I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 641: The Lucky Ones Have Corpses

As Adam gazed through the starry night sky from the peaceful blessed land, Julius did the same on the chaotic flying ship.

Dried blood coated the battered dark hull in a deep burgundy that filled his nostrils with the stench of decay. But it didn’t bother him. Not anymore... not more than the cleaved tentacles writhing on the deck, the burnt body parts of sea beasts, and the stiff corpses of his former teachers, schoolmates, and refugees.

In two brief weeks of travel, he had seen horrors he could not name before they departed—the same his brother had tried to protect him from. Forget about innocent pranks and dark humour; only carnage, rage, and madness paved their path. The most ironic? It was supposed to be a path to hope.

The tumultuous dark flows beneath them engulfed people in the hundreds, and sea beasts devoured even more. As for those still on the deck? They were the lucky ones. After all, they still had a corpse to bury.

"Did I make the right choice, big brother?" A guilty mutter escaped his eyes, the moonlight reflecting on his blood-soaked hair. "Did I doom us all?"

Hearing him as he caught his breath after the latest battle, Arun snapped his face towards him. The innocent young man who once believed wealth and rank could solve almost all his problems was no more. His dashing features and arrogant gaze had faded, too, leaving behind the weary traits of a young warrior longing to return home.

"Don’t doubt!" He gripped Julius’ shoulders, clenching his jaw. "Everyone agreed, and Elena prepared the flying ship long before you offered to leave. The lack of food, the refugees, the beasts. We were cornered, so put your mind together."

Julius gazed into Arun’s eyes, the grief hidden behind the determined facade not escaping him. Even after a month, the death of the father he had looked up to his entire life, his mother, relatives, and duchy still affected his best friend.

But Arun was right. He couldn’t let doubts gnaw at him. It was just... unbearable to feel powerless while watching so many people die.

He forced a crooked smile as he nodded. "I won’t. But Arun, don’t you sometimes miss those days? They were dangerous and we brushed sides with death a few times..." A soft smile curved his lips. "Alright, many times because of big brother’s outbursts. But when I compare them to our current situation—this new reality—I can’t help but miss them."

Arun’s palm trembled as he covered his forehead. "Of course I do." His lips quivered before he snuffed his emotions. "But they’re gone. You’re torturing yourself with false hopes. Your big brother won’t return... nor will my father."

With a sharp exhale, he turned. "Focus on your mother, and no matter what, survive." Then, he walked toward the cockpit, his eyes dim and his heart heavy.

Left alone, Julius leaned against the railing. "Even you don’t believe he’ll return. But that crazy Gaston is right. Or do I just want to believe he is?"

His smile broadened as he remembered their adventures. There was no way Adam would die like that. "He will return. And we will survive."

With a last gaze at the sky, he nodded at Gwen and the medical team through the blinding mana swirling around the wounded. Amidst their whimpers and mangled limbs, he didn’t notice a familiar girl as he entered the cockpit.

The once overcrowded interior felt empty now that many students had died. He still felt a pang of lingering guilt, but as horrible as it sounded, they had prioritised the summoned’s survival since they had better potential.

He sighed in front of the council’s door. That was another of their unjust decisions—one he would have never considered. But it was the only correct one if they wanted a fighting chance to reclaim their province one day.

As he prayed for the innocent deceased’s souls, he pushed the metallic door and stepped in.

He only saw Elena, Gaston, and Nathan seated around the hovering holographic screen displaying their surroundings in real-time.

Those three... he knew more than anyone that Gaston was heartless, but how could the other two not show a sliver of grief, guilt, or even doubt? Honestly, their calm and ruthlessness chilled his blood.

Gaston saw him first, his signature vicious smile playing on his lips. "Looks like we survived another day. Who would have thought? Well, everyone didn’t get this chance, right Nathan?"

Nathan sighed. "Alexander Harrington along with three teachers and two hundred students, died today. I hope his departure won’t affect you, Julius."

Julius sank into his seat, his eyes dimming. The former duke who had taught him about rulership for months and hoped to overthrow the Bellor family’s tyranny had died just like that. Why did everyone he knew have to die? When would they finally escape this unending journey?

But he couldn’t let grief affect him. He had to store it in a sealed corner of his heart, far from his hopes of saving as many by fighting on the frontline.

"I’ll manage." He grumbled, struggling to suppress his cracking voice. "Are we close to the province edges?"

Elena drummed on the table, her eyelashes fluttering on the map. "We are." She raised three fingers. "We’re out in three days. But tell me, boy, do I have to bind you to your room to keep you away from those fights? More than the summoned, you must survive and let your potential bloom."

"I can’t." He shook his head, a steely glint flashing in his eyes. "That’s not what my brother would have done."

Elena rolled her eyes, but Gaston’s smile broadened. "Always comparing yourself with him, huh? Let me tell you something: you’re not him. I acknowledge your impressive analytical capabilities and courage, though. Even he didn’t have them."

He clenched his fist between them. "But you don’t have his self-confidence. Look at you. You’re stumbling after every choice, after every death. If you don’t like it, don’t become like him—surpass him."

Julius’ lips twisted, and his nose scrunched in suppressed anger. "Don’t lecture me, you bastard." He gripped his gladius, his eyes narrowing. "Or do you want to settle our scores once and for all?"

A heavy silence engulfed the room for a second before Gaston pointed at his cold blue eyes. "You need me more than I need any of you. Think about it, Julius. Do you think I’d die in this chaotic era or rise to the pinnacle on my own? When will you drop your misplaced animosity and act according to the situation?" He shrugged. "That’s something your brother understood pretty well."

Julius grunted as he moved out of the room. Never! Even if they had survived Gaston’s scheme by the skin of their teeth, he’d never forgive him for killing Grandpa Theo in the worst possible way.

Back in his room, he cleaned himself, then slid under his blankets. Three days. They just had to hold for three more days to see a new sunrise chase the despair trying to devour their hearts.

With this thought reverberating in his mind, his eyelids closed and his exhausted body finally relaxed.

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AN: Reminder: 1 day for Julius=20 for Adam. We’ll switch back to him in a few Chapters. :D

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶