Meeting You, I'm Glad (Part 1)

Chapter 23. Meeting You, I'm Glad (Part 1)

Barbarus.

.

During that Pus Hound attack, the newly established Death Guard saved most of the villagers.

Their strongest and tallest leader gave a speech in the village threshing ground.

Herrela looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.

"We have been oppressed for so long that we have forgotten all the dignity we were meant to possess."

"Let us unite and resist all this injustice, all these atrocities, all this filth!"

"Join us! Take up the Scythes in your hands and strike at all this injustice!"

"Resist!!!"

That was what he said.

Resist.

Resist!!!

Without hesitation, Herrela took her younger sister and left with the Death Guard. They left their past behind.

She wanted to grow stronger. She wanted to resist. She wanted to protect her family. She wanted to protect the people of Barbarus!

She wanted to become someone who could wield a scythe and protect others—

—someone like Hades.

Herrela felt her face grow warm, embarrassed by the thought.

She was only a weak woman, while that tall, powerfully built man was a true warrior.

She could never catch up to someone so dazzling.

Herrela slapped her cheeks. No—even if she could not catch up, she had to try. She had had enough of being weak. Weakness was like a poisonous wine carved into her bones, corroding her very insides.

Like Hades, she would become someone who could protect others and bring them hope!

You can do it, Herrela. Keep going!

Following the other surviving villagers, Herrela arrived at her new home with the Death Guard returning to their base.

She and her sister registered their identities and received a small house and rations for two.

When asked which division of the Death Guard she wished to join, Herrela chose the combat division without hesitation.

Uncle Hardt, who was handling the registration, gave her a puzzled look. Women with smaller builds like Herrela usually chose logistics or medical work.

"You're too thin and small, girl. Listen to this old man and go to the medical division. Combat training is too intense. You won't be able to handle it."

Yet the child across from him continued to look at him with a grave expression.

"I can grow stronger."

Uncle Hardt sighed and resignedly wrote "Combat Division" in the preference column of Herrela's booklet.

And so Herrela became a Death Guard trainee.

Death Guard training was brutal and arduous. First came three months of intensive physical training, followed by selection for official enlistment.

Only those who survived the selection could truly join the Death Guard.

Along with the main force, she climbed a mountain that had already been captured. Without any protective gear, the poisonous gas tore savagely through her lungs.

The people around her fell one after another. Exhausted and ravaged by the gas, they shrank back, hesitated, released their grips on the cliff face, and plunged into the bottomless abyss.

Herrela's entire body trembled. Her arms spasmed uncontrollably from exhaustion, yet she still clawed desperately at the rock wall.

She wanted to grow stronger. She wanted to protect others.

In the end, Herrela was the third person to reach the summit.

Mortarion, who had been waiting atop the peak for the newest batch of Death Guard, personally awarded her a weapon. Based on observations during the earlier training, she was given a finely crafted musket. From that day onward, she was a Death Guard.

She swore to defend the people here to the death. She swore to fight to the end.

She swore it.

Later, she took part in battles large and small. Herrela's agile movements and precise marksmanship earned her dignity and applause of her own.

In a battle to eliminate wild Swamp Rock Leopards, Herrela shot and killed the leading leopard with a single bullet. In an assault against a lord, after every member of her squad had been wiped out, Herrela still held her ground, killing thirty-six puppets alone and preserving the territory.

She was a Death Guard. She would protect the people of this land.

However, in the day after day of fighting, whenever she set down her musket and looked up at the sky, ripples would always stir in Herrela's heart. Had the sky been like this on the day they met?

Using inquiries about the war situation as an excuse, Herrela continued secretly gathering news about Hades.

She learned that this tall warrior was actually only two years older than her.

She learned that Hades had been one of the Death Guard's original three members.

She learned that Hades was not very well liked. Although he was formidable, others always excluded him.

Why? Why did no one appreciate someone so outstanding?

During the next assignment of combat groups, carrying her own little intentions, Herrela deliberately arrived late. Sure enough, she was assigned to Hades, the last person anyone wanted to approach.

Hades silently carried his scythe and crouched in an inconspicuous corner of the battlefield, waiting for her.

She walked over. Was she nervous? Herrela felt herself grow a little weak.

No, she could not embarrass herself in front of her idol and let him think she was weak.

Herrela forced herself to pull it together, raised her gun, and joined the battle.

When she blew the brains out of the last puppet, Hades, who had already begun resting against his scythe, let out a whistle.

"Not bad, young lady. Fine shooting."

"I remember you. You were the one who went to lure the hounds away by yourself, right?"

"I knew you had potential back then. Looks like I really do have a good eye."

What was going on?! Herrela felt her face flare red. Only thanks to her gas mask did Hades barely fail to notice that something was wrong.

She had always imagined Hades to be quiet and warm.

She had never expected him to be so enthusiastic!!!

Aghhhhh! Her idol's halo seemed to have cracked a little!!

But regardless, after that, Herrela chose to be grouped with Hades every time she applied for a squad.

As though he had realized what Herrela was thinking, Hades often pulled her into chats as well.

Whenever a battle was nearly over and there were no more monsters around, Hades would put on a little display for Herrela with his scythe. The abnormally heavy scythe that ordinary people could barely wield seemed to come alive in Hades's hands, whistling through the air as blade-light flashed.

He also taught Herrela a few shooting techniques. Strangely, although Hades could not use a musket himself, he had his own insights into using one.

Beyond that, Hades taught Herrela other little tricks, such as how to plow fields with less effort, how to water flowers with rice-washing water, and how to calculate multiplication tables.

Unlike the unpleasant person everyone described, Herrela instead found Hades to be quite an extraordinary person.

To repay Hades, and because of a few private thoughts of her own, Herrela often put effort into cooking meals for him.

Compared to her sickly younger sister, who barely ate, Hades always ate quickly and happily.

Herrela's sense of taste had been damaged long ago after an encounter with poisonous gas. She had not been able to enjoy the pleasure of good food for a very long time.

So she hoped Hades could continue on with the happiness of eating that she herself could no longer feel.

Aside from the occasional dizziness caused by frequent battles, Herrela's life kept becoming happier and more joyful.

Herrela had grown strong, could protect the weak, and had become friends with Hades.

Under Lord Mortarion's leadership, the Death Guard also continued to grow stronger, beheading one lord after another.

The future would become better.

As long as they worked hard, as long as they resisted, the future would become better.

Even if she had to sacrifice herself, she would protect all of this.

Herrela believed that deeply.

Aside from the protagonist Hades, the portrayals of the other characters were all quite serious.

Aside from the protagonist's naturally cheerful, airheaded personality, there would occasionally be harmless little jokes in this dark world.

The Barbarus arc would not be very long. I know everyone likes seeing him become a can, and so do I, so I will not drag it out. The protagonist will become a can as soon as possible.