Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Flickering Candlelight
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The avatar's final escape attempt had failed for some unknowable reason.
Dark mist.
It returned to its place as if repelled by something, then withered away after expending all its power.
Rishir let out a sigh of relief, assuming the situation had settled.
But then came his companions' desperate cries.
They writhed in the face of encroaching terror.
Claiming the Authority of Oblivion was still pressing down on them—
Rishir immediately checked their statuses to help.
"That bastard's power—the Authority of Oblivion—...! It's interfering with our memories!!! If this continues, we'll forget that you're the reincarnation of the god!!!"
"Ugh— this is bad... Rishir... If I forget your true identity— could I really treat you the same as before—...!"
"Ahh, please stop... How— how am I supposed to accept your existence without these memories?!!!"
"Rishir without being the god's reincarnation—...! There's no way I could accept something so absurd!!!"
"Rishir! Please help us! If this goes on, we'll—we'll...!"
"..."
We.
What about us?
'What the hell is this now.'
Rishir was confused about how to interpret his companions' conditions.
Judging purely by their statuses, they seemed so dire that he desperately wanted to help—
But how and where was he supposed to start?
"Rishir, promise us! Even if we forget your true identity—the fact that you're the god's reincarnation—promise you'll awaken us to it again...!"
"Uh..."
No thanks.
Rishir barely swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of his throat.
To begin with, there was nothing to tell them again.
'Since when was I the god's reincarnation?'
Rishir's thoughts reached a certain point.
Perhaps.
Maybe they weren't being eroded by the power of oblivion at all. Maybe it was the opposite?
'It feels like their corrupted thoughts from the oblivion are being restored—'
It was an utterly reasonable judgment when considering the sequence of events.
And so.
Rishir decided to calmly observe their recovery process.
"Rishir, Rishir...!!! Please!!!"
"Ri, Rishir— I'm sorry, I think... this is the end for me..."
"Aaaahhh! What the hell is happening to me—...!!!"
"My head feels like it's splitting open!!!!!!!"
"My world is collapsing!!!"
"Rishir, please— hold my hand, hold my hand...!!!"
"Hug me!!!"
"..."
They're recovering.
Right?
Rishir's expression grew deeply troubled as he watched his companions' recovery.
"Rishir... remember us as we are now...!"
"...I'll consider it."
"Ah...!"
His anguish continued until his companions lost consciousness and collapsed.
It was summer.
"Wait, Rishir. Aren't we— forgetting something?"
"It feels like we forgot something really important while we were out..."
"Nothing like that, so don't worry. Could you take a look at this?"
While his companions were unconscious, Rishir had handled the cleanup himself.
-Pfft!
The baby spirit's vigorous burp, joining him at some point, was proof enough.
Fragment of Oblivion.
The infinite dark mist lurking within that great demon's remnant had vanished without a trace.
"This...!"
"Rishir, while we were unconscious—"
"Yes. As you said, Lady Remier, I've taken care of it neatly."
"...I was going to say 'purified'."
Remier approached the fragment and began examining its state.
"My god... I can't believe this was actually possible..."
When Rishir reported that he'd 'processed' the great demon's fragment.
Remier had just accepted it at face value.
It's Rishir being Rishir again, so just go with it—she'd convinced herself.
But.
Seeing it with her own eyes brought a completely different impact.
Remier unconsciously looked around.
For some reason, the world felt a bit brighter.
It was the moment the immortal darkness—a law ingrained in her world—had crumbled.
"All that head-scratching in the council... what was the point—"
The gray girl let out a hollow laugh.
She recalled her own solemn demeanor when retrieving the fragment from the council, as if shouldering all the darkness of the world.
And furthermore.
She thought of the many fragments still in the council.
Remier glanced at Rishir for permission, then picked up the fragment.
After handling it briefly in her palm—
"Rishir."
Light dripped from the eyes of the tower lord gazing at him.
"Yes, Lady Tower Lord."
"Is the request I'm about to make— too unreasonable?"
Instead of answering, Rishir lowered his hand and patted the baby spirit's back.
-Pfft!
The baby spirit responded with another vigorous burp.
"Bel, you full?"
-!!!
Its thick eyebrows shot up at a spirited angle.
The baby spirit curled up tight, then unfurled energetically, proclaiming.
Rishir nodded in satisfaction.
The new 'cooking method' had dramatically improved absorption efficiency.
The baby spirit had smoothly taken in the perfectly destroyed and purified great demon essence.
As far as Rishir knew—
There was no better way to eliminate the great demon's threat at present.
As long as the baby spirit could endure it.
Rishir patted the commendable spirit's head.
-!!!
Leaving the baby spirit to deftly absorb the gesture with an enthusiastic head shake, he spoke.
"How many are left?"
"What?"
"You're planning to entrust me with the fragments stored in the council, right?"
"..."
Remier nodded in surprise.
Rishir smiled nonchalantly.
"For now, why don't you bring all of them?"
A few days later.
The Wandering Star Remier was receiving an unexpected guest in her office.
A group of red mages.
And leading them, the Star of Ashes.
"Remier, it's an emergency."
The ash-gray woman urgently stated her business without even sitting.
"An emergency?"
"Yes. It seems one of your tower's mages— possesses a fragment of the outer sword."
"Is that mage's name Rishir, by any chance?"
"...You already suspect, so I'll be direct. Remier. Bring that gray mage before me before it's too late. We don't know what could happen while a fragment is in private hands. We must act immediately—"
"Too late."
"..."
Remier's low murmur widened the woman's decadent eyes.
"Too late? What the hell happened?"
"That fragment has already—"
Before hearing the answer, the woman was already turning to leave.
Ready to depart at any moment.
To take immediate action.
Depending on the circumstances, even against that gray mage—
"Been cooked."
"I see. As expected, cooked—... Huh? Cooked?"
The woman turned back toward the gray girl.
"Yes. Cooked. Looks like you haven't heard the news yet?"
"...What news?"
Remier raised her index finger high and stabbed it into the table.
"I just sent a message to the council. Bring all fragments here, to Bondales."
"Exporting the fragments and gathering them in one external location? Even at a glance, that doesn't seem wise—"
The woman revealed subtle dissatisfaction and superiority in her expression.
"Wasn't it already agreed? Depending on the forces your tower can muster, in this fragment sealing— the Gray Tower's say is subordinate to our Red Tower's—"
"Didn't you hear? The situation's changed."
The gray girl didn't yield.
She leaned back hard in her chair and said.
"One of our Gray Tower mages came up with a solution."
It was then.
Crackle!
"...!"
The woman startled and looked around.
A powerful surge of energy emanated from somewhere.
"What— Wandering Star! What's happening here!?"
"Didn't you hear?"
"What?"
Remier smirked despite her brazen explanation.
"Looks like it's in the middle of being cooked right now."
Rishir's report.
Another fragment had been 'cooked'.
Rishir's group gathered to praise his achievement and urge him on.
They expected to meet a majestic hero there and shower him with boundless acclaim.
But—
The moment the protagonist arrived, concern clouded their faces.
"Rishir?"
They spotted a shadow in that endlessly bright young man's demeanor.
He was clearly bothered and uncomfortable by something.
"Ah, everyone! Good to see you! You're all gathered again!"
Rishir quickly adjusted his attitude upon noticing their reactions.
"Rishir."
"Yes, Lady Tower Lord."
"How's your condition right now? I'm asking about the effects from destroying the fragment."
"...!"
The atmosphere stirred briefly.
Everyone knew it, but it was a topic they hesitated to touch.
It was Rishir's well-being.
Lately.
Rishir had been purging darkness at an insane intensity.
From subjugating lower demon legions in rifts, to repeatedly destroying fragments.
That duty was originally heavy enough for the entire continent to share.
Yet— Rishir was shouldering it alone—
"..."
Rishir's expression shifted drastically, mirroring the mood.
He first tried to open casually, as if it were nothing.
"...No—"
However.
As if resolving himself, he opened his mouth firmly.
A grave weight settled on Rishir's ordinarily mild features.
In the increasingly somber atmosphere, he continued.
"Actually. I've been worrying lately if I'm overusing the purification power too much."
"Rishir!"
It was a startled, intense cry.
Fienne.
She startled herself and covered her mouth.
After a small nod around, she forced herself to speak calmly.
"You surely aren't... thinking that since it's an emergency, we can brush aside minor things— approaching this like that, right...?"
Everyone reacted with shock to Fienne's words, heavy with suppressed emotion.
Do whatever, even if it's me, as long as it's for the greater good.
It felt like exactly the kind of thinking Rishir would have— more than enough, inevitably.
The temptation gnawed at them—
Forcing them to pose one question to themselves.
Really.
After absorbing all those demons—
All that darkness— could there truly be no issues?
It was far too reasonable a doubt.
Reasonable enough to question why they hadn't felt it sooner.
Deep emotions began filling their gazes toward Rishir, one by one.
Even for the most nonchalant, it wasn't an atmosphere to laugh off.
"...Hoo—"
In the end.
Rishir opened his mouth with a heavy sigh.
"If possible, I didn't want to tell you all. I knew you'd be uncomfortable—"
"Rishir, you—!"
Melthas shouted.
"How can you say something so cruel—"
Latsil pouted next.
"I'm upset. Hiding something that important for such a trivial reason—..."
The resentful voices born of disappointment grew weaker.
Because they could guess Rishir's thoughts and feelings in hiding 'that fact'.
Right now.
The continent's survival hinged on him, no exaggeration.
In such a situation, how could he prioritize his own well-being?
Moreover, far from lightening his burden—
They were the ones piling more weight by relying on him.
Don't shoulder everything alone.
Rely on us more.
They lacked even the qualification to offer such simple encouragement—
How could they rebuke his choice?
"...Understood. I'll tell you everything, truthfully."
Even so.
Rishir said willingly.
That he'd rely on them.
"""..."""
Complex emotions layered onto their faces.
Deep感動 soon turned to self-loathing.
In the solemn air—
Rishir carefully spoke.
"Truth is. I noticed the anomaly right after destroying the previous fragment. The moment I destroyed it. I sensed the change in my body."
Why didn't you say so sooner!
They couldn't bring themselves to scold Rishir.
Would anything have changed if he'd spoken earlier?
Could they have devised another solution besides his power?
They could only listen quietly.
"Even so— you're still taking on the destruction of these fragments alone?"
To Caroer's words, Rishir gave a bitter smile, lacking the face to respond.
"..."
That reaction only stung their hearts more.
How.
How could that bright, positive man end up in such a state?
Some lacked the confidence to look Rishir straight, bowing their heads.
Some gnashed at bitter self-reproach, others already tearful.
They lacked confidence to move forward.
Courage to face the truth.
"So—"
Amid it all, one spoke in a trembling voice.
The girl in white, Fienne.
"What exactly is your condition right now?"
Fienne hid her inner turmoil with her usual prickliness.
Thanks to that, she almost seemed to be scolding Rishir.
Perhaps why Rishir also bowed his head in reply.
Hoo.
Another deep sigh.
"At this point. I can't hide it anymore. Understood."
The air shifted.
Rishir began revealing the energy he'd kept contained.
"No—"
They almost stopped him reflexively.
Not mentally prepared yet.
But the truth ahead wasn't something preparation could ready them for.
No matter how arduous, they had to face it here.
If only out of respect for Rishir—
"..."
And so.
They confronted the energy Rishir revealed.
That precarious thing, like a candle flame about to flicker out—
Whoosh—
Suddenly, their clothes and hair whipped fiercely.
By the vast energy sharply filling the space.
"?"
This wasn't even a last gasp.
Rishir's energy flooded like a river in a storm.
"Sorry, everyone..."
In a voice utterly contrasting that power, Rishir said.
"My tier... rose again..."
Rishir.
Reached 8th Tier.
The price of overusing power.
The reason Rishir had been glancing around nervously.
Someone who grasped the situation muttered.
"...Damn it—"
A single phrase capturing everyone's feelings.