episode_0188

Episode 188 Regression (3)

[3:55 PM]

The festival at the harbor was still going strong. People were still pouring liquor down their throats, and the festive atmosphere showed no signs of waning.

Moreover, it was almost evening. Those who realized this lit a fire in the center and danced around it.

Regardless of race, country, or origin, they mingled and moved their bodies joyfully. Instruments appeared midway, further heating up the atmosphere.

Evan and Vale also joined in, dancing enthusiastically. It was something I already knew, but their dancing was terribly messy.

[3:57 PM]

I chuckled and sipped my drink.

Then, I saw someone in the festival. It was Ariel, who hadn’t participated in this hunt. Judging by her simple casual attire, she seemed to have come to see the festival.

She spotted us and immediately approached. Then, Lana, seeing the princess, hugged Ariel as she had done to Estella and me earlier.

“Ooh, it’s the princess!”

“L, Lana, wait a minute! The smell of alcohol is too much…!”

“Princess, smells good….”

“Kiel, what were you doing while Lana was getting so drunk!”

I shrugged and replied.

“I did my best.”

I fed her snacks and made her drink water from time to time. But she drank so much that she couldn’t help but get drunk.

Of course, I could use mana to drive away her drunken antics, but I’m just letting her be because she looks cute drunk.

“Haa, really….”

Ariel sighed and sat Lana next to her. I handed her a glass and said.

“Have a drink since you’re here. There’s plenty of alcohol and food.”

“I’m not much of a drinker, even if it’s food….”

She gently pushed the glass away. Even in a place where drinking is allowed, it seemed difficult for her to drink recklessly due to her status as a princess.

Ariel ate some of the festival food and asked.

“I heard you caught the Kraken….”

“Yeah, well. We caught it.”

“Are you hurt anywhere…?”

“As you can see, I’m fine.”

Silence followed that. An uncomfortable atmosphere lingered for a moment. Ariel opened her mouth again in the midst of it.

“I’m, I’m glad you’re not hurt….”

She spoke as if she were worried, but she was watching me out of the corner of her eye. She’s been showing this side of her often lately. Especially after visiting the Yellow’s domain.

“I don’t get hurt easily, so you don’t have to worry.”

“I see….”

Again, silence falls. I finished my drink, and she glanced at me a few times before focusing on the festival food.

[4:00 PM]

Whoosh-!

Immediately, a strong wind, unusual for a sea breeze, blew through the festival grounds. Enough to make hair flutter.

And the moment the wind brushed against us.

“Ugh…!”

Ariel grabbed her head as if she had a headache.

“……”

I looked up at the sky and took a hot breath, overwhelmed by a sensation covering my whole body.

A discrepancy in the space and time of reality. A subtle sense of alienation felt in the soul and body. A familiar, all too familiar sensation.

This was definitely… regression.

“Are you alright?”

“Haa, haa… I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment….”

I couldn’t dismiss Ariel’s words lightly.

“Princess. Did you feel anything strange when the wind blew just now?”

“I feel a slight sense of incongruity in my body and memories, but… is something wrong?”

Ariel is one of the few beings who can sense the regression phenomenon. [Transcendental Senses], manifested from the blood of the first emperor, was not bound by space-time.

However, she didn’t seem to know what this phenomenon was, and she didn’t seem to have any memories either. That’s only natural. Her ability only affects [Senses].

In the first place, the memory of what happened before the regression is a power not granted to anyone. Not even a god can do it.

To bring future memories to the past, you need to be at the level of a creator god like Yellow, or a god of the highest rank.

Moreover, the power of Black would have erased the memories in the process of regression. The unresponsive appearance is proof of that. Yellow must have returned without remembering either. Black had that much power.

“I’ll tell you later.”

The two facts already confirmed that it was a regression. But I couldn’t give up the possibility that it wasn’t. No, it had to be.

I opened the status window that I hadn’t looked at for a while.

—

Name: Kiel Arden

Age: 19 years old

Role: Third-rate Villain, Saint.

Description: He was a third-rate villainous scoundrel from the web novel ‘Akacheonma’. He has now broken free from the scoundrel and villain image, and is being called a saint and loved by many. Maybe he’s become good?

*Another soul is currently possessing him.

*Lana Heitald and he like each other.

*The protagonist, Evan Philix, respects him the most.

*Vale Arden is his beloved family and brother.

*He has a complex and subtle relationship with Ariel Tianis.

*The saintess Estella trusts and relies on him more than anyone else.

*Chloe is ……… him.

*He has regressed for the 1st time in ‘Akacheonma’.

—

Information that has been added and updated a lot compared to the past. The most striking information among them was the sentence in the last line.

-He has regressed for the 1st time.

With that, it was confirmed. That this world had regressed once.

Realizing that, sadness welled up from the depths of my heart, and it soon turned into pain that felt like it was tearing my heart apart.

The prerequisite for regression is Estella’s death. And the person who did that would be none other than me.

Because regression meant just one thing to me.

A chance. A chance to restart and revive the protagonist and supporting characters.

If Lana and Ariel next to me, and Evan and Vale dancing over there, hadn’t died, there would have been no need to turn back time.

I just had to save Estella from Black’s hands.

But before the regression, I wouldn’t have been able to save them, and in the end, I would have killed Estella with my own hands.

With what heart would I have done that?

Perhaps the feelings I’m feeling now would be no different. I would have endured in despair, sadness, and pain, pretending to be okay, and fought against Black.

‘I might have even used the sealed power….’

I looked at the ring that was synchronized with my soul.

How many seals did I break, and what did I sacrifice to fight?

One thing is certain….

[‘?$&#%! of God’ demands an answer!]

[‘?$&#%! of God’ demands an answer!]

[‘?$&#%! of God’ demands an answer!]

I must have used the power of the hero. I pushed the following messages aside. This damn bitch is annoying now and then.

“Are you… alright?”

Then Ariel interrupted my thoughts. She was looking at me.

I didn’t want to show her my current expression because it was too much of a burden, so I pretended to drink from my glass to hide my face and said.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Don’t hide it. And that glass, you already emptied it.”

“……”

Damn it.

When there was no answer, Ariel came right next to me. Sitting next to me, she looked at me and asked.

“Tell me. What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing’s wrong.”

At my appearance, Ariel carefully reached out her hand. And then, she turned my face in her direction.

“You say nothing’s wrong…”

Her eyes met mine squarely. My reflection is reflected in Ariel’s black eyes. A strange sensation creeps in between them. It was Ariel’s mind reading.

“Why are you so sad?”

It was the sadness that came from not being able to protect you.

“Why are you so angry?”

It was anger at myself for not being able to protect you.

“Why are you blaming yourself instead of others?”

It was self-reproach stemming from my lack of ability that led you to your deaths.

To me, you, the supporting characters, were such beings that I had to protect, and that’s what you meant to me. Even if it meant I died, you had to be happy without dying.

Then Ariel grabbed my hand tightly and said softly.

“Kiel, tell me. So I can help.”

She reaches out her hand. But I pushed her hand away and stood up.

“I’ll tell you everything later. I’ll leave Lana to you for a while.”

“Kiel! What are you trying to do alone…!”

“I’ll be right back.”

I left the festival grounds as is. Ariel couldn’t abandon the drunken Lana and couldn’t follow me.

Of course, I want to get help from everyone too. In fact, this episode, which should happen next year, can only be solved by combining everyone’s strength.

But not now. With the timeline twisted and no information, no one was of great help now.

So I need to know. What did I do before the regression, and how did things unfold. What is currently going on behind the scenes of the Eustia Holy Kingdom.

I spread my energy widely. And I started looking for someone.

“Where’s Chloe?”

The target is Chloe. A regressor who is the only one who remembers what happened before the regression. It was her.

***

It is often said that oblivion is a blessing. I agree with that statement.

Forgetting the memories means forgetting the suffering you went through in the process. No matter how many times you think about it, that’s a great blessing.

But I didn’t feel that way today.

Even though it was only erased by someone else, forgetting the memories before the regression was no different from taking away hope from me.

If I had those memories, I could have dealt with Black, who had broken the seal, much more efficiently and easily.

Right now, every minute and every second was precious to me.

After starting from the harbor area and searching for Chloe for 30 minutes, I was able to find her quickly.

She was standing on a coastal cliff near the harbor, looking at the sea. I approached Chloe and called her name.

“Chloe.”

“Oh my, Senior. What brings you here? Did you come to see the sea?”

She raises the corners of her mouth slightly and smiles with her eyes, greeting me with a face that knows nothing. It looked so ridiculous.

After greeting her, I grabbed her hand as she turned her head and said.

“Let’s talk. About what happened before the regression.”

“……”