The Twisted (1)
Innocence was certainly strong.
A single pillar supporting the Kingdom of Demacia. Like a man holding up a log alone, the sole reason the Empire could not invade Demacia was this one man.
He had long since cast off the limits of lifespan. He had already reached the realm of the superhuman, and had single-handedly felled even a Chimera — the crystallized product of ancient black mages and alchemists.
That doesn't mean he has no flaws, though.
The higher the realm one reaches, the more something tends to twist. Just as the Saintess's obsession with God grew stronger, Arthur's obsession with the sword, the Dark King's obsession with non-possession — everyone has some physical defect, or a problem of the mind. By accepting some form of restriction, one can reach higher realms.
Growing stronger without any restriction? Essentially impossible. Just as alchemy invariably follows the law of equivalent exchange, restrictions are also essential.
So what was Innocence's flaw? It wasn't publicly known, but Evan, who had played the original game, knew.
A broken brain.
Excessively long wars, aura, and the burden of protecting his nation. Because of these, problems gradually developed in his brain, and madness took root.
If this were the modern world, what would have happened? Could it have been treated? No one knows. The fact that something was wrong with his brain was only revealed later by the leader of the black mages whom he personally killed.
"You… are filthy to the very end, Innocence—! Where did that white you were so proud of go?!"
"To me… it no longer has meaning. Only the white blade matters."
"This crazy bastard…!"
Pure madness. A character who maintains his innocence to the very end and meets his death. That was Innocence.
And that man… was staring straight at Evan.
"Is something the matter?"
"…No, sir."
Ah, he was getting a cramp again. With a rigidly stiff expression, Evan answered, forcing down the corners of his mouth that were twitching as if in a spasm.
"I was simply looking because I found it fascinating."
"I see."
Innocence answered as if convinced.
I-I'm alive!
…But why is there really a skull here??
Could Innocence be the culprit? Nah. Even so, that couldn't be it. What king would make his own people disappear? Innocence's values were everything for the nation — a knight who devoted his entire body for his country.
…Could his madness have gotten too severe? Then it might be possible. When they met in the future, he might have coincidentally treated his madness a little. Right now it might be so severe that he's doing strange things…
Fuck.
Either way, life goes to shit. Evan swallowed dryly.
For now, should I just pick a decent shield?
And leave right away. He'd already met the Shaman, so all his objectives were achieved. Before coming, he'd secured the elixir arts and various other things too. Seems like he'd gotten everything he could get? As for the Shaman, he just needed to persuade her. She was a good person, so if he suggested going elsewhere for relief work, she'd be convinced.
That was when.
"…It's different from what I saw before."
The Shaman opened her mouth.
Before? Had she been here once?
"Shaman."
"I respect an individual's free will. Even if I know someone's fate, even if I can see a better path, I only inform them. I never force anything. Because that is free will."
The Shaman slowly closed her eyes.
"…So I also respected your opinion, Innocence. But…"
She tightly shut both eyes.
"I think I was wrong."
"…!"
"I can feel countless threads of fate that have been severed here."
Countless severed threads of fate. Simply put, it meant many people had died here.
No, for real?
"Those who haven't been gone long… all young and youthful, pitiful ones whose futures were still bright…"
"…"
"None of them were fated to die here…"
The moment the Shaman opened her eyes again, Aegis flinched slightly.
"They were forcibly severed by someone."
The Shaman was clearly furious.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Following the Shaman's rage, the sky began to shake violently. The Shaman wasn't merely someone who could read constellations. She had long since earned the qualification to read the stars. Reading constellations was merely the foundation of Celestial Magic. True Celestial Magic was controlling the heavens themselves.
Celestial Magic
Rank 6
⟨ Heaven-Earth Resonance ⟩
A unique magic belonging to the upper echelons even among Celestial Magic! Heaven and earth began to tremble greatly, as if the world itself were being remade. Heaven and earth responding to the Shaman's rage.
"…You've gotten quite worked up. Shaman."
Innocence didn't stay still either.
"Calm yourself for a moment."
"Calm myself, my foot!"
The Shaman clenched her fist tight.
"How many fates have been severed by your hands, and you display them right in front of me. And you tell me to calm down?"
"That is precisely why you are bound by those fates. You pursue freedom, yet if you are bound by them, how is that any different from a slave?"
The two powerhouses no longer exchanged words.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Two massive auras collided. The Shaman was at minimum Rank 7, and Innocence was a Swordmaster evaluated as equal to Rank 7.
"Oh, for fuck's sake!"
"Evan! Get in here, quick!"
Aegis clapped her hands, using the air in the void to erect an opaque wall, and Lapis wove a cocoon of threads. Number Five also rushed over in a hurry and covered Evan, Aegis, and Lapis with its body.
Aaaagh!
Evan screamed internally. Don't fight here! If you're going to fight, fight somewhere else, not in front of me!
Fortunately, the clash between the Shaman and Innocence didn't last long. Just a brief contest of auras. Before long, it entered a lull.
I am not the culprit. If you listen to what I have to say, you will understand why they were severed in this place.
Somehow convinced by Innocence's excuse that wasn't quite an excuse.
"…"
"Shaman. Aren't you opening your eyes a bit too scarily?"
"Hmph."
The Shaman turned her head away. Innocence paid it no mind. Seemingly more angered by that reaction, the corners of her mouth twitched.
Clack—
Without even glancing at her, Innocence set down his teacup and looked at Evan.
"I express my gratitude for today's events. Evan Alcarte."
"…It was nothing."
Perhaps because he'd just witnessed the aura clash between two powerhouses, Evan opened his mouth desperately hoping the man wouldn't get angry again.
"I merely got caught up in the matter by chance. It's something anyone else could have done just as well."
"There are plenty who won't even do that much."
Innocence slowly closed both eyes. An atmosphere like an immortal who'd abandoned interest in all things — yet there was a driving force that moved him. The Kingdom of Demacia. The only value remaining to him.
"I gladly praise and reward such people. But no one ever properly carries it out. Always with money, money, money on their lips."
"…"
Certainly, money was important.
Seems like he's a bit short on talent.
Even in this world money was important, but not every knight was blinded by gold. There were quite a few knights who valued honor above gold. However, those people already had plenty of money. The poorer one was, the more bound by gold they'd be. The comfort and greatness that money brought weren't things one could easily ignore.
"What do you think should be done? Son of Alcarte."
"…I wouldn't know, sir."
Why are you suddenly asking me that?
He barely managed to steady his voice that nearly cracked from panic.
"I have no interest in power, nor in strength."
"Then?"
"Living quietly with my friends. That would be enough to satisfy me."
"Huk. Evan. I'm sooo moved."
Lapis covered her mouth. Ignoring her, he gazed at Innocence.
"…Is that so."
Innocence didn't disbelieve him or anything of the sort. Convinced! Ahh! To think someone who actually believed him had appeared. He wasn't sure if being happy about this was the right response, but…
"Then what is it that you desire?"
"…Pardon?"
"I shall grant you what you want. In exchange, I would like you to grant me one request. I need someone of your caliber."
Innocence shifted his gaze to the Shaman.
"Shaman, the same goes for your abilities."
"Hmph. Why should I help you?"
The Shaman said in a pouty voice. Innocence pulled a scroll from his robes and held it out.
"You were going to meet with Evan alone after he left—"
"There is a dungeon where spacetime has twisted."
Whoosh!
The Shaman shot up from her seat. Shock filled both her eyes.
"What… did you say?"
"A dungeon has appeared where time and space have twisted, reflecting not the present but the past."
Lapis, not understanding what that meant, stared blankly at Evan. Evan gave a light explanation.
"It means a dungeon has appeared where spacetime has twisted, reflecting the appearance of the past rather than the present. Today may be Imperial Year 589, but the time inside the dungeon could be Imperial Year 300."
"That kind of thing exists???"
"That's why it's rare."
There was a reason people called it rare. The Shaman swallowed a low hum.
"Spacetime twisting at this point in time… wasn't something that was supposed to happen. When did it appear?"
"Not long ago. I haven't fully grasped it myself yet."
"How long?"
"About two weeks, it seems."
"…"
Whether the Shaman had some idea or not, she pressed her lips tightly shut and fell silent.
A dungeon where spacetime has twisted.
It must be a naturally occurring dungeon, right?
Dungeons largely fell into two categories. One was natural occurrence — natural dungeons formed by various mana gathering together. The other was artificial dungeons deliberately created by humans or monsters. A dungeon with twisted spacetime was the former. Every time they occurred naturally, they caused major problems, so they absolutely had to be subjugated.
"Why don't you handle it yourself?"
"Because I alone am insufficient."
Innocence can't handle it alone? Don't tell me, a top-tier dungeon?
Ah, shit. I don't want that.
Can't I just not go? It's absolutely not because I'm scared. It's because I need to make a potion using Spacetime Herb to treat the Saintess's illness. I'm a busy man!
"…That even you alone aren't enough. That's surprising. I'll go."
The Shaman clenched her fist tight. She was from the Magic Tower of Spacetime. She'd be sensitive about this kind of thing.
"And the son of Alcarte?"
"I'm fine…"
"Evan. Please, I'm begging you."
The Shaman seized both of Evan's hands.
"If we leave it alone, this city — no, the kingdom — could be swept up in the spacetime distortion."
That doesn't happen, though…
Even after the main story began, the Kingdom of Demacia wasn't swept up in spacetime distortion. It just got destroyed by the Sins. But even if he said that, she clearly wouldn't believe him. Should he ignore it and leave? But then the favorability he'd built up might drop for no reason.
That was when Innocence spoke.
"Two senior knights who entered with me died in an accident. But they came back to life."
"?"
"According to them, they went back to the past and then returned to the present."
"!"
He knew what phenomenon that was.
At the moment of death, being thrown into the past and then returning to the present.
A phenomenon that occasionally occurs in places where spacetime distortion has taken place.
In places where such phenomena occurred, there was always that thing.
Allows escape from a life-threatening crisis — once.
A full "death exemption."
Rewinds the body's condition to one hour prior when facing death.
Does not apply to dying from illness — only to cases of being killed by another.
It only rewinds the body, but even that alone had its merits.
I have to go for this!
It wasn't simply rare. It appeared so extremely rarely that you absolutely had to grab it when it showed up!
"…Will you be going as well, Sir Innocence?"
"Of course. It is for my people. We might even find those 'missing persons' you mentioned here, no?"
The Shaman, Innocence, Aegis, Lapis. Looking at just the party composition, it was an all-time luxurious party.
…Should I go?
I've gotten a bit stronger now. It should be fine, right?
After long deliberation, Evan finally made his decision.
"…I'll go."
He would participate in the raid. Innocence looked at such an Evan with an expressionless face.
The dungeon's location was beneath Innocence's garden. They couldn't enter immediately, because the Shaman said preparation was needed.
She arranged flowers that only bloomed in places where the stars shone well and in deserts into the shape of a star, placed a single jewel and a single straw of wheat in the center, and sat down.
"What's this?"
"A ritual. So that no matter where I am, the constellations can recognize me and follow."
"Why do you need this?"
"So that I can maintain my sanity."
"?"
Aegis made a could it be? gesture, spinning a finger at her temple — a sign asking if she'd lost her mind. The Shaman benevolently ignored her.
"Evan. I need your help. I need a strong alchemist to assist me."
"I'm strong too."
"I'll assist you."
When he readily agreed to the Shaman's proposal, the Shaman asked with a strangely dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Have you ever performed a Taboo?"
Pardon?