Ch.92Time Is Running Out. (3)

The citizens of Aquar harbored deep resentment toward Esthie who had made them this way.

Those who knew the full story initially resisted that resentment, but soon crumbled before the passage of time.

Ten years, fifty years, a hundred years…

Enough time for affection to transform into hatred, for fondness to degrade into disgust.

Their resentment unknowingly engraved curses upon Esthie’s soul, and their grudges became ‘voices’ that gnawed at her mind.

[I’ll forgive you for bearing my daughter’s name. Now leave.]

If even the king was this adamant, what about the other spirits?

Convincing the spirits, who numbered in the tens of thousands even if only counting the majority, was nearly impossible.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to ask for permission.”

A wave of white light surged around Olivia.

It was a modified form of lightning.

“I came to inform you.”

Tzzzzzt!

Though the royal family members exuded murderous intent, Olivia paid them no mind.

They might appear strong, but their actual combat ability was inferior even to Krauchel’s. If the king stepped forward, things might be different, but Olivia was certain the king would not intervene.

[…Do you owe my daughter a debt? What relationship could possibly drive you to go this far?]

“I’m not paying a debt—I’m trying to erase one.”

[Erase a debt?]

“I also feel a sense of kinship with someone in a similar situation.”

[That’s insufficient. Far too insufficient. No one throws away their life to erase a debt, nor does anyone challenge the impossible merely out of kinship.]

The king’s voice still conveyed disbelief.

“It’s not impossible. And I have no intention of throwing away my life.”

[Young magician. There are some things in this world one can know without having to face them directly.]

“Then I shall have the honor of being the first to break that preconception.”

Honestly, she wasn’t certain of success.

In countless iterations, she had never once attempted to persuade the spirits of Aquar.

From the beginning, she had never even heard the term “share” until now.

But she was already riding the tiger—there was no turning back. If she hesitated now, the momentum would clearly shift to the other side.

⌜Didn’t His Majesty already say it’s too late!⌟

“It’s not too late. I’ve seen someone who endured for a period incomparably longer than any of you. Yet here you are, members of a royal family, whining about 150 years being too long when it’s not even a thousand.”

She was speaking of herself.

⌜How insolent!⌟

⌜Now she’s just saying whatever she pleases!⌟

⌜Father. Grant me the opportunity to take this impudent one’s head!⌟

The king remained silent. The next moment, a gaze could be felt from the black figure.

[…Those are not the eyes of one who speaks falsehood.]

⌜Father?⌟

⌜Your Majesty, this person…⌟

[Silence.]

The king had no interest in their attention-seeking tactics.

Whether Olivia succeeded or not was hardly important to him. He simply didn’t want to miss the first opportunity given to him since his fall into the abyss.

[This person you speak of—what did they endure all those long years for?]

“To protect the world.”

[From what?]

“I cannot tell you that. Even if I did, you wouldn’t believe me.”

In truth, Olivia didn’t think she could persuade the king with just this.

Yet she couldn’t carelessly bring up the Demon God to beings classified as non-human.

Instead, she had brought a proposal that might entice him. That was…

[…Some people tell their own stories while pretending they’re about someone else.]

She froze.

[Such people typically share one characteristic. Do you know what it is?]

“…What is it?”

[Even though they claim it’s someone else’s story, they speak as if making a plea.]

Why did it feel like the black figure was smiling with its eyes?

[How much time do you need, magician?]

He no longer called her a young magician.

The spirit once called an overlord seemed to have retained his discernment even after death.

Olivia quietly checked her notification window.

[Time Remaining: 80 hours 00 minutes]

“I’ll finish within four days.”

[…Four days?]

“I know it’s short. But… that’s all the time I have.”

Olivia spoke honestly.

It was because she had used all the time given from Clue #4 at once.

But she had no choice.

If she gave the other returners even one more day, there was no telling what might happen.

⌜A time limit… I see.⌟

⌜Indeed, if one has nothing to lose, such recklessness becomes understandable.⌟

⌜That courage is truly exemplary.⌟

They seemed to have misunderstood something, but there was no need to correct them.

[I promise in the name of the king. For four days, no spirit of Aquar shall touch you.]

“I have one more request.”

[Speak.]

“I have a companion. I need her help to complete this task.”

[…Is this companion perhaps the Saintess?]

“Yes.”

The chamber instantly became noisy.

Some were shocked, others exclaimed in surprise, and some lowered their voices in admiration.

The Saintess does not appear in times of peace. She only emerges in times of chaos. And the standard for chaos was typically the advent of a Demon Lord.

[…Are you a hero?]

“Pardon?”

[No, never mind. Forget what I just said.]

Seeing the king’s uncharacteristic confusion, Olivia furrowed her brow.

Why suddenly mention a hero?

Such a profession didn’t even exist in Lactea to begin with.

‘Was there some history I’m unaware of?’

While Olivia was confused, the king spoke.

[I will permit the Saintess entry for four days. I will also assign Knight Commander Krauchel as your escort.]

From the black figure speaking these words, a strange yearning could be felt.

With a creak, the door opened. The spirit who appeared from beyond was Krauchel.

[Krauchel, guide this person to the surface.]

Krauchel prostrated himself and nodded. As the royal family’s presence dispersed into the air, Krauchel rose and said:

[Follow me.]

*****

“Hmm… when is she coming?”

Livga idly fiddled with a conch shell while gazing endlessly toward the horizon.

An open view. But Esthie was nowhere to be seen.

“What are you doing here?”

When Livga turned around, Olivia was emerging from between rippling lights.

“Sister? How did you get here…?”

“I heard. They said you’d be here.”

Olivia’s gaze rested on the conch shell.

“Did the Wavemaster give you that?”

“Ah… do you know what this is?”

“Of course. It’s a communication conch shell.”

A relic used only in the fallen kingdom of Aquar, no longer used in modern times.

Olivia carefully began speaking.

“Are you thinking of helping her?”

“I…”

‘…I want to help you, sister.’

Livga’s lips trembled several times toward Olivia, but eventually she spoke with sad eyes.

“…Yes, that’s right.”

She still couldn’t understand Olivia, let alone Esthie. Livga knew well that saying she wanted to help at a time like this was nothing more than shallow sympathy.

And Olivia already understood Livga’s feelings.

What kind of person she was, how Asmodeus’s words had affected her psychology, and even why she wanted to help Esthie—all of it.

Olivia silently approached Livga and placed her hand on her head. As always, Livga surrendered herself to Olivia’s touch.

“May I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes. A very difficult one.”

Livga turned to look.

“Yes, please tell me.”

“I need to help someone. But to help them, I absolutely need your assistance.”

“Who is this person?”

“A very pitiful person. Long ago, they made an irreversible mistake, and they’ve been wandering the seas for hundreds of years seeking atonement.”

At those words, Livga’s eyes trembled violently.

“…Sister.”

“I’m not saying this because you said you wanted to help that person. I’ve been planning this for a very long time.”

Hearing those words, something welled up inside her.

‘…How long is “a very long time”?’

Livga swallowed that question. And hiding her true feelings, she spoke with the brightest face she could manage.

“I’ll help you.”

Even like this, she wanted to be of help.

“Are we going to that person right away?”

Olivia smiled faintly at Livga’s words.

“No, there’s somewhere we need to go first.”

With those words, Olivia firmly grasped Livga’s hand. And the next moment.

Tzzzzzt!

Their physical bodies vanished into beams of light.

[Using skill, ‘Teleport’.]

“…Where is this?”

Livga looked around with a tense expression. The sky was completely covered with ominous black fog.

[Hmm… she certainly is the Saintess.]

From beyond the fog, Krauchel revealed himself.

Seeing the ghost knight with blue-green light flickering inside his helmet, Livga’s face hardened. Sensing his immense presence, she took half a step back.

[…Did you bring her without explaining the situation?]

“I didn’t know you’d be waiting.”

[Hmm…]

Livga was looking this way with a shocked expression.

Naturally, since Olivia was calmly conversing with a spirit.

Olivia briefly explained the situation to Livga. From the sins Esthie committed in the past to what Livga needed to do.

“A sunken kingdom… I see.”

Surprisingly, Livga quickly grasped the situation.

“You brought me to help these people find peace, sister.”

“That’s right.”

“It will take at least half a year, even if we work quickly.”

Despite the arduous journey ahead, Livga simply smiled.

She was just happy to be able to help Olivia for a long time.

That’s when Krauchel spoke.

[Four days.]

“…What?”

[You have only four days to enter and exit Aquar.]

Livga said with a shocked face.

“B-but it’s impossible to help so many people find peace in just four days!”

[I know.]

Krauchel’s glowing eyes fixed directly on Olivia.

[We wanted to give more time, but she refused.]

“S-sister! Why…?”

[The time given to her…]

Krauchel’s words were cut short.

Olivia had raised her hand to stop him.

“Krauchel.”

[…I’ve said too much.]

Krauchel’s sword once again sliced through the ocean. It was a powerful strike that could erase the black fog, but Livga’s gaze wasn’t directed there.

‘Sister.’

Various emotions swirled in her eyes as she stared at Olivia’s back.