Chapter 170: Memory(3)
Chapter 170: Memory(3)
Lina stared at the man before her.
The man called the Ruler of Mana.
He was arrogant and sometimes played cruel jokes, but he had always helped her.
And now, that same man was calling her name with unfamiliar formality.
"Lady Lina. It is time to open your eyes. Your companions are waiting for you."
"What are you..."
At first, she was just confused.
She couldn't understand what this man was saying. Why was he speaking so formally to her? It didn't suit him at all.
He had always called her Hero, so she had no idea why he was using her name now.
The Ruler of Mana's fierce aura had vanished, replaced by something else.
He was calling to her with a friendly tone and voice.
"You... Who in the world are you?"
Lina's eyes trembled violently.
Just being with this man brought a sudden sense of relief.
His warm presence made her heart gently melt.
It was then that her mind began to spin, and in an instant, the face of the 'real Kerry' began to overlap with the man's.
Why am I seeing the face of a man I don't even know... overlapping with his?
Lina didn't recognize Kerry's face.
The Lina of this moment had no memories of her time with him.
But she could feel it.
The moment she saw Kerry's face, the tightness that had been constricting her chest vanished.
She felt herself relax.
Why... Why am I feeling relieved at the thought of a stranger's face? Who is that man?
Memories flashed through Lina's mind like photographs.
The first time she met Kerry in the bandits' den.
The time she'd been mortified after getting into a hot spring with a man for the first time in her life.
The time Kerry had helped her when she was in a difficult situation because of the Saintess.
Kerry and Lina had been through so much together. Those memories were not ones that could be easily erased.
"These memories... what are they? Who are you!"
Lina was in turmoil. It was only natural, as the memories she had forgotten were slowly returning.
A golden light fluttered around her.
The same light that had guided her here suddenly flew to Kerry's side.
The light created a door in mid-air.
Through the doorway, she could see the worried faces of her companions.
"Lady Lina."
"..."
"Let's go back. They're all so worried."
Lina lifted her head and looked at the door.
Just as Kerry had said, her companions were there.
She saw Natasha, who had been known as the Crimson Madwoman before her regression. Of course, all of her former ferocity was gone.
Victoria, with her golden hair that matched Lina's, was there too. She was also watching with a worried expression.
The Saintess was there as well, emitting a golden glow as she exerted her divine power.
The atmosphere around them had changed so much it was hard to believe they were the same companions Lina had known.
There were even new party members who hadn't been there before, like Arwen and Natasha's grandmother.
Seeing them, Lina remembered. She remembered everything that had happened.
"I... I know..."
Lina's confused eyes began to shine with clarity. At last, she looked at Kerry with an unwavering gaze.
"...Sir Kerry."
"Lady Lina. It seems you've finally regained your memories."
"Yes. It's thanks to you, Sir Kerry. I knew you would come to help me. I believed in you."
"Of course."
After laying all that groundwork, I pretty much had to show up, even if I had to force my way here.
"Now, we just need to go through this door together."
"Yes, Sir Kerry. You went through so much trouble for me..."
It happened in that instant.
Suddenly, countless people began to appear behind Lina.
They were the companions she had known before she regressed.
Among them were figures like Natasha and Victoria.
The Idol Worshipper. He's fighting to the bitter end.
The Victoria from her past life spoke. Here, she looked quite serious.
"Lina. Where are you going? We have to end the war together, as we promised, don't we?
After that, let's go to a quiet forest and live together, just the two of us. I'm sure we'll be happy."
The Natasha from her past life appeared as well.
She had a completely different feel from the gentle Natasha of the present.
The Natasha of the past was so ferocious she had been called the Crimson Madwoman.
"Lady Lina. You said you would protect me... that you would create a world where I wouldn't have to be angry.
Have you already forgotten that promise?"
"Don't go! Hero!"
"We need you! Hero!"
The memories of her past clung to her shamelessly.
Kerry didn't intervene.
Lina had her memories back. She should be able to handle this herself now.
Everyone here had once been precious to her.
But their end had been anything but good. It was all because of the Holy War.
Natasha, influenced by the war, had descended further into madness.
Victoria had died protecting Lina, a sword piercing her chest in her stead.
The Saintess had suffered the humiliation of becoming the enemy's plaything.
Lina had felt that all of it was her responsibility.
Because she, the Hero, had failed to stop the Holy War.
"Stay here with us and live happily! Hero."
"Here, you can forget all the bad memories and be happy."
"If you stay with us, you can be happy forever! Hero."
Lina spoke to the pleading figures.
"I cannot do that. Because I made a promise. That I would never, ever let you get hurt again... I promised myself."
Lina looked at the faces of her real companions, visible beyond the door.
The people she had to protect were over there. The choice was not the tranquility of this place.
There was no reason for her to hesitate.
And the one who had helped her remember this was none other than Kerry.
Lina looked at Kerry.
The Ruler of Mana was Kerry. How could she not have realized it until now?
How could she have forgotten this face she had missed so dearly?
The Ruler of Mana... no. Kerry had been by her side, helping her even after she regressed.
Just as Lina stepped toward Kerry and reached out her hand, a tremendous voice boomed, and the entire world began to shake as if it were about to collapse.
[No! It can't be! I sacrificed everything. I can't let you go this easily!]
It was the Idol Worshipper's voice.
Lina's past companions turned into black shadows and began to merge into one.
The shadow morphed into the colossal form of the Idol Worshipper and lunged at them.
"Lady Lina, let's save the rest of the story for after we escape."
"Yes, Sir Kerry!"
Kerry and Lina sprinted back. The Idol Worshipper, now a giant shadow, reached for them with a hand the size of a house.
[Don't run! Stand and fight me! Hero!]
Yeah. Fuck you.
The Saintess had already created their escape route. Kerry and Lina stood before the door. They clasped hands and leaped through it together.
In that moment, they heard the Idol Worshipper's bloodcurdling final shriek from behind them.
*
He felt the sensation of waking from a dark consciousness.
Kerry squinted his eyes open. His vision was slightly blurry. One by one, voices began to filter through his muffled hearing.
"Kerry! You're finally awake!"
Victoria's worried face was directly in front of him.
She pulled his face into a hug.
Her magnificent chest pressed against his face. Not a bad way to wake up.
"Husband! Husbaaaand!"
He heard Natasha shouting right next to him.
Tears were streaming down her face so sorrowfully that he felt guilty just looking at her.
"I'm okay, Natasha."
He was in the middle of calming Natasha down.
"Hic... Waaaaah."
He also heard Arwen, who was just crying her eyes out beside them. What a chaotic mess.
Kerry sat up and wiped away Arwen's tears as well.
He'd forgotten in all the commotion, but there was something more important.
"What about Lady Lina? Has she woken up?"
The Saintess answered Kerry's question.
"Lady Lina is... still..."
Lina was still lying on the floor with her eyes closed. Why?
They had definitely escaped through the door holding hands.
Kerry approached Lina.
"This can't be right... We definitely came out together..."
It was then.
Lina began to make a sound.
"Ugh..."
"Lady Lina!"
Lina twisted as if having a nightmare. Don't tell me the Idol Worshipper still has a hold on her.
That couldn't be right. The Saintess should have handled that problem.
Then, Lina muttered in a small voice.
"...B-Broccoli... I don't like it... ugh..."
"..."
If you hate it that much, you shouldn't have eaten it.
The other party members also leaned in, their faces etched with concern.
A moment later, Lina's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was filled with the worried faces of her companions.
Seeing them brought a natural sense of relief. She was back.
Among the faces, one stood out more than any other.
It was Kerry.
The moment Lina saw Kerry's face, a name escaped her lips.
"...Ruler of Mana."
"!"
Shit. Right, there was that problem.
Kerry now understood the significance of that name.
The man who was the Black Witch's lover in the world before the regression.
A man who wasn't Lina's enemy, but wasn't exactly on her side either.
The man Lina had liked.
That was all he knew, but the fact that he had been the Black Witch's lover was more than enough to make things awkward from Lina's perspective.
Lina's not the type to kill me or anything... but if she kicks me out of the party...
Honestly, even kicking him out didn't seem realistic, but his guilty conscience was getting the better of him, and he couldn't help but worry.
But he couldn't just cower. In times like these, he had to be confident.
"Lady Lina. It seems you remember everything."
Just as Kerry said that, Lina's condition suddenly changed.
"Aah... Uuugh... My head... my head...!"
Lina clutched her head and began to writhe in pain. What now?!
Hadn't she been fully healed?
Kerry looked at the Saintess, but she also had a clueless expression.
In that moment, Kerry saw it clearly. Lina's eyes momentarily went blank.
After that instant passed, Lina calmed down.
"Lady Lina. Are you alright?"
"...I'm fine."
The Saintess drew a line, as if to say she had done her job properly.
"I have driven the evil spirit from within the Hero. I confirmed it myself."
She seemed afraid of being blamed by Kerry later. If so, she would have definitely done a thorough job.
Then what was that pain Lina just felt?
He decided to let the issue go for now.
First, they needed to talk about the fact that Kerry was the Ruler of Mana in his past life.
"...Lady Lina. About what happened a little while ago."
"A little while ago?"
"Yes. About what happened in your inner world."
"...?"
"You... don't remember?"
"Uhm... I'm truly sorry, Sir Kerry. I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Could you please explain it to me again in detail?"
"..."
Lina said this with a serious expression. What is this? Did she lose her memory along with the headache?
That's what the situation looked like.
Lina wasn't lying. She was a terrible liar.
He'd been with her long enough to know that much.
The rest of the party, knowing nothing, eagerly explained for Kerry's sake.
They told her how Kerry had thrown himself in to save her.
Lina wore a troubled expression and thanked him.
"Thank you so much, Sir Kerry. You personally came to save me. I'm so sorry, but I have no memory of it."
"It's alright, Lady Lina."
That part's fine, but why doesn't she actually remember?
'I get the feeling there's a reason for this.'
It didn't feel like simple amnesia. He decided he would look into it later.
Just as Kerry was getting up, Lina spoke.
"Sir Kerry."
"?"
Lina looked at him with that same gaze full of trust.
But something had changed.
She was smiling brightly at him.
It was a smile she had never shown with her previously stiff demeanor.
"I believed in you."
Feels like we've gotten closer, somehow.
Just then, Natasha glanced back and forth between Kerry and Lina.
Natasha's internal radar began blaring a danger warning.
"No. No way! Husband is mine!"
Natasha blocked the space between Lina and Kerry.
Kerry and Lina both let out a hearty laugh at the same time.
*
After everything was over, the ruins were filled with the corpses of the monsters the party had slain.
It seemed to speak to how fierce the battle had been while Kerry was unconscious.
"I worked really, really hard! Sir Kerry."
"You did a great job, Princess Arwen."
"..."
Kerry praised Arwen, but she drooped her ears as if that wasn't what she wanted.
But now wasn't the time to worry about Arwen's mood.
There might be a clue to Lady White Witch's release in these ruins. I have to search carefully.
For that reason, Kerry had deliberately stayed behind in the ruins to investigate.
He had sent Lina back to the village with the grandmother. The rest of the party was more than enough of an escort.
Besides the mural depicting the great war he had seen before, there were other murals scattered throughout the ruins.
Still don't see anything that looks related to the Witch's seal.
But there was one impressive mural.
It depicted the Black Witch fighting Asmodeus.
In other murals, the Black Witch was portrayed as a mighty foe wielding overwhelming power.
But in this one, Asmodeus was overwhelming her, radiating a brilliant light.
It was a mural where Asmodeus was emitting a powerful golden light from his entire body, looking almost like a figure from mythology.
Asmodeus was losing to the Black Witch, but then he emitted a strong light from his body and turned the tables?
As Kerry was studying the mural, someone poked him in the back.
He turned around to see Arwen looking up at him, her innocent eyes sparkling.
"Is something the matter, Princess Arwen?"
Arwen had been pestering him for a while now, as if she wanted something.
This, while the rest of the party was diligently searching the area for anything of note.
Arwen pouted her lips and said, "Today... I worked really hard... I was the one who broke the magic formation on that pillar..."
That's why I praised you earlier.
Arwen's face was faintly flushed. Her pointed ears twitched up and down once.
Surely... it can't be.
The others were a short distance away, but they were still here. It couldn't be.
But Kerry's "surely not" became reality.
Arwen spoke with an innocent face, as if she knew nothing.
"Since I worked so hard today... as a reward... could you... could you please... stroke my ears?"