Chapter 196
Chapter 196
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: Secrets of the World - 3
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Impellium flinched as if I'd struck a nerve.
"It's not just me. Grade, Repia, Leon—they must have gotten your help too. Even if they don't remember it now."
"...How did you know?"
"The Eye of Omniscience didn't start out able to speak fluently. It began at D-rank, level 1, and had to level up step by step."
"..."
"For example, something like 'how to turn fame into power'—you could never figure that out through the Eye of Omniscience, no matter how hard you tried. Someone has to explain it verbally. Just like you did for me."
Impellium affirmed it with his silence.
I pressed on.
"You must have called Grade, Repia, and Leon to your room, the banquet hall, or this garden—just like you did with me—and explained it all to them. Right?"
"That's correct."
"Then you've done everything you possibly could. You've been looking out for the 'Maide World' all along. No different from Grade or the others."
"..."
"Don't blame yourself, Impellium. You were a hero every bit as great as the rest."
I was shocked after saying that.
Impellium's eyes had welled up red.
As I fumbled for what to say next, Serad's voice suddenly cut in.
She had quietly placed a hand on Impellium's shoulder.
"Feeling a bit relieved now? You've been agonizing over that for ten thousand years."
"Serad."
"I tried comforting you, but you never listened. One word from Mr. Maide, and you're tearing up? That's not fair."
"No. Without you, I would've crumbled under the guilt long ago."
"Hehe. Anyway, put it behind you now. Like Mr. Maide said, you did an amazing job. You've been watching over both our world and his."
Impellium laid his hand over Serad's.
He quietly swallowed his tears, then turned to me.
"Thank you for saying that."
"It wasn't meant as comfort. Just stating the facts."
"Hehe. Still means the world to me."
I nodded.
Then I tossed out another question.
"I still have a few things I'm curious about."
"..."
"Before the regression, Trail possessed me right before the final battle with Idria, but even he doesn't know why. What was that about?"
"..."
"And why did I start seeing Blood Letters at age seven? Why was I abandoned on Baharma Mountain as a baby?"
Impellium gave his usual response.
"Go check it out yourself."
"Hey."
"No, I'm not being petty. You really should just look into it directly."
"Huh?"
"I'm handing things over to you now, for the last time."
He glanced at Serad.
She nodded and clapped lightly.
"Everyone, gather around for a moment, please!"
The noisy party fell silent.
My party members drifted over one by one.
Serad spoke up.
"Impellium is going to hand things over to Mr. Maide."
On the way back from the private room to the inn, I'd given the group a quick rundown of the secrets I'd uncovered.
So everyone understood what "handover" meant.
Neril said,
"Maide's fame is over a million, and he's prepared to give up what's precious. All that was left was the handover..."
"We temporarily achieved that by stealing Action's ability."
"So now he's making the temporary permanent. But why at this timing? He could've done it ages ago."
Impellium answered that one.
"Handover by sharing hobbies sounds simple, but the meaning behind it is deeper and vaster than the sea."
"..."
"I've been preparing since the moment I first spoke to Maide. And I finished the preparations just yesterday."
Handover.
It was fundamentally the act of the departing telling the remaining everything they knew.
In other words.
"Once the handover's done, we won't see you anymore?"
Impellium nodded silently at Risel's question.
Everyone's faces darkened in an instant.
Seeing it, Serad said softly,
"Look, Impellium. They're all sad to see you go. Mr. Maide aside, most of them haven't even met you a few times."
Serein spoke up.
"You said the depth of a bond doesn't always match the time spent together."
"That's a good line. Who said it?"
"Me."
"Doesn't suit you."
"Yeah, honestly, I agree... Wait, doesn't this feel like a conversation we've had before?"
I chuckled and stood up.
I turned to my wistful party members.
"This farewell is truly forever. Impellium and Serad are leaving for an entirely different world."
"A different world?"
"I'll explain in detail later. Point is, we won't see them again, so say what you want to say."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Soon, they took turns saying their goodbyes.
"Thanks. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."
"Please watch over us as we deal with Bellosian and Action. Oh, right—you said you can't."
"Bro. Sis. Thank you so much!"
"Hm. I'm no good at this stuff... Anyway, live well wherever you go."
"Be happy. We'll be happy too. And thanks for the recipes, Ms. Serad."
"I hope your business thrives as well. Though that might sound a bit off for these folks."
Trail was last.
He hesitated, then asked,
"Just one thing before you go."
"Speak freely."
"Um. Well... Who am I?"
"Half honorifics, half casual. Anyway, not sure I get the gist."
"I used to think I was the hero Adin sent to face Idria. But now that we're this far, I'm not even sure anymore."
Trail scratched his head.
"Maide's the hero. Neril and the others are heroic party members. So what am I?"
"..."
"It just hit me. I'd appreciate an answer."
I'd never dreamed Trail was pondering something like that.
We all stared at him in surprise.
"Trail. You are..."
"No, it's not that serious a question? Just asking lightly."
Trail.
He was undoubtedly the hero meant to kill Idria.
Right now, he was my comrade in progress—a hero, a party member.
But even all that together didn't fully capture Trail.
There had to be one perfect word to describe him.
*It's right on the tip of my tongue, but not quite.*
Impellium spoke then.
"Ask Maide later."
"Huh?"
"Once the handover's done, Maide will wield the full Eye of Omniscience. He'll be able to answer all your questions clearly."
Trail looked at me expectantly.
I averted my gaze and said,
"Let's get started."
"Right. For the handover, we share a hobby from past heroes... Whose should I share?"
"..."
"For reference, Repia shared Grade's, and Leon shared Repia's. Pick any of the three. Or even one from the twenty-plus heroes before that."
Neril tilted her head.
"Twenty-plus? What're you talking about?"
I shot her a look to calm her.
I'd promised a full explanation later anyway, so Neril nodded.
I said,
"You already know what my answer's gonna be."
"..."
"What's your hobby?"
A smile spread across Impellium's face.
He straightened up.
Then he stood, bowing lightly.
"It's an honor, Senior."
"...!"
My party members' faces filled with shock.
From Impellium's perspective, I really was his senior.
The very existence of the 'Maide World' meant I'd killed the Demon King somewhere, somewhen.
Impellium, who shone there, was truly a distant junior.
Impellium continued.
"The world you've nurtured is truly warm to humanity."
"Ahem. The world I saw as a mercenary wasn't particularly so."
"That's because you don't know the worlds the other heroes made."
"..."
"Plant a seed, and it sprouts. Sun and moon rise and set on time. The ground holds your feet, livestock fatten on feed."
"..."
"People breathe, eat cooked food, share love. They communicate, exchange emotions."
I couldn't grasp what he meant.
Ophence, who'd been listening breathlessly, ventured cautiously,
"Aren't those just obvious things?"
"Exactly—thinking all that is 'obvious.' That's proof your world is warm."
"..."
"Humanity needs to know how friendly the world he's nurtured is to them."
My companions, unaware of the full context, looked even more puzzled.
Impellium turned back to me.
"I've taken the world you made as my role model. My goal is to create an even better one."
"..."
"Now I'll focus on that goal even more. So... farewell, Maide."
I decided to match his tone.
I'd used honorifics even with mere lords.
All the more for a hero who'd put his own world second to care for mine.
Politeness was only right.
"I'll definitely save this world. So you can focus solely on yours without worry."
"Haha. I believe you, of course."
"..."
"..."
"How about switching back to casual now?"
"Agreed."
Felt off for both of us.
Snap.
Impellium snapped his fingers.
Our surroundings shifted.
I blinked, and we were in Impellium's room.
He walked to the window and said,
"My hobby is gazing out from here."
"Old-fashioned hobby."
"Your tone's gotten snippy again. Anyway, remember? The first time you were summoned here."
I nodded.
That time, I'd stood beside Impellium, peering out.
But I'd seen nothing.
Just empty space.
"Now let's share what I see."
"..."
"You said bustling cities aren't your taste. But I'll tweak that briefly. You have to consent for it to work."
"Hm. I consent."
"Not just words... Sigh, no helping it. How about seeing the world I've nurtured so far? That's part of my hobby too."
That hooked my interest sharply.
Impellium nodded.
"Yes, that's it."
He turned.
I followed, looking out the window.
"...!!"
A vast vista unfolded before me.
The world.
I was taking it all in at a glance.
The world was surprisingly spherical.
Zooming in on the globe, the dots and patterns became landmasses.
Lands split into countless nations, each developing cultures and technologies.
In mere seconds, centuries passed.
Nations split and merged, technology advanced.
Humanity clashed or allied to overcome disasters.
"Look here."
Impellium pointed somewhere.
A child was born there.
"The most recent hero."
"Huh."
"Four heroes have appeared in my world already, all decent."
"And the Demon King who descended this time?"
"Demon King of Division."
He scratched his head, troubled.
"Lately, they've been quarreling over trivial things and holding grudges. I could only do so much."
"Why not issue a divine oracle like Adin? Oh, right—you avoided gods in your world as much as possible."
"Yeah. Otherwise, it'd end up like your world in Adin's era."
"..."
"Well, hope this new hero does well. I'll just support him."
And when that hero slays the Demon King of Division, he'll get a gift and head to another world.
Spreading humanity across the universe and dimensions.
What a system—whoever made it.
Then it happened.
[Congratulations! You who've overcome all trials and gathered fame.]
[You've met the following conditions.]
[Fame 1,000,000+ - Achieved!]
[Handover from predecessor - Achieved!]
[Resolve to give up your most precious possession - Achieved!]
[As reward, 'Complete Eye of Omniscience' is granted. View secrets of all ranks freely; no need to know the target's name.]
[As reward, 'Complete Blood Letters' is granted. Now you can see your own Blood Letters.]
[As reward, add one law to the world. However, cannot add laws harmful to humanity.]
Once again.
I became the hero chosen by the world.