Ch.295295. Overlaid Truth (2)

The time was ripe, and the moment for everything in Levrant to change was approaching.

The undead dragon that had entered its resting period was now unfurling its once-coiled body, causing the chunks that were once parts of living creatures to begin to shrivel.

“Truly, what a grotesque creature.”

Feltibourgos. This dragon standing at the boundary between life and death openly displayed parts of the living beings it had eroded and devoured until now.

Not only the horns and shells of the magical beasts it had eaten, but also poison sacs reeking of toxins, teeth that had torn through flesh, and even intestines—everything was exposed.

But this alone would hardly qualify as grotesque.

What truly deserved to be called grotesque were the things writhing throughout its body as if still alive.

-Hungry…

-Food… need food…!

Human heads.

That was the epitome of grotesqueness and horror itself.

While the soldiers might simply be paralyzed with fear, for the two individuals, that wasn’t all there was to it.

“It’s becoming more and more similar.”

“Indeed. If you just add blue scales and red glowing eyes, and increase its size, it would be identical.”

Now the mystery was solved.

The dragon species with blue scales and red glowing eyes that had brought a great crisis to the Artena Empire, showing nothing but hostility toward humans.

Feltibourgos looked not much different from the offspring of that dragon they had encountered during the Mirum Decisive Battle.

“…Even Herkas’s fragments were overwhelmingly difficult to handle. To think they tried to rule the duchy with something like this. Truly.”

“What did those fools like Duke Flocan say? That it wasn’t them but Lord Alcaide who accomplished everything?”

“Why bring that up suddenly, Jake?”

“It’s karma, isn’t it? Those things over there, carrying toxins all over their bodies, were eroded and completely absorbed.”

“They must have had quite a lot of complaints about you.”

“Don’t even get me started. It was maddening. Even before you arrived, no matter what I said, they were complacently destroying everything.”

The two professors, survivors of the Mirum Decisive Battle and key figures in the duchy’s army, stood side by side, engaging in casual conversation.

One might ask if this was the time for such idle chat, but this conversation was their way of indicating they had completed their preparations to face Feltibourgos.

The undead dragon approaching with sluggish movements and Ashpern who seemed to be controlling it.

The two named magical beasts that had driven them back until Levrant fell had now revealed themselves.

“Judging by how the troops are divided, it seems bringing no one was indeed the right answer.”

“If we had brought anyone, the main force might have been in danger.”

Despite this, there were no subordinates following Muniher and Jake. Not a single one.

It wasn’t that there weren’t people who wanted to follow them, given their strong reputation. But the two had refused to accept any.

Chizizizing-!

The object to be used against the great named magical beasts activated. The object, originally meant for defensive warfare, faithfully performed its role of separating the magical beasts moving under Ashpern’s command.

A magic barrier that would last barely ten minutes from now, but sufficient time to achieve their purpose.

The ground rose up. The path-blocking earth magic perfectly separated Ashpern and Feltibourgos.

And then.

Clang!

As Jake’s swung sword clashed with Ashpern’s spear.

“Five minutes should be enough, right?”

“No matter how old I’ve grown, that’s more than enough time to write a sealing formula.”

They each took on one named magical beast.

.

.

.

Having suddenly lost their commander and even those who could replace him, the duchy’s army was experiencing a sharp decline in morale.

Although Tembris remained, the atmosphere was even gloomier as Goden’s death was still fresh.

But what could they do?

What strategy or tactic could possibly be employed here?

Was there even a way to survive? Was there no way to defeat that thing in the first place?

Such anxiety could only continue to escalate.

And someone must have foreseen this situation. That’s why they were searching.

“Any news?”

Charlotte shook her head. Using the guild’s resources, she had checked the entire list of the duchy’s army, but Junon’s name was conspicuously absent.

“After leaving the infirmary, no one knows where he went. Unfortunately, he moved at the exact time when everyone was distracted by the magical beasts…”

That meant he was nowhere to be found.

No trace of him.

‘Where on earth did he go that he’s completely out of sight?’

No matter how much they searched, there was no trace of the young man who should be leading the crumbling duchy’s army. At this point, it seemed necessary to deploy search teams skilled in detection magic.

“Um… Senia.”

In the midst of this, Aris approached hesitantly.

“It’s nothing major… but Renias suddenly disappeared.”

Seeing her intimidated appearance, Senia worried that she still hadn’t recovered from the aftereffects, but that didn’t seem to be the main issue.

“Renias disappeared?”

The junior who harbored pink feelings for him would have been moving around to find Junon in her own way. But why would Renias suddenly disappear?

Professor Muniher had designated Renias as Junon’s caretaker, the person to nurse him.

‘If that Renias suddenly disappeared…!’

Though it seemed unlikely…

“It’s nothing serious, but… some people saw Renias heading toward Sirah… and apparently someone at Sirah Road School also found Renias. It might be a wild guess, and I’m not sure if this helps, but still…”

“No. You’re right on the mark.”

“H-huh?”

Perhaps Renias had moved to a place where she thought Junon might be. Senia was certain.

“Aris, where did they say Renias went?”

“Oh? That’s…”

Above Sirah Road School, the hill path where the rocking stone was located.

That was Aris’s answer.

***

“…”

Unhealed wounds lingered on his fist from the impact of shattering the rock.

Once, he had clenched this hand with a determination to somehow change the future, and once, he had tried to bring about even the slightest change by any means necessary.

Using his body was common. Among those actions, clenching this fist to strike down magical beasts was routine, and he had lost count of how many times he had infused this hand with magical power.

But the fingers with scabs still intact now lacked any will.

No more infusing magic to strike down magical beasts, no more plans to raise the duchy’s strength by bringing about small changes, no more determination to change the future.

He had twisted causality and tried to produce different results, but.

The predetermined fate never changed no matter what he did.

Therefore, the future cannot be changed. And his death is predestined.

That was the conclusion Junon had reached.

-Thud.

The hill path he had climbed whenever his mind was troubled. The rocking stone that had always shown him he could rise again even after falling was now shattered by his hand.

Now only the round bottom part remained, and whether it could still be called a stone was questionable. But such things no longer registered in his eyes.

This thudding sound came from someone standing where the stone had been.

He hadn’t realized until now how high this place was. High enough for a loud thump when the stone fell.

And that was reassuring.

If he fell from here too, he would finally be free.

The height from the top of the stone was not much different from looking down from a rooftop. Or perhaps it was the same height.

‘What does it matter.’

Before being summoned to this place. The scenery in South Korea was clearly different from the current view, but taking a step forward would bring about the same result. That’s what mattered.

There was no reason to be happy just because his body could move freely.

Living in another world, meeting people, making friends, and creating memories—the end was the same.

He had returned from a miserable death of being stabbed by a comrade and tried to change the future, but…

It didn’t change.

In the end, he couldn’t avoid taking this one step. No matter how much he struggled.

Death.

Now it was his only solace.

As his eyelids covered his vision in darkness, and he took one step forward, resisting the wind blowing from the high ground.

Just as he was about to step forward.

-Thump!

Someone pulled his body from behind, preventing his suicide attempt.

“As I thought… you were here this time too.”

A girl with silver-white hair fluttering in the wind tightly embraces his back with both arms, preventing him from taking that step.

***

Amidst gazes filled with prejudice and expectations. Among those gazes, only one person discovered her true self.

Was it just a gaze? No. Under the pretext of using her, he helped her become aware of reality, and even in that reality, he shone brighter than anyone.

So she began to follow that light.

She tried to dispel bad rumors about him. She tried to make people acknowledge him.

It was probably from that time.

Somehow, she was chasing this light faster and faster.

Would they become closer if they spent the festival together? Was there any way to get even a little closer?

By the time she realized it, something large had already filled her heart.

Then she confessed her secret. The secret that she had nightmares, the fact that it was painful—she finally voiced it.

Shedding tears she had never shown to others, she cried in his arms, soaking his clothes.

The nightmares stopped coming from then on. The closer she got. The deeper that feeling in her heart grew.

Her own refuge. A secret place no one knew about.

The time spent with him felt like being in a refuge, and his embrace, which had seemed so firm, turned out to be an incredibly soft and cozy space. It was a secret place where she could unconsciously remove her mask and be comfortable.

But at some point, this refuge began to crumble. She didn’t even notice the gaps forming, the damage occurring.

She thought the gaps could be filled, the damaged parts repaired.

But they weren’t filled. Once broken, they couldn’t be repaired.

Instead, he kept saying he was fine, responding with a body that was anything but fine. Just like herself wearing a mask.

Why couldn’t she offer even the smallest help? She had resented that, but.

Now she knew.

Why she couldn’t help.

Because the nasty knot of the past was tormenting him terribly.

Because he simply couldn’t shake off what was deeply embedded in his mind.

Because it was impossible for him to even confide in others.

He had no choice but to bear it alone. While wearing a mask.

“You know what? I know that you… were the person I wanted to call ‘senior’ before.”

“What do you mean…”

“You asked me before. If I remembered coming to that cave before.”

“…!!”

It must be hard. It must be exhausting. That mask that suffocates you is so stifling—she knows all too well from countless experiences.

So this time. Let me be your refuge.

Warmly and cozily. Embracing you with a warm embrace where you can comfortably rest your body.

So that the bad mask that’s tormenting you can fall off. Let me hold you tight.

“I… remember everything. Every single detail…”