THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Ahhh!!!" 

"Hey, it is over already! Stop screaming like that!"

After killing the last vanguard still standing, one of the guys screams again like he did anything great. Though there was nothing to it really. 

"Willhem, what about the city?" I guess everybody there is dead. But just in case, it would be good to have survivors.

"The captain we left there is handling the survivors. There are more of them from what that woman said." 

"I see, that's good." 

"Oh, no really."

"You think so?" 

"Yeah, they have los-"

"You guys are incredible!!" 

While I am discussing with Willhem, the surviving people operating the mortars come running to us with crying eyes. Before I can say anything, the woman from the pervert incident jumps on me and we both fall to the ground. 

"You are our hero!!!" She is genuinely crying tears of happiness. Where they that desperate?

"Okay, okay. I get it. Now, please, release me." If there is one thing that I learned, it is the fact that whenever this kind of scene occurs, somebody appears with a 'what are you doing?' then I end up with a broken neck.

I push the girl away the best I can but since I am a bit tired, it is difficult to get away from her sweaty body. Worst yet is that she is still only wearing her top, exposing her breasts and her stomach like it is casual.

"Okay, that's enough." Thankfully, Willhem the savior is there to help. 

"What are you doing?!!" 

He shamelessly grabs the girl by her top and raises her back on her feet. The top almost teared up from it.

"We are all tired and covered in blood. I should be the one to ask what you are doing right now." 

"A-ah, I am sorry." She looks at me all apologetic while I stand up.

"Well, so long as you understand." My wounds have started to close already so I am fine compared to the others.

Willhem and the others are covered in wounds however. Even he is trembling right now, proof of how much he is hurt.

"You guys obviously overdid it."

I extend my hand to him and start healing his body.

"Wow! Capt'!! You were a priest as well? But how?..." 

"Don't think too much about it. You wouldn't understand." 

"Hmph!! I am not that much of an idiot!"

"I never said that, though." I do know that priests who uses healing Angas can't use any other type of Angas. "Anyway, guys. Bing your asses over here! I will heal you all!" 

"Sweet!!" 

"You are the best capt'!!" 

"Woof! Woof!" 

***

While I am healing my teammates, the mortars' operators are picking up the crystals on the ground. There is so much that their uniforms they are using to stock them are full in a matter of minutes, and there are still much more lying around.

"Okay, I am all good now." 

"Help them pick up the crystals then." 

"What? Capt', it will take the rest of the day  to do that and the sun is already up in the sky. This is unfair." 

"Just do it." 

Aside from Willhem and Hendrick, I send all the others to pick up crystals as well. In the mean time, the three of us go to the camp. There might be survivors there as well. When we reach the camp, there is only a crater there to greet us. A smoking, flaming one. There are no traces of the tents or even the trees around the camp. But still, I hear some heartbeats in the trees near us. 

"Capt', you really think there are s-"

"Show yourselves!" I don't think they are survivors since they didn't immediately come when we arrive. Maybe spies for the hammer hands.

Willhem and Hendrick both ready their weapons and take a stance on each of my side. It would be hard to surprise us now.

"For the last time, you either show yourselves or you will die." 

I create a bullet and let it hovering around.

"H-how do we know you aren't part of the rebel force?" 

"If you want to talk to us, show yourselves first. That's the least of the manners!" 

Well said, Hendrick.

Finally, From my left, five people get down a tree. All of them are wearing the church's uniform. I immediately read their minds and none of them are spies. They are new recruits who arrived right before the explosion.

"Who are you guys?" 

Willhem immediately engages the conversation while walking to them.

"W-we are new recruits. We were sent here just yesterday night. And this morning, our captain ordered us to go on a patrol around the camp while the people from the city were brought in then…" 

It is a guy who answers first. There are three guys and two girls in their group. One of the girls keep staring at me. Does she know me?

"Then what?" 

"…"

The guy doesn't manage to speak anymore. Instead, the girl who is staring at me advances in front of him.

"The people who were brought by the commander seems to have partners. While we were patrolling, a group of people dressed in black passes by us but they seem too strong so we let them go without engaging them."

"And you think they are responsible for this?" 

"Yes, we are sure of it." 

"I see. Well, what do we do, Capt'?" 

"Are you the star of Mercuria?" 

Before I can answer Willhem, the girl speaks again. She doesn't seem afraid at all. 

"What if I am?" 

"I just want to know."

"I am whatever you want then. Did those guys have anything on them? Did you follow them to see what they did."

"I notice that one of them was carrying a bag. A big one. As for whether they are alive or not. I personally think they are."

"What?! What are you sayong?!"

"They are surely dead! Stop bringing bad luck to us!" 

"Shut up!" 

Willhem calms the group down while I look at the scale of the explosion. If this girl  is speaking the truth then those guys are surely alive. We will get another chance of meeting them.

"Anyway, there is nothing more we can do here. Let's go to the city."

"What about them?"

"Let their people judge them. We are mercenaries, not justice freaks." 

I am not one to judge people about whether they should do something or not.

***

When we arrive at the village, the captain is at the gate together with the guys from the mortars and our teams' members. They seem to be discussing and it is quite the noisy discussion since we can hear them from afar.

"There is noway they defeated all those by themselves!! Tell me the truth!!" 

"That's the truth, fucking dammit!! What kind of blockhead are you?!!" 

"Don't insult me!! I am a captain of the eternal army!!" 

"And I am ranked higher than you, you dimwit!"

The exhibitionist girl and the captain are quite heated up but they immediately calm down when we arrive. The captain actually runs to me and grabs my armor with all his strength.

"Please, tell me there are survivors. The camp didn't get destroyed, right?" 

He shows me a pitiful smile of desperate hope. But it is no use. The truth will always prevail. I simply shake my head while showing him the five people we brought.

"Those are your survivors." 

I shake him off then go to K'nor who is lying down, bored. He starts waving his tail when he sees me but doesn't stand up. You have become lazy, boy. Or maybe you are just tired. We did fight quite hard this time around.

"What about the people here." I look at one of the operators and he looks inside the city.

"They are all in the mayor's building. From what the captain said, there are only fifty people left." 

"That much?" Where we they all when we entered the city?

"This city is supposed to have ten thousands people living here." 

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." 

"Wow. They went extra hard on them." IS this really what the hammer hands want? Killing his own people? What for?

"What?!!! You left pass?!!" 

Suddenly, the captain's voice resounds like a drum. I guess you guys are dead.

"Y-yes, sir." Everyone is silent and observe the scene unfolding.

"I see…" 

The captain brings out his sword and raise it. It is already worn out and only the two third remains but since he is injecting Angas, it will surely the work. The five guys just close their eyes. All of them are trembling like leafs to the wind but none is trying to flee or justify themselves. They know what they did is unforgivable. 

Also, the captain's hand is wavering. His whole body is trembling. He is hesitating? Why?

"Tch. So boring." Willhem…You are one insensitive fucker.

"Sir, wait." The exhibitionist calls out to him, making him stop. I guess with that, there won't be any blood spilled anymore. Though I didn't mind.