Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Downfall.
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Tower's 21st floor.
The apostle's domain, called the Master of Time. Upon arriving at its entrance, we gazed up at the massive clock tower while holding our strategy meeting.
"No need to overthink it. For this gateway, just keep looking straight ahead until you arrive."
Unlike the other floors, this place didn't pit us against any particularly powerful enemies or insurmountable trials.
As long as you didn't get swept up in the world the tower displayed, you could pass through simply by walking—if you could manage that much.
Alfredo stroked his long beard and spoke.
"Berddin, I'm sorry for not opening up to you about so many things. I want to tell you what I've been through... but I just can't right now."
Cynthia wore the same apologetic expression.
"When the time comes, I'll tell you everything. I'm not trying to hide it from you."
I shoved open the clock tower's entrance with force and replied to them.
Kiiiiiik—
"It's fine. Everyone has their reasons they can't talk about."
"You're not mad?"
"Mad? I'm just curious."
"Thank you for understanding."
"Good. Then behave from now on."
What had already happened couldn't be undone. What mattered was how we dealt with it—and if it was the Cynthia I knew, she'd already calculated that far.
She wouldn't have gone through with that vow just to stupidly survive.
"Let's go."
I headed toward the upward-spiraling stairs inside the wide-open clock tower.
Clack, clack, clack.
Footsteps echoed for the first three steps. But after that, as the surrounding sounds warped like my hearing was going numb, it was clear the space was changing.
Shiiiiiik—.
Everything around the stairs I was walking on swirled like a storm.
Mountains, seas, caves, swamps, battlefields—they shattered like puzzle pieces, flashing fragments before our eyes.
'It's begun.'
Screams, groans, cheers, joys, roars—all sorts of tangled emotions poured in as voices.
Tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.
One of the apostle's trials: trapped in time's wheel, rapidly cycling like a carousel. "Despair of Life."
"W-what the hell is this?"
Rox stuck right behind me, his face full of panic.
Where his gaze landed, a scene of our Strange family heading to the ogre canyon was mixed in.
"Those... fucking bastards!"
Rox started toward the edge of the stairs in rage. I yanked his nape hard and locked eyes with him.
"Snap out of it! I told you clearly: don't step into anything but the stairs."
"B-but if we don't stop those guys right now—"
"Nothing changes. Those are events that already happened. You know that."
"......"
"Don't fall for the tower's tricks. Just look ahead and walk. That's how you pass this trial."
I hurled one of the daggers from my belt into the distorted space.
Shiiiiiik—
It seemed to fly fast at first, but when it crossed into the forest-like area from the stairs...
Susssususu.
Its speed suddenly slowed to a turtle crawling on land. A low-level goblin monster could have dodged it easily—it was that visible.
"What?"
"That's the time over there."
"That side's time?"
"Yeah. If you jumped in there right now, your movements would look that slow to us."
"......"
"On the flip side, how long do you think it'd take you to get back here from there?"
I threw another dagger toward the opposite side.
Shak!
This time, it reached the cave-like area—so fast even my eyes couldn't track it.
Kangkangkangkang!
Thud.
Only after it hit the ground could I pinpoint its location.
"That side's time must flow faster than here. If you went in there and came back, how long do you think we'd have to wait here?"
"......"
"Rox, I was close enough to stop you this time. Do it again, and you're done."
Rox dropped his head and whispered.
"Sorry."
"It happens once. Don't repeat it. I don't want to leave a comrade behind in a place like this either."
"Yeah..."
Alfredo gulped, then glanced rapidly left and right before asking.
"So in the end, stepping off the stairs means trouble here, no matter if time's slower or faster over there."
"Exactly. The problem is those spaces we can see."
"Why's that a problem?"
"Like Rox's reaction earlier—the apostle tailors the scenes to us adventurers. It shows stuff so painful you can't help jumping in."
"Heh heh, lucky for me then. I don't have a life like that."
"You sure?"
Alfredo didn't catch my meaningful smile.
He figured he'd lived smoothly so far, but every living thing suffers trials from the causality that god called Shin weaves.
I beckoned to Cynthia, who stood behind Alfredo. Truth be told, she was the most at risk here.
"Stick right by my side."
"Huh? Why me?"
"You're the most dangerous."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Know why the Pope's court knights can't pass this place?"
"...No clue."
"They see so many things as their own sins. Stuff others brush off is mortal sin to them."
And regret-worthy scenes like that would keep showing here. Around the stairs' midpoint, Cynthia would succumb to her guilt.
"Got it."
"Everyone, stay sharp and walk in the order I said: Alfredo, Rox, Cynthia, me. Lady Theresia, you walk right in front of me."
Maria Theresia lightly brushed her flushed cheeks, clasped her hands, and prayed to God.
"Haa... This place is so beautiful. Thank you, God, for granting me this experience!"
The scenes revealed through the Tower of Time weren't fabrications by the apostle.
They were just glimpses of events from other times and spaces. One of the countless paths god called Shin had created.
'That's right.'
So there, right before my eyes, was Cynthia—tears streaming down her agonized face in despair.
"Whew—"
I forced my gaze away.
That scene was unmistakably the moment my past-life Cynthia abandoned me with her party members.
"Why the sigh?"
Cynthia, eyes fixed ahead as she walked, turned her bright, sparkling gaze to me. Seeing her now, I gave a small nod.
"Cynthia."
"Yeah."
"If the urge to kill me ever hits you, feel free to draw your sword anytime."
"...What're you on about all of a sudden?"
"This time—no, from now on—if I ever displease you, don't bottle it up. Speak up right then."
She kept tilting her head, clearly not getting it.
"Duh. If I've got beef now, I say it straight. Good's good."
"Right. Keep it that way."
"What's with you? Acting like you're about to croak. You little punk."
Alfredo chuckled as he cut in.
"He's right. Berddin, cut the weird talk and let's climb faster."
That said, I needed to sort out what to do with Alfredo quick.
I'd ignored him since he seemed on death's door anyway, but higher floors would be impossible with his skills. Survival just wouldn't cut it.
'Looks like...'
After this mess, I'd send him back north—or give him some non-tower mission.
Clack, clack, clack.
At some point, footsteps echoed again.
Maria Theresia, leading the way, flinched like she'd spotted something and abruptly halted.
"L-Lord Berddin?"
"Yes."
"Why are you...?"
"...Why what?"
"Why... why... why are you trying to kill me?!"
"?!"
I scanned the surroundings fast.
'No way—past-life memories exist here too?'
The time I'd gone after Theresia? That was definitely from my past life!
"Kyaaaaak!"
She screamed and crumpled to the ground.
'Damn it.'
We hadn't even hit halfway, and that scene shows up.
I seized Maria Theresia's shoulders and hauled her up by force.
"Lady Theresia, we have to keep going forward. Stopping here is dangerous."
"S-save... save me... save me! Lord Berddin... why would you do such things to me?!"
She thrashed wildly, trying to shake off my grip. But breaking free of my strength? Impossible.
"Get a grip. The one you're seeing isn't me."
The current me was different from that past life.
It wouldn't happen again. The version of me she saw wasn't even doing what I'd wanted.
No sooner had I finished than the space twisted, a black hand bursting out.
Shiiiiiik—
"That's right. What you're seeing isn't the current Lord Berddin."
The figure who emerged was a man with black skin fluttering like ragged clothes all over his body.
From beneath his deeply hooded face, fiercely glowing white eyes emanated an eerie aura.
"It's the past-life Berddin."
"Past-life... Berddin?"
"Yes. The supreme swordsman none could stop. Sword King, Berddin de Strange!"
Shak!
My blade slashed the black-skinned man top to bottom. Naturally, the strike did nothing.
'His real body's not here.'
"Shut it, Timeless."
Timeless thrust his face forward and approached me.
"Oh? How do you know my name? We're strangers till today."
"How do you know mine?"
"Amon told me."
"Amon told me too."
Past life, not this one—but still.
"Amon gave you my name, Lord Berddin?"
"Yeah."
"No way. How can a knight of the esteemed Strange house lie with such a straight face?"
"Not lying."
"Mind if I check with Amon?"
"Go ahead."
"...And if you are?"
"Cut my tongue out. But if I'm not? You've gotta stake something too."
Timeless fluttered his garments, circling us swiftly before halting beside Theresia and answering.
"I'll clear up Lady Theresia's misunderstanding. By showing the full truth, not mere memory fragments."
"You mad fuck."
"And that's not all..."
Timeless whipped around us again, stopping behind me this time. With a sleazy grin, he kneaded my shoulder.
"I'll open the time and space you want to see, Lord Berddin. So you can rewrite those past regrets."
"What I want to see?"
"Yes. Eight years ago from now. The utterly tragic event on the day you were born."