ERTHMB Chapter 52

Hold My Hand

Before they knew it, they had reached the entrance of a forest where trees cast dense shadows overhead. Guild members, fully armed, began checking their weapons and preparing for battle.

“Good luck, Helen.”

A gentle yet weighty voice offered a brief greeting to her as she examined her blade.

Gelda lightly patted Helena’s shoulder and passed by. Her black hair, like a mane covering her back, rippled in the movement.

Swoosh—

A rustling wind swept through the lush leaves like a comb through hair. Along with it came a heavy aura that enveloped her entire body. Feeling this, Helena was struck anew by the reality.

‘I’m… really going hunting.’

The fact that she would properly face the sword she had thought she had no choice but to abandon.

Gelda, who had taken the lead again, looked around at the group and gave her instructions.

“As usual, the front assault team should watch out for critical strikes, and the rear should focus on seamlessly providing support. The moment you let your guard down, it’s over, got it? Even if it’s not over, I’ll end it with my own hands. And above all…”

“Ah, Boss! We’ve heard it so many times that even a blockhead like me has memorized it all.”

When a complaint mixed with lamentation came from a corner, Gelda shot a murderous glare.

“Then say it.”

“Huh?”

“Loudly. If you’re going to mumble ambiguously, you’ll have to pay the price for interrupting me.”

The guild member, completely stiff, squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

“Partren’s motto! You die, but I live! I must live!”

It was a somewhat unique creed for a guild to have. However, Gelda shouted resoundingly to the group.

“Did you all hear that? I want you to bury any half-hearted camaraderie and always prioritize your own life above all else. Do your best to protect your own body. That’s also the way to help others.”

Gelda, with a heavy spear slung over her shoulder, commanded spiritedly.

“All right, let’s move out!”

The hunt began.

****

Swoosh! Slash!

Each time the sword tip traced a parabolic trajectory, the bodily fluids of magical beasts splattered in all directions.

Not only her clothes but also her white cheeks were stained dark, but Helena didn’t stop. The more she swung her sword without hesitation, the more corpses piled up at her feet.

Two Grade 3 Prixos and Dragoons each, and one Grade 2 Actaeon.

Though she was somewhat out of breath, it wasn’t an overwhelming disadvantage.

Beside her, Gelda was just pulling out the spear she had thrust into a Dragoon’s nape. She let out a word with a chuckle.

“Seems to suit you quite well.”

Helena also shook off the debris from her sword and caught her breath.

“I don’t dislike it.”

“That’s all?”

“What do you mean…”

“You don’t know yourself well enough.”

Helena looked at Gelda with eyes that still couldn’t read her intention.

Gelda rubbed the stain on Helena’s forehead with her gloved hand. Just when it seemed she was wiping it clean, she lightly flicked her finger.

“Go on now. Go and do as much as you like of what you enjoy.”

Helena reflexively opened her eyes that she had closed. Her hand automatically went to her brow where Gelda had tapped.

Not because it hurt, but because the finger that flicked felt like it had hit right on target, making it sting.

But it wasn’t an unpleasant sting. It was a stimulation that made her grip the sword even tighter.

[Put that down, Helena.]

For a moment, Eugene’s voice swept through her mind, but it didn’t last long before being erased.

‘Maybe it wasn’t such a foolish thing to do after all.’

It felt as if the time spent hadn’t been entirely in vain. A faint sense of elation flowed through her veins.

Swoosh!

The speed of her sword strikes increased even more. Helena entered deeper into the forest, unaware of her fatigue.

By then, another Dragoon and Actaeon had been buried under the dirt pile. The advance gained momentum with good speed.

However, just as she crossed over a large tree stump, she came to a stop.

‘I can’t breathe.’

Thick air clogged her throat completely. The density was as if bodily fluids had dissolved directly into the air.

Soon, a large shadow fell before her eyes. The hand gripping the sword blade began to tremble involuntarily.

Helena barely managed to swallow dry saliva once and slowly raised her head.

Grrrrr—

An ominous howling scraped down her spine, which had grown cold. The overwhelming presence itself made her nose tingle.

It was a Grade 1 magical beast, Cerberus, which even the knights of Evergale needed at least two or more to barely defeat.

The eyes visible between the rough black fur were heated like molten iron. All six of them were directed toward Helena.

CRASH!

The first head attempted the initial attack. Helena rolled her body and barely escaped from its range. Teeth as thick as her forearm left deep marks in the ground before disappearing.

Loose strands fell from her neatly tied-up hair. Before she could even tidy up, the next attack came flying.

THUD!

The rock that Cerberus’s massive paw struck down instantly shattered into stone fragments. At the thought that she would have ended up like that if she had been just a little slower, all the fine hairs on her body stood on end.

Helena gritted her teeth and swung the sword she held tightly. She desperately fought to gradually create openings. But she couldn’t match the power of a magical beast that transcended ordinary categories.

CLANG!

The blade that collided with the claws barely cut the flesh under the jaw before breaking in two and flying away. The cruel reality drew even closer.

‘No. With my current skills, it’s impossible.’

It was dangerous.

It was an extremely dangerous situation, and equally dangerous… an incomprehensible thought.

In the situation where every second counted, Helena suddenly became aware of it.

‘I’m scared I might die.’

Ironically, despite once desperately longing for death, despite the unbelievable days when she wished only for eternal rest to end the tiresome regression.

She thought she was scared she might die.

For the first time.

‘Why am I… What regret do I have left?’

Her senses scattered due to the shock that poured down like cold water. Clearly, her eyes were watching the rough claws flying toward her, but her feet wouldn’t move as if her thoughts had shackled them.

Beep—

Only the alarm sound that painted her mind bright red rang noisily. Her vision shook wildly.

Death, which she no longer desired, was right before her.

And at that moment.

“Excuse me.”

Ian appeared like the wind, pushing Helena back and standing in front of her. In an instant, Helena’s vision was filled with a broad back.

A back that would be covered with countless scars beneath the stiff leather clothing.

The man who had finally become her attachment.

While she stared at him in a daze, the front paw that had been striking directly was cut off. Cerberus raised its middle head to the sky and let out a roar filled with pain.

Her vision became even more chaotic. Her heart pounded violently. It hurt enough to make her ribs ache.

Helena couldn’t tell whether it was because of Cerberus’s sound waves or because of Ian’s dramatic appearance.

She only knew that the moment she saw that broad back, all the distracting thoughts and commotion that had been gnawing at her entire body disappeared.

‘I’m not afraid of anything.’

It wasn’t the kind of indulgence where she didn’t care if she died and threw away her life like before.

‘I’m not scared because you’re here.’

It was confidence conveyed through faith. The confidence that he wouldn’t let her die.

Until now, only Eugene had made her feel afraid. Nothing else had frightened her. That’s what she had thought.

‘Until I met this man.’

Helena finally became aware of the death she had become numb to. When she thought that her life, which she had endlessly wanted to throw away, would end like this, she even became afraid.

But paradoxically, she found comfort in the man who had awakened her fear. It was both welcome and absurd. Unbelievably, she even let out a chuckle in this situation.

At that moment, Ian glanced back. He who had checked on Helena hesitated for an instant.

“…Do you know that?”

Having thrown out the question, he faced Cerberus again. The enraged magical beast’s strike exploded out, but Ian was leisurely.

Of course, leisurely but precise and powerful movements. The blade filled with sword energy struck down the second head.

“When you smile, I feel like I could do anything.”

Thud. The cleanly severed head rolled on the ground. Another roar that shook the eardrums followed.

When Helena covered her ears, Ian also cut off the first head that was making noise. It looked as simple as cutting smoked ham for breakfast.

In that sense of incongruity, Helena blinked. She stared blankly at the endlessly incongruous and kind uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared in her life.

‘Was it chance that I met you?’

How did someone like you come to stand before me?

Helena took a deep breath. Her blurred vision soon settled and once again captured the forest scenery and Ian standing upright.

With his presence alone, the crisis had long since been overturned.

And true to a Grade 1 magical beast, Cerberus was quite clever.

Before Ian could swing his sword further, Cerberus began to slowly back away. Then it finally lowered its tail and turned around completely to retreat.

The energy that rippled and wrapped around Ian’s blade was still fierce. It was momentum that could be measured even by the magical beast’s instincts. Helena was also feeling it deep in her bones.

“Ah…!”

Her weakened legs, against her will, sat down due to the tremendous energy he had unleashed.

Moreover, Helena was actually quite exhausted. She just hadn’t recognized it until now, being completely absorbed in elation.

She tried to get up again by putting her hands on her knees but gave up. Though it was clearly her own body, it was only wobbling like pudding.

“There don’t seem to be any more in the vicinity, so just sit there.”

Ian said, sweeping away the scattered body parts of Cerberus with the tip of his sword.

Then he plucked a wide Monstera leaf and wiped his sword. A sword that was just a little dirtier but completely intact without a single nick.

Helena’s gaze turned toward her own blade that was broken in two in the distance, then returned to Ian.

“It’s broken.”

Though it was the sword that was broken, Helena spoke as if she herself were broken.

Ian approached, wrapping her fragmented sword in leaves and putting it in his pack.

“I told you, didn’t I? We live together to hold each other up even when we’re broken and fallen.”

Despite his firm tone, his expression looked somewhat sheepish.

By then, the pack had become heavy with even Cerberus’s claws added. Ian, who had slung it over his shoulder, let out a small sigh.

“It’s fortunate I arrived in time… It’s also my oversight for not teaching you pace control in advance.”

Ian stopped when he reached Helena’s feet. He swept back his somewhat darkened silver hair.

Helena slowly raised her gaze from Ian’s stained trouser cuffs to his face.

Though she was no longer out of breath and there were no more magical beasts, the sensation of her stomach churning remained. Seeing that handsome face despite his clearly disheveled state made it worse.

It was an unbearably ticklish feeling she could no longer endure. So this time, Helena decided to spit it out instead of swallowing it.

Helena extended her arm toward Ian.

“Hold my hand.”

Those were truly three words that took courage to say.