Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The Secret of the World - 2
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Impellium wore an expression as if he’d known that question was coming.
I added a bit more to my query.
“Grade, Repia, Leon. They’re surely in the afterlife. But you said the world’s embrace and the afterlife are different.”
“…….”
“The three past heroes were bona fide demon king slayers. So why are they in the afterlife?”
“Because that’s what they wanted.”
I cocked my head.
“Wanted?”
“How many heroes do you think there were in the so-called ‘Maide World’?”
“Three…… no, that’s not right.”
Trail and the Impellium standing before me had to be counted too.
Impellium had descended as a hero into the ‘Maide World’ to battle the Demon King of Lies, Bellosian.
“Five, counting you.”
“Thanks for including me. I’m a failed hero, though.”
“Don’t say that. The world granting you a gift means it deemed you’d fulfilled your duty, even without slaying the demon king.”
“Heh. In any case, the exact number is twenty-seven.”
My jaw dropped.
“The history of Maide’s world stretches back very far. It was tended with far more care and affection than other worlds. By you, Maide—its owner and god.”
“…….”
“But the twenty-fourth hero was sorely lacking.”
“The twenty-fourth…….”
“Me.”
He scratched his head.
“As you know, my half-success let Bellosian survive.”
“…….”
“The heroes vanquished the demon kings of destruction, greed, and corruption, one by one. Yet the world remained unstable. They weren’t the sort to wash their hands of it and depart for a new world.”
He snapped his fingers.
The complete Eye of Omniscience materialized.
“Seeing beats hearing. I’ll show you Repia’s secret as an example.”
I focused on the screen.
Repia was peering into ‘Repia’s screen’ within the display.
Her screen was the ‘complete’ Eye of Omniscience too.
When was that?
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a line appeared at the top of the screen.
-After slaying the Demon King of Greed and returning home. In her private room.
The complete Eye of Omniscience was nothing if not considerate.
In any event, this was written on Repia’s screen.
[You’re saying you won’t depart for the world’s embrace?]
“Yes.”
[May I hear your reason?]
“Grade made the same choice as me. So there’s no need to ask me. It’s the same reason.”
Even in the past, Repia spoke with polite honorifics.
‘But I never heard that Repia could use something like the Eye of Omniscience. Not from history books or from her herself.’
Just then, new text appeared on the screen.
[Because the world is unstable?]
“Yes. It’s said the Demon King of Lies is sealed away in a place called Teksil, isn’t it? I slew the Demon King of Greed, but my battle isn’t over yet.”
[This world requires no further concern from you. You amassed 350,000 fame, sacrificed what was precious to convert it to power, and even inherited from Grade by sharing his hobby.]
350,000 fame?
My own requirement was over a million?
Impellium caught my puzzled look.
“By those metrics, mine was over 4.8 million.”
“Oh, right. It was.”
“You only need to surpass the threshold for slaying that era’s demon king. For Repia, anything over 350,000 let her take down the Demon King of Greed.”
Which meant clearing a million would let me kill Idria—my condition fulfilled.
Sure enough, after hitting 1.2 million fame and facing Idria, it hadn’t felt particularly tough.
Had I not planned to use her against Bellosian, I could’ve ended it right there.
Wait. Hold on.
“Conversely, Bellosian demands at least 4.8 million, then?”
“Well, you’ll find out when you clash with him. Anyway, keep watching.”
I turned back to the screen.
[In short, your duty in this world is complete. Entrust the rest to those who come after and accept the world’s gift. Depart for a new world.]
“…….”
[Only then can humanity keep expanding its domain and thriving.]
Repia shook her head firmly.
“This is my world. At least for now.”
[Repia.]
“Bellosian, trapped in Teksil, is building power to escape it.”
[Indeed. With Acteon right there beside him, that’s all he can manage. Bellosian used Teksil as a blueprint to craft other ‘gates.’ And in the end, he succeeded in linking one to this world.]
That success must’ve come in Grade’s era.
Grade had said Bellosian gifted him that gate.
It was akin to tunneling one’s way out of prison.
To flee Teksil, he’d painstakingly forged white gates mimicking Acteon’s red one, replicating the prison itself.
And at last, connected one to the outside…… our world.
‘Then handed it off to Grade, maneuvered him into building the imperial palace atop it to stand guard.’
At that moment, Repia spoke up.
“I need to give Grade an earful. Why’d he accept that gift so gratefully?”
[Grade’s requirement was over 450,000 fame. But he’d already slain the Demon King of Destruction long before reaching it. The man was too strong.]
“Are you throwing shade at me for being weak?”
[Yet in his final years as emperor, he accomplished great deeds and hit 450,000. He even acquired the complete Eye of Omniscience, unveiling every secret of the world.]
The text kept scrolling.
[Upon learning the truth, Grade tried to smash straight into the palace basement.]
“You stopped him, right?”
[Yes. In his old age, he stood no chance against Bellosian. Age aside, 450,000 fame was hopelessly outmatched. So I counseled him to leave it to future heroes.]
“Like you’re counseling me now?”
[Yes.]
“And Grade refused.”
[Yes. Only those he permitted and the imperial family can access the gate beneath the palace. If I left for another world, Teksil would be untouchable unless a hero emerged from the royals, he argued.]
“…….”
[The shouting he did……]
The text flooded in rapidly.
[No, to begin with, what guarantee is there that future heroes will summon his soul? Ordinary necromancy stands no chance against a hero’s or legend’s soul.]
“Yes, fair enough.”
[But this one was utterly unreasonable. A complete mule-headed stubborn fool!]
“Er, sounds like quite the grudge built up.”
The screen’s lamentations dragged on after that.
True to form, Repia waited patiently for it to finish before declaring firmly.
“In any case, I’ll do the same as Grade.”
The screen went blank for a moment.
It felt like a sigh.
[The gift of a new world for a chosen hero is worlds apart from merely entering the afterlife.]
“Because only souls can enter the afterlife?”
[Far more than that. Everything you’ve learned through the Eye of Omniscience…… those were secrets forbidden in the original world.]
“…….”
[If you fight Bellosian like this and die, you’ll lose every memory. Only the recollection of slaying the Demon King of Greed remains as you head to the afterlife. I told Grade the exact same thing, mind you?]
Repia cut in before the complaints could resume.
“Even so, it might help some future hero.”
[How could it, with every memory erased……?]
“Something like swordsmanship skills. I’m confident I could instruct in the blade.”
[That very notion of instructing would vanish too.]
“No.”
Repia pressed on with unwavering eyes.
“I’d surely want to teach. If that one’s a hero I deem worthy.”
[……Hoo. Very well.]
“Don’t look so glum. If I kill Bellosian, it’s all over.”
[I hate to say it, but with your fame around 400,000, it’s impossible.]
So Repia’s fame had been 400,000.
‘Truly admirable.’
My 1.2 million only came after toppling a celestial god.
Before that, I’d hovered between 350,000 and 400,000.
What feats had she pulled in an era with far fewer people to rack up 400,000?
Unrecorded exploits, perhaps.
‘At any rate, 400,000 is definitely insufficient.’
She had to know that.
Yet she smiled brightly.
“I’ll push as far as I can. If it doesn’t work, I’ll pass it on to the next generation.”
<……>
“That’s standard hero thinking.”
[Heroes, honestly.]
It almost sounded like a chuckle from the screen.
[Understood. I wish you every success.]
“Oh, right. If I die battling Bellosian, how will the world record my end? Missing in action again?”
[Most likely.]
“Could you change it? Say I passed peacefully running a restaurant back home.”
[Pardon?]
“People love me, you see. An ending like ‘vanished without a trace’ would grieve too many.”
I couldn’t help but admire Repia’s consideration.
[Very well. Grade said something similar, in fact.]
“As expected.”
[Though for him, it was probably just that a sudden imperial disappearance would throw the empire into chaos.]
“Detecting a hint of resentment toward Grade.”
[In any event, I’ll ensure your finale is remembered beautifully. It’ll be a lie even the world accepts.]
Repia tilted her head.
“The world will accept it? So you’re not the world itself?”
[No. I merely assist.]
“Then, while we’re at it, tell me your name.”
[……I’ve handled this role for quite some time, but you’re the first hero to ask my name.]
“They really lack manners. Well, I’m late to the party myself. So, what is it?>
Something seemed about to be written.
Snip.
The screen cut off.
I turned to Impellium.
“You ever heard of the Severing Demon King?”
“I didn’t cut it. It vanished on its own.”
“Then tell me yourself. With your complete Eye of Omniscience, you must know what this screen really is.”
Impellium smirked.
“I’ve never bothered checking. I could, if I wanted.”
“Not even curious?”
“Looks like that’s where you and I diverge in temperament. I’ve got my hands full fretting over the world I’m nurturing.”
“…….”
“Can’t afford a single slip-up turning me into a second Acteon.”
“That’s a grim thought.”
“Well, with Serad around, it won’t come to that.”
In that form, Grade and Leon had refused the world’s embrace too, then.
My respect for those past heroes’ deeds and decisions swelled into outright awe.
Their fame might pale next to mine, but they’d exemplified what a hero should be in their circumstances.
‘They could’ve just dumped it all on posterity and jetted off to their gifted worlds.’
Instead, they stayed, opting for the afterlife.
All because a future hero might need their aid.
‘And that choice proved right.’
Grade, Repia, Leon.
They’d saved my life and pulled me from peril more than once or twice.
Impellium spoke up.
“Chronologically, they came after me, but every time I think of those three heroes, I want to crawl into a rat hole.”
“No need. You gave your all in your era too.”
“But I chose the world’s embrace over the afterlife.”
“…….”
“No excuses. I had no more ties to the ‘Maide World.’ With Bellosian and Acteon imprisoned, my task was done. I took the gift and left.”
I fell silent for a moment, gazing at him.
Impellium averted his eyes just a touch.
A laugh slipped from my lips.
“You’re terrible at lying.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Simple. If you truly had no lingering attachment, you wouldn’t have helped me. Not from the very start.”