episode_0280

Even though I cleared the scenario, “The King’s Qualification,” I’m currently lying in my bedroom. This is while everyone else is busy preparing for war.

Perhaps I’m not qualified to be king. I… just had that thought.

I shook my head. As a spirit in my current state, I felt nothing, yet somehow my mind cleared.

I composed myself and examined the unlock conditions for the next scenario.

『The scenario unlock conditions are open.』 -[Origin’s Trace: Reincarnator] -[Origin’s Trace: Administrator] -[Origin’s Trace: Traveler] -[Seeds of Memory]

Something I’ve never seen before is listed. The first thing that catches my eye is [Seeds of Memory].

This is a word I’ve seen before. It was also [Seeds of Memory] that sprouted when I first awakened my status window.

It signifies my past life’s memories. But one question arises. I’ve already recalled all the memories of my past life, haven’t I?

The answer is simple. There’s something I haven’t yet recalled. I still don’t truly know myself.

But this time it’s hard to get a feel for it. The situation is different from then. If it’s a memory that didn’t surface even when I first awakened my status window, it must be buried very deep.

‘Am I just going to live without knowing?’

I can’t. My soul won’t allow it. If there’s a newly updated scenario, I absolutely have to clear it.

Moreover, this isn’t just my problem. Recovering Eve is for Yuri and me, and for the future of the Central Continent.

A possibility appeared.

“Unni, what are you…?”

“Just a minute—”

I sharpened my fingertips and plunged them into my spirit body. The spot where a hole was cleanly blown open in the last battle. The very deepest part of my heart.

And within it, there was a trace of something. A tiny fragment of a soul, left behind by an ether user other than myself.

Eve’s last hope, thrust into me.

“That’s…”

“Eve’s memory. It’s incomplete, but we might find some clues.”

I haven’t read Eve’s memories until now, partly out of consideration, but to be exact, that’s not all.

Not everyone’s heart is open. If someone has decided not to reveal it and has actually locked their heart, even I can’t read it. It’s not easy to pry open a gap with mental magic.

However, Eve awakened to ether. The power to manipulate one’s own ether is to reveal the source of one’s being outwards.

To expose one’s own soul. Something the original Eve would absolutely never have done. But intoxicated by power, she created the Muyeong Sword and plunged it into my chest.

For me, who is already used to the workings of the soul, it wouldn’t be difficult to absorb a little of Eve’s soul at the time.

Whoosh—

A pure white orb shone in my palm. Like the world itself, Eve’s soul was also flawlessly clear and beautiful.

“If that’s there… then we can figure out why Eve made this choice…?!?”

“Yeah. I can’t guarantee it… but I’ll definitely do it.”

Just in time, the status window brought good news.

『Partially recognized scenario unlock condition [Origin’s Trace: Traveler].』 『This item is still incomplete. A dormant part must be awakened.』

Firstly, it gave a hint about what [Origin’s Trace] means. What does this “origin” signify? The answer is the world.

I slowly begin to grasp it. The mother I met through the magic stone in the status window, Eve’s past, even the memories of my past life that I haven’t yet realized—they all connect.

They all relate to this world. The truth my mother once spoke. That is the ‘origin’ of the world.

Secondly, what I need to do now. Awaken a dormant part means that I have to directly observe Eve’s memories and illuminate the parts shrouded in darkness.

GulP-

It’s similar to how I felt when I accidentally discovered Yuri’s diary and secretly read it. I’m quite excited, nervous, and also apologetic while fearful. Is it up to me to rummage through this memory?

I shook my head.

‘Forgiveness is easier than permission.’

Our destinies are already so intertwined. Retreating is no longer an option. I can only move forward.

After taking a deep breath, I waved to Yuri.

“Then… I’ll be going.”

“Please… please. No matter what, find it.”

“If it’s Yuri’s request, I have no choice.”

I focused my mind and poured my soul into the pure white orb. My consciousness fades slowly, like falling asleep.

. . .

I was in the world of souls. A world stretching endlessly, filled only with pure white ether.

I instinctively realized that this was someone’s origin.

The meeting of two souls, the birth of life, and light.

The scene that immediately followed was a vast farm. Endless fences and barns were visible in the midst of nature, with refreshing wind blowing.

Cows grazing in various places. The smell of fresh grass and the metallic scent of livestock coexisting – this place is literally the countryside. I feel a bit familiar with this.

But to my knowledge, there’s no such place in the KnifeFranz kingdom. The appearance of the Tarun Mountain in the distance is slightly different.

‘This is the Ubiet Empire—’

At that moment, a girl ran towards me energetically from afar. Worn leather pants, a rustic overall and shirt, a frayed straw hat.

Beneath it, a girl with beautiful fair skin and long, light sky-blue hair. I recognized her instantly.

“Eve—!”

“Yeeees— I’m going now—!!”

I covered my mouth. I clearly called Eve as well. Yet a completely different voice came from elsewhere at the same time. My voice didn’t come out.

Eve was in her childhood form. Her build and physique were exactly that of a young child.

Her different appearance wasn’t surprising. This is Eve’s memory, after all. What captivated my eyes was her innocent, bright expression.

It’s clear she’s Eve, due to her appearance; however, the childlike and cheerful expression on her face felt oddly dissonant.

‘How many times have I seen Eve smile.’

My heart ached for a moment, then the girl came running towards me. I stood still, flustered.

Whizz—

The girl passed right through my body. This shows the characteristics of this world of memories. I couldn’t interact with Eve’s memory; I was a completely separate entity.

The person the girl sought wasn’t me either. She lightly skipped towards two adults, a man and a woman, in the farm.

“I’ll help you again today!”

“That’s our Eve. Thanks to you, Mom and Dad can work hard today, too?”

The three family members conversed with happy expressions. Seeing their harmonious appearance, even I felt at ease.

‘This… is Eve’s past.’

Utterly peaceful. A blue sky with fluffy clouds floating by; an easygoing farmhouse living with warm sunlight and a forest acting as a backdrop.

Is this what Eve wanted? I can’t be sure yet.

When a certain point came, time flowed quickly. Probably, due to the repetitive days, the density of the memory was low.

However, the density of happiness wasn’t. The bright smile. Each time I saw Eve’s smile, I felt a sense of melancholy instead.

A change came to Eve’s peaceful childhood. It was bandits.

If it had been a simple farm, it wouldn’t have been targeted by bandits. However, it was quite large, with significant accumulated wealth, and far from the village; therefore, it attracted vermin.

They were surprisingly clever. As the sun set and the owners were returning home, they set fire to the farm to distract them. Then, they started looting the house.

“Who… is… there…?”

That day, Eve happened to be resting at home. She was preparing dinner without knowing anything, had encountered the bandits, and immediately got captured.

Eve’s parents who returned afterward, fought desperately. However, bandits with blades are not easy opponents. The blades cut into their bodies, and both perished before Eve’s eyes.

The peaceful girl’s life ended there. Eve unknowingly manifested magical talent. She annihilated the bandit gang entirely, and leaving the farmhouse, alone, soaked in blood.

The story of Eve, who single-handedly defeated dozens of bandits, spread through the village. The rumor reached the Adventurer’s Guild, and even the Empire’s imperial palace.

In the Ubiet Empire, there were quite a few mages who handled the four attributes of mana. However, they each have their limits. They either have a small amount of total mana, or they don’t have many spells.

Eve had no such limits. She barely survived by wandering from guild to guild, handling numerous requests. The vague information about Eve became clear.

Everyone called Eve a genius. The Ubiet Emperor, who hadn’t found a satisfactory successor, decided to adopt her heard of this story.

Eve’s second tragedy began.