My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

In front of the imperial palace square, several corpses hung in the open air.

At the center of them was the body of a woman with golden hair cascading lifelessly down her shoulders.

“…I was too late again.”

The moment she took in the sight before her, Salvia murmured under her breath. Her tone was calm, yet a chilling coldness laced her voice.

Aquila swiftly pulled her away from the scene. Though Salvia kept glancing back, they had to leave. If they lingered too long or acted suspiciously, they might be captured as well.

She was strung up in a way they had never imagined, a grotesque contradiction to how she had lived.

The official charge: Spreading seditious ideology and attempting treason.

And for that, she had been executed.

“This is all my fault.”

Salvia had tried to stop it, but she had failed.

Despair gripped her. If they had arrived just a little earlier—if they had acted faster—perhaps she wouldn’t have been executed.

Salvia hadn’t been particularly close to her in life. They had barely spoken, and she only realized later that the woman had been preparing, just like her, to change this world.

That was why, when she heard about the execution, she couldn’t just stand by. She had spent time with her in the Border Defense Army, after all. Even if it was too late, she had wanted—desperately—to save her.

“…I’ve failed again.”

As Salvia wept, Aquila silently led her up the mountain. If an Arkon were seen at the execution site, they too could be accused of harboring seditious thoughts.

By the time they reached the peak, the sky had turned crimson with the setting sun.

Looking out over the horizon, Salvia gripped the hand of the person beside her. The warmth of his touch grounded her, slowing the tears that had refused to stop.

“Aquila.”@@novelbin@@

“Yeah.”

“Where did we go wrong?”

Everything they had attempted had ended in failure.

They had failed to stop April’s execution.