Chapter 4

The truth Alderic had told them. The structure of the world was far too heavy for a single person to bear.

As Van and the others lost their words and fell into turmoil, Glanz offered one proposal. He invited them to his separate residence in the royal capital. He said that each of them needed time to think for themselves right now.

“…Wow, Glanz-san. You had a huge house like this in the royal capital?”

“Ho ho… I did serve as vice commander of the Mage Corps, after all. When I am summoned to the royal capital, I rest at this house.”

Van looked all around the inside of the house. From Van’s perspective, it was a reaction without any hidden meaning, but this pure response created a certain kind of warmth. The others felt grateful for it now.

They were guided to a guest room, where tea and sweets were served. Faced with luxury goods they normally never had the chance to taste, Van and Atri were in high spirits.

“There are refills, so please do not hold back.”

Van and Atri ate without restraint, just as Glanz had said. In contrast, Ciel and Luke ate slowly while being reserved. Selen, perhaps finding the food culture of a foreign land unusual, enjoyed it as though observing it. Glanz smiled as he watched their three different reactions. …Only Zeke stood by the window with his back leaning against it, sitting neither on a sofa nor a chair.

“How about you as well, Zeke-san? I am quite confident in these tea leaves.”

“…”

There was no response. His arms were crossed, and his gaze was turned toward the floor. It was immediately clear that he was thinking about something. His expression was deeply troubled and grave.

…As an aside, Van, who had been engrossed in the sweets, saw Zeke’s appearance and, despite knowing it was inappropriate, thought, “He looks so cool,” then hurriedly fixed his expression. —Without noticing Selen’s cold stare.

“…Sage, what did you think after hearing the king’s words?”

It was rare for Zeke to ask someone else for their opinion. His tone did not have its usual sharpness. His arrogant, overbearing attitude had retreated into the shadows.

“The information His Majesty provided was far too vast. We will need to examine it carefully first.”

“Do you think you people have that kind of time? How will you verify the king’s words before the next new moon? …Elzen will certainly make his move.”

Elzen Freak.

Van’s father, the son of the Sword Saint, and a former Sword Saint candidate. He was the origin of the series of incidents shaking the Kingdom of Diabalet. One could say it was a conflict surrounding Oración, the spirit of prayer.

“His Majesty mentioned him as well, but what is that Elzen-san trying to accomplish?”

“Van, do you have any idea?”

“I don’t know. …Dad never told me anything. But—‘It doesn’t matter.’”

Zeke interrupted Van as he answered Ciel’s question and Luke’s inquiry.

“The reason does not matter. That man dislikes this world. That is why he is trying to change the world into one convenient for himself. No matter how many lives he sacrifices to do it. —Can you people tolerate that?”

“…Of course I can’t.”

No matter what reason he had, indiscriminate murder could never be forgiven. It was already too late to say they would confirm Elzen’s motive because they did not know it. Many people had already been hurt and lost their lives.

“To open the ‘Gate to the Otherworld,’ three ‘keys’ are required. They already possess two spare keys. I do not know how they intend to make up for what they lack, but there is also a possibility that you people will be targeted.”

Van, Ciel, and Luke were inheritors. If they moved to stop Elzen, the possibility of them being targeted would rise considerably. Being turned into a key meant death.

“I won’t let them do as they please. I will protect Ciel.”

“I am not merely someone who is protected either. …To be honest, there are many things I still do not understand even after hearing His Majesty’s story. However, not understanding is not a reason to avert my eyes from the lives that have been lost.”

“…I’ll fight. Otherwise, Fool-san and Noisy-san, who died, won’t be rewarded.”

The structure and origin of the world. And the repeating world Alderic spoke of.

If someone suddenly told them all that, they could not simply say, yes, I understand. Most of them were probably like Ciel, unable to fully understand or accept it. —Even so, the girls chose to fight.

“If His Majesty’s words are true, then we must have fought them countless times before. —In that case, let us make this the last time.”

“Glanz-san… I’ll fight too. I have to fight. Dad, Uncle Tret, Feluart, and the others too. Because that is my responsibility.”

Van gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. If the mastermind behind this series of incidents was Elzen, then all the more reason he had to fight. Elzen was also Masfelt’s enemy. Van had to question him about why he had done such things. …Because Zeke had fulfilled his responsibility even if it meant killing his own parents.

“…I see. So you people will repeat it after all.”

Everyone thought it was a kind of confirmation of their resolve.

Until now, Zeke and Van’s group had clashed despite their misunderstandings. The fact that Zeke did not speak of important matters must have been part of the reason. Van’s assumptions had not been good either.

Even so, Zeke had always fought alone. He had supported Van’s group from the shadows and pulled them forward. After hearing Alderic’s words, they understood that all the more.

Their enemy was a strong opponent whom even Zeke acknowledged, the strongest swordsman of the modern age, who had killed Sword Saint Masfelt. He was an incomprehensible figure who understood the structure of the world better than Van’s group did.

They had worries. There were powerful enemies besides Elzen too.

But they had Zeke on their side. They had the strongest man, with his terrible mouth and terrible attitude. He was someone who would always settle things when it mattered. Everyone thought that as long as Zeke was there, things would be all right. —Surely this time as well.

“…………I can no longer fight.”

It was the first time they had seen Zeke so utterly weakened.

“Y-You can’t fight? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“…It means exactly what I said. If you cannot understand that, go see a doctor.”

Van and the others were shaken by Zeke’s unexpected statement. Every one of them doubted their ears. In a sense, their confusion was even greater than when Alderic had spoken.

“—! What are we supposed to do about Dad, then!? The king said it, didn’t he!? We don’t know what will happen if we leave him alone! …Even the death of your parents was originally caused by Dad and the others. And yet…”

“Do not spout convenient words so lightly. …Were you the one who truly listened to the king’s words?”

“…You mean that repeating world thing? But the king said the future had changed.”

A king who alone existed in a world that repeated endlessly. No matter what he did, the future had never changed, but he had said that this was the first time it had changed. He said changes had appeared in the world with Zeke at their center.

“There was no disturbance in his mana. There were no lies. But… there is no guarantee anywhere that this means the world will move forward.”

Alderic had said that after dying, he would find himself back in his childhood again. No matter what result came about, it would begin again.

“I was special, unlike you people. That is why I could fight. So that I could resist this unreasonable reality.”

“Zeke-san…”

“Even so, it was not complete. I did not know the structure of the world Alderic spoke of. …Without knowing the truth of Lagias, I committed a foolish act.”

His usual arrogant, overbearing attitude was nowhere to be seen. Unlike his normally strong eyes, a shadow had fallen over them.

“If it will all repeat again no matter what we do, then it is the same as doing nothing.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can just let it happen! If the future has changed, then this world should… If everyone works together, we should be able to do something!”

“Do not bark irresponsible nonsense, failure. This is the result of trying our best. —After everything ends, are we supposed to lick each other’s wounds like idiots and say, ‘We really tried our best, didn’t we?’ Alderic, who knows more of the circumstances than we do, has in fact failed. From what he said, it was not once or twice. It was many times. —Can you say the same thing to that king?”

“That’s…”

Behind the king’s powerful gaze lay a dark emotion. From Alderic, they had felt the emotion of resignation. Alderic had also fought alone to overturn misfortune, and in the end, he had given up.

“Neither I nor you people inherit our memories. In other words… we will believe it is the best choice and do the same thing again. …The past lords of the Lagias Domain will be forced into an endless hell for eternity. We Lagias will never be truly freed. Lagias was nothing more than this world’s throwaway pawn.”

“…This time might be different. Even if it doesn’t work, maybe next time it will go well.”

“Are you demanding that I kill my parents again? You, a powerless man who can do nothing alone. Are you telling us Lagias to become sacrifices again? Can you defeat Elzen without relying on the strength of others?”

“…”

—If only he could have said, “I can.” Van understood. With his current sword, he could not match Elzen even in a simple contest.

“Even if I abandon everything, the result will not change. But you people chose to fight Elzen. Even if I do not fight the ‘Watchman’ in the next world… you people will certainly kill the ‘Watchman.’ —In the end, the essence of it, the future, has not changed at all. This is reality.”

“…Is winning the only thing that matters? Isn’t there anything else that matters…?”

“No. Once you die, it is over. Everything disappears. Perhaps you people may have a next time… but I have no such guarantee. There is no guarantee anywhere that I will be myself in the next world too.”

According to Alderic’s words, Zeke had always been hostile. The future had changed precisely because the current Zeke was different from how he had been before.

“Everything was pointless. Everything was meaningless. What exactly had I misunderstood, I wonder…”

Zeke slowly began to walk. His steps were headed toward the building’s exit. —Ciel stood in front of him.

“It was not pointless. Zeke-san, the path you walked, and our meeting, were never meaningless!”

Ciel spread her arms and raised her voice. Tears had gathered in her eyes.

“I am who I am now because you were there, Zeke-san. I was able to change because you were there for me! And not only me. Selen, Luke-san, Glanz-san, Atri-san, and Van-san too… There must be many, many more. —So please do not say something so sad. Please do not say it was meaningless, and please do not deny it! Why won’t you look around yourself more? I, I…”

Tears fell in streams. Perhaps Zeke had no intention of answering, for he remained silent.

“Honestly, what a sinful man you are. …Rather than the words of a king I only just met—I believe in you, Zeke.”

“…I don’t think that king was lying. But I also don’t think he told us the whole truth. So we’ll confirm it. Together.”

The last Lagias did not open his mouth.

“Zeke-san. As you are now, our words should be able to reach you.”

“Zeke. No matter what choice you make, I will be your strength. However, let me see… If my prediction is correct, you will definitely return to the royal capital. —So I will proceed with the preparations. Various ones.”

Selen, Atri, Glanz, and Luke. Whether their words reached him or not…

Zeke vanished through teleportation magic.