I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

Roland was glad the demon general did not flee; he welcomed him with open arms.

He still had his heavy weapons to look forward to and was ready to unleash them when the time was right.

He put away the sword he had taken from the demon and stepped forward to meet his opponent head-on. The fight needed to appear simple at first, luring the enemy into thinking they were retreating before springing the trap with the hidden weapons.

The machines were well concealed behind the walls, though that also made aiming difficult. With magic, however, this changed. Wind mages stationed above the castle gates were ready to enhance the trajectory of the barrage. All Roland had to do was maneuver the enemy into the perfect spot.

He rushed forward, cutting down a few demons who tried to intercept him on the way to their leader. His troops kept close, ready to fall back at a moment's notice. They moved like ocean waves, surging forward and retreating in rhythm to avoid being overrun. At times, Roland raised a large magic ward to push Arnak's army back back.

As for the demon Arnak himself, he seemed wary for some reason, darting from side to side as if probing for a weakness.

"How long can you last, hero? Two thousand against my army? Don't tell me you think the half-bloods will make up the numbers. Sure, they have magic, but we created weapons and armor for exactly this purpose," the demon taunted from afar.

He didn't close in to attack Roland directly. But whenever he struck at the hero's forces, dozens were left scattered, dead, or injured.

"Fall back!" Roland finally gave the order, his magic shield covering as many of his troops as possible.

They retreated slowly toward the walls, the demons still unsatisfied in their bloodlust chasing after them. Step by step, they were being drawn into the perfect kill zone. The only problem now was luring General Arnak inside as well.

Roland's smile widened. He had the perfect bait one name that would make the demon lose control.

"Was the girl we were talking about earlier perhaps… one named Moragg?"

Every demon in sight seemed to twitch at once.

"Kill him! Enter the walls and recover the princess!"

The frenzy that followed even made the general himself leap forward several paces toward Roland. But before he could close the gap, what looked like burning chunks of the sun came hurtling down from above.

Roland held his magic wards around them as the artillery slammed into the ground before them. The impact tore apart everything in its path. He couldn't help but lament that some of his own troops were caught in the barrage.

Minutes later, the battlefield was scorched black. Broken stone, shattered earth, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air.

"Well… we won, Renar. Three generals gone. How many did you say there were?"

His friend just waved him off, still sitting on the ground, staring at the destruction they'd caused.

"I'll check for survivors. Don't let your guard down," Roland ordered as he drew his two swords, no longer feeling the strength to keep using his one-hander.

As Roland moved across the battlefield, he occasionally drove his blade through lingering foes while pulling to safety any lucky survivors from his army. He hoped the light elemental would aid them, as it had previously shown the ability to distinguish friend from foe.

[My light will never kill those who fight for justice… but I cannot promise the same for wounds dealt by stone or bolt. Remember well, hero once, a spirit brought the demons to aid humans. Do not become like them and destroy this world, for you will gain the power to do so. Look around you… more than fifty thousand have died by our magic. There is no good in such death.]

Even with his deep hatred for the demonfolk, it seemed Elios still held a certain respect for life and death.

Roland continued scouring the field, determined to find the general's corpse. He needed to know if Arnak was truly dead. That was when he spotted a hand rising weakly in the distance Arnak, staring up at the sky.

"All we wished… was to be taken back… Why did you forsake us, spirits? You gave us power… only to take it away…"

The general's empty gaze seemed lost in memories of serving his lord and king with unwavering loyalty. He recalled his own world its days both good and bad now mirrored here. Red skies stretched endlessly above, the land dry and lifeless, water scarce. They no longer needed food, drawing their sustenance instead from mana itself.

Arnak's voice grew fainter. "Is she… safe? She was… a good child…"

Roland winced, knowing too well what had been done to her. "Better than she would be with you."

The demon gave a few labored chuckles before blood filled his throat. Within moments, the life faded from his eyes.

With that, Roland had finally slain three generals. They were only lower-ranked ones he knew that but each kill brought him precious experience.

[So, Elios… there's a question I have for you. If demons have no mana, why do I still level up?]

[Simple. You are given more of our power if we deem you worth that itself is the real experience. The more power you receive from a spirit, the closer your bond becomes and vice versa.]

Roland had more questions for him, but for now, his priority was recovering his troops. Nearly seven hundred had been killed, another three hundred were heavily injured, and some could only heal with the aid of a clergy or priest.

He didn't want to give Stella any more work; she already had her brother to worry about.

It took four long hours to tend to everyone, and by the end, Roland's mana was nearly depleted. Even Elios warned him not to cast another spell.

"Fine… I'll just sleep. My head hurts… I might even be getting a cold."

[Really? A cold? When I'm responsible for keeping you in peak condition?]

After a long meeting, Roland finally managed to collapse into a bed. Their next goal was to push deeper into enemy territory and start gathering more humans or even half-bloods.

If there was one thing they lacked, and this battle had made painfully clear, it was numbers. Roland couldn't always be there or fight near his troops to protect them.

Just as he was about to settle in for some rest, Elios's voice cut through his thoughts, tinged with irritation after Roland's constant pestering.

[Stop asking me about the girl. I already told you she's fine. Just focus on recovering your own strength… I need rest too.]

With nothing more he could do for Stella, Roland drifted into sleep. He was so deeply out that he didn't notice she returned during the night. When he finally woke, it was to the sight of the face he loved most sleeping beside him.

He checked himself and muttered,

"Damn… only now do I realize how much mana we used up. I've only recovered half."

He let Stella sleep a while longer. They could talk all day, but later it was still too early. Slowly, he pulled her closer and went back to sleep.

The next day would be important for Roland. He was finally going to speak with Stella's father and brother about marrying her. He didn't want to have regrets, just as Stella had once told him.

Sure, they could have waited for a better time, one without so much conflic,t but this war could last years. They had no way of knowing what might happen.

Roland made his way toward the king's elegant chambers the next morning.

The man had been given not only the largest room, but also the finest in appearance.

"Roland, my boy, congratulations on your victory yesterday. I only wish you'd left one alive so they could spread word of the disaster that befell that demon general," the king said, clearly pleased.

Knowing his son was safe, he gripped Roland by the shoulders and gave him a gentle pat.

"Thanks," Roland replied with a faint smile. "I suppose I should be asking for a reward now, right? How about this, can you let me marry Stella?"

Roland could have kept fooling around, but knowing that Stella's brother and father were likely aware of how deep their relationship had grown, he realized it was best to be honest about it, not only to prevent any future conflict, but because he truly wanted Stella as his own.

The king's pats shifted from gentle to firm thumps on his shoulder, ending with a tight squeeze.

"Guess I should finally accept it, huh? I tried to turn a blind eye to it."

Halter's golden eyes locked onto Roland.

"I've said this before, and I'll say it again: just protect her. As for the wedding, it will be held tomorrow. We'll make it lavish to boost the morale of our camp."

Roland had yet to do the most important thing.

To tell Stella herself.

But with her father's approval, there was nothing stopping him now.

He knew he was rushing, but this was a fast-paced life. Every day brought something new, something that could change everything.

Returning upstairs, he found Stella still asleep. Time with her brother had clearly worn her out, and her return late in the night had drained her further.

"Stella? I hope you're feeling better now?" Roland asked as he stepped closer, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She shyly pulled her blanket up around herself.

"What is it, Roland…?"

He looked into her beautiful grey-gold eyes, the mark of those who had accepted the Light Spirit's blessing.

"Will you… Go out with me today?"

He was on the verge of being tactless, something he'd often been in his previous lonely life… but decided to give her a real date before telling her.