~Chapter 32~
I never knew I could recite the Lord’s Prayer this fluently.
Repeating it again and again was the only thing that helped me calm down.
“…Amen.”
Even while reciting the prayer without pausing for breath, my eyes chased the scattered bloodstains left by the bear across the white snow.
‘I did miss the kill shot, but I still hit its head.’
Thanks to that, there was enough blood spilled for it to die from blood loss alone.
The deeper I tracked the trail, the more my brow furrowed without realizing it.
‘If I had killed it in one shot, it wouldn’t have had to suffer unnecessarily.’
Its massive size probably helped it endure longer. Big beasts always had tenacious life spans.
‘If it can last this long…’
Then I couldn’t rule out the possibility it might recover.
If, by any chance, another adult like the one earlier stumbled across the bear in the woods and survived… it would be disastrous.
I resumed the pursuit in a hurry.
❄❄❄
Grooaann…
Not long after, a faint cry echoed nearby. I lowered my body and moved cautiously.
“That way?”
Walking a bit further, my field of vision opened up. Soon, a cave entrance stained with erratic blood marks came into view.
“This is…”
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just any cave.
There were traces of human construction, with support beams installed at the entrance.
“A mine?”
It seemed people had abandoned it in a rush. Old mine carts and discarded pickaxes were scattered around the entrance.
Whoooosh. A cold, damp breeze blew from inside, brushing against my cheek.
‘Just from the feel of it, my body is screaming not to enter.’
Of course, if I were scared of things like that, I’d never have become vice-captain.
I was just about to step inside without hesitation when—
“From here on.”
“…”
“There’s no need for you to be involved further.”
I had no idea when he caught up.
Karl’s arm suddenly extended from behind and gently blocked my path.
I was still slightly out of breath from sprinting all the way here, but Karl looked as if he hadn’t run at all.
‘That’s annoying on a whole other level.’
Still, I guess I should be grateful.
The strange atmosphere from earlier had vanished thanks to the sprint clearing my head.
Feeling exhausted and chilled by the wind made those earlier vibes feel like an overreaction on my part. I let out a bitter chuckle.
Karl looked down at me coldly and spoke:
“I knew you wouldn’t listen even if I tried to stop you, so I agreed to this monster hunt.”
“And?”
“But I can’t let you enter this mine.”
“…Why?”
“It’s heavily contaminated by monsters and unstable. It was sealed long ago.”
“I see. And the man who ran from the bear?”
“I hid him in a safe place.”
Is there even a safe place here? Everything’s either a steep mountain or a snow-covered wasteland.
But oddly enough, I trusted him. No matter how irritatingly blunt he could be, Karl didn’t seem like someone who’d lie about something like that.
He blocked my way with one arm and motioned for me to go back.
“Step aside.”
“I need to confirm the kill.”
“There’s no need for you to do that personally.”
“No. I have to do it myself.”
Karl looked down with a sigh on his face.
But I had my reasons.
“It’s a strong one. It could recover.”
“…”
“If it wanders down to a village or runs into survivors, it’ll be a disaster.”
Part of me was still bitter because I had missed the clean shot due to Karl.
I thought my reasoning was sound, but his response was sharp.
“People? Are you worried about the pickpockets?”
“Huh?”
“Not just trading with those kids?”
Karl’s golden eyes darkened.
“That man you saved should be enough for the trade.”
“So you’re saying to abandon the rest?”
“I’m saying there’s no reason to risk your injury or life unnecessarily.”
My mind cooled instantly.
The words sounded heartless, but I couldn’t blame him.
‘If this were a mission, I’d say the same.’
As Elaine Pascal, Vice-Captain of the 3rd Order of Holy Knights.
Especially if it involved risking injury to my subordinates.
‘This monster hunter sure acts like he’s in command.’
But right now…
I was simply Elaine Pascal, a sniper brought here at a child’s request.
The heat from the chase began to fade quietly.
I stared at Karl’s sharply narrowed pupils and spoke:
“I’m responsible for that shot.”
“…”
“…That’s what I was taught. If you start something, you take responsibility.”
Only after I said it did I realize what I really wanted to do.
When I first joined the Holy Knights, my father told me:
“Elaine. Being a knight is no ordinary job. You’ll carry heavy responsibilities on your shoulders.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t brush this off. There’s something I really need to tell you.”
And what was it?
“It’s okay to run from an unbeatable enemy.”
“…”
“But if you wound them—even just once—you finish it.”
“Elaine.”
“Don’t reach out irresponsibly.”
“If you offer your hand, hold it to the end.”
Yes, that was it.
‘Wow. I completely forgot about that.’
But clearly, that lesson stuck with me on some level.
Even when I helped the princesses escape their forced fates with the Duke, I did it prepared to take full responsibility.
‘It’s not just because I realized I reincarnated.’
I was the one who sympathized. I was the one who let them go.
And I wasn’t about to let someone else, like Reina, get hurt because of my half-baked compassion.
That bear, too.
“Well. It’s not like it’s an unbeatable enemy.”
If I failed to kill it properly and it went berserk in a village, that would be worse. And—
“Elaine.”
“Oh, I’m not done. About the pickpockets.”
“…”
“You asked if I was worried about them.”
I looked straight into Karl’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
Sure, the trade mattered too…
‘But if I don’t save the adults, what about the kids?’
And if there are other survivors?
If even one person survived in these harsh conditions, then there could be dozens more.
‘If I hadn’t known, that’s one thing…’
But I did know there might be more.
And I could help.
So how could I let them die?
This wasn’t about whether I was a modern person or a good person.
‘My pride won’t allow it.’
“If I was just going to gloat after saving one person, I wouldn’t have come here at all.”
But Karl’s response remained cold.
“Even if they’re just criminals?”
That stung.
“Even if they’re unworthy of your protection?”
“Karl.”
“Even if they live beside you but are never truly accepted as citizens because of where they came from…”
“…”
“Even if they’re people from beyond the boundary?”
Eliza’s furious voice echoed in my head:
“You’ve got it backwards! We were pushed out here and had no other way to survive!”
“We were cast out by the dragon and ended up here!”
And the first time I met Tan:
“Wait… isn’t that kid… from the backstreets?”
“No blessings… worthless…”
I remembered the people who turned their eyes away when they learned Tan was a pickpocket from the slums.
‘He’s not just talking about my protection.’
I finally understood what Karl was trying to say.
This wasn’t about whether I should protect them.
It was about whether the entire territory would ever see people from the backstreets as worth protecting.
I looked at Karl quietly.
“You have your reasons. But even so, to say it’s not worth risking anything for them—”
“You do think it is, don’t you?”
Karl’s expression vanished the moment he heard my reply.
