A Warrior's Choice

The campfire crackled, illuminating Lowell's calm face, and also reflecting the turbulent emotions surging in Rain's eyes.

The former Imperial soldier's breathing became heavy; clearly, the secret Lowell had casually revealed had struck hard against the strongest fortress in his heart.

Lowell didn't urge him, but simply watched the flames quietly, as if giving Rain time to process this information. After a long while, he spoke again, his voice low and steady, as if stating a given fact:

"First of all... Ransen, you admire him, right?" Lowell's gaze seemed to pierce through Rain's feigned composure, looking straight into the depths of his soul.

"Because he was the empire's strongest warrior, who reclaimed vast swathes of territory occupied by the Demons with his illustrious exploits, and who also saved your homeland in a time of crisis. The 'warrior's honor' he firmly believed in and practiced deeply influenced you... Hmm, am I right?"

Rain's throat bobbed, avoiding Lowell's gaze. "... Yes."

"Unfortunately, your information is outdated, buddy." Lowell shook his head slightly, a hint of regret in his voice. "Ransen, he's no longer the guy who valued the ephemeral 'glory' more than his life, more than reality."

"What?" Rain looked up slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief. In his heart, Ransen had always been an unshakable monument symbolizing imperial military merit and the dignity of warriors.

"Well, it's no wonder you didn't know, after all, your 'martyrdom' happened a long time ago."

Lowell nodded in understanding, his gaze fixed on the leaping flames as if piercing through time and space. "Ransen is indeed very strong, hailed as the 'Empire's strongest warrior.' On the front lines against the Demon King's Army, he faced enemies whose average strength was comparable to First-Class Mage, yet he managed to navigate that meat grinder-like battlefield with ease. I admire his strength and respect his responsibility as a warrior."

He changed the subject, his gaze returning to Rain: "You don't really approve of Lupa's fighting style tonight, do you? You felt it lacked a bit of 'fairness'? Well, let me tell you about something that happened about two years ago..."

Lowell's voice carried a touch of wistful etherealness as she recounted a long-forgotten conversation:

(Remember)

In the snowstorm of the Northern Frontier, two powerful warriors faced each other from afar.

Ransen looked at his short, stocky old friend, his brow furrowed. "Eisen?"

Eisen, carrying his battle axe, said in his usual calm tone, "It's me. Long time no see, Ransen."

Ransen was silent for a moment, then asked directly, "... Are you going to defeat the Demon King?"

Eisen answered crisply, "That's right."

Ransen shook his head, his tone disapproving. "This isn't like you."

Eisen's gaze was calm. "This is me."

Ransen took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance. "Let me see how strong you are now, Eisen. I don't want to see you go to your death. Even I have never had such an unrealistic idea."

Eisen gripped his battle axe tightly. "Alright."

A fierce battle was about to erupt, the clash of weapons echoing in the wind and snow. However, in a lull in the fighting, Ransen keenly noticed a detail, and he said in a low voice, "Your hand is trembling."

Eisen did not deny it, and said frankly, "Isn't it only natural to be afraid when facing the 'Empire's Number One Warrior'?"

Ransen growled in exasperation, "How could someone like you possibly defeat the Demon King?"

(End of flashback)

Lowell looked at Rain, who was listening intently, and asked, "Do you think Ransen won this duel?"

Rain blurted out, his unwavering trust in Ransen evident in his voice. "Of course. How could Ransen possibly lose to someone whose hands are trembling?"

Lowell's lips curled into a meaningful smile, "No, you're wrong. Ransen lost. Although Eisen's body trembled slightly throughout the entire battle due to the instinctive fear of facing a powerful opponent, Ransen couldn't find a single real weakness in his mountain-like defense and precise, deadly counterattacks. In the end, Ransen was defeated."

"..." Rain opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The impact of this fact on him was far greater than the physical pain.

Lowell continued, "After the war, Ransen told Eisen about the honor he held for warriors—a fearless, upright belief in pursuing the pinnacle of martial arts. He believed Eisen deserved the title of 'Strongest of Humanity warrior.' And how did Eisen respond to him?"

Lowell Imitation Eisen's steady, slightly hoarse tone:

"'That's the kind of glorious thought only a powerful warrior would have. I think you must have reached a martial arts pinnacle that I can't even begin to comprehend, which is why you would say something like that.'"

"But a warrior who doesn't know fear will die on the battlefield sooner or later."

"I am not the strongest warrior among humans, it's just that... all the warriors of my time are dead."

"I'm the kind of guy who ran away when my hometown was destroyed. But it's this fear of death and loss that has kept me alive until now."

Every word struck Rain's heart like a heavy hammer. He could almost see through time and space the dwarf warrior who admitted his fear in the snowstorm, yet was more resilient than anyone else.

"Eisen and Ransen, their strength is probably only about the same."

Lowell's voice pulled Rain back from his imagined scene, "But before them, countless warriors, perhaps even more talented, physically stronger, and more capable in combat, had fallen on the road to fighting against the Demon King's Army, turning into withered bones."

Eisen once faced the Demons general, the 'Bloodstained War God' Rivale. His all-out attack only left a minor scar on Livale's face. When Rivale mocked him, 'Are you going to turn your back on me and run away? What about your warrior's honor?' Eisen's reply was—"

Lowell paused, then stated clearly, "My teammates need me. Glory is nothing compared to them."

"And Ransen, after his battle with Eisen, later encountered Rivale. Imagine if Ransen had stubbornly adhered to his old belief that 'honor is above all else' and refused any seemingly 'dishonorable' tactical choices, he would probably have just become another name on Rivale's kill list... Rivale has killed warriors who were stronger than Ransen and Eisen in combat."

Lowell, seeing the intense wavering in Rain's eyes, posed the final question:

"So tell me, Rain. A proud warrior fights for honor; a fearless warrior fights for death; a warrior who knows fear fights for life. Those who seek honor may gain honor, those who seek death will ultimately die, but those who seek life will live. What, then, is a warrior? In my view, 'He who stands to the end is the winner.'"

And you? What are you fighting for now? Is it for the empire that discarded you like trash? Or is it for the "Shadow Warriors" code—the killing standard that allows you to kill your target without hesitation, even if it means injuring or sacrificing innocent girls like Lupa who are unrelated to you? Do you really endorse this code deep down?

The muscles in Rain's face twitched violently, and the beliefs that had long supported him began to crumble under the weight of facts and questioning.

After a long silence, he suddenly lowered his head, his voice hoarse and weary, filled with self-mockery and despair:

"... So what? What glorious warrior... it was just my boring and laughable persistence all this time! I'm not anymore! Now I'm just an executioner with innocent blood on my hands! A guy who can't even exist with his true face in the sunlight! I... have nowhere to go!"

"So what if my hands are stained with blood?" Lowell's tone suddenly became unusually calm, yet carried a strange penetrating power. "Human or demon, who in this world dares to say they've never made a mistake? The blood on your hands is a fait accompli, indelible. But—"

His voice was clear and firm, echoing in the silent night. "As long as every choice you make from now on is the right thing to do with a clear conscience, then this life still has value. What do you say, Rain?"

The campfire danced in Rain's eyes, filled with struggle, pain, confusion, and... a tiny, almost imperceptible spark, forcibly ignited from the ashes of despair.

His lips moved, but in the end, no sound came out. He simply turned his incredibly complex gaze once again to the deep night sky, which seemed to contain infinite possibilities.

A long silence enveloped the campfire, except for Solitär, who had somehow pulled out her little notebook and was scribbling away.