Several times, Ailord wanted to stop to help save the citizens of the Veyrain kingdom from enemy attacks. However, Glok kept stopping him because they had a task that had to be completed immediately, and only in this way did they truly have a chance to face Copperhaven. Ailord could only steel his heart, seeing the citizens who could only flee and hide with tears streaming down their faces. His heart felt so tight, having to leave them just like that without giving any help. They could only help the citizens near them, but not those who were far away.
Ailord understood why they had to do this, but as someone who had never been on a battlefield, he didn't know what should and should not be done. All he could do was follow his heart.
Glok shouted for him to stop separating from them, but he couldn't restrain himself any longer. Too many kingdom citizens had they passed without giving aid, Ailord couldn't do it. And as long as he had the strength to help, he would exert whatever he had so that they all could survive the attack.
"Glok, what should we do?" asked Teena worriedly, watching the figure of Ailord who was already far away, heading toward one of the burning houses.
He could only sigh deeply and head there as well. "Without him, we won't be able to hold out long on the walls. We have to help Ailord save them, the sooner we finish, the better."
"Where are we going to take them!? There's no place to hide here!" Rako shouted in frustration. The longer they delayed, the smaller their chance to save Veyrain from destruction.
"I don't know, we'll think about that later. Right now, just help him save them," ordered Glok, already running there.
The others could only follow, with Rako continuously commenting on Ailord's major mistake on the battlefield: using his heart instead of closing it off. If this continues, he will quickly meet death, as those who use their hearts in battle are always the first to die.
Inside the house, the system informed that the blazing fire was still within a safe range for Walker. However, seeing how intense the heat was, Ailord worried about the child trapped upstairs with someone. From the beginning, the system kept providing information about the kingdom's citizens still trapped inside buildings, unable to get out due to debris or fire. Seeing all of this made Ailord's heart uneasy because he realized he had the ability to save them.
He had told the others that there might still be people trapped inside the buildings, but they refused to help because it would take too much time. And he couldn't explain the reason he capable to find those inside the buildings so quickly. For now, no one should know about the capabilities of Walker's system.
Ailord hurried upstairs, through the stairs covered in thick debris. He smashed it aside, kicking the debris away and rushing upstairs, where he could hear the cries of a small child.
There, he found a little girl crying over a woman whom Ailord was sure was her mother. The woman was pinned down by building debris, and judging by the carpet pushed toward the window, she had likely pushed the child away, sacrificing herself to be hit by it.
He rushed over, the system informing him that the mother's heartbeat could still be felt, though weak. The little girl was frightened upon seeing a metal Construct suddenly appear beside her, but instead of running away, she stood in front of her mother with her arms spread wide. Despite trembling, it was clear from those adorable eyes that she wouldn't leave and would continue to protect her.
Ailord really wanted to remove his helmet to show that he was human and meant to help, but remembering previous incidents, he only knelt in front of her, saying, "I'm sorry for scaring you, but I want to save you. Please give me a chance to save your mother."
Hearing this, her hands immediately dropped as tears flowed again. Ailord was truly grateful that he had dared to come here; he didn't want to leave those in need of help anymore, even if it would cost him his life.
He lifted her, ensuring she remained safe while saying, "Shh, it's okay, it's okay. I don't want the roof to fall on you too. Together, we'll save your mother."
The little girl looked at him, quickly wiped away her tears, and nodded confidently.
Even though she did nothing but watch Ailord lift the debris with one hand, the little girl felt she was helping him save her mother. Her smile blossomed as she saw the debris lifted from her mother's back, and she turned to Ailord with eyes sparkling with hope.
The system informed him that several of her bones were broken and she needed immediate medical attention. Ailord lifted her slowly, careful not to worsen her condition while also being mindful of Walker's weight, which might damage the wooden floor of their house. After ensuring she was secure in his right arm, Ailord ran out through the window, using his back to break through the wall and landing on the street, where Glok had just arrived with a surprised expression.
"H-how did you find her so quickly?"
"I heard a child crying. Quickly, use healing magic on the mother." Ailord didn't say more to avoid scaring the child, and Glok nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, your mother will be okay," he said, gently stroking the child's hair as she nodded again.
Teena and the others arrived shortly after, equally astonished to see that Ailord had already found the kingdom citizen. Without asking many questions, Teena hurried to apply healing magic, and within three seconds, the mother's fingers started to move, and her eyes slowly opened. The little girl jumped down from Ailord, making him worry for a moment, but he smiled as he saw her back in her mother's arms, both of them shedding tears.
Ailord looked back at several houses, with the system informing him that there were still people inside. "I will save those who remain. Quickly find a place for them to take shelter and protect them on the way there. Don't forget to provide healing magic. Find elves who can use such magic to help because we still need Teena. Don't worry, I will move quickly before Copperhaven has a chance to take over the walls."
Before anyone could say anything, Ailord had already re-entered one of the houses, disappearing behind the raging flames. There was no doubt in his words, fitting the person Glok had met for the first time.
Glok smiled, turned to the others, and shouted, "Why are you all still standing around? Follow his orders immediately!"
Rako and Tuko were surprised, not expecting Glok to relinquish leadership so easily. However, they didn't question it and quickly moved to find a place they could use as temporary shelter. One thing was certain: they also began to understand why Glok trusted Ailord so much and held him in such high regard. What they were witnessing now was reminiscent of Grako, the goblin village leader and Glok's father. Someone who would never leave anyone in trouble, even if it would cost his life.
"We're really being outdone by him, aren't we, Glok?" said Teena. A smile appeared on her sweet face, the greenish glow of magic reflecting on her face and making her beautiful eyes shine even brighter.
"Outdone?" Glok looked towards the house. "No, more precisely, we're learning something new. We were so focused on our mission that we forgot about those around us. Didn't I tell you? He is someone extraordinary."
"Go," Teena said, surprising Glok. "I know you've been holding yourself back from saving them, right? You think I haven't noticed your fists clenching ever since we entered the kingdom? After all, you are your father's son. Go save them, I can take care of myself here."
Glok's eyes widened, and he nodded confidently, immediately running towards one of the houses to find anyone who might still be trapped inside. Teena could only watch as he gradually disappeared, vanishing into the flames without fear, even though she was sure Glok felt pain despite using body-strengthening magic.
'Ailord... Because of you, we can get back on the right path. I can't believe I had truly forgotten my heart and turned into someone else. War is so terrifying,' she muttered to herself.
The little child beside her grasped her hand, making sure Teena was alright after seeing her expression. Because of this, Teena almost shed a tear. She quickly put on a soft smile and gently stroked the child's head. "I'm okay. You are truly brave for staying by your mother's side. I'm sure you can become someone extraordinary in the future."
The child beamed and nodded again. "Thank you for saving us."