Ch.81Understanding. (2)

“……What’s the reason?”

“To be precise, I don’t have time to help. What you want is to understand me. But no matter how I think about it, that’s impossible. Even if it were possible, it would take an enormous amount of time. Therefore, rejected.”

Livga’s face hardened.

“But still……”

“However.”

Esthie hadn’t finished speaking.

“I owe you a debt, so propose compensation within a range I can accept. I’ll listen.”

“……”

Livga’s gaze deepened. The more she conversed with Esthie, the more she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

How to put it, it didn’t feel like talking to a person.

‘Just what……’

She had met many people.

The sick, the possessed… rescuing those who couldn’t be healed by conventional methods was also the role of a Saintess.

But, she could assert that there had never been a case like Esthie.

– There’s no problem with fully opening the port itself. However, if that happens, it will cause issues in protecting Icail.

A human who lives for a purpose.

A madman doesn’t recognize that his mind is broken. That’s why they’re called madmen.

But Esthie was different. She clearly recognized that her mind was broken.

“There’s no time. Saintess. Quickly propose compensation.”

It was a tone without a trace of emotion.

“……”

Her lips felt parched.

Perhaps she had been too reckless?

She was afraid.

If Esthie was like this, then Olivia must be……

Shallow understanding is worse than sympathy. It’s merely deception.

To fully understand someone, one must at least immerse oneself deeper than the person in question.

Livga shook her head.

‘……I’ll do it. I have to.’

Hadn’t she resolved? If she gave up here, how would it be any different from selling Olivia to that demon?

She couldn’t give up without even starting.

She had to do it. She must.

“Accompany you!”

Livga shouted.

“When you go to sea, please take me with you.”

“……That’s also impossible. If you were to die or get injured while accompanying me, the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t stay quiet.”

“Then at least give me some time.”

Esthie shook her head.

“How many times must I say it? I don’t have time for that. Especially now in April.”

“No. You do.”

“……What do you mean?”

“I heard you sometimes come up to the lighthouse to rest. Even if it’s just then, please talk with me.”

Esthie calculated in her head.

She was weighing the debt she owed Livga against the current proposal.

This was reasonable enough.

“Possible. However, I cannot specify a time.”

Because rogues don’t distinguish between day and night.

Livga nodded.

“Then could you give me some notice before coming to the lighthouse?”

“That much I can do. Here, take this.”

Esthie took something from her bosom and threw it to Livga. It was a rolled-up conch shell.

“What is this…?”

“A communication conch used by merfolk. The blue one is for sending, and the red one is for receiving.”

Livga’s was red.

“……Couldn’t we just use crystal balls?”

Esthie shook her head.

“My waves have the property of absorbing surrounding magical power. Therefore, crystal balls cannot be used. But these conch shells are different. They don’t use any magical power at all.”

“……Ah.”

Livga examined the conch shell with a curious expression. It looked completely ordinary on the outside, yet it had such a function hidden within.

“I’ll contact you through the conch when I finish my work.”

“W-wait a moment! What time does this ‘work’ usually end?”

“It doesn’t end.”

“Even temporarily, I mean.”

Esthie spoke bluntly.

“I don’t know either. Sometimes it takes up to three days, and sometimes I come back several times in a day.”

“……So you often come at dawn too?”

“That’s usually when I finish dealing with pirate crews.”

“Then……when do you sleep?”

Esthie answered promptly.

“Usually, I don’t.”

“……What? No, then how do you……”

Livga’s mouth wouldn’t close.

She was so shocked that words wouldn’t form into sentences.

Esthie’s pale white face tilted to the side.

“Is that so surprising?”

Livga was at a loss for words. Esthie genuinely considered ‘not sleeping’ as normal.

Of course, humans who have reached their level can go without sleep for long periods, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get tired.

That’s the same reason they don’t hold dawn services during fasting periods.

Because even humans who have reached enlightenment are still human.

‘What is this……’

Livga couldn’t collect herself.

She thought she had seen the bottom of a person, but now she felt like she was facing another bottom beneath that.

“Anyway, I’ll contact you through the conch when I finish my work. Farewell.”

“……”

Without waiting for Livga’s response, Esthie jumped down from the lighthouse. Livga finally understood why there were no separate windows in the tall lighthouse.

A splash was heard from the cliff below.

“Oh Aither……”

Livga could only call upon her god.

*****

When they met again, Livga was half out of her mind.

“……”

Her vacant gaze showed she had clearly been shocked.

And rightfully so. Even in Lactea, where crazy people ran rampant, Esthie would be second to none in terms of insanity.

She was fundamentally a person lacking common sense.

Esthie’s world is Icail, and her purpose for living is also Icail.

If the common sense of the world doesn’t help in protecting Icail, Esthie is the kind of person who would discard that common sense without hesitation.

“Livga.”

“Yes, yes! Sister.”

“Are you alright?”

“……”

Her silence was answer enough.

Though she kept her mouth shut, it was easy to guess what she was thinking.

‘She’s probably worried about me.’

For Livga, Esthie was a stronghold. The final stronghold for understanding ‘Olivia.’

Livga thought that if she could understand a person who lives only for a purpose, she might be able to understand ‘Olivia’ a little.

But now, she was blocked from the very first step.

‘Esthie shouldn’t be approached that way to begin with.’

The attempt itself was good. She managed to get ‘periodic meetings’ as compensation from a debt that had been cleared before.

But that’s all.

It’s far from enough to open Esthie’s heart.

“Come here.”

Olivia patted the seat beside her.

After glancing around nervously, Livga slowly approached and sat down.

Olivia stroked Livga’s head and said:

“Do you want to help her?”

“……Who do you mean?”

“The Wavemaster of Icail.”

“……”

Livga pressed her lips tightly.

……In truth, the person she wanted to help most was you.

She wanted to save you.

But after talking with Esthie, Livga became afraid.

Because she had witnessed firsthand how broken a person becomes after living for a purpose their entire life.

Then, Olivia, who had repeated this for an eternal time……

How broken would she be?

“……Yes. That’s right.”

So that’s what she said.

It wasn’t a lie. It was also true that she wanted to help Esthie.

Livga murmured.

“……I want to help her.”

Livga held Olivia’s hand tightly.

She didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want to lose her. Because she was the last precious person left in this world.

“Would you like me to help?”

“……”

Livga silently looked at Olivia.

What was Olivia’s purpose? What could it possibly be, that allows her to smile like that even in this situation?

If there was one thing certain:

“It’s okay. I can do it on my own.”

She had to accomplish this herself.

She couldn’t accept Olivia’s help even here.

“I’ll really work hard. So……”

Please don’t give up on me.

“……Please cheer for me.”

Before Olivia could respond, Livga stood up.

If she stayed any longer, she felt she might show an unsightly appearance.

“I’ll go first, Sister.”

Livga swallowed her tears.

*****

Left alone, Olivia stared quietly at the closed door.

[Clue #3]

[Memory of April, Imperial Year 993]

[Time remaining: 145 minutes 00 seconds]

She was organizing the current situation.

First, the process of overlaying Livga’s memories was almost complete.

There were 4 instances remaining. Fortunately, Livga’s ‘final memory’ was not included among them.

‘997… January?’

As mentioned before, from Imperial Year 996 onwards, the story related to demons begins in earnest.

If the one who descended in 996 was Belphegor, the Lord of the Western Abyss, then in 997 it would be……

‘Agares, the Lord of the Eastern Abyss.’

Fortunately, not Asmodeus.

Originally, Asmodeus was scheduled to appear two years later in 999. Therefore, Livga from the annihilation cycle couldn’t meet the ‘real’ Asmodeus.

‘I’ve calculated everything.’

To begin with, there aren’t many regression survivors who live until 999. By that point, the continent is essentially finished.

The only remaining places would be the southern continent that had already been devastated by demons, the western archipelago, and the neutral country of Machina.

That means only regressors in their 10s survive.

‘By the way… what happens if I interfere with Esthie here?’

It’s not that she can’t meet other regressors, just that she can’t meet two regressors simultaneously.

Therefore, there’s no problem in meeting Esthie herself… but she can’t just meet her recklessly.

The third rule of clues:

– If two clues conflict, the later one overwrites the earlier one.

Livga is Clue #3, Esthie is Clue #4.

So even if she were to meet with Esthie now and build rapport, it could be overwritten later.

‘Of course, unless the timing matches exactly, it won’t be overwritten, but……’

At that moment, what Esthie had said flashed through Olivia’s mind.

– Until sunrise tomorrow.

‘……Wait.’

Olivia’s gaze turned toward the horizon.

‘Will I be kicked out if I stay like this?’

For herself, well, she could stay until the time limit and then be kicked out, but…

What about ‘Olivia’?