Chapter 445
Chapter 445
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 445
Chapter Title: 2-115. In Father's Name (3)
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I had a great idea. Moments after landing, a giant's arm crashed down beside me. I dry-heaved without thinking.
"Urk."
The cross-section of blue blood churning inside was enough to make me want to puke just looking at it.
No matter how hungry I was, how the hell had I eaten meat like that in the first parallel world?
I cupped my hand over my mouth and shouted.
"Elsia! Bring me some jars or something. As big as possible!"
"Pardon? Jars?"
"The more, the better!"
Elsia tilted her head. Confused but obedient, she fulfilled the request perfectly—overly so. Spirits following her brought dozens of containers from the seed vault and set them down in front of me.
"Here they are... Is this enough?"
"Ever been told you're too much?"
I scanned the containers and let out a hollow laugh. Each one could double as a milk pail on a farm. I'd been thinking buckets at most.
Elsia's eyes widened round.
"How did you know? Savior, you always react like that when I give you gifts. I was just truly grateful..."
"What'd you give that made them say that? Expensive jewels?"
"The latest was a gold mine. I even threw in a hundred bandits who'd occupied it as slaves, but you said it was too much and refused. It hurt my feelings."
"Ah."
I had nothing to say. It felt like seeing the shadow of that lofty high elf lady.
Who knew someone even more extreme than Schlieffen's dad existed.
I scratched the back of my head and continued.
"...It was just a casual question. Blind devotion like that has its market. Anyway, do as I say. Squeeze every drop of blood from this whale-shit-sized arm."
"B-blood?!"
Elsia yelped in shock. Instead of answering, I swung my sword. Dozens of cross-shaped cuts etched into the white giant's forearm. Blood that had only trickled from the severed end now gushed out.
"Kyaaak!"
"We have to bottle it before it loses freshness. Then administer it to your father bit by bit. His powers—and Abel's—stem from these bastards' blood anyway... It'll at least work as painkiller."
I couldn't guarantee it, but it'd have some effect. Even in the original world, when I'd transfused my own blood, he'd opened his eyes and smiled.
The giant's w—
"W-wait, Ronan. What's going on? The giants that should appear during the Starfall—why now...!"
"I'll explain when I get back. No time, and if we leave it, more might pop out. Summon one new spirit to carry me? And give me a scroll you can summon with."
"New?"
Elsia tilted her head again. I pointed at the rift in the sky.
The Akasha rift connected to Bald World shimmered like a midsummer beach.
****
Erzsebet took off her glasses and said,
"Yes. Cut this back half entirely."
"What?"
I glared, thinking it was nonsense. Typos got fixed often, but overhauling whole sections? First time.
But my editor Erzsebet was stubborn as a craftsman. She held this week's manuscript.
"Well-written, but too predictable. Barely different from the first parallel world. Passing through the rift, batter-coated baldies swarming like flies... Every sword swing sprays blue blood... We only need to show the giants' world once across the whole story."
"Sure?"
"Positive. Don't you trust me?"
"No, I do. Let's chop it boldly."
Erzsebet handed back the manuscript.
I crossed out every bit of the Bald World battle.
She had a point. In the first world, L'Thancie, Fantasion, Orse, and Abel spiced things up. Here, solo, it got monotonous.
I reviewed the manuscript again and patted her shoulder.
"Good. Great call, Eri. This is why I picked you as editor."
"Hee-hee, my eye's spot-on? Cut the padding to keep it fresh."
"Agreed. Boredom's the enemy. Without breaking the flow."
"Exactly. Oh, something from this manuscript..."
"Yeah?"
Erzsebet's voice dropped suddenly.
She narrowed her eyes and continued.
"I gave you an invitation, but you didn't come? Do you know how long I waited?"
"That's why I went to that world. My heartfelt apology didn't come through the page?"
"This is fiction. And even here, you send Asel instead of showing up. Too much?"
"What would I do in Acalusia? At best, ogle maid sisters' rears and waste away. But seriously, thanks for the kindness."
"God... You don't even know how I felt giving it..."
Erzsebet crossed her arms and growled. I'd thought she was fine with the silence, but resentment had built. Sorry, but no time for Acalusia.
I gently stroked her hair to soothe her.
"Sorry. But it really was great. Way better than I imagined."
"Hmph, of course. Talking like you've been when you didn't even peek."
"I did go."
I eyed Erzsebet up and down. Grown-up her looked just like Adrian from the parallel world. Face and figure perfected. Her liking women could slot into the empire's three great male tragedies.
Erzsebet said,
"Such jokes again... But whoever you investigated, uncovering this is impressive."
"Huh? What?"
"There was a maid named Liz in Acalusia. Great at cleaning, beautiful legs. We were close, but she got captured during the Nebula Klage purge."
"How'd they catch her? I nearly missed her myself."
"Zaifa dragged her off on a whim. Said his instincts never fail... Mom—no, the family head—raged to protest, but she turned out a fanatic the next day."
"...Heh."
I chuckled. Zaifa's hack intuition nabbed Liz, whom even I'd almost overlooked.
That explained it.
Nodding repeatedly, Erzsebet flexed her fist.
"Work hard this week. Thanks for taking my advice."
"No problem. Take care."
"Yep. Chatting with Adeshan sis, don't worry~"
We exchanged light farewells and parted.
At my desk, I eyed the slimmer manuscript. Definitely better trimmed. Traffic jams in stories? Over-explaining.
I twirled my fountain pen, then poised it over the next line.
"Hmm. So..."
****
『Kraaaaaah—!!』
The giant plummeted, spraying eight streams of blood from its eight wings. Ruler of Bald World. Wingless, it helplessly watched its species' origin flicker like a candle in the wind.
Reaching out mid-fall, it screamed.
『Stop! Halt!』
"Fuck off."
Not worth hearing. My sword slashed a red line over the origin. It shattered like glass, scattering.
The three-day journey ended.
『My king...!』
『Ahh... Ahhh.』
『Ex... tinct.』
Baldies encircling us dissolved into particles. From the origin's shrine, one could overlook this bizarre world's finale.
Suddenly, three days' suppressed pain hit at once.
"Urgh."
I clutched my chest. Ached head to toe. Even knowing Bald World, taking the fastest path to the origin—those baldies were tough.
I burned all ten wind spirit scrolls Elsia gave me before destroying it. Great kids, all.
"Eat boiled eggs in hell, you bald fucks."
Success was success. I flipped the bird skyward.
Billions of light streams flew into distant space. Each, a soul captive to the bald species. Waving my sword instead of hand, bidding farewell—
The stalled Mana Tracker needle pointed down.
"Oh?"
Nothing visible below. Too far.
I leaped from the shrine without hesitation. Face peeled back, bone-dust ground revealed. Thousands of meters down, a white-haired man stood in the wasteland.
"Found you."
My lips curled naturally. His eyes, gazing at light-shrouded sky, were glazed like a man beaten awake.
Makes sense. Millennia-spun ambition crumbling live.
Giants' legions dissolving to particles.
Invincible species' death-cries.
The stunned man muttered like pissing himself.
"...What in the world is this."
Our headache Abel. Failed to find Akasha (that prick slipped to another world), so from day two, I tracked him instead.
He lobbies Bald World periodically for Starfall. Timing perfect. Thought it'd take longer—lucky.
"Hyah."
Sword swing behind sparked explosion. Accelerated like red lightning, I landed at Abel's back. He turned at the noise.
"Hm?"
"Hey, Uncle."
I waved, chuckling. Sensing odd vibe, Abel gripped his hilt.
Not how to treat a dream-raped man, but too glad—couldn't stop grinning.
"Atonement... time?"
I spun my sword and kicked off.
No need to overdo—skipping to here. Took 15 seconds.
Snapped Abel's sword, severed both arms, shoved hilt up his ass. No origin, no Akasha-metal armor— he wasn't my match.
Tears that wouldn't flow after mincing arms poured freely at the end.
"Kragh! Kraaaagh! Krooooh—!"
Screams wretched. I hoisted wailing, broken Abel over my shoulder and returned to the original world. P.S., drew the return magic circle with the sword in his ass.