Ch.103Ideal (4)

It seemed like my sister had vaguely recognized who I was.

Yet I couldn’t tell her that I was actually her brother—the one she cherished so much, the one who had always followed her devotedly.

Because I’m not a fool.

I finally realized that the way she looked at me was different. As I gained experience and learned things I hadn’t known before, I naturally came to understand.

So I asked myself:

Do I really want to have that kind of relationship with my sister?

The answer was, “I don’t know.”

I couldn’t tell whether I wanted to break our current relationship and become something beyond sister and brother.

At the very least, I knew I was afraid.

I was more afraid because once we crossed that line, there would be no going back.

That’s what frightened me. I had unconsciously realized this and had been reluctant to reveal myself to her.

Now I understood. I feared the catastrophic end of such a relationship. You might call me a coward for being afraid before anything even started, but…

My sister meant too much to me.

So my fear was almost inevitable.

I didn’t want to lose her. I was afraid of her no longer being my sister, and I was also afraid of becoming something else to her.

She must have known this.

The words she spoke to me now, and the way she distanced herself to give me time to think—that was why.

She had given me the choice entirely.

To reveal the truth if I wanted to be with her, even if it meant breaking our relationship.

At least once I made up my mind, I could do so.

She was encouraging me to make that decision of my own will.

Thankfully, she was still my sister.

Of course, this assumption might be meaningless if that wasn’t the case.

I wanted to think optimistically. After all, there was no need to be pessimistic even in my inner turmoil.

“It’s not simply about comparing the power of strikes. Perhaps you need to taste the bitterness of defeat to understand that?”

“Ha, ridiculous. Melody, your sword is certainly excellent, but does it have enough history to surpass swordsmanship infused with the essence of bloodlines?”

Even as we were leaving the cave, the two sword-wielders with girlish appearances were still bickering.

My sister was half a step behind them, snickering, and I was watching the three of them while vaguely forming a plan.

“In terms of history, even the swordsmanship of the Three Clans isn’t the oldest, is it? As far as I know, the oldest sword technique is that of the Sword Saint—”

“Weren’t you taught that it’s rude to mention the Sword Saint when discussing swords?”

“Hmph, I suppose the short-lived dueling school wouldn’t know that.”

“If you’re going to continue being so petty, I have my own methods.”

Making a “hmph” sound just like Melody, she turned her head sharply. I met the crimson eyes that were now fixed on me.

“Luvellin. What do you think?”

Ah, this girl.

She talks about pettiness, yet she’s the pettiest of all. With an awkward expression, I slowly turned to meet Melody’s golden eyes that were now looking at me.

Her intentions were so obvious, I could see through them as clearly as looking at my palm.

Considering my strength—that monstrous power far beyond human capability—and my fighting style…

She clearly thought I would prefer the heavy, powerful swordsmanship that Lorian used.

She asked a question to which she thought she knew the answer, making it a petty move with victory already assumed.

“Well, what do you think?”

“Why even debate this? Luvellin, your strength and physical abilities are already comparable to the greatest warriors of the bloodlines. Naturally, you’d prefer superhuman swordsmanship like what the bloodlines use.”

“Please don’t make my disciple into such an uncultured person.”

“He’s my disciple too. I’m simply asking for an objective opinion, what’s wrong with that?”

Her tone suggested she was asking if Melody was getting nervous. Melody trembled, her tiny fists clenched tightly.

Then both of them turned their heads toward me simultaneously. It seemed like they were leaving the judgment to me, but I knew that wasn’t really the case.

“Honestly, I prefer Melody’s swordsmanship.”

Hearing this, Melody clenched her fists in excitement while Lorian stared at me with wide eyes, feeling betrayed.

I faced the staggering Lorian.

“T-that can’t be… You’re joking, right? You’re just trying to tease me again…”

“No, I’m serious. To be frank, when you already have enough strength, pursuing a sword style focused on power doesn’t make much difference.”

Perhaps because what I said wasn’t wrong, Lorian opened and closed her mouth several times trying to rebut, making strange “eh,” “uh,” “ah” sounds before finally closing her mouth.

In the end, she hung her head dejectedly and trudged away. It was a bit pitiful to watch, but what could I do?

Lorian was someone who needed to be put in her place regularly.

Otherwise, she would become arrogant and who knows what antics she might pull.

I sighed as I watched Lorian’s small and pitiful (relatively speaking) back moving away.

My sister was watching us with an amused expression, and Melody was grinning as she clung to my side, but…

I was firmly solidifying the thoughts I had been harboring.

As we climbed the slope toward the Temple of All Gods and entered the ancient temple that served as both campsite and residence…

My thoughts hardened like steel.

People began to gather around us.

“You’re back? I gathered everyone as you asked, but some people went back saying they had things to do. Since you were gone for so long…”

“Is that so? If you can gather them again, please do, and if they’re really busy, make sure they can hear about this later.”

“It shouldn’t be difficult, but… what exactly are you planning to talk about?”

“A discussion about the future.”

No, not just that. I spoke resolutely.

“Also about ideals and goals.”

“…Well, it’s a bit sudden, but alright.”

The Mourner left after nodding, and the gathered people waited, whispering among themselves or soothing children.

It didn’t take long for everyone to assemble.

After all, the Temple of All Gods, though spacious, wasn’t the size of an entire city. At most, it was the size of a village.

So most of the gathered faces were familiar.

Faces I had seen in passing, though I hadn’t had the chance to properly converse with them.

I etched each of their faces into my memory as I noticed Islla who had taken her place among them.

Our eyes met. Islla was wearing a necklace. It was one I hadn’t seen before, but something about it gave off a familiar feeling.

Islla was fidgeting with it unconsciously.

I thought of Selma, who deserved to die but perhaps not such a horrific death.

No, in truth…

I didn’t think any being deserved such a death.

Selma knew that and tried to tell me. She showed me the future I would face before she died.

I should at least live up to her expectations.

Although Selma was a bitch, and I don’t think her actions were right…

At least that’s the best I can do as a Mourner.

I looked at the gathering people.

Ortemilia standing next to Islla, the Black Knight Irenicus and his comrades who were guests at this gathering.

Former Inquisitors, their refugee families, and mixed-blood vampires.

I opened my mouth as I looked at them all.

“I’ve gathered you all today to talk about our enemy.”

As soon as I spoke, everyone looked at each other. The murmurs ranged from questions about what I meant to concerns about discussing such unsettling topics.

I would have reacted the same way. But this was necessary.

With a resolute attitude, I continued.

“Of course, I understand. This is confusing and troubling for all of you who are hearing this.”

“…Indeed.”

“But I must say this. Because you didn’t come here simply seeking a comfortable place to stay.”

Since Selma’s demise, I had been hesitating.

The enemy was too vast, and I didn’t know how to fight it.

And the methods seemed too terrible and cruel.

So I had been consciously and unconsciously avoiding the thought of confronting Mother.

I pushed away the possibility, curling up like a coward.

Deep down, on the night I spent with Islla, I wondered if we could spend our lives hiding like this.

I thought that perhaps she would eventually give up the chase of her own accord.

Here, we could be self-sufficient and bring in outside resources through teleportation.

I thought time was on my side.

But that was just simple escapism.

It was close to deceiving my own mind to regain composure after witnessing something too horrific.

In fact, I knew.

That it wouldn’t be resolved so easily.

Just as she had searched for ways to enter this mountain range and find the Temple of All Gods, she would find me by any means necessary.

I knew this was unlike me, but I was afraid and avoiding it.

Let me say it again, this wasn’t like me.

I am Luvellin.

Before being Luvellin, I was a veteran from Earth, a brother desperately searching for his sister.

I had never backed down from my problems.

I always moved forward. I considered the most direct and efficient solutions.

If there was an enemy, I charged; if an enemy came, I didn’t hide.

I won’t say there weren’t people who complained about this, but at least I had lived my entire life that way.

And now I’m acting like a coward?

That won’t do.

I clenched my fist.

“You all came here to survive.”

The murmuring voices quieted down.

Survival. They couldn’t remain noisy on that subject.

All eyes turned to me. I spoke resolutely.

“You came here to escape from what threatened you and strangled you. You came with the pure intention of wanting to live.”

No one disagreed.

The former Inquisitors and their families had lost their positions and fled to the New Continent due to Mother’s schemes.

They were here because they believed Lucilla, the head of the Inquisition and the Guardian Knight, would provide a way to survive.

What about the mixed-blood vampires?

For them, there truly was no other way to survive. They had no other options.

The Black Knights might be different, but they remained silent.

Broadly speaking, the Black Knights’ purpose was the long-term survival of humanity.

They believed that dark mages and the Three Clans were obstacles to this.

That’s why they were here.

To see with their own eyes the man who dared impersonate a Black Knight, killed dark mages, and directly confronted the Three Clans, and report back to their headquarters.

I spoke to them.

“What has been trying to take your lives is this world. I’m not being metaphorical. Literally, the will of this world is trying to kill you.”

This statement silenced both those who knew and those who didn’t.

I exhaled in that silence.

“…If it’s the will of the world, how do you plan to fight it? If the opponent is the world itself.”

The man swallowed his question about whether there was any way to deal with this and fell silent.

I looked at him.

He was an Inquisitor. A man who had learned much and seen much.

He too must have noticed that something was wrong with the world. Or perhaps he thought it was natural.

Either way, he couldn’t even conceive of opposing the world.

That was natural.

Even modern people exposed to all kinds of cultures generally wouldn’t think of such a thing.

“That’s right. Surely we can’t do it with our power alone.”

But I knew.

That if we don’t confront it, if we don’t fight, it won’t be resolved.

The enemy is the world.

“The world is too vast to confront with individual strength, and we don’t know how to defeat it.”

It’s the world that persistently strangles my neck and still tries to infiltrate my mind.

“We don’t know its weaknesses or how it will attack.”

It’s the will of a world that is obsessive, maddened, and has language and behavior patterns we can’t properly understand.

“We don’t even know how far we need to fight.”

I thought all I could do against it was run away.

That’s what I thought until just a little while ago.

“But.”

Not anymore.

My sister said she wanted a world where I could be happy.

Hearing those words felt like a blow to the head.

The goal of all life is happiness.

Life continues dreaming of a happy future.

But no matter what I do, no matter how much I want to be happy…

Even if I build a family, have children, and mingle with people…

If there’s something like the unnecessary will of the world in this world, happiness won’t come to me.

I realized this too late.

“Is it truly invincible? Is this world that wants our lives and desires to devour us truly a flawless and perfect adversary?”

I had to fight.

As always, beyond just wanting to survive.

If I want to be happy, I need to strike down and kill this monster that bares its teeth at me and eagerly waits to devour me.

“Continents perish from meteors falling from beyond space. Countries die from earthquakes that shake entire continents.”

I know this well. The world is something that can perish more easily than one might think.

Even a virus can bring about the end of the world.

From this, I realized Mother’s weakness.

Mother is the world, the will of the world.

So if the world dies, Mother dies too.

Mother cannot commit suicide with the world. In reality, Mother is essentially the world.

“Is such a world truly invincible?”

No answer came. Amidst countless gazes directed at me, I spoke, inspired by my own words.

“I don’t think so.”

I raised my clenched fist. A fist too weak to break the world, but I have potential.

I was a wedge.

“The will of the world is called ‘Mother.’ Also known as ‘Mother Netel.’ She’s after not just all of you but me as well. She’s desperately searching for me.”

My heart was beating wildly now.

“I am the being that Mother wants to obtain at all costs, a bait.”

I felt my voice gradually rising as I smiled.

“At the same time, I am the only irreplaceable being who can determine where to fight!”

I looked at the Inquisitors and Black Knights. Those skilled in military tactics were already wide-eyed.

“Then we can fight. We can defeat it, we can win. That’s what I want.”

Lowering my clenched fist, I spread both arms.

“That’s where I want to start.”

“What are you starting?”

It was Irenicus who responded. He was looking at me with a very satisfied expression.

Not just him. All the Black Knights were gazing at me intently. With a smile at their expectant looks…

I spoke very boldly.

“I will crush all the minions controlled by the will of the world.”

The Empire, the Emperor, whatever they may be—if they’re enemies, I’ll crush them. I won’t back down.

“Whatever plans that being has, I will shatter them in one blow.”

Whatever she plans to do after taking my body and being born, I will interfere and nullify it.

And finally.

“I will gather forces while fighting against powers that side with the world.”

The way to oppose this world is to unite all people living in it.

I will unite the continent to fight against Mother.

As the first step, I proudly declared.

“What I want to start here is a fight.”

With all eyes on me, my cry filled the Temple of All Gods.

“A fight to defeat the will of the world and banish ‘Mother’ from this land forever!”