Chapter 501: Jealousy is My Power (1)
Chapter 501: Jealousy is My Power (1)
My hazy, floating consciousness slowly drifted to the surface.
I was dreaming of a man. Or perhaps, the man was dreaming of me.
As if a fog were lifting, a strange landscape etched itself into my clearing vision. Next to stimulate my five senses was the rhythmic clanking of armor joints striking one another.
It was a desert.
Before I knew it, my body was trekking across a parched wasteland. It was a place where the scent of metal and oil pierced the tip of my nose, dominated by a steel tower that soared so high its end was invisible.
My indifferent gaze flickered toward the summit of the tower.
A brilliant white sphere floated there. It was a device that served as the source of an endless flow of electrical charge—the essence of magic engineering that forced fissures into the empty void.
‘Humanity’s Last Hope.’
That was what they called that sphere of light. Though, in truth, it was nothing more than a name bestowed by losers who had isolated themselves behind towering walls.
It was a sentiment so absurd it didn't even warrant a hollow laugh.
Yet, on the other hand, I understood that feeling. Even now, was I not unable to abandon a sliver of expectation for that sphere?
The fact that I had made the journey here today was proof enough.
It was just as I turned my gaze back to the front.
“……You’ve arrived, Commander.”
A man with brown hair was greeting me.
He was a handsome man whose light green eyes complemented his curly hair. He was also a dear friend I had known since childhood, and thus, a sigh-laden voice soon escaped my lips.
“What are you throwing a fit for now, Reto?”
“Ha, your words are far too harsh.”
Despite my reproach, the man merely snorted as if he found it ridiculous.
In the end, I shook my head and took the first step forward. Since there was no way to stop Reto once he was annoyed anyway, I figured I might as well get my work over with.
Nevertheless, Reto followed me like a shadow, never ceasing his grumbling.
“Ian, does this make any sense? What am I supposed to do with this budget? They call it ‘Humanity’s Last Hope’! Then shouldn't they be giving us more than enough support, as a matter of course?!”
It seemed he was facing difficulties with financial matters while overseeing the research.
I, too, had suffered countless headaches over supplies. It wasn't that I didn't understand his plight, but the answer I could provide was limited.
“……Reto, I’m just a soldier.”
“Don't give me that.”
His reaction was cynical to the point of being cruel.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Reto pressed me again.
“Humanity’s Last Master, the Star Hunter who brought down three of the Seven Deadly Sins, is just a soldier? Who would believe such a lie… Do you think I don't know that the ‘Council’ trembles at your every word?!”
“The one who represents the Empire in the Council is His Majesty the Emperor. Ask His Majesty about the budget.”
“That’s the problem! His Majesty won't even pretend to listen to us, which is why I’m coming to you! Hey, if you could just scrape up a little more of the budget……!”
“What is the progress of the research?”
It was a counter-question thrown instead of an answer.
At my voice, which was thick with fatigue, Reto fell silent for a moment. A faint dissatisfaction was etched into his distorted features.
He seemed truly desperate for the budget.
However, he couldn't bring himself to keep badgering me when I was already exhausted to the bone, so a small sigh escaped Reto’s lips.
He even turned his gaze away from me irritably.
It seemed his anger hadn't subsided yet. But Reto, as always, was incapable of being petty.
He wasn't the kind of irresponsible person who would neglect his duties.
As if to prove this, Reto’s diligent explanation followed.
“……For now, we’ve succeeded in artificially opening the ‘Boundary’.”
It was as I had suspected.
The fissure spreading around that sphere of light was particularly familiar.
It was a sight I had seen several times before. When space itself collapses, the hidden flip side of the world is revealed. And to reach the level of a Master, one needed to enter and exit that unknown place.
Of course, the same applied to me, the one called ‘Humanity’s Last Master’.
Naturally, that fissure had to be familiar.
While I silently watched the sphere atop the tower, Reto added a more detailed commentary.
“As you know, the ‘Boundary’ is a space where common sense does not apply. In exchange, it grants things that are utterly impossible.”
“It was never a power permitted to us in the first place.”
It was the plain truth.
Originally, artificially opening the ‘Boundary’ was impossible. If such a shortcut were possible, technology utilizing it would have existed long ago.
In other words, that sphere of light was a device that had appeared for the first time in human history.
The reason such a miracle could be achieved was simple.
It was because humanity was on the brink of extinction.
Reto gave a bitter smile at my cold assessment.
“At least we survived because you took the heads of three of the Seven Deadly Sins. I bet the Dark Cult never imagined we’d use the power of the Seven Deadly Sins ourselves.”
“Strictly speaking, they probably didn't care. The outcome was decided long ago, anyway.”
These were words I had never uttered in front of others.
For the Guardian of Humanity to go around spouting such pessimistic outlooks would be perfect for driving morale, which was already hitting rock bottom, straight into the abyss.
As a Commander, I had a duty to refrain from irresponsible speech and behavior.
However, Reto was the exception.
He was one of the few people I could trust and rely on.
“That’s why we need a trump card. To think that as the population dwindled, the Authority of the Heavenly God that was suppressing the Seven Deadly Sins weakened, allowing humanity to handle their power… who could have imagined it?”
With that, Reto gave my shoulder a firm pat.
It was likely because my expression was so stiffly frozen.
“Ian Percus… how can you have such a deathly look on your face? You’re the man who will save the world. The hero who will go back to the past and redeem humanity!”
“There’s no way that’s possible……”
But only a groan-filled sound escaped my mouth.
It had to be that way.
Common sense dictated that returning to the past was impossible. It was the same no matter how mighty the power of the Seven Deadly Sins was.
Even if we did manage to go back, the timeline would simply split.
Nevertheless, humanity could not bring itself to let go of this irrational gamble. It was because it was the only possibility of achieving victory over Delphirem.
It was a vain hope.
Rationally, I knew this, but I too could not stop this reckless plan.
Because no one can live without hope.
It was a matter of survival. Numbers and probabilities were merely meaningless in the face of the grand premise of all life.
Reto surely knew this as well.
Yet he still hadn't lost his smile. Even if it was a bitter one, the fact that he still had the leeway to smile proved his mental fortitude.
“Ian, you have to be careful… Crossing the ‘Boundary’ to head toward a past time means that the two timelines will be connected. In particular, the ‘Boundary’ is a place governed not by the laws of physics, but by mental imagery and the unconscious.”
“And?”
“It means that, if things go well, people other than you could be affected by the ‘Boundary’. Since this path is a one-way street for a while, the past will mostly be affected by the present.”
It wasn't something to worry about in advance.
At this point, it was even questionable whether I could return to the past. What was the point of planning for what happened after the return?
However, I decided to press that advice deep into my heart.
Because it was Reto who had said it.
For a while, we gazed at the sphere of light in silence. After some time, Reto spoke up hesitantly.
“So, Ian… just in case. Even if you go back to the past, the timeline could change, right?”
It wasn't ‘just in case’; it was ten to one that it would.
However, I didn't point that out on purpose.
Instead, I simply listened to Reto’s words in silence.
“If that happens, I have one favor to ask……”
It was then.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
An irritating noise drifted from somewhere. It was so loud that I could barely hear Reto’s voice.
Just as I was about to listen closely once more.
Snap. My vision blurred. It felt as if my body, which had been standing on solid ground, was falling endlessly.
It happened in an instant.
I opened my eyes, gasping for breath. The Bang! Bang! Bang! of someone pounding on the door was incessantly rattling my skull.
Yes, it was a familiar room.
It was only natural, as it was the dormitory where I spent my Academy life.
Only then did I realize I had been dreaming. A burning thirst and a headache from a hangover awakened my sense of reality one by one.
It was a process I was now accustomed to.
I snatched the water bottle placed by my bedside and gulped down the cold water. As my mind returned, my eyes immediately found the object they were looking for.
An envelope.
It wasn't particularly luxurious, but it didn't feel cheap either. Rather, should I say the faint scent wafting from it gave off a refreshing feeling?
It was right after my hand blankly picked up the envelope.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of pounding on the door echoed once more. My nerves were already on edge due to my sweat-soaked clothes and the sweltering air.
I first tucked the envelope into my shirt and walked with irritated steps. The distance to the door wasn't even that far.
Then, suddenly.
A strange sense of dissonance flashed through my mind.
Wait, it’s hot?
The season was already long past summer. While the possibility of a late heatwave wasn't zero, even considering that, the weather was far too hot and humid.
Furthermore, my developed intuition was warning me.
It was strange. There had to be some hidden circumstance behind this abnormal heat.
Of course, I didn't have much time to be lost in thought.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the sharp noise ringing out once more, I let out a deep sigh and pulled the doorknob.
Soon, a voice full of annoyance flowed from my mouth.
“Who on earth is—!”
“Ian!”
Lupin was standing in front of the door, on the verge of tears.
As if he were about to fall to his knees, he pleaded with me while sobbing.
“M-My sister... she's gone strange……”
I dashed out of the dormitory at once.
* * *
“I’m telling you, my sister keeps doing weird things! She suddenly came to see me and burst into tears, and she can't even remember things from a few days ago……”
“How long has she been like that?”
“Since this morning!”
That meant it wasn't too late yet.
While conversing with Lupin, I moved my feet as quickly as possible. Outside was just as hot and humid as it was indoors.
Haze was even shimmering over the heated road.
I wanted to ask about this hard-to-accept heat as well, but for now, finding Senior Elsie was the priority.
The ‘Boundary’ is a dangerous place.
Even though I had only witnessed that landscape, my ego had nearly been uprooted by that massive flow. I couldn't rule out the possibility that Senior Elsie was suffering from some kind of side effect.
However, my walk with Lupin didn't last long.
Just as I was about to break into a run after leaving the dormitory, my body faltered. Lupin, who was following behind, was the same.
Amidst the scenery melting away in the heat.
In the distance, someone was walking toward us.
Step. Step.
The figure was dressed in a cloak and even a pointed hat.
Naturally, it should have been hot and exhausting, yet not a single drop of sweat could be found on the forehead of the girl walking calmly.
Because of the brim of the pointed hat, her expression couldn't be properly read. However, there was one thing I realized instinctively.
She was strong.
She was an opponent whose victory or defeat even I couldn't guarantee.
My muscles contracted of their own accord, revealing my tension. It didn't even take a split second for my breathing and heartbeat to settle.
That was why I was even more bewildered.
Because that girl’s appearance was the spitting image of someone very familiar to me.
The doubt soon led to conviction.
As the girl lightly pushed up the brim of her hat with her index finger, blue eyes that had been hidden in the midday shadows were revealed.
It was Senior Elsie.
My comrade, and the woman who was to be my fiancée.
But why did I feel such a sense of strangeness?
No, in fact, a part of my heart was screaming.
Asking if I hadn't seen this kind of scene somewhere before.
As soon as ‘Senior Elsie’ spotted me, she showed a meaningful smile. From her strangely poised demeanor to that confident smile.
She looked somewhat more mature.
Yes, ‘mature’.
The memories from a few months ago began to race through my mind.
The hot and humid weather, the strangely mature girl.
And the smell of medicine that had wafted faintly from the envelope.
My trembling hand began to rummage through my shirt.
It didn't take long to find the object I was looking for. Without hesitation, I tore open the envelope and looked at its contents.
There was only one part I needed to see right now.
At the end of the letter, where the sender was written.
A short phrase was inscribed there.
‘From your Master.’
Soon, as my dazed gaze turned forward.
“……Hello, Junior.”
The girl offered a greeting in a confident tone.
It was a way of speaking that didn't contain a shred of respect. Naturally, she wasn't the Senior Elsie I knew.
Nevertheless, I had seen her before.
That Elsie who was so mature, so strong, and who insisted on calling me 'Junior'.
The ‘Great Forest’.
The connection of the man from the future was being reenacted at the Academy.