Chapter 25
----------------------------------------
John POV
----------------------------------------
I walked in the dim hallways of Alpas’ castle. I looked at the stars peeping from windows as they cast their light, trying to fight the gloomy night. We have won, and casualties are minimal. All soldiers cheered upon the heroes’ return, and the enemy fled in panic. It was an overwhelming victory that even if it was recorded in the history book, nobody would believe it even if it was fiction.
Soldiers partied till late at night, and everywhere I go, smiles of citizens that have been saved are blooming, filling the night with cheers. However, I am not as happy as they were. I feel wretched instead. Feeling of uselessness permeated me. I sat on a bench nearby and watched the bustling city through the window. Every soldier that passed me greeted me with a smile as they continued to laugh.
This reminded me of my time on earth. When I was a company slave, I worked hard. It was tough to handle my entitled boss, the son of the board members, and yet I endured it just fine until my junior coworker, who is a nobody, stood up for me.
I thought we were the same loser. I couldn’t be more wrong about him. As he stood up and mocked the boss for misbehaving, he was reprimanded. He didn’t stop there. He brought it to board members. I thought it was the end for him as the board members challenged him to increase his sales quota to double that of the rest of us. But he succeeded in doing that and more. Instead, he quadrupled his sales quota, and with such an achievement, he implemented a new marketing strategy and products.
Not satisfied with that, he went even further. He managed to dispose of the entitled boss whom I thought was unreachable for commoners like us. The boss was fired. Even though he had the support of his parents, it was nothing compared to the votes of the rest of the board members, whom he impressed by his achievement. He became the pillar of hope for our team. His success inspired everyone except me. Before him, I could do nothing. He became my boss, and my life was better than before.
I kept believing that I was happy. However, deep down in my heart. I am jealous and mad at his success. Even the promotion that I received was given by him as he was the only one that saw my perseverance in work. Others called my work mediocre. He didn’t fight the masses. He subtly signed that he values my loyalty to the company as I was a senior worker with perfect attendance and took very few leaves. With just that, everyone praised his decision, and the team became more loyal to him.
I watched the moon, and tears subtly flowed from my eyes. The unchanging moon is dull. Why do you keep looking at it? The others said to me. But I can’t help to be enamored by its unchanged beauty.
----------------------------------------
King POV 3 days after the battle
----------------------------------------
“We are victorious!!!” cheers erupted as the meeting hall became a party venue. Counts and dukes opened their wine bottles in a cheerful mood.
“So, how much do they know?” I asked Darius in a whisper.
“We are victorious. Stella killed their gladiator in a duel. Moreover, it is also known that the enemy is a vampire.” Darius said with a frown.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” I whispered more softly.
“We should be grateful that we are victorious, but the fact that a vampire can be defeated in a duel alone is worrying. As I recall, only an angel can do that.” Darius replied.
“We can’t voice this out loud. I hope Parker can handle these sharks….” I sighed. It was a decisive victory. But after this one is over, these wolves will pester Stella to become their wife or concubine. I hope she will not be tempted by their coin. Especially Duke Regius. The wealthiest men in the human kingdom. He is sure to draw them with gold.
“No need to worry. Stella is a smart girl. She will not be tempted by it.” Darius replied.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“That’s not all, Darius. Stella needs to be on the kingdom side. That is the best course of action. But even that will cause friction among light alliance members unless we can order her to help them. But she tends to defy orders, does she not? And then, there is a letter from Parker. We need to call several angels to fulfill our end of the deal with Parker.”
Darius’ face suddenly warped in shock. This reminded me of the prophecy that says, “When the world is in peril, summon the hero, and they will save the world. However, it will not be as you expect them to be.” Nobody now knew how the future was going to be. Will Stella become our savior, or will she bring chaos?
----------------------------------------
Parker POV
----------------------------------------
“So, Alan. How is it going?” I asked our commander while eating breakfast in our HQ. Stella is still sound asleep in her room.
“Nothing wrong, sir!! Richard, Bane, Riki, and Riko are heavily injured. Nita and Fay are currently healing them. I have word from them that it is possible to heal them to full health! They will be good as new in 1 or 2 months!” Alan smiled as he gave his salute. We have achieved a decisive victory. But our armies are basically incapacitated, with most of the gladiators out of action. Our defensive line extended toward Randell now, and we only have 4 newbie gladiators to defend them. If another vampire attacks, we must give up Randell and rendezvous in Alpas.
“So, should we return to Randell? I am worried about that city. It is only guarded by Nana and Hart at the moment.”
“Nothing to worry about, sir! After their recent loss, they can’t mount an attack anytime soon. Even if they rushed, they needed to circle toward Firsthell City before reaching Randell. You can return to Randell anytime between 3 days from now or next week!” Alan still smiled in glee while reporting to me.
Last night was amazing. I have never seen something so beautiful and majestic. Her dance is mesmerizing, and her spells dignified. I could feel the mana from my senses merged into one. It formed a cacophony of an orchestra showing the brilliance of the world. The mighty thunder showed strength, and the earth trembled in excitement. The blue barrier shows beauty. All of them formed into one spectacle.
“About Elysion…” Alan hesitate.
“Yes?” I immediately dismissed my imagination.
“I was wondering… if you would lead an attack to it. I understand that you and Stella need to recuperate, but we can’t miss this chance!” Alan said heatedly.
I looked at Alan contemplating his idea. Military speaking, it is a beautiful idea. While the enemy panicked, we chased them and dealt the finishing blow to the one million armies attacking us. This could turn the tide of war, and the light alliance could emerge victorious. However, as a politician, I am reluctant to say yes. If it was known that victories were brought solely by us, the otherworld heroes. We could attract jealousy and fear from local nobles and foreign ones.
I also needed to remind myself that our goal differed from this kingdom. We joined this war so we could go home. John has a fiance there, and the rest of us has parents waiting for us at home. We can’t grant them victories after victories without receiving anything in return.
No, this is the chance! We could ask for proof right here and right now. If we can get Elysion, I will ask King Gray about his promise. If they could bring us back, they no longer need to worry about the power balance here. We all could go back home and be freed from this war.
“Alan, I need you to bring a letter for the king,” I asked cautiously.
“Yes? Sorry for being rude, but may I know the content?” Alan asked while surprised. His face soon changed into a guarded expression.
.
“You may not know this, but The King promised to return us to our world.”
“Oh, I see. Did we do anything to displease you in any way?” Alan asked while looking sad.
“No, all of you have been so accommodating. It is just that we have families there. We need proof that the king will fulfill his end of the deal. I hope you are not too offended by this.”
“Is there no way we can convince you to stay? You are our heroes. Without you, we will not survive this war. If it is money or peerage, we can adjust your salary and titles.” Alan said, trying to coax me.
“I am not saying that we will be gone for good. At the very least, we need to say goodbye to our parents. It has been over 4 months here. Is there any way we can connect to our families?” I tried to sound diplomatic. Basically, I want the right to return and go back to this world. If they promised only to return us without being able to go back, they could dupe us by simply killing us and hiding the body.
“I see. I will tell the king about this. “Alan said while leaving the HQ.
As the sun rose, it wiped away the serene night, leaving the charred earth and trampled battlefield in full view. The scarred ground reminded us that last night was not a dream.
“I wonder how the kingdom will respond to my request,” I mused while sipping my tea by the window.
“Who is Mana?” I whispered to nobody as I looked outside the window. Mana is the force of this world. But she was talking as if it was a person.
“Father…” I softly said. The memory of my father resurfaced. Our peaceful house is in stark contrast to this battlefield. I can still remember the anguished face of Riki and Riko as they cried while holding their cut arm and broken bones.
I need to remind myself that this is not a game.