A Wish to Grab Happiness

Volume 6, Chapter 103: The Cathedral Knight Garras Gargantia

“…This guy. I have to deal with him here and now”.

Caria flickered her eyes to sweep away the haziness in her eyesight. At the same time, she forcibly swallowed her raw saliva.

Her limbs quivered when she felt a part of her body in excruciating pain. She used every strength and energy she had to defeat the demon monkey. Her body had reached her limit.

She could not fight anymore. Caria knew that from the bottom of her heart. The insides of her body “screamed” aloud because of the countless injuries.

However. Caria did not want to stop the movements of her legs. This moment. Yes, the moment to show her duty. To show her pride and perseverance. Caria was willing to surpass her limit. Her strong will was the pillar that supported her fragile and injured body.

“That’s right. I can’t fall down as long as the enemy roams free in front of me”.

This particular enemy. He did not try to hide his ferocious eyes and attitude as he raised his red spear. This person had not changed much since Caria’s silver eyes caught him during the joint practice between different knights.

The Cathedral Knight Garras Gargantia. A man with the title of Knight of Honor and the derogatory title of the Beast Spear. Obviously. Caria could understand the meaning of that derogatory title very well. After all, this enemy was a violent man.

He was someone who bit off the neck of his prey. His eyes were cold and his actions were brutal. It was no longer the story of the strong and the weak. He was just a vicious beast. A man out of control.

That’s why Caria had to raise her resolve. She knew that she had to stop Garras’ breath.

Caria sighed deeply. The silver longsword, which was her memento sword, had already engaged in a fierce battle with the demon monkey. The blade got damaged. It could no longer cut.

Caria had no other choice but to resort to something else. Not slashing, but crushing. With her hand, Caria was determined to crush that mad man’s skull until it became fragments.

For a moment, Caria’s silver eyes flickered and she envisioned the scene many times in her mind. She had to do that in order to defeat the enemy. She told herself that she had to grab this chance with her hands.

The moment she saw Garras, Caria felt something in the deepest part of her heart. At the bottom of her viscera.

「So you are asking me to choose between killed honorably in action, or hanged as a traitor, huh.」

Caria’s consciousness came back into the scene in front of her. The dull pain that echoed all over her body burst out of her consciousness, and for a moment, her fatigue disappeared in the air.

Caria moved her lips once again, while looking down.

「That’s too bad…I decide how I want to die. I have no intention to choose either of those options.」

“Ah, I must kill. I must hold his breath to his death”.

Even though the enemy was still in front of the main gate, Caria was unable to cope with the murderous spirit of that mad man.

What drove Caria’s will was an unmistakable emotion called impatience. The impatience that sprout from the inside of her body. This impatience was attacking Caria.

This man was a natural enemy. A violent man. This man had the power to tip the odds in his favor. A tricky man that trampled on his preys. Yes, a natural enemy with a frightening force.

“…If by any chance. If Lugis faced this beast.”

That unpleasant imagination did not leave Caria’s mind.

She repeated this scenario many times in her brain. Caria felt chills all over her body. Her silvery eyes narrowed unconsciously.

「Listen well. I am not the one who will die. It’s you, Garras Gargantia. 」

Caria smiled in her heart. Her words were a cheap provocation. However, the enemy sharpened his eyes. On her memory, Caria knew that she was several times stronger than other humans. That’s why she was probably the only one who could face Garras. Immediately, the red spear swung high.

Her words. Her provocation. Garras opened his mouth and showed his teeth.

「That’s a pity. So the answer is a fight in the battlefield. 」

The ferocious beast stood in front of the main gate. He spoke while touching his chin. It felt as if he pondered for a short moment. It felt odd. As if instinct and reason were in conflict with each other.

After a few seconds, his eyes looked up at the gate. The silver eyes and the beast’s eyes overlapped with one another.

「Shame. What a shame, indeed…See you later, Caria Burdnick. When that time comes, I hope we meet at a better place.」

Upon professing those words, Garras began moving. He didn’t show any hesitation anymore. After saying that, he showed his back and went away.

Garras left the territory of Ghazalia on a horse. The atmosphere was heavy and puzzling. The remaining soldiers of the Cathedral followed him in a hurry.

Caria could not stop opening her mouth. Confusion engulfed her brain.

“Impossible. The nature of a beast is to charge forward and kill its prey. But, why does he show his back? My provocation did not affect him? Isn’t he the one trying to bite off the neck of the enemy?”

In fact, Garras intended to trespass the main gate with his red spear in one hand. Caria knew this much in his eyes.

“No way. It can’t be.”

The dull pain returned to Caria’s body. Caria almost fell on her knees. She couldn’t chase Garras anymore. Her body reached the limit of the limits.

When the eyes of that beast were no longer visible, the tension that covered Caria’s body and the will that supported her skull disappeared entirely.

Perhaps, Caria still pursued her now lost strength. She did everything she could, but her body stopped moving altogether. Her lungs hurt like hell, and her muscles compressed forcibly. Caria bit her lips instinctively.

“Ah, Lugis. Where did you go?” Such an idea emerged in Caria’s vague consciousness. Soon, this idea took control of her emotions.

She wondered why she was the one to stand up against the beastly knight despite her injuries. Lugis probably did not know how much pain she endured. However, that did not matter right now. Caria just wanted to hit him with her anger.

Caria looked attentively at her surroundings. She stared at the fallen demon monkey, and she saw no shadow of the beastly knight. On this very moment, every emotion hidden in her heart burst, and she no longer repressed her anger.

“…Lugis, I did too much. My actions are expensive. Remember this. Don’t think you can buy me.”

The color of Caria’s eyes, which was different from the color belonging to a noble, sparkled vividly as if a deep and rich emotion corrupted her.

—

「Knight, Lord Gargantia. 」

One of Garras’ followers spoke during their way on the road.

The tone behind those words was troublesome. At least, Garras felt that way. He narrowed his eyes. His breath got disturbed, and then, he turned around.

「What do you want? Is it a thief or a mercenary? 」

Garras spoke while moving his shoulders. The soldier shuddered a little upon seeing Garras’ abrupt attitude.

「No. I just thought it was unusual. You easily withdrawn despite the provocations.」

Garras moved his lips slightly upon hearing the soldier’s response.

The soldier’s words made sense. Garras was someone who tended to be hot-blooded. His head was always out of control. No one denied this fact. It was the truth about Garras’ personality. Rather, this aspect was what made Garras strong. He believed that this trait gave him the upper hand. The so-called fearsome strength.

However, something odd happened moments ago. Garras left the scene as if his unstable emotions disappeared from his heart. Why did he do that?

「This place was not the proper place for a battlefield. Besides, we are just a few now. We would have died if we tried to attack recklessly.」

If Garras and his soldiers were inside the main gate, in the city of Ghazalia, they would have used their fists and spears until blood soaked the ground. Garras would have fought uncontrollably and his soldiers would have followed him too.

“It’s fine to die as a fool, no problem at all.” That was what Garras thought to himself at times.

“However, everything changes once someone enters a battlefield.” Garras was the beastly knight, the Cathedral Knight Garras Gargantia. He would have fared well in a battlefield. However, nobody was unconquerable.

Based on his position, Garras knew that he mustn’t corrupt his appearance, status and name. As an honorable knight, Garras knew he couldn’t take foolish actions. A wrong move and it could be the end of them all.

「Well, I guess you are right. 」

The soldier replied with a somber, depressed tone.

Garras spoke high, a light tone as if he were joking.

「“Respect your enemies. Your manners against your enemies will give you honor.” The knight’s code has this important line. As an honorable knight, can you wield a spear at an enemy full of wounds?」

Were these words a pure joke, or were these words the true meaning behind Garras’ withdrawal? The soldier could not understand the meaning behind Garras’ words. Which question was the answer to his words? The soldier could not make a decision.