Damietta should be within an arm’s reach already. Not to mention that Gilbert with reinforcements would show up any moment now.
It looked like they really were saved. They managed to come out of that hopeless situation alive.
“Hey, we did it,” Victor said. “Crowley, you’ve saved everyone.”
But Crowley shook his head. “…No, it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts and sacrifices: the Commander’s, Rosso’s, Gustavo-senpai’s…”
And not just them. Their numerous dead comrades had fulfilled their mission. They might have lost the war, but everyone died with honor. He saw it with his own eyes: how they sacrificed themselves to protect their comrades, to preserve their honor.
It was because of those sacrifices that he and his comrades were alive - those ten-odd that Gilbert led and the seven beside Crowley right now.
And among them, even his best friend still remained.
Lifting his head, Crowley gazed at him. At Victor. And although late, replied to Victor’s question from earlier, “…I’ll pray when we return.”
Victor made a confused face at him, and Crowley explained, “You asked what we would do first thing when we returned, didn’t you.”
“Ah, yes. I did.”
“And this is my answer: I’ll pray when we return. I’ll go to church and pray. And I’ll say to Our Lord that I’m grateful to Him, even if He only smiled upon us once at the very end.”
Taking the Commander’s rosary out of his pocket, Crowley clutched it in his hand tightly and looked up at the sky like the rest.