Ch.150Chapter 150

Aghartha had transformed into Aphta.

The Huntsman seemed to take this as a very shocking event, but I didn’t necessarily think so.

In fact, looking back from the beginning, there were many clues that could have revealed Aghartha was Aphta.

The way she carelessly read the writing on the paper in my possession from the start—it was strange that Aghartha, who was just an ordinary thief at the time, showed no fear of reading text.

When she heard the charge of “attempted rape of an Outer God,” instead of showing disgust, she merely made playful jokes.

Above all, the peculiar way she maintained friendly relations with the mystics.

Even the fact that her armband and prosthetic arm were in the same position now provided sufficient evidence in retrospect.

But these were all things one could only connect after knowing the truth, thinking “Ah, so that’s how it was.” At the time, I couldn’t make any connections.

“Was it Aphta who guided me to play that game from the beginning?”

Aphta simply nodded quietly.

I see.

So that’s how it was.

The reason Aghartha dies immediately at the start of the game.

The reason my grandfather, who believes in the Observer, isn’t prominently featured in the story.

The reason all the divine beings had to die in the happy ending.

It must be because I wasn’t there, so everything related to me wasn’t even mentioned.

“Then Aphta… how many world cycles have you repeated alone?”

The parallel world theory, was it?

In the end, there were countless people playing that game, and they played through it repeatedly.

How many times has the world been reset?

Even at my question, Aphta only looked upward in reflection, revealing no emotion.

“It’s hard to count.”

…What kind of answer is that?

Is that how she dismisses all the hardships she’s endured?

I looked at Aphta with a bitter expression, but she only tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand why I was making such a face.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Then give me a hug.”

As always, Aphta was desperate to hold me.

Perhaps when she revealed her true form and rushed to embrace me, she was finally releasing what she had been holding back all this time.

But with The Huntsman watching, it’s a bit…

“Sh-shall we do that later?”

“Tch.”

Aphta clicked her tongue in disappointment as she lowered her arms, watching us calmly as if nothing had happened.

Her expressionless face made me think she could maintain an impenetrable wall in any situation.

“But why specifically ‘Super Coward Mode’? There must be cooler names out there.”

At my words, Aphta smiled stiffly and said:

“The intention was self-deprecation—someone who sacrificed themselves out of fear of losing one life with a slightly different meaning, despite having watched countless lives pass by.”

Ah.

The moment I heard that, I understood.

That’s right.

What a fitting name.

Both Oko, and myself who ignored her feelings until the end despite knowing them.

We were both super cowards indeed.

#

On the train ride back.

Now that I had awakened to the truth, only one task remained: extracting Oko from my body.

According to Aphta, Oko had entered me to substitute for my life force, but now that could be replaced with another soul, so Oko didn’t need to remain inside me.

She must be referring to The Advisor I captured before.

I had wondered why I felt more vitality the more pain I absorbed through The Advisor’s ability—it seems it was literally life force filling me up.

I’d accumulated quite a lot by now, so I thought there probably wouldn’t be any problems with my immediate survival.

The life force of The Advisor himself, who had risen to such a high rank, would be substantial too.

“Couldn’t we extract Oko right now, then?”

“…That wouldn’t be so simple.”

But Aphta unexpectedly opposed my suggestion.

“Why not?”

“Even though she entered Raedan’s body while preserving her own concept, if her influence grows too strong during the process of returning to this world, it might cause a backlash.”

As she spoke, Aphta looked at something massive standing in the distance.

The Mountain Giant.

So Oko’s sudden appearance would affect the Mountain Giant as well, essentially giving it time to prepare.

Indeed, it was an excellent rational judgment.

Unlike me, who almost made a rash decision out of eagerness to see her again.

Then the day I would meet Oko again would have to be postponed until then.

Wait just a little longer, Oko.

We will definitely meet again.

#

The Huntsman said he had preparations to make and left immediately.

Now only Aphta and I remained.

Being alone together like this reminded me of the peaceful times we spent together in Lintpia.

If I had known back then that things would turn out this way, how would I have acted?

Thinking about the past that has already gone by can cause depression, but sometimes it can also help find new answers.

But the answer was always the same.

At best, all I could have done was stop the Knight Commander early, and even that would have been a temporary measure.

After all, the flow of fate was something that couldn’t be refused, forced upon us.

But like the swing, I decided to take things lightly.

In the end, if one endures such misfortune, fate tends to return an opportunity equal to the misfortune suffered.

Sometimes, like a malfunctioning system, it might pour down irreversible misfortunes, but if one manages to endure.

That person will surely find peace proportionate to their suffering.

And that was.

The answer I wanted to give myself now.

“Aphta.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

Just for saying thanks, Aphta approached me indifferently and embraced me.

Looking around the entrance to Rondan where no one else was present, I stroked her head with a wistful smile.

“…It seems we don’t even matter anymore.”

“This is why I didn’t want to tell him….”

“Hmm?”

…Hmm.

The voices of the divine beings in my head made me feel a bit awkward.

Raedan Tanthyn.

While my memories were gone, you certainly got yourself involved in some grand affairs.

You shouldn’t blame me; you should have blamed yourself.

You damn attempted rapist of an Outer God.

I wondered why I couldn’t hear Zumiya’s voice, but judging from the sounds of something being violently destroyed, she seemed to be venting her anger somewhere.

…After the war ends, the first thing I’ll need to do is restore balance.

Otherwise, I thought the Earth might face a different kind of apocalypse.

#

The first place I went was the Princess’s chamber.

Now that I knew all the answers, there was nothing to fear.

The Princess was just a half-Outer God I had saved.

The Knight Commander and Vice Commander could simply enjoy their sweet romance.

Actually, before visiting the Princess’s chamber, I had abruptly opened the door to the Knight Commander’s room, only to find the Vice Commander pressed against the wall and the Knight Commander crouched on the floor, holding the Vice Commander’s legs with both hands as if to prevent him from going elsewhere.

Right, it was my fault for entering someone else’s room without permission.

As I closed the door to respect their privacy, I could hear the Vice Commander’s voice from inside, which was quite impressive.

It was quite an interesting experience to hear someone with such a deep voice cry out so indignantly.

Well, anyway.

It was nice to see people seeking affection in their own ways.

Like the Emperor who loved the Empress until the very end.

I knocked on the door of the Princess’s chamber.

The thought of facing her with my memories restored filled me with a sense of novelty.

I felt a bit nervous too.

What should I say when I see her?

Should I act exactly like “I” had been doing before?

In some ways, it might be better to act naturally and bring up the topic gradually.

But this time, I wanted to be a little special.

I wanted to stop putting on airs.

The door opened.

Inside, the Princess was looking at her arm burning in the fireplace.

Her recovery seemed complete, as her body was intact.

I approached her.

The Princess greeted me with her usual radiant smile.

“Tanthyn, you’ve returned?”

The Princess’s face reddened slightly as she lowered her gaze, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

“I-I did say to come once a week, but I didn’t mean for you to come right after returning.”

I see.

It must have taken quite a long time for me to return.

That’s why she’s grown so much.

So that the Princess couldn’t pretend not to know anymore, I smiled brightly and said:

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“…?”

The Princess’s eyes widened instantly.

And with trembling eyes, she struggled to look up at me.

Haha, a satisfying reaction.

“Seeing how maturely you’ve grown, I’m glad you kicked away the Knight Commander back then, even if it was insubordination.”

I smiled playfully at the Princess.

“Thank you for taking care of me all this time, little miss, Your Highness.”

I was worried it might be disrespectful, but my concern was unnecessary.

Because the Princess threw herself into my arms with tears in her eyes.