C328, 329, 330
Chapter 328: Ouroboros (3)
Some might call her foolish.
After all, everyone dies someday, and everyone experiences loss at some point in their lives.
It was a common tragedy.
Some might be surprised.
That the woman who seemed so cold-hearted was being driven to ruin by the death of a family member.
Some might call her weak.
That she couldn’t overcome something that everyone else could in twenty years.
Even Amelia thought they weren’t wrong.
But…
Thud!
…her sister would have said this.
She would have stroked her hair and said, “You must have had a hard time.”
She would have hugged her tightly and said, “It’s okay, I’m here for you.”
Even if everyone else thought she was strange, even if they called her cold-hearted.
To her sister, she was just a young and sensitive girl.
The only person in the world who saw her that way.
Right, that’s what she would have done…
“So, sorry…”
“Who are you apologizing to?”
Amelia closed her eyes, ignoring the pain in her stomach.
“Sister…”
She had failed.
She had trained for twenty years for this day, but she was still too weak to defeat him.
She had tried to talk to him, to clear up his misunderstanding that she was from the Rose Knight Order, but he didn’t listen.
A battle ensued, and she desperately tried to buy time for her sister to escape.
But that was it.
“What, are you seeing things?”
The man scoffed and twisted his blade.
Amelia felt a burning pain in her wound.
“You think I’ll let you get away?”
The sharp pain brought her back to reality.
“You have to see it too. What I had to go through.”
He pulled out his sword, and Amelia collapsed. He grabbed her hair and dragged her forward.
What was about to happen was clear.
[I can show you what it feels like to lose something.]
He was going to kill her sister in front of her.
Just like that day.
Splash!
Her heart pounded with every step.
Her consciousness faded, and the scene before her eyes changed every time she opened her eyes.
“You didn’t get far.”
The man’s mutter.
“Si, sister…”
“Go! I’ll…!”
The conversation they had that day.
“Amelia…!”
The sword aimed at her younger self.
And…
Thud!
Her sister, hugging her younger self.
“Sister…!!”
The sword pierced her sister’s chest, just like that day.
‘I couldn’t change anything…’
Amelia finally realized.
That this was the end of her twenty-year-long wish.
That the happy ending where they lived happily ever after only existed in fairy tales.
“You have a good expression.”
In reality, there was only a weak and foolish human woman standing there.
Whoosh!
He pulled out the sword from her sister’s body. And Amelia’s consciousness faded, and the scene changed again.
A dark sewer filled with the stench of blood.
Kwaaang!
A deafening roar filled the passage.
“Sigh, why are you even crying?”
She felt warmth on her cold skin.
“It’s not over yet.”
Not over yet?
What did he mean?
She didn’t know.
But…
“You’ve worked hard. Let me take care of it now, get some rest.”
…her tense body relaxed, and she closed her eyes at his words.
“It will be all over when you wake up.”
It was the last scene she saw.
______________________
“What are you doing! Take your sister and run!”
I shouted at young Amelia.
Baby Amelia, for short.
“Ah, ah…!”
Baby Amelia hesitated for a moment and then lifted her sister onto her back and started running.
Phew, then I can leave the old man to her…
I shifted my gaze.
“You…!”
Liuhen Praha was looking around in confusion. It seemed like he was checking if the ‘Knight of Light’ was also here…
‘This guy is ridiculous.’
“You should have just run away. Why did you come all the way here?”
He didn’t answer my question.
He just averted his gaze with a strange expression.
“Don’t tell me… you got lost while trying to find the way out?”
I asked, even though I didn’t think that was possible.
He answered briefly,
“…Fate led me here.”
“Damn it, fate, my ass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but then I realized that ‘fate’ wasn’t entirely wrong.
If everything happened as it was supposed to, no matter how hard you struggled, what was the difference between that and fate?
He then asked me a question.
“By the way… are you alone?”
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t even friends with the Knight of Light, so there was no need to hide it.
I nodded and then asked him something I was curious about.
“Hey, can I ask you one more thing? Why are you so obsessed with her?”
“…It’s none of your business.”
“Geez, you’re prickly.”
I subtly glanced at Amelia. Her injuries were healing rapidly, even to the naked eye.
It was because I had torn another Bond scroll before entering the fray.
In other words, Amelia was no longer affected by [Flameless Spirit] because we were now in a 3-person Bond.
‘It would have been easier if she was conscious.’
It was a bit disappointing, but what could I do?
It was a small price to pay for a Companion Recruitment Ticket (SSR).
Right, so…
“Move aside. If you just let her go—”
“What the hell are you talking about? You’re just a one-trick pony.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Just attack me.”
This would be my last battle in this time travel.
______________________
“Huff, huff…”
The young girl, running through the sewer passage, gasped for air. Her burning muscles showed no signs of cooling down, and an even more intense heat was coming from her back.
“Si, sister… are, are you okay…?”
Amelia kept talking to Laura, even though she was struggling to breathe.
“…….”
There was no answer.
But she tried to ignore her growing unease and continued running. But could it be because she was carrying Laura on her back while running with her exhausted body?
“Ugh…!”
Amelia, who had been jogging, stumbled and fell. It wasn’t because she tripped, but because her legs gave out.
“Sister! Are you okay? Huh?”
Amelia checked on Laura first, worried that she might have been injured in the fall.
“Ah, Amelia…”
Laura’s voice was weak, as if she had regained consciousness from the shock.
“Si, sister! It, it’s okay! We’re almost there. Don’t talk and—”
“Alo, alone…”
Her voice trailed off, but Amelia knew what she was going to say.
She was telling her to leave her behind.
If she had the energy, she would have added all sorts of reasons, like how she was already done for, or that it was more rational for Amelia to live.
But…
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re saying.”
Amelia pretended not to hear and gently helped Laura up.
Laura’s body, which used to be at least 15 centimeters taller than hers, felt unusually small.
It also felt lighter than before.
Her stamina hadn’t recovered.
“Blood…”
It was because of the blood she had lost.
Laura’s body had become lighter as her life force drained away.
Amelia leaned her sister against the wall and tore her clothes to apply pressure to the wound.
And she poured all the potions she had on it.
She had been too flustered to think straight, but she should have done this sooner.
‘Wh, why am I so stupid…’
She felt a sense of self-deprecation.
Her sister, who was always calm, would have known what to do in this situation.
“Ugh…!”
Laura groaned in pain as the potion started to heal the wound.
The veins on her forehead and neck were bulging.
“Si, sister! Just hold on a little longer…”
Amelia lifted Laura onto her back again.
But just as she was about to get up…
Kwaaang!
…a deafening roar shook the passage.
And…
Thud, thud, thud.
…the ceiling collapsed, raining down rocks.
Amelia stumbled forward.
Someone had pushed her from behind.
Thud!
Amelia quickly turned around.
And she saw her sister.
It was a surreal sight.
Her beloved sister’s lower body was crushed beneath a giant rock.
“Amelia…”
“Si, sister…”
Amelia approached her, as if in a trance.
But Laura pushed her hand away.
“Wh, what are you doing?!”
Amelia shouted, and…
…Laura’s eyes, half-open, looked at her.
“You… were resentful… even of your enemies…”
“Ah, I know. You would have done the same. Anyway, I know, so stop being stubborn—”
“Listen…!”
Amelia shut her mouth at Laura’s shout.
Her voice was raspy, and it wasn’t even that loud, but Amelia froze, as if she couldn’t disobey.
Thud.
Laura placed her hand on Amelia’s cheek.
And she spoke in a gentle voice, unlike before.
“He… came, didn’t he?”
“…….”
“He’s… here, isn’t he…?”
Tears streamed down Amelia’s cheeks.
She didn’t know if they were tears of sadness or relief.
But one thing was certain.
Thump!
Her heart started pounding like crazy.
Maybe she had known all along, even though she had tried to deny it.
“Wh, why… are you saying that…?”
Laura’s words didn’t include herself.
As if this moment was her last.
“Si, sister… don’t give up. You drank a potion, right? We’re almost there… Don’t worry about the rock, I, I’ll take care of it. I, I will… Okay?”
Laura bit her lip, her expression pained, at Amelia’s plea.
But it was only for a moment.
“Forget… all the painful memories… you had here.”
“…….”
“Your… normal life… is finally beginning.”
Laura forced a smile.
And…
“……!”
…it happened in an instant.
Thud.
Laura reached out, pulled out the dagger from Amelia’s belt, and stabbed herself in the neck.
Thud!
“No…!”
Amelia hurriedly pulled out the dagger.
And she poured the remaining potion on the wound and pressed down on it with both hands to stop the bleeding.
But…
“No, no, no…”
…it wasn’t enough.
The blood stopped flowing.
Sizzle.
The potion stopped bubbling.
The warmth in her hands faded.
The blood was sticky, but it was no longer warm.
“Ah… ah, ah…”
Amelia realized.
Her sister was gone.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!”
Amelia screamed, hugging her sister’s upper body.
And at that moment…
…the ceiling collapsed again, raining down rocks.
Rumble!
Amelia saw it, but she didn’t dodge.
She was going to stay here until the end.
But the cruel world didn’t even allow that.
“…Ugh!”
Her body was pulled back, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.
Thud!
Her vision blurred as the back of her head hit the wall.
Amelia looked at her sister, who was buried under the debris, as her consciousness faded.
That’s when…
Thud.
…she heard footsteps.
Amelia instinctively turned her head towards the sound.
An old man was walking towards her.
“Wh, who…”
The old man looked at her with an emotionless expression at Amelia’s mutter. But if you looked closely, he seemed to be contemplating something.
A brief silence followed.
“Sigh, he’s so demanding.”
The old man sighed and spoke.
“Auril Gabis. That’s my name.”
--------------------------------------
Chapter 329: Ouroboros (4)
The Traitor, Ricardo Liuhen Praha.
The battle with this guy shocked me in many ways.
It was my first time realizing that ‘weapon mastery’, not ‘specs’ like essence skills, high stats, or Aura, could have such a huge impact on a battle.
Whoosh!
Even his seemingly casual swings were all calculated, setting up his next move.
It was a level beyond simply being good at fighting.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was in a desperate situation.
‘I don’t have to win.’
As long as I could stall for time, it was my victory.
So I focused on observing his swordsmanship as I stalled.
‘I think I’m starting to see it.’
At first, I had to rely on my senses and reflexes to dodge and block his attacks, but as time passed, I started to see it. How he was using his current move to set up his next one.
Whoosh!
He was aiming for my wrist to keep me occupied.
The best option was to dodge back…
‘But he’s expecting that. Then my neck would be exposed.’
It was a checkmate.
Assuming [Flameless Spirit] was working properly.
Swoosh.
I deactivated [Gigantification], and my body shrank, and his sword grazed my wrist. But had he anticipated even this?
Whoosh!
His sword twisted like a snake and aimed for my thigh.
Tadat.
I quickly retreated.
But he saw my movement and changed his sword’s trajectory without hesitation.
Towards Amelia, who was unconscious.
‘Damn it…’
I quickly used [Transcendence] and [Eye of the Storm] to pull him towards me.
Amelia was safe now.
But…
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
…as if he had anticipated even this, he swung his sword as he was being dragged by the wind.
Well, I managed to avoid it…
‘What the hell, is his brain a supercomputer?’
The more I fought him, the more I felt like I was being played.
It felt like he could read my every move. I could understand how modern Go players felt when they were defeated by AI.
‘It would be really helpful if I could learn something from him.’
Although it wasn’t something I could learn just by watching, it wasn’t every day that I fought a swordsman of this caliber in a life-or-death battle, so I stalled for time, trying to learn as much as I could.
After some time…
‘The old man should be done by now…’
…I thought.
“Ugh…”
Amelia groaned.
She wasn’t conscious yet, but it was a sign that her injuries were healing.
‘Okay, I can take him down 2v1 once Amelia wakes up…’
That was probably why he had been targeting Amelia whenever he had the chance, even while fighting me.
He was a ruthless fighter who didn’t have any pride as a swordsman, as we could see from his fight against the Knight of Light.
He would run away if the situation became unfavorable.
Without hesitation.
Like right now.
“…I won’t forget this.”
He judged that now was the best time to escape, before Amelia woke up.
Tadat.
He retreated, leaving behind a cliché villain line, and I didn’t follow him.
I didn’t show it, but I was almost out of MP.
I had been using [Swing] to match his strength every time I blocked his sword, and I had been spamming [Transcendence], [Leap], and [Eye of the Storm] throughout the battle.
‘Well, then that’s settled…’
I approached Amelia.
Her breathing was stable, and it seemed like her severed arm would take a bit more time to heal—
“Haha.”
I heard a voice behind me.
I quickly turned around, and…
“You really defeated him alone?”
…Auril Gabis was looking at me with an impressed expression.
_______________________
“It would have been much easier if you had helped.”
“I didn’t want to see him yet.”
“I see…”
I looked away, knowing that he wouldn’t give me a reason.
There was something floating in the air next to Auril Gabis, as if he was using telekinesis.
No, it was a person.
Baby Amelia, unconscious.
It seemed like things had gone smoothly on that side since she was here…
‘But I have to confirm.’
I looked at Auril Gabis and asked,
“So… what happened?”
“It went well. He said my name at the end, just like you asked.”
“What about Laura?”
“Hmm, you’re suddenly being curt…”
“Haha, of course not. It’s a misunderstanding.”
The old man looked at me suspiciously and then chuckled, as if it wasn’t important.
“Anyway, it’s the same for this girl’s sister. I gave her the medicine and healed her, then sent her to the surface, just like you asked.”
He was efficient.
He said he threw her into the first carriage he saw and disguised it as an accident?
It would be evidence that she had lost her memories.
And he even put an ID card of someone around her age in her pocket…
“I think I know what you’re after. You didn’t do anything stupid, did you? Haha.”
“Of course not.”
It seemed like there wouldn’t be any problems with her sister.
So I confirmed the next item on the agenda.
“But what happened to her sister?”
“Don’t worry. I told you, didn’t I? Subtle magic is my specialty. She’ll never realize that she saw a hallucination. Everything was real, except for her sister’s death.”
The part where Laura was crushed by the rock and stabbed herself in the neck was real. The only hallucination was that the potion stopped working when her heart stopped.
“But why did you have to reveal my name?”
“She said it happened that way in her memories.”
It was a necessary part of the script to eliminate any contradictions.
“Hmm, that’s true. You’re quite clever. I didn’t expect you to come up with such a brilliant idea.”
The old man looked at me with admiration, but I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
It was a ridiculous farce.
It felt like I was an actor following a script.
‘This is so inefficient.’
I still couldn’t understand it.
I wouldn’t have done it this way.
There was no need to pretend that Laura died…
…and there was no reason to bring Amelia to Noark. I could have just sent her to the surface with her sister.
It could have been a happy ending for everyone.
But I had used this inefficient method, a method that made a young girl suffer for twenty years.
Because I went back in time and met Auril Gabis.
Because I realized that there was no way to change what had already happened.
I had decided on the outcome and then filled in the blanks.
‘Maybe…’
Maybe the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, was meaningless from the beginning.
After all, what did it matter?
The egg laid by a chicken would eventually become a chicken.
“You don’t seem happy.”
I honestly told Auril Gabis what I was thinking. He listened patiently and then patted my arm.
“I understand how you feel, but don’t think too much about it. You also gained a lot from this, didn’t you?”
It wasn’t a very helpful consolation.
Information that could only be obtained in the past, the buff Auril Gabis gave me, Kraul’s Demon Crusher, a Double Numbered Item, and an Amelia (SSR) Recruitment Ticket.
I had definitely gained a lot, but…
“The world, the nation, and society are all maintained because everyone fulfills their roles. Think of this as your role.”
That made me feel even more uneasy.
What the hell is the Fragment of Records?
I wanted to ask more, but I didn’t have time.
“Now that everything’s over, I think it’s time for you to receive the reward we agreed on—”
I firmly cut off Auril Gabis as he subtly changed the subject.
“We’re not done yet.”
“Huh?”
“Give her to me.”
There was one more thing I had to do.
______________________
Amelia was being carried on someone’s back, running through the sewers, when she regained consciousness.
She wondered who it was, her mind still hazy.
“You’re awake?”
The voice brought her back to her senses.
No wonder his back felt so wide.
“Iron Mask…”
It was Iron Mask.
The one who, unlike the other clan members, had been kind to her and her sister, both in the labyrinth and outside.
And…
‘Emily’s companion.’
She didn’t know why, but Emily had been taking care of them all day. She wasn’t oblivious.
‘Why are they helping us…?’
She couldn’t understand.
But one thing was certain.
She and her sister would have been…
‘Been…?’
Memories flooded back to her.
“Si, sister!”
“……?”
“Wh, what happened to her? She, she was right next to me…! Didn’t you see her?”
“…You were the only one I found in the rubble.”
“Ah…”
Amelia clenched her fists.
“Ah, ah…”
Her mind was spinning.
Iron Mask’s explanation of the situation sounded muffled.
“We’re going back to Noark now. The way out to the city is blocked… What, are you asleep?”
A deep, low voice echoed in her fading consciousness.
“…I’m sorry, I couldn’t save her.”
“…….”
“See you later.”
That was the last thing she remembered.
“This is…”
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a desolate cemetery.
She could see Noark’s fortress in the distance, and the air smelled of smoke.
And…
“…….”
…she was alone.
Iron Mask wasn’t there, and neither was Emily.
And her only sister was gone.
Swoosh.
Amelia drew her dagger, as if possessed.
It was covered in blood.
“Si, sister…”
She realized it as she looked at the blood on the dagger.
What had happened today wasn’t a dream.
“Ah, ah…”
She heard a commotion as she sat there for a long time.
“Over here! There’s someone here!”
“What the, who is she?”
“It’s one of Pelic Barker’s runners.”
“Let’s take her, she might know something.”
Amelia was dragged into the city by the guards, and she finally realized…
“…….”
…that she was completely alone.
Her sister, who had always protected her, was gone.
She had to survive in this city alone.
______________________
“Seeing her like that makes me feel bad. Like I did something wrong.”
What the hell, is he trying to act like a kind old man?
He doesn’t even mean it.
“By the way, where’s your companion?”
“She’s still there.”
“You left an unconscious woman behind…”
“Don’t worry, she’ll wake up as soon as I leave.”
Hmm, if he says so.
I also felt relieved.
She could take care of herself, no matter what happened.
But I was curious about one thing.
“But why didn’t she come with you?”
Auril Gabis answered as if it was obvious.
“We have things to discuss.”
Ah, that…
‘I can’t refuse now…’
It’s human nature to act differently when you’re entering and leaving a bathroom.
Although I had made up my mind to give in, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“Are you planning to break your promise?”
Auril Gabis’ voice was gentle, but there was an underlying pressure.
“Your name.”
The old man took a step closer as I subtly avoided his gaze.
“Tell me your name. Or you can take off your mask first. Hmm, right… it would be better to see your face first.”
His presence was intimidating.
Therefore…
“Wa, wait!”
…I hurriedly raised my hand and stopped him.
And I reached into my subspace pocket.
He asked, watching me,
“…Why are you searching your bag?”
Because I had something to try.
“The Fragment of Records?”
He tilted his head as he saw the item I took out.
“Why do you have that?”
Why?
Because it was my last resort.
After all, the Lord had said,
[It’s the same as when you arrived. You’ll be summoned back when you finish what you have to do here…]
The way to return to my original time was to finish my ‘role’. I had judged that my remaining ‘role’ was to save Laura.
And that role was now complete.
In other words, if this worked, I could escape to the future without paying him.
Well, that was the plan…
‘Why isn’t it working?’
…but the Fragment of Records didn’t react.
But could it be that my disappointment showed on my face?
“…Haha, so that was your plan.”
The old man seemed to have figured out my intentions, his eyes widening.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to be on good terms with you. That’s why I even did all those favors for you… but to think you were planning to betray me until the very end.”
“It’s a misunderstanding… a misunderstanding. If we just talk calmly—”
“Enough. I know how to handle you now.”
‘Damn it.’
I involuntarily took a step back, and Auril Gabis gestured in the air.
Whoosh!
My body was pulled towards him by an invisible force, as if he was using [Eye of the Storm]. When I came to my senses, I was standing right in front of him.
“Well, then let’s see your face first.”
He reached out towards my helmet.
‘Damn it, I should have just taken it off myself.’
It was too late for regrets.
Thud.
That’s when, as his fingertips touched my helmet…
…there’s light even in the darkest night.
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
The Fragment of Records in my hand suddenly started emitting a bright white light.
‘Right, this is how you exploit an old man.’
I grinned as the world turned white.
“So, sorry about that. I was trying to keep my promise, but…”
“…You bastard!!”
“Don’t shout. What can I do? My role here is over.”
“Your name! Then at least tell me your—”
Flash!
The light exploded, and Auril Gabis’s voice was cut off.
And…
Thud.
…my feet touched the ground.
The timing was tight, but my plan to exploit the old man had succeeded—
“Huh…”
But what the hell?
“Huh…?”
I froze as I looked around.
Everything was the same.
The destroyed cemetery.
The caretaker’s corpse.
And even the smell of smoke from the burning city.
Something should have changed if I had returned to my original time, but everything was the same.
Except…
“Where did the old man go?”
…for Auril Gabis, who was gone.
-------------------------------------
Chapter 330: Ouroboros (5)
A dazed sensation spread through my body from the back of my head.
Thud.
I came to my senses at the sound of something falling.
It was the Fragment of Records.
I was clearly holding it when the light erupted, why did it fall?
“…….”
I quickly picked it up.
And then I realized there was something else on the ground.
“Clothes…?”
It was a robe made of high-quality fabric.
Well, the owner was more important than the material right now.
It wasn’t just an ordinary robe, it was the one Auril Gabis was wearing.
It was lying on the ground.
In the spot where he had been standing.
As if only his body had been sucked away.
“Don’t tell me…”
I looked down at the Fragment of Records in my hand.
“This… activated on him…?”
I was starting to understand the situation.
I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected outcome…
But the Fragment of Records had reacted to Auril Gabis, not me.
‘Ugh, this is confusing.’
I tried to calm down and retrace my steps.
There were two possibilities.
First, Auril Gabis was ‘called by fate’, just like me.
And the second…
[Have you ever used the Fragment of Records?]
[I have.]
…Auril Gabis had already used the Fragment of Records.
If that was the case, it meant he had been living in this time period after being summoned.
And then he met me, finished his ‘role’, and returned to his original time.
‘So if it’s the former, it means he went to the past, and if it’s the latter, it means he went to the future?’
That’s how I organized my thoughts.
But…
‘No, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.’
I realized I didn’t know enough about the Fragment of Records.
So it was wise to keep all possibilities open.
‘Being called by fate’ might not only happen from the past.
He could also be called from the future.
Therefore…
‘I’ll think about this later…’
I put the Fragment of Records back in my subspace pocket and picked up the robe that was on the ground.
And I rummaged through it excitedly.
‘Loot…!’
It was Auril Gabis’s loot.
He must have something interesting…
‘Are you kidding me?’
There was nothing in the robe except for ordinary socks, shoes, and a pair of white silk underwear.
“Damn it!”
I threw the underwear on the ground after realizing what it was.
I was annoyed.
‘Why doesn’t this old man have anything?’
I had high expectations, seeing him exuding the aura of a final boss.
This was a complete bust…
“Ah.”
I belatedly remembered Auril Gabis taking out water from his subspace pocket and drinking it.
I thought it was just a subspace ring back then…
“It must have been a dependent subspace.”
A dependent subspace, only usable by high-ranking mages.
It didn’t have a physical form since it was directly connected to the mage’s soul through a tattoo or something.
‘Uh, wait a minute…’
Then could I use a dependent subspace to take the equipment I had gathered back to my original time?
I had a sudden thought, but it wasn’t a ‘Eureka!’ moment.
Because I wasn’t a mage.
Unlike magic tools, dependent subspaces could only be opened with the mage’s own mana.
‘Damn it, so this is also a bust…’
I sighed and dismissed my regret.
Complaining wouldn’t change anything, and I had something more important to do right now.
‘I have to find Amelia.’
I picked up Auril Gabis’s belongings, put them in my subspace pocket, and then headed back to the sewers.
Although they were just ordinary clothes, I wanted to check again, just in case I missed something.
Splash, splash.
I found a few more bodies as I retraced my steps.
‘This is where the fight happened.’
I looted them all since I wasn’t heartless enough to leave unclaimed equipment behind.
They were all heading towards the surface, so they had expandable backpacks or subspace rings, so I didn’t have any inventory problems.
‘Wow, how much is this worth?’
I continued walking, my shoulders, neck, and arms laden with bags.
But Amelia wasn’t at the place where I had left her.
Judging by the traces of battle with the Captain, this was definitely where she had been lying unconscious.
Where did she go?
I didn’t have to think for long.
‘She must be there…’
I hurried on, unable to hide my bitterness.
And after some time…
“…….”
…I saw Amelia clearing the debris of a collapsed passage.
She was working so diligently that she didn’t even notice me approaching.
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”
What the hell, why is she screaming?
She looked scary, clutching her head with both hands.
I quickly grabbed her wrist.
Thud.
Amelia shuddered and turned her head as soon as our skin touched.
“…………Yandel?”
Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw me, and then she tried to shake me off.
“Let go. I have to find…”
What the hell is she talking about?
“You won’t find anything.”
“What?”
I grinned.
“That’s why I told you. It would be all over when you woke up.”
Amelia looked at me blankly.
It seemed like she didn’t understand…
“Just follow me.”
…so I decided to show her.
________________________
When she regained consciousness, she was filled with despair.
She was alone in this dark sewer, and the familiar silence meant that it was all over.
‘Right, it’s over…’
Amelia got up and started walking.
She had somewhere to go.
She couldn’t do it back then.
[Forget… all the painful memories… you had here.]
[Your… normal life… is finally beginning.]
She had to leave her sister’s body behind.
When she came back later, it was already gone. The workers who were repairing the passage had removed all the bodies.
It had become her lifelong regret.
Therefore…
“I have to find her.”
She had to find her.
Even if it was just a corpse.
She had to retrieve it and give her a proper burial.
She couldn’t leave her sister’s body in this filthy sewer.
She could at least do that, having returned to the past after twenty years. No, maybe that was all she was allowed to do.
“Ugh, heugh…!”
Amelia arrived at the place where the tragedy had occurred and started removing the rocks.
She was so desperate that she looked half-crazed.
And she wasn’t wrong.
“Wh, why…”
She couldn’t find her sister’s body.
It should be here.
Was even this not allowed?
“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”
She screamed for the first time in a long time.
She could usually endure pain, even when her flesh was cut and her bones were broken, with just a groan…
…but not this time.
It felt like her heart was being ripped apart.
Thud.
She felt warmth on her wrist.
“…………Yandel?”
It was him, the person she had seen every day for the past six months.
“Let go. I have to find…”
She tried to shake him off, but the barbarian, as always, didn’t let go. And he lifted her up, saying something she didn’t understand.
And…
“This is…”
…she arrived on the surface after a long walk.
The vast city of Lafdonia, where the royal family’s power reached every corner.
“Ugh, my eyes…”
The midday sun was blinding after the darkness of the sewers.
But the barbarian didn’t give her time to adjust and dragged her somewhere.
“Wh, where are we going?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Amelia looked around as she was being dragged by his strength.
Passersby.
Laughing children and their parents.
Merchants hawking their wares and white marble bathed in sunlight.
It was a place she had longed for.
A world filled with warm sunlight, where she could live a normal life, unlike Noark.
Of course, she knew now…
…that the surface wasn’t a paradise.
There were beasts with even greater malice than those in Noark, and tragedies occurred every day.
But even so…
“At least once…”
…she wanted to see it.
The sight of her and her sister living an ordinary life in this city.
“Huh? What did you just…?”
“Yandel, go on without me. I have something to look for down there—”
“I told you, you won’t find anything.”
The barbarian looked at her with a frustrated expression as she stopped walking.
And he said,
“Your sister is alive.”
“…What?”
Alive?
But how…?
“I’ll… explain later, just follow me.”
The barbarian continued walking, and she didn’t resist.
She was too shocked to think straight.
After some time…
“Phew, I couldn’t find out which shelter she was taken to, so it took a while.”
…Amelia arrived at a shelter on the surface.
She described her sister’s appearance to the staff and found her room.
Creak.
She opened the door and saw a young girl lying on a bed by the window.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window.
“Si, sister…”
It was a surreal sight.
Amelia approached the bed, as if in a trance.
And she held her sister’s hand.
She could feel her sister’s heartbeat.
“How… how is this possible?”
The barbarian explained what had happened at Amelia’s question.
His deal with Auril Gabis.
How he had used the prototype of Lethe’s Blessing to erase her memories and disguised it as a carriage accident.
“She probably won’t remember anything when she wakes up. She’ll just live her life, thinking the name on her ID card is her real name.”
“Ah, ah…”
I see.
“But don’t be too sad. Everything will be fine when we return to twenty years later. You can just tell her the truth and be close to her again.”
Thump, her heart pounded.
It was finally sinking in.
“And besides, you said the Dragonslayer was trying to recover his lost memories? We can find a way together when we get back. How to restore her memories.”
He really did it.
This man.
“Huh? Say something. You’re making me anxious…”
Amelia couldn’t help but chuckle at his anxious expression, even though he had just performed a miracle.
“It’s fine.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I won’t try to restore her memories…”
“Huh? Why?”
Amelia smiled at his question.
It felt awkward, as she hadn’t smiled much in her life.
But…
“It’s better for her to not remember.”
…her sister would be different from now on.
The life she had longed for would begin.
And painful memories would only be a hindrance.
So…
“…Goodbye, sister.”
I’m fine.
Even if I’m not with you.
Even though it’s far from the ordinary life I wanted.
Even though I’m still awkward at smiling.
I’ll be fine.
“Let’s go, barbarian.”
“It’s Yandel, not barbarian.”
“Right, Yandel.”
Because I’m not alone anymore.