The Demon Named Olivia (Revised)
The Demon Named Olivia (Revised)
Regression.
Returning to the original place or state after one full cycle.
But that was a word used in statistical data, not one suited for discussing time reversal.
At least, that was what Princess Aria knew.
"So, what year is it now?"
"It is the year 987, Your Highness."
"..."
But was there a word that could better describe her current situation?
"Thank you, Sorwin. I must have been confused from dreaming. You may go."
Sorwin smiled as if it were nothing and disappeared. The moment the door closed, Aria's face went utterly blank.
It was an expression entirely unimaginable on the 'beautiful,' 'benevolent,' and 'gentle' princess.
'Did a god truly exist?'
Aria slowly swept her hand over the bed.
Soft. It was something she could never have imagined during the days when she had slept lightly in rough grass.
The texture matched her memory.
Aria immediately rose from her spot and went to the window.
In the late afternoon, servants were busily moving about to finish the day's work.
Aria checked each of their faces one by one. Victor, Denis, Hugo, Kran... There was not a single name she couldn't recall.
Her memory was sound.
There was one last thing to confirm.
Pain.
Aria took a fountain pen from the pen case and pressed it firmly against her palm. Ink and blood mixed, staining the floor dark red.
It hurt. But not enough to scream.
"Ha... Hahahaha..."
She staggered.
Aria stumbled and collapsed onto the bed.
This was not an illusion. No matter how brilliant an Archmage, even if it had been 'that bitch,' she couldn't create such an elaborate illusion.
Aria reached into the empty air. Then she squeezed down with all her might, as if strangling someone.
As if someone were standing right before her.
How much pain she had suffered,
How much she had hated her.
How badly she had wanted to kill her.
Did you know?
Even now, whenever she closed her eyes, the scenes of that day rose up.
[You, you insolent bastard...!]
[Aaaah!]
Her father, her mother.
[Princess, we cannot hold out much longer.]
Kiel, Melina.
[Protect the princess!]
[For the princess! Fight to the bitter end!]
The knights.
The people who had fled, trusting in her.
All of them—every last one, without exception.
Had fallen at Olivia's hands.
Crunch!
Her nails dug into her flesh. She did not want to remember, but her cursed memory refused to let her stop.
They died. Their necks were slashed. Their upper and lower bodies were severed.
The farmer Cedric had frozen to death slowly from the tips of his toes.
The servant Edwin had been frozen solid along with his parents.
In a single day, hundreds of thousands had frozen to death in the imperial capital.
She couldn't die. She absolutely couldn't die.
She couldn't betray the wishes of those who had burned their own bodies to protect someone as worthless as her.
When those who sensed the end looked back at her, do you know what their eyes said?
Live. Survive.
Survive, and defeat that monster.
So she had endured desperately.
She endured and endured, and swore to kill Olivia, even if she had to sell her soul to a demon.
But, but...
She couldn't stop it.
The dragons ruling the skies, the elves of the Great Forest, the merfolk of the oceans.
In the end, they all met the same fate.
If only she had realized that woman's true nature from the very beginning, would things have been different?
Aria opened her eyes. The blood welling from her right hand stained the white sheets red.
As if it were nothing, she wiped the blood away with a towel.
Aria murmured to the empty air.
"Dame Calliope, Sir Seth. I have something to say, so show yourselves."
No answer came.
"I already know that His Majesty assigned two Night Crows to me. Come out at once."
Again, no answer came. But it was slightly different from before. For a moment, she felt a presence.
As if expecting that, Aria walked to the desk. Then she lit the candlestick and pressed it directly against her palm.
Her skin burned, and a sharp pain surged. The smell of burning protein filled the room.
Just as the fire was about to spread across her charred skin,
"Stop."
A masked figure appeared from thin air and seized Aria's hand.
The masked figure, Calliope, couldn't hide her bewilderment. The princess who had always been so quiet had turned into a venomous demon overnight.
"So you've finally come out."
"What is the meaning of this?"
"If I hadn't done this, you wouldn't have come out, would you."
That was correct.
Calliope bit her lip.
The Shadow Knight Order, commonly called the Night Crows.
They were the Emperor's direct unit, his sharpest dagger, and loyal agents who obeyed only his commands.
The Emperor had ordered them to protect the princess.
The moment Aria burned her hand, the order and the rules had collided.
Calliope had no choice. In the end, she revealed herself and chose to protect the princess.
"Just one request. Find me one person."
"We have no reason to grant a request from you, Your Highness."
Aria laughed scornfully and took the fountain pen from her pocket.
"Would I die if I stabbed my throat with this?"
"..."
The tip of the pen was aimed precisely at her carotid artery.
"Let me rephrase. This is not a request. It's blackmail."
Calliope waved her hands in surrender.
"Fine. I yield. So please put away that damned weapon."
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Calliope covered her face in defeat. She waved her hand up and down toward the corner of the ceiling. A moment later, the shadows rippled and a burly masked man burst out.
"... Captain. Is this really okay?"
"If you're going to die either way, better to die comfortably. If the princess dies, we'll both be drawn and quartered."
"If you help me, I'll speak in your defense."
At Aria's words, Calliope gave a hollow laugh.
It was checkmate.
"Very well, Your Highness. Whom shall I find for you?"
*****
Aria stared out the window where Calliope and Seth had vanished.
For those skilled in information gathering, it wouldn't take more than a few days to search the entire empire.
Finding the location of a single mage would be quick.
The god she had loathed until the very end had ultimately taken her side.
At last, the time for revenge had come.
****
Olivia scratched her ear and asked.
"So, what did you say that place is called?"
"It's called Lenas."
"I've never heard of it. When was the last time you went out on a frolic?"
"Um..."
Glacia hesitated before answering.
"Fifteen years ago. I don't really like leaving my lair..."
"..."
This was worse than I thought.
"Then do you know what year it is by the Imperial Calendar?"
"Ah, yes. It's currently... 987, I think."
Olivia scratched her cheek and thought.
'987, huh.'
It matched the start date of the Tutorial. She had seen the Ending at exactly the thousandth year of the Imperial Calendar, which meant Princess Aria, who had died last, had regressed with thirteen years' worth of memories.
'That's a relief. What if she'd regressed all the way to childhood?'
Facing Aria with middle-aged experience?
'That's a bit...'
As time passed, the disadvantage was Olivia's. Since the condition to return to her original world was almost certainly 'seeing a new Ending,' running away from enemies who grew stronger over time had its limits.
Not only that. If anyone ever discovered that her actions had restrictions...
'Just thinking about it is terrifying.'
In the end, the existence of allies was indispensable.
"If you know anyone strong, give me some names."
"You mean their names?"
"Yeah. Names."
"Ah, well... I don't have any friends."
"I said anyone you know. Damn it."
"No matter how I think about it, only my mother and father..."
"Rumors or whatever, just tell me."
"..."
"None?"
Glacia hesitated, then nodded.
"This is crazy."
I asked just to see, even if only for reference.
As expected, whites had a remarkable talent for driving people crazy.
Or should I say a talent for earning beatings.
"But why are you looking for strong people?"
"Why do you care?"
"I-I wasn't trying to pick a fight! Honestly, someone like you, Master, could take any talented person and raise them to be strong!"
"That doesn't even make..."
Olivia stopped mid-sentence and stroked her chin.
'Wait.'
Moderately talented people—those with 'potential' around Level 80—were, with slight exaggeration, scattered all over the continent like grains of rice.
It was just that holding onto the main NPCs was several times more efficient than raising them, so I hadn't done it.
"You said something good for once."
"Hehe. Really?"
"But who said you could call me Master?"
"Well, because you never told me your name..."
"So it's my fault?"
"N-No! It's my stupid fault!"
Glacia's face went pale.
'Th-This guy really is insane.'
Every time I closed my eyes, the memories from just before came flooding back.
Face-down on the ground, panting with only my butt slightly raised—that wasn't something a proud dragon should do.
Honestly, I even doubted that the being in front of me was human. How on earth could a human possess a cold aura even thicker than my mother, a Lord?
"Let's do one job together."
"Huh?"
As Glacia struggled to hide her confusion, Olivia spun around and pointed beyond the mountain range.
Specifically, at the white Magic Tower built on its peak.
"By 'job,' what exactly do you mean...?"
"Kidnapping."
"..."
Glacia gave up thinking.