Someone was bound to die. 0

Countless people had already perished, so there was no reason why the students of the Royal Class should be exempt from death. 0

During the defense of the base, a swarm of flying beasts had attacked the rear, where the wounded were being treated, and Ashir had been torn apart by the beasts right there. That was not too long ago, and the pervasive gloom and tension clouding the Royal Class encampment had only intensified since Ashir’s death. 0

A classmate had died. Everyone knew that death was an inevitability in the face of the Gate Incident and the war against the monsters, but the death of someone close was an unavoidable shock.0

Everyone was full of sorrow, and some were still mired in it.0

However, what Ellen saw in Ludwig’s eyes wasn’t sorrow.  Whatever emotions he had felt before had transformed into anger and hatred, and Ellen could only intuit that Ludwig wanted revenge. 0

Although she hadn’t witnessed Ashir’s death, Ellen was equally shocked by it, and the echo of that death within her was not resentment or hatred, but guilt.0

When this final march ended, who would be dead, and who would be alive?0

Clink.0

Ludwig paused as he was about to take a bite of his sausage, and set it back on his plate.0

“You,” Ludwig said.0

“… Yes?”0

“When Reinhart appeared in the capital previously…”0

At those words, Ellen felt her heart tighten. 0

The Demon King’s assault on the capital and the abduction of the princess—everyone knew that story. In the end, it had ended with Ellen defeating the Demon King, and so the morale within the capital had soared despite the significant losses.0

Ludwig was speaking of that incident, an event that had left a deep scar across Ellen’s heart.0

“You didn’t… deliberately hold back or anything, right?”1

Ellen’s hand trembled slightly at his words.0

“…”0

Ludwig’s gaze was unwavering, and Ellen felt as if she were being interrogated....0