If Nothing Had Changed

I tried to gauge Roel’s immediate reaction by telling him about the ending this world would reach. But Roel spoke before I could.

,To answer your question from earlier… I could briefly sense your presence a few days ago. But the faint sensation disappeared completely, so I thought I was just imagining things for a moment. But suddenly, today, your presence felt so vivid that I came to find you without any plan.”

Because I suffered a critical injury from Roel when crossing over to this world, I lost consciousness for three days as a penalty for continuing the battle. That might be why Roel couldn’t sense me.

I decided to firmly remember this in case Roel might find a way to avoid sensing me.

Estelle, who had been watching the conversation from the side, asked Roel.

,So you came here without knowing what this place is?”

Roel nodded once, and Estelle seemed relieved. Maybe it was because she had heard about Roel from me, or maybe she was just concerned because he was her friend’s boyfriend. Estelle was wary of Roel finding out about Modiste.

When Estelle stopped talking, Roel, thinking the questioning was over, turned his gaze back to me. I looked straight into Roel’s blue eyes and said what I hadn’t been able to say.

,I was attacked while crossing over to this world from another world.”

I paused for a moment before adding.

,By another version of my brother from another world.”

Roel opened his mouth slightly and then closed it again. He seemed to be trying to say something but couldn’t find the right words. Roel’s reaction gave me a glimpse of the direction the conversation would take.

,Aren’t you curious why I crossed over here from another world?”

Roel nodded as if it were obvious to my question.

,Just like I came from another world… there are countless other worlds besides this one. Just like I’m different from Ross here, they all flow with different timelines and different currents. In every world, hyung tries to save everyone, but ultimately fails.”

Seeing Roel sigh at my words, I continued in a low voice.

,That’s why I came to this world. To find a clue that can save all the other worlds.”

Roel, who had lowered his gaze, was lost in thought for a moment before asking me in a low voice.

,Could you tell me the reason why I failed in other worlds? If you help me here, maybe I can turn those failures into success.”

His voice was filled with a strange expectation. But that was impossible. As Ross of Yearning had said, this world was already trapped in a fixed cycle with a predetermined ending. No matter how many variables I created here, I wouldn’t be able to create a turning point that could twist the destined destruction.

How could I explain that destruction was destined to happen in a few years, no matter what efforts were made? While I was pondering for a moment, Roel, interpreting my silence in his own way, stood up from his seat with a stiff face.

Then, he approached the table and, without any hesitation, knelt down directly in front of me and slammed his forehead against the floor. Estelle, who was next to him, flinched in surprise at Roel’s actions.

Well, from Estelle’s perspective, it was unimaginable for Roel, who was practically the strongest in the world, to kneel before someone else. It’s understandable that she would react in surprise.

,I have never forgotten, not even for a single moment, that I am a sinner who cannot be forgiven by you. Even if you forgive me, I intend to walk into hell myself and atone for my mistakes for eternity. I know I’m being shameless. I know I don’t even have the right to say these words, and I fully understand that even if you refuse my request, it’s because of my own faults.”

Roel slowly raised his head and looked up at me. The sincerity in those blue eyes felt like it would pierce my heart, and I felt an urge to subtly shift my gaze elsewhere… but there was a magic in Roel’s gaze that I couldn’t possibly ignore.

,It doesn’t matter if I’m not the hero. If you need my life right now, you can have it. But please, if you know a way to save the world, help me save everyone.”

Seeing Roel slam his forehead against the floor again, showing the top of his head, I sighed and ran a hand over my face. Roel was serious about saving the world. Enough to kneel before his infinitely weaker younger brother and sincerely ask for his help.

Seeing Roel believe without a shred of doubt that I could save the world, I asked with a question in my mind.

,…Why don’t you doubt that my words are lies?”

,Because I believe your words that you came from another world. And I felt sincerity in your words that you would save all the worlds.”

I felt an unknown frustration at Roel’s answer. I chewed on my lip for no reason, glared at the top of Roel’s head, and asked brusquely.

,So you’re saying it’s a hunch?”

,If I’m wrong, there’s nothing I can do about it. But I don’t intend to blame you for it. Because to you, I’m an unforgivable sinner. But I’m sure you didn’t lie to me.”

,How?”

,Because I’m your hyung.”

At Roel’s answer, I felt a stuffiness as if something invisible was pressing down on my chest. Even a deep sigh didn’t alleviate the pressure. It felt like emotions had a physical form and were constricting my heart.

My way of thinking and Roel’s are too different. If I had possessed Roel instead of Ross, could I have acted like that? Could I have knelt before someone weaker than myself and asked them to help me save everyone?

I stared at Roel silently for a while before turning my head to look at Estelle. Her purple eyes contained a will that seemed to entrust the choice to me. I fixed my gaze on Estelle and said.

,Get up, hyung.”

,…But.”

,You need to, so we can talk.”

At my words, Roel, who had awkwardly stood up, returned to his seat with a happy expression.

You can’t even take away hope from someone who is constantly striving. Even if you know that effort is meaningless, humans are animals that gain the driving force of life from something called hope.

Roel, who was facing destruction, had lost all hope. That’s why he hoped to regain hope once again by making the extreme choice of killing me and absorbing the ability to cross over to another world. If I were to say that this world is destined for destruction just like then, so don’t make futile efforts and give up, the same thing would surely happen again.

Hope is a similar quality to a sweet lie. Whether what’s inside the box is hope or destruction that will end everything… it’s just a matter of consuming a gacha ticket called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to check inside the random box.

Then, believing that even a very small possibility exists, listening to Roel’s request, and obtaining information that would benefit me was the rational choice I had to make. I swallowed a sigh and looked at Roel with a relaxed posture, opening my mouth.

,If an existence you can never defeat is your enemy, what would you do, hyung?”

It was a question to understand Roel, who had a different way of thinking than me. The God of the Chaos Church, born from a setting error and the intervention of plausibility, was a powerful opponent to the point where Roel lost one of his arms. What choice would Roel make if he couldn’t fight and win against such an existence… I wanted to hear it directly from Roel.

I added in a low voice.

,If it’s a divine existence that you can never defeat with human power, no matter what you do, no matter what sacrifices you make…?”

Roel blinked and closed his mouth. And after thinking for a while, he opened his mouth with a determined expression.

,No matter how strong the opponent is… I will never give up the fight.”

It was a predictable answer. If it was Roel in the novel that I knew, he would never be broken down no matter who the opponent was, and he would definitely win.

,If you fought without giving up, but ended up losing everyone and only you were left?”

I paused for a beat before continuing.

,If you, who lost everything like that, got a chance to start over from the beginning?”

Roel made a bitter expression at my question.

,If I went back to the beginning, I would try again to change the predetermined future.”

,Even if you did that, and the opponent was too strong to defeat?”

Roel’s brow furrowed at my question. Perhaps my words sounded like I was teasing him, Roel looked at me with an incomprehensible expression and asked.

,Are you messing with me right now? Or are you planning to throw out ridiculous questions until I say I’ll give up?”

,No, I didn’t ask to tease you. I was just curious about your true feelings, hyung. I just wanted to know what choice you would make in that situation. So please answer seriously.”

Roel, who ran his hands over his face, looked at me with a serious gaze and said.

,If I thought I could never defeat the opponent… I wouldn’t fight the opponent, but I would find a completely different way to save everyone. Because my ultimate goal isn’t to win the battle, but to win the war with the least amount of casualties.”

Roel’s answer suddenly reminded me of a conversation I had with Eunice someday. The blind purpose that a regressor would have. For Roel, wouldn’t that be the salvation of everyone? A choice to save everyone while avoiding an absolute enemy.

In an instant, something awakened in my mind like a thunderbolt. If Roel hadn’t been broken down in any situation…? If he had never given up hope even in endless trials, regrets, and despair… what choice could Roel make?

Finally, the background of the puzzle is visible. The clues in my head fill the space like pieces, leaving only one empty spot. Now I can guess what the picture is. But imagination alone could never complete the puzzle.

However, I already knew where to get the missing piece. The remaining piece of the puzzle is with the observer who watched all of this, Ross of Yearning.