Ch.64Chapter 64: A Brief Rest (1)

#

Pitch black.

Endlessly pitch black.

The Demon Realm, situated at the northern edge of the Central Continent, shrouded in darkness.

This place was once the stronghold of Desire, the Demon God of Lust who descended upon this land a thousand years ago to establish his twisted utopia.

It was also the abandoned ruins left behind when he was sealed away by Lumen Ranos, the great hero of light.

Yet to call it ruins would be an understatement, as the aesthetic perfection of the architecture here had been maintained despite being neglected for a millennium.

Particularly impressive was the massive palace known as the Great Hall of Evil, built using obsidian gathered from the Central Continent and other lands during the Great Holy War, reflecting Desire’s taste.

It was magnificent.

In this place where light was so rare, the occasional stray beam served only to make the evil that had once bloomed here shimmer like decorative material.

This obsidian palace was a beautiful place.

However, for the residents living around this obsidian palace—which even those untainted by evil might find somewhat beautiful—only cruelty could be felt, with no appreciation for its aesthetic beauty.

Break, kill, and continue killing until finally standing alone at the top.

This was the iron rule followed by the demons who engaged in bloody battles, washing blood with more blood, each striving to reach the pinnacle.

Normally, the place would be filled with the roars of mindless demons faithful to their destructive instincts, seeking only to climb to the top.

“Phew…”

But now, all that could be heard was a deep sigh of relief from a man who had just arrived, so profound it seemed as if it might sink the ground.

The demons, who would normally have lost whatever little intelligence they possessed to the dark energy of the Demon Realm and displayed their violent tendencies openly, had stopped at the man’s appearance.

And it wasn’t just a simple halt.

The demons who had been engaged in bloody combat moments ago underwent a dramatic change at the appearance of the man, whose influence was stronger than even the dark energy that numbed their reason.

*Thud*

The demons all knelt down at once and lowered their heads.

As if they were afraid to make eye contact with the sighing man.

Perhaps because they were creatures of darkness with numbed intelligence, or rather, because both their intelligence and reason were paralyzed while their instincts dominated, they acted on instinct.

They naturally learned that submitting to an overwhelmingly superior being was the best choice for survival, as if they couldn’t even dare to bare their teeth.

But regardless of the awe felt by the demons…

“I nearly went back into my coffin the moment I woke up.”

Though he was putting on airs and bluffing, the man’s appearance was quite comical as he couldn’t control his trembling body even while continuing to speak.

“To think that beings as formidable as those I faced before sleeping still exist—humans are truly persistent.”

His tone conveyed irritation rather than dignity.

The dust covering his elegant attire, which should have exuded aristocratic refinement, diminished its class.

Moreover, his hair was disheveled from the cold northern wind.

Despite being exposed to such cold air, his skin showed no hint of color, and sweat—whether cold or hot—dripped down, giving the impression of someone ill.

It was comical enough to see such a figure displaying power that made the demons filling the Demon Realm unable to make a sound.

“Huff…”

After finally cutting short his seemingly endless sighs…

“I look terrible.”

Realizing his appearance, the man began to groom himself, starting by neatly arranging his hair with both hands.

As he smoothed his hair from his forehead with both hands, his windblown locks returned to a neat form.

*Snap*

With a light snap of his left thumb and middle finger, he dispelled the dust that diminished the dignity of his attire and the sweat covering his skin.

Having composed his expression and calmed his trembling body, the man’s aristocratic dignity began to revive.

“Now I’m feeling more settled.”

His voice now revealed a greater solemnity than when he had been sighing and bluffing earlier, and his expression finally showed dignity.

“After waking from sleep upon hearing that person’s voice, I didn’t expect my first expedition after resurrection to end so shamefully…”

But as soon as his dignity returned, his voice grew somber as he recalled the responsibility for the failure of his operation, which seemed beyond his control.

“Even so!”

Soon strength returned to the man’s voice.

“This Pale Sanguin won’t cower just because I showed some disgrace in the initial battle.”

The man who identified himself as Pale Sanguin confidently pounded his chest with his right hand.

“There’s still a chance. Perhaps I can select some useful ones from among these creatures and form a group?”

Was he being strategic, or just living recklessly without a plan?

As he said this, Pale Sanguin carefully examined the kneeling subordinates around him.

His gaze, seeking vanguards to adorn an expedition that would highlight his lord’s dignity, was initially indifferent.

But as time passed, disappointment gradually bloomed in Sanguin’s expression.

“Though I’m hardly one to talk in my current state, they’re all pathetically weak.”

With these final words, the man, Pale Sanguin, turned away from the demons, spun around, and headed toward the obsidian palace.

“I need to establish a southward strategy. First, take that fortress, then gather the dead…”

He muttered to himself, formulating various plans.

“…If all else fails, perhaps I should seek permission for corpse synthesis.”

With these words, Sanguin entered the obsidian palace and disappeared from sight.

A very faint light fell upon this great Demon Realm, but in a place where even that meager light was stolen by the obsidian palace, only the reflective gleam of obsidian sparkled.

#

Immediately after the undead army’s invasion had subsided.

As soon as the feverish cheers ended, the fortress personnel quickly sought out their duties.

Those assigned to fortress defense maintained their positions in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Some personnel were organized into a salvage team under the leadership of Sister to retrieve the corpse of the Behemoth that had fallen to Lord Nighthart’s strike.

The members of the salvage team were formidable.

Even experienced soldiers who couldn’t handle fighting spirit were not included in the salvage team.

It was composed of only the most elite members selected from among the Imperial Knights.

The total number was seven, including Sister.

To someone unfamiliar with the Imperial Knights’ abilities, this would seem too few.

To those who knew their skills well, it might seem like they were planning a small-scale local battle.

They weren’t called elites for nothing.

After receiving a gesture from Sister, they all headed outside the fortress at once, and upon her command, they set off to retrieve the Behemoth’s remains in the distance.

Moving with disciplined steps befitting trained knights, they quickly disappeared from the sight of the fortress personnel during the span of my few short breaths.

“They’re fast.”

I couldn’t help but remark at their swift movement.

It was as if they were determined to reach their destination as quickly as possible to begin the salvage operation.

Someone unfamiliar with how this fortress operates might not understand why such high-caliber personnel would rush so urgently to salvage the remains of an already dead monster.

But their movement was driven by the intent to collect the most important resource for maintaining this fortress.

“…Is the mana stone from the Behemoth’s remains really that good for powering the generator?”

“More precisely, it’s the tremendous energy contained in successfully refined mana stones.”

As Excel, who wore a slightly dejected expression beside me, and Dan, who answered him, explained:

The mana crystals that can be extracted from the bodies of monsters like the Behemoth are essential elements in sustaining this fortress.

One can extract mana stones from the bodies of ordinary low-level monsters after defeating them.

But no matter how many of these low-level monsters you defeat and extract mana stones from, the energy would be mere dust compared to a single piece of mana stone extracted from that massive corpse.

If the mana stone from the Behemoth, which the salvage team would proudly bring back as a trophy, were to undergo the delicate refining process by the mana stone craftsmen stationed here…

“Six months.”

At my slow words, Excel and Dan turned their heads toward me.

“Given that it’s a mana stone extracted from a monster of that class, if the refining is successful, it will provide more than enough power to supply the mana generator in the basement of this fortress for about six months.”

After finishing, I turned my gaze toward Dan and asked:

“Am I right?”

If anyone among the subjugation participants had the most knowledge in magical engineering, it would be Dan, who could verify that my statement wasn’t wrong.

“That’s right.”

And my expectation was correct.

Dan nodded slightly, affirming my words.

“These days, refining technology has developed quite well. If the personnel at this fortress do the refining, they could probably process it into a power source for about eight months.”

He added this explanation, drawing on the latest knowledge in his head.

Perhaps it was because the topic was in his area of expertise.

“I heard that a new type of mana generator has been fully developed in the Empire recently, and I think this fortress will be the first to receive it. With that generator, I believe the mana stone from the Behemoth’s remains could generate power for about a year.”

He fluently shared his knowledge with me and the other subjugation participants.

His expression showed quite a bit of enjoyment.

But while he was burning with scholarly enthusiasm and showing pleasure, there was also:

“I wanted to go with them too…”

Excel, who expressed his disappointment at not being included in the salvage team.

When Sister was selecting the salvage team members with a gesture, he had jumped up and down, begging to be chosen, but wasn’t. Seeing his expression dripping with disappointment was burdensome, so I turned my head away from our group and directed my gaze toward where Rufus had gone, among the soldiers.

What is that guy doing now?

Most of the soldiers serving in this northern territory, excluding the knights, are personnel dispatched from the Kessler Margraviate bordering the northern territory.

In other words, they are the residents of the territory that Rufus will rule in the future.

Toward these people who would become his future support base:

He was wearing a warm expression, listening to their hardships, and telling them that he would provide supplies from within his territory if needed, capturing the soldiers’ attention.

‘He needs to make a good impression on his territory’s residents.’

Despite his sturdy appearance, he’s truly a smart guy.

Having been selected as a subjugation participant, he was showing remarkable skill for his age by building his support base here among his territory’s residents.

‘He’s doing well.’

The competence I had indirectly sensed from him in the previous timeline was quite admirable.

It reminded me of the heroic image of the margrave who, becoming one with his territory’s residents, had repelled the beings of the Demon Realm who had begun a massive invasion, emboldened by the resurrected Demon God and his agent carrying out his will.

If circumstances allowed, I would have liked to watch more of Rufus comforting the soldiers and boosting their morale, but:

Unfortunately, it seemed I wouldn’t have time to leisurely stay on the wall.

“Hey, Siege?”

“What?”

“You can let go of my arm now.”

“Do you… dislike me holding it?”

“No, not at all. I actually like it.”

“Hehe… I like it too.”

Somehow, this golden-haired puppy… no, no, Siege kept approaching me while holding my arm, sending me a warm gaze so bright it was almost blinding.

There was no force at all, but it was like a warm sunshine that would naturally make you unbutton your winter coat when you’re cold.

With such an appealing gaze, her next action was predetermined without even asking.

“Let’s explore the inside of the fortress together.”

As expected.

Perhaps it was the sense of liberation she felt from being outside the cradle for once.

Having confirmed that the situation was over, Siege seemed intent on exploring the interior of the fortress.

She put more strength into her hand holding my right hand and moved toward the stairs leading down from the wall.

*Grip*

My right arm in her hand didn’t hurt.

I was actually quite happy to feel the clear consideration for me in her touch, but that wasn’t the important thing.

“Let’s go see quickly.”

Somehow, I tried to resist being pulled by Siege’s hand, but my attempt was futile as I was dragged along by her.

I was being dragged. Literally dragged.

It wasn’t an unseemly one-sided pulling, but when she took one light step, my foot had no choice but to take a step too.

It was strange.

Although it hadn’t been for a very long time, I had focused on training with a clear goal, even sacrificing sleep time, and had raised my physical abilities to a level incomparable to before the regression.

Yet somehow, my body, which tried to resist her hand, was just being dragged along like a tree with its roots pulled out.

It was as if resistance had no meaning at all.

She wasn’t using body strengthening techniques either.

This was the same situation for her, which only doubled my confusion.

When would she have built up such strength when she barely had time for her own training, trying to match my regimen?

While a corner of my mind was rising with confusion, that confusion soon turned into admiration for the talent she had brilliantly blossomed.

‘That’s a relief.’

And relief.

During the past few weeks spent with her, I had continuously felt sorry for focusing only on my training, thinking I might have been a hindrance to her.

But seeing her grow steadily, making such concerns meaningless, I felt only pride.

The inferiority complex that had continuously tormented me in the previous timeline was now completely gone.

I wanted to come up with dozens of compliments for her in my mind and convey them directly, but:

For now, it was important to follow where she wanted to go.

“I spotted a place from up there earlier, so I’ll guide you.”

Saying this, I changed from being forcibly dragged by her hand to taking the lead and continued walking.

Drawing Siege, who was holding my right hand, a little closer to my side.

“…!!”

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then she accepted my hand with a gentle curve.

“Hehe.”

Making a warm laugh that, though I heard it often, made my heart peaceful every time.

[Dating in such a cold place—you’re quite fortunate, lad.]

Though I heard Fafnir’s voice, seemingly mocking me:

‘It is indeed a date, so feel free to be as jealous as you want.’

After I retorted like this:

[….]

There were no more sarcastic remarks from Fafnir.

Come to think of it. Since regressing, although I’ve spent time with Siege, we haven’t walked around outside the cradle like this together.

I should use my experiences and memories from the previous timeline to make her happy here.

“I’ve heard that the downtown area here is quite impressive for a fortress. Let’s go take a look.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Siege happily matching her steps with mine at my words, I briefly recalled:

In the previous timeline.

After three years had passed, the distant glimpse I had of you.

The lively and bright appearance you have now was nowhere to be seen.

Your image, having lost its light and sunk endlessly, tried to overlap with your current appearance for a moment, but:

“It’s been a while since I’ve explored outside with Cal, so I’m excited.”

Your appearance, sending me an expectant look, shattered that overlapping moment.

Yes.

Let’s change things little by little.

If you weren’t happy in the previous timeline because of me:

Then I, who have returned by reversing time, can stay away from wrong choices and make you happy.

Setting aside my complicated feelings and resolving to focus on the present, my footsteps carefully continued to match hers.

The occasional cold wind that penetrated through the barrier of the environmental stabilization magic circle inside the fortress didn’t feel cold at all, as I carried such warmth in my heart.