The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 38

Chapter 38: Reason

Let’s go back in time to when Aria defeated the Black Widow…

Berg kept Fulde at bay as he wreaked havoc inside the castle.

“Ahyahya! Die, die, diiie!!”

Fulde, now towering at nearly 3 meters in height, swung his axe-spear halberd while spreading madness. I aimed my crossbow, ready to shoot while deflecting the flying debris.

The arrow struck Fulde’s arm but was stopped by his armor-like skin, failing to penetrate.

“It’s useless!”

I dodged the sweeping halberd and threw a knife at Fulde’s face. He turned his face away and deflected the knife with his helmet.

“Ugh!”

“Ugh! Aaah!”

Fulde hurled his halberd again, and as I jumped to avoid the rotating spear aimed at my legs, I saw Fulde swinging his arm, ready to strike.

(Trouble!)

I had just raised my large round shield when Fulde’s right arm slammed into it. His muscular arm was as powerful as a battering ram, and it collided with my shield.

“Ugh!”

The impact sent me flying, not just against the wall, but through it, crashing outside.

“Kaha…”

Despite an instant defense, I had taken significant damage from the attack in mid-air, compounded by the prolonged activation of “Wind’s Protection Follow Wind,” and my consciousness was about to fade.

“I’ll kill you… and Arseriaaa!!”

Fulde once again lifted his halberd, aiming it at my head…

—

Why do I fight?

In the midst of the slow descent of the halberd, a voice echoed in my head. Instead of thinking about the imminent danger before me, I pondered that question.

…The reason? For the sake of this country? To defeat the monster in front of me? No, I’m not such a noble person to fight for such reasons.

…Then for whom? It would be for Aria, right? She asked me for help.

…So, am I willing to risk my life for this?

…Why can I do that? Why am I willing to go so far for Aria?

(I made a promise… I promised to become strong and come to get her…)

I recalled when Aria explained why she sought power, and how she had chosen a difficult path for her friends, abandoning her status and everything else.

She had the strength to choose a difficult path willingly. And she came to me, knowing about my past, and asked me to lend her my strength.

“Ah, I see…”

Aria had relied on me. When I was in the kingdom, my brother didn’t even do that for me.

“She wanted me to help her…”

So, I made a decision. I’ve already given up and turned my eyes away, but…

I won’t run away anymore.

Someone with the strength to face things head-on, like Aria, relied on me.

“I’ve been running away all this time, but Aria’s trust in me, despite my past and everything, I want to live up to it! I don’t want to run away from the expectations Aria has for me!”

I can’t afford to lose. I won’t give in to someone like me, a fallen knight, and let them treat Aria like an object!

The moment my feelings became clear within me, my vision was filled with white…