Chapter 69 – Choice (3)

The Magic Engineering Department building where Sullivan’s group had successfully evacuated.

The citizens and Magic Engineering Department members who were there let out cheers of joy at their safe return.

Because they were their neighbors and family, and the only group with the power to protect the Ember.

They judged that if they staged a siege around the Magic Engineering Department and the leadership building, they could easily repel even those wolves.

However.

“Damn it, we should have stayed behind together…!”

“No, it was a mistake to send him off so irresponsibly. We should have brought him along even if we had to stop him.”

The expressions of Sullivan’s group, who should have felt the most relief, were miserably distorted.

It was the same not only for the hunting squad but also for the rescued citizens, so someone who had been cheering asked with a puzzled expression.

“You returned alive and well, so why are your expressions like that? What do you mean you should have stayed together, and what do you mean you should have brought him along no matter what?”

At that question, the Magic Engineering Department, which was filled with nearly five hundred citizens, fell into silence.

Because the expressions of those who had just fled were too unusual to simply rejoice, they had a gut feeling that something had definitely happened.

“Please… step aside for a moment.”

Sensing that the time had come, Sullivan walked forward somewhere with his head deeply bowed.

At his appearance as he walked with a solemn expression, the hallway split to the left and right like the Red Sea, even without a request to step aside.

Sullivan, who walked silently through the crowd like that, arrived in front of none other than the Head of the Magic Engineering Department, Demian Vale.

Thud!

Suddenly, Sullivan knelt.

At his sudden action, doubt bloomed on the faces of the citizens.

Even Demian Vale, who had become the direct party, wore a bewildered expression, unable to understand the meaning of that action.

“…”

Capturing the gloomy faces of the hunting squad members and the returned citizens who could not properly meet his eyes, he—

“Could it be… is it about Aylen?”

Although not a single word had been spoken yet, he realized that a problem had occurred with his son’s safety.

“…Is he dead? My son.”

It was indeed death.

The stiff expressions that contrasted with those who had evacuated beforehand, the gazes that looked at Demian and Renata guiltily and then quickly bowed their heads when their eyes met…

If Aylen was dead, everything made sense.

“Lord Demian, I am sorry. We could not come back with Aylen.”

Sullivan, who barely opened his mouth, confirmed Demian’s suspicion.

Having been handed the command authority of the hunting squad, he was feeling a sense of responsibility for condoning Aylen’s recklessness.

Therefore, it was a story that was even harder to speak aloud, but he could not fail to inform the parents of their child’s death.

“Aylen is dead?”

“Looking at how they’re talking, it seems so. But why are they making such a fuss…”

“Yeah. It’s a shameful thing to say to Lord Demian, but he was a guy who was better off not being around.”

It was a pity to lose Aylen Vale, the magic engineer who took first place in the qualification exam, but they thought it was rather a good thing to lose Aylen Vale, the rascal.

The existing residents who did not know the situation babbled carelessly.

It was a rude thing.

No matter what Aylen’s usual behavior was, it was not something to say in front of parents who had lost their child.

“…”

However, neither Demian nor Renata stopped their frivolous mouths.

Just as the citizens said, Aylen was a rascal who had only caused harm to the Ember, so they had nothing to say as parents.

However,

“Watch your mouth over there. No matter what kind of guy he was to you, he was someone’s only precious child!”

The Magic Engineering Department members, who shared a deep bond of empathy with Demian, and—

“Do not run your mouth when you know nothing! Why did Aylen stay behind there? Why did Aylen die!”

The survivors who had newly joined the Magic Engineering Department were expressing anger on their behalf.

In particular, the impatience of the hunting squad members who knew the full details of the incident and the citizens they had rescued were even fiercer than those of the Magic Engineering Department members.

“Sullivan. It seems there is a story behind this, so please tell us what happened to Aylen.”

At that moment, a sharp but elegant voice pressed down the noise.

It was Renata Victoria, Aylen Vale’s mother.

Instead of Demian, who could not speak due to the grief and regret of losing his son, his wife stepped forward.

“As for how it happened…”

In the quieted space, Sullivan began his story.

How Aylen, who came to find the hunting squad, executed the traitor and rallied the hunting squad which was on the verge of collapsing.

How he quickly established a rescue plan and implemented rescue operations in all sectors.

All the way to the majestic final appearance of Aylen, who went outside the Ember risking his life to save those who were isolated.

“Unbelievable. Aylen, did Aylen really do that?”

“To think such a thing happened…”

The existing citizens, who heard the entire story, fell into great shock.

Had that rascal caused trouble and died instead, it would have been one thing, but they had not imagined in the slightest that he would make such a self-sacrifice.

“If those words are true, then isn’t Aylen a righteous man? A righteous man who risked his own life to save others…”

Someone murmured the words “righteous man.”

Now, the existing citizens had even more solemn expressions than the newly joined citizens.

The people Aylen went to save were true citizens who took the lead in volunteering for the Ember even on holidays, and were individuals who enjoyed considerable popularity within the Ember.

In particular, a blacksmith named David was someone who regarded even citizens who had nothing to do with him as family, such as guarding the gravestones of the hunting squad members who passed away in this mutant incident throughout the three days of the funeral.

To the extent that someone joked upon seeing him, saying, ‘Even the leader wouldn’t do that!’

However, no matter how much they did not know the situation and had no choice, hearing that Aylen was the only one who went to save David left them with no choice but to feel gratitude and guilt at the same time.

Indeed, if it were they standing in that spot, how many would have made the same choice as Aylen?

Looking around at the faces of the people, Sullivan was certain, on his oath, that no one in this room could have acted like Aylen.

“I am sorry. I am sorry…”

Sullivan bowed his head.

Following his head, the heads of the hunting squad members and the citizens also turned toward the floor.

It was a greeting and apology that they ought to perform, since they saved their lives and were able to do so thanks to Aylen.

However, there were words from Renata that followed.

“There is nothing to be sorry about, Sullivan.”

“How can that be…?”

“Although it was temporary, didn’t you say Aylen led the hunting squad? Taking responsibility to the end, even at the cost of one’s life. That is exactly what a person in charge is.”

“…!”

Renata, who should have been filled with grief over losing her only son and anger toward those who left such a son behind at this moment, spoke like that.

The tone of voice was too firm for a mother, so it looked as if she was trying to give an exoneration to Sullivan, the hunting squad, and the citizens.

Rather, she seemed to be proud that her son made a choice for the Ember, not for his own safety, and died as a righteous man.

“Madam…”

At Renata’s magnanimous side, everyone was lost for words.

Having insulted the child without knowing the circumstances, they were prepared to receive a lot of scoldings, but instead, was it not like she was embracing and forgiving the very ones who had behaved shamelessly?

And it was the same for Aylen’s father, Demian Vale.

“If he could have been stopped by trying to stop him, would that guy have been a rascal? And even if you had stayed behind together, what would have changed? You would have only lost more precious lives. You did well to return.”

“…”

“So do not blame yourselves. You did what you had to do, and Aylen also did what he had to do, so there is no right or wrong in that.”

Demian’s words seemed sarcastic at first glance, but his gentle hands raising the kneeling Sullivan and his kind expression spoke that those words were the truth without a single lie.

The more they did, the more the citizens looked at Demian and Renata, the husband and wife whose characters were also outstanding, and grew their guilt boundlessly.

Because if anyone was to receive comfort, it should have been them, and if anyone was to comfort, it should have been themselves, but the roles were reversed.

However, whether Demian and Renata were proud of their son or not, it was clear that in the end, that choice led Aylen to his death.

“It is enough that he took responsibility. It is enough that he did not run away…”

“Renata…”

The two who wrapped up the situation shed silent tears.

The low and mournful sobbing flowing from Renata’s mouth filled the space that had become solemn before they knew it.

The citizens who used to hate Aylen the rascal also bowed their heads in silent tribute at least at this moment.

Whatever his past was, since he finished as a righteous man who sacrificed his life for the Ember at the last moment, he deserved this level of treatment.

As the commemoration and mourning for Aylen and the isolated ones continued for a long time like that,

Bang—!

There was a gunshot that broke the silence.

“It’s Aylen, Aylen has returned! Open, open the door!”

At the gunshot from outside, Sullivan shouted convulsively.

He recalled the fact that Aylen was the only one who possessed a Mana Gun in this small Ember where the only weapons were bows and arrows.

Therefore, the gunshot outside was no different from meaning that Aylen was alive.

Sure enough.

Slam!

“P-people are coming! It’s the Section 12 people whom Aylen went out to save!”

“…!”

“…!”

Through the door that was thrown open violently, black figures were seen sprinting toward this side.

“All hunting squad members, go outside and escort them!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

At the appearance of those they had been waiting for so much, the hunting squad members who drew their bowstrings went out of the door without anyone having to say it first.

The appearance of being steeped in the initial panic and fear was nowhere to be seen, and now everyone had the momentum as if they would leap even into a pit of fire.

The hope that appeared in the midst of despair was something that changed humans to that extent.

“Close the door!”

Once the people safely evacuated under the escort of the hunting squad, the door was closed immediately.

Like that, everyone’s interest was pouring into Aylen and their safe return—

“Aylen, where did Aylen go? Why is it only you?”

Sullivan’s voice trembled pitifully.

Because all the isolated people among those who had just entered were present, but Aylen, who went to save them, was nowhere to be seen.

Then there was the tearful voice of the blacksmith David.

“Aylen volunteered to be the bait. We pleaded with him several times to go together, but he didn’t even pretend to hear. He said he was the only one who could do this job…!”

“…!”

The atmosphere that had boiled up suddenly sank even lower than before.

Had hope not been given from the start, it would be one thing, but hope given and then taken away made a person twice as despondent.

“You should have stopped him, you should have stopped him somehow! He was a guy who threw away his life to save you. Whether dead or alive, you should have stayed together to the end!”

A middle-aged man filled with grief and anger shrieked.

He was a person who had hidden in the basement with the women at first, and was someone who had many complaints about Aylen.

However, now he was pouring out anger, having changed his heart at Aylen’s self-sacrificing behavior.

“He rushed out by himself without giving us any time to stop him, so what was I supposed to do!”

However, despite the resentful glares of the middle-aged man and the citizens, David began to raise his voice.

“Do you think anyone wanted to leave him behind? In your eyes, do we look like trash who pushed our life savior into a fire pit just wishing to keep our own bodies safe!”

“…!”

At that, no one could look at David and his group the same way as before.

Because they were people who had sacrificed for the Ember anytime and anywhere for a long time.

Although the price of that sacrifice might be different, their sacrifice was also a sacrifice like Aylen’s.

“Ah, ah…!”

Like that, the Magic Engineering Department sank deeper and deeper into a pit of sorrow.

Outside, the howling of the wolves chasing Aylen was echoing.

It was the moment an unavoidable death sentence was pronounced upon Aylen.