episode_0048

The space around them was swallowed by darkness. The vague act of watching made her dizzy, and even when she turned her gaze elsewhere, there was nothing but an endless expanse of darkness. In the end, the only thing she could keep within her sight was the man standing before her.

“Repetition… repetition? What do you mean?”

“Exactly as I said. This world has already repeated the same stretch of time countless times.”

“If what you’re saying is true, then why do you retain those memories? Are you the one turning back time?”

The murderous glint in Arina’s eyes sharpened as she glared at the Demon King. If his words were true, it meant that Arina had suffered the same fate at the hands of the Packmule over and over again.

Unbeknownst to her, she had endured that horrific experience countless times. If this was real, then the one responsible for reversing time was unforgivable.

Another name was about to be added to her list of targets for vengeance.

“No. I, too, am merely one of the victims in this matter. Though, to be fair, I haven’t actually suffered any harm.”

“No harm? Repeating the same stretch of time over and over must be agonizing.”

“It’s true that time has repeated, but I never experienced those events directly. I merely received the memories of them.”

Arina was now at a loss, unsure whether the Demon King was toying with her. Naiad, seeing her expression, immediately noticed her skepticism. From the start, he hadn’t expected her to believe such a story outright.

“You’re not messing with me right now, are you?”

“I am speaking in complete seriousness. And it is precisely to end this meaningless repetition that I need you.”

“How surprising. I’ve heard the word ‘genius’ so often it’s worn out my ears, but I never knew I had the power to interfere with time itself.”

Her words were laced with sarcasm, mocking the absurdity of the Demon King’s claim. It was the reaction he had expected, so Naiad didn’t bother trying to persuade her further and simply continued.

“In my memories, time reversed under two conditions. The first was when I died, and the second was when the Hero died.”

The seasons had already passed through spring, and midsummer was in full swing. The scorching sunlight that could sear the skin was blocked by the thick fog surrounding them, but the oppressive humidity unique to summer was even worse.

It was hot. The heat alone would have been bearable, but the worst part was the sweat-drenched underclothes sticking to her skin and the faint, creeping stench of perspiration.

If that were all, it would have been just another ordinary summer. Except—

“Wha—?!”

The ground beneath her feet crumbled, and Millen staggered, barely managing to regain her balance.

“Eek!”

A dislodged stone tumbled down the steep cliff face. If a person were to fall from this near-vertical mountain path, there would be no chance of survival.

“Be careful.”

Ian’s half-hearted warning only served as the final straw. Millen finally exploded.

“Are you serious right now? You’re out here searching for Arina like she’s some kind of saint, but you can’t even spare a little concern for me?!”

“…Sorry.”

Even if his concern wasn’t entirely genuine, it wasn’t right to treat someone who had followed him this far to help so carelessly. He knew that, so he apologized readily, but Ian’s mind was still preoccupied with other thoughts.

The Hero’s party and the Holy Knights had clashed with Riel Frost. The news had already spread far and wide. In that battle, the Saint and the Archer of the Hero’s party had suffered severe injuries, and there had been countless other casualties, including deaths.

In the end, Riel Frost had fled. No information about her condition had been revealed, but the scale of the battle had been immense. There was no way Arina had come out unscathed.

On the way here, Ian had seen the aftermath of the battle in the city where it had taken place. Months had passed, but the border city of the Holy Kingdom, once known for its beautiful scenery, showed no signs of recovery.

Just what had happened there? What worried him most was that after the battle, the flood of eyewitness reports about Arina had vanished without a trace.

Arina was now a face known to the entire world, so her sudden disappearance was bizarre. Unless she had died in some unknown place—

Slap!

Ian struck his own cheek to shake off the ominous thought.

“Wow, now you’re putting on a whole performance.”

Millen’s expression soured as she watched. She could understand his feelings, but she couldn’t help the jealousy bubbling up inside her.

“It’s not like my life’s been a walk in the park either…”

Millen, who had grown up among thieves without parents, couldn’t exactly call her life smooth sailing.

She had faced death more times than she could count, and threats to her chastity were beyond numbering. Still, it was nothing compared to the scale of Riel Frost’s incident.

But when I was suffering, where was my prince charming?

After grumbling for a while, Millen finally shut her mouth and focused on walking. It wasn’t because she had calmed down—it was because the path ahead was a steep descent.

A cliff where the bottom wasn’t visible. No matter how skilled an adventurer was, a single misstep here meant certain death.

After a long, silent descent, flat ground finally appeared. Millen’s mouth opened again almost immediately.

“Hey. What if Arina isn’t here either?”

Before them lay a village. It was already hard to imagine people living in such treacherous mountains, but the existence of a village here was even more unbelievable.

A village not marked on any map, nestled in a remote region where the borders of the three human nations met.

The Village of the Border—Natizan.

After tirelessly tracking down leads on Arina’s whereabouts, this was the final clue they had managed to uncover. Ian stared at the village entrance with a complicated expression.

“Then we’ll just have to look somewhere else. Millen, you don’t have to keep following me. This is just my stubbornness.”

“No way. You expect me to give up after coming this far? I absolutely refuse.”

Ian knew what she really meant by “refusing to give up.” But could he ever reciprocate her feelings? He couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

The thought of any woman other than Arina standing by his side.

And if—just if—she were to die, what would he do? Pushing aside the sudden thought, Ian stepped into the village.

True to its nickname as “the village that belongs nowhere,” Natizan was a settlement built by those who didn’t fit in anywhere else. That didn’t mean they were criminals.

The village’s origins lay in outcasts who, for their own reasons, had banded together to support one another. Even generations later, that spirit remained, making Natizan arguably the most welcoming village on the Peria Continent.

Even if outsiders wandered in unannounced, no one batted an eye. If anything, they were met with smiles as people passed by.

“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”

“Yes, what is it?”

Even when approached by strangers, the villagers responded kindly. Of course, it wasn’t unusual for Ian to receive such treatment from women, but even the men here were unusually friendly.

“Do you know anything about a mage named Arina?”

Frustrated by Ian’s vague description, Millen quickly added two succinct words.

“Silver hair. Huge chest.”

“Hmm. She’s not a mage, but the Arina in our village does have quite the pair.”

At that, Ian’s eyebrow twitched. Though it wasn’t confirmed to be the same person, hearing another man talk about Arina’s chest was… irritating. To say the least.

But that irritation was quickly forgotten at the villager’s next words.

“Though, that’s strange. You’re the second person today looking for Arina. Is she famous out in the world?”

Cold sweat trickled down Ian’s face. If someone other than them was searching for Arina, the chances of them being on her side were slim to none.

“Where is Arina right now?!”

The man directed them to the village’s only restaurant. Given the village’s small size, the local housewives took turns cooking there. Natizan’s daily menu was decided by whichever women were in charge of the kitchen that day.

Arina, being an outsider, was helping out in the kitchen, he said.

“She went to fetch water?”

Following the directions, they hurried toward the restaurant, only to hear voices leaking out from inside.

“Yeah, it’s fine. We’ll just wait a bit.”

Ian recognized that voice. It belonged to the man he currently hated more than anything—even more than Arina’s own grudges.

Stepping inside, Ian immediately confirmed the face. The Packmule—Arina’s sworn enemy—was chatting with the housewives working in the kitchen.

Before he could think, his body moved. Drawing the sword at his waist, Ian swung with the intent to slash the Packmule’s throat.

“That’s far enough.”

But the blade stopped just short of the Packmule’s neck. Yuria had caught it between two fingers. Though her grip looked effortless, the sword didn’t budge no matter how hard Ian tried to pull it free.

Only then did the Packmule notice Ian’s presence. His attitude was a complete contrast to the last time they’d met, when he had dismissed Arina as a lunatic. Ruffling his hair in a delinquent manner, he spoke in a tone that was anything but playful.

“Huh? Oh, it’s you again. Did you follow Riel’s trail all the way here? Know your place.”

“You bastard! How dare you show your face in front of Arina?!”

“Quit barking. I’m in a really bad mood right now. Two of my wives are bedridden, you see. Piss me off, and I’ll kill you.”

The Packmule and Ian glared at each other, murderous intent thick in the air. The difference in their strength was obvious. As the Hero, the Packmule was someone Ian and Millen stood no chance against.

But Ian was in no state for rational judgment. Ignoring the threat, he tightened his grip on his sword and pushed against the Hero’s strength.

“You—how dare someone like you—!”

“You. How long have you even known Riel, barging into our business like this?”

“How long we’ve known each other? What does that matter? A piece of trash like you doesn’t even deserve to speak her name!”

“Guess you don’t understand words. Want me to kill you for real?”

The Packmule leaned in, eyes locking onto Ian’s. He pulled out a small dagger—more of a last-resort weapon than anything practical, but more than enough to kill someone when the Hero was holding them in place.

And then—

A familiar woman’s voice echoed through the restaurant.

“You two!”

The two men’s heads snapped toward the entrance. The woman they had been searching for stood there, a bucket of water in hand, glaring at them with fury in her eyes.

That unmistakable face—though her once-blue eyes now shimmered a faint lavender. Arina, looking thoroughly annoyed, shouted at them.

“What kind of nonsense is this in someone else’s place? Get out, right now!”