Ch.3Olivia, the Name of a Devil (Revised)

Regression.

The act of returning to one’s original place or state after going full circle.

But this is a term used in statistical data, not one suitable for discussing time reversal.

At least, that’s what Princess Aria knew.

“So, what year is it now?”

“It is the year 987, Your Highness.”

“……”

But was there a better word to explain the current situation?

“Thank you, Sorwin. I must have been confused in my dreamy state. You may go now.”

Sorwin smiled reassuringly and disappeared. As soon as the door closed, Aria’s face transformed into an expressionless mask.

It was a face impossible to imagine coming from the ‘beautiful,’ ‘benevolent,’ and ‘gentle’ princess.

‘Did gods truly exist?’

Aria slowly ran her hand over the bed.

Soft. It was something she couldn’t have imagined during those times when she slept fitfully on rough grasslands.

The sensation matched her memory.

Aria immediately got up and walked to the window.

In the late afternoon, servants bustled about, finishing their daily tasks.

Aria examined each of them one by one. Victor, Dennis, Hugo, Kran… There wasn’t a single one whose name she couldn’t remember.

Her memory was fine.

There was one last thing to check.

Pain sensation.

Aria took a fountain pen from her pen case, pressed it against her palm, and applied pressure. Ink and blood mixed, staining the floor a dark red.

It hurt. But not enough to scream.

“Ha… hahahahaha…”

Stagger.

Aria stumbled and collapsed onto the bed.

This was no illusion. No matter how skilled a Grandmaster might be, even if it was ‘that woman,’ they couldn’t create such an elaborate illusion.

Aria reached out into the empty air. Then, as if strangling someone in front of her, she pressed down with all her might.

Do you know

how painful it was?

how much I hated?

how much I wanted to kill?

Even now, when I close my eyes, I see the scenery of that day.

[You, how dare you…!]

[Kyaaaah!]

Father, Mother.

[Princess, we can’t hold much longer.]

Kiel, Melina.

[Protect the Princess!]

[For Her Highness! Fight to the end!]

The knights.

The citizens who trusted me and fled.

All of them, without exception, every single one.

Perished at Olivia’s hands.

Crack!

Her nails dug into her flesh. She didn’t want to remember, but her cursed memory wouldn’t allow her to forget.

They died. Heads severed. Bodies split in two.

Farmer Cedric froze to death slowly from his toes up.

Servant Edwin froze alongside his parents.

In just one day, hundreds of thousands froze to death in the imperial capital.

She couldn’t die. She absolutely couldn’t die.

She couldn’t betray the wishes of those who sacrificed themselves to protect her insignificant self.

Do you know what the eyes of those who sensed their end said when they looked back?

Live. Survive.

Survive and defeat that monster.

So she endured desperately.

She endured and persevered, vowing to kill Olivia even if it meant selling her soul to the devil.

But, but…

She couldn’t stop it.

Even the dragons ruling the skies, the elves of the Great Forest, the merfolk of the ocean.

They all met the same fate.

Would things have been different if she had recognized that woman’s true nature from the beginning?

Aria opened her closed eyes. Blood from her right hand stained the white sheet red.

She nonchalantly wiped away the blood with a towel.

Aria muttered into the empty air.

“Lord Calliophe, Lord Seth. I have something to say, so come out.”

No answer came.

“I already know that His Majesty assigned two night ravens to me. Come out now.”

Again, no answer came. But it was slightly different from before. For a moment, she sensed a presence.

Aria walked to the desk as if she had expected this. She lit a candle and then pressed it against her palm.

As her skin burned, a stinging pain surged through her. The smell of burning protein filled the room.

Just as the fire was about to spread to her blackened skin—

“Stop that.”

A masked figure appeared from nowhere and grabbed Aria’s hand.

The masked figure, Calliophe, couldn’t hide her shock. The princess who had been quiet until now had transformed overnight into a demon filled with murderous intent.

“Finally you appear.”

“What are you doing?”

“You wouldn’t have come out if I hadn’t done this.”

It was logical.

Calliophe bit her lip.

The Shadow Knight Order, commonly known as the Night Ravens.

As the emperor’s direct subordinates, they were his sharpest daggers and loyal servants who followed only his commands.

The emperor had ordered them to protect the princess.

When Aria burned her hand, orders and rules collided.

Calliophe had no choice. She chose to reveal herself and protect the princess.

“Let me ask one favor. Find someone for me.”

“We have no reason to grant Your Highness’s request.”

Aria laughed mockingly and pulled out a fountain pen from her pocket.

“Would I die if I stabbed my neck with this?”

“……”

The pen tip was pointed precisely at her carotid artery.

“Let me rephrase. This isn’t a request. It’s a threat.”

Calliophe waved her hands.

“Alright. I surrender. Now please put away that cursed weapon.”

“Now we’re talking.”

Calliophe covered her face in defeat. She waved her hand toward a corner of the ceiling. After a moment, a shadow rippled and a sturdy masked figure emerged.

“…Captain. Are we allowed to do this?”

“If we die either way, we might as well die comfortably. If the princess dies, both you and I face dismemberment.”

“If you help me, I’ll speak in your defense.”

Calliophe gave a hollow laugh at Aria’s words.

They were cornered.

“Very well, Your Highness. Who shall we find for you?”

*****

Aria stared out the window where Calliophe and Seth had disappeared.

With their information-gathering skills, it wouldn’t take more than a few days to search the entire empire.

Finding the location of a single magician should be quick.

The god she had hated until her final moment had finally taken her side.

At last, the time for revenge had come.

****

Olivia scratched her ear and asked.

“So what did you say that place is called?”

“It’s called Renas.”

“Never heard of it. When was the last time you went out for fun?”

“That…”

Glacia hesitated before answering.

“Fifteen years ago. I don’t really like going outside my lair…”

“……”

This is worse than I thought.

“Do you at least know what year it is in the Imperial calendar?”

“Ah, yes. It should be… 987.”

Olivia scratched her cheek thoughtfully.

‘987, huh.’

It was the same as the tutorial’s starting date. When she saw the ending, it was exactly the year 1000 in the Imperial calendar, which means Princess Aria, who died last, had regressed with 13 years’ worth of memories.

‘That’s somewhat fortunate. What if she had regressed to childhood?’

Facing an Aria with middle-aged experience?

‘That would be…’

The longer time passes, the more disadvantageous it becomes for Olivia. Since the condition for returning to her original world is almost certainly “seeing a new ending,” there’s a limit to running away from enemies who grow stronger over time.

That’s not all. If they discover she has constraints on her actions…

‘Just thinking about it is terrifying.’

Having allies is absolutely essential.

“Name some strong people you know.”

“Names?”

“Yes, names.”

“Ah, well… I don’t have friends.”

“I mean people you know. Anyone.”

“No matter how much I think about it, only my mother and father…”

“Rumors, anything. Just tell me.”

“……”

“Nothing?”

Glacia hesitated before nodding.

“This is driving me crazy.”

She had asked just to get some reference.

As expected, Whites have an exceptional talent for turning people’s moods upside down.

A talent for earning beatings, you might say.

“But why are you looking for strong people?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“I-I didn’t mean to pick a fight! Honestly, someone of your caliber could take any talented person and make them strong!”

“That doesn’t make any—”

Olivia stopped mid-sentence and stroked her chin.

‘Wait a minute.’

People with decent talent, those with “potential” around level 80, are as common as dirt across the continent, to slightly exaggerate.

It’s just that cultivating them is less efficient than recruiting main NPCs, which is why she hadn’t done it before.

“You made a good point.”

“Hehe. Did I?”

“But who gave you permission to call me master?”

“Well, since you didn’t tell me your name…”

“So it’s my fault?”

“N-no! It’s my fault for being stupid!”

Glacia’s face turned pale.

‘This person is truly insane.’

Every time she closes her eyes, the recent memory resurfaces.

Face planted on the ground, rear slightly raised, panting—it was not behavior befitting a noble dragon.

Honestly, she doubted whether the being before her was even human. How could a human possess a colder aura than her mother, a Dragon Lord?

“Let’s do one job together.”

“Pardon?”

While Glacia couldn’t hide her confusion, Olivia spun around and pointed beyond the mountain range.

Specifically, at the white magic tower built on its peak.

“When you say job, what exactly do you mean…?”

“Kidnapping.”

“……”

Glacia gave up trying to understand.