Recovering and Returning Home

I slowly woke up after who knew how long, and found myself lying in a comfortable bed, with a large axe beside me.

It seemed I hadn't died. I didn't know why the Man-eating Bear had spared me at the last moment, but I really didn't want to think about it. I was afraid that if I relived it, the bear wouldn't be scared this time and would bite my head clean off.

"You're awake?" Tam said, grinning broadly.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't speak. My throat was unbearably itchy, and I coughed up a lot of clotted blood.

"Stop struggling. You've been unconscious for two days. It's good that you've coughed up that blood. I had someone prepare some medicine for you, so don't worry—you won't die."

After taking the medicine, I felt a little better by the next afternoon. At least I could speak.

"You're a real demon, making me fight a monster like that. Now, whenever I close my eyes, all I see is its gaping maw."

"Enough complaining. If you survive a calamity, an even greater one is waiting for you. What's the big deal? You're free now, aren't you?"

His words lifted my spirits. That was right—I was free now. The price had been a little steep, but at least the result was good.

Tam continued, "But I wasn't the one who got you out of the arena. He was."

I managed a difficult shake of my head, then noticed there was someone else in the room. He was about my height, his fierce face weathered by time. A scar crossed his left eye, and a strand of white hair had been combed into his thick black hair, though it couldn't be hidden.

Another familiar face—Darius.

"Your expression tells me you know him, don't you, Zhao Xin?"

"Maybe."

I really didn't want to be around this catfish monster anymore. How did he know everything I was thinking?

"Oh? You know me, then there's no need for introductions. I saw your fight earlier. I need a warrior like you, so I bought you for two thousand gold coins. Work for me from now on."

I'd thought I'd gained true freedom, but it turned out Tam had just sold me to someone else.

Hah, this was interesting. Was I going to be under the thumb of the Hand of Noxus now?

I hadn't expected Darius, rather than someone from Demacia, to take Zhao Xin away from the arena. But, thinking about it, this was a new experience, and it didn't sound so bad.

"I'll agree, but once I've recovered, I want to return to Demacia first. After that, I'll work for you."

"Return to Demacia? Aren't you Ionian? How strange." He finished speaking and glanced at Tam.

"Don't look at me, General Darius. I don't know what he's thinking either, but I can tell he misses someone."

So Tam didn't know everything after all. I really did miss Fiora terribly. Since enlisting, I hadn't received a single letter from her. I'd come close to never seeing her again several times during my brushes with death.

After surviving this calamity, I couldn't wait to see her. I also wanted to find out what had happened in that war.

Wait, Darius had been there too. I could ask him first.

"You seem to have a lot of free time. Shouldn't you be busy with military affairs? I heard you fought a battle against Demacia."

"That's old history. There's no point bringing it up."

Old history? I was a little confused, but he didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't press him. I didn't want to make him think too much about it. I'd find out everything once I returned to Demacia.

It took me more than a month to recover from my serious injuries, and that was with Tam's help and his assortment of top-grade potions. Without them, who knew how long it would have taken?

After saying goodbye to Tam, I officially set out for Demacia. Darius came to see me off. He wore a fur coat and a battered hat, and his stubbled face made him look like an unkempt merchant.

"What are you—"

"Come on. I'm going to Demacia with you."

"Are you sure? If they recognize you, you'll be as good as dead. Of course, your life is none of my business. I just don't want to be mistaken for your accomplice and killed along with you."

"Don't worry. They won't recognize me. There aren't many people who know me to begin with, and I don't look the same now."

Noxus and Demacia lay at opposite ends of the Valoran Continent, and Doco was in the northeastern corner of Noxus, very far from Demacia.

The two of us traveled by carriage, loading it with furs and medicinal herbs and posing as merchants.

I looked Ionian, and Darius hid himself well beneath a big hat, so we had no trouble along the way. It took us about a month to reach the former battlefield—the Eastern Mountains.

Security was tight there. The only trade route was guarded by heavily armed soldiers, and every person and piece of luggage was thoroughly searched. The man in charge was my former captain, Alvin.

It was wonderful to see him alive after so long. Still, why did he seem so much older?

Captain Alvin was a kind man who took his duties seriously. They searched our carriage from top to bottom, and once they'd confirmed there was nothing wrong, he began to search us.

I had nothing on me, so the search was over quickly. But there was a problem when they got to Darius.

After searching Darius, Alvin studied him closely, as if he were trying to remember something. Had he recognized him?

I was terribly nervous and had already started thinking of an escape route, but Darius remained calm. He reached into his money pouch and pulled out a few gold coins.

"It's a small business. Once we've sold our goods and returned, we'll be sure to show our gratitude!"

Captain Alvin gave his usual smile and let us through without another word.

Damn... That scared me. So money really could solve the problem. I relaxed, while Alvin's standing in my eyes plummeted.

The plains at the foot of the mountains were still lush and green. A great battle had taken place here not long ago, but after just a few months, there wasn't a trace of it left. The breeze stirred the grass with a soft rustle, bringing back memories of my military training.

I stood in the carriage and gazed across the sea of green, breathing in the air. Then I spotted a small hill in the distance. What was that? I didn't remember a hill being there before.

As we drew closer, I realized it wasn't a hill, but a statue.

The statue stood dozens of meters tall. It must once have been white, but the marks of time had left it looking worn. Its feet were especially stained yellow and black by the grass, and a fence had been erected around it.

I recognized it. It was Galio.

When had Galio's statue been put here? It must have been after the war, but its weathered body made it look as though it had stood here for a very long time. Curious, I stopped the carriage to take a closer look at this remarkable work.

"Careful, he might come to life and step on us!"

Darius looked so serious that I laughed, but halfway through, something suddenly came back to me.

"Lonely... warrior... fighting, furious... giant... lamenting."

That was the prophecy Sage Tabor had brought to my coming-of-age ceremony. I'd never understood what it meant, and eventually I'd forgotten all about it.

I remembered the tremendous rumbling from the nearby mountains when I'd died in battle, and a gigantic figure walking toward the battlefield.

Could it really not have been an illusion? Was that gigantic figure Galio? Everything suddenly fell into place.

Leivo's blood had fused with the Giant Stone and awakened Galio, who had been sleeping in the Eastern Mountains. He had ended the war! That meant I was the savior in the prophecy!

"You saw him move, didn't you?" I asked Darius to confirm.

He didn't answer. He gazed at Galio's body, his expression solemn. After a long while, he sighed.

"Ah, I've fought countless battles in my life and faced all kinds of enemies: the ferocious tribes of Freljord, the troublesome jungle folk, and vicious groups of mages. But I've never suffered such humiliation. The war had only just begun, and our men were already fleeing in disarray, defeated."

His dejected look inexplicably tugged at my heart. Then again, as the undefeated Hand of Noxus, a defeat like that must have been impossible to accept. I didn't offer him any hollow consolation. I simply climbed back onto the carriage and left.

After passing through several towns, I could already see Silver City in the distance. I'd woken up there, and returning now gave me a strong sense of coming home. More importantly, the person I missed was there.

Along the way, I heard many stories about Leivo and Galio. They said that when Demacia's very survival was at stake, young Leivo of the Laurent Family had transformed into the Judicator and saved Demacia—and that the person who had brought out this power was Garen, a general in the Dauntless Vanguard Legion.

I didn't know why the story had spread that way, but when I thought about it, it wasn't bad: moving, heroic, and full of great figures.

As for the horrors of the battlefield and the true grief of those who had suffered, they too had become poems sung by the survivors. It seemed the story really would live on for generations.

"Demacians are always lost in their ideals. Their rulers protect them too well. When real disaster strikes, they won't be able to fight back. Are they always going to rely on giants?"

Darius spoke calmly. I agreed with him.

When we arrived in Silver City, I saw that nothing had changed. A sense of comfort washed over me. So much had changed during the journey that it felt as if a long time had passed.

At the same time, I felt a little apprehensive. Back in the arena, I'd wanted to sprout wings and fly home. Now that I was back, how was I supposed to face Fiora?

I wasn't Leivo anymore. I couldn't come and go freely at Laurent Manor as I once had, chatting and practicing with her whenever I pleased.

As I stood there, lost, I spotted a familiar building—the Hall of Valor. Fiora and I had visited it, and I'd dreamed about it too. I'd pay my respects to my fallen comrades first, including Quinn, who had died protecting me.

Darius didn't come in with me. He stayed nearby to watch over the carriage and its cargo. As he put it, "I'm afraid that if I go inside, I won't be able to stop myself from smashing their memorial tablets."

The solemn atmosphere in the Hall of Valor still stirred sadness. The white stone monument at the center of the hall bore the names of warriors who had distinguished themselves in battle. Some had been my close comrades, while others were strangers to me.

As my fingers traced the names on the monument one by one, I found Quinn's. Valor's name was carved beside hers. I also noticed the name beside theirs: Leivo Laurent.