Chapter 280
“The one I killed was the master swept away when a certain dungeon was closing.”
“……”
Tesillid was also very familiar with that dungeon.-……What kind of place was it?
-In a rocky wasteland where lightning struck incessantly, there was a gigantic hole. It was like……
-Like an Abyss.
-Ah, yes, like an Abyss. That’s right. He was the master of that dungeon.
The title of master isn’t always a good thing. The place he was in dragged a master’s status down to an endless abyss.
That place was a prison. And the master of a prison is called by a different name.
A convict.
He was a convict sentenced to thirty-one life sentences.
And now, he had been released after seventeen repetitions thanks to her salvation.
His savior, who had killed him, said.
“Save Point.”
“……”
“Come to think of it, the truth was right before my eyes. From the beginning, it was for multiple-regression regressors. The only being in this world who could be the master of that artifact was……”
“……”
“You.”
The method to calculate the 117th iteration was simple.
She added the number of Save Point uses to the 100th life, and one more timeline created by her killing him.
“……”
“……”
No words came from Tesillid. Would his expression provide the answer instead?
However, due to the thick film of tears, her vision wasn’t functioning properly.
“Tesillid.”
She barely swallowed something hot threatening to surge up her throat and called his name.
She knew the end of the original 100th iteration.
Reed, who had fallen into the abyss with a body neither dead nor alive, sentenced to a life sentence.
A convict for whom only death was salvation, forced to wait helplessly for the next iteration.
But that wasn’t all. The world, where Part 3 had progressed, presented him with an even greater tragedy and suffering.
A choked voice echoed.
“So you…… from the 100th iteration to the 116th iteration…… repeated that punishment, seventeen times……?”
“……”
“While being forced to drink the Well of Eternity water……?”
“……”
“How unfathomably did you pay for your sins……?”
“……”
Tesillid opened and closed his lips several times. But it wasn’t long before he realized it was a futile effort.
Because at this moment, silence would be the most definite affirmation.
It was when the convict couldn’t bring himself to lift his head, his gaze cast down at the floor.
Aillet’s words were not yet finished.
“Then I am……”
“……”
“How late am I?”
“……”
“How late did I come to meet you?”
“……”
He couldn’t help but know it was self-reproach for not having saved him earlier.
Only then did Tesillid gather the courage to speak.
“Aren’t I horrible?”
“……”
“Even though I was once Reed?”
With a blink, the film of tears that had clouded her vision broke.
Her eyes, meeting his, sent a look as if to say, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’
“Horrible? Why you?”
“……”
“The world is more horrible.”
“……”
“How could it do that to you? How could it do such a terrible thing to you? This world shouldn’t treat you like that. You’re not someone who deserves to be treated that way……”
“……”
From then on, a memoir of his life flowed from her lips.
“How much you’ve strived. How much you’ve endured. How much you’ve sacrificed for people. You saved the world ten times. It was just once. You just took the wrong path just once……. You, no, I……”
“……”
“And I know all that……”
Tesillid realized anew.
He wasn’t alone.
Every time he regressed, the world reset, excluding him.
While he alone bore the memories and repeated the same life, he nearly went mad in the world’s deception and his own solitude.
But now, an understanding presence who knew everything about him was by his side.
“The whole world wouldn’t be enough to love you……!”
It was the moment she raised her voice. He couldn’t hold back and stretched out his arms.
Impulsively, greedily, he pulled her into his embrace. And whispered.
“If only you acknowledge me.”
“……”
“If you pity me as much as everyone in the world combined.”
“With just that much……”
“It’s not ‘just that much’.”
The denial was firm.
‘Just that much’, no way.
To him, she was the last remaining good, his hope, and……
“You are my world. If you pity me, my entire world pities me.”
“……”
“So, if you love me……”
“……”
“If you give me love.”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. Only his trembling breaths echoed in her ears for a long time.
Aillet gently cupped the cheek of the convict who dared not beg for love.
Looking at the face directed squarely at her, she met his eyes and kissed him.
“The whole world will love you.”
“……”
It was comfort, a confession, and also a will to make it so.
He replied with all his might.
By barely managing a smile that overcame a distorted expression on the verge of tears.
The rain, which had been pouring down as if to wash away all the world’s sins, gradually lessened its intensity.
In the now gentle sound of the rain, the two narrowed the distance between them, their gazes fixed.
A warmth began to mix with the refreshing air of the rainy autumn night.✠Could watching the rain be this enjoyable?
It was strange how quickly the night had deepened. The presence of the person beside him clearly distorted his sense of time.
Indeed, he was a handsome man with an atmosphere that could make the surrounding time seem to slow down, so it seemed entirely possible.
“Drink, Ai.”
“Thank you.”
Tesillid and I were still inside the chapel.
Tesillid handed me a mug with a warm drink as I sat on a long chapel pew. The warmth cradled in my palms felt pleasant.
I exhaled a small breath and said.
“Since it rained, it’ll be cold tomorrow.”
“Yes, because winter is coming soon.” [‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ boasts that the Incantation Cult Holy Knight uniform is definitely warm.]
[‘Scales that Judge Souls’ anticipates the world’s most handsome man wearing his new uniform.] Tesillid’s sea-colored eyes depicted the near future.
“If it doesn’t stop and continues until dawn, it might turn into snow.”
“Then that would be this year’s first snow.”
“Yes.”
His expression grew wistful. The reason was probably that it was the first snow he had seen in thousands of years.
‘It would be nice to see it together……’
It was then. [
“Huh? Huh? Huh?!”
At the absurd phenomenon, I blinked for a long time before finally collecting myself.
“Voice-Spirit!” [‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ states that it was just doing what it was time to do, sprinkling the first snow, and it wasn’t necessarily for you.]
“I know that, but still, if you suddenly do this……”
“Ah, is it a divine gift? It’s truly beautiful.”
“……Teri likes it. Thank you.”
“I thank you too.”
Tesillid politely bowed and simultaneously pulled out a blanket, draping it over my shoulders.
Honestly, thanks to the uniform’s good insulation, it wasn’t particularly cold, but I silently accepted it because I liked his thoughtfulness.
I lifted my right arm, raising a corner of the blanket.
“Want to come in too?”
“……”
Tesillid, who seemed to freeze for a moment, simply smiled without speaking.
It was then that I realized there were also smiles of refusal in the world. [‘Scales that Judge Souls’ grins, saying it was the refusal it expected, making it even better.]
“By the way, Ai.”
“Yes?”
“It’s too bright.”
“Ah!”
Due to the miracle bestowed by Voice-Spirit, my halo, reacting to the powerful divinity, lit up again.
I hastily turned off the glittering Art Nouveau patterned halo.
I flushed and quietly confessed.
“This seems a bit too much, Voice-Spirit……” [‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ says I’ll be able to control it once I get used to it.]
[‘Creative Economy Manager’ informs me that it’s rather tame for a legendary-grade effect.]
[‘Eye that Oversees All Chaos’ urges me to get a refund and buy the ‘Scattering Lily Effect’.]
[‘Scales that Judge Souls’ strongly insists that the ‘Seductive Rose Effect’ would suit me better.]
[‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ can’t contain its overflowing divinity and adds everything to the shopping cart.] Come to think of it, I vaguely heard somewhere that the currency used by gods in the divine realm was divinity.
Currently, thanks to the Incantation Cult being proclaimed, Voice-Spirit is overflowing with divinity.
I need to work harder to make Voice-Spirit a divinity-rich god.
Sipping my tea and lost in thought, the conversation with Tesillid paused for a moment.
Glancing sideways, I saw him taking in the pure white crystals outside the window.
This silence wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, but I wanted to hear his voice.
Isn’t there any topic for conversation? [‘Scales that Judge Souls’ recommends discussing family planning.]
‘Oh, please! Seriously, Scales!’ [‘Scales that Judge Souls’ laughs heartily and then chokes.]
Let’s not react. It’s because my reaction is entertaining that they play wicked pranks.
It was when I calmed my momentary excitement and swallowed a sigh.
“Ai.”
Without me needing to speak first, he let his voice be heard.
The handsome man, who had been leisurely admiring the first snow, turned his face towards me.
With his usual gentle expression and tone, he brought up a new topic.
“What do you plan to do about Reed?”
“……”
Privilege for Possessors