The White Wind Howls (19)
The White Wind Howls (19)
#107
"Absolutely not—!! Mr. Do-yun, have you lost your mind?"
"M-Mr. Do-yunn... Are you truly going to do this?"
"Thank youuu—!!! Really, really, thank youuu—"
It was utter chaos.
At least Lily had kept her mouth shut, which was a relief.
Just as the din of women buzzing around me was starting to grate on my ears, Lily asked a question.
"So—do you actually have a plan?"
"Not really."
"Then what makes you think you can stand up to the crazed Countess Valenor?"
"I'll simply give it a shot. Lady Lily, listen carefully. I will not do anything until I have saved Lady Risie. Nothing."
"I-I understand how you feel, Do-yun, but—"
"Even if I were born again. No matter what happens."
"?"
The other women began to eye me with puzzled expressions.
I turned to Lucien and spoke.
"Lady Lucien, listen carefully."
"Y-Yes. Go onn."
"I believe that no matter what, I absolutely cannot allow such an injustice to go unanswered."
"Huh?"
"I am speaking of the matter of Countess Risie Valenor."
"Lu-Lucien doesn't quite grasp what you meann—"
"I was once deeply indebted to Lady Risie. But when such a heartbreaking incident occurred within her family, to feign ignorance and turn a blind eye... I believe that would be wrong."
"L-Lucien also believes it would be wrong to ignore the circumstances of House Valenor... But with our strength..."
I looked straight into her dark eyes and spoke.
"That is correct. With our strength—specifically my strength—it may well be impossible. However— there is precisely one person who can most certainly pull this off."
"Huh?"
It seemed she still had not caught on.
"Allow me to rephrase. I believe ignoring such an injustice is not right. If I were to witness Lady Lucien bury this matter and run away, I would loathe you for the rest of my life."
"Ah—? Ah, ah——!!"
Lucien's eyes flew wide open, and a look of realization dawned across her face.
The women around me looked as though they were wondering what the hell sort of nonsense I was spouting.
Regardless, I had no need for you lot.
This was something only Lucien could do.
"Lucien will absolutely do her very best. Just leave it to mee—!"
Smack.
I kissed her confident face.
"H-Huh?"
The women began to panic— but I no longer cared. There was no reason to.
From this moment on, I was going to get Risie Maman back.
***
***
#108
Honestly, you were probably wondering what the hell I was even talking about, right?
I understood that too.
The odds that I could fight Risie Valenor here and now and defeat her were infinitely close to zero. And furthermore, even if I did subdue Risie, there was no guarantee she could even be brought back to her senses.
However.
If just one precondition were added here, all of those premises would be flipped on their head.
『If I have infinite attempts』
Of course, I wasn't a regressor who could rewind time like Lily.
It would have been wonderful if I were, but I wasn't.
But regressors weren't the only ones who could influence the timeline, were they?
The story changes if a variable appears that can 『lock in』 the regressor's choices.
Lucien Verciel.
Lucien, just as she herself had told me, was a mage who could remember what she experienced in this timeline from an observer's perspective in the next.
And there was a more crucial fact.
Lucien—
liked me. Of course, I liked Lucien too.
That was, in truth, the most important part.
Since I had asked her, Lucien would most certainly act to bring me before Risie in the next timeline as well.
Even if Lily attempted to separate us somehow, she would struggle and fight to bring me before Risie.
Then, in the end, only one choice would remain for the regressor Lily.
The choice to challenge Risie Valenor and win.
In the end, Lily would have no choice but to research.
A method for our forces to defeat a powerful enemy. I did not know how many times she would have to rewind time until we won, but it mattered little, since those were not experiences I would undergo and remember.
Once, I had thought Lily was simply a pure and lovely child. But now I was no longer sure. Whether she truly was that kind of woman. Even what she held hidden inside—
So I was not going to be swayed by you any longer, Lily.
***
***
My unilateral declaration of the Risie Valenor subjugation plan inevitably drew a flood of complaints from Estelle and Lily.
But typically, numbers are what matter when voices are raised. With Rubel, who had originally asked me to save her mother, and with me and Lucien, who had resolved to help Rubel—
With a total of three people insisting upon the Risie Valenor subjugation operation, the remaining two ultimately had no choice but to agree to accompany us. After all, if I died, nothing else could succeed.
And so, at last— with the start of the operation set for the following day, each member of the expedition party was granted their final night of rest.
......
Immediately after the meeting dispersed, I approached Lucien and drew her into a warm back hug.
"M-Mr. Do-yunn—..."
"I am sorry for burdening you with such a heavy load."
"You do not need to apologize to Lucienn. Lucien also believes injustice must be set right—!"
"Even so, it breaks my heart to think of all the trials that will haunt Lady Lucien from now on."
I meant that sincerely.
Especially considering how many hardships she would have to endure because of me. She would have to constantly clash and fight with Lily, who would try to leave me behind.
"N-No, it is all rightt. You gave me courage, Mr. Do-yun, so Lucien will see through to the end what she believes is right. Just trust Lucienn—!"
Lucien Verciel—THE GOAT.
My best wife, with a flawless personality to boot.
"M-Mr. Do-yunn. But are you not scared yourself?"
"Of what?"
"The operation that begins tomorrow. You must fight completely blind to what happened in the past... A-Are you not scared?"
"Well, I am scared, I suppose. I truly hate pain."
With tears glistening in her eyes, she spoke to me.
"If Lilyy... rewinds time, Lucien too will try to find a way for you to avoid getting hurt as much as possible, Mr. Do-yun."
"Thank you for thinking of me."
"............"
Perhaps she still had more she wished to say.
Lucien stared intently into my eyes, her lips twitching faintly.
"M-Mr. Do-yunn..."
"Yes, go on."
"Lucien is also a little frightened. About fighting with Lily in the times to come."
Shoo—shoo——
I stroked her hair and smiled.
"Lily is much younger than you, Lady Lucien, so what are you worried about? You must show the dignity of an older sister."
"............"
"Now, go make ready for bed. Tomorrow may prove busy."
"............ Lucien is also a little scared of facing the Duke of Valenor."
"I am scared of that too, to be honest."
"B-But. Lucien thinks she would not be frightened if she had just a little encouragement."
"Encouragement?"
Squeeze.
Lucien wrapped her arms tightly around my waist.
Since matters had progressed this far, it meant she wanted that kind. Physical encouragement.
"Then shall we sleep together again tonight?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Then for now, let us relocate somewhere more secluded—"
"Stop."
A cold voice shattered the mood.
What? The timing had been perfect.
"Are the two of you not being awfully clingy? Lucien, I have something to discuss with Do-yun, so step aside for a moment."
"Uh, uh?"
"Lady Lily."
"It is important."
Lily spoke with an incredibly resolute look in her eyes, as though she would brook no objections. It would be wiser to hear her out first and then think.
Because you never knew what Lily might pull.
"Lady Lucien, could you leave us for just a moment? I will find you once I am done speaking with Lady Lily."
"Y-You must come back quicklyy..."
With those final words, Lucien scurried off to where she had spread out her sleeping bag.
"So, my lady, what did you wish to say?"
"It is simple. Do you truly have to do this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Going to Countess Valenor."
"Yes. If you have come to change my mind, please stop. I have already discerned that you possess the ability to rewind time, my lady."
"Did that woman tell you?"
"Pardon?"
"Lucien. Did you imagine I was unaware of her ability?"
She had known Lucien was an observer?
"I see you are attempting to make that woman do something for you. I absolutely detest irritating things of that sort."
"......"
"Let us make a deal."
"What sort of deal?"
"Do-yun, I will arrange matters so that you can save Countess Valenor."
"Just like that? I do not know how it could be so simple, but let us say it is possible. Then what would Lady Lily want from me in return?"
"After you save Countess Valenor, only the two of us go to the House of the Great Ones."
"...... Do you believe I have any reason to accept that offer?"
"Even if you beg that woman, you cannot block me forever regardless. If I truly feel there is no other way, I will simply go further back into the past and kill Lucien."
Insane...
"Why the hell would you even attempt something like that."
"Because the two of us going together offers the highest chance of success out of all the timelines I have experienced thus far."
"Chance of success?"
"Yes, success. Since you have already figured out I possess regression, I shall explain."
...... What the hell is she talking about.
"In any case, if you do not become the Great One, you will have to die."
Was my comprehension failing me right now? Too much information was flooding into my head all at once...
"I do not want you to die, Do-yun. Unlike that blonde bitch standing over there pretending she knows nothing, I am going to find a way to keep you alive, no matter what."
"You will have to explain in a bit more detail for me to understand..."
"I shall say it again. From what I have experienced, there exist only two possible endings. Either you die by the hand of the Great One, or you kill all the mages and become the Great One yourself."
"..............."
"Either way, this Book of Fate concludes only when you kill all the mages. So cease getting attached to those women from this point forward."
Fuck, what the hell kind of bullshit is that—