Chapter 90: What It Means to Be a Master

Drip.

Drip.

The sound of falling droplets echoed.

It didn’t take long for Isaac to realize that it came from the blood that flowed down from his arm onto the ground.

And that was also when he realized…

That the bodies were piled up so high that he failed to notice the pool of blood beneath.

“Haa…haaa…”

With each labored breath, it felt as if his lungs were being squeezed.

His hands that were gripping the sword no longer had strength, but they were stuck to the hilts, slick with sweat and blood.

“M-Monster—“

“H-He’s crazy…! I-Insane…!”

“Do you even know how many you’ve killed?!”

Hearing their cries, Isaac slowly lifted his eyes.

“Ah…”

At this point…

Dawn had already passed, and the sun was beginning to rise.

The red pool, once colored sticky black, now shone so bright like they had never been before.

As if the curtain had been raised, light illuminated him and the remaining crowds, as if reminding them not to forget the terrible thing that happened during the dawn.

Seeing the spectacle, the addicts took a few steps back, acting as if they were the victims here.

“T-This isn’t right…! T-This isn’t…!”

“We need those drugs to survive! T-There’s no way we deserve death just for that…”

“It’s unfair! Unfair!”

Splash.

Isaac stepped forward.

The tip of his sword parted the pool of blood, creating a rippling sound.

In the midst of his sticky breath, his weak voice flowed out.

“Baron Volten was involved in the attempted assassination of Princess Adeline. Following that, he was executed for treason.”

He, who had come here on the princess’ orders, had the right to enact such judgment.

“You, who supported him and rebelled against me, are also guilty of the same sin.”

“W-Wait, w-we were just—“

“T-Trying to…get drugs…”

Perhaps the daylight helped clear their minds a little. They stammered as they cautiously watched Isaac’s movements.

While intoxicated by drugs, they had only acted on what they thought was right at the time.

Knowing that there was no way their paradise could be maintained, they expressed their anger through their reckless action.

But, just as one would eventually wake up from their drug-induced haze…

As morning came, they began to realize the weight behind the atrocities they had committed.

“…”

Isaac’s blood-stained gaze weighed heavily upon them. His arms hung limply at his sides, his legs bent as he struggled to stand, and wounds covered his entire body. Looking at his state, it wouldn’t be strange if he were to collapse at any moment.

And yet, it was this very sight that carried a presence so overwhelming that the few maddened rioters fell to their knees.

“P-Please…spare us…”

“W-We’re sorry…! T-The drugs got us! O-Our mind was clouded by the—”

“We were wrong… Please let us live…”

These were the same people who were charging at him just a moment ago, uncaring for their own lives.

But now that the drugs that robbed them of their reasoning dissipated, their madness, desire to slaughter and bloodthirstiness gone, they once again turned into mere ordinary citizens.

And this was probably the sight that pained Isaac the most so far.

“…”

Above the pool of blood…

Countless people were kneeling before him, bowing their heads.

Their madness was suppressed, but as a price for that, Volten was washed in blood.

Conversely, Isaac was also spent, no longer able to stand. As he was about to collapse…

Thud.

He felt the touch of someone, who caught him before he fell to the ground.

“…I won’t say anything.”

A familiar sensation and a familiar voice.

As if she had been waiting for this moment, the Grandmaster embraced Isaac and whispered softly in his ears.

“Rest. For now.”

At those words.

Isaac slowly closed his eyes, marking the end of the long and arduous day.

Only when noon came did Isaac open his eyes again. Despite his fatigue, he only slept for a few hours before waking up.

“Where—?”

He realized that he woke up in a bedroom.

The room was decorated with animal skins, a noble title certificate, bows, arrows, and leather coats.

Just seeing those was enough for him to figure out whose room this was.

“Ugh.”

A pungent medicinal smell covered his entire body as various bandages, tied tightly to his body, made it difficult for him to move.

As he struggled to get out of the room, he ran into a man carrying a wet towel.

“Ah, Baron Logan!”

“…?”

“Forgive me, I’m the mansion’s caretaker, as well as the former secretary of Baron Volten—”

The secretary told him his name, but at that moment, his ears rang loudly, making him fail to catch the guy’s name.

Whatever, it probably doesn’t matter.

“Thanks to your bravery, my lord, the rebellion was suppressed early. Thank you!”

The secretary bowed his head.

At the same time, he watched Isaac carefully, probably worried that Baron Volten’s crimes might implicate him as well.

But Isaac didn’t have the energy to worry about that right now.

If the investigation found out that he committed some kind of crime, he’ll get punished anyway.

Judging by the fact that he hadn’t tried to run away, he was probably trying to tell him everything so that he could gain leniency in his sentence or something.

But, at the very least, it was clear that he hadn’t been using any drugs, just like the baron.

“I need to send a letter to the royal palace.”

“Yes! Of course! I’ll prepare pen, ink, and all the other stationery needed. Given the state of your hand, I could write it for you—“

“No. The letter will be read by the princess personally, so I’ll do it myself.”

“Understood, my lord.”

The secretary bowed his head again.

As he was about to leave to prepare everything, trying to make a good impression on him, Isaac hurriedly called him back.

“Wait.”

“Yes? Is there something else you need?”

“…You said you were one of Baron Volten’s closest confidants?”

“A-Ah, that… Y-Yes! I’ve already organized everything, from the warehouse where drugs were stored, to the ledgers, and even records of external distribution transactions—“

“Not that.”

Thinking he was about to get scolded, the secretary bowed down like a toad and started spilling everything.

But that wasn’t what Isaac was curious about.

“Milly Marseau’s family.”

Baron Volten said that he found them, no?

“Take me to where they are.”

He hadn’t noticed it while in the mansion, but there were thick dark clouds hanging over Volten, pouring out heavy rain.

However, despite that, the sound of the rain was somewhat stifled.

It was as if the city itself was being washed clean.

“…It’s rather fortunate, isn’t it?”

At some point, the umbrella that the secretary had been holding was taken by the Grandmaster.

She whispered softly from behind.

“The rain’s timing is perfect. Thanks to it, the stench of blood is being washed away. At least, the city’s gonna be a little cleaner.”

“…”

Isaac couldn’t answer that.

They were currently at a small park where there wasn’t even a single person walking around.

There was only one reason why that was the case.

Because this park wasn’t made for living people.

What was standing in front of Isaac was a large tombstone.

Inscribed on it were the names of the people he had been searching for.

-…

– Marten Marseau.

• John Marseau.

• Marlene Marseau.

  -…

  “They said this is the grave of those whose identities were confirmed.”

  Isaac said calmly as he looked up at the tombstone.

  “But, they didn’t die during the revolution itself, but during the violence that occurred afterwards.”

  He didn’t know what kind of violence it was.

  After all, in Volten, violence was as common as breathing.

  He bowed his head because if he didn’t, he felt that tears might just roll down his cheeks.

  “I know this is all just for my self-satisfaction…”

  “…”

  “I thought that by doing this, Milly could rest a little more peacefully…”

  Tears welled up in his eyes.

  Just like his body, his heart felt like it was wearing away.

  “But in the end… It was all in vain…”

  Even though he had regressed to the past…

  In the end, he had only managed to protect himself.

  Just…why…?

  Why was it someone like me who regressed…?

  Tears rolled down his cheeks.

  It hadn’t even been a full day since he had taken a bunch of lives.

  Perhaps due to that, he felt hypocritical for grieving over the death of his friend’s family.

  Not only that, this time, unlike before when he had no opportunity to begin with…

  Now, he had it, but he failed to seize it.

  That fact made him crumble even more.

  “Stand strong.”

  At that moment, the Grandmaster carefully embraced Isaac from behind.

  “If you crumble here, you’ll have even less face to show your friend.”

  His legs felt weak.

  If the Grandmaster hadn’t embraced him, he would have long since fallen to his knees.

  “Is it hard?”

  She asked, her tone gentle.

  Reminded of the past, Isaac nodded. Before he realized it, tears had started to flow down his cheeks.

  “It is. I can’t…forgive myself…”

  “I see.”

  “I wanted to do at least this much…for her…”

  “I understand.”

  “The guilt—“

  “Then…”

  Though he couldn’t see her behind him.

  From the tone of her voice, he could tell that she was smiling.

  “Just as you learned the sword from me, this time too, watch me and follow me.”

  “…!”

  His eyes widened. Strength suddenly returned to his legs, and he slowly let go of her hand.

  He turned his head, and what greeted him was the Grandmaster, wearing a bitter smile.

  “I’ll believe your words, my disciple who returned from the future.”

  “Why—?”

  “Because I need to teach you.”

  Her grip on the umbrella tightened, a sign that she too, was holding back her surging emotions.

  “All my schoolmates are dead.”

  “…!”

  “Refusing to believe that, I treated you like a liar. I’ll apologize for that.”

  “Grand…master……”

  “My schoolmates would be unable to hold back their sighs as they were to look at me. In any case, I have to let the departed go peacefully.”

  The reason why she cooperated with the Sponsors and Princess Clarisse was simple.

  To find her schoolmates.

  Even the reason why she had been maintaining a connection to Isaac was because he served as a kind of proof that her schoolmates had survived.

  “I’ve accepted it.”

  And now…

  The Grandmaster had finally decided to accept everything.

  Opening her closed eyes, she looked at Isaac.

  “A master is, after all, one who imparts teachings.”

  Her hand rested on Isaac’s head. The weight behind it served to encourage him.

  “Child, I’m trying to forget the past and live in the present.”

  “…!”

  “If you think the path that you’re walking is hard, then learn by watching me. From now on, I’m gonna live a life that wouldn’t shame my old friends.”

  So that Isaac could let go of Milly…

  The Grandmaster decided to let go of her schoolmates.

  At the same time, she was also acknowledging Isaac’s regression.

  “Follow me, and learn how to let go.”

  He bowed his head deeply.

  “Seriously…”

  His voice, mixed with dejection and tears, sounded like he was complaining.

  “You’ve always tried to teach me in every single thing…”

  “That’s what it means to be a master.”

  The Grandmaster let out a faint smile.

  “I have many questions I want to ask about the future, but for now, there are more pressing matters to attend to.”

  The Grandmaster wiped the tears from Isaac’s eyes—he couldn’t as his arms were injured.

  Meanwhile, Isaac quietly accepted this, took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and then nodded.

  “Right… We actually failed our mission, didn’t we?”

  Originally, they came here to capture the Belling Waltz, the mercenary group who had attempted to assassinate the princess.

  But, since they couldn’t even find them—

  “Ah! There you guys are!”

  At that moment, a carefree voice pierced through the sound of rain.

  A red-haired girl, wearing a particularly bright expression in the bright city, came running while waving her hand.

  “Isaaac!”

  Behind her…

  “Ugh!?”

  “P-Please, go a little easier on us!”

  There was the Belling Waltz, tied up with ropes, being dragged roughly by her.