Chapter 100

He had to escape far away before his disappearance was discovered.

Fortunately, Arndt, knowing he couldn't go far alone, had arranged for Russel to accompany him.

Russel wasn't as good with horses as Leandros, but he was still better than him.

After leaving the capital and rushing to the outskirts in one go, Russel asked.

"Your Grace, doesn't this horse have special abilities? Couldn't it go all the way to the west in one go?"

Sleigh neighed loudly as if in agreement.

He instinctively raised his hand to look for the horn, then clenched his fist against his empty neck.

"It's impossible. Yurik took the horn. Without it, I don't think we can go that far."

"You mean His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"It belonged to the Duchess... It was the last thing I had of her."

What should he do now that it had been taken away?

Having heard his muttering, Russel closed his mouth.

Instead, he gripped the reins tightly and said.

"From here, the road gets rough. Be careful not to fall off by mistake."

Hyah!

With Russel's shout, Sleigh galloped even faster.

Only the sound of hooves echoed loudly through the night breeze.

They traveled continuously, hardly resting at all.

If they had been riding an ordinary horse, it would have been impossible, but Sleigh continued to run without even sleeping.

Unable to stop at villages, they hid in forests when they absolutely had to stop.

It was too similar to his past life when he had fled from Yurik.

It was almost laughable.

Wasn't being chased supposed to be the protagonist's role?

Then again, even if pushed to the edge of a cliff while being chased, the protagonist was the one who could make a splendid comeback.

What kind of protagonist was he anyway?

His life was hanging by a thread even when Yurik merely played a prank.

Thinking about it now, he seemed well-suited to be a supporting character.

He didn't need any spotlight or attention, he just wanted to live peacefully.

That had been his greatest wish both as Yu Yesung in Korea and as Arenheit here.

"Your Grace."

"...Ah, what?"

"We're almost at the western gateway, but I was thinking I should go ahead first."

After riding for more than seven days and nights, they were stopped on a low hill.

Looking down at the other side of the hill, he could faintly see the gateway into the west, just as Russel had mentioned.

After watching the small dots moving around the gateway for a moment, he spoke.

"There aren't many soldiers guarding the gateway. It seems Yurik hasn't issued a wanted notice."

"That's fortunate for us, isn't it? Even if we can't pass through proudly, at least we won't be at risk of being tracked."

"That's right. The most troublesome thing in the current situation would be if we were tracked. If that happens, we wouldn't be able to meet Amelia and Arndt either."

"Then I'll take a detour away from the gateway."

"There's nothing wrong with hiding. Let's do that."

Russel was right.

No one had followed them, and no one had discovered them.

But the emotion he felt wasn't relief or comfort.

Rather, it was...

"Then I'll go. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm not so weak as to faint in this situation."

"Ah, I just wondered. Isn't this situation tense? Making you anxious and heavy-hearted?"

Russel looked around the path, then smiled at him.

"But don't worry, Your Grace. This too is a trial. God bestows trials on everyone only as much as they can endure."

"Really? I'm not sure if I can endure it."

"Your Grace has an innately good heart, so it must be God's will for you to be tempered like steel in preparation for adversity."

Haha. A dry laugh escaped him.

He wanted to tell Russel.

That the God he spoke of was actually a wicked alien entity.

That they were born from the flowing flesh of a god that flew from outer space.

That they were nothing, and would continue to be nothing.

But he couldn't say anything.

They continued on, circling around to enter the west.

A village he had once visited began to appear in the distance.

"Russel, wait a moment."

"Yes?"

"Stop here for a moment."

Though puzzled, Russel halted Sleigh.

He got down from the saddle with a groan.

As Russel tried to get down with him without knowing why, he stopped him and said in a low voice.

"I think we've been followed since we entered the west."

At the word 'followed,' Russel immediately raised his head and scanned the surroundings.

The growing greenish crops, the small forest visible in the distance, the wide plain, and the path they had been riding on.

After seeing nothing but the peaceful scenery, Russel turned his gaze back to him.

"But there's been no sign so far. We should have heard at least the sound of hooves."

"They didn't post a wanted notice at the gateway, did they? It seems Yurik wanted to handle this matter discreetly. I can clearly feel someone nearby."

"I'll take care of it, Your Grace. If there are few trackers, even I alone could..."

"That doesn't seem like a good idea."

When he spoke seriously, Russel's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why not?"

"Crown Prince Yurik is persistent, so if the tracker doesn't return, he'll send more. In that case, we might have to duel with the royal guard before even meeting Amelia and Arndt."

"I could handle that level without any problem."

"My opinion is that we should approach as conservatively as possible since we don't know what might happen in the future."

"Then do we just leave them tracking us?"

"No. I have a good idea."

He pointed to the long, stretching road.

"You continue on the path we were taking. Try to shake off the tracker as much as possible, then come back. I'll hide somewhere around here for safety."

"Will you be alright?"

"Of course. This strategy is more dangerous for you than for me. I swear to God, you're more likely to get hurt than I am."

At the mention of God, Russel's expression noticeably softened.

"If you put it that way, I'll follow. I'll return as quickly as possible."

"Yes, be careful not to get hurt. Take care."

"I'll see you soon."

After swapping cloaks with him for disguise, Russel turned his horse around.

His figure gradually receded along the path.

After watching him flutter his cloak as he rode, eventually becoming a dot and disappearing, he muttered.

"He's so gullible."

So Russel was easily deceived, whether he was crazy or not.

He should definitely note that for the next iteration.

He slowly moved his feet toward the only scenery he knew.

A village between territories.

A peaceful and small residential area under the protection of a viscount's territory.

A closed chapel where a gambling den opened every night.

As he passed through the village entrance and walked across the streets, no one paid any attention to him.

Occasionally, curious glances would fly toward the unfamiliar traveler.

But even that was only for a brief moment.

He arrived at the old, closed chapel without attracting anyone's attention.

When this life had just begun.

The memory of Leandros turning over the gambling table here came vividly to mind.

Looking at the rusty lock on the closed door, it seemed the chapel had remained closed since then.

Could it be that Viscount Licht had decided to quit the gambling den?

Or perhaps decided to move it elsewhere?

Well, it didn't matter to him now anyway.

He went around following the chapel wall.

There was a small back door behind the chapel, but that door was locked as well.

However, the wall near the back door was slightly collapsed.

It was a height he could easily climb even without Leandros.

It was an entrance he had discovered while looking around outside during this life, while Leandros was conquering the gambling den.

"Oof."

He managed to get inside by stepping on a protruding stone.

Fortunately, only the main gate was locked, and the inside building wasn't even properly closed.

He entered the spacious hall, following the familiar path.

Once, it had been so crowded with people.

Now, only abandoned cloths, cards, and dice remained, filling the empty spaces where people had once been.

The quiet chapel.

Hazy sunlight pouring over gambling items.

The fluttering dust sparkled, shining faintly.

As he was observing the dancing dust in the middle of the hall,

Without any warning, a voice was heard.

"I didn't know the Duke liked places like this. If I had known, I would have locked you up in a monastery instead of a prison."

"I see you're excited after retrieving the horn, rushing here in one breath."

"Isn't that natural? I felt like my feet were tied all this time. It was incredibly cumbersome."

When he turned around, Yurik and a beautiful black horse were standing there.

That horse was similar to the one he cherished, but it wasn't his.

It was a beast thoroughly tamed by Yurik.

Yurik caressed his subordinate with an affectionate hand and asked.

"I expected you would escape. But I'm curious as to why only the Duke remains here."

"I stayed here because I thought you'd kill all of my household, so I wanted to prevent them from even seeing the tips of your fingers. Why?"

"It's a touching love, but that doesn't mean I won't kill the Duke's people."

"Including Leandros?"

"Why does Leandros come up here? I'm done with that knight. You're my greatest interest now."

Yurik sneered vilely.

"If you're going to beg me not to kill the members of your ducal residence, it would be better to do it now. I'm in a particularly good mood."

"No, it's the opposite."

"What?"

"I'm going to tell you a story now. After hearing it all, you'll probably be the one begging me. You would be better off doing it now, if you're going to."

His handsome features momentarily turned blank.

After a while, Yurik giggled as if he had heard an amusing joke, then folded his arms.

"Go ahead."

"I get that you want to destroy the world because of your precious father complex, but don't you think it's a bit much to dig up the land in all directions and wake up the ancient beings from mythology?"

"...What did you say?"

"In the east there's the Star Walker, and in the south it's some weird octopus head, right? You're not even doing it yourself, making mermen perform human sacrifices. That's why it doesn't wake up."

A gaze mixed with doubt and bewilderment was directed at him.

"How did you...?"

"How, you ask? I've experienced it firsthand. Have any complaints? I'm asking if you have any. You've killed me about twice so far. You've indirectly killed me more times than that."

"You died?"

"Yes, I died in the last life, and in the life before that. While it's partly my fault for responding foolishly, you have a nasty temperament by nature. I think street gutters are cleaner than your temperament."

"You... are not Duke Arenheit. Who are you? What is your identity, wearing Arenheit's shell?"

Finally, Yurik asked.

He returned exactly what Yurik had told him.

"You called me a stranger from a distant star. And that's actually correct."

Yurik's eyes widened.

He continued.

"You've just made an alien your archenemy. And this alien, you see, has the ability to go back in time and start over."

A setting only he knew.

A regression like a curse that only he suffered.

Yurik was shocked by these words and stood still.

After a long while, Yurik finally opened his mouth.

"So you, who are here now, have come back after being killed by me at least twice. To oppose me. For me?"

"Something like that."

"Why?"

"Well, of course."

The Duchess's book.

It explained why the stranger had taken possession of Arenheit's body.

"To save the world you're trying to destroy."

In this world, humans had no meaning for their existence.

Born by chance, they just lived.

Having gained life from the flowing flesh of an ancient being,

Destined to be torn apart by powerful enemies and exploited by wise ones.

Like small ants that could be trampled at any time,

That was the human in this world setting.

But the Duchess had foreseen the future.

She tried to find a possibility to survive by any means.

The result was him.

An ordinary human who was somehow dragged into his brother's novel.

He still didn't know what he, who had nothing special about him, could do.

But he had to somehow create an ending for the novel his brother had left unfinished.

For the salvation that the Duchess had spoken of.

Yurik nodded after hearing his words.

He wasn't ignoring or thinking it was nonsense.

He wasn't angry or contemptuous either.

Yurik clearly understood his answer.

"I see. So, I've become interested in you. This too is fate, if it is fate."

"I thought you'd say it was nonsense."

"No, how could that be? If what you said is nonsense, then everything that exists in this world is the same. Rather, there are parts I understand because you told me this."

He nodded.

Yurik asked.

"Then you will now become my nemesis. I try to destroy this planet, and you try to save people."

"That's how it looks at this point. Since Leandros has deviated from his original role. But, you know what?"

"What?"

"I am going to save the world, but I don't plan on becoming your nemesis."

He would rather dance the cancan barefoot in the north than get entangled with a madman like him.

If he could, he would even spit at him.

Before Yurik came, the baby angel statue visible through the dust.

The statue, carelessly left indoors and covered in white dust, was crumbling here and there, looking precarious just to look at.

He went to the statue and said.

"Yurik, do you know something? I told you earlier that I died twice and came back."

"So?"

"It's strange. When I come back after dying once, other people don't remember what happened before."

"Wait."

"Even the son of a god can't remember. Well, what can you do? There were times when I didn't like that, but in a situation like this, it's really fortunate."

The baby angel was looking down at him kindly from just above.

Yurik's sharp voice was heard.

"What are you trying to do..."

"If I reset for the first time, you'll completely forget this fact too. Wow, that's a relief. Rather than appearing as the nemesis of someone like you, I'd rather live as a supporting character that no one knows."

"What are you saying?"

"This is you killing me."

A supporting character caught by the Crown Prince with no hope, taking his own life.

This was enough reason for departure.

The statue tilted helplessly with just a kick.

Looking back, he saw Yurik shouting in shock.

"No!"

"I'll see you next time when you're dy-"

With a crashing sound, the world turned black.