Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 135

Chapter 135: I’m Sorry and Thank You Chapter 135: I’m Sorry and Thank You Under the vast expanse of the twilight sky, I walked alongside Freya, Lyra, Amelia, Marius, Julius, Termina, Luna, Erin, and Hendrik’s team.

The evening breeze carried a solemn air as we made our way toward Kael’s grave.

Waiting for us there were Cain and Leopold, the two remaining brothers of Kael.

As his kin, they had chosen to stand with us in this moment of remembrance.

Cain’s presence surprised me the most.

As the head of the Flamemore family, he rarely displayed personal sentiments, yet tonight, he was here, standing before his younger brother’s grave.

His face remained composed, firm as ever, yet the aura he exuded was unmistakable-one of deep, unspoken sorrow.

Stepping beside him, I gazed down at Kael’s grave.

Cain, ever the silent observer, said nothing, allowing me to speak first.

“Yo, Kael… I came to visit,” I began, my voice steady, yet carrying the weight of emotion.

“The first time we met, you were obnoxious, always loud, always trying to act like the strongest in the room.

But now, here you are, so quiet… It feels unnatural.

The last time I saw you, you faced Zorx with everything you had.

Even though you weren’t as strong as the rest of your family, you never backed down.

You fought relentlessly.

That was proof of your determination, Kael.

As annoying and overconfident as you were, you were still my comrade, my classmate.” As I spoke, I could see Freya, Erin, and Leopold breaking down into tears.

The others remained silent, their emotions welling up but held back.

The quiet sound of muffled sobs filled the air.

Freya, Leopold, and Erin, the ones Kael had protected with his life, wept openly, calling his name in grief.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to keep my composure.

“I never expected you to sacrifice yourself for your comrades when facing Zorx.

That wasn’t the Kael I once knew.

Back in the academy, you were an arrogant coward who boasted about your noble lineage.

You even challenged me to a duel when I returned.

You were a pain in the ass, to be honest.

I even burned your hair off in that duel, and it never grew back.” I let out a shaky chuckle before my voice softened.

“I… I always felt guilty about that.

Maybe if I had helped you find a way to regrow your hair, or if I had trained with you like I did with Marius and Julius, things would’ve been different.

I should have helped you get stronger… Instead, I just saw you as an annoying rival.

If you hated me for it, I wouldn’t blame you.” My voice cracked, and before I knew it, tears began trailing down my cheeks.

Even Envi, who usually had something snarky to say in my head, was silent.

I could feel his quiet grief, merging with my own.

At that moment, I felt Freya’s warm hand gripping mine.

I turned to her, and she gave me a firm, reassuring squeeze.

“I think you’re wrong, Naoki-dono,” Freya whispered through her tears.

“Kael never hated you.” I stared at her in confusion, but she continued, her voice growing steadier despite the tears in her eyes.

“I spent a lot of time with Kael these past few months.

We trained together, pushed each other forward.

He was different after losing to you.

He wasn’t the same arrogant noble he used to be.” She paused, taking a shaky breath.

“When I asked him why, he said that after losing to you-the so-called weakest student of the academy-his pride was shattered.

He despised you for it at first.

But then he saw your strength, how you kept pushing forward, how you defeated the Demon Warlords.

He realized he wasn’t doing enough.

He saw you as proof that hard work could surpass talent… and he wanted to be like you.” Leopold, still wiping his tears, nodded.

“That’s right, Naoki.

Kael admired you.

He pushed himself harder because of you.

He wanted to be strong, not just for himself, but for all of us.

He refused to give up, no matter how grueling the training was.

He even endured our brother Cain’s hellish training without complaint.” I inhaled sharply, stunned into silence.

“…I didn’t know,” I finally murmured, then smiled faintly.

“Damn you, Kael… You were just a big, bald tsundere after all.” Cain, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke.

“Weaklings meet this kind of fate.

It was his fault for not being strong enough.

I can’t protect the weak forever.” Everyone turned to him in shock, their grief momentarily replaced with disbelief.

I immediately countered his words.

“That’s not true, Cain.

Kael became strong.

He was stronger than anyone else in that moment.

He sacrificed himself for his comrades.

He gave his life to give you the chance to defeat Zorx.” Cain fell silent, but for the briefest moment, I caught something.

A flicker of emotion.

A barely-there smile before he turned away.

I turned back to Kael’s grave and exhaled.

“You should be proud, Kael.

You were amazing.

Thank you for protecting everyone.

I’ll be waiting to face you again someday.” Cain turned to leave, but before he walked away, he stopped and said, “Naoki… Come to the Braveheart Royal Palace tomorrow.

Headmaster Arsene von Braveheart and King Aslan von Braveheart wish to meet you.

We’ll speak more then.” I glanced at Amelia, who nodded, confirming her father and sister’s intentions.

“Got it, Cain.

See you tomorrow.” Before he left, Cain looked at Freya.

“And you, Freya.

You have training tomorrow.

Don’t think you can slack off.

You’re officially part of the Flamemore family now.

Before I return to the battlefield, I’ll make sure you’re ready.” Freya straightened up, determination flashing in her eyes.

“I won’t hold back, Cain-sama!

I’ll give it my all!” Cain merely nodded and walked away, leaving us to finish our visit.

… After Kael’s grave, we made our way to another set of tombstones.

This time, it was for Val and Greg-Erin’s fallen teammates who had perished fighting Zorx.

Erin collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lyra, Amelia, Freya, Luna, and Termina embraced her, offering their silent support.

Even though Val and Greg had been my classmates, I hadn’t known them well.

Still, their deaths weighed heavily on me.

I stepped forward, placing a hand on Erin’s shoulder.

“Hold your head high, Erin.

They wouldn’t want you to mourn forever.

The best way to honor them is to keep moving forward, to become stronger, and to live carrying their will.

Can you do that?” Erin sniffled, wiping her tears.

“…Yes, Naoki-sama.

I will.” A spark of determination returned to her eyes.

I nodded in approval.

The final part of our visit took us to the grave of Professor Alden.

The one who had once guided us all.

…

We had arrived at Professor Alden’s grave.

I stood in front of the tombstone, running my fingers over the cold stone, feeling the weight of loss press heavily upon my chest.

“Without you, Professor Alden, we all would have died fighting the Dungeon Boss.

Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to save my comrades.

Without you, I wouldn’t have had the strength to defeat that monster,” I said, my voice quiet but firm, my head slightly bowed in respect.

A heavy silence lingered in the air.

Even the wind seemed to mourn with us, rustling the grass softly as if whispering words of comfort.

Julius, a student from Class 3-A, unlike us from Class 3-C, stepped forward.

He clenched his fists, his expression hard but his voice carrying sincerity.

“He was a great professor.

I envy all of you for having him as your homeroom teacher.

Thank you, Professor, for saving me as well.” “That’s right,” Termina added, her voice laced with sorrow.

“He didn’t just protect his own students; he protected all of us.

He was a true teacher in every sense of the word.” Lyra wiped away the tears that threatened to fall as she took a deep breath before speaking.

“Professor Alden, you were the first to believe in my potential as a magic knight.

You always seemed so happy teaching me magic, guiding me patiently through every spell.

I promise to carry on your legacy, Professor.

I will never forget the lessons you taught me.” Her voice wavered at the end, and finally, she broke down, sobbing into her hands.

Freya, standing beside her, also stepped forward, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“Professor Alden was always patient with us, even though Class 3-C was notorious for causing trouble.

He never got angry, even when I told him I wanted to focus on swordsmanship instead of magic.

He had spent so much time teaching me spells, yet instead of being disappointed, he simply smiled and supported my decision.

Because of him, I was able to become this strong.” Her voice cracked, and she gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the sobs threatening to escape.

Then it was Amelia’s turn.

As a princess, she was expected to uphold a regal and composed demeanor, but today, all formality melted away.

She bowed deeply before the grave, showing respect beyond words.

“Professor Alden should have dismissed me from Class 3-C since I was only supposed to be an observer for the King’s special mission.

But instead, he allowed me to continue attending lessons, to be a part of this class… He even insisted on including my name on the graduation list.

Thanks to him, I was able to experience a life I never thought I would have.

Thank you, Professor… for everything.” Luna, our class president, who was usually expressionless, had her lips pressed tightly together as if trying to hold back her emotions.

“Professor Alden, I was a terrible class president.

I could never properly keep our classmates in order.

There were so many times I wanted to quit, but you always encouraged me.

You believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.

I owe you more than I can ever repay.” Her voice grew fainter with every word, her hands trembling at her sides.

Marius, Erin, Hendrik, and his team also stepped forward to pay their respects, each sharing their gratitude and regrets.

Their words were filled with sorrow, but also deep admiration.

More tears fell, and sniffles echoed through the quiet graveyard.

I clenched my fists, summoning all the strength I had left to keep my composure.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke again.

“Professor Alden, next week, we will graduate.

The King and Headmistress Arsene are planning a grand celebration, both to honor our victory over the Demon Warlords and to commemorate those who have fallen.

You wanted to see us graduate more than anything, but fate had other plans.

Even so, your courage in protecting your students will never be forgotten.

You were a true teacher, in every sense of the word.

Thank you, Professor.” I forced a smile through the pain, even as my vision blurred with unshed tears.

“Rest well, Professor Alden.

Though… knowing you, you probably won’t have much time to rest now that you’re with Instructor Morgan up there.

The two of you were best friends, so I doubt you’ll ever get bored.” I chuckled weakly, but my heart ached with every word.

“Watch over us from above.

We will make sure to live in a way that would make you proud.

Until we meet again.” With those final words, we turned away from the grave, leaving the resting place of our beloved professor behind.

The evening sky was breathtakingly beautiful, painted in hues of gold and crimson, as if the heavens themselves were offering a silent tribute to the fallen.

I could only hope that our departed comrades were witnessing an even more beautiful sight in the afterlife.

….

The next day, I was summoned to meet King Aslan von Braveheart and Headmistress Arsene von Braveheart.

At the time, I had no idea that something completely unexpected was about to happen.

…

..

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