Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Breakwater
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A knight bearing the crest of the Strange Family grabbed Zepetto by the hair and forcibly hauled him to his feet.
The knights dragged him out roughly, treating him like a criminal. Unable to stand by any longer, Timeless charged in with a face full of fury and shouted.
"Damn you Strangites!"
But he was far too weak.
Not only could he not stand against the Strange knights, but he was sent flying by a kick from the executioner who had accompanied them.
Thud!
"Where the hell did this goblin pop out from?"
The executioner seized Timeless by the scruff of the neck and lifted him up.
His size was more than twice that of an ordinary goblin—about the stature of a human child. It was utterly insufficient for resisting an adult far larger than himself.
"Let me go!"
"Let you go? If I do, those knights will chop your head off right away. You okay with that?"
Timeless turned his head to look at the Strange knights. They were gripping their swords tightly, as if ready to behead him at any moment. Then again, what was one goblin to them? Even if they slaughtered a hundred monsters, no one would question it.
"...Father."
Timeless looked at Zepetto with a pitiful expression.
Zepetto lifted his bloodstained face and forced a smile as he replied.
"I-It's... fine, Timeless. I haven't committed any crime... I'll prove it and come back...."
Zepetto had committed no crime.
This was acknowledged by everyone in the village.
There was only one reason the Strange knights had come for him.
'Researching advanced alchemy to blaspheme the god who created this world.'
This wasn't mere blasphemy against the Papal Court and the priests—it was tantamount to a challenge to the imperial family, implying that a mere alchemist wielded power rivaling a god's.
The nobles already perched in high places and the powers that had risen to their level had no choice but to tread carefully.
The Strange knight yanked the chain around Zepetto's neck and dragged him away.
The villagers watched his departure, letting out regretful sighs, but none could help.
Only Timeless wailed and threw himself at the knights to the very end.
"Let that goblin go."
A heavy voice rang out.
The Strange knights startled and bowed their heads deeply.
Not only that, but the executioner transporting the criminal and his accompanying soldiers halted as well.
Creak.
"We greet Lord Siegfried!"
Their gazes turned toward a man with red hair cascading down to his waist.
His mere presence was so overwhelming that the villagers looked ready to foam at the mouth and collapse.
Thump, thump-thump!
Everyone trembled in terror.
Even Timeless, who had boldly charged the knights moments ago, froze solid and couldn't move.
'W-What the hell is that guy?'
Timeless stared blankly at Siegfried.
"Is that the alchemist the emperor mentioned?"
The executioner answered with chattering teeth.
"Y-Yes."
"His name?"
"Ze-Ze-Zepetto Giuseppe. The last surviving member of the Giuseppe family, who once created forbidden alchemy."
"Forbidden alchemy?"
"Y-Yes. He... breathed new life into the bodies of the dead."
Siegfried rested his chin on his hand, looking intrigued.
"Is that even possible?"
"I've only heard rumors. Hey, Zepetto—is it really possible?"
The executioner glanced at Zepetto.
Zepetto blinked rapidly with a frightened expression and replied.
"How could that be possible...? W-We alchemists study alchemy, not black magic."
"So it's impossible?"
"Yes. If it were, we'd be gods...."
Siegfried approached Zepetto and looked down at him with cold eyes. As soon as he stopped speaking, the entire village seemed frozen in time—no sound could be heard. Even the chirping of birds in the forest and the rustling of leaves in the wind had ceased.
"Too bad. I was going to spare you if it was."
Zepetto slowly raised his head to look at Siegfried's face.
"Pardon?"
"If it was possible, I would've spared you. There's this guy I've always wanted to fight, but he's already dead, so I can't."
"N-No, that's—"
"So if you could revive him, I was going to let you live."
It was an utterly absurd response.
To spare a criminal on whom the emperor had issued an execution order, based on his own judgment. No one gathered in the village could comprehend his actions. But it was clear that the name Siegfried alone made it all permissible.
"Great Sword God Siegfried, then... if I can revive the one you speak of, will you forgive my crimes?"
Siegfried grinned widely at Zepetto.
"If you can."
"...Then grant me time."
"Time?"
"Yes. I don't have that ability now. But if you, Lord Siegfried, need the power to revive the dead, I'll research it and create it somehow."
The executioner pointed accusingly at Zepetto.
"What nonsense! What you just said is blasphemy against—"
Siegfried drew his sword with a displeased expression and cleaved the man vertically in a single stroke.
Splat!
Blood sprayed everywhere from the bisected executioner's body.
Zepetto, standing right beside him, was drenched red, while the watching knights averted their eyes and pretended not to notice.
"I'm talking here, aren't I?"
Siegfried sighed deeply and sliced through the chains binding Zepetto's hands and feet.
Clang!
"One week. That's all the time I can give you. If you succeed, not only will I spare your life, but I'll protect you from other factions' threats within Strange territory."
"R-Really?"
"Would I lie?"
"......"
"One week. I'll return then, so have it ready. If you fail, not just you two, but everyone in this village dies."
Zepetto bowed deeply from the waist.
"Yes! Lord Siegfried!!"
Siegfried turned away, and the knights fell into formation to depart the village.
As they vanished, Timeless rushed to Zepetto and hugged him, sobbing loudly.
"Father!"
"We're saved... thanks to Lord Siegfried!"
"Thanks to him? We almost died because of the Strange knights he brought!"
Zepetto clamped a hand over Timeless's mouth and replied.
"Hush. They're just following the emperor's orders. They have no interest in the lives of wretches like us. In fact, we survived because of Lord Siegfried."
"......"
"Timeless, thank the gods we get to live even one more day because of this."
".......Yes, Father."
They had survived.
But the villagers condemned them.
"Those mad fools sold us out just to save their own skins!"
"This is why we shouldn't let alchemists into the village."
"Village chief, do something. If we collect money now and offer tribute to the Strangites, maybe we can avoid disaster?"
Some even sought out Zepetto and Timeless before the Strange knights had even arrived, beating them and demanding they take responsibility for dooming the village. But Zepetto silently endured the villagers' abuse. Timeless, too, swallowed his boiling rage and responded with silence.
If the villagers cursed, they would listen. If beaten, they would take it.
"This is all my doing, Timeless."
"But—"
"Don't resent them. Humans are all the same. I would've reacted just like them if wrongly facing death."
"Father."
"Just keep recording. That's all we can do."
"...Yes, Father."
The two returned home and began researching the power to revive the dead.
Day and night meant nothing to them. If they didn't complete it even a moment sooner, everyone would die. Zepetto and Timeless skipped sleep entirely, barely even eating, as they focused on alchemy. To achieve it, they delved into forbidden ancient tomes banned by the Alchemists' Guild.
"Oh, Father! This is it!"
Timeless held up a silver substance in a test tube—solid-looking yet flowing like liquid.
"...The Philosopher's Stone. We've finally reached the pinnacle of alchemy."
The two had perfected the technique to revive the dead.
It matched the records in the writings of Faust, the demon contractor who had once succeeded in creating the Philosopher's Stone.
'We're saved.'
It was exactly one week since Siegfried had left.
Now, even if Siegfried came, it was fine.
"Timeless, I'll deliver the Philosopher's Stone to Lord Siegfried. Wait here at home."
"Huh? Can't I come too?"
"No, you need to record this. Why we made the Philosopher's Stone, how we succeeded—everything. Weren't you born to record this world's true history?"
"Ah! Right you are. Okay, then give it to Lord Siegfried and come back."
"Got it. When I return, we'll celebrate completing the miracle with a feast!"
And so Zepetto met Siegfried through a Strange knight stationed in the village.
"Is this the alchemy that revives the dead?"
"Yes, Lord Siegfried."
"Well done, Zepetto Giuseppe. Once I verify if this is real or fake, I'll spare you."
"Yes, please do."
Up to this point, Zepetto and Timeless breathed a sigh of relief at having succeeded in creating the Philosopher's Stone. But their hope soon turned to despair. Siegfried's demand to "revive the dead" wasn't merely breathing life into a body—it meant restoring life anew.
Rumble...
The giant revived using the Philosopher's Stone came to life.
But without a soul, it didn't move.
And that wasn't what Siegfried wanted.
"Are you messing with me?"
Zepetto trembled in terror as he replied.
"N-No! I definitely breathed life back into that giant!"
"Then why isn't it moving?"
"Because it has no soul—"
"...You trying to play word games with me?"
Whoosh—
A gust brushed beneath Zepetto's neck.
His gaze tilted slowly, the world inverting.
With a thud!, his head hit the ground. The knights accompanying Siegfried then set the village ablaze and began mercilessly slaughtering the villagers.
But Timeless knew nothing of this.
He was deep in the basement beneath their hut, recording the day's events.
"The reason we made the Philosopher's Stone is.... We made it like this.... Father went to the Strange knights.... Done!"
Finishing the record, Timeless grinned and emerged from the basement.
When he stepped out of the hut, the village he faced was a scene of utter devastation.
"......?!"
A ruined village, black smoke billowing into the sky.
Corpses everywhere he looked.
And at the meeting spot agreed with Siegfried, he found his father—headless.
Thump.
Timeless dropped to his knees in despair.
"N-No... Nooooooo!!!"
On that day, he realized.
There was no one in this world to trust.
Even distinguishing good from evil was a luxury.
Humans were all the same, wherever you went.
Rich or poor, young or old.
All those he'd seen so far were identical.
"...Strange."
Timeless clutched his father's head, shedding bloody tears.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a burning pillar collapsed, falling toward his head.
Boom!
Flames engulfed him.
Yet Timeless accepted death with indifference.
'Father, I'll be with you soon.'
Roar...
It burned.
His body charred black, beginning to melt.
He wished to vanish from this world with his father just like this.
Timeless closed his eyes, reminiscing on the past.
'Wait.'
Something flashed through his mind.
'My name is Timeless. The one who records this world's history.'
He slowly walked out through the flames and brushed the fire from his father's body.
"Father, it seems I can't die just yet."
From that day, Timeless plotted revenge against the Strange Family.
"I can't beat them as I am now."
Then?
"First, I'll be reborn as a human."
From then on, he relentlessly researched alchemy and discovered a way to be reborn.
Using the "Philosopher's Stone" he had made with his father, he learned to transfer his memories into another's body.
Sizzle.
Timeless injected silver liquid from a syringe into a newborn baby.
Through this, he housed his will in a new body, gaining multiple bodies that shared his memories through repeated rebirths.
He became an alchemist, a knight, a wizard, a monster.
Not just that—he rose as a merchant and even became the lord of a small nation.
Yet he failed every time against the Strange Family.
Only after over a century did he realize.
'It seems impossible alone.'
So Timeless changed tactics.
He planned long-term, building enough power for revenge.
To topple the Strangites, he needed to mobilize every faction except them.
The moment the entire continent harbored grudges against Strange and united to crush them.
Centuries passed.
Timeless succeeded in hiding clones as knights, wizards, and even within the Papal Court.
The tower's master, watching all this, took interest and sent an apostle.
"Greetings. My name is Amon. Might we have a word?"
Amon found Timeless resting among the world tree's roots.
"Apostle Amon?"
"Yes. I have a fine offer for you, Lord Timeless."
"...Let's hear it."
There was no contract between the tower and Timeless.
Amon simply promised to create the moment for revenge—not just against Strange, but even the long-dead Siegfried.
"One of your main bodies must remain in the tower. In exchange, even without becoming an apostle, you'll gain power equivalent to one."
Timeless grinned at Amon.
"Deal. But I want a specific power."
"What is it?"
"...Time. Give me the power to dominate time."