long memorial service had finally come to an end.

The people, who had been mourning solemnly, began to turn away one by one.

As the wind picked up, the plaza gradually emptied.

However, amidst this scene, there remained a boy who couldn’t bring himself to leave.

His name was Allen Reinhardt.

He was the most promising student at the Academy, a popular figure admired by many.

Allen simply stood there, dazed, his gaze fixed upon the dark tombstones that seemed so out of place.

[A flame that sought justice with a mighty hammer, a courageous boy.]

[Here lies Carl.]

These words were etched into the stone, barely visible at the edge of his blurred vision.

The cold reality was carved upon the tombstone, devoid of any trace of life.

“...”

Carl.

It was the name of his closest friend.

Allen held his breath.

A sense of dizziness washed over him.

For a moment, he wondered if this was all just a dream, but such escapism didn’t last long.

The bitter cold that seeped into his hands and feet brought him crashing back to reality.

The golden-haired boy retched, his stomach churning.

Just a few months ago, he had been laughing and talking with his friend, but now he was buried in the ground.

Allen trembled at the horrifying dissonance.

“Carl…”

Why?

How could this be?

Thorny questions pierced his heart.

They had so many stories left untold, so many sparring matches to have, so many competitions to win together.

Why did he have to leave so suddenly, so senselessly?

As he muttered these futile questions to himself, a voice he had heard earlier echoed in his ears.

-The ones who drove them to their deaths... are none other than yourselves.

The accusation, sharp as a drawn bowstring, struck him like an arrow piercing his very core.

-The reason they had to be sacrificed is simple.

-It's because you were weak. That's why you couldn't protect them.

Allen bit his lip, his golden eyes filled with a deep sense of loss.

The sorrow gradually welled up, transforming into a stream of tears that flowed down his cheeks.

‘It’s my fault…’

He had been powerless.

He had struggled against the overwhelming might of the enemy, a foe he had never faced before.

And while he was busy buying time, he hadn’t even realized that students were dying elsewhere.

What kind of hero was he?

He couldn’t even protect a single friend who stood by his side.

‘The fate of saving the world… It’s laughable.’

Grief morphed into guilt, and guilt into self-loathing.

Allen pushed down these negative emotions and forced himself to move.

His friends, their eyes filled with concern, tried to approach him, but he firmly pushed them away.

He walked on, alone.

He had no particular destination in mind.

He simply wandered aimlessly, his feet carrying him through the streets of the Academy.

It was as if he couldn’t breathe unless he kept moving.

And so, the boy continued to wander until the sun began to set and the sky turned a dusky hue.

-Thud!

A sudden, loud noise.

The next moment, pain shot through his body.

When he finally came to his senses, he found himself sprawled out on the ground.

He must have tripped while he was lost in thought.

Allen lay there like a piece of trash.

No, perhaps he truly was trash.

He could feel the cold seeping into his body, his body temperature dropping, but he had no will to get up.

He just wanted to melt away, to disappear.

He wanted to shed the titles of hero, savior, prodigy, and simply cease to exist.

-Tap, tap…

Just then, he heard faint footsteps approaching.

“...Allen?”

A familiar voice reached his ears.

Allen’s clouded mind felt a sudden jolt, as if struck by lightning.

“Lishit… Young Master?”

His voice came out hoarse and raspy.

In his unfocused vision, he saw a head of neatly combed black hair against the backdrop of the darkening sky.

Raiden Lishite.

The eldest son of the Lishite Dukedom, the one who had displayed extraordinary prowess during the recent invasion.

And…

‘…The person I almost killed.’

The words echoed in his mind, barely audible.

As he lay there in a daze, the memory of his past transgressions resurfaced.

-I’m tired of this… I can’t do this anymore…

-Why… Why do you hate me so much…?

-Was I… Was I the bad guy again…?

-I didn’t ask for much… I never expected your kindness, nor did I want some grand gesture of gratitude…

He had been so focused on appearances that he had acted foolishly.

His reckless actions had ended up hurting someone deeply.

Guilt tightened its grip on his throat once more.

He truly wasn’t cut out to be a hero.

Far from protecting the innocent, he had driven someone to the point of despair, to the point of attempting to take their own life.

‘Disgusting.’

Allen directed the word at himself.

There had been a time when he had suspected Raiden of being connected to some sinister force, of wielding some unholy power.

But now he knew the truth.

It had all been a misunderstanding.

Through the ‘Soul Link’, Eivy had shown him glimpses of Raiden’s past, a past filled with pain and hardship.

The image of the depraved, tyrannical young lord he had despised had been nothing but a mask, a way to hide the pain within.

The strange and terrifying aura he had sensed, the one he had been so wary of, had stemmed from a divine artifact known as ‘Sorrow’.

And all this time, without even realizing it, he had been tormenting the very person who had suffered so much.

‘And yet, this person…’

Despite the unforgivable way Allen had treated him, Raiden had always shown him kindness.

It was as if he was dealing with someone he had admired for a long time.

Only after uncovering the truth did Allen realize that Raiden had only wanted to be his friend.

The reason he had often lingered around him, the reason he had warned him of danger, the reason he had overlooked his outrageous behavior…

It was all because he had considered Allen a friend.

‘…And to such a person, I…’

The unspoken words died in his throat.

Allen clenched his fists and turned away, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

It wasn’t just self-pity or despair that brought tears to his eyes.

It was disappointment.

Disappointment in himself, in the kind of person he had been.

The bitter disillusionment gnawed at his mind, forcing him to bite down hard on his lip.

‘Stay still.’

Apologizing and pleading wouldn’t do any good now.

It would only make things worse.

The very thought of seeking forgiveness was ludicrous.

The last time they had met, Raiden had made it clear that he wanted nothing more to do with him, his voice filled with anger and resentment.

He must have hated him now.

That was why Allen had tried his best to avoid him.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Of all the days, of all the places, they had to run into each other like this, while he was at his lowest point.

Allen curled up into a ball.

It was his way of repenting.

Rather than offering some insincere greeting, it was better to just lie there, pretending to be dead.

He didn’t want his ragged breathing to further upset Raiden.

“...”

He lay there for a while, sprawled out on the ground in his sorry state.

Then, he felt something nudging his shoulder.

Was Raiden trying to step over him?

If that was the case, Allen was prepared to let him.

If it would ease Raiden’s pain, even a little… No, even if it didn’t, it didn’t matter.

Raiden had every right to trample all over him.

As he was steeling himself for this inevitable outcome…

“Open your eyes.”

Raiden’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Hesitantly, Allen opened his eyes.

“Haa…”

He looked up to see a pair of dark eyes staring down at him, their depths illuminated by the faint light of the moon.

A long sigh escaped Raiden’s lips, dissipating into the night air.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Raiden looked down at him with an exasperated expression, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

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