Volume 2 Chapter 43 Sandra
For Sandra, death was not something to be feared.
'Sandra, live on. Live as your heart desires. Even if destruction and death await beyond, if you live according to your heart's desires, there is nothing more to it.'
On the day the city was attacked by a dragon, her father spoke with a gentle smile.
'Sandra, you are our child. You are destined for a path that others may not understand. But do not be ashamed of it. No matter how reckless, no matter how difficult the path may be, you are the best child just by being yourself.'
With a staff bought with the money from selling a dragon egg, her mother, with a warm smile, said so.
And then, the two turned their backs on Sandra. From that moment on, the expressions of her parents were no longer those of parents.
The adventurers' ultimate destination is madness. A title that skilled silver adventurers receive as an honorary position when they become guild masters. The proof of a broken hero who reached an unreachable place.
The gold Torch Adventurer's Badge.
On their parents' chests, the gold Torch Adventurer's Badge was swaying.
'Well, dreams do come true. We sold eggs at a high price, bought new weapons, and caught so many treasures.'
'That's right. Oh, it's unbearable. An unbearable battle is about to begin. We can clear both the quest to eradicate dragons and the quest to destroy the enemy country's capital in one go.'
'Hey, do you think we'll die?'
'Yes. This time, we will die. But that's okay. There can't be a death worse than this.'
The parents held hands and shared a kiss.
'I love you. Forever, even if we fall into hell.'
'I love you too. I love you. Even if I die, I will never let you go.'
The two of them went to challenge a dragon. Or perhaps, they went to destroy a city.
As a result, Sandra's house remained safe until her grandmother came to rescue her. And when Sandra was rescued and stepped out of her house, she realized.
Ah, both her father and mother had passed away, finding ultimate happiness in death, having completed everything.
As she gazes upon the battlefield strewn with countless soldiers and the corpses of dragons, she saw two pitch-black bodies piercing each other. And it makes she think...
"Wade-kun will defeat the female wyvern in a flash, so let's not lose to that!"
In response to Clay's call to act like Wade's close aide, Ice replied, "Roger!" They then charged towards the wyvern that causes numbness with its poison.
"Ice-san!"
"Yeah...! Ice Blow!"
The freezing gust released from Ice's hand and the scattered snowman's hand freezed the wyvern in ice from all directions.
There, Clay charged in and swung his sledgehammer.
"Quake!"
The impact of the sledgehammer, enhanced with vibration effects, created a large crack in the Wyvern's body. Sandra was impressed as if it were someone else's business. There are no adventurers who can unleash such power with just copper.
"Quake! Quake! ...ugh"
However, Clay, who continued his attacks, didn't look too good. It was as if he was bouncing helplessly in front of a too high wall. That kind of expression.
Sandra then called out,
"Don't rush. It's natural for frozen enemies to be tough. If we can break through the outer shell, I can incinerate them with magic."
"...That's right. I'm an earth magician, so I'll work diligently and steadily!"
Quake! Clay shouted as he swung the sledgehammer down. Ice, who lacked crushing attack power, and Toxy, who had already finished what she could do, could only watch the scene.
"...It feels a bit sorry just watching like this."
"..."
Sandra asked Toxy,
"Why? Both of you have already completed your roles. Just neutralizing the Wyvern would make you heroes. You should be proud."
"Well, by normal standards, that's true."
Quake! Clay continued to swing the sledgehammer relentlessly.
"Even so,"
Toxy said,
"I want to fight strong enemies head-on! I want to become stronger for that! ...When I see a leader with such innocent eyes, I can't help but think, 'This isn't enough.'"
Toxy joked, and Sandra replied, "That's right."
Then, thinking she might have sounded too indifferent, Sandra added more words.
"...Certainly, this party is more comfortable than I thought. Setting aside Wade's eccentricity, the other members are not taking advantage of it. Ordinary people longing for geniuses."
"Sandra, that's not a compliment."
"It is a compliment. It's abnormal for ordinary people to continue longing for geniuses after witnessing them. Normally, they would give up quickly. But everyone is relentlessly pursuing it with bloodshot eyes."
Sandra nodded.
"I like those eyes. Whether swinging a sledgehammer in a frenzy imitating a genius despite being an ordinary person, devoting countless thoughts to using magic as a genius's assistant, persisting in being an ordinary person in the circle of madmen, not understanding one's own limits, being adventurous like an adventurer, I like it."
Therefore, Sandra continued with a warning.
"Even so, ordinary people cannot defeat dragons."
"―――! C-Clay-kun! Stay back! N-No, I can't hold it back!"
Ice suddenly shouted, prompting Clay to say, "Got it!" and quickly leave the scene.
This is surely the work of someone who doesn't realize they're just an ordinary person. A feat that those mistaken for geniuses cannot achieve.
Therefore, not a single person died because of it.
"ROOOOAR!"
Ignoring Ice's freezing gust, Clay's vibrating sledgehammer, and Toxy's paralysis poison, the Wyvern stood up. It vibrated intensely, built up heat in its body, and let out a roaring sound like a shockwave.
It then glared straight at them in this open space where it could immediately identify them as its enemy.
"Uh, no way...! This is bad."
"Haha...! It was a great decision not to be greedy. If we had continued attacking as we were, we would have been crushed by now."
Clay said this with a relaxed attitude, despite sweating nervously.
On the other hand, Ice looked puzzled.
"Sorry, I...! I fired a lot of Ice Blows, but once the poison wore off, I was helpless..."
"Don't apologize, Ice-chan. If anything, I expected that poison to be more effective."
"I couldn't break through the Wyvern's outer skin in that time frame either. It's not about blaming anyone. We all lacked the power."
The three of them, with tense expressions, bravely wielded their weapons. But Sandra insisted that it was pointless.
There was nothing the three of them could do against the Wyvern's sweep. They lacked defense. So if they took an attack, they wouldn't be able to endure it and would die. They lacked agility. So they couldn't even dodge.
The Wyvern took a step forward, its gaze piercing through Sandra and the others. It showed no mercy. It was as if it was saying, "I won't let you escape."
"This is the right way."
Sandra said.
"Dragons are creatures that cannot be defeated by humans. That's why they are not interested in artificial objects. No matter how much effort and wisdom humans put into it, it's useless."
"Sandra, san...?"
"Dragons are symbols of strength. They are creatures that are not supposed to lose. It's not that they can't be defeated. There are people who can defeat them. But it's not us."
Sandra takes a step forward.
"Hey, Sandra? Why are you heading that way? Oh, I see. You're going to be the decoy again, right?"
"Using decoys is a last resort. This time, the area is too open, so even if I act as a decoy, escaping would be difficult. Even if I escape, the wyverns will fly and launch a surprise attack from the sky."
At Sandra's words, everyone's faces tense up and they become alert.
Then, Sandra asked,
"Hey, everyone. Do you like Wade?"
"...Huh? Hey, Sandra. It's not the right time to ask in this situation."
"It's important. Tell me."
With determination, Ice was the first to answer.
"I love him. There's nothing more important to me than Wade-kun. As long as Wade-kun is happy, that's all that matters."
"Oh..."
Sandra felt a bit overwhelmed when Ice, who usually seemed the most nervous, stated this firmly.
Clay followed up, saying,
"He's my best friend. I admire him. He's becoming stronger every day, so I strive to keep up with him."
"I feel the same! I love him. Wade is the only one who has welcomed me so warmly."
"...He is loved, huh?"
Sandra continued,
"The four of us will take it down. This guy is enemy we can't defeat alone, so let's do it together. We have no choice but to fight. Let's give it our all and crush it."
With that rallying cry, no one hesitated. In everyone's eyes, a hint of madness gleamed.
It was a fighting spirit beyond their abilities, a determination that defied reason. It was fitting for Wade's talent and madness.
"Wade."
Sandra whispered softly under her breath.
"You've got great friends. That's why I'll help you out too. I'll make sure to surprise everyone. I'll change Wade's friends to have the right eye color."
Sandra smiles.
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