episode_0134

“The—the mansion? What kind of absurd nonsense is that…?!”

“Absurd?”

I explained it to Luciella once again.

“I want you to accompany me as my escort. In return, I’ll compensate you handsomely—enough to leave you satisfied.”

“This isn’t about compensation! Why aren’t we going right now?”

“Because movement happens on rest days, obviously. What good would wandering around these back alleys in the dead of night do?”

“Aren’t we looking for people in the slums who’ll help distribute the newspaper exposing Eric’s truth? For them, night is far more familiar than day.”

“If they’ve already flipped their days and nights, they’re of no use to us anyway.”

Living with reversed day and night cycles meant they had half-given up on leading normal lives.

Of course, I wouldn’t say no one in the empire lived like that. There were probably those engaged in essential work.

But in the slums? Their professions were obvious.

“What we need are people still struggling to return to ordinary daily life—even if they’re doing nothing right now. The desperate ones will latch onto any opportunity fiercely.”

And who better to offer that lifeline than the heir to the Grave Ducal House?

For those barely scraping by day to day, refusing my offer wasn’t an option.

“So I’ll pick those in the slums who still have the will to turn their lives around. I’d love to just bulldoze the whole place and give everyone proper jobs, but… I know my limits.”

Either way, whether I acted or not, the slums and crime syndicates would soon face a massive purge under Elia’s direction.

No need to dirty my hands when she’d handle the troublesome parts.

“Since that’s settled, let’s rest tonight and start properly on the holiday. Anything you didn’t understand so far?”

“Just one thing. Why must I stay at the Grave residence? I already have lodging at the academy’s dormitory. Imposing on the people at the mansion is unnecessary.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing. Besides, keeping you nearby ensures you uphold your promise to me.”

“Uphold… how?”

“Right now, if you went out lying or hearing people’s troubles, I doubt even one in ten—no, one in a hundred—would leave satisfied. Frankly, children lie better than you do.”

“…I admit that.”

“Luckily, you’ve got the best possible teacher right beside you—me. Since my parents are away on duty, feel free to use the mansion’s facilities at will. I already got Chris’s permission. The training grounds used by the Sword Saints themselves. Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Are you sure about this? Letting someone you’ve barely met into your home so easily?”

Ah… right.

This version of Luciella didn’t know I’d seen her more times than I could count.

Of course, I knew everything about her—her personality, even her sleeping habits.

But the only one aware I remembered events before regression was Chris.

It had to stay that way.

So, time for the all-purpose excuse.

“Hmm. Why, indeed? As you said, we barely know each other. Yet, you feel oddly familiar to me.”

“Familiar?”

“I’ve seen you countless times—you, gripping the radiant holy sword, cutting down enemies. Others faltered or failed, but you always stood at the front, sword in hand. That sight was so beautiful… I swore I’d recreate it in reality.”

“So the prophecy showed me like that?”

“Exactly! It pains me that I can’t show you the brilliance I witnessed. Okay, betting on you was partly a gamble, but not a hopeless one.”

Truthfully, I’d never received any prophecy, but the Luciella I knew would inevitably wield the holy sword in any future.

Though, knowing its true nature, “beautiful” wasn’t quite the word.

Her battlefields were always the same:

Like a slaughterhouse butchering livestock.

Expressionless, she’d plunge into the fray, leaving corpses—of demons and the civilians she failed to save—strewn in her wake.

That grotesque, blood-soaked tapestry was the only trophy she ever claimed.

“I’m curious about this ‘flawless hero’ version of me you speak of. This time, I won’t fail.”

Sorry. You’re not so different from your past self.

The first onto the battlefield, the last to leave—

Abandoning villages while annihilating demon armies—

Luciella, the great hero.

Detached from life and death, silently cutting down foes—

Calling her noble or redeemed would be dishonest.

She was unsettling.

The holy sword and hero were never meant for the kind or altruistic.

A goddess, powerless alone, needed a vessel to impose her will.

She forged a blade—a terminal for her power—and a living vessel: the hero.

Heroism was merely a title bestowed upon the one who could wield that power without breaking.

This era’s fit was Luciella.

Talented, emotionless, isolated—she was the perfect hero.

After all, heroes exist to hang on humanity’s noose when the tale ends.

No mortal could embrace something so alien, forged through endless bloodshed.

But I couldn’t say that to Luciella.

She probably already knew.

Yet speaking it aloud might shatter her resolve—

“You’ll succeed. I’ll make sure of it. I promise.”

All I could offer was hollow encouragement.

“Thank you.”

She bowed deeply.

“Save your gratitude. I just saw the prophecy and believed in you.”

“No. That’s why I must thank you. You risk everything on that belief to help me.”

“……”

If only we’d had this talk in past loops.

If only I’d done better—with Chris, with Elia, with Cecil, with Luciella…

If I hadn’t been drunk on delusions of being special…

Maybe things wouldn’t be so tangled now.

“Luciella.”

“Y-yes?”

“Today—no, from now on… let’s work well together.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Good. At least this loop’s Luciella showed me this side of her.

Guilt pricked me—manipulating her budding emotions for my own ends.

But learning to perceive others’ feelings was her greatest hurdle.

This time would be different.

No matter what it took, I’d make her a hero beloved enough to drown in support.

Setting up passive income meant no more begging empires for loans.

No more “Please, just support our hero!” while globe-trotting.

A future where I wouldn’t even be needed.

The walk to the mansion was brief. The sky, darker than daytime, left no room for musing.

“Hah… we’re here.”

“Are you certain I’m allowed in?”

“After coming this far, now you hesitate? Worried Chris might kick you out?”

“No. Chris is a—no, a reliable junior from the academy. But my concern is—”

“Hold on. What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it common sense to remove your shoes before entering a noble’s home?”