My Students Regret It After I Retired

76 – Finishing Blow

Bendict simply stared at Bartier silently.

“If we try to fight them, we will die.”

“I’ll pretend that an order came from the Lord. The others still don’t know that you’ve turned against us, Master.”

“Impersonating the Lord’s command only leads to death.”

“Let’s focus on escaping first. After I withdraw the troops, I’ll come to you. Then you can let me live, right?”

“…”

Bendict stood there quietly, without a word.

“Can you escape? If you go back, you can’t return, right?”

“Who do you think I am? I’m the Commander of the Imperial Swords. The other b*stards infiltrated as members, but I infiltrated as the Commander. Don’t worry.”

Bendict thought of Leos behind him. He truly was sorry, but even at the risk of his student, he wanted to save Leos. He wanted to lessen the misfortune that filled the man’s life, even if only a little. If Leos died here, or if even one of Leos’ companions died, the man would surely live the rest of his life seeking revenge.

“I’m asking you. But once it’s over, come straight to our side. Leos will definitely take you in.”

“Okay. Let’s do that. Please explain things to Leos, Master. I don’t want to run for my life and then have him try to kill me on sight for being with the Cheonsanghoe.”

“Alright.”

Bendict and Bartier distanced themselves as if by agreement. Bartier started channeling energy into his sword, and Bendict charged his hands to activate his ability.

Bartier instantly eliminated the outer shield. And at that same moment—

– *KWaaaShhh!*

With a monstrous roar, sand and powerful energy blasted out in all directions. Like a tsunami, a frenzied airwave sent everything nearby flying. At the same time, Bendict turned and ran.

“Leos! Now is the time! We need to escape!”

Leos swiftly took his position and spoke to the extermination squad members and allies.

“Get ready. We’re leaving immediately. Keltazar, Enas, and Sirna, bring them along, restrained.”

Having said that, Leos used his ability to confirm each of the fallen Darkshadow members with a final kill. Even though they were certainly all dead, he couldn’t risk any pretending.

‘It’s all over.’

All seven hundred or so Darkshadow members were dead. Their purpose here was virtually complete. The only remaining Darkshadow were Keltazar and Belin, who wasn’t even here.

‘Enas and Sirna… I’m unsure whether they are Darkshadow, but… I’ll have to put that aside for now.’

Leos quickly finished organizing his thoughts and began to run. Already, Rakart and the extermination squad members were running ahead.

Leos looked back with regret. The Yellow Sword Order. They say it has over 20 members of the Cheonsanghoe. He wanted to kill them all right there and then. But he had to restrain himself. There was a time for everything. Eliminating the Empire’s key force, the Darkshadows, was a massive achievement as it was.

Haste makes waste. Leos ingrained this fact back into his mind and began his escape.

*

The Yellow Sword Order is divided into two teams. The 1st and 2nd teams.

While Bartier is the 1st team leader, Zerukan is the man serving as the leader of the Yellow Sword’s 2nd team.

“Goddamn it! They’re getting away! Get them!”

Zerukan roared, and the members of the second squad immediately moved to pursue. Several members of the Heavenly Assembly who had infiltrated attempted to use their hidden powers, but Bartier, the leader of the first squad, immediately stopped them.

“Halt.”

“…? What are you doing, Bartier?”

“I said halt. In this situation, chasing the enemies is dangerous. They had countless bizarre detonators attached to them. Bendict was using an unidentified power, and monsters are spawning around us. Even with this sandstorm making proper pursuit impossible, forcing the issue could mean losing all the remaining forces we have.”

Zerukan whispered, making sure only Bartier could hear.

“What the hell are you doing, Bartier? Are you defying the Lord’s command?”

“The Lord gave me a secret mission. He ordered me to let them go for now.”

“There’s no way. Just before we departed, he explicitly ordered us to kill Leo’s companions?”

“Do you doubt his word? Or are you trying to rebel?”

“…”

Zerukan had no words in response to Bartier’s assertive stance. The Lord of the Heavenly Assembly was so capricious, that he thought it possible that he might have really issued an order to Bartier just a moment ago using some kind of supernatural ability or other means of communication.

“Understood. You wouldn’t dare invoke the Heavenly Assembly Lord’s name falsely, so I suppose it is his order. I’ll ask again. The Lord ordered our retreat, is that right?”

“Yes. Isn’t that why Bendict put on this flamboyant performance?”

Looking at the sand dust swirling in every direction, Zerukan conceded.

“Fine. We’ll retreat for now. What did he say to do after that?”

“I’ll tell you when we get back. Uselessly drawn-out words might arouse suspicion among the others.”

“Alright.”

Zerukan immediately approached the members of the second squad of the Golden Swords and shouted.

“Pursuit of the enemy is deemed impossible. We will retreat and regroup our forces.”

His command dropped, and the Celestial Assembly members, poised to unleash their power from within, began to reel it back in. Bartier also issued the order to withdraw, and no one questioned or challenged it. They weren’t of a rank to do so in the first place.

The commander’s orders were absolute, and if even the leaders of Squads 1 and 2 reached the same conclusion, their duty was to follow silently. In the end, the Crimson Sword Order decided on a full retreat.

*

“Ughhh… Kkhhheeeeugh…”

The anguished groans of the wounded echoed all around. Within the safety zone, those injured among the Execution Squad were in pain as they received treatment from Herisia.

Hemina, who had also been waiting in the safety zone, quickly rushed out to check on everyone’s well-being. Of course, the first person she searched for was Leos.

“Where’s Leos? Where is he? Is he alright?”

Lacart, who was nearby, answered Hemina’s question.

“Don’t look for Leos for now.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Is he badly hurt?”

“…That’s not it. He seems to need some time to talk with a former disciple. Just a little. Give him just a little time.”

Hemina’s hands trembled as she went inside the tent. She accessed the InterRunner and began to delve into Leos’s records one by one. Using her administrator privileges, she began to pore over everything – the secret comments Leos had made and his activity log.

‘Former disciple… former disciple…’

Then she came across one curious comment.

[ENA: LEO-nim… Are you perhaps… Leos-nim?]

[LEO: Leos? Who’s that? And shouldn’t you reveal your identity before asking about me?]

[ENA: You weren’t answering my calls… If you are Leos-nim, please let me know… I… I’m Enas.]

[LEO: I’m not Leos. I don’t even know who that person is.]

It was confirmed that someone named Enas had secretly posted a comment to Leos.

‘Could it be… this person…?’

I went into Enas’s account activity and poked around, but other than the comment she left for Leos, there were no posts or comments at all. But there was something strange.

‘She’s got a lot of favorites.’

On Interrunner, saving a specific post adds it to your favorites list. And it lets you jump to that post whenever you want. Enas’s favorites list held over a thousand posts.

Someone who doesn’t write a single post, doesn’t leave a single comment—why would they save this many favorites? With that thought, Hemina started going through the list one by one.

[Leos-nim’s emotional first! Gate subjugation success photo!]

[Leos-nim’s black outfit collection!]

[Leos-nim’s smiling face collection!]

[Leos-nim carelessly taking a photo with the Gate subjugation team!]

.

.

.

Enas’s favorites list was filled solely with posts related to Leos. The first favorites were from just before Leos went to trial, and from then until now, Enas had been digging through galleries, saving only posts with photos of Leos.

[Total views 23,201]

Hemina, as the operator, could also see how many times those favorite posts had been accessed. In just under three years, she had looked at Leos’s photos over ten thousand times. An enormous number, even if she looked at them ten times a day.

‘…’

Hemina slowly started scrolling down the favorites list. To see which posts she had favorited most recently. Clicking into a post, this time there were no photos, just a plain text post. Confused, she checked the comments and finally understood why Enas had favorited it.

[ENA: Are you really… really not Leos-nim? There’s something I absolutely need to say.]

[LEO: I don’t know who you are but go tell that to the guy. I’m not him.]

[ENA: Okay… I’m sorry…]

The last conversation she had with Leos.

[This post has been viewed 2,953 times]

“Haa…”

Hemi-na mumbled, throwing herself onto the bed.

“Please… please let that old student they’re talking about… not be this person… if it is… it’s going to be so awkward for me.”

Hemi-na closed her eyes and thought.

Why had Enas gone to look at Leo’s last comment so many times?

Was it to contact him again? Or did she want to relive that last conversation they had? I don’t know. But either way, her heart was filled with Leo.

*

Enas is bound. She and Leo face each other.

“Enas, I’ll be frank. I don’t understand why you’re being so honest about all the information now. Telling me that the troops are coming, too, but the Heavenly Assembly guys I know aren’t the type to handle things so carelessly. It’s one of two things; either those guys deliberately leaked the information and pretended not to know, or you’re on their side and trying to play me.”

Hearing those words, Enas’ heart plummeted.

The distance between her and Leo was as distant as the handcuffs binding her. Her heart began to beat low. The hope she had been filled with was slowly draining away.

She shook her head and spoke.

“How… how can I get you to believe me…? If I die right in front of you… will you believe me then?”

– Clang

Upon hearing her words, Leo immediately grabbed one of his swords from mid-air and threw it.

“Do it if you can. If you’re a spy from the Heavenly Assembly, you won’t be able to take your own life.”

Leo hadn’t questioned Bendikt yet. Because he had left after implying he was a member of the Heavenly Assembly, Leo felt like his head was about to break.

[The Heavenly Assembly is everywhere. We’re always watching you. Wherever you are.]

Leos pointed his sword, and spoke.

“If that’s what you say, then die and prove it. Prove you’re not one of them.”