Recovering and Returning Home

It seemed I hadn't died. Although I didn't know why the man-eating bear had let me go at the last moment, I really didn't want to recall it, fearing that if I remembered it again, the bear hadn't been scared but had instead bitten my head off.

"You're awake?" Tam said, a wide grin on his face.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't speak. My throat was unbearably itchy, and when I coughed, I spat out a lot of bloody phlegm.

[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network, great experience, ẗẅḳäṅ.ċöṁ is awesome!]

"Stop struggling. You've been unconscious for two days. Spitting out this blood is good. I've had someone prepare some medicine for you. Don't worry, you won't lose your life."

After taking the medicine, more than half a day passed, and I felt a little better, at least enough to speak:

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

"Enough complaining. If you survive a great disaster, a greater one awaits you. What's this compared to that? Aren't you free now?"

His words lifted my spirits. That's right, I was free. Although the price was a bit high, the outcome was ultimately good.

Tam continued, "However, the one who brought you out of the arena wasn't me, but him."

I shook my head with difficulty and noticed another person in the room. He was about my size, with a fierce face weathered by experience. A scar ran across his left eye, and a lock of white hair at his temple was tucked into his black hair but couldn't be hidden.

Another acquaintance—Darius.

"Your expression tells me you know him, right Zhao Xin?"

"Perhaps."

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

"Oh? You know me? Then there's no need for introductions. I saw your previous fight. I need a warrior like you, so I spent two thousand gold coins to buy you. Serve me from now on."

I thought I had gained true freedom, only to find that Tam had sold me to someone else.

Heh, interesting. Am I going to be controlled by the "Little General's Hand"?

I didn't expect the one who took Zhao Xin from the arena to be a Demacian, but Darius. Still, thinking about it, it's a new experience, and it doesn't seem bad:

"I agree, but after my injuries heal, I need to return to Demacia first, and then I will serve you."

"Return to Demacia? Aren't you from Ionia? How strange." He glanced at Tam.

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

So Tam didn't know everything. I was indeed missing Fiora terribly. Ever since I joined the army, I hadn't even received a single letter from her. Several near-death experiences almost made it impossible for me to see her again.

After surviving this ordeal, I was eager to see her and, at the same time, learn about the war.

Wait, Darius was also involved. I could ask him first.

"You seem quite idle. Shouldn't you be busy with military affairs? I heard you fought a war with Demacia."

"Old news, best left unsaid."

Old news? Now I was a bit confused. But since he didn't want to talk about it, I wouldn't press further, lest he overthink it. I'd know everything once I returned to Demacia.

My serious injuries required me to recuperate for over a month before I recovered, and that was with Tam's help and his various top-grade potions. Otherwise, I don't know when I would have healed.

After bidding farewell to Tam, I officially set off for Demacia. As I was leaving, Darius arrived. He was wearing a fur coat, a worn-out hat, and had a face full of stubble, looking like an unkempt merchant.

"What's this?"

"Let's go. I'll go to Demacia with you."

"Are you sure? If you're recognized, won't you be certain to die? Of course, your life has nothing to do with me, but I'm afraid I'll be mistaken for your accomplice and die with you."

"Don't worry, they won't recognize me. Not many people knew me in the first place, let alone my current appearance."

Noxus and Demacia were located on the east and west sides of the continent of Valoran, respectively. Doco was in the northeast corner of Noxus, very far from Demacia.

The two of us drove a carriage loaded with furs and medicinal herbs, pretending to be merchants as we traveled.

Because I looked like an Ionian and Darius wore a large hat, he was well concealed. Thus, we didn't encounter any trouble along the way. After about a month, we arrived at the former battlefield—the eastern mountain range.

The checkpoints here were quite strict. The only trade route was heavily guarded, and every person and every piece of luggage was thoroughly searched. The leader was my former captain, Alven.

Seeing him alive after such a long time made me very happy. However, why did he seem so much older?

Captain Alven was a kind man and very meticulous in his work. Our carriage was turned upside down, and after confirming there were no issues, he began the body search.

I was clean and had nothing on me, so the search was quick. But when it came to Darius, there was a problem.

→

After searching Darius, Alven stared at him, seemingly lost in thought. Was he recognized?

My heart pounded with nervousness, and I was already considering escape routes. However, Darius remained unfazed. He reached into his money pouch and pulled out a few gold coins:

"It's a small business. We'll reward you handsomely when we return after selling our goods!"

Captain Alven showed his usual smile and let us go without further ado.

Damn... you scared me. So it was just a matter of money. I relaxed, and at the same time, Alven's status in my heart plummeted.

The plains at the foot of the mountain were still lush with vegetation. A great battle had taken place here not long ago, yet in just a few months, there was no trace of it. A breeze blew, rustling the wild grass, stirring memories of my military training.

I stood on the carriage, looking at a vast green ocean, and took deep breaths of the air. Then, I noticed a small hill in the distance. What was that? I didn't remember a hill being here before.

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

The statue was dozens of meters tall. It should have been white originally, but the marks of time made it look somewhat old. Especially its feet, stained yellow and black by the grass, with a fence erected around them.

I wasn't unfamiliar with it; this was Galio.

When was the statue of Galio placed here? It must have been after the war, but looking at its mottled body, it seemed to have stood here for a long time. I felt some doubt, stopped the carriage, and prepared to take a closer look at this outstanding work.

"Be careful he doesn't come alive and step on us!"

Darius's serious expression made me laugh, but halfway through, I suddenly remembered something.

"A lonely... warrior... fighting, an angry... giant... wailing."

This was Sage Tabor's prophecy at my coming-of-age ceremony. I never knew what it meant and later forgot about it.

I remembered that when I died before, the nearby mountains let out a huge roar, and a massive figure walked onto the battlefield.

Wasn't that a hallucination back then? Was that massive figure Galio? Everything became clear:

Leivo's blood fused with the Giant Stone, awakening Galio, who had been slumbering in the eastern mountains, and ending that war! So I was the savior in the prophecy!

"You saw him move, right?" I confirmed with Darius.

He didn't answer me, gazing at Galio's torso with a solemn expression. After a long while, he sighed:

"Sigh, I've fought countless battles in my life and encountered all sorts of enemies – fierce Freljordian tribes, troublesome jungle dwellers, vicious mages – but I've never suffered such humiliation. The war had just begun, and our men scattered in disarray, suffering a crushing defeat."

His dejected appearance evoked a strange sense of heartache. It made sense; as the Hand of Noxus, who was undefeated, such a failure was truly unacceptable. I didn't offer any insincere comfort, just returned to the carriage and left.

After passing through a few towns, I could already see the gleaming city of Silvermere from afar. I had woken up there, and returning now felt a bit like coming home. Of course, more importantly, there was someone I missed.

Along the way, I heard many stories about Leivo and Galio: Young Master Leivo of the Laurent Family transformed into the righteous colossus to save Demacia at its moment of life and death, and the person who unleashed this power was the general of the Dauntless Vanguard, Garen.

I didn't know why the story had spread like this, but thinking about it, it wasn't bad: a tale of heroism and sacrifice, full of heroes.

As for the battlefield's devastation and the real grief, they had all become songs of the survivors. It seemed it would truly be remembered for ages.

"Demacians always like to immerse themselves in various ideals. Their rulers protect them too thoroughly. When true disaster strikes, they are unable to resist. Must they always rely on a giant?"

Darius said calmly, and I agreed with his statement.

Arriving at Silvermere, I found that not much had changed, which brought me a sense of comfort. The changes along the way had been too great, making me feel as if a long time had passed.

At the same time, I felt some apprehension. Back at the arena, I had wished I could grow wings and rush back. Now that I was back, how should I face Fiora?

I was no longer Leivo and couldn't freely enter the Laurent manor or casually talk and practice with her.

While I was lost in thought, I spotted a familiar building – the Hall of Valor. Fiora and I had been here before, and I had dreamed of it too. So, I'll pay respects to my fallen comrades first, and to Quinn, who died protecting me.

Darius didn't go in with me. He stayed nearby, watching the carriage and the goods. In his words, "I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and smash their memorial tablets if I go in."

The solemn atmosphere of the Hall of Valor was still poignant. On the white stone tablet in the center of the hall were carved the names of warriors with outstanding achievements. Some were comrades I had spent my days with, and some I didn't know.

As my fingers traced the names on the stone tablet one by one, I found Quinn. Carved alongside her name was Valor. At the same time, I also discovered the name next to it: Leivo Laurent.