Chương 157: Chapter 40: “Joining Hands”

"——And so, that's the situation. She will be accompanying us for a while. This is Lilna, the former captain of Dielevats. I hope you'll get along." I had called the four of them— Theo, Lorentz, Lasla, and Asty—to the conference room, telling them I had something important to discuss. Then, I brought Lilna in. Naturally, the moment they saw her, all four of them froze in shock. Even as she stood before them next to me, explaining the circumstances, they remained visibly restless the entire time.

When the introductions were over, Lorentz slapped a hand to his forehead. He stood up, looking like he couldn't hold back his words any longer.

"... No. No, no, no. Wait. Just wait a damn minute."

"What is going on here? This picture is absolutely impossible..."

"Wow. I feel like history is moving right before my eyes♪" Lasla followed up with a look of utter exasperation, while Asty seemed somewhat delighted. Theo didn't say anything, but his heated gaze shifted back and forth between Lilna and me.

"That's how it is. I know you all have feelings that are hard to put into words, but..."

"Listen, Yu! How can you bring her in here with such a straight face!? That's Lilna! The Lilna!"

"Yes. I am Lilna."

"I know that!" Lorentz immediately snapped at her curt reply, pointing a trembling finger at her.

"In the first place, she's the enemy who killed my best friend!"

"I have no intention of making excuses regarding that matter. I am sorry. Though I do not think an apology is enough to be forgiven..." Perhaps thrown off by Lilna honestly apologizing with a solemn expression, Lorentz's momentum deflated instantly. He let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Haa... Talk about an anti-climax. Fine. Now that I know the circumstances, I can't even hold a grudge properly. Goddammit..." He swung his fist at the empty air as if punching away his frustration, then spoke with a serious look on his own face.

"We've killed countless Natura too... It's mutual. I get it. I understand that there seems to be someone else we really need to defeat." Lasla also stood up from his chair, walked over, and stood before Lilna. Then, he extended his right hand.

"I understand the situation well. Right now, we need all the fighting power we can get. If you say you will lend us your strength, there is nothing more we could ask for. We will gladly welcome you."

"You have my gratitude. Even I cannot do anything alone. I wanted someone who could cooperate with me." Lasla and Lilna exchanged a firm handshake. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. While they shook hands, I almost felt like I could hear a creaking sound. Their faces were calm, but their eyes were not laughing at all. As expected, even if they understood it intellectually, becoming friendly immediately was impossible.

Until just the other day, they were killing each other, and each had killed the other's comrades. It couldn't be helped. Suddenly, applause broke out from somewhere. I looked and saw it was Theo. Asty followed suit, clapping with a warm smile. Lorentz also clapped his hands, though he looked reluctant.

"This might be a historic moment. I never thought I would see such a scene while I was still alive," Theo said with a happy face. I really feel like this person has a personality too open and honest to be a King. I like him because he's approachable, though. Maybe that's why everyone adores him.

"That so-called historic moment might soon turn into something meaningless, however." Lilna, having finished the handshake, returned to my side and spoke with a grim expression. The fact that she was standing next to me made me feel reassured all over again.

"There is no doubt that something is maneuvering behind this war. And perhaps because they realized we noticed, the situation is about to move drastically."

"Plato definitely knows the true identity of that 'something.' The system, the tests, and all that. We must make him spit it out no matter what."

"Right. But with our current combat power and information, it's going to be tough to do anything. We need to gather volunteers from the Humite on the Tia Continent first."

"Leave the backup of weapons and personnel to me. I cannot fight myself, but I will fulfill my duty as King." I nodded at Theo's reliable words.

"That helps a lot. Also, please repair Lilna. And I need a prosthetic arm." I want to recover our individual strength as much as possible. For the battles to come.

"And one more thing. Once things settle down a bit, I'm thinking of investigating the Tia Continent." The Tia Continent. Also known as the Polluted Continent, most of that land is a domain where human survival is impossible. It is said that if one steps in without any preparation, they will die instantly due to terrifying concentrations of radiation. Because of the harsh environment, many things remain untouched, just as they were at the time of the nuclear war. That said, Natura would probably be fine.

But their activities are centered in the northern Elntia Continent. Maybe, just maybe, some clues still remain in the south. That's what I thought. Poor Tranity was erased, likely because she learned about it. Something like what she had grasped.

"You'll need equipment to protect yourself from radiation. I don't know how much it can cut... but I'll try to prepare the highest grade available."

"Thank you. For everything."

"Don't mention it. We are the ones who must thank you." Once preparations were complete, we slipped out of Maeva immediately. We proceeded carefully, keeping a low profile to avoid standing out. With Dielevats gone, the escape went so smoothly it was almost anticlimactic. Perhaps we had reached a stage where our existence wasn't that important anymore. And finally, we arrived at the coastline. We finally made it. The sea at dawn. The salty sea breeze struck my cheeks harshly.

Far beyond, the Tia Continent was waiting.

"Once we cross this Sea of Death, we'll finally be at the Tia Continent." Lasla said deeply. The sea, called by such a gloomy name as the Sea of Death, was completely polluted. It was definitely not the beautiful blue I knew. It was murky and black, like sludge. I wondered what the people of this world would say if I showed them the beautiful ocean of Earth. I was driven by a delusion I had thought of countless times.

"Finally feels like we made it here~."

"I never thought I'd live to worship this sea again." They all gazed at the dirty sea and the morning sun with deeply moved expressions. No, it's surely not dirty, I reconsidered. For them, this planet is their only home. That's why they have accepted everything about this planet as natural and lived on. Including the history of blood-stained wars. Everything. Two races that could only fight are now trying to change, even if it's just a tiny sprout. The possibility of a future where both sides join hands.

To help protect and nurture that sprout so it doesn't get crushed. If that is the role assigned to me in this world——that would be wonderful. I felt power surging through my whole body.

"Let's go home. To our nostalgic hometown, Luonhumite."

"It's my first time, though."

"I haven't been there either." When Lilna and I looked at each other and laughed, Lasla cleared his throat with a ahem and rephrased.

"Let's go. To Luonhumite."""Oh!"" Four Humites, one Natura. And one visitor from another world joined their hands together.