The Next Destination
I initially thought the next destination was just another one of Iris's mischievous pranks. Showing up at my room at this hour, without even asking permission? The moment she walked in, I planned to deliver a solid knuckle to the top of her head. What are you thinking, risking Grandmaster catching you? You could get in serious trouble. The other disciples wouldn't look kindly on this kind of stunt either, so I was ready to tell her to turn around and leave immediately. I had all those words lined up and was just about to open my mouth when—
"I'm sorry, Master."
Whoosh—!
The thought huh? had barely formed before the world around me plunged into total darkness. I swung my arm in confusion, but felt nothing at all. It wasn't simply the absence of touch. I couldn't even sense the motion of my own arm swinging. It was as if my entire existence had been completely erased.
What the hell is going on? The words rose instinctively, but nothing emerged from my lips. Not even my voice could be heard. Everything connected to it had vanished entirely. There was no sensation, no feeling of any kind. I could only float in the air, unable to perform any action whatsoever. I had no way of telling whether I was standing, sitting, or lying down.
"What's the situation?"
Then, suddenly, a familiar voice reached me from somewhere. It had to be familiar—it was my own voice. But how could I be hearing my voice when I couldn't even move my mouth?
"It's not good. Daisy and I are both injured."
"What about Lily?"
"Luckily Lily avoided injury. But declaring a sanctuary over such a wide area took a heavy toll. She'll need to rest for a while due to exhaustion, Master."
The woman answering the questions from another me—not me. An elf with pointed ears unlike any human's, a massive dark spear resting beside her. Silver-blue hair and sky-blue eyes in perfect harmony, the kind of beauty that made the word beautiful slip from your lips without thinking. The only person in the world who would call me Master in that tone was one individual.
That was definitely Jenia. No question. Among my disciples, she was the only elf. Jenia Violet, the Spear Hero, known to the world as the Spear King—my disciple. Even though I was certain it was her, the reason I felt so bewildered was simple: Jenia should have been operating in an entirely different part of the continent right now.
The fact that another version of me was holding this conversation, and that Jenia—who had no business being here—was appearing and speaking with him. The current situation was clearly real, not some fake or illusion. Yet if someone asked whether it was truly real, the circumstances made that impossible.
"You took a solid hit."
"I'm sorry, Master. This happened because I wasn't strong enough…"
"No, that's not for you to say. It's because I, Iris, and even Gerard got tied down in the west and couldn't arrive in time. If only we'd come a few weeks earlier."
"Master…"
"What about Garam? Even if we're stuck, she should have been able to return a little faster."
"That's… it seems something went wrong. She only just set out."
"That's strange. When we met before parting, there didn't seem to be any issues at all."
The moment I heard those words, I realized this was different from the past I had experienced. No problems when parting with Garam? We had discovered a spy planted by the Demon God Worshippers among her followers. There had been complications, but the betrayal itself was the same. Using that one-eyed woman, we had even wiped out the cultists' hideout. I would never be the one to claim there were no problems. The fact that he was saying such things meant that while it was 'me,' it wasn't my past.
"This has become incredibly troublesome. We spent all that time circling the continent's outer regions dealing with demonic beasts and monsters. Who would have thought the Demon God Worshippers would attempt something like this inside the royal capital?"
"I suppose you're right. We barely managed to defend the royal palace, but countless innocent people died. There will be no end of criticism from now on. And as if that weren't enough, the Demon God Worshippers across the land will rise up, seeing this as their chance."
"What should we do, Master? We've worked so hard all this time, yet it feels like everything is collapsing in a single moment."
At Jenia's words, I furrowed my brow deeply. Collapsing? What was collapsing? We hadn't even properly begun. We simply needed to hunt down the bastards responsible one by one and set things right. What was the problem? Irritation surged through me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, yet even that was impossible in this state.
Right then, the scene before my eyes suddenly began to warp. The sounds grew distant, and everything that had been crystal clear only moments ago turned hazy. In a panic I waved my hand, and this time I actually felt the motion.
"Master."
"…Ah."
"Master. Can you see me?"
It wasn't Jenia's voice. This was Iris's—the one who had entered my room moments ago. I stared at her for a moment, then tested my right arm. The limb that had been completely numb was now moving perfectly. Sensation had finally returned to the void.
"…"
I clenched my fist. Hard. Hard enough to smash anything. Then, with all my strength, I brought it down squarely on the head of the Iris standing before me.
Thwack!
"Kyak!"
Iris's head immediately drooped forward. A moment later she screamed "Kyaaaaak!!" while frantically rubbing her skull. It probably felt like her head was on fire, so she had no choice but to rub it vigorously. Otherwise the pain would have been unbearable.
"You. What the hell did you do?"
"Kyuuu… Ah, you already know. You saw it all…"
At Iris's answer, I slowly looked down at her. Only then did I notice she was holding something. At first I couldn't tell what it was, but its identity soon became clear. The Cape of Severance, the item we had obtained from the ancient kingdom yesterday. Its effect had seemed so utterly useless that I had wanted to burn it on the spot, but Iris had begged for it, so I had transferred full ownership to her.
"You. Don't tell me you put that thing on me?"
"What else could it be? For a moment, everything was completely severed."
"Why on earth would you do something like that?"
"You know why. You saw it. Inside there."
The moment those words left her lips, the scenes I had just witnessed flooded back. The man who was me yet not me, exchanging words with Jenia. The royal capital under attack. Garam's delayed return. The fact that I and the other heroes had been lost in the west for over a month.
"…Iris. What I just saw… is it what I think it is?"
Iris nodded quietly at my question.
"It was the space of severance. Completely cut off from reality—a truly independent domain. That's why it was possible. Though the time was short, it was enough."
Listening to her, I became certain. She had used the cape to sever every connection with reality, then showed me what she knew. Projected it using her own power. Though it was only a fragment, it had conveyed exactly what was happening.
"So this is why you wanted the cape."
"It's suitable. For me."
She made a show of wrapping the cape around herself as if to ask whether it didn't look pretty on her, but I knew her words carried a different meaning. The power she possessed and the 'severance' inherent in the cape. The synergy they created, allowing it to be used in precisely this way. She had definitely been emphasizing that.
"…Iris."
"Yes, Master."
"I was originally planning to rest here a little longer. What do you think?"
"Hmm. Since we don't know what might happen, wouldn't it be better to rest briefly and head back soon?"
The incident at the royal capital I had witnessed in the severed space, and the subtle emphasis Iris placed on the words what might happen. The regressor was shouting with her entire being, exerting every ounce of effort to convey the message: something was going to happen soon. And the place where it would happen was not some remote corner of the continent or a location with lax defenses. Rather, it was the royal capital, protected by the highest level of security.
"Huu."
Come to think of it, from beginning to end, Iris had always been there. When I said I would leave her behind, she had insisted on following. She had identified the spy planted among Garam's followers—one who had enjoyed considerable trust. And here in the west, she had pulled me from a trap that might have claimed even me. Because she was a regressor, I had thought such feats were possible. But what had puzzled me was the question of why.
"…There's a saying, Iris. The area under the lamp is the darkest."
"I've heard it. It's used when something close by goes unnoticed."
"Yes. For some reason, that phrase suddenly came to mind."
"How strange. I wonder why it did."
Even as she spoke, Iris stared at me with piercing intensity. Two things had become clear. First, that Iris could not convey what she knew through normal means in 'reality.' Second, that the repulsive Demon God Worshippers were hiding inside none other than the royal palace itself.
For an incident to occur in the royal capital, ordinary preparations would never suffice. Even someone in a fairly important position could not evade the watchful eyes from every direction. Therefore, for anything to happen there, someone powerful enough to cover their backs was absolutely necessary.
"Could it be because the west is such a backwater, Iris? For some reason, this master of yours has suddenly developed the urge to visit the royal capital. Am I being strange?"
"Not at all. Hearing you say that makes me want to see it too. I heard it's the center of the continent. A place where every race gathers to trade and converse."
"That's right. I once thought about taking you there someday. It would be the most entertaining playground for a brat like you."
"That's strange? I was under the impression Master had never been there either."
It wasn't that I hadn't gone—I couldn't. You foolish disciple. Learning under my own master and teaching my disciples had already filled my days to the point of exhaustion.
"Then our next destination will have to be the royal capital."
"Wow! I'm really looking forward to it!"
What a reaction completely devoid of soul. Don't ever try acting in front of anyone, Iris. It's far too obvious.
"Well then, since we've finished our business here, shouldn't we head back, Iris?"
"Huh?"
"This master would like to sleep early tonight."
"We're not finished! We haven't even started!"
"…What are you talking about?"
"I came here to sleep with you tonight, Master."
"Haa?"
"I had a scary dream. It was so frightening I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep. So let's sleep together."
"Stop talking nonsense and go wash your feet. Sleep quietly by yourself."
"I don't want to. I want to sleep together. We used to sleep together all the time before!"
At Iris's grumbling, I quietly raised my fist. From ancient times, they said a good beating is the best medicine for children who refuse to listen.