episode_0029

As I stood in front of the mansion, the old gate began to open with a loud friction sound.

“Are you here?”

“… Yes.”

When I passed through the gate and entered the foyer, Diana was waiting for me as usual.

The difference was that he was wearing comfortable everyday clothes rather than the knight’s uniform he usually wore.

At that time, Merlin, who was following me, snorted in an exasperated voice.

“Finally opening the door now?”

“Why did you come here?”

“Huh, do I need a special reason to go into my house?”

“I was just following my lord’s orders.”

Along with the order to protect the mansion, he left a message not to allow anyone into the mansion.

However, I never thought that even the landlord, Merlin, would shut the door.

Merlin glared at Diana as if asking what was going on.

“Don’t you have any flexibility? If your master tells you to die, will you commit suicide on the spot?”

“… ? Isn’t it obvious?”

“… Let’s stop talking.”

Yes, that’s Diana.

Looking at that ever-present, grave face made me feel like the stress accumulated in the imperial palace was insignificant.

The conversation ended with Diana’s victory.

I guided the grumbling Merlin to a suitable chair.

Since it is a mansion where only two people live, there are of course no maids or servants to attend to them.

Perhaps conscious of this, Diana stood up and said she would brew the tea herself.

Only then did Merlin, who had found some leisure time, slowly bring up the business.

“What was the harvest from your visit to the imperial palace?”

“Is that your business?”

“Of course. I help you cross the dimension. You take me to your world. That was the contract in the first place, right?”

Merlin smiled slyly.

That’s right. Because both she and I have the same goal in the end.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“There was a harvest. Because I met the princess and saw with my own eyes the rosary around her neck.”

“And?”

I carefully took out the pendant handed to me by the emperor.

It is a type of identification card that proves that you are an alchemist belonging to the imperial family.

In the corner of the pendant, the name Kyle Winfred was engraved in cursive along with the imperial symbol.

With this alone, entry to the imperial palace is free.

“Where did you get this?”

“You don’t have to know.”

“Well, okay. Because the process isn’t that important.”

After saying those words, an innocent smile appeared on Merlin’s lips.

“Then it’s simple. All I have to do is kidnap the princess when I get the chance.”

That should be easier said than done.

Rudine, who is very wary, already knows that I have returned.

You have to kidnap a villainess who can’t read her intentions and is good at scheming, by catching her off guard at perfect timing.

There is no other manga game like this.

Merlin took out a bottle from her arms.

The bottle was filled with shiny white powder.

“What is this again?”

“Hypnotic scent. A special powder that induces sleep along with strong hallucinations when inhaled. Even a decent monster wouldn’t be able to come to its senses if this was sprayed once, right? If you get the chance, throw it in the princess’s face. It’s good to use at a moment’s notice.”

Hypnotic scent.

It’s a familiar name.

It was one of the highest-end consumer items that caused powerful status ailments.

What is the price for that amount?

Without hesitation, I snatched up the glass bottle containing the hypnotic scent.

Merlin continued speaking in a calm voice as if it was nothing special.

“Simply obtaining the relic is not the end. In order to cross the dimension, you must ultimately maximize the potential of the relic.”

“Potential?”

“Was it difficult to speak? It literally means that you have to start the relic you got.”

“How do you do that?”

“Wouldn’t crossing dimensions mean completely breaking the rules of the world?”

That’s right.

This is a game world where everyone’s fate is decided.

The moment I cross the dimension, all scenarios will become tangled in chaos, and at the same time, the world will fall into a deep quagmire.

“The moment you completely deviate from the flow of destiny determined by the world, causality will catch you. Crossing the dimension itself is the same as denying the causality of the world.”

“… ”

“No need to worry. The method is simple.”

Merlin chuckled.

After a while she told an unbelievable story.

“You just have to destroy fate itself.”

“Destiny… Breaking it down… ?”

“That’s right.”

Merlin quietly raised his finger.

“God who created this world.”

Her fingers are on the ceiling…

More precisely, it pointed upward into the sky.

“You just have to destroy that damn bastard.”

A chill ran down the back of my neck.

At the same time, a sigh came out from the open mouth.

Smashing a god, there’s no way that could be that simple.

However, Merlin’s face was still very calm.

“Is that possible?”

“No need to panic. Even if we say God, he is nothing more than a conglomerate of cause-and-effect laws with no ego created by the gathering of wandering beliefs.”

“… … Huh.”

The pouring midday sunlight illuminated Merlin.

Her dark purple hair shimmered softly in the light.

It was the car that was staring blankly at Merlin.

Merlin slowly rested his chin and fixed his gaze on me.

“It’s strange.”

Merlin shrugged his shoulders and muttered calmly.

“Unidentified translucent letters floating in the air.”

“… ”

“It will be visible to your eyes as a stranger.”

A soft voice rang out quietly.

“The truth about the person who kidnapped your soul.”

Her eyes sparkled as they were nailed to me.

****

Deng—

The bell announcing noon rang in the air.

Isabelle was passing through the corridors of the imperial palace.

Her steps were urgent, as if she was being chased by something.

After a while, Isabel stopped in front of a door.

Squeak—

When she opened the doorknob, the pouring sunlight stung Isabelle’s eyes.

“Lady Isabel.”

A noble voice echoed in Isabel’s ears.

Isabelle turned her head in the direction the voice came from.

Princess, Rudine Eckhart.

She was sitting at the nightstand and enjoying tea time leisurely.

“… See the sun of the empire.”

“Please sit down. The tea tastes good.”

Isabelle sat down with a shocked expression on her face.

An unpleasant expression appeared on her face as she sat down.

‘Why is this woman again…? ‘

Kyle lost consciousness.

When Isabel first heard the news, she literally felt like her heart was being broken.

I heard that Kyle, who collapsed and coughed up dark blood, had all the blood in his body distorted.

The powerful members of the imperial family stuck by Kyle and said that his condition had improved, but Isabelle could not feel reassured by that alone.

Therefore, he wanted to protect Kyle, who had fallen unconscious.

but…

— Won’t you turn it off right now?

— Get out, unless you want to die.

Even that was impossible due to the harsh warnings of Luna, who was guarding Kyle’s side.

At that time, Luna’s face had a dead expression, like a half-dead person.

Isabel sighed in dismay.

I felt like I wanted to leave right away, but since it was tea time proposed by the princess of the empire herself, I couldn’t just refuse.

The moment I drank the tea while it was burning.

“You must have been through a lot of mental hardship. How can your complexion be so dark?”

Ludine worried about Isabelle’s safety in an abominable voice.

“Was it that shocking that Kyle collapsed?”

Phew.

A mocking laugh suddenly burst from Ludine’s lips.

“Disgusting.”

“… What?”

“It’s disgusting. Lady Isabel, you.”

Ludine poured out a rant in a laughing voice, as if she couldn’t bear it because this moment was so interesting.

Isabel’s chin trembled at the suddenness of the situation.

“Are you worried about Kyle? Do you miss Kyle that much? Do you miss Kyle, who only looked at you blindly? Do you think that if you stick it out a little, you will eventually be forgiven someday?”

“… You.”

“Lady Isabel, you killed her.”

Every word of Rudine’s words burst into Isabelle’s ears.

“On a topic that I haven’t even attempted to have a proper conversation with. The subject exploited Kyle until he was so used to receiving it that his inner feelings dried up and twisted. Captivated by the extreme egoism that only he is right.”

“… ”

“You killed him.”

“Stop… ”

“You were Kyle’s only support.”

“Please… ”

“You killed Kyle yourself with those dirty hands.”

stop-!

Isabel covered her ears with both trembling hands.

Because I made a mistake in controlling my strength, blood dripped down from my tightly bitten lower lip.

“Oh, are you okay? Lady Isabel.”

Ludine’s mouth was smiling.

However, Ludine’s eyes were still shooting a frost-like gaze towards Isabelle.

“You regret it, right?”

“… ”

“You want to be forgiven, right? But it will be difficult. After today, the only connection between you and Kyle will be the ring you are wearing now.”

“… ”

“If you die right here, Kyle will think of you even just for a moment. But in the end, that’s not all, right? Kyle will forget you. In the arms of another woman. With new memories.”

Isabel took a deep breath.

Along with the blood dripping from her lips, tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“But what about this?”

Ludine playfully put her fingertips to her lips.

“Divine Trial.”

“… ”

“It was literally a unilateral break-up of the engagement, right? Your opinion is not reflected.”

“… ”

“If less than a year has passed since the break-up of the engagement, a sacred trial can be held. If you do that, you’ll have more contact with Kyle, and won’t there be more opportunities to convey your true feelings?”

“… Ah.”

“I will help. Seeing Lady Isabel’s sincerity makes my heart tingle, doesn’t it?”

Isabel barely raised her head, holding on to her tattered self.

Under the bright lights, Ludine’s hair was as shiny as if it had been made out of melted gold.

After a while, Isabelle’s tightly closed lips opened.

“…you……”