Chapter 71
Chapter 71
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Forging Alliances
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After greeting Allen, Maria immediately lowered her head.
It was as if Allen wasn't even there.
At this, Allen watched her with a puzzled expression.
'What is she doing here?'
Just a walk? Or does she have another purpose?
Following her gaze, he saw a cat that had emerged from an alley.
Could it be...
Allen silently lowered his hand.
Meow-
The cat approached Allen without any wariness and rubbed against him.
It was one of the minor changes that came with awakening his affinity for divine beasts.
For a moment, Maria's eyes turned to the cat clinging to Allen, a hint of envy in them.
Seeing this, Allen spoke.
"...Would you like to pet it?"
"......Yeah."
*She's speaking so informally, and we've only just met.*
From Elnix's followers to Haizel, Benjamin, and now Maria.
'She must have been taught proper etiquette...'
Allen stopped his train of thought as he sensed her presence drawing near.
Her eyes were fixed on the cat. The moment she got close, the cat's fur stood on end, and it bared its fangs.
Hiss-
"...Ah."
Her hand hovered in the air.
Maria looked back and forth between Allen and the cat with a disappointed expression.
Seeing her pitiable state, Allen calmed the cat and thought.
'Does she like animals? But...'
They seem to reject her outright.
He'd heard that some people were just naturally incompatible with animals; she seemed to be one of them.
'I didn't know about this.'
He intuited that this was an opportunity to build a natural rapport with her.
Allen lifted the cat with both hands.
Nestled in his arms, the cat seemed to calm down, burying its head quietly. Allen adjusted his hands slightly around the small, pulsing creature.
"This should be fine."
Perhaps she hadn't expected him to do that.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...Th—"
When she hesitated, seemingly in thought, Allen murmured softly.
"You might not get another chance if not now..."
At his words, she seemed to make up her mind, her eyes filled with resolve.
"Thank you."
Her hand approached slowly. It was slower than before, but there was no hesitation in her touch.
Meow, meow-
The creature that had been hissing as she approached finally calmed down as Allen stroked it.
Encouraged, Maria lowered the hand that had been hovering in the air.
*Stroke—*
*Stroke—*
After she had cautiously petted it several times.
"That's enough now."
"Ah..."
Worried about stressing the cat too much, Allen set it down, and she let out a sigh of disappointment.
The cat instantly sprang from the ground, leaped over a wall, and vanished.
Seeing this, Allen spoke casually, as if it were nothing.
"You don't have to be so disappointed. There will be other chances."
"...Other chances?"
"Yes, if you wish."
Allen gave a small shrug, and she answered before she could stop herself.
"...Then tomorrow, too."
"Pardon?"
"Help me tomorrow, too."
For things to go this smoothly... A firm emotion filled her once-vacant eyes.
'...Was something like this in the black book...? No.'
Allen suddenly realized how much he had been relying solely on the black book itself.
When he first discovered the book's power, he had been on high alert about the entity that had granted it to him.
But before he knew it, he was prioritizing the book's contents over his own memories and experiences.
'...I have been depending on it far too much lately.'
In a new place, facing unfamiliar experiences, he had naturally come to lean on the book.
His initial suspicion that it might be the work of a demon had been pushed to the back of his mind.
"...You don't want to?"
Did she think his delayed response was a refusal of her request?
Seeing the subtle clouding of her expression, Allen collected his thoughts, relying entirely on his own judgment.
"Not at all. I'd be happy to help."
"Really?"
*Slowly.*
He had no choice but to draw her in as a card to keep Haizel in check.
Although Haizel hadn't done anything yet, before the regression, he had acted as Julius's companion.
"Yes. I, too, am interested in you, the one they call the Descendant of the Hero."
So, he needed to be prepared.
To counter Haizel, who had been the 'Demon Lord', the title 'Descendant of the Hero' was more than sufficient.
'Of course, it all depends on what choice Haizel makes.'
There was still time.
Time to ponder the identity of the one who granted him the book's power.
Time to build a relationship with her.
And time to observe Haizel.
"Maria."
"Yes?"
"Call me Maria."
*So.*
"...Yes, Lady Maria."
"And speak informally."
"...Alright, Maria."
"Okay."
For now, it would be fine to focus on his conversation with her.
Maria glanced in the direction the cat had disappeared, then turned on her heel. A wry smile touched Allen's lips at how she stated her business and promptly turned to leave.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow at the same time... in front of the main hall."
"Okay."
Allen stared at her retreating back, recalling the rumors of her final moments.
The pure, pitiful, and unfortunate woman who called herself the Descendant of the Hero.
"Ah."
She would lose her life in five years.
"What is it?"
"Your name."
"You mean my name?"
"Yeah."
The cause of death was strangulation.
Necrosis of the brain tissue from oxygen deprivation due to carotid artery compression.
"Allen Reinhardt. The legitimate heir of the Reinhardt family from the Libre Kingdom in the west."
"Maria Caritas."
"I look forward to working with you."
"You too."
In other words, it was a suicide.
***
Elijah Havierron.
The second prince of the Aldnian Empire, which had unified half of the eastern continent, unlike the west with its myriad of small countries and kingdoms.
But his life was nothing short of tragic.
In truth, the Crown Prince lacked legitimacy in his bloodline.
Elijah was born to the Empress, while his older brother was the product of a mistake the Emperor made when he was still the Crown Prince.
Had the Crown Prince been incompetent, or had his maternal relatives dared to harbor ambition.
Or if the Empire's customs had not championed meritocracy.
Elijah might have been able to vie for the throne.
Bloodlines, after all, can be a significant obstacle.
But the Emperor did not allow it.
He guaranteed the Crown Prince's position because he had proven his ability, illegitimate though he was, and even the Empire's vassals did not oppose the decision.
This was because the values established by the founding emperor were lenient toward restrictions based on status, and also because the empresses were not on such bad terms.
And so, he accepted it.
He obeyed the Emperor's word and never plotted behind the scenes.
His relationship with the Crown Prince was also good, which was why he was allowed to come to the academy despite the risk of him gathering his own faction.
If nothing had happened, he would have returned to the Empire, become the lord of a sizable territory, and lived a comfortable life.
'If it weren't for that bastard Julius.'
The catalyst for Allen's true hatred of him.
It began with Prince Elijah.
At one point, he had tried to understand the man.
'He couldn't have truly intended to steal his younger brother's body.'
Perhaps it was a coincidence.
Maybe it wasn't his fault.
If not for that incident, Allen might have given up on revenge.
Knowing that vengeance was impossible, he might have settled for a compromise.
Like his father.
Like everyone else but him.
But after realizing the full story behind the incident, Allen felt a profound disgust for the first time, both as a nobleman and as a human being.
Five months from now, around the start of the new semester, a new student will enroll in the academy.
Maha Havierron.
The Emperor's youngest daughter, a woman of unparalleled talent.
Rumor has it that she met her destiny there.
'The stories say she fell in love at first sight, but...'
Who's to say?
Perhaps it was Julius who approached her first, having recognized her talent.
Having learned of Julius's abilities, Allen could speculate on their meeting from a different perspective.
In any case, this meeting, the truth of which remained unknown, led to the worst possible outcome.
Something he couldn't have known at the time.
A year later, the Crown Prince died suddenly.
It was an unknown curse.
Another year passed, and the third prince, who had been aiming for the throne, died during an expedition.
He was attacked by a monster that appeared out of nowhere.
Elijah, who had been investigating the two deaths, suddenly raised an army and attacked Princess Maha, only to be defeated.
And then he killed himself.
No one knew why he had raised an army.
But a rumor began to spread that he had felt threatened by her, a strong contender for the throne, and before long, it was accepted as truth across the entire continent.
The old emperor, having lost three children in such a short time, saw his health decline sharply from that point on.
The other royals, terrified by the string of deaths among their siblings, stepped back, and in the interim, she surpassed her other brothers to claim the title of Crown Princess.
It was by chance that Allen came to understand the full story of this incident.
While digging for Julius's weaknesses, as always, he 'happened' to get a chance to explore his subspace.
It was a space that Allen, with his skills at the time, normally couldn't even approach. But on that day, some kind of opening must have appeared, allowing him access.
'Now, I would have been suspicious of such an opening...'
But the Allen of that time was blinded by impatience.
There.
There, Allen discovered a journal.
[///////'s Journal]
The journal, its name erased, detailed the circumstances behind all the incidents that had seemed like coincidences.
From the Crown Prince's death to Elijah's rebellion.
Judging from the writing's perspective, the owner of the journal was clearly the second prince, Elijah, and it pointed to Julius as the mastermind behind the events.
'...He's crossed the line, and then some.' Allen was furious.
That bastard, Julius, had forsaken his noble duties.
For his own gain, he had orchestrated the assassination of royalty and instigated a rebellion, causing countless casualties.
He would do anything for profit, without hesitation.
The moment Julius broke the 'oath' made between their ancestors, Allen realized.
He and that bastard could not coexist.
At the same time, any thought of trying to understand him vanished.
Finally, when news came that Julius had shed tears and offered condolences to the Empress at the late Emperor's funeral, Allen understood his true nature.
The man was scum.
The kind of scum who would defile his own brother's honor.
The kind who would cast aside his duties as a nobleman.
Looking back now, he could see that the [System] or a [Quest] had likely played a significant role in his actions, but...
'It doesn't matter. The one carrying it out is him, by his own will.'
If only the journal hadn't suddenly disappeared, he could have done something.
The journal's vanishing act in the brief moment he looked away was a painful memory even now.
For this reason, Allen did not stop the duel between Benjamin and Julius.
No, he couldn't.
Because this incident would create a hostile relationship between Elijah and Julius.
Without Benjamin's sacrifice, Elijah, with his gentle nature, would have easily forgiven Julius.
Allen needed him.
His faction. His name. His position. His cooperation.
He needed the cooperation of the Crown Prince connected to him and the power to stand against the forces Julius would eventually gather.
Even if it meant Benjamin was crippled because of it.
For the future, for his brother, Allen would make the same choice again and again, even if he returned to the past.
'Instead.'
*I must take responsibility for it.*
He had no intention of running from it, nor would he turn away.
He would accept it, wholly and humbly.
Allen lifted his head. The hot desert wind passed through the barrier covering the city, transforming into a spring breeze that brushed against him.
From the fourth-floor window where he was staying, he could see the plaza where the holy sword was embedded.
Although it was a shame he couldn't see the full view of Elpis, he was content.
"Young Master, I have collected all the items you requested from the various alchemists."
The now-familiar scent of lilac wafted through the air.
A clear voice that reminded him of a now-vanished fairy, and a special being who held the abilities of dozens of fairies.
"You've done well, Inellia."
As Allen turned his head, Inellia bowed with a refined gesture.
"It was nothing. But may I ask what you'll be using these for...?"
In her arms were various items.
The tail feather of a red oriole.
A siren's tear.
The echo of a dead convict and the pistil of a day-blooming morning glory.
Even the Life Stone that Allen had obtained from the witch.
Dozens of ingredients, including those, poured out of a small pouch.
It was a sight like something out of a magic show.
Unlike the first time he had been surprised, Allen, now accustomed to the various fairy abilities he had only read about in books, spoke in a rather calm tone.
"Those abilities of yours are fascinating, no matter how many times I see them."
"...You don't sound very fascinated, though."
Perhaps sensing the disappointment in her voice, Allen smiled and placed the ingredients into his own subspace pocket.
"I've seen it many times. Can I be surprised every single time?"
As a spatial mage, he was merely intrigued by the use of space through non-magical means.
"Now that the preparations seem to be complete... it's about time we go meet him."
Commissioning dozens of different alchemists separately had taken quite a while.
'If I had an alchemist under my command, I could have cut this time in half.'
For security reasons alone, he needed to bring an alchemist to his side.
Or perhaps...
Allen glanced at Inellia for a moment.
She may be a chimera, but she inherited the blood of the Fairy King, and she was quite dextrous.
'Items made by fairies have always been known for their effectiveness.'
Allen passed by Inellia, making a mental note to discuss this with her later.
Following behind him, Inellia asked cautiously.
"Who will you be meeting?"
"There's only one person it could be, isn't there?"
Allen thought of the person who must be eagerly awaiting him.
'The Second Prince, Elijah.'
It was time to meet him.