Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Violet's Unconscious #04
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And a month had passed.
We were still wandering through the depths of Violet's unconscious mind. Of course, I'd warned her before we entered that there was no telling how long it would take...
'Fuck, honestly, I didn't expect it to be this vast.'
The unconscious minds of humans I'd entered before weren't anything like this. They usually wrapped up after just two or three days of searching at most, but Violet's was ridiculously expansive.
I had no idea why her unconscious was so immense. If I had to guess, though... it was probably because of her regressions.
Before coming in, I'd figured it was just fifteen extra years of experience, no big deal. But thinking about it now, Violet's personality and sense of self had to shift a little with each loop. Our relationship was different every time, and so were the events she went through.
Storing all those personalities and their experiences would've overloaded her brain, obviously... So that's why the others didn't regain their memories the instant they saw me—they came back gradually?
Either way, the key to navigating this endless dream without getting lost was making sure we didn't get swallowed by her unconscious. The necromancy I'd used was a lucid dreaming technique, so if we forgot this was all a dream, our own sense of self could dissolve into Violet's mind.
Luckily, aside from RC, I had another reliable way to stay aware that this was a dream.
📜 QUEST: EMERGENCY! RESCUE THE HEROINES! 📜 Your Heroine candidates have been captured by the villain!
The Regressor cannot stand idly by while his women are in peril!
Let's heroically rescue those captured Heroine candidates!
🎁 Quest Reward: Favorability with each rescued Heroine candidate, Shop Points.
📍 Women Conquered so far: 0/3.
⏰ Remaining Quest Completion Time: 00:41:05
"Whoa... two seconds today."
The quest completion timer in my status window's quest tab. I'd kept it pinned to the corner of my vision for twenty-four hours straight. The RC I'd diligently mastered as a dream demon countermeasure? The system handled it effortlessly.
"O-oh! Look, Master! I finally made a proper magic arrow this time!"
Just then, Al'Miraz—who'd been practicing the spell I'd taught her—finally succeeded in forming a magic arrow with her own mana. She beamed at me, chest swelling with pride, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Nice. Let me see... Yeah, not bad. The spell formula's spot-on, though you're still overchanneling mana and making it unstable."
"But this is my first time doing it solo! Eee! Now I can fight too!"
Watching Al'Miraz hop around like a kid over a mere one-circle spell, I nodded with a satisfied smile. Her chest jiggled enticingly with every jump, warming my heart even more.
'So that's why Marianne called me her master.'
A month was a long time, especially when trudging through an unconscious mind with nothing much to do but talk to Al'Miraz. We'd come to save Violet, sure, but she had to show up first, right?
The first week was so boring I ended up regaling Al'Miraz with tales from my life. At first, I regretted not bringing Unicorn along for her chatterbox energy, but with time to kill, I realized chatty, responsive juniors were the best.
Memories of my orphan days and that glitchy enlistment flooded back, and before long, Al'Miraz and I were thick as thieves. If we didn't bond, it'd be boring as hell—what choice did we have? We had to get close.
-"Um... Arthin, could you maybe teach me magic too?"-
Around week two, Al'Miraz had asked timidly, face tense. When I questioned why the sudden interest in magic, her answer was adorably earnest.
-"Y-you're human, but you got so strong through effort! I want to get stronger too! I want to help Violet and you!"-
The two weeks must've left an impression on her. That overconfident, self-absorbed demon had maxed out her affinity with me, spilling her guts like a therapy session.
And her story hit close to home. Always lagging behind peers, few friends, yet desperate to meet expectations—practicing alone but never improving. It stirred memories of Yang Hemin's real-world struggles and my sword lessons under Professor Urdan Helik.
So I taught her. With nothing but time before finding Violet, and her growth benefiting us both, why not? Today, it finally bore fruit.
"It's amazing, Master! I trained with top hell demons and my magic never improved! But with you, it took less than a month!"
"Demons are born with innate powers and magic. It's like teaching a baby to sprint before it can walk."
As she bounded over, still buzzing, I patted her head and replied gently. Truth be told, Al'Miraz's talent was dead average. Gifted enough for magic, but on par with an untrained human.
The issue? She was a demon. A demon failing at magic was like a fish that couldn't gill-breathe—except her problem was her overwhelming innate mana working against her.
Pumping ten, a hundred times more mana than needed wrecked every spell. For the past three weeks, I'd drilled mana control into her.
"Remember that sensation. You've got tons of raw mana, so tweak the formulas to fit you, and you'll power up fast."
"Hehe, you always sound gruff, but you're so sweet, Master!"
"My gruffness was the whip to fix your abysmal magic."
As she gazed up with sparkling eyes, I stopped petting her head and flicked her forehead instead. She pouted, rubbing it with a grumpy look.
"You say that, but you think I didn't notice you tweaking spells for me while I slept?"
What? She'd caught on? My face heated up, and I turned away. I thought she was out cold, snoring like a chainsaw...
"See? You're such a tsundere, just like you said!"
"If I were a tsundere, I'd have confessed to Violet first and asked her out."
"Then why act cold while helping me so much?"
Her words made me glance at the hazy expanse of Violet's unconscious. We'd delved deep enough that focusing revealed fragments of her memories.
And most of them... were about me. Tiny moments I'd forgotten, sides of myself I never knew— all meticulously recorded.
"...I was shocked. I knew Violet always helped and motivated me, but realizing how much here... it hit different."
"Huh? What's that mean out of nowhere?"
I unfurled Violet's memories right in front of Al'Miraz's bewildered face.
"Like in my second loop, bandaging me up daily before I learned holy magic from Unicorn."
"Or third loop, investing her time to help me master magic."
"Fourth loop, busting her ass to assist when I trained combat under Master Marianne."
It was all Violet. I'd leaned on her more than I realized... and that's how Arthin Ludwig became who he was.
"When I was bedridden, she was always first with pumpkin soup. Damn, it was good."
"...Master."
"That's why I'm helping you. Pay it forward properly. Helping you helps Violet too, like I said."
God, rambling again after a month adrift in dreams. Bad habits.
"I see. Got it, Master."
She nodded with a knowing smile—that baseless confident grin always preceded nonsense.
"So, like with the other girls, you've fallen for me too, ri— Kyaa?!"
"I said I'd smack you for every bit of nonsense."
Smack—!!
The sharp slap echoed as my palm met her perky rear. Al'Miraz let out a lewd moan, rubbing it while glaring.
"That's sexual harassment in human terms... Immoral, Master!"
"Calling a demon immoral is a compliment."
Like I'd said before, manners stuck best with a side of physics. Especially for chronic nonsense-spewers like Al'Miraz—a firm hand worked wonders.
'...Her reactions have been weirdly off lately, though.'
She used to yelp in shock or pain, but now she spouted nonsense and subconsciously stuck her butt out...? Nah, imagination. No way.
"Whatever, go to sleep. Long walk tomorrow."
"Hmph! I was gonna anyway!"
She flopped down in a huff. Quiet settled in. Sleep wasn't necessary—dreams meant no fatigue from walking or staying up.
But it was a mental health routine. I was fine without, but after four sleepless days, Al'Miraz started fraying visibly.
'...I'll browse more Violet memories, head out when she wakes.'
I lay beside her, projecting our memories against the empty sky.
'This one's second loop... Got separated from Unicorn in a dungeon. Great vibe with Violet. Should've confessed... Nah, virgin me couldn't.'
'Died without confessing to Lucy either... Wonder what Violet did after. Probably grieved.'
Lately, soothing myself with her memories daily. Made me miss her more fiercely.
'...This life—and beyond—I'll treat her right.'
In her memories, Violet's final farewells were always sad.
To the Underworld, the Inquisition, the Demon King's castle. She couldn't follow, left beholding the world after my death.
...Your world must've been drenched in sorrow. If you died first, mine would crumble.
'...Just a bit longer. I'll save you, Violet.'
I watched memory-Violet's radiant smile until Al'Miraz stirred. No clue what expression I wore. Smiling? Sad?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Violet lay leaning back, eyes closed.
The pain and grief from before were gone.
A vague sense of something important lingered, but it didn't matter now. Here, her dreams had become reality.
"Feel free to lean more, Violet."
"Let's stay like this forever. That's enough."
"...I love you, Violet."
Arthin was at her side. A doll-like construct, repeating lines blankly, staring only at her with unfocused eyes.
Deep in endless nightmare, Violet slumbered cocooned in her self-made unconscious haven.
"We'll be together forever now, Violet."
No nightmares or tragedies here. Only endless happy times with her and Arthin.
Her creation's emotionless whispers were sweet demonic lullabies, her sole salvation.
Stirring briefly, Violet drifted off again to his voice, like a princess awaiting her prince.