She eagerly awaited the moment she could leave the bunker.
In the past, spending twelve hours with her beloved companions was nothing, but now it felt as though her spirit was being drained.
‘If I hadn’t passed out midway, I wouldn’t have lasted.’
She had spent about eight hours unconscious, but even enduring the remaining four hours had not been easy.
The bunker was built so sturdily that it was almost completely isolated from the outside world.
It was a sealed space where not only was it impossible to see outside, but you couldn’t even hear anything.
There was only one thing she could do.
‘What am I supposed to do if I just collapse here? What if Ian dies? I haven’t even apologized yet. What should I do?’
She thought only of what would happen once they left the bunker.
At first, her mind was filled with dark thoughts, but she soon realized that brooding wouldn’t help. So, she decided to focus on imagining the best possible outcome.
‘Yes… Ian must have been struggling, fighting all this time. There’s a barrier at the entrance, so he wouldn’t have received any backup.’
She envisioned pulling Ian back from the frontlines, taking over and using her stored energy to deal with the remaining monsters.
Considering every possible scenario, Ariel ran countless simulations in her mind.
Thud!
Finally, the barrier began to lift as time passed, and Ariel grabbed the door handle, ready.
With her left hand on the door handle and her right hand infusing mana into Elysion, prepared to unleash a sword aura at any moment, she opened the door.
Splat!
“What… what is this…?”
As soon as she saw the scene outside the bunker, her mind went blank.
Blood had risen to the very entrance of the bunker, and the metallic smell hit her nose sharply.
‘Could this be… monster blood?’
How many had to be slain to create such a sight?
No, was it even possible for a human to kill enough enemies to bring things to this level?
For a moment, she was in awe.
But Ariel quickly shook her head and redirected her gaze to the center of the carnage.
There, she saw it.
“B-Brother?”
Ian, drenched in blood, barely standing with his sword as a crutch.
She wanted to run to him immediately, to ask if he was hurt, to tell him to rest now because he must be exhausted.
But Ariel couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
“It’s okay now.”
“…”
“It’s all over.”
Seeing her older brother so worn out for the first time, her mind went white.
She felt guilty, knowing she hadn’t helped carry his burdens but had instead added to them. That guilt made her hesitant to approach.
As she stood trembling from a distance, Ian began to move toward her with great effort.
“You must be tired. You should rest now.”
“…”
“It’s Friday, so take it easy, have some fun, and go home. Mother will be worried.”
As Ian waded through the sticky blood, he gently tapped Ariel on the shoulder before heading toward the entrance from which he had come.
Ariel seemed like she had something she wanted to say, but now wasn’t the time for a conversation.
There would be plenty of time to talk later. That was what Ian thought as he began to walk away.
“Brother… Let’s go together. Tomorrow is your birthday.”
“…What?”
“Tomorrow is your birthday… Mom is waiting. And how do you plan to get back in that condition?”
At that unexpected remark, Ian froze.
‘Tomorrow… is my birthday?’
It was the first time he had heard such a thing. Of course, since he had been possessed, he hadn’t made any effort to know, so it was natural he didn’t remember.
After all, hadn’t he once thought that perhaps he wasn’t even supposed to have been born?
He had grown up ostracized, and while other children wished for lavish gifts, Ian had lived a life where all he desired was a kind word.
‘What I used to want was…’
A simple “I love you”, the bare minimum a parent could offer. That was all he had wanted.
It was a dream he had long given up on, realizing that it was something that could never come true.
That’s why he was even more taken aback.
‘Did they… actually know it was my birthday?’
He had erased the date from his own memory, thinking that his family had likely forgotten as well.
Maybe it was because his body had stiffened up, but he couldn’t find the words to speak.
Ariel was likely waiting for a response from behind him, but he didn’t know what to say.
‘I thought happiness was something I couldn’t even hope for.’
Even after being possessed, Ian had never attached much meaning to birthdays.
Before he even had the chance to wish for a celebration, he was forced to consider the circumstances of his family.
‘So I always just brushed it off.’
A birthday cake was a luxury he couldn’t afford, and instead, he would gaze at the night sky while working manual labor, using the stars as candles to make empty wishes.
It was always a day that left his heart heavy and filled him with a deep, inexplicable loneliness.
For Ian, a birthday had never held much significance, which is why he didn’t feel the need to celebrate it.
That was why he said.
“I’ve never celebrated my birthday, have I?”
“Huh? W-What do you mean?”
“I don’t assign any meaning to the day I was born. So you don’t need to celebrate it either.”
The reason Ian could express his feelings so bluntly in response to his sister was that he understood a life where one couldn’t hope for congratulations, and he assumed that such happiness was unattainable.
He could have chosen to express it more gently, but the accumulated exhaustion had left him in no condition to do so.
“…I’ll be going ahead.”
Leaving behind his flustered sister, he turned away.
At least right now, he didn’t feel like looking at her face.
Splash. Splash.
– …
With one hand tightly holding Neltalion’s, he trudged along, his frozen feet moving as best as they could.
After some time, a faint glimmer of light began to appear before his eyes.
‘It’s the exit.’
If he could get past that and join his platoon, it would all be over.
The portal had stopped operating, and the barrier had likely vanished, so he wouldn’t have to throw himself over as he had before.
‘Just a little further. Just a bit more.’
He just needed to walk. With that thought in mind, Ian continued to move forward.
Bzzzt!
‘Ah.’
Like a machine that had lost power, all his senses began to fade.
His body fell weakly, no longer obeying his commands, and soon consciousness began to slip away.
His vision blurred, darkening. Yet in that moment, Ian saw something.
“Ian? How did you get here? You should have been blocked by the barrier…”
He saw the people gathered at the entrance rushing toward him.
At the front was a woman with flaming red hair.
“Ian? Ian!”
‘Running into Haley in a situation like this is….’
He didn’t want to reunite with his master, but now, in his current state, he couldn’t avoid this encounter.
Thud!
He collapsed onto the ground and lost consciousness.
***
The fact that Ariel had been dispatched for a manpower request reached Leticia’s ears.
‘They said they’re going to the old enemy’s magic tower to search for the hidden demons, right?’
Of course, according to the letter from Ark, they promised to prioritize the safety of the cadets.
Still, as a parent, it was hard to feel at ease knowing her child was heading to a dangerous area.
Leticia often discussed with other noblewomen ways to prevent her child from being assigned to such perilous missions.
If she could, Leticia would have wanted to stop her children from being sent to dangerous places.
She even considered writing a letter to their supervising instructor.
However, in the end, Leticia couldn’t bring herself to write anything.
‘As a parent, I can’t block their path…. I can only hope they come back unscathed.’
Being part of the Hero Party, if she used her influence to pull her child out of a difficult mission, it would tarnish their reputation, so she had to endure it.
Instead, she resolved to pray for their safety and to ensure they had plenty of rest when they returned.
That was why she said.
“Madam, all the food preparations are complete.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
She began preparing food again for Ian and Ariel, who would soon be back.
Remembering the unfortunate incident that had happened before, she hesitated to enter the kitchen.
Yet, as a parent, this was all she could do.
Having been away from the front lines for quite some time, she felt that this was her only contribution.
‘I hope he likes it this time….’
As she watched the maids place preservation spells on the beautifully arranged dishes, her eyes trembled.
Recalling how she hadn’t realized until Ian was an adult that he couldn’t eat seafood, and how she had learned it from one of his friends, her cheeks still flushed with shame.
Leticia didn’t turn away from that shame and decided to make a meal for her son this time.
Since today was her child’s birthday, it was best to prepare his favorite foods.
‘He must have gone through a lot.’
Although her family had accumulated considerable wealth recently, sourcing high-quality ingredients from the north was no easy task.
Still, Leticia personally sought out the best quality materials, and fortunately, she managed to complete all the dishes before the birthday arrived.
Starting with a beef tenderloin to make Tournedos, wrapping beef in pastry for Beef Wellington, and preparing the tender pork belly, a dish known for its delightful texture.
A feast composed entirely of meats lay enticingly before her.
‘With this much….’
Even if there were foods that didn’t suit Ian’s taste, he wouldn’t refuse to eat.
To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, she had excluded seafood and anything he found hard to eat, so no unfortunate incidents like before would occur.
‘Yes, it’ll be fine….’
As she anxiously waited, trying to calm her racing heart, she heard a voice.
“Madam, Miss Ariel has arrived.”
The moment news of their return reached her, Leticia brought her hands together in anticipation, holding them close to her chest.
After quickly washing her face and changing her clothes, the children would soon arrive here.
It was a visit she had waited for so long, one she had dreamed about even in her sleep, yet now that it was reality, she felt a nervous flutter.
Her skin prickled with excitement, and her legs, hidden beneath her skirt, began to tingle.
Leticia maintained her extreme tension as she calmly awaited the children.
Just then, as she stared at the dining room door, she heard a voice.
“Mom… I’m back.”
“Ah. Ariel!”
She caught sight of her exhausted daughter.
But it wasn’t just Ariel who had returned. Behind her were the friends she had made since entering the academy.
‘Right. Ariel often brought friends along, so I anticipated their arrival and made extra food.’
It was odd not to see Celia among them, though.
There could be circumstances Leticia was unaware of. Perhaps she was injured or too fatigued to come, or maybe something happened with the Wignoron family that prevented her from attending.
As a mother, it wouldn’t be right to meddle in her daughter’s friendships.
So, Leticia didn’t ask about her and instead embraced Ariel.
“You’ve worked so hard, my dear. Come sit down. You must be hungry.”
“Yes… I’ll eat well.”
“You all should sit down too. You must be tired, so please rest.”
“Thank you… Lady Volkanov.”
“…Thank you.”
As everyone settled in and began to gauge the atmosphere, reaching for their utensils, Leticia spoke up.
“By the way, Ariel, when is Ian coming?”
“Brother is….”
As soon as the question about Ian’s whereabouts was asked, Ariel’s face began to turn pale.
How was she supposed to say this?
‘What should I do? Should I just tell her?’
She thought about saying that he left because he didn’t feel the need to celebrate his birthday. The problem was Leticia’s expression.
‘She looks so hopeful. If I say something like that….’
In an instant, Ariel’s gaze fell on the food laid out before them.
The menu was entirely meat-based. Ariel, who knew her mother’s usual cooking style, understood the significance of this meal.
‘The fact that it’s all meat instead of seafood means she made this thinking of Brother.’
She didn’t know if Ian liked meat, but she remembered his struggles with seafood.
Leticia must have composed the menu with that in mind.
‘Yes… Since it’s his birthday, these dishes were made for him.’
But should she really say that the guest of honor had left, asking her not to celebrate his birthday?
It was easy to predict what would happen if she did, so Ariel couldn’t bring herself to say it.
‘But I can’t say he passed out due to the aftermath of the battle and was carried away by the 3rd Platoon either….’
It would be heart-wrenching from Leticia’s perspective to convey either that he didn’t care about his birthday or that he had collapsed.
No matter which option she chose, it was inevitable that the atmosphere would be ruined.
‘Should I lie….’
For a moment, she thought about fabricating a story to get through this situation.
But in the end, Ariel decided against it.
‘No. If it’s a hastily made lie, it’ll fall apart the moment I’m questioned.’
Trying to make an excuse would only worsen the situation, not resolve it.
That was why she said.
“Mom… that is…”
“Huh? What is it?”
The reason she decided to tell the truth was that although Reina and Bianca, sitting in front of her, seemed to suggest not revealing it, Ariel didn’t care.
She knew it would be pointless to lie now.
“Brother isn’t coming… So please don’t wait for him.”
“What? What do you mean he isn’t coming?”
“He doesn’t assign any meaning to the day he was born… So he told me not to worry about it.” “
…Ah….”
Years of neglect weighed heavily on Ian’s heart, a burden too great for Leticia to bear.
Thud!
“Madam! Madam!”
“Lady Volkanov!”
“Ariel! What are you doing? Can’t you see that your mother has collapsed?”
The moment Ariel finished speaking, Leticia’s body crumpled.
The atmosphere shattered, and the noise began to swell.
The maids rushed in, supporting Leticia as they called for the priests at the top of their lungs.
Bianca and Reina also got up to check on her condition.
But Ariel couldn’t bring herself to rise from her seat.
“…I’m sorry… Mom….”
It was difficult for her to voice the truth that was so hard to accept.
