I Don't Know Much, But It Must Be Good
I Don't Know Much, But It Must Be Good
Seraile was dead.
As if to prove it, soldiers stormed into the mansion, and Daniel could finally feel at ease.
Because if Seraile had not died, the protective barrier around the grand mansion would not have vanished either.
Only after receiving confirmation from Lucy that 'Seraile's presence had vanished' did Daniel step out of the mansion.
There were too many urgent matters to handle for him to linger over his satisfaction with Seraile's death.
Once outside the mansion, Daniel spent his time deploying military forces to secure public order and stabilize the city, and establishing Imperial military administration.
Thus, a day passed.
When the military had restored a certain degree of order to the city, Daniel went to find Frien.
He had put out the immediate fires, so he wanted to have the conversation they had been unable to share all this time.
Frien had been hoping for that as well, so she readily agreed to Daniel's request.
Thanks to that, the two were now walking the streets of Lakedrapol under the pretense of a stroll.
Perhaps because they had chosen a relatively quiet place, there were few pedestrians passing by.
Though any who did see Daniel in his military uniform hurriedly fled the scene in alarm.
Seeing that, Frien covered her mouth and giggled as if amused.
"Did you see that just now? A civilian saw you, Major General Daniel, and screamed and ran away as if terrified. You've already become an object of fear."
Not particularly pleased, Daniel answered in a wry tone.
"It can't be helped. From their perspective, I must look like an invader. And you can't say for certain they ran away because of me."
"That's mean. Are you shifting the blame onto me now?"
"Don't misunderstand. I was merely speaking of possibilities. The person who just ran away might have known of your infamy, after all."
"I don't like that. Saying such things to a lady is rude, you know?"
Frien spoke grumpily and glanced back at Daniel.
Watching her, Daniel let out a low laugh.
"It was a joke. Though no matter how I look at it, they really did seem to run away because of me."
"Honestly... since you admitted it so quickly, I'll let it slide just this once."
"I'll accept that gratefully."
Daniel's sly reply was infuriating, but she couldn't bring herself to hate it.
"More than that, it really does feel like a dream. The fact that I no longer have to return to the past, I mean."
As her gaze turned ahead, a sense of liberation colored Frien's expression.
But Daniel could not accept Frien's joy at face value.
Because he knew of the countless cycles that had been sacrificed for this present happiness.
"...Compared to the pain you endured, it almost feels like she was let off too easily."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Seraile, I mean."
At the mention of the dead woman's name, Frien's complexion settled into calm.
"Hmm. Deep in my heart, I wanted to demonstrate every single torture method I've devised all this time to that woman. A harrowing revenge drama of a woman who experienced countless regressions! Don't you think it would sell well as a movie?"
Frien chuckled, then shook her head as if contradicting her own words.
"But I know I shouldn't. Seraile is an unpredictable woman. There's no telling how many puppets she's scattered everywhere, and the moment she recovers even a little mana, it was clear she would counterattack."
A breeze blowing from the far end of the street lightly brushed their faces.
"I couldn't ruin everything because of my petty greed. The only reason I, who always failed, could mount a proper counterattack was thanks to countless coincidences overlapping."
Frien was right.
The cycle in which Daniel came to share Frien's memories was indeed a miracle obtained only after repeating hundreds of times.
"I protected it. The miracle you created, Major General Daniel."
A smile returned to Frien's lips.
"Now I can move forward, not backward. That alone is enough to satisfy me fully. Living trapped in repeating time was utterly tiresome."
Frien's words contained a flaw.
To be precise, Frien was not trapped in repeating time.
She had trapped herself.
Daniel, who shared the memories of regression with Frien, knew.
That Frien could have broken free from the shackles of regression at any time if she had wished to.
There had clearly been a way to escape into eternal death.
There had also been a way to run far away without saving Daniel.
But Frien had not done so.
She had not given up on saving Daniel.
Even when she thought she could never defeat Seraile, she repeated time just the same.
How should one explain Frien's course of action?
Rationally, it was a conundrum impossible to untangle.
But when entering the realm of emotion, a single word existed that could explain it.
Love.
An eternal, undying love for Daniel was rampaging unchecked within Frien's heart.
Yet not saying so openly was, in its own way, Frien's form of consideration.
"That should be enough explanation for now. So shall we stop with the gloomy talk?"
"If that's what you wish."
"Good. Then now it's your turn, Major General Daniel, to answer my question."
"A question?"
"Yesss. If you've seen my memories, you would know... "
Frien paused for a moment before continuing.
"In your first death, you died trying to save me. Back then, you tried to say something into my ear before you took your last breath. What were you trying to tell me in that moment?"
Dumbfounded, Daniel let out a laugh.
"Didn't we agree no more gloomy talk just now? I think your question is a bit gloomier than mine. Or is that my imagination?"
"It's your imagination."
"You're being uncharacteristically unreasonable. Still, it's not something I can't answer. Hmm. If it was me back then, then surely... "
After some deliberation, Daniel arrived at an answer.
"I imagine I would have said it wasn't your fault."
Frien's steps came to a halt upon hearing Daniel's answer.
Consequently, Daniel also stopped beside her.
Frien turned to look at Daniel with slightly surprised eyes.
Deep down, Frien had expected that Daniel would have said something resentful.
She had thought he would have asked why she had come here, or left behind lamentations about a life ending so futilely.
Failing that, she thought he would have told her to run away, just as she had heard from the puppet mimicking Daniel before.
But even while dying, Daniel had worried about Frien, who would be left all alone.
"... ."
Until now, the memory of Daniel's first death had been like a kind of curse that bound Frien to the regressions.
Because the guilt that Daniel might have resented her had bound the arms and legs of her heart like chains.
Yet just now, because of Daniel's answer, she felt as if the guilt that had shackled her heart was being released.
But why was it.
She should feel relieved and joyful, surely.
Tears were welling up in the corners of Frien's eyes.
"...Frien?"
Daniel, who had been watching Frien with concern, stepped closer.
Taking a deep breath, Frien lifted her head, unable to hide her surging emotions.
She hesitated just as she was about to rise on her tiptoes and kiss him.
She was uncertain whether she deserved to.
Watching Frien hesitate, Daniel lowered his head.
In a tension that felt as if her breath might stop, their lips met.
Startled, Frien opened her eyes wide, but soon gently closed them.
Under a streetlamp illuminating the road with faint light, their bodies pressed close together.
"Haa, mm... ."
After a faint moan, the kiss they had been sharing for some time came to an end.
As Daniel pulled his head back, the saliva that had stretched like a thread of yarn elongated before snapping.
"Ah... ."
Even after the kiss had ended, Frien's mind remained hazy.
She had not expected her wish to kiss Daniel to be granted so simply.
Of course, it was not that Frien had lacked opportunities.
It was not that she hadn't thought of kissing Daniel while repeating the cycle hundreds of times.
But every time, Frien had endured her desires.
Because even if she succeeded in kissing him, once time turned back, Daniel would not remember.
If it were to remain only in her memories, it would only become miserable.
So this was the first time Frien had ever kissed Daniel.
"Ah. I... that is... ."
She was so embarrassed she couldn't speak properly.
Her face, which had reddened of its own accord, could not possibly be described as calm.
And the same was largely true for Daniel.
Though he was pretending to be composed, his action just now had clearly been impulsive.
After an awkward silence lingered, Frien, who had been gauging Daniel's reaction, suddenly burst out laughing.
"You have a surprisingly lecherous side. Or perhaps our hearts were in tune."
Having composed her laughter, Frien stepped forward.
"Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. Thanks to that, it feels like the times I suffered through hundreds of regressions have been rewarded. Though of course, there's still work left to do."
"...Work left to do?"
If possible, she wanted to marry Daniel.
Though it might be greed beyond her station, she could not give up on Daniel.
But there was no way she could voice that out loud.
Frien spun her body around and, backlit by the moonlight, flashed a playful smile.
"It wouldn't be fun if I told you in advance, would it? So... ."
Frien laughed just like a young girl.
"Please wait just a little longer, until I find the courage."
Frien's words sounded deeply meaningful, but Daniel could not bring himself to refuse.
Because it was the first time he had seen Frien looking so happy.
"If that's what you wish... ."
Seeing her like that naturally lifted his spirits, and Daniel found himself nodding absentmindedly.
"I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."
Under the moonlit streetlamp.
It was the moment the two were bound by a promise.