Ch.101Face to Face. (1)

Esthie reflected on her old memories.

“I want to test something.”

A brutish human with disgustingly muscular physique. It was mere coincidence that Esthie, who had lost her “purpose” and was leisurely traveling upstream, met the King of Martial Arts.

“Your power moves the sea. I want to test if my power can match the sea.”

Certainly, she thought he was insane.

But she didn’t dislike it that much.

Because Esthie herself didn’t belong in the category of normal people either.

A man obsessed with martial arts.

“No.”

“If you don’t move the waves, I’ll kill you.”

Esthie flopped down on her back.

“Kill me. I was just thinking about dying, so that works out.”

“Huh… you’re crazy. Did you think I was joking?”

“I know you’re not, so kill me. I’m tired of drifting around.”

The King of Martial Arts swallowed hard. He immediately realized that Esthie’s words were sincere.

He considered himself a merciful person, so he didn’t want to refuse Esthie’s request to kill her, but…

If he did that, he would forever lose the opportunity to face the sea.

The King of Martial Arts compromised.

“…If the sea is too difficult, a river would be fine too.”

“Too bothersome.”

“Then I’ll kill you quickly if you move the river for me.”

“Are you going to keep bothering me?”

The King of Martial Arts’ muscles twitched with anger. But he couldn’t harm Esthie.

From the moment he learned that Esthie could move the waves, he had no choice but to be the subordinate.

From that day, the King of Martial Arts’ courtship began.

“I’ll have shamans prepare three meals a day for you. Move the sea for me.”

“What’s on the menu?”

“Wall-crossing pills made from Mikabel’s specialty. The nutty flavor is excellent.”

“…Tastes disgusting. Starting today, I’ll just drink dew until I die, so don’t come looking for me.”

And so, 1 year, 2 years passed…

Until the very end, Esthie never gave in to the King of Martial Arts’ ignorant demands.

*****

Unable to bear the strange atmosphere flowing between Esthie and the King of Martial Arts, Olivia asked.

“…What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I thought he might have changed, but he’s still as ignorant as ever.”

It seemed they had known each other for more than just a day or two.

“You two seem… well acquainted.”

“He’s the most ignorant person I know. I wondered what was happening, and here he is beating up some innocent person again.”

It was a direct answer.

Judging by her expression, Esthie didn’t seem to know who Kiel was. In a way, it made sense.

Esthie lived buried in the sea, not caring about worldly rumors.

That’s why she was surprised to hear that Olivia knew the King of Martial Arts.

“How are you still alive?”

The King of Martial Arts glared, looking back and forth between Esthie and Olivia.

He couldn’t understand the current situation at all. Was that lightning he saw before just a hallucination?

“I’m alive because I haven’t died yet.”

“…”

A moment of silence passed. Looking at Esthie standing with a dignified posture, the King of Martial Arts blinked for a while, then nodded as if he understood.

“Hmm, I see.”

Kiel, looking at the King of Martial Arts, blinked and opened his mouth in disbelief.

‘Was I… trying to persuade this madman?’

Just thinking about it seemed to twist his energy.

Of course, Olivia wasn’t unfamiliar with the King of Martial Arts’ behavior. Rather, she felt relieved that despite regressing, he remained as simple-minded as ever.

If the King of Martial Arts had been intelligent, it would have been a disaster for Olivia.

It was easier to deal with someone who openly showed hostility than someone like Aria who schemed behind the scenes.

A notification window appeared before Olivia’s eyes.

[Ashe Balthar]

– Level: 94

– Affinity: ???

– Occupation: Martial Artist

– Titles: Regressor, One Who Defies Nature, King of Martial Arts, Challenger to the Limits of Martial Arts.

She checked just in case since he didn’t attack right away, but like Esthie, his affinity was all question marks.

‘…I suspected as much.’

Olivia made her own deductions about the reason.

The King of Martial Arts doesn’t cling to life. He is a warrior who truly feels alive when fighting at death’s door.

In an age where warriors have disappeared, he is the last true warrior remaining.

He is a man who wishes to die gloriously in the flames of battle.

It was a reasonably logical inference.

The King of Martial Arts spoke to Olivia, whose mind was elsewhere.

“You have an unusually stupid look on your face. Disappointed that your prey was taken?”

“…Prey?”

“You’re playing innocent again. Do you think I’ll fall for your tricks twice? The Sword Master, that blonde old hag… the white brat, and even Esthie. You killed them all, didn’t you? But!”

The King of Martial Arts laughed triumphantly.

“This time you won’t be able to! At least Kiel will die by my hands…!”

The King of Martial Arts tightened his grip on Kiel’s collar. Olivia couldn’t react in time. At this rate, Kiel would…

Swoosh!

But the sound of breaking bones didn’t come.

“Oh ho.”

It wasn’t Olivia or Kiel who stopped the King of Martial Arts.

It was Esthie.

Sweat dripping from intense combat. Snow from the Atilla Mountains. Water trickling between ice.

It wasn’t as powerful as when she was at sea, but it was enough to block the King of Martial Arts’ grip.

“That stings.”

Creak, the stream of water Esthie created was coiling around the King of Martial Arts’ fingers like a snake.

“Tsk.”

The King of Martial Arts clicked his tongue and threw Kiel to the ground. If he had been serious, he could have easily shaken off such a water stream, but he couldn’t because of Esthie’s face.

“If you have something to say, say it. I’ll listen.”

“Olivia doesn’t know anything. She didn’t regress like us. You’re just taking out your anger on an innocent person who knows nothing.”

Esthie grabbed Olivia’s cheeks and shook them around as if to say ‘look at this.’

“Look at these bright eyes. They weren’t like this when Olivia killed me. Her eyes were different then. Back then, they were more hollow, lifeless… how should I put it…”

“Like the eyes of a rotten pollack.”

“Exactly! That’s exactly what they looked like.”

At that moment, Olivia realized why Esthie’s personality had changed so strangely.

‘…She was influenced by the King of Martial Arts.’

Anyone who gets involved with the King of Martial Arts would become similar to him.

Becoming simple-minded, not hiding thoughts, and acting like a barbarian warrior whose fists move before words.

In fact, the free city of Mikabel was influenced by the King of Martial Arts, becoming a city where fists were closer than laws.

Surprisingly, public safety was quite good because the King of Martial Arts personally punished those who crossed the line.

“But that’s not enough. In the previous life, she didn’t have rotten pollack eyes from the beginning.”

“…I don’t know about that, but if you let this go, I’ll let you face a wave. A really big one.”

“…A wave?”

The King of Martial Arts paused.

He looked at Kiel lying on the ground and Olivia who was staring with wide eyes, unable to grasp the situation, then broke into a broad smile.

“Hahaha! Let’s go right now!”

“I won’t be responsible if you get hit and sink.”

Regardless, the King of Martial Arts lifted Esthie with both hands and jumped off the cliff. As Esthie disappeared with the King of Martial Arts, she winked at Olivia.

“I’ll be back soon.”

In an instant, the two regressors vanished.

With everything happening so quickly, Olivia found it hard to gather her thoughts.

‘…What just happened?’

But this was enough outward display of confusion.

Olivia slightly turned her head.

With the sound of someone collecting themselves, Kiel slowly rose from his spot.

“…Thank you for helping me.”

There was something ominous about Kiel’s demeanor as he said this.

His trembling fists and fiercely fluctuating aura showed how angry he was.

‘…Why am I…’

Anger overflowed from deep within Kiel’s retinas.

It was anger directed at himself.

‘Why am I… the only one who can’t let go.’

From what he heard, it seemed he wasn’t the only one who had been killed by “Olivia.” But the King of Martial Arts and the Wavemaster didn’t seem to care much about their deaths.

Of course, they could do that simply because they were simple-minded, but Kiel, not knowing their mental state, couldn’t accept it that way.

To Kiel, this was humiliating.

He didn’t know how close they had been to Olivia in their previous life. But they couldn’t have been as close as he was.

Yet he couldn’t forgive. Even at this moment.

Damn it…

Kiel bit his lower lip and lowered his gaze.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at Olivia. He was too ashamed to show this side of himself.

But Olivia’s gaze was still directed at him.

“Kiel.”

He raised his head. There was no contempt on Olivia’s face. Only concern and sympathy, as always.

To him, who had once held a blade to her throat…

Olivia, despite not having regressed, was still a good person.

“Come here.”

“…I…”

“Shut up and come. I’ll treat you.”

Kiel didn’t move. More precisely, he couldn’t.

It was because of his severe internal injuries.

Honestly, just standing was overwhelming.

‘Consciousness…’

As Olivia frowned at his hesitation.

Thud.

Kiel collapsed.