Chapter 108: Chapter 32. The Teacher
I Will Eventually Embark on the Path of No Return Called a Hero [Arc2] - 32. The Teacher
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"Is there no one who can fight me?"
While Karna and Vlad III were engaged in battle, Achilles was wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
His nearly invincible chariot concealed his only weakness—the heel. Driven by the immortal horses gifted by the sea god, his chariot rampaged across the battlefield, crushing everything in its path. No one could stop him.
Perhaps Vlad III could use iron stakes to knock the chariot down, but he was currently in a stalemate with Karna, leaving Achilles free to continue his rampage.
"Tsk, maybe I should just go find Cyd," Achilles said with a pout from atop his chariot.
He enjoyed tormenting his enemies. In fact, most Greek warriors shared this enjoyment because, for them, combat was an offering to the gods. Only by thoroughly crushing their enemies could they truly please the gods.
He had responded to the summons to face other heroes. Although crushing opponents was exhilarating, he felt an emptiness. He yearned for a direct, close-quarters fight with another heroic spirit.
Born from being dipped in the River Styx, he was invulnerable except for his heel. His life had been smooth sailing until death, and on the battlefield, he was an invincible existence. He craved victory but even more, he longed for a satisfying fight.
He wanted a battle where he risked his life!
When he learned that Cyd was also a heroic spirit in the Holy Grail War, he was excited. He didn't care if Cyd was a Ruler; he had no interest in the Holy Grail itself. From the moment he saw Cyd, he knew his wish was fulfilled. Growing up hearing stories about Cyd, he had always longed for a battle with him.
His current goal was to crush the heroic spirits from both the Red and Black factions—well, except for the lady—and then have a regret-free battle with Cyd.
But right now, he was incredibly bored!
If no other heroic spirits came to challenge him, he would immediately go after Vlad III.
"It seems our great hero is getting impatient," said the Black Caster, Avicebron, from within the castle, snapping his fingers. "But those who are high and mighty often fail to see what's right beneath them."
"Clang----"
The speeding chariot suddenly bogged down as if it had sunk into a swamp. Achilles, standing atop it, nearly fell off.
"Ha ha ha, had a mishap, did you? Look at your wheels. While you were recklessly charging around, you were already trapped."
A somewhat grating voice rang in Achilles's ears.
"If you don't want your head smashed, shut up," Achilles didn't need to look to know it was the horse that always mocked him when he was in dire straits. Thanks to it, Achilles noticed that his wheels were having issues.
Achilles leaned out to inspect the wheels. At some point, fragments of golems had started sticking to them, and the accumulating dirt had finally jammed the tires, instantly solidifying and making the chariot's wheels fuse with the ground.
"Tsk, an enemy magician, huh?" Achilles casually shot down the homunculi and golems trying to attack him from the chariot, "This level of interference is useless!"
With that, Achilles raised his spear and jabbed at the dirt on the wheels.
"No, it's already enough."
From the smoke of the shattered golems, a muscular hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Achilles's face.
"Hiding behind golems!" Achilles's eyes narrowed sharply. Instinctively, he raised his spear to block his face, but it was too late. The hand accurately grabbed his face and yanked him off the chariot.
"Boom----"
At that moment, Achilles felt as though he was being choked and dragged by the chariot, and the sensation on his face indicated that the opponent could inflict damage.
The only enemy that could damage him should be a single rider!
But what was that hoofbeat? Was this Archer riding a horse?
"Black Archer!"
Achilles roared and swung his spear at the heroic spirit who had managed to dismount him from his chariot. His field of vision was clear enough to strike this opponent.
However, the Black Archer, who didn't even look at him, seemed to know the exact dimensions of Achilles's spear. The Archer reached out with his other hand and directly grabbed the spear.
"What!"
"Bang----"
Before Achilles could fully react, he was thrown into the forest. After smashing through a few trees, Achilles spun around and drove his spear into the ground to forcefully stop himself.
"Really bold," Achilles rubbed his sore neck, "An Archer is able to do this."
"Never underestimate anyone."
The familiar voice and tone made Achilles's expression stiffen.
"Achilles, you have an immortal body, so you always become overconfident and excessively sharp," Chiron emerged from behind the fallen trees and approached Achilles, his usually gentle smile now tinged with a hint of helplessness and bitterness. "It is my fault that you died because of this."
"Why…" Achilles stared blankly at the familiar figure before him.
"Because there are desires," Chiron drew his bow and aimed at Achilles.
Achilles clenched his fists.
"You're still too naive," Chiron shook his head, "You can mercilessly defeat enemies, but when it comes to people you know or find admirable, you become more lenient. As a hero, this is undoubtedly a virtue, but in the Holy Grail War, it is a fatal weakness. Do you understand, Achilles?"
Achilles took a deep breath and nodded earnestly.
At this moment, it was as if they had returned to the past. Chiron, combining strictness and gentleness, would always pat Achilles's head with varying force, teaching him. Over nine years, he had grown into a hero on par with Heracles and Cyd, but there was always one thing he wondered.
"Before this, there was something I always wanted to know," Achilles looked at Chiron with seriousness.
Why did his teacher always sneak out at night to find pain-relieving herbs?
Why did his teacher always have a proud yet bitter expression when talking about Cyd?
Why… did his immortal teacher die…
He had always been puzzled, but later it seemed he understood something. All the questions intertwined into one.
"Teacher… do you regret it?"
The world sang praises of Cyd, whether it was his father, who could never lift his head in front of his mother, or his mother, the sea goddess, who always told stories about Cyd. Yet, whenever the stories reached their end, his father would sigh, and his mother would show a look of indignation.
Later, he heard some rumors.
The king of the gods, Zeus, was in fear—fearful of Cyd, blessed with immortality, including by the twelve major gods. Cyd might one day overthrow his rule, so he sent Cyd to Tartarus to battle the previous king of the gods.
Cyd could not return. He faced the same immortal gods, and the war between immortals had no end. Even if it reached the eternal end, and immortality was worn out, Cyd could not survive.
But Cyd would survive. Even if fighting until the end of immortality, he would survive because…
"I have never regretted it," Chiron smiled gently.
There was a teacher like that.
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