Chapter 405
Chapter 405
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 405
Chapter Title: 2-28. Disaster from the Future (1)
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#28
The world was quiet.
A scentless wind blew coolly.
From the summit of an unnamed mountain, the surrounding scenery came into view at a glance.
The mountains of our planet, which had reduced everything to Nimbuton Hills, stretched out like waves.
It was a place that should have been my grave, but thanks to my capable companions, I had survived.
I tossed a canteen to Pantasion, who was sitting by the campfire.
"Good work. Muscle deer."
"You too."
Pantasion caught the canteen and grinned.
Compared to before we set out on this journey, his appearance was noticeably more ragged.
I patted my head and asked,
"How's the horn? I'm no deer myself, so I don't know for sure, but isn't that pretty important to you guys?"
"It is. It's a symbol of strength and authority."
"I figured. Let's try reattaching it when we get back. Big Sis Navardoje should be able to do something about it."
"Thanks, even if it's just words. But I'm fine."
Pantasion shook his head.
Honestly, I couldn't see how he was fine.
The wounds covering his body were deep enough to leave scars.
His majestic horns were almost entirely shattered, leaving him no different from a quadrupedal stag.
Being surrounded by the baldhead legion and fighting them off had taken so much from him.
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Thanks to you... I got my revenge."
Even so, Pantasion looked happy.
He drained the canteen in one go and began to doze off with a nod.
We still had a lot to talk about, but I didn't wake him. I'd hoped to hear some stories from his past this time, but oh well.
"Yeah. Get some sleep."
I turned my gaze to Pantasion's side.
Lertansie and Orse had long since passed out, sprawled on the ground.
"Snoooore... Snoooore..."
"Navardoje... Ugh... Stop it..."
"What the hell is this guy dreaming about?"
All the accumulated fatigue had hit them at once.
They had rushed to save me right after the battle ended.
It really was good that we'd all come together.
Even after I left soon, these three would support Navardoje well and restore the world.
'Good thing. Sis won't be lonely.'
The only one still awake besides me was one other.
He'd been full of arrogance the whole flight back, so I didn't feel like talking to him.
Time to eat, then.
As I reached into my coat pocket for jerky,
a sigh heavy enough to cave in the ground came from behind me.
"Haaaah... Stupid... The world's biggest idiot..."
"Damn it. He's still lying there whining."
There was a limit to endurance.
I hurled the jerky I was holding at Abel.
Smack!
The chunk of meat arced through the air and bounced off his head.
Even so, Abel didn't move.
"Cut it out already. How long are you gonna sulk there?"
"Shut up. You're even more of an idiot than my brother. If we'd left even a tiny part intact... we could have ruled the world."
"Quit talking nonsense and come eat. I'll eat yours too if you don't."
"Eat it yourself... You've stolen the chance from everyone living on our planet... The one shot for sewer rats to become lions, severed by that vulgar sword of yours."
Abel stared blankly up at the sky.
The souls freed by the destruction of the Root adorned the underside of the clouds.
The sight of billions of lights rising like lanterns was so beautiful that no words came to mind.
To feel unhappy watching something so merciful—it was a talent in its own right.
I clicked my tongue and pulled out fresh jerky.
"Our chance? You mean your chance."
"What?"
"Don't arbitrarily set limits for people. Even starting from the flawed premise of 'sewer rat,' it doesn't mean there's no chance to become a lion. 'One shot,' 'ruler of the world'—spouting your personal opinions and declaring it fact is just idiotic."
"Ha! Hilarious. Do you think I don't know mortals? Do you know what I've seen traveling with my brother?!"
Abel, who had been staring only at the sky, finally turned to me.
My body flinched reflexively.
Tears streamed down his face, which resembled mine.
Unlike the murky purple blood, they were clear and transparent.
This was awkward.
After staring blankly for a while, I scratched my cheek.
"...Still, no need to cry, right?"
"Shut up. I've lost everything now. Even the one goal that gave me the will to live... My rage is justified."
"It was a shitty goal to begin with—what... Ah, already ate it all."
It felt like five beggars had settled in my stomach.
Maybe because I'd used so much strength, I was hungry no matter how much I ate.
I stood up and approached Abel.
"Since it's come to this, find a new goal. Not something bad, of course. Our dad would want that too."
"...Damn it all."
"I'm sleepy and starving, so let's head back. Thanks for today."
I patted Abel's shoulder.
He was still the world's biggest asshole, but his efforts had the biggest share in keeping the whole party alive.
No matter how much he'd drained my blood to the limit, blocking the baldheads' concentrated fire wasn't something anyone could do.
"Right. Do you know how to get back to the original world? I'm kinda uneasy about it."
"...What do you take me for? Going back is dozens of times easier than coming."
"Good enough."
I clasped my hands behind my head and smiled.
No matter what anyone said, the baldhead species was extinct.
Just as the innocent souls returned to their heavens, our planet only needed to regain its original form.
The only lingering unease was Akasha's existence.
Despite all the tension, it hadn't appeared even when I bisected the king.
Was it fighting my future self?
Or rampaging in some other parallel world?
I had no way to know now.
Gazing at the ascending souls, I continued.
"It's irreversible anyway, so let's leave without regrets."
****
"A toast to the heroes who saved the world!"
"Cheers!!"
Glasses clashed amid hearty cheers.
Spilled liquid soaked the floor.
Three days after returning from the Baldhead World, the evening feast began as usual.
"Captain Orse, tell that story one more time. How'd you save Lord Ronan?"
"Kahaha! That one? Alright, special for you. That cocky kid was plummeting after running out of strength when..."
Orse chuckled as he launched into his tale of valor.
His drunken subordinates let out exclamations.
It must have been a fond memory; he didn't mind repeating it dozens of times.
"Hey, Lertansie! Do that one more time!"
"Ehehe... Shall I? Funny!"
"Ooh! Grand Archmage of Liquor!"
The two archbishops were enjoying themselves in their own way.
Lertansie levitated alcohol with telekinesis, mixing it midair.
The massive liquid blob exploded, perfectly filling everyone's glasses—a spectacle only she could pull off.
"Your horns look cuter now, Pantasion... Hic, wanna come to my room?"
"I already have a deceased wife."
"Oh my, that's me. Third husband was the last one."
Pantasion had already received his fifth confession that I'd witnessed.
Today, it was an elf, not even the same beastkin.
I'd thought his broken horns would ruin his appeal, but they made him seem cuter, drawing more favor.
"Food's out!"
"Today's the last one. Back to slaving away tomorrow, so enjoy it to the max!"
Seniel's shrine had transformed into a grand banquet hall.
Navardoje had prettied it up, evoking a noble garden party.
The four of us who saved the world and returned (Abel absent) received fitting treatment.
"Dearie, how's your body feeling?"
"Much better. And you, Sis?"
"Same here. Hehe, all thanks to you."
Navardoje was stuck right to my side.
If Adeshan saw this, she'd clutch her neck and faint.
My side ached from her chest pressing in, making it hard to breathe, but she wouldn't let go.
"Ah, finally, this one's here."
She fed me the tastiest parts of every new dish.
Despite utensils, she insisted on hand-feeding. No idea why.
Did her hot hands make it tastier?
"Eat more. This is the first successful breeding pig."
"S-Stop... If I eat more here, I'll have to fight on a full stomach. My gut isn't made of rubber."
No joke—my stomach felt ready to burst.
No matter how much I could eat, this was too much.
Navardoje looked flustered.
"B-But didn't you say you were hungry? I made it myself..."
"That was three days ago. We've feasted non-stop— if I'm still hungry now... Aah, fine! I'll eat, so don't look at me like that! Hah!"
That gaze was cheating.
I took a deep breath and bit the meat she held.
Her sauce-covered fingers were hot.
She stroked my head and picked up the next dish.
"Hehe, good eater. This one's mine too..."
"W-Wait a sec!"
Any more and it'd really be no fun.
I slipped from her embrace and waved her off.
"Phew... Damn, just gonna step out for some air. That's okay, right?"
"Mmm... Well, if you must. Come back quick."
Navardoje grumbled.
She fidgeted her fingers anxiously as I left the shrine.
It tugged at my heart.
Since returning from the Baldhead World, she'd treated me like her youngest son.
'Son... right?'
The mood got steamy sometimes, but probably.
Dragons express affection differently from humans.
Yeah.
Without that hypnosis, I'd feel too guilty toward Adeshan, who was deep into prenatal care back home.
"This thing's totally changed."
As I left the shrine, I stopped before Seniel.
The massive rock floated in the banquet hall's center, emanating life energy.
It felt incomparably better than when I first saw it.
Its grayish surface gleamed with vitality.
Just being near it filled me with vigor—now I got why it was called the planet's heart.
It'd recover more with time.
As I finished admiring and turned to leave,
"...Huh?"
Something caught my eye.
A faint blue light leaked from a hairline crack.
A phenomenon I'd never seen before.
"What the... Urp."
I wanted to inspect it, but my stomach churned too much.
I clamped my mouth and hurried outside.
The nearest exit opened to the seaside.
The moment I passed the iron door,
Whoooosh!
A chilly northern wind tousled my bangs.
The sunset sea came into view.
"Ahh... Now I can breathe."
The cool air helped.
I pulled out my pipe and lit it.
The grapefruit-red sun sank into the sea, dyeing the sky purple.
"Stunning."
It was a sight that made me forget my stuffiness, if only briefly.
The world really needed colors.
With the giants gone, the world's other half would slowly regain its hues.
"Yeah... Let's rest just till today."
The lingering fatigue melted away.
Today was the last day to relax anyway.
I hadn't told anyone yet, but starting tomorrow, I'd seriously search for a way to the next world.
'Can't stay here forever.'
I still had things to do.
With few clues, it'd be head-scratching days ahead.
I exhaled, white smoke scattering.
As I added leaves to the pipe,
"Waaah... So pretty...!"
"Flying squirrel?"
An exclamation came from behind.
Turning, I saw Lertansie swaying, drunk.
"What're you doing out?"
"Heehee, just getting some air... What're you doing here, Lord Ronan? Lady Navardoje's looking... Hic."
"Heading in soon. Finishing this smoke."
She was looking for me, as expected.
I puffed vigorously on the lit pipe.
Lertansie leaned against the iron door and mumbled.
"From today, new life... Hic, like I said before... It was so stupid... Never... never doing bad things again..."
"Good call. Obviously."
"All thanks to you, Lord Ronan... Meeting you at the Root that day was the luckiest thing in my life... Heehee, really... truly."
Her voice from behind was sweet.
Her good mood was palpable.
She'd truly become a different person from when we met.
"Don't get sappy... What'll you do after we fix the world?"
"Ehehe, umm... Well, I..."
Her reply cut off suddenly.
She must have tons of ideas.
"Jeez. For a villain."
I chuckled dryly and finished my smoke.
The lights melting into the sea were beautiful.
Even after burning all the leaves and pocketing the pipe, no answer came.
"Flying squirrel?"
Too long for mere pondering.
Had she fallen asleep mid-sentence?
As I turned with a laugh, I froze in place.
"Uh."
Lertansie had vanished, leaving only her legs.
White bone gleamed inside the smooth cut.
Red blood spurted from the severed aorta.
The iron door she'd leaned on was torn away, space itself ripped.
Thud.
Her leg, calf only, fell limply.
"...!!!"
No voice came out.
Every cell in my body turned to stone.
Was this reality?
If a dream, wasn't it time to wake?
As I gripped my sword hilt, desperately steadying myself,
footsteps approached from nearby.
"...You."
I whipped around reflexively.
A figure in a black cloak stood backlit by the setting sun.
His face was hidden by a grotesque mask.
The moment our eyes met—or rather, masks—the chill from the Winter Witch's horn raced through me.
I'd never seen him before, but I knew who it was.
My glued-shut mouth slowly parted.
"Akasha."