...He seems completely serious.
The sincerity in Aquila’s tone was so overwhelming that it made me wonder if all my moping for the past few days had been for nothing.
‘What’s going on? Is this what they call the unrivaled camaraderie of Male Lead #1?’
If I were less experienced, I might have mistaken this for sudden romantic obsession. But if Aquila wanted to obsess over me, he would have done so long ago.
Take, for example, a few days ago when I was harassed by one of the infamous psychopathic seniors. It happened because I was caught loitering near the kitchen.
While I was being humiliated like a rookie recruit, Aquila stood at a distance, waiting patiently for me. Naturally, he acted politely toward his senior, that same psychopathic lunatic.
If he were the typical obsessive male lead, he wouldn’t have let anyone who bullied the heroine go unpunished. So clearly, this isn’t your average romance fantasy.
Still, seeing Aquila demonstrate his exceptional sense of camaraderie, true to his role as Male Lead #1, gave me a strange sense of reassurance.
I glanced around to find the faces of those I had grown close to over time.
Winter, who was giving instructions to the corporals, locked eyes with me and began walking over. I quickly waved both hands to signal that nothing was wrong.
Benny, who was chatting with Sanchez, noticed my gaze and turned around, her eyes widening. She looked ready to dash over, so I motioned for her to sit back down.
Jason... was struggling between Patty and Matty, who appeared to be digging a hole in the ground. Why were they digging? Well, at least Jason seemed to be managing them, which was a relief.
There was one more person I had been close to, but I didn’t want to think about him right now.
‘That jerk.’
Just thinking about Ishina put me in a bad mood, so I decided to leave him out of it.
Suddenly, I remembered what I had realized when I was severely injured saving Altair.
‘I don’t want to die.’
If I die, everything I’ve worked so hard to build will be lost.
All the things I had in my previous life had been gone for a long time. When I gave up my name, this world became the only thing I had left.
And in this world, I had to start from scratch.
I had built relationships here with my own effort, and I couldn’t let death take them away from me.
...I feel like my thoughts are starting to clear up.
Looking around at the members of my unit, I finally spoke in a calm voice to Aquila and Karon.
“I feel like I’ve experienced so many dramatic things in the Border Defense Army.”
I began to recall the memories I had made here.
“It was so cold... cold enough to make me want to give up. But then I realized there was still warmth beside me.”
Aquila’s eyes, filled with heavy emotion, told me he understood what I was referring to.
“I comforted a crying junior one night, and after that, he started following me around everywhere.”
Karon looked at me with his usual starry-eyed gaze.
“And then some damn prince visited the base and made our lives hell. Honestly, that royal bastard deserves to be guillotined—”
“Calm down, Salvia...”
“Right, right... Anyway, after dealing with an arrogant junior, I met another junior who was brilliant in a unique way, one who was just plain strong, and a trio of juniors who were strong in their own ways... Oh, and I saved a senior who was on the verge of death, dealt with a swarm of insane bugs....”
I often joked to myself, Wow, the military is so dynamic! But in truth, my life since reincarnating had been one dramatic event after another.
Whether it was because this world was built on the foundation of a novel’s dramatic devices, I didn’t know. Either way, I had been through just about everything.
Now, fighting the Ghostgroom might bring me face-to-face with another near-death experience—or actual death.
If I die there, the original story will finally proceed as intended....
‘I used black magic to recover the memories of the original story because I wanted to survive in it.’
And in that original story, I have to coexist.
Yes, I’ve prepared myself enough to live.
“To be honest, I’m terrified of that Ghostgroom.”
But my voice didn’t shake anymore as I admitted it.
“Even so... as long as I don’t give up on living in this dramatic world, no matter what happens...”
Maybe it’s because I know this world is a novel that I can say this.
“I might just be able to survive dramatically, too.”
“Don’t worry, Salvia,” Aquila said, his voice firm and deliberate, every word carrying weight.
“I told you before. Whatever it takes, I’ll save you.”
Karon, who didn’t seem to fully grasp what I had said earlier, simply beamed at me with a bright smile.
“That’s right! Salvia, you’re absolutely not going to die!”
“Yeah...”
...Ah, now is the moment.
This is the line I’ve been waiting to deliver since I first got reincarnated into this novel—a line I’ve only had the chance to say once before, when I saved Altair.
‘I’m going to twist the original plot!’
...Wow, this line is so satisfying to say. The heroines of reincarnation novels must get to use it multiple times. I’m so jealous.
***
"Company 18, move out!"
News arrived that Company 17 had spotted the Ghostgroom, and we began moving swiftly. I gripped my rifle tighter than ever, running with a grim determination.
‘I’m not dying. Not even out of spite.’
As we ran through the darkening forest, memories from the past resurfaced.
That day when six of my comrades died before my eyes, and Aquila grabbed my hand to pull me away.
‘No one dies today.’
Aquila and I would not die here. We’d survive, no matter what it took, and we’d live to leave this place behind.
“Reinforcements are here!”
I heard someone from Company 17 shout as they saw us approaching through the shadowy forest.
They were slumped under the dark canopy, their formation a mess and their expressions in complete disarray.
“What happened?!”
Sensing something had gone wrong, our company captain demanded answers from Company 17’s commander.
“We lost eight soldiers just now. The Ghostgroom swallowed several of them, scattered our formation, and escaped. We couldn’t stop it.”
“...Eight?”
Jason, who was standing behind me, muttered in a pale, trembling voice. Losing eight soldiers in just one encounter...
‘This is worse than when we faced that first-tier dragon.’
I swallowed hard. Even though I had resolved to survive, the tension weighed heavily on me, and my entire body felt rigid with unease.
“...When Company 16 arrives, we’ll pursue it together,” the commander said.
We waited in place for Company 16’s arrival, surrounded by the shattered morale of Company 17’s soldiers.
From fresh recruits to senior corporals, many were either in tears or visibly distraught, regardless of rank. It was clear they had lost more comrades than they could bear.
‘Damn it. Back to apocalypse mode.’
After some time, Company 16’s troops arrived, and we began our march together.
By then, the sun had fully set, leaving the forest engulfed in total darkness. We used aura-coated swords to light our surroundings or carried torches to maintain visibility.
As we moved, Aquila, ever the quiet one, stayed utterly silent by my side.
I was the same.
...We were likely wrestling with the same memories.
A pitch-black forest at night, a first-tier monster, soldiers killed by that monster—this entire scenario was a vivid reminder of the day our comrades died. My body trembled involuntarily.
It was winter now, too. Though I wasn’t even sure if it was cold or if it was just me, I was shivering uncontrollably, unable to fight off the chill.
“Hey, I...”
Turning to Aquila with what was probably a pale, stricken face, I locked eyes with him as he glanced back at me.
“I’m cold...”
He took in the sight of my hunched shoulders and trembling arms. Without a word, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed my right. The moment his hand touched mine, warmth spread through me. It was a familiar sensation.
“Salvia.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t die.”
A strange tension hung between our clasped hands.
Aquila was undoubtedly afraid right now, and so was I. But as the two of us held on to each other, the fear seemed to recede just a little.
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“I won’t,” I replied, tightening my grip on his hand. It was a promise to both of us.
As we ran through the forest with resolute determination, a shout came from up ahead.
“We’ve found it!”
The air grew damp and suffocating, and a foul, oppressive scent filled my nostrils. My skin felt clammy, and an itching sensation crept over me.
Through the dense trees, I caught sight of the Ghostgroom, crouching amidst toppled trunks, its massive body dominating the space.
“Hah...”
Even though I had seen it once before during guard duty, seeing it up close, standing on the same ground as it, was horrifying in an entirely new way.
Its enormous mouth seemed capable of swallowing several humans whole in one gulp. Its smooth, impenetrable-looking black hide glistened like armor. And its dark body was so featureless it was impossible to tell where its eyes were.
‘Get a grip.’
I had faced countless grotesque monsters, risking my life each time. I couldn’t let this one intimidate me.
“Form a triangle around it!”
“Company 18, move into position!”
Following the commands, the three companies began to surround the Ghostgroom in a triangular formation, cutting off all possible escape routes. The monster remained in place, its tail swaying lazily.
‘Is it not planning to move?’
The Ghostgroom showed no signs of initiating an attack, leaving everyone on edge, unsure of what to do next.
Then, all at once—
“Ahhh!”
“Engage!”
Bang!
With the sound of a gunshot, the battle began.