episode_0096

Bang!

“Welcome, everyone. You were much faster than I expected.”

The door opened by Chris was, in a way, a shortcut through the barrier.

Since the essence of that barrier was the distortion of space, it was also possible to twist it in reverse to create a direct path.

Cutting off her attempt to explain further, I hastily pushed the door open—only to see myself standing there, wearing a smile so bright it was unsettling.

“Even though I moved quickly, I didn’t expect the barrier to be breached in less than a day. Truly impressive, Chris. You’re far more exceptional than the version of you in my memories.”

“Ah…”

“And why are you even entertaining such nonsense seriously?”

I shoved Chris aside roughly and stepped in front of Fairchild.

“Welcome. You must be my original? Nice to meet you.”

“Stop grinning like that. Seeing my own face make that expression is making me sick.”

“Haha… You seem really angry, huh? I get it. If you heard about me from those two, I can’t blame you.”

“You know well. So don’t even think about trying to convince me I’ve misunderstood or that you’re just acting according to the relic’s principles.”

I pulled out the fragment of the Holy Grail Cecilia had given me.

“Just vanish quietly.”

“Hmm… I thought it’d be nice if we could resolve this through dialogue. Guess that’s too much to ask?”

“Dialogue? More like brainwashing…”

The longer I talked to Fairchild, the more my mind eroded. Even without illusions, Fairchild—a sentient relic—was a master at toying with human minds.

“Hah!”

Before Fairchild could act, I lunged forward, thrusting the Holy Grail fragment straight at it.

If I could just stab it in, Fairchild would lose its place of existence and vanish.

But Fairchild flicked its finger faster than I could strike.

—Click!—

“Ghk—?”

A bizarre distortion.

The last thing I felt was a sickening sense of displacement, as if I were being torn away from this world.

And the next moment—

Vroom! Vroom!

Screeeech!

The nostalgic sound I thought I wouldn’t hear for years—or maybe ever again—pierced my ears painfully.

“What are you standing there dazed for?! You’re gonna get yourself killed!”

“Ah, sorry.”

Instinctively, I stepped back from the crosswalk onto the sidewalk.

The traffic light blinked green once or twice before turning red.

As soon as it did, countless cars began speeding down the road. All I could do was stare blankly at the scene.

Rustle—

Suddenly, I realized I was holding something in one hand.

Clutched tightly, as if I’d never let go, was a simple-looking lottery ticket.

——

“Oppa!”

“Eric! What happened?! Eric!!”

Eric’s decision to charge at Fairchild immediately—believing it to be the surest path to victory—was undoubtedly the right one in their eyes.

But just before the Holy Grail could strike, Fairchild flicked its finger, and Eric froze mid-motion.

He stood rigidly, not as if unconscious, but as if petrified.

“Pointless. He’s already living a life in that world.”

“What… What are you talking about? No, forget explaining.”

Christine lightly gathered the magical energy in the room. Even if she couldn’t go all out due to the divine energy saturating the relic vault, this much would suffice.

“I agree. Release Eric, Fairchild. Before the worst possible outcome unfolds for you.”

“Hmm? That’s a bit odd. He came here to destroy me, didn’t he? Whether I lift the illusion or not, he dies either way.”

“Then you already know how this ends.”

Without hesitation, Cecilia began radiating divine energy.

With Eric in an unknown state, subduing Fairchild took priority.

“Whoa, calm down a little. If you unleash that much divine energy here, all the relics will resonate. Is this really the fair and devout Saint Candidate Cecilia Rastal I know?”

“Shut up. Just because you talk and act like Eric doesn’t mean you’re him.”

“You sure you should be talking to me like that? You don’t even know what state he’s in. If I so much as get a scratch, he might—”

Crash!

Fairchild’s words were cut off as Cecilia’s fist struck.

The relic, something ordinary priests or devotees might never lay eyes on in their lifetime, tumbled to the ground, its support lost.

“I told you to shut up, didn’t I?”

“Well, well.”

Fairchild clicked its tongue lightly, looking at the ruined shelf.

“I know you two care deeply for him, but let’s try to avoid such… barbaric actions, shall we?”

“Even if we die here, we can protect him. So quit the pointless bravado, alright? We’ve already heard everything about you from him. You can’t do anything to him now that he’s trapped in your illusion.”

“Everything about me… Hmm, judging by your words, it seems he hasn’t told you everything about this relic.”

“What?”

“But sitting around doing nothing isn’t my style either. Let me give you a simple explanation.”

Fairchild began pacing the room. Though its steps carried no hint of threat, to the two girls, each movement felt like a ticking bomb.

“First, as you said—yes. I can’t mentally attack Eric Grave in his current state. He’s already under my illusion. One person can’t live in two worlds at once, right?”

“So it doesn’t matter if we destroy you here instead. It won’t be as clean as using the Holy Grail, but…”

“Better than leaving those people outside flopping around like dying fish!”

Cecilia and Christine locked eyes.

If Eric couldn’t break free from the illusion, they’d have to resolve this themselves.

“If you’re even thinking of dying, we’ll drag you back by force.”

“Look who’s talking. You’re the Saint Candidate, yet you’re the one getting lost in illusions.”

“Hold on, hold on.”

Raising both hands, Fairchild faced the two girls, who had braced themselves for combat.

“Your resolve is admirable, but I haven’t finished speaking. Don’t you want to know why Eric Grave fell for my illusion so easily? The Eric I know would’ve boasted he could handle it himself. Was I wrong?”

“That’s…”

Neither could answer easily. By the original plan, Eric should’ve been able to resist Fairchild’s illusions.

“Guess not. Yeah, figured. No matter how much he trusts you, this memory is separate.”

“You know something, don’t you?”

“Of course. The body I’ve copied is undeniably Eric Grave. Even if there are gaps between the idealized version you imagine and the real him, I hold the memories that shaped his actions—why he behaves the way he does.”

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.”

“Eric doesn’t trust you at all. No matter what you do, no matter how much you cling to him, he’ll never feel anything more than obligation toward you.”

“What… What kind of…”

“That’s obviously a lie.”

Fairchild smiled gently at the flustered girls.

“A little shocked? But it’s the truth. Eric Grave sees everyone but himself as nothing more than tools to defeat the Demon King. That’s the only reality.”

——–

Vroom—!

Walking through the city, the sound of cars served as background music. The sights were exactly as I remembered.

The half-built skyscrapers, the snack stall with unbeatable tteokbokki, the traffic lights with their irregular timing—

Though I hadn’t seen these places in years, my memory recalled every detail.

“Ha.”

I’d wandered aimlessly, but before I knew it, I was standing in front of a familiar studio apartment.

Was it homing instinct? Humans might not be as sharp as animals, but their instincts weren’t entirely useless.

“……”

This was where I’d left, excited to claim my lottery winnings.

And then, while crossing the street—

Had it all been a dream?

In my hand was the winning lottery ticket I remembered.

I checked my pockets, but my phone was nowhere to be found.

“Doesn’t matter.”

Soon, I’d be able to change not just my phone, but my home, my meals—my entire life.

So what happened just now was nothing more than a bad daydream. There’s no reason I’d have to endure such hardship.

It was a dream.

Definitely.