Ch.55Chapter 55: A Comic Dialogue or a Skit

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Participating in the Subjugation Festival doesn’t require elaborate preparations for individual students.

All you need is a weapon to protect yourself,

Some emergency rations for contingencies,

And basic tools for outdoor camping.

That’s about it.

Of course, apart from the prepared weapons, the other items are things I can easily gather with my regression experience.

“Phew…”

I sighed lightly as I stood before the mirror, examining my completed preparations.

A winter coat to combat the cold of the early winter season,

The dragon sword Fafnir at my waist,

The uniform proving my status as a Cradle student underneath my coat,

And a backpack filled with emergency rations and other items, all compressed and lightened through reduction spells.

“That should do it.”

With that, I finished preparing as a Cradle student for the Subjugation Festival.

I turned my head toward the wall clock to check the time.

7:45 AM.

Even at a leisurely pace, I’d have no problem reaching the Director’s office on time.

“Well then, shall we go?”

I turned from the mirror and headed toward the door.

Or at least, I tried to.

[The ring. Take the ring with you.]

If not for Fafnir’s voice suddenly speaking in my head, that is.

“…What?”

Since no one was around, I stopped and briefly questioned him aloud.

[No matter what happens, make sure to take the ring I gave you.]

He merely insisted that I take the ring he had given me.

Judging by his repetition of the same message, it was clear he would continue making noise in my head until I complied.

“I have it.”

I patted the front pocket of my winter coat, indicating that I had put the ring there.

My answer implied that I would put it on my finger when an important moment came, as instructed, but…

[Hmm….]

Apparently dissatisfied with my response,

Fafnir’s discontented chuckle echoed in my mind.

[A ring only has meaning when worn on a finger. What will you do if an emergency arises and you don’t have time to retrieve it from your pocket?]

Ah, so that was his complaint.

He’s more petty than I thought.

But there’s nothing to gain by saying that out loud.

“I’ll put it on when the situation calls for it, so keep your concerns to yourself.”

I spoke calmly to prevent him from talking further.

I understand that rings are meant to be worn on fingers, but honestly, I didn’t want to display a ring on my finger unless necessary.

Because…

[I suppose you’re uncomfortable showing it to that blonde girl we saw two days ago.]

“…”

Correct.

Even though we’d cleared up the misunderstanding, I didn’t want to keep showing Shizu the Ring of the Nibelung.

By the way, he’s calling someone else’s precious fiancée a “girl” so casually.

Maybe I should threaten to throw him into a furnace if he doesn’t listen.

[Your silence tells me I hit the mark. Kuhehe.]

Before I could even contemplate, Fafnir’s mocking laughter echoed in my head again.

He seemed more reserved in the world he summoned me to, but when speaking in my mind, he says whatever he wants without restraint. It’s giving me a headache.

I’d like to argue with him for calling Shizu a “girl,” but…

“Think what you want.”

Now wasn’t the time for that.

I responded briefly to his mockery and opened the door to step outside.

Creeeeak

As soon as I opened the door, the moderately cold air of winter filled the corridor, greeting me.

It was the perfect temperature to clear my head.

“Nnngh!”

As I stretched lightly and took a deep breath, the cold air calmed both my mind and chest.

“Dragon Claw Mountain Range will be cold.”

It’s quite chilly there, though not as frigid as Glacier, the land of extreme cold located north of the Central Continent.

[Hmm? Where is that?]

Fafnir’s voice responded to my muttering.

Does this guy not even know the name of the place where he died?

Well, thinking about it, the place might have been named after his death, so he might not know.

“The large mountain range that crosses the northern part of the Central Continent where you were active in your prime.”

As soon as I finished my calm explanation…

[…Why is it called that?]

I heard his voice in my head, tinged with considerable bewilderment.

Is he shocked by the name of what used to be his territory?

I should probably explain the etymology as well.

“There’s a large claw mark you left at the highest peak of the mountain range, so it was named after that and has been called that ever since.”

[…I see.]

After a moment of confusion,

Fafnir’s voice suggested he understood the etymology of the mountain range’s name.

If he had been visible, I imagine he would have nodded slowly with his arms crossed—that’s how calm his voice was.

[I fought quite fiercely with that woman back then.]

No, maybe he’s too calm now.

[She would split my flames with her sword as if it were nothing. And she even cut my body in half.]

That’s exactly what I’m curious about.

In the dream I saw, his body was cut in half by my ancestor’s ultimate strike and lay sprawled on the ground, yet somehow he still exists, albeit without a physical form.

If I had enough time, I’d love to question him about it, but if I delayed any longer, I’d surely be late for the assembly time.

“I’ve read about that scene in books until I was sick of it, so you don’t need to say more.”

I cut off his intended speech with a brief, cold remark.

It worked.

[Such bad manners. How can you be so identical to that woman? Short-spoken and without any cuteness… hmm.]

His voice, responding to my pointed comment with nonchalance while mentioning my ancestor, carried a deep sense of melancholy, so I let him ramble on for a moment.

[Anyway. Don’t make her cry. Then you won’t die.]

Whether it was advice, an anecdote, or an essay, his words straddled a subtle, ambiguous boundary, but…

“…I know.”

Since this was something I had experienced myself,

I responded to his advice(?) with a calm voice.

There wasn’t a single incorrect aspect in what he said.

‘Well, I did something deserving of death, so I can’t really say anything.’

For a moment, I recalled past events related to Shizu.

Not the recent ring-related incident,

But from the time before I turned back time.

From the timeline that now only I remember.

Especially the moments I experienced with her after I became a monster.

-Why… you?

-Tell me it’s a lie.

-It can’t be… true.

After unwillingly becoming an agent of the Demon God,

During our fierce battles when the monster within me took over,

Your face when you confirmed my identity behind the black helmet destroyed by the holy sword—your expression of disbelief came to mind first.

Your pitiful appearance as you repeatedly denied and tried to look away was brief.

-Is that so? You pursued power endlessly and ended up in such an ugly state before me?

-Can you see? The world you’ve destroyed? The people you’ve reduced to ashes?

-I want to erase even the trace of your existence from this world with this holy sword.

-I hate you.

Eventually, after accepting reality and completely abandoning your feelings for me, your cold demeanor toward me also came to mind.

I wanted to make excuses, but I was powerless, unable to speak freely due to the evil possessing my body.

Finally, I recalled your persistent determination to kill me.

At that time, though your expression was cold, you were probably holding back tears that threatened to burst forth.

Remembering that makes me feel inexplicably melancholic.

And my chest aches along with it.

Because of me, who couldn’t even properly suppress the inferiority complex in my heart, the world was ruined.

And because of me, you had to live a life far from happiness.

Though I didn’t stop walking toward the Director’s office, I prayed inwardly.

If you, who exists only in my memory, somehow continue to exist there,

I pray that you would at least forget someone like me and live a little happier.

The cold air that had calmed my complicated mind and slightly heated chest seemed to penetrate through my winter coat and into my body.

[When someone gives you advice, you should at least say thank you. All you said was that you’d heed it. Really, not only is your hair color identical to hers, but your lack of manners is also a carbon copy of that woman’s.]

…Thanks to Fafnir’s mood-breaking grumbling, I was able to shake off my melancholic feelings more quickly.

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As I continued walking while silently listening to his chatter, I soon reached the entrance to the Director’s office.

The time had been long yet short, but at least it wasn’t boring.

I wondered if I should thank him, but…

“Kal!”

Shizu’s voice, full of delight at seeing me, prevented me from continuing that thought.

It’s only been a few hours since we last saw each other, yet Shizu seems so happy to see me.

…Well, I’m happy to see her too, so I can’t really say anything.

[What a lovesick puppy…]

I heard a voice mocking me, but I had no time to pay attention to it.

Shizu, having spotted me, was waving her right hand vigorously as she approached, closing the distance between us.

“Hehe. I came here on my own today. Aren’t I good?”

Her proud declaration of having prepared and arrived here without me coming to wake her carried a contradictory beauty—appearing trivial yet incredibly lovable.

Moreover, the way she approached me and gently tilted her head, as if asking me to pat it, was even more endearing.

Unlike you from the previous timeline I recalled earlier, you in this period when everything in the world seemed beautiful was this lovable—I couldn’t help but reach that conclusion.

“…Kal?”

Oops, I got lost in thought and forgot to pat her head.

I hurriedly reached out to pat Shizu’s head, but…

“…Are you worried about something?”

I had to stop my outstretched hand at Shizu’s words as our eyes met.

…Is my expression that bad?

It seemed I hadn’t properly cleared the melancholy from my face.

I needed to deflect this somehow. I couldn’t tell her I was recalling things that shouldn’t be spoken of.

“Worried? It’s nothing.”

I tried to dismiss her question by pretending everything was fine, but…

“The Subjugation Festival won’t be a big deal.”

At Shizu’s voice, interpreting my concern differently…

“Ah…”

I scratched my head slightly and let out a dull sound.

“Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll protect you, Kal.”

Shizu’s actions, misinterpreting my expression, showed no signs of stopping.

Her actions culminated in placing her right hand on her chest with an expression full of confidence.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but feel playful.

First, I reached for her hair, which was sparkling in the morning sunlight.

“Hehe.”

Thinking I was going to pat her head as usual, she smiled broadly and obediently presented her head. I placed my right hand on her crown, and then…

Instead of gently stroking her crown as usual…

*Rustle* *Rustle*

…I pretended to, while actually messing up her hair.

“Huh…? Huh?”

Then, as she voiced her confusion at my unusual behavior, I leaned close to her ear and said:

“I’ll protect you.”

I said this with warmth perhaps dozens of times greater than when I had said it before.

Yes, I must protect you.

If I recall what happens during this Subjugation Festival…

I know that while no one dies, Shizu goes through tremendous hardship.

I’ll protect you, even if I have to pay with my body.

As I resolved this in my heart and tried to fix Shizu’s disheveled hair…

“…”

The heat from Shizu’s flushed face transmitted directly to my palm.

[This guy’s a real player, a real player.]

Fafnir’s incredulous voice echoing in my head was just a bonus.