Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Focus on the Future
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Vast meadows often bring tranquility to both body and mind.
The air, free of even a speck of fine dust, circulates through the lungs to flush out bodily waste, and watching the grass sway gently in the breeze inexplicably lifts the spirits.
However, if there's not a single other human there besides me, it turns into a rather unpleasant place.
"Alright, shall we get started?"
I raised the Time Persistence Camera.
At a glance, it doesn't look much different from a film camera you could easily order online.
However, when you peer through the viewfinder, you realize it's no ordinary camera.
Looking through the viewfinder, a massive castle complex appears where only the blue horizon had been visible.
Its ability is to photograph the past and simultaneously alter reality to match that moment.
Click—!
A crisp sound emanated from the Time Persistence Camera, and the form of an outer palace took shape.
Film ejected from the top of the camera, but my gaze didn't linger on it.
Two annexes and one main palace proclaimed their past prosperity, forming a spectacular vista that made it easy to understand why the king had longed for this for so long.
It resembled the annex I'd restored last time, but the extent of corrosion and weathering on the exterior revealed that this palace, too, had its own unique history.
Now I just needed to maintain this state for about ten minutes.
"I hope it works out well."
At first glance, it might seem like an upgrade to Paradoxical Time, but it wasn't quite that.
The reason tied into why I had to wait ten minutes: this state didn't last indefinitely.
Once the film fully developed, the past would revert to the film, leaving only the present behind.
In other words, it was the time limit commonly slapped on cheat items.
But since there was no concept of time here, the time limit couldn't really be considered a penalty.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I didn't even need to wait ten minutes.
The film didn't develop at all.
The illusion, which was supposed to end upon development, never even triggered.
Now I'd have to take this camera back to The Shop and sell it again.
It originally held ten films total, and I'd used one, so its value had dipped a little.
But for the world's only one-of-a-kind item, no one but the seller could tell if it was used or brand new.
"Incredible! Your ability is truly unbelievable! How can a power exist that overcomes the wrath of the gods!"
The king, greatly pleased, couldn't tear his eyes away from the window.
"Ah... right. I nearly forgot, so captivated by the miracle you've wrought. I shall bestow upon you a grand reward."
I wonder what it could be.
I had something specific in mind, but hearing it called a "grand reward" still sparked some curiosity.
"Take whatever you desire from my treasury! Pay no heed to me whatsoever!"
?
Isn't this the exact same as last time?
I wanted to say something, but my mouth wouldn't open.
To be fair, even if it did, I didn't really have grounds to complain.
Ding—
The bell rang, and freedom returned to my mouth.
My lips twitched, eager to speak, but fear of provoking the king's stingy wrath kept them sealed in the end.
Just go.
The familiar spiral staircase still stretched on endlessly, even after my previous visit.
I wondered why they'd built it so deep, but considering it was a vault, it made a certain amount of sense.
"Huh, I see light."
From here on, even familiarity couldn't dispel my reluctance to enter.
Of course, that hesitation wasn't enough to stop my feet from carrying me forward on their own.
"Let's see... where was it."
Thinking of that item as a person triggered a visceral aversion, making me want to find it as quickly as possible.
At least I didn't need to worry about it being gone—I'd confirmed last time that it was still here.
"Probably around here... Ah, found it."
A wine glass filled with some unidentified liquid.
Its name was Tavern's Rumor.
It refilled once a day, and drinking it had a chance of revealing needed information.
"Shall I give it a try?"
The taste resembled brandy, but it was cheap stuff—the burn going down wasn't smooth at all.
Of course, taste wasn't the point, so it hardly mattered.
"..."
No particular sensation.
Probably a failure.
Well, these things rarely worked on the first try anyway.
Thinking of it as a gacha without a pity system was a bit horrifying, but from what I remembered, the odds weren't terrible, so it should resolve within a few days.
I climbed the stairs, gave a cursory farewell, and was about to leave when the bell suddenly rang.
At first, I thought it was a goodbye salute to me, but apparently not.
"Foreign merchant. By my discerning eye, that bizarre box can still be used several more times. Why withhold further aid?"
A complaint aimed straight at my service, no less.
If it were reasonable, fine—but this was like fixing someone's fridge and then being asked to throw in a free kimchi refrigerator.
Was that the kind of thinking that came with his lofty status as king?
More likely, reality was full of such entitled types too, so the king was probably just a jerk.
"Indeed. You are a merchant, after all. Every transaction demands compensation, yet in my long solitude, I forgot as much."
I couldn't so much as twitch, yet the king somehow read my thoughts and pinpointed exactly what I wanted.
"Very well, then."
The king's eyes smiled, but a chilling undercurrent swirled within them, unlike the pure goodwill from before.
He must have been furious at my audacity in trying to squeeze one last deal out of him.
Unfair as it felt, what could a weakling like me do but endure?
"Very well. I shall conduct a proper transaction with you once more. Restore any object in the kingdom, and I will resolve your doubt."
How did he even know what my doubt was to offer solving it?
"Hah. Doubting me now, are you? Pitiful."
If he understood my heart this well, he probably knew the doubt too.
Still, actually resolving it was another matter entirely.
"I am the one who once chased the gods themselves and drew near to divinity as king. My name is ■&?■$. Even all your worries combined couldn't match the troubles I had as an infant, so resolving it poses no difficulty."
Ding—
It sounded impressive enough, but I couldn't forget.
This arrogant bastard had ruined his own kingdom because of his hubris.
He massively overestimated his own abilities.
That said, the king's power was undeniably on a level I couldn't touch.
Using the camera one more time wouldn't tank its value, and a few missing films wouldn't tip anyone off that it was used.
If a minor loss could net something bigger, only a fool would pass it up.
"Understood, Your Highness. Forgive my momentary greed that led me astray. Compensation is unnecessary, but refusing it might seem a slight against you, so I shall accept."
The king looked down at me with an expression like I'd spoken well.
I stepped outside and restored a fountain that looked suitably important.
This time, there was no need for trivial waits of a few minutes.
Seeing the king overjoyed at the fountain, I couldn't help thinking that if I'd been a loyal subject of this kingdom, I might have shed tears of emotion.
"Now it truly draws near... the moment of rebellion against the gods."
He muttered something that sounded like bad news if I got tangled in it, then retrieved objects from beneath his throne.
Upon closer inspection, one was a classical telescope, the other a scale.
"These two are my loyal retainers: one an astrologer, the other my treasurer. My most cherished servants—their words are infallible, and they shall aid you."
Those two items had originally been people, too.
"Hmm... I see. No wonder you can't grasp the end, no matter your efforts."
The objects sat motionless, yet the king focused on them with utter concentration, as if seeing something profound.
It was amusing to think of "minutes passing" in a timeless realm, but after roughly ten minutes, the king finally spoke.
"There will be no second explanation—listen closely."
Taking a deep breath, as if bracing for a longer speech than expected.
"Focus not on the past, but on the future."
The first sentence was vague, to say the least.
Like something out of a tarot reading.
I'd need more details to understand.
"..."
He was taking his time choosing words, so the content must be fairly complex.
"..."
No, how long and convoluted could it be that he was still at it?
If he was putting this much care into it for my sake, it was almost touching.
Ding—
What sound was that?
Not the bell, surely.
My body moved freely at will.
This could only mean...
"This is it?"
The words I'd only meant to think burst out aloud in my bewilderment.
Was the king deceiving me?
His expression was deadly serious—no trace of jest.
That meant it really was important information.
I had no idea why he'd waited so long after finishing to ring the bell, but probably just to toy with me.
"Still, come on..."
Brimming with absurdity, I bid the king farewell and stepped outside.
He told me to return anytime, but I doubted I'd ever come back.
Unsatisfied with his "service" was one reason, but more than that, his words hinted at trouble brewing if I grew even a little stronger.
Still, I'd gained plenty.
Combining the king's word "future" with whatever info Tavern's Rumor eventually provided should resolve my doubt.