episode_0168

“What is it you want?”

I cut straight to the point with Elia. If she was saying things like this, I needed to extract as much information from her as possible. Otherwise, I’d be powerless to resist and remain imprisoned, forced to wait.

“Standing in the heavens? What, do you plan on becoming a god or something?”

“To ordinary people, that might be the case. The fact that you’re not the Prophet but a Regressor, and that you know the full truth of this world yet still choose to cooperate with us—those are secrets that must never be revealed to anyone.”

“I have no intention of telling the others about this. Or that you’ve uncovered my secret. Can’t you just be satisfied with that?”

“Chris probably already knows about this, though.”

“What?”

I was stunned. How did Elia know that?

“It was just a guess, but judging by your expression, I must have hit the mark. I did think it was suspicious how carefully you avoided speaking about it. If she already knew about your situation, it makes sense why she warned Eric Grave not to get too involved with me.”

“Damn it.”

So Chris went that far? I get that she was worried, but now her words had only confirmed Elia’s suspicions, tightening the shackles around me.

“If it’s just Chris, that’s enough, isn’t it? You saw my memories, so you must know the terms of the contract, right?”

“No. I don’t know anything about that contract. Did you forget, Eric? What I told you.”

“Ah.”

Only then did I remember.

Elia had guessed that the condition of my contract was feelings of affection or regret—but she wasn’t certain.

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t see that moment in your memories.”

“You couldn’t see it?”

“That’s right. I could read all your memories, but for some reason, the moment when this cycle began was completely blacked out. I suppose it must have been the moment when you were redefined anew.”

“Right. That’s how it is. But it doesn’t matter. Your guess is correct, anyway.”

Even if she hadn’t read that moment, she had already pieced together the answer. There was no point in denying it now, so I decided to lay it all out plainly. Then, sighing, I spoke to Elia again.

“The important thing isn’t that. What matters is how you and I should proceed from here.”

“I have no intention of letting you roam freely, though?”

“If you try to restrain me, I’ll fight back with everything I’ve got. For the sake of the future, it’s absolutely essential that I keep moving. You know as well as I do that I can’t just spill all the prophecies.”

“Ah, I see. Your memories were the basis for those prophecies. If that’s the case, then I can now fulfill the same role as you. Don’t worry about it.”

“Forget it. There’s nothing good about having those memor—No. That’s not the point.”

From the beginning, all of them possessed memories of the first iteration, so the only advantages I had over them were a few artifacts and battlefield details that were either hinted at or not mentioned in the original work. Even so, that alone had been enough to strengthen them beyond previous cycles.

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? Even the information you yourself have forgotten—I now remember all of it. Don’t worry. I’ve memorized all the necessary artifacts.”

“……”

Elia stared at me with unshaken confidence. Frankly, I had no arguments left. Since she had already absorbed all my memories, my existence was now nothing more than an extra movable piece on the board.

“Elia. Let’s get one thing straight first. What do you plan to do with me? Lock me up somewhere?”

“Hardly. Even I wouldn’t go that far. Have you forgotten? I—no, all of us—owe you an unpayable debt.”

“Then?”

“If you swear not to reveal this truth to the others, I won’t impose harsh restrictions on your movements. Besides, you still need to keep an eye on that thing resembling the Demon King. No, within the capital, at least, I’ll permit you to act freely.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

I immediately resisted. There were still several incidents outside the Empire that would unfold—if I stayed cooped up in the capital, I’d end up dead without even knowing why.

“Even if you’ve seen my memories, don’t you have your own responsibilities? Chris and Cecilia are the same. If I’m going to take Luciella around, you’ll need me.”

“Then you can take my place and assist my younger sister as the Empire’s regent. She’s been indecisive, wavering over her own judgments. Having a prophet by her side would be reassuring.”

“Absolutely not. Why should I trust any of you?”

“Weren’t you just saying you did?”

“Before you blackmailed me. Now you’re willing to abandon the future just to protect one person? What kind of greater purpose is that?”

“Hah. Fair point.”

“You’re not denying it?”

Elia smiled as if amused.

“Because it’s the truth. You might not realize it, but if you knew just how much priority you hold in my mind right now, you’d be shocked.”

“For someone who says that, you’re treating me pretty harshly?”

Ignoring my jab, Elia instead helped me sit up beside her.

“How are your legs?”

“You’re asking that after wrecking them like this?”

I poked and prodded at my legs, even pinching them slightly.

“Hm. I can feel it, and the pain registers fine. They just won’t move.”

It was like waking up from sleep, knowing I should get up—but with the reluctance magnified a hundredfold.

“Then it’s not a problem.”

“You cripple a man and say it’s no big deal?”

“The Empire is vast, and its people are resourceful. Tools for those like you who can’t use their legs? We have more than enough.”

“……”

She clearly intended to stick me in a wheelchair, so I decided to pivot to a more constructive topic.

“Fine, then let’s talk about the future. First, as you said, we’ll keep my current state and the contract a secret.”

“Of the four, only Chris—no, only I know everything about your body, so it’s fine.”

“Right. Chris only knows I’m suffering, not that you can influence me. Still, someone like him would guess his actions had some effect, but he wouldn’t be certain.”

“Understood. Either way, the other two must be silenced.”

“Yes. You’ve seen my memories. You know my condition will only get worse from here. This happened in just the second iteration.”

“Hmm. I wasn’t as devout as Cecilia, but seeing you like this only deepens my skepticism about faith. To demand repentance and salvation in such a twisted state… Whether she’s a god or not, she must be severely warped.”

“I couldn’t agree more. But right now, the Holy Sword takes precedence.”

God or not, I still remembered the hallucinations I experienced when trapped in the church with Cecilia and Chris.

“The Holy Sword. You’re still planning to make Luciella the Hero this time, aren’t you?”

“Obviously. No one is more suited than her.”

“Hmph. Knowing her from the previous world, I understand your choice now. But in earlier iterations, your decision was baffling. Who would’ve thought—Luciella, of all people, could draw the Holy Sword?”

“How long do you think I’ve watched over all of you? I considered a few other candidates, but none were as suitable as her.”

“True enough. Given the Holy Sword’s true nature, it makes perfect sense. No matter what anyone says, fanatics must never wield it.”

Ironically, the Holy Sword bestowed by the Goddess upon Heroes could never be drawn by those with strong faith and righteousness. Holy Sword was an avatar of the Goddess’s will—yet if the wielder’s devotion was too strong, they risked being consumed by it.

That was why Luciella was the perfect candidate.

Expressionless, detached, always maintaining neutrality—a coward who concealed her emotions was, in truth, the most fitting wielder.

“Exactly. Our immediate goal is to ensure Luciella obtains the Holy Sword. Without her wielding it, nothing begins. Once the festival ends, I intend to secure it for her within a week. Ideally, before the festival concludes. I know every condition, precise location, and method of selection.”

“Must you rush things? Regardless, leaving the academy—Ah.”

Elia smirked as if realizing something.

“I see. You’re trying to stop the Starry Night.”