On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

A day passed in the blink of an eye. Yesterday was our last day to enjoy ourselves. The conquest of Antares will be commenced in two days and everyone is extremely hyped about it. We have been clashing against this Kingdom for a hundred years, so they are determined to make it fall this time.

After what happened at the bar yesterday, Jovenus looks at me with more respect, much to my surprise. I honestly expected him to ridicule me after showing him my confidence which I am sure people will associate with arrogance but he didn’t, which makes me respect him more.

“Are you sure you don’t need to train? You may find your adversary on the battlefield and get killed.”

“Are you planning to be that adversary?”

“Well…”

What I intended to be a joke became a sensitive topic. This has never happened before, so I can’t help looking at my conversation partner with a quirked eyebrow.𝑜𝑣𝓁𝒩𝐞xt.𝒸𝑜𝚖

“You have played with my schlong and my insides—why do you have to be uncomfortable around me, Millonia?”

“Uh…that is…”

Millonia tries to look me straight in the eyes but failed. She smiles bitterly as she looks down, failing to give me an answer. She fidgets in her place as she clenches and unclenches her fists. She needs time to think for herself and I don’t want to disturb her, so I look around.

We are at the Training Field—the fast field that everyone uses to polish their fighting skills and their mastery over a Spell. Lunea and Winerva are training with Valeria. Winerva sharpens her combat technique, meanwhile, Lunea improves her casting speed and deepens her Spell understanding. Valeria is doing an extremely good job at training them—so much so that they are crying.

Bam!

“Ka-ahk! Mercy!”

Winerva received her twentieth kick straight to the solar plexus for this session. The fact that she is not wearing any armor makes the kick even more painful. She clutches her stomach as she keels over and then rolls from side to side in pain. She doesn’t remain that way for long, though. Valeria only gives her ten seconds to wallow in pain before she has to get good.

Boom!

“Kyaa! Mercy!”

Lunea’s Magic Barrier is broken for the fifth time in this session. She is sent flying but fortunately is competent enough to regain her balance in the air. Amusingly enough, though, she fails to land on her feet. Maybe, it is because of her fatigue but the Wind Spell she cast caused her to backflip and land on her back.

She is knocked out cold judging from the lack of movement and Valeria can’t help shaking her head faintly at that. Valeria must think it is incredible that someone like Lunea could survive the battles I had forced her to participate in.

If it was before, I would have had the same thought. I have seen the world, however, so I can safely say that only a glimpse of people in this world is as dangerous as Valeria likes to think.

“I am sorry for breaking down in front of you yesterday. When I did that to you…it reminded me of something I have been trying to forget.”

My attention is brought back to Millonia as she speaks.

“Sure,” I reply nonchalantly. “We’ve all had those times—I am surprised that you even felt the need to apologize for that. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“It’s because you are a friend that I felt sorry. A friend is not someone you should hurt.”

“What is with that?” I quirk my eyebrow. “As long as you live, you are bound to hurt people. Friends are those people that will forgive you when you hurt them and you forgive when they hurt you. The unwillingness to hurt each other will not make you friends but respectful acquaintances.”

“I think it is meant to be taken in an emotional sense,” Millonia retorts, deflecting my twaddle successfully.

“Meh, it’s the same.” I shrug.

Millonia looks at me neutrally for a few seconds before chuckling in amusement. She is still not her usual self but I can see some traces of it showing up, which makes a light smile creep up my face.

I put my hand on her shoulder, prompting her to stop chuckling. “Take your time. I am not expecting you to tell me the truth as soon as you can. People may answer but I won’t ask. Don’t be afraid of how I will see you in the future. Even after the revelation, I will still see you as the battle maniac Millonia—my friend.”

Patting her shoulder twice, I retract my hand. She stares at me neutrally again but can’t hold it long this time since she has to hug me to hide her face. Had it been a normal situation, I would have laughed at her teary face. She looks just as cute as she is pathetic.

She keeps her hug for a few seconds. During that time, I keep rubbing her back in hope that I may soothe the feeling that makes her cry.

When she lets go of me, her face is as straight as paper. The corner of her eyes is still red and slightly puffy, though, so it is very amusing to look at her.

Chuckling lightly, I pat her head and then wave at Valeria, who has been watching us silently while training Winerva and Lunea whom she forced to wake up. She immediately stopped the girls and then pays her attention solely to me.

“I am going to organize the humans. I won’t be back until D-day, so I will leave the girls in your care, Valeria.” I smile lightly. “Train them to the point they desire their death but don’t let them die.”

Valeria teleports before me and then kisses me. “Will do,” she says afterward.

As I am about to leave the Training Field, Winerva and Lunea shout in unison, “Wait! We will exceed your and Lady Valeria’s expectation, so you better prepare us a reward!”

“Sure,” I answer nonchalantly. “I will let you have what you want.”

I immediately regret what I said a second later. The grin that the two girls show me and Valeria’s light frown are signs that I have just made a mistake. Still, I don’t plan to retract my words. I will take full responsibility for them.

Like that, I leave the training Field and go to Achtreal, where the representative of the territories I liberated are waiting for me. As soon as I teleport to my private mansion in the independent city, I can immediately hear people rustling and whispering behind the gate.

Using Wind Magic, I open the gate. The people gasp in astonishment as if they didn’t know I would appear and I can’t help shaking my head faintly at that. I spot the representatives among the crowd and I immediately walk toward them. The people part, giving me the way, meanwhile, the representatives bow respectfully.

They only stop bowing when I pass them. I stop in my tracks and then say, “Felix, guide us to the meeting room.”

“Yes, Milord,” the leader of Achtreal responds, which makes me cringe slightly.

We have to walk to the meeting room at a fast pace since there are so many people either stopping in their tracks or coming out of their houses just look at me. I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight that much, so that is slightly uncomfortable.

When we reach the meeting room, I fish out my Scenery Marble, which is a palm-sized, rectangular clear crystal made to communicate. This is the expensive version of Sound Crystal since it shows the face of the people whom we are communicating with.

Thud!

Putting the Scenery Marble on the table, I can’t help smiling lightly when the representatives tense slightly. I channel my Mana into the Magic Item, sit down, and wait for it to connect to the person I am reaching.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

When it is connected, the people in the room gasp in admiration.

“It’s the Holy Maiden!”

“Ah, it makes me feel so lucky to be able to see her more than once.”

“She is as beautiful as always.”

As the image of the other is projected, everyone can see Celia’s face which covers half of the projection, which means that she is holding the Scenery Marble in her hands. Her eyes are planted solely on me and it is quite terrifying since I feel like I am being stared at by the Goddess who will deliver my judgment.

Well, to be honest, it is just plain creepy. “Put the crystal down and let us see everyone in the room.”

“Oh, okay!”

She does what I asked, allowing me to see the people who are also in the room with her. They are the three Dukes and some of their followers who have decided to side with me—Hadrian and friends.

“I bet you already have a plan in your mind,” I remark as I look at Hadrian.

“Indeed, I have, Lord Layland,” he replies with a smile.

“Then, tell these people your plan.”

Standing up from his seat, with confidence, he explains the plan, which is something I have expected. He reveals that Antares will not let go of the independent territories, so it will seize them back with force; thus, breaking the rule that everyone had agreed upon.

No one, of course, will say a thing about it since those who have power will be able to do anything in this world. Because of this, he proposes that he and his colleagues should focus on defending the independent territories.

I immediately agree with him since I never expected humans to participate in the main war.

“Neroel and Celia should lead this operation; therefore, I want all of you to join me in the main war. You can bring people of your choice with you.”

Of course, I won’t let the Dukes and their followers just sit back and do nothing.