Dawn of Vengeance — Chapter 34

AFTER LIVING THREE LIVES, I CAME TO A CERTAIN REALIZATION.

LIFE FEELS LONG, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SHORT,

AND IF YOU DON'T SPEAK DIRECTLY, YOU'LL LIKELY BE MISUNDERSTOOD.

WORDS SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD, WITHOUT BEATING AROUND THE BUSH.

WHICH IS WHY...

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANYONE GO HIKING...?

PEOPLE WHO LIKE THIS KIND OF THING ARE BASICALLY NUTJOBS, AREN'T THEY?

NUTJOB

I'LL GO ON AHEAD! HAHA. STRIDE STRIDE

(OBLIVIOUS) NUTJOB #2

JUDGING BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE, HE TOOK THAT PERSONALLY.

PANT HUFF

SINCE WE'RE NOT ALONE HERE,

YOU MIGHT WANT TO WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE.

LET'S GO TO A HOT SPRING!

WE'LL RELAX AND EAT SOMETHING GOOD!

HOW DID THIS TURN INTO ELDER ABUSE?!

FEELING GUILTY

YOU SAID WE WERE GOING TO A HOT SPRING...

NOW I LOOK LIKE A LIAR!

LIAR #1

LIAR #2

WE ARE. THERE'S ONE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN,

SO HALFWAY UP, WE'LL WATCH THE SUNRISE AND HEAD BACK DOWN.

I'M NOT LYING.

YOU NEED TO MOVE YOUR BODY A BIT BEFORE GETTING IN THE BATH, OR YOU'LL CATCH A COLD.

I DON'T CARE IF I CATCH A COLD!

YOU SHOULD.

UGH, HE'S SO STUBBORN AND PETTY.

FINE, I'LL GO.

IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK THAT FAR ANYWAY.

30 MINUTES LATER

WHIS, PICK ME UP RIGHT NOW AND FLY ME TO THE HOT SPRING.

EYES THAT SAY IT ALL

WHIS, I DON'T SEE MARCHIONESS RUTHERFORD OR DUKE KIEL.

GO AHEAD AND CHECK ON THEM FOR ME.

!

N-NO!

YES, COMMANDER.

NO!

WHIS!

WHI--

10 MINUTES LATER

I'M DYING HERE. I WANT TO GO BACK DOWN!

I'VE ENDURED ENOUGH.

AN EXTREMELY STRONG PROTEST

......

I'LL CARRY YOU.

HEHE

IS IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

IT IS, BUT IT ISN'T.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, RIGHT?

I DON'T.

WITH THAT KIND OF STAMINA, HOW DID YOU EVEN SURVIVE THE MILITARY ACADEMY?

I DIDN'T RELY ON STAMINA. IT WAS WILLPOWER.

AND I HATED HIKING BACK THEN TOO.

(TRAUMA RESURFACING)

YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I CAME THIS FAR FOR YOU.

I AM.

HE'S FAST. SO HE WAS MATCHING MY PACE EARLIER.

I SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL.

ANYWAY, WALTER...

I THOUGHT YOU ONLY LIKED COLLECTING ROCKS.

I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU LIKED CLIMBING THEM TOO...

BOTH MY FATHER AND COUNT BOUVEHAL ENJOY THE MOUNTAINS,

SO I NATURALLY ENDED UP HIKING A LOT FROM A YOUNG AGE.

AH, THAT EXPLAINS WHY YOU SEEM SO CLOSE WITH THE COUNT. YOU'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME, HUH?

NOD

AFTER MY FATHER PASSED, HE BECAME MY GODFATHER.

WALTER'S FATHER'S NAME WAS IRIAN HEIBERGH, WASN'T IT?

I HEARD HE WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL WARRIOR WHO COULDN'T STAND INJUSTICE.

HE DIED SAVING VILLAGERS BURIED IN A LANDSLIDE.

HE WAS A TRUE HERO.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

IT'S SUCH A SHAME.

WHAT?

YOUR FATHER NEVER GOT TO SEE THE MAN YOU'VE BECOME.

IF HE WERE ALIVE, HE'D BE SO PROUD OF YOU.

YOU WERE APPOINTED AS COMMANDER AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO.

YOU'RE FAR MORE HUMAN, CAPABLE, AND IMPRESSIVE THAN I EVER EXPECTED.

COMPLIMENT OVERLOAD

AH... I SEE...

I'M REALLY GLAD...

...THAT I MET YOU, WALTER.

YOU'RE SOMEONE I NEED BY MY SIDE UNTIL THE VERY END,

BUT ON TOP OF THAT, YOU'RE GENUINELY A GOOD PERSON.

I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

LET ME PROMISE YOU ONE THING.

AT THE END OF WHATEVER HARDSHIP I PUT YOU THROUGH, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE VICTORY.

I’LL NEVER SEND YOU TO A BATTLE THAT CAN’T BE WON.

THAT’S A STRANGE THING TO SAY.

TURNING UNWINNABLE BATTLES INTO VICTORIES IS MY JOB.

I KNOW, BUT...

I’M SAYING I WON’T SEND YOU ANYWHERE...

...THERE’S EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE OF LOSING YOU.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU’RE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE.

IT'S OBVIOUS.

HE COMES FROM A GOOD FAMILY, HE'S SMART,

AND HE NEVER COMPLAINS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I MAKE HIM WORK.

HE'S ALSO STRONG, HANDSOME, AND QUICK-WITTED AND GIVES GREAT MASSAGES.

HOW COULD I SEND THE PERFECT SERV-- I MEAN, A LOYAL KNIGHT TO A PLACE WHERE HE MIGHT DIE?

SERIOUSLY, HOW DOES SOMEONE LIKE HIM EVEN EXIST?

I COULD STAND TO LOSE EVERYTHING EXCEPT HIM.

HE AND I ARE TIED BY FATE.

YOU'VE SAID WHAT I HAD HOPED TO SAY, YOUR MAJESTY.

I'M HONORED.

ANYWAY, ARE WE ALMOST THERE?

IT'S NEARLY SUNRISE.

ISN'T THAT WHY WE CAME HERE?

HUH? WALTER?

ARE YOU OKAY?

YOUR FACE...