Chapter 326. The Difficult Promise
「Despite Priscilla's group-wide mockery, Garfiel—usually the most short-tempered—remained listless and didn't bark back... Having suffered such a defeat in battle, he truly felt a deep sense of shame.」
「"The main reason for the defeat was my poor command. Stop using your nonsense to insult these heroes, Priscilla."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman's intervention and his act of taking the responsibility made Garfiel, Wilhelm, and the others feel even more ashamed. "General! It was clearly me—"」
「"If you feel guilty, then take a good rest for a while, recoup your energy, and then wash away this disgrace in the next battle, Garfiel." Hikigaya Hachiman interrupted Garfiel's voice of grief and indignation. He scanned the room. "Wash away the disgrace. Live up to the word 'great.' Bear the glory of being the heroes who saved the Water Gate City. Me, and all of you—all of us."」
「His voice was steady, yet it was more inspiring than any thunderous roar or earth-shaking shout. Even after the meeting adjourned, Crusch still felt the words ringing in her ears, her mind filled with Hikigaya Hachiman's cool and heroic presence.」
「"How... how... ahh... Sir Hachiman."」
「After the meeting, Priscilla sat near Hachiman with her arms crossed, glancing at him sideways with a playful smirk. "Using Me to make those fallen warriors stand up again—don't you plan to say something, you clever little fool?"」
「Hikigaya Hachiman nodded without a hint of hesitation. "Yeah. Thanks. You helped a lot, Priscilla."」
「"—"」
「Priscilla was visibly stunned. her mouth drifted open slightly—a rare lapse in her composure. She hadn't expected this "fool," who had previously been so confrontational with her, to be so flexible. He had bowed his head without the slightest hesitation.」
「"What's with that look?" Hachiman found her reaction amusing. "If you do something wrong, I'll scold you. If you do something good, of course I'll praise and thank you. It's not like I have too much pride to say it."」
「"Arrogant! In this world, only We grant praise; no one is permitted to grant Us rewards. Not even a responsible fool!"」
「Priscilla's expression became terrifying. With a thwack, she tried to hit Hachiman with her fan. But as if he had foresight, Hachiman easily dodged her attack and walked away with a wave of his hand.」
「Leaving a surprised Priscilla alone in the hall, staring blankly at her own fair arm and her fan, repeatedly replaying the moment Hachiman had dodged her.」
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Priscilla being slighted would have made many people cheer in the past. But now that she had made a massive contribution, no one was laughing. Especially the tens of thousands of citizens in the Water Gate City; they were profoundly grateful to everyone in the five candidate camps, and that included Priscilla.
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「Before starting the broadcast, Hikigaya Hachiman still had things to do. He needed to ensure that everyone heading into battle was at their most spirited, capable of exerting power beyond their normal limits.」
「"General, I want to... break our promise."」
「Garfiel, who had sought him out with a face full of determination, spoke up. "That matter on my mind I wanted to tell the General... I want to say it now."」
「...Fight the battle, survive, and then confide in him—that was the promise between Garfiel and Hachiman. Wanting to confide now meant that Garfiel had already prepared himself to sacrifice his life for victory.」
「Better to die gloriously than live in humiliation. That was Garfiel, a man among men. Since Liliana's song could cancel Sirius's influence, his death wouldn't cause others to die with him. Therefore, he was absolutely willing to risk everything to fight the legendary War God with all his might, rather than being held back by worries.」
「Hikigaya Hachiman could not stop a man's ambition; he could only listen.」
「"When I was walking around with Mimi, I saved two kids who almost fell into the water. When I took them home, I saw... their mother. She looks exactly like my mother. Her voice, too."」
「Garfiel's mother had disappeared after being caught in a mudslide while leaving the Sanctuary; everyone believed she was dead.」
「"That woman has amnesia... the time she lost her memory isn't far from when my mother disappeared, and she was found drifting in the river around that same time, too."」
「Garfiel choked up. With so much evidence, it was basically certain that she was his mother. "But, after losing her memory, she married an ordinary man in the Water Gate City and had three children. She's very happy."」
「His eyes filled with tears like a helpless child. He collapsed into Hachiman's arms, sobbing in confusion. "What should I do... General?"」
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Like a bolt from the blue, this revelation struck Garfiel and Frederica. The siblings, in different locations, trembled, looking at this future in disbelief as a thousand complex thoughts bloomed in their hearts.
...In contrast to the trembling siblings, the mother in the Water Gate City—who had regained her memories earlier in the broadcast after seeing Garfiel's memories of the Sanctuary—was currently weeping with gratitude, surrounded by her husband and three children.
"Garfiel... child... my child!"
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「"Is her husband kind? Do the younger siblings you saved like you? How does she feel about you?" After asking a few questions and receiving nods from Garfiel, Hikigaya Hachiman gently patted his back and smiled.」
「The new husband of Garfiel's mother surely knew she wasn't a virgin, yet he accepted her and made her happy.」
「"Then that means your appearance won't destroy this family at all, Garfiel. You're just a overthinking idiot."」
「"Really, General!?"」
「"Yeah. Trust me, Garfiel." Hachiman felt Garfiel shift from suppressed sobbing to teary-eyed hope, and spoke with absolute certainty. "It's fine to break our promise, but I'm going to make a new one with you."」
「"I want you to defeat Kurgan. I want you to wash away the disgrace. I want you to fulfill your ambition, and then I will take you to reunite with your family. I'll take you to see your mother and tell her everything. If I'm there with you, can you be at peace, Garfiel?"」
「Garfiel was now wailing loudly, too choked up to speak, simply nodding his head frantically.」
「Hikigaya Hachiman spoke with great solemnity. "Good. Then it's a promise. This is a promise, a request made by me, your General, to a man among men. Can you complete the mission, Garfiel?"」
「"I... hic... ahhh... I will definitely fulfill the promise. I will definitely complete the mission... because I... once said... that the General who gets me will be like a fish in water—how can I lose again!"」
「Two men, repeatedly battered but still standing tall, stood in the disaster-stricken Water Gate City, at the moment the flood receded, the clouds dispersed, and the sunlight poured down.」
「They made a promise that seemed almost impossible to complete.」
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