He already knew which promise she was referring to. There had to be something related buried in his recovered memories.
✦ ✦ ✦
- I will free you from your boredom.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was the promise he made from his previous life, to rouse her from the stupor of eternal life.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania’s words were surely related to that.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s lips moved slightly.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...I require an explanation.”
✦ ✦ ✦
[It’s not complicated.]
✦ ✦ ✦
One of Nartania’s hands caressed Vera’s cheek.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Cute child, surely Ardain told you? The time has come for our mission to end.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Maleus added.
✦ ✦ ✦
[We are no longer needed on this land. It is time to return.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Hyria rolled over and stood up straight.
✦ ✦ ✦
The pure white hand stroking Hyria’s jaw spoke.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Back to the Parent’s embrace.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s expression went blank.
✦ ✦ ✦
In that moment, Locrion concluded their words.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Hear me, final sacrifice. Open the gates of heaven using our flesh as the entrance.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Six Ancient Species stared straight at Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
After hesitating for a moment, Vera replied.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...May I go as well?”
✦ ✦ ✦
[Isn’t that why you came?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania’s shoulders shook gently.
✦ ✦ ✦
[To beg for that woman to be returned to you.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Her continuous smile at this happy encounter brought up an emotion Vera hadn’t felt in a long time.
✦ ✦ ✦
“V-Vera…!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Aisha tried to mediate this bizarre atmosphere while Friede began to laugh and added.
✦ ✦ ✦
“The preparations are complete. Use what remains of Ardain’s existence within you to return them to the heavens.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ardain’s existence.
✦ ✦ ✦
This too was something Vera knew of.
✦ ✦ ✦
No, it was more accurate to say that he could sense it.
✦ ✦ ✦
He had felt this foreign sensation ever since Renee mended his soul. That must be what they referred to.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania asked.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Then, do you need time to prepare your heart?]
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera replied.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m ready.”
✦ ✦ ✦
His gaze directly met Nartania’s.
✦ ✦ ✦
“There’s no reason to wait longer.”
✦ ✦ ✦
As he said, no more waiting was needed for Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
After spending what seemed like an eternity binding himself, he was now moving forward. There was no purpose in pausing to think when his goal lay just ahead.
✦ ✦ ✦
[...Very well.]
✦ ✦ ✦
Nartania stepped back.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Then, let’s go.]
✦ ✦ ✦
She spread all twelve arms to form a mudra.
✦ ✦ ✦
Maleus unleashed hell.
✦ ✦ ✦
Locrion’s skies opened up.
✦ ✦ ✦
Gorgan’s waves stirred the earth.
✦ ✦ ✦
Terdan’s land began rising up.
✦ ✦ ✦
Aedrin’s branches fluttered about.
✦ ✦ ✦
Whoosh—!
✦ ✦ ✦
It could be called a scene straight out of the legends.
✦ ✦ ✦
Amidst that, Vera extended his hand and followed the instinctive sensation that arose.
✦ ✦ ✦
Buuuzzzz—
✦ ✦ ✦
From his fingertips, a pure white light unleashed.
✦ ✦ ✦
The light gently floated toward the center of the miracle.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Well, it was fun.]
✦ ✦ ✦
With Nartania’s whisper, Vera’s vision faded to white.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee focused on the sensations she was feeling.
✦ ✦ ✦
The whooshing sound of wind sweeping by, the warm heat touching her skin, the scent of manure carried on the breeze from somewhere in the distance, and the feeling of low-quality rough fabric on her body.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘...Remeo.’
✦ ✦ ✦
This place was Remeo in Horden.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was her hometown, where she was born and raised.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘It starts here.’
✦ ✦ ✦
Having traveled back in time, it seemed that she would need to prepare everything step by step from this point on.
✦ ✦ ✦
- You must construct measures impervious to the entanglements of time. For that, a single measure will require a single lifetime.
✦ ✦ ✦
A measure that transcended time.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was similar to the Grimoire by the Dream Demon in her previous life.
✦ ✦ ✦
To create a single future that killed Alaysia and saved Vera, such measures had to be positioned at all the right moments for him to encounter.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee estimated the number of times in her head.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘A future where Vera arrives in Remeo on time, a future where we spend time together in Elia, where he meets Gillie in the Great Woodlands to receive the artifact and save Sir Dovan, then...’
✦ ✦ ✦
Stopping Annalise in the Empire, reaching the Academy, meeting the orcs again, and passing through the Cradle of the Dead before reaching Oben.
✦ ✦ ✦
With so many journeys to coordinate, she would likely have to repeat these endless regressions countless times.
✦ ✦ ✦
Perhaps her mind would break down beyond repair in that process.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fear suddenly surfaced within her.
✦ ✦ ✦
Realizing that, Renee placed a hand over her chest.
✦ ✦ ✦
What she held in her palm was a cross. It was an object that shouldn’t exist in this timeline.
✦ ✦ ✦
The object she had stubbornly dragged along with her, even at the bitter end, held traces of warmth.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘I can do it.’
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee smiled.
✦ ✦ ✦
As long as she had this warmth, she wouldn't give up no matter how much time passed. Even if she broke down again and again, she would stand back up.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee feared nothing.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tap—
✦ ✦ ✦
It was a crude wooden cane compared to the one she always carried.
✦ ✦ ✦
As it tapped the ground, Renee walked on.
✦ ✦ ✦
At that moment, a voice called out.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Saint.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee’s eyes went wide, then crumbled in despair.
✦ ✦ ✦
She was faced with reality once again.
✦ ✦ ✦
This was still the first life, when nothing had begun yet.
✦ ✦ ✦
The Vera now wasn’t by her side.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Did you come from the Holy Kingdom?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee spoke to Rohan, who had called out to her.
✦ ✦ ✦
Rohan grew immensely flustered, scratching his head roughly at the sight of her on the verge of tears.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Uh, um... so...”
✦ ✦ ✦
A cold sweat drenched his whole body as he panicked.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was because he couldn’t understand why Renee was shedding tears.
✦ ✦ ✦
A bitter smile tugged at Renee’s lips.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Let’s go. You’ve come to bring me with you, yes?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Rohan’s head drooped down.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yes...”