Ch.14748. What Other Reason Is There Not to Benefit (2)

My eyes opened naturally.

Even though no one had shaken my shoulder or spoken to me.

“……”

It’s quiet.

Not just because I’m inside a building… but perhaps because this area is particularly silent.

…Maybe because it’s not on the ground level.

Befitting a city of mages, the facilities of this city-kingdom were extremely advanced even by eastern standards.

Having a sewage system alone would qualify it as a capital or metropolis with plenty to spare… but remarkably, this city was even equipped with a water supply system.

Thanks to naturally drawing in water from the river outside the city, there was no major issue with water supply despite no river flowing through the city interior.

In other words, one could potentially leave the city through this system, but it wouldn’t be easy.

First, there were no designated paths or passages for people to travel through.

Second, without blueprints or maps, it would be difficult to properly discern one’s location.

Finally, being a critical facility, it was strictly managed.

However, perhaps due to more concern over the astronomical costs of maintenance rather than its importance,

the management staff had been steadily reduced. Following the opinion that a well-built structure needed little oversight, at some point the management personnel was effectively cut in half.

The result was this.

They say all sorts of people hide or conceal themselves here.

And quite organizationally at that.

…Even Kariel could stay in his temporary lodging in the underground waterway without feeling particularly uncomfortable, as the place had begun to develop its own ecosystem of sorts.

“……”

Still, it wasn’t exactly a good environment for a long-term stay.

But more importantly, that wasn’t the issue right now.

Something that had awakened him.

A presence beyond mere foreignness—an ominous energy.

A magical wavelength he had never felt before.

Though subtle, if it could reach Kariel even in this deep location, it must be something seriously concerning.

“However….”

As long as Father is here, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

Kariel had quickly considered ways to escape the city, but in every possibility he glimpsed, while somehow managing to leave the city might be possible, he would soon be caught.

So what should he do?

…He needed to exploit psychological blind spots.

He wanted to create the impression that he had already disappeared, escaped.

If it had been just his father pursuing him alone, there might have been some slim chance of evasion…

But the personnel accompanying him were quite concerning.

Though no one had told him, from the futures he had glimpsed and assessed, a diverse array of individuals would come to capture him.

…Of course, evading them wasn’t impossible, but if Father was determined… it was still unfeasible for now.

-This magical wavelength… feels quite familiar.

“…Do you know what it is?”

-Even within the demon realm, there are places with particularly intense magical wavelengths. Probably near the throne.

The throne?

-And being familiar with that means being able to withstand it, which implies at least a demon general’s level of power.

“Are you talking about that Bargo Adedima person from before?”

The dull-witted demon general.

The one who once drove him to the brink of death.

-Not him.

But the Demon King was resolute.

-He’s just a survivor, not general-level. Nor is Grandeus general-level… but since there have been generals of his caliber since ancient times, if we’re being generous, we could consider him above that dull-witted fellow.

“……”

-But that’s not what’s important, is it?

The problem was that such a being had suddenly appeared in the middle realm.

-The ability to open dimensional gates is the Demon King’s exclusive right. However… that’s only temporary. And it’s only possible while remaining on the throne.

“So should we assume a new Demon King has emerged?”

-That’s one possibility.

But that’s not the only scenario we can think of, is it?

-Due to this sudden situation and its development, we’ve figured out one thing.

Originally, Kariel should have been able to leave this city-kingdom without incident.

But for some reason, as soon as he entered, the situation changed drastically.

-Since appeals no longer work, they’ve started exercising their power in a different way.

And in a way that completely overturns logic.

“That child mistakenly thought she came from the future to the past. So then…”

-That’s a world that shouldn’t be able to connect with this place, but it did. However, there’s no need to worry. The middle realm itself hasn’t changed or become entangled.

The Demon King declared.

And added:

-More precisely, the demon realm has been altered. Those people appeared here as a result of that impact.

So the question is:

Who made this possible?

“Is the Demon World Tree capable of such things?”

-The World Tree or Demon World Tree? What we know about them is extremely limited. They predate human history, after all.

Perhaps they are the totality of another civilization in tree form, or another aspect or shell of divinity, or something beyond that.

-If the World Tree and Demon World Tree maintain our world’s stability, identity, and essence as a world, couldn’t they also manipulate the opposite?

“…Aren’t you getting carried away?”

-I don’t know… but what’s certain is that after you interfered with the World Tree, the Demon World Tree began to desire you.

A sigh escapes.

“I should try to make contact with the World Tree as soon as possible, I suppose.”

Then go to the demon realm and negotiate with it one way or another.

Although the seizures, terrible nightmares, and the sensation of his body deteriorating to the point of death had mostly disappeared…

Now that he knew it could affect not just himself but those around him, he couldn’t ignore this anymore.

-Think positively. It means you’ve grown that much. And it means you can’t be shaken without such attempts, so there’s nothing to think negatively about, right?

“That just means… things will be more troublesome for those around me.”

It would be nice if it stopped at mere inconvenience, but that’s unlikely.

-What about choosing the most perfect future?

“There’s no such thing. You know that too.”

He wouldn’t be trapped in a predetermined future like Grandeus.

But in a different sense, he was at risk of falling into a quagmire of choices.

He could glimpse and assess all possibilities.

But that doesn’t always guarantee the best or optimal result.

How could he know if avoiding a decision might trigger another worst-case variable?

-By that logic, staying put here doesn’t sound like the best option either?

“It’s about doing my best, not choosing the best.”

He’s not that extraordinary yet.

After all, didn’t he lose consciousness immediately after forcibly traveling through shadows to leave?

Short-distance movement is fine, but long-distance teleportation is a completely different concept.

The reason he quickly forced that choice was partly because there was no alternative…

But also because his intuition told him he could be caught with just a few seconds of hesitation.

So he took a bit of a risk.

-Isn’t it fun to gaze into the abyss?

“…I might be fine, but others aren’t.”

Venus might be fine since she’s unconscious, but Mines is different.

Taking on her burden as well made things more difficult.

-Then let’s summarize. What you’ve figured out in the current situation and what you need to do going forward. Even briefly.

“…I don’t know about the World Tree, but the Demon World Tree can influence the world as an observer. And on the other hand, I’ve learned from this situation that it can also switch worlds.”

The middle realm itself hasn’t changed.

But somehow the demon realm has changed, and through its indirect influence, it has directly harmed Kariel—that’s what he judged to be the essence of this situation.

That child who claimed to have returned from the future to the past was originally in the middle realm before heading to the demon realm… at least according to their original world’s standards, she was from the future.

But whether future, present, or past of this place and that place… they are completely separate worlds.

-If we’re talking parallel, multiple, or multiverse… this is parallel.

And it’s also the world with the least variables and burdens.

-All the numerous futures and possibilities you glimpse, if they were realized and became real, could all be based on parallel worlds. But if we go that far, it doesn’t make sense.

In imagination, anyone can depict worlds, and it’s possible to create identical worlds identically.

And the more detailed and meticulous it becomes, the more realistic the world would seem.

But that is not reality. Nor is it truth.

Then is it falsehood?

By what standard do we definitively classify imagination as falsehood?

Is it even appropriate to apply the framework of falsehood to a world formed on hypotheticals?

“Seeing, judging, and acting are all separate things.”

Seeing something and accepting it as truth or falsehood are separate matters.

Referencing it, acting based on that reference, or ignoring it and acting—all separate.

Despite glimpsing the future and deciding to move forward with that decision.

If unavoidable circumstances forced him to retreat against his will?

-So in a way, it could be completely useless.

But if you become a sovereign, the story changes.

-If you make the world revolve around you, then being able to glimpse future possibilities becomes… infinite potential.

…Though that’s not an easy feat.

“Let’s stop that conversation there.”

Dominatur.

Purifying the mind through mental recitation.

A mental recitation without formulas or incantations.

It has meaning in itself.

By recognizing and recalling it.

To prevent consciousness and reason from falling into it.

To prevent all emotions, thoughts, and concepts from being needlessly entangled in that absurd, seemingly transcendent notion.

“Next, after escaping from here, I need to head to the Fire Giant’s ruins.”

If there are two things he currently lacks:

One is the Imperial Design.

The other is that place.

His body’s balance is still off.

Unlike magical power, he is currently dominated by yin demonic energy.

More precisely, rather than it filling his body, his aptitude and compatibility lean toward that side.

To balance this, he needs something from the Fire Giant’s ruins.

…He doesn’t know the details.

Grandeus said he might find answers if he goes there.

This might mean that even Grandeus himself isn’t certain?

“Stockpiling expedition supplies and heading there seems to have become difficult now.”

“Who is the human talking to? Does he have a habit of conversing with walls or shadows?”

…Did he let his guard down because the door was closed?

No.

Perhaps the naivety of assuming they would knock before entering was the problem.

But the other party had clearly acted beyond common sense as well.

After all…

…they had passed through a closed door.

“Was that not received as a question?”

“You must not be familiar with this language.”

“Imperial language? Then I’m comfortable too.”

Who would be so pretentious as to use the language of those eastern goat kids?

With those words, the girl let out a cheerful laugh and snapped her fingers.

The extinguished candle suddenly lit up.

Even so, the interior remained dim.

“Are you the strange human trying to go to the scorching lands?”

The girl faintly illuminated by the candle was wearing rather old-fashioned attire.

“Ah, how annoying.”

She snapped her fingers again, and this time a red orb of light formed above her hand.

“I can’t see anything with everything you’re wearing looking like that.”

“……”

Though red, her eyes were lighter than blood, shining with an intriguing radiance as they illuminated his figure.

Her appearance, with layers of black and white garments that seemed more masculine than feminine in style, would be better described as stylish rather than pretty.

Her hair glowed reddish in the red light, and atop it rested a butterfly-shaped hairpin with blue and red wings outlined in black.

“Let’s see.”

The girl took something out from her waist.

A small golden chain.

She took out something circular and golden from it, suddenly opened it in half, and after looking at it, nodded her head appropriately.

“I’m not late. Not late.”

…Her muttering seemed a bit clumsy, but her gestures were delicate, so it somehow suited her.

“Since we’re meeting for the first time, introductions are necessary, right? I received the request from snake-eyed Rupert, and seeing you here, you must be the one.”

“……”

He certainly arranged something I didn’t ask for.

Though I momentarily lost consciousness due to fatigue.

Even so, the decision to stay here briefly was entirely Kariel’s own judgment.

…Is this one of the benefits of glimpsing a determined future?

“Then, I am Zora Asubnara, deputy chairperson of the Blood Sharing Family Welfare Association of the Edenlevan Alliance, deputy commander of the Three Magic Path Alliance, and also serving as leader of the Color Exploration Team. When addressing me, I’d prefer you call me Zora.”

Several familiar words reached his ears.

“What’s your relationship with the Second Prince of Filbar?”

“…I’m the Third Princess, but you know that much? Who are you?”

“……”

Indeed.

Who am I?

The name Kariel is one thing, but is it appropriate to reveal the surname Brendiar here?

Or should I use Rutia Baron?

“……”

“I introduced myself, didn’t I? Isn’t it common courtesy for you to introduce yourself too?”

Kariel moved his lips reluctantly before finally responding.

“Kariel.”

“…Is that it?”

Is revealing my surname not my own choice?

“Are you a commoner? Hey! There’s nothing to be ashamed of! I don’t discriminate! The blood flowing in our veins is all the same by human standards, right? Well, there might be species discriminators according to taste, but that’s just their preference, so don’t worry too much. And we don’t arbitrarily extort blood from others, so there’s no need to be scared… Oh, but you know who I am, right? If you know about the Second Prince, you must know everything. Have you heard of vampires? Vampir?”

…I’ve earned a strange misunderstanding.

An utterly groundless one at that.

Just as I assumed she would naturally recognize me.

This vampire girl before me might have fallen into a similar misconception.