Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

For some things, their responsibilities are even more arduous...

Because that is something the deceased can no longer do.

“Cough cough…” Karl suddenly coughed a few times.

He suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.

“Karl!!” Gragu shouted excitedly.

Fortunately, Night had already dodged and caught Karl, preventing his forehead from hitting the sharp stones on the ground.

Carl: "I...I'm fine. Let's go!"

Tiberius Gracchus cried out in anguish, "Are you really alright? Please don't die, Karl."

Only you…

If we were to say who, besides the night, fought the hardest to protect themselves along the way...

The old man in front of me is absolutely deserving of the title!

He even risked his life to ensure Gracchus's survival.

Gracchus's fear of him had long since vanished after countless sacrifices, leaving only deep guilt and gratitude.

In the Ebro River, Karl spent the second most time swimming with Gracchus, a time second only to the night.

Given his advanced age and the amount of physical exertion he had expended, Karl was the most likely to die first.

But perhaps because he was thinking of his son at home and the restoration of his family's glory, this man couldn't allow himself to die, which is why he has lived until now.

That body should have been completely burned away long ago.

Ye gritted her teeth, refusing to look down at the man's face.

He couldn't bear it—

Night knows—that struggle for survival, that will, is absolutely no weaker than her own.

But Night, with Apollo's blessing and help, gained the power to continue fighting, while Karl did not.

If he could, he would have loved to share that power with everyone, even if it only increased their chances of survival by a fraction.

P.S.: Uploaded from my phone, so I didn't check the formatting much. I hope there are no typos or missing words.

Chapter 79 Because no one else is crying, that's why I'm crying for them.

"Can you...promise me one thing?"

After that fainting spell at the town gate.

Although Karl did not die immediately, his flesh visibly shrunk, and his vitality waned day by day.

Even after the three of them washed up and had a hearty meal in town.

But Karl's life seemed beyond saving...

And it seems that he knew his destiny had come to an end!

finally--

On the way back, Karl suddenly stopped his horse and said those words.

His expression was different from usual; it was somewhat strange.

Night and Gracchus were startled, both realizing a certain possibility...

They stared at Karl for a long time before finally agreeing.

Carl laughed!

This was the first time he had shown a clear emotional expression since he became weak.

That was a smile of immense relief and peace of mind.

Night and Gracchus didn't even ask what his request was about.

And Carl wouldn't let the two of them do anything difficult...

He shakily put his hands in his pockets, and after a long while, he handed the two of them a note.

It had an address written on it that looked like someone's.

"You can find my son there... his name is—"

……

On this day, Carl seemed to transform from a veteran into a talkative old lady, uttering countless words.

Neither Night nor Tiberius showed the slightest impatience, listening to him finish speaking.

Smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

Karl died with a smile on his face, content and at peace.

He said—

He preferred to die a more heroic and carefree death than to make a scene of noise and crying, and he didn't want anyone to be sad for him.

Everyone can walk out of the shadow of death with a smile and move on.

This was the scene he had been waiting for...

Night and Tiberius seemed completely unconcerned about Karl's death, continuing with their daily routines as they pleased.

Even after Karl's death, he continued on without sorrow.

Well—if you ignore their trembling arms.

After several more days of travel, they finally returned to Rome!

Upon arriving in Rome, Ye heard countless enthusiastic cheers.

Someone shouted excitedly, "Our hero—is back!!!"

Night and Tiberius: What is this...?

[He crossed the 25-kilometer Ebro River, fought against thousands of Spanish soldiers, and half of them escaped.]

Your fame has already spread throughout Rome, and many people have heard your legends even on your journey back to the capital.

They estimated the time of your arrival in Rome, and countless Roman commoners and nobles spontaneously held a grand triumphant celebration for you in front of the city gates.

Although in the end only you and Tiberius reached Rome.

But this does not diminish the fact that people love you as heroes.

"The Last Hero of Rome," that's how people chant your name...

In this era of defeat on every battlefield and the absence of a single hero, people believed that if Rome still had a hero, it was you!

However, while everyone was chanting the name of Rome's last hero.

But your mind is filled with memories of the fallen warriors.

Those who live bask in glory and are loved by all. Those who truly sacrificed for Rome are forgotten—they have long since fallen.

They are nameless, simply because no one remembers their names.

People are singing praises of love and hope, glory and strength.

But then Night heard Tiberius weeping beside him…

You ask him why he's crying—

He said, "I'm crying for them because nobody else is crying..."

If even the motherland forgets the names of those heroes, and no one remembers them, wouldn't their souls truly die after death?

Forgetting is more terrifying than death...

Yes, forgetting is a more terrifying thing than death.

Ye suddenly thought of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. Everyone remembered the name Leonidas, simply because he was the leader of the Spartan warriors who created the great feat and miracle of the Battle of Thermopylae—it was the name of the "King".

But who will remember the names of the other three hundred warriors?

Just like now, people are chanting their own names.

But Ye felt no joy in her heart, only a profound heaviness.

Rather than being "the last hero of Rome," he clearly wanted to be the "Magnus" in the hearts of those warriors.

Finally, Night rode his horse expressionlessly through the flower-lined path built for him by the Roman people.

...It's infuriating.

Night suddenly clenched her hand on the reins.

What a final hero, the gatekeeper of Rome's glory, the perfect battle on the Ebro River.

As he stepped onto the passageway, he was greeted by a cacophony of excited praise and boasting.

Even the nobles who came to greet him kept praising him, their faces beaming with warm smiles, as if they wanted to curry favor with him.

But what they didn't know was that the more they said that, the more agitated Ye became, the colder her expression grew, and the icier her gaze became.

People always believe in baseless rumors about the hope of saving Rome.

When politicians weave countless lies to create so-called 'destined' heroes, the battle itself becomes a synonym for miracle.

But Ye didn't think so.

Miracles have an expiration date. Without those 43 people supporting each other all the way, and without those 39 people fighting bloody battles and risking their entire crazy will.

Without any one of them, they could not have achieved the so-called miracle and escaped back to Rome.

And everyone died... What kind of miracle is it that everyone sacrificed themselves?

Ye once thought that after knowing his fate, he could save everything and redeem those unjust destinies.

But he can only redeem the visible aspects of his fate...

When he found himself caught up in fate, encountering a battle never before described in history, he learned a lesson from destiny.

Humans can only change what is known, not what is unknown. This sense of powerlessness frustrated him, and it felt as if a flame was burning in his chest.

He had clearly done his job, even if no one supported him or endorsed him.