Chapter 168: Memory(1)
Chapter 168: Memory(1)
Lina’s eyes held a hint of caution. It didn’t seem like an act or a lie.
Kerry thought it over carefully.
This is Lina’s inner world. The Saintess definitely said so.
Lina’s clothes were different from what she wore on the outside.
Her face and her aura felt a little different, too.
The Lina before him now looked fresh, almost innocent. As if she had yet to suffer the hardships of the world.
Lina doesn’t remember me. No, is she mistaking me for someone else? Who is this Ruler of Mana?
Kerry asked Lina, “Lady Lina. What’s the Imperial year?”
“I thought I told you not to call me by my name so casually. You and I are…”
Kerry ignored her and continued, “What’s the Imperial year?”
“The Imperial year… is 1664.”
The date Lina knows is different?
Kerry had a gut feeling his guess was correct.
Lina didn’t know him. She only had memories from a time before he existed in her life.
There’s a high probability this is a memory from before her regression.
But there was still an unanswered question.
Kerry was puzzled. If this was a memory from before her regression, why on earth was Lina calling him the Ruler of Mana?
“Lady Lina. It’s me, Kerry. Don’t you recognize me?”
“…What kind of joke is this? I’m already aware that Kerry is your real name.”
“?”
“Cut the pointless games, Ruler of Mana. I… I didn’t come here to be mocked by you.”
“Mocked? That’s not it at all… Haa.”
“If you’re not here to mock me, then hurry up, give me the item, and disappear.”
An item? Were we supposed to meet so I could give her something?
Kerry rummaged through his pockets. But all he found was a pouch full of gold coins.
“…You didn’t bring the item.”
“…”
“So it was another prank after all. Why must you always play with people like this! I… I’m being serious!”
Lina was getting angry. The only time Lina got angry at someone was when she truly couldn’t stand it anymore and her fury finally erupted.
But is this really something to get that angry about?
He couldn’t be sure. He had no idea how important the item was.
From the sound of it, it seems like he’s pulled a lot of pranks on Lina. His name might be the Ruler of Mana, but isn’t he just a piece of trash?
Lina, looking genuinely furious, even began to lecture him.
For some reason, she was being quite emotional for Lina.
“Hmph… Enough. I know all too well that talking to you is useless. I’ll be taking my leave now. Next time! Don’t bother me with your pointless pranks, Ruler of Mana.”
After firing off a volley of words, Lina announced she was leaving. He couldn’t let her go just like that.
“Wait. Lina… no. Hero.”
“What is it?”
He had to stop her, but having just arrived in this world, he couldn’t think of a decent excuse.
It was now or never.
“Let’s grab a meal together.”
“?”
Asking her to eat out of the blue. It was completely random, but he had no other choice.
“I haven’t eaten anything since this morning. Since we’ve met, can’t you at least have one meal with me?”
Lina stared at Kerry as if he were a madman.
“You’re acting very strange today. First, you call me by my name like we’re close… and now you suddenly want to eat together. Ah, I see. Did you happen to take a hard blow to the head today? I didn’t think you were sane on a normal day, but you’re particularly bad today.”
A blow to the head?
Did Lina just crack a joke at me? It’s not funny at all, but…
Normally, Kerry and Lina trusted each other, but their relationship was a bit stiff. They had never exchanged jokes.
Could it be that Lina likes this Ruler of Mana guy? This is making me a little jealous.
It was probably just in her past life.
In her current life, she would like him more. Kerry consoled himself with that thought.
“Let’s just eat together. Gosh, I’m so hungry my stomach is about to touch my spine.”
Kerry knew. Lina was so kind-hearted that she was terrible at refusing people.
It was one thing if it was a stranger, but it was especially true for someone she had feelings for.
“…Haa.”
Kerry just brazenly grabbed Lina’s hand and led her away, signaling his intent to eat with her.
He was jealous that Lina liked this Ruler of Mana person, but he thought it was a good thing for now.
Thanks to that, it would be a little easier to stick by her side.
True enough, Lina didn’t resist, even as she was being pulled along by the arm.
“Please, just eat with me. It’s embarrassing to eat alone.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lina mumbled, “We’re really just eating and then parting ways, right?”
Look at that. Even with a displeased look on her face, she couldn’t firmly refuse.
Looking at this guy’s coin pouch, it’s stuffed with gold. What a lucky bastard.
He was getting curious about what this guy was up to in the post-regression world.
Guided by Lina, Kerry headed to a restaurant in a nearby town.
Since both Lina and Kerry were famous, they covered their faces with hoods and got a private room.
“Why do we have to cover our faces just to eat?”
“…You’re making a lot of strange jokes today. You can’t possibly be unaware that if word got out that you and I ate together, we’d both be in trouble.”
It made sense for Lina, since she was the Hero, but it seemed this Ruler of Mana guy was pretty famous, too.
And of all times, I have to pee now.
Isn’t this world a little too real? It’s supposed to be just Lina’s memory.
Kerry went to the bathroom.
Though it was a barbaric otherworld, the restaurant Kerry had entered was a high-class establishment.
Since his pocket was full of gold, he had spent it generously.
Perhaps because of that, the bathroom was spotless. It even had a mirror.
Kerry looked into the mirror.
He was curious to see the face of the Ruler of Mana who had completely stolen Lina’s heart.
“…”
But something was strange. When he looked in the mirror, his face was blurry.
“Is there something on the mirror?”
No matter how much he wiped the mirror, he couldn’t see his face clearly.
Kerry stared intently at his reflection.
Just then, his eyes stung with a sharp pain, and only then did his face begin to come into focus.
When he first saw the face in the mirror, he thought it belonged to a native of this world.
A thick beard. A long scar running across one eye. And above all, a fierce aura.
The atmosphere he gave off was quite serious and charismatic. The feeling of this world’s barbarity was vivid.
But as he looked closer at the face, he realized. No, he couldn’t help but realize.
“Fuck… this is me?”
The aura was completely different, and he looked like he had gone through severe hardships, but this was definitely Kerry.
What the hell did he go through to change this much?
“So that’s why Lina didn’t react when she heard my name.”
The name Ruler of Mana was also Kerry’s name. How did he end up with such a grandiose title?
Worrying about it alone wouldn’t give him any answers.
Kerry left the bathroom.
He could see Lina. Lina would know everything.
The fastest way to find out what I want to know is to ask Lina directly.
Kerry sat down in front of Lina as if nothing had happened.
Lina was pretending to be unimpressed, but the way her eyes kept darting around seemed to betray her excitement.
Come to think of it, this is the first time Lina and I have eaten a meal alone.
We were always surrounded by our companions.
A series of well-made dishes came out one after another.
“…”
Lina ate her food without a word.
If Kerry didn’t speak first, it seemed she was prepared to continue this silent meditation.
A chance to experience the world before the regression is rare.
Treating Lina was urgent, but he also wanted to satisfy his curiosity. It wasn’t like he had a solution right this second anyway.
“Hero.”
“…What is it.”
“Stop being a picky eater and eat your broccoli.”
Broccoli was the food Lina hated most.
“Th-that’s none of your business. A moment ago you were using polite speech that doesn’t even suit you, and now you’re speaking informally again?”
Well, it felt like informal speech was his original way of talking.
When he used a slightly arrogant, informal tone, Lina seemed to get even more flustered. This was working.
Yeah, speaking informally is better. I should try to dig up some information from Lina like this.
“In your opinion… what kind of person am I?”
Lina looked at him with an expression that said, What are you talking about?
Then, with a very serious look, she said, “You have a mean streak and love to tease people, and you’re a stubborn mule who does whatever he wants, relying only on his strength.”
“…”
Ruler of Mana… no, what the hell did my past-life self do! For the kind Lina to give such a scathing review.
It was a bit of a shock.
Just as Kerry was standing there dumbfounded,
“Pfft.”
Lina, who had been maintaining a serious expression, burst out laughing.
From her playful look, he could finally tell it was a joke.
I never knew Lina could make a face like that. She’s really pretty.
“Why are you making such a hurt face? It doesn’t suit you. It was a joke.”
“…Right. Let me ask again. What kind of person am I?”
“What specifically do you want to hear?”
“My background… I mean. I want to know how people see me.”
Lina nodded. He wasn’t sure what it was, but she seemed to understand his worries.
“You are… you are a figure of fear. You possess that much power and status. Moreover, you are the lover of the Black Witch. So… people have no choice but to fear you. If I can offer one piece of advice… ignore what people think.”
It seemed Lina misunderstood, thinking he was asking because he was concerned about what people thought of him.
Even so, he could feel Lina’s heart trying to comfort him.
But I’m the Black Witch’s lover?
Kerry had heard the story from the painting in the ruins.
The Black Witch was the cause of the Great War.
The Organization’s goal was also to resurrect the Black Witch.
Did Lina know this from the very beginning? Then why did she let me join the party?
His head was starting to spin.
It felt like things were tangled up in a complicated mess. Or was it because there was still so much he didn’t know?
Should I dig a little deeper?
Just as Kerry was about to open his mouth, a voice, so loud it felt like his skull was vibrating, echoed in his head.
[Kekeke. You annoying man. You followed me all the way here? It’s just as Barikmeteo said. You really are an annoying man.]
That bastard. It was the voice of an Idol Worshipper.
The voice was loud enough to rattle his skull, so he glanced at Lina, but she was just eating her food as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
It was the same with everyone else around them.
[This is a voice only you can hear. Obviously, right?]
Annoying bastard. I’m in this mess because of him.
[I’ve learned a lot since entering the Hero’s mind. Even her secrets. Kekeke. I was so surprised at first. Now I finally understand how she knew all about our plans and our important bases.]
It seemed the Idol Worshipper had figured out that Lina was a regressor. It didn’t matter.
Because it would all be over once he got rid of the bastard this time.
[I can see what you’re thinking. You think it doesn’t matter what I know, right? Because I’m already dead. Hehehehe.]
“…”
[But I don’t think dying like this is so bad. The being that is ‘me’ will certainly die… but the Hero ends here, too.]
Lina will die? Says who.
“If you’re just going to spout bullshit, then get lost.”
He had raised his voice in anger, causing Lina to look at him with startled eyes.
Kerry calmed her down and resumed eating. Then, without fail, the voice returned.
[You want to save the Hero? Give up. You wouldn’t know. You, who have only ever seen the Hero’s bright light, can’t understand. The brighter the light, the larger and darker the shadow it casts.]
You’re the one who doesn’t know.
I’ve never once thought of Lina as a perpetually bright woman.
I’ve seen firsthand how she’s always being crushed by something.
[I didn’t even have to do anything. Kekeke. The Hero isn’t going to leave this place. She herself doesn’t want to leave. Because this place… this is the utopia the Hero desires.]
No. Lina is not that weak. That bastard knows nothing about her.
I wish he’d just shut up if all he’s going to do is spew bullshit.
Kerry was scowling at the Idol Worshipper’s nonsense when the voice spoke with brimming confidence.
[You never should have come in here. Now that you’re here, the Hero will like it here much more than the outside world, you know? Kekeke.]
“…”
He said Lina wouldn’t want to return to reality. To be honest, it wasn’t entirely unimaginable.
Lina was always suffering under the pressure of having to save the world.
Because of that, she always moved with a frantic compulsion.
Even when she took a short break, she wore a guilt-ridden expression.
Lina pushed herself to become the perfect hero.
The path of a hero was too difficult for a human to walk.
But that pressure was not a reason for Lina to give up.
Lina would never, ever give up.
Kerry recalled what Lina had said before she collapsed.
[I believe in you, Sir Kerry.]
Kerry looked at the Lina in front of him.
Lina looked back at him, and when their eyes met, she awkwardly averted her gaze.
“Di-did I do something wrong? You’re unusually quiet today.”
Kerry had simply been quiet because he was listening to the Idol Worshipper.
“I’m angry because the Hero won’t eat her broccoli.”
“…Fine, I’ll eat it.”
Lina popped the broccoli she hated most into her mouth, all the while sneaking glances at him to see if his mood had improved.