At this point, all the recruit could do was swallow hard and nod, as if he had utterly lost the ability to speak.
In the meantime, Leon shifted his gaze toward the massive worm that was letting out a strange moan. It lay sprawled before his eyes, hideously mangled after two devastating attacks.
"Hoo... since when did these worms get this big? It seems a lot has changed in this world." While Leon was marvelling at the size of the monstrous worm that had piqued his interest, the recruits—who had been in the throes of a fierce battle against the beast—were in total shock. One single question echoed in their minds: "Who is this person?"
Although they had seen him with Helmud, many couldn't discern his facial features clearly. To them, he had seemed like nothing more than a vagrant companion accompanying Helmud. However, the man standing before them now was worlds apart from the image they had envisioned.
In those moments of collective stunned silence, the worm blindsided Leon, leaping from its position in a bizarre fashion, much like how it had emerged from the ground fissures earlier. Panic gripped everyone; they had assumed the creature was finished, and its sudden resurgence sent them into a state of terror—with one exception. A single man stood facing the massive beast without so much as blinking.
Leon looked toward the earthworm, which was attempting to crush him with its massive bulk, just as it had done to the recruits moments before. But that was certainly not going to happen. As soon as the falling body of the worm was close enough, Leon's right hand moved, wielding one of the Blood Twins, and sliced the worm into two halves with a lightning-fast strike that was barely visible to the naked eye.
With that, Leon declared the end of the battle with a crushing victory. The worm's body split longitudinally into two halves, each falling to one side of Leon, leaving him standing steadfast between the two severed pieces of the carcass.
At that moment, one of the recruits shouted: "Isn't that the boy who was with Helmud?" Instantly, whispers began to ripple through the crowd. The most frequent murmur described Leon as a "monster." They were unable to fathom what they had seen, for no one could perform such a feat except for seasoned sorcerers, which cast a shadow of doubt over Leon's true identity.
As the whispering continued, there was one person among them who held a different view. He felt that whispering about someone who had just saved them was unseemly and lacked any sense of chivalry.
This person was the very recruit Leon had saved moments ago—the brave soldier who had demonstrated his courage and nobility through his actions on the battlefield.
The recruit quickly stepped forward and took the initiative to thank Leon for their rescue: "Allow me to thank you on behalf of everyone present for saving the day, O Great Sorcerer."
Leon turned back toward the recruit, looking at him with a gaze of admiration. It was as if Leon saw someone else whenever he looked at this young man—someone he respected, valued, and held in high esteem.
As the recruit knelt on his knees to offer his gratitude, Leon spoke to him, saying: "Stand up. That person would never have knelt, even under such circumstances."
At this, the recruit was slightly puzzled and asked hesitantly: "What do you mean?" Leon sighed before answering: "Just someone I know. Regardless, you did well. You deserve to receive a Hero's Medal."
When the recruit heard Leon speak of heroes, he became flustered, as if he were trying to belittle himself, saying: "Ah... a hero? Do you think someone who lost to a giant worm is fit to be a hero?"
Leon replied: "And why not? It isn't necessary for one to possess strength to become a hero. Many people have possessed strength but were never heroes. Rather, the pursuit of a noble goal makes a person closer to being a hero than the mere possession of power."
These words were deeply moving to the recruit, and he was happy to hear them, as if saying to himself: Finally, I have found someone who shares this view.
Leon didn't stop at talking about heroes; he continued: "Take yourself, for example. You chose to sacrifice your miserable life to give the rest a hope for a better tomorrow. That alone is a heroic act, at least in that person's eyes."
Leon had mentioned "that person" several times during this short conversation, until the recruit's curiosity was finally piqued: "Ah... could you tell me who this person is, who sees this act as heroic?"
Leon rubbed his head slightly, as if he had stumbled into a minor predicament, but he answered in his own way: "Hmm, I've forgotten his name, and I don't think any of you would know him anyway. All I remember about him is that he was the perfect embodiment of heroism."
Except for the part about forgetting the name, everything Leon said was true. In all likelihood, Leon was referring to Leonard the Golden Swordsman, one of the strongest players in Wonderland history, who had helped Leon end the threat of the Night Wolves in the past.
In this moment of respite, two shadows appeared on the horizon. As soon as Leon spotted them, he said: "There's Helmud. I hope he managed to save my piggy bank."
The recruit was baffled by these words and didn't understand their meaning at first, until Helmud appeared alongside Albert's assistant, carrying Albert on their shoulders. At that point, the recruit realized the truth.
"So, is there any need to complete the mission?" Leon directed this question to Helmud, who replied: "I believe so. I've managed to save Albert's life for the time being, but he needs specialized medical care as soon as possible."
In the midst of the conversation between Helmud and Leon, Albert's assistant interrupted: "Sir Leon, I beg you to continue escorting us. Without you, we won't be able to finish this journey before nightfall. Sir Albert's life depends on receiving treatment at the earliest opportunity."
Leon showed a hint of annoyance at the assistant's words, as he had suddenly started pleading for his master's life. After a long thought, Leon replied: "Fine, but you must remember my help well. All of you owe me your lives."
These words served as his consent. Once obtained, the army began to reorganize itself to set out once more.
During these moments, Helmud, Albert's assistant, and the brave recruit were counting the losses resulting from the incident: "Eighty-nine dead and thirty-three wounded. That is the damage we've sustained. Although hundreds of soldiers survived, they are exhausted, and I doubt their ability to fight anytime soon."
These were the estimates of Albert's assistant, which revealed why he had clung so desperately to Leon staying with them. No one knew the extent of the dangers they might face if they were attacked by monsters like these again.
Once everyone was ready, they began to march at an accelerated pace to arrive as quickly as possible, especially since Albert's life depended on it.
A few hours passed since the army resumed its march. During this time, the sun was about to set while the army was still trekking toward the city: "Only a few miles left! Come on, we must arrive before dark."
Albert's assistant was performing all of Albert's duties, from leading the army to planning for the war; he was the one in command during this period.
As the army increased its pace, the brave recruit approached Leon, as if trying to speak with him. Leon noticed this immediately and took the initiative to ask his purpose: "So, what is it you want?"
The recruit hesitated slightly before answering: "Ah... actually, I saw you slice that monster in half from up close. I wanted to ask you how you did that."
Leon seemed to be in a bind. It was as if the recruit was asking Leon to teach him, and this was the first time in Leon's history that someone had asked to learn something from him. Consequently, he was at a loss as to how to handle such matters.
"Ah... well, I think you need a good weapon and to bolster your physical strength with magic!" It was a cliché explanation; Leon didn't know how to talk about such things. But paradoxically, the recruit had a different take.
"Hooo, I see. A good weapon and bolstering muscle strength with magic... Hmm, I think that is the secret then." Leon looked quite awkward here; he never thought his simplistic explanation would be so well-received or prove to be that useful.
While Leon and the brave recruit were talking, the vanguard of the army had begun to see the city. Its high walls were now visible from where they stood, looking like a massive, formidable fortress.
At that moment, Leon was excited. This was his first time being in a place crowded with people since he had been reincarnated into this world.