Chapter 41: The Hero Who Never Returned
A soldier stepped forward and stopped beside the Second Commander, Roland Ashford.
His armor was shattered.
Blood stained his clothes.
Exhaustion covered his face.
Yet despite everything, a faint sense of relief remained in his eyes.
"Commander..." he said quietly. "The battle is finally over."
Roland Ashford stood amidst the ruins of the battlefield.
Countless bodies covered the ground.
Broken weapons were scattered everywhere.
The scent of blood lingered in the air.
For several moments, he remained silent.
Then he slowly nodded.
"Yes."
His voice was heavy.
"The battle between humans and demons has finally ended."
His gaze drifted toward a single figure lying motionless in the distance.
A figure that would never stand again.
A figure who had carried the hopes of humanity until her final breath.
"But..."
Roland’s fists clenched.
"We lost our Commander."
His voice trembled slightly.
"Aria Valencrest."
Silence followed.
A painful silence.
One by one, the surviving soldiers began walking forward.
Nobody gave orders.
Nobody spoke.
Yet every soldier understood what had to be done.
They gathered around Aria’s body.
Then they lowered their heads.
And knelt before aria.
Everyone placed their weapons against the ground.
Everyone stay silent.
It was their final farewell.
Their final salute.
Their final act of respect for the woman who had fought until the very end.
The battlefield became completely quiet.
Even the wind seemed to mourn her passing.
From a distance, Vlox and Astraith watched everything unfold.
Neither interrupted the moment.
Neither spoke.
They simply observed the respect humanity held for its fallen hero.
After several moments, Vlox finally broke the silence.
"Second Commander Roland Ashford."
Roland immediately turned toward him.
"Yes, sir?"
Vlox looked at Aria’s motionless body.
His expression remained calm.
"Take Aria Valencrest’s body to the Valenhart Kingdom."
Roland listened carefully.
"Give her the burial she deserves."
"Honor her sacrifice."
"Let her rest with dignity."
Roland lowered his head respectfully.
"Yes..."
Then, after a brief hesitation, he looked at the mysterious man before him.
"Sir... may I ask your name?"
Vlox raised an eyebrow.
"My name?"
"Yes, sir."
For a moment, silence lingered between them.
Then Vlox answered calmly.
"My name is Vlox."
Roland nodded slowly.
As if engraving the name into his memory forever.
"Thank you, Mr. Vlox."
His voice carried genuine gratitude.
"Thank you for saving my people."
"If you had not appeared..."
He stopped speaking.
There was no need to finish the sentence.
Everyone understood what would have happened.
Roland took a deep breath.
"As for your request..."
"We will bury Commander Aria Valencrest with the highest honors."
Vlox simply nodded.
That was enough.
Soon afterward, Roland turned toward the surviving soldiers.
Though wounded and exhausted, they immediately stood at attention.
"Prepare to return to the Valenhart Kingdom."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"We will carry Commander Aria Valencrest home."
No one objected.
No one complained.
The soldiers carefully lifted Aria’s body.
Treating her as if she were the most precious treasure in existence.
Because to them-
She was.
Roland walked at the front of the procession.
His expression remained solemn.
"We will deliver Commander Aria’s body to her father."
A shadow of sadness crossed his face.
The thought alone was painful.
How could any father accept such news?
How could any parent endure the loss of a child?
Yet it was a duty that could not be avoided.
The war had ended.
Humanity had survived.
But victory had come at a devastating cost.
As the surviving soldiers began their long journey toward the Valenhart Kingdom, the setting sun painted the battlefield in shades of crimson.
Behind them remained the graves of countless warriors.
Ahead of them awaited a kingdom in mourning.
And at the center of it all rested the body of the woman who had given everything for her people.
Commander Aria Valencrest.
The hero who never returned.