Ch.283Return (1)

Zweiherz, swung with all my might as it emitted a sacred radiance from my hand, severed the part corresponding to my parents from that ‘Essence’ which had momentarily frozen for the briefest instant.

Though my vision became paralyzed and my mind distorted from the aftereffects of glimpsing this ‘Essence,’ I think I got off rather cheaply considering I had directly looked at it and extended my sword into its very nature.

In any case, this severed part of the ‘Essence,’ the fragment bearing the identity of ‘my mother,’ separated from what could be called the ‘main body,’ which began to gradually dissipate in this strange atmosphere.

Originally, she had only been able to maintain her existence before me because I was a descendant of ‘Gluttony,’ but now that I had cut away the identity of my mother, she could no longer sustain that tremendous existence.

This space called the ‘Wasteland of Gluttony’ instantly distorted into an unknown realm filled with noise, and the separated main body vanished without a trace from this world, as if it had never existed in the first place.

In this atmosphere, I looked down at the part corresponding to ‘mother’ that had fallen after being severed by my sword, and slowly checked my current physical condition.

The throbbing sensation in my arm intensified into raging pain, and as the price for momentarily stopping the essence of ‘Gluttony,’ my ‘Demon Eye’ was lost, and both ‘Eagle Vision’ and ‘Weakness Detection’ had mostly disappeared.

Probably, I won’t be able to use those privileges anymore, except perhaps to restore my permanently diminished eyesight to its original level.

The pain is especially severe in the arm that had already been broken once, but perhaps because the quality of the sword is different, the light leaking from the pommel is healing my broken arm.

As I carefully moved my body, which had recovered better than expected considering I had directly cut ‘Gluttony,’ the ‘mother’ part finally completed establishing its identity after the demonic aspect had been separated…

At that moment, the noise-filled otherworldly landscape filling my vision changed.

The scene before my eyes was an incredibly pastoral and beautiful golden wheat field.

The sky was high and blue without a single cloud. Below stretched a wheat field so vast one might doubt it had an end, occasionally swaying rhythmically as if someone were running through it whenever a cool breeze blew.

Windmills made of wood and canvas gently turned throughout the area, emphasizing the atmosphere, and beyond them, the beautiful, fertile landscape gradually came into view.

It was truly a pastoral and refreshing scene—just having this view enter my sight was enough to clear my mind.

The landscape and appearance were so completely unbelievable compared to the barren and ominous wasteland from just moments ago. As I cautiously watched the situation, I carefully turned my head toward where I sensed a presence…

【…Haha. Ah, hello?】

There stood ‘mother,’ smiling awkwardly.

Though not much had changed from her previous noblewoman-like appearance, the few alterations made her look distinctly different from before.

Her deep purple-black hair had changed to golden wheat and sunset red. Her once fierce eyes had softened, and a pair of curved horns adorned the upper parts of her ears.

The formal dress common in high society had been replaced with a soft, flowing dress that gave a pure impression, and her overall aura had shifted from that of a noblewoman to something more gentle and innocent.

Looking at ‘mother,’ whose previous evil nature seemed to have disappeared, she—separated from ‘Gluttony’—appeared extremely nervous as she faced me.

Perhaps she understood well that even though she had fundamentally become aligned with good after separating from evil, the wrongs she had committed would not simply disappear.

Yet seeing her looking at me with affectionate eyes, appearing so pitiful and forlorn, I momentarily weakened and couldn’t bring myself to be harsh.

“…Mother.”

【Yes. …Eh? M-mother, you say?】

“Yes, Mother. All your wrongdoings… they disappeared with ‘Gluttony.’ You… are not a sinner anymore.”

Though it felt somewhat like glorifying a criminal, making it difficult for my lips to part, I spoke about the truth that had been established, separate from my personal feelings.

After all, a being separated from its ‘demonic’ aspect, retaining only the parental aspect and some personality traits, was not something that would be classified as ‘evil’ by the holy sword Zweiherz—or rather, by its owner certification.

“…The sin is gone. You, Mother, were captured by evil and liberated by the power of my ‘Zweiherz’… let’s say that.”

【Is that really okay…?】

“Sigh, yes. As much as I’d like to cut you down right now… nothing would change if I did. Father would be sad, so I won’t strike you down, Mother.”

【…I see.】

Evil had been vanquished. Mother had been expelled from reality as a reaction to her separation, losing the strength to return to reality for some time.

So, repeatedly suppressing the private and extremely personal emotions welling up inside me, I was finally able to somewhat organize my thoughts and carefully opened my mouth.

“So I ask you, Mother. What is your name?”

【My name…】

As I suggested a new name to sever ties with everything from before, Mother closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly pondering her next name…

【…I am Bel… No, Baal. Goddess of fertility and abundance. I am Baal.】

With a face full of determination and resolve, Mother was finally able to sever all ties and return to her original form.

※ ※ ※

The moment Mother finished speaking, as the otherworld completely collapsed, Mother and I instantly returned to the real world.

And the scene inside the lord’s castle we arrived at was…

‘Is it… over?’

The previously complex and distorted form was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a crumbling, damaged shell on the verge of collapse.

The space still remained contaminated, though all the demons and mutations had collapsed from the shock of ‘Gluttony’s’ essence being banished.

And in that space, three familiar faces were approaching me with truly bright smiles.

Corin, Hanna, and Droop wearing a powered suit with only the head section separated.

The three of them were coming toward me, looking only at my face, when they completely froze upon seeing Mother behind me. Facing them, I opened my mouth, acting as calmly as I had planned.

“Well done, everyone! Thanks to you, everything proceeded according to plan! I, myself, defeated the enemy commander!”

Raising the beautiful holy sword Zweiherz, which visibly radiated extraordinary power, I made my calm declaration. Among the stunned trio, Corin was the first to regain his senses.

“Lord Alzar? T-that person—”

“Ah, she is my birth mother. Her soul was captured by the evil ‘Gluttony,’ but I liberated her with this sword bestowed upon me by Jephthah of the ‘Golden Hand.'”

“…That person?”

The reaction he showed upon hearing my words was pure confusion. Did he recall something else after hearing me? He opened his mouth with trembling eyes fixed on the sword…

“T-then, could that sword be… Z—”

“—Zweiherz, correct. I’ll retain ownership until my death, at least.”

Right after I calmly uttered the sword’s true name.

Faced simultaneously with the shock of Zweiherz—essentially equivalent to the succession rights to the Frank royal family—and the shock of my birth mother who had clearly awakened divine power, he was completely paralyzed and unable to act.

Of course, while I felt sorry for his mental health, I had no intention of stopping here.

“…Mother, if you please.”

【Yes.】

Immediately after I sent the telepathic signal, Mother raised one hand powerfully above her head, drew forth sacred power, and released it in all directions…

This sacred power, released by a ‘goddess with a physical body,’ instantly shook the earth and easily purged the corruption deeply rooted in the land…

“—You?”

Just then, my father, who had personally arrived at this castle to find me, froze completely upon seeing Mother—

The reaction after seeing his beloved wife return as a goddess shall be left to the imagination of all who might be watching this scene from somewhere.