Chapter 31

After Leonard and Letavis were killed, about three days passed. On the first day, the family didn’t think much of their absence and brushed it off casually, but starting from the second day, the atmosphere within the household began to change.

That’s because Leonard and Letavis were supposed to head to Demon Forest in a few days for training. Of course, Leonard and Letavis had already crossed the Three Paths Heaven together… by me! Hehehe!

Yeah, that’s right—by this little brat who’s barely nine years old! Hohoho!

Phew, as expected of me. The job was clean, and I did an amazing job.

On the third day, the family had the atmosphere of a funeral home. Being out of contact for three whole days is one thing, but when it’s the eldest and second son of the Lucifer family, the most powerful demon house in the Demon Realm, going missing simultaneously, there’s clearly a problem.

Stepmom went today, following my orders, to file a missing person report. Once the Demon Realm police launch a large-scale search, Leonard’s corpse will be found in no time.

I’ve got plenty of time. With the mask I dropped there, things will resolve themselves, leaving me with nothing to do.

In a good mood, I opened the drawer and took something out—a dusty old book that looks like it’ll puff out dust if you touch it.

Flipping sound.

On the cover, it reads <The Flower That Eats Time>.

It was the book King gave me at South Duke Manor, written by the time traveler Evans. Gotta read this whenever I have free time.

With that mindset, I flipped open the first page…

“Hmm?”

Instead of the usual <Author's Note> or <Acknowledgments>, there was an unexpected picture taking up the space—a very vintage-looking round clock occupying the entire first page.

“Tch, Evans, you really know how to waste paper. Though, hey, you’re a time traveler; money’s probably not an issue for you.”

Flipping sound.

When I turned the next page, another picture appeared. It was a sunflower staring to the left, its petals fully bloomed as if devouring the clock drawn on the previous page.

Though it was a black-and-white drawing, strangely, a peculiar floral scent wafted from it. The spicy aroma tickling my nose made me feel inexplicably annoyed.

Wait, why should this insignificant drawing affect me? How dare it try to control my emotions? What a nuisance.

But for some reason, I liked it. Controlling me, huh? Artistically, it passes.

They say a good painting moves the viewer’s heart. Something I discussed with King in my past life regarding art—it somewhat applies to this picture now. It’s bizarre and unsettling. Sunflowers symbolize peace and unwavering love, but this feels more like creepy obsession.

Flipping sound.

Finally, on the next page, there was text. After the big title on the cover, it was the first writing I’d seen so far, and thanks to the intriguing pictures earlier, I couldn’t help but feel anticipation.

『The flower that eats time blooms for a very long time because it feeds solely on the time meant to be shared among billions of lives.』

『The flower that eats time wilts instantly because it has been overfeeding endlessly for too long.』

『Do you understand? Here, the flower refers to gods—not the ‘Lord’ who created the world and leads the Holy Sect, but the race of gods residing in the Celestial Realm above the sky. These lazy beings survive by feeding on the faith of countless people, living extraordinarily long lives, but the moment their faith collapses, they vanish without a trace.』

Uh, wait a sec.

Isn’t this book extremely sacrilegious? Is it okay to keep reading?

…Actually, I kinda like it. A book that hits my taste perfectly.

『There are truly many gods in this world since the number and types of believers overflow. Occasionally, I wonder if gods aren’t just human businesses. Looking at the money temples and sects make annually gives me that thought.』

『Enough with the unrelated chatter. Now, let’s talk seriously about ‘time.’ Have you heard of the god of time who manipulates time? Chronos, the god of time. He governs, handles, and controls the flow of time in this world. If you have questions about the laws of time, go to his temple and ask him for divine guidance.』

『This writer was curious after meeting a hero who claimed to have regressed. Until then, I thought I was the ‘regressor,’ but the hero said I wasn’t.』

『I wanted to know the basis of his claim. Since we both came back to the past, why is he considered a regressor and not me? The hero said he didn’t know much but suggested I consult Chronos. So, I went to his temple.』

『Chronos answered immediately, unlike the usual laziness of gods. Going back in time with the world is regression, but moving between past and future with your body, like me, is time travel. That’s when I realized I was a time traveler.』

『I want to share that with you. Regression, where time rewinds—but only the regressed person remembers. Maybe the world keeps looping without us noticing.』

『The founding emperor traveled back to meet his younger self and saved the continent, creating an empire. That’s time travel. We must distinguish between regression and time travel.』

『Why does it matter? I don’t know. But wasting time reading useless books like mine counts as spending time efficiently.』

『Still, you never know.』

『Maybe someone important, like a regressor or someone close to one, is reading this book right now.』

Hey, the regressor’s right here.

The story of the founding emperor traveling back to meet his younger self and saving the continent is well-known, but what about the regressing hero? Didn’t Duke King mention something similar?

Could they be the same person? The legendary hero should be dead by now, but hearing the regressor comment twice makes me curious. Still, I’m not sure yet.

『By the way, there’s no such thing as coincidence in regression. Everything follows the law of causality. Hence, rewinding time demands a price, similar to how worshippers give offerings to priests for divine healing.』

『What that price is varies from person to person. I’m not a regressor, so I don’t know specifics, but one thing’s certain: whatever it is must move the heart of Chronos, the god of time.』

『If you’re a regressor or know one, ask them what they offered Chronos to buy time and for what purpose. If they say they came back due to lack of funds for investment, run. They’ll ruin your life again like they did in their previous life. Avoid anyone obsessed with investments.』

Price? I didn’t pay anything. I just died and woke up like this.

I’ve never met Chronos. Why would a high-up deity bother meeting someone like me? I’m not even a godslayer like Theseus.

…Come to think of it, the saintess mentioned knowing I’d regress when I was on the guillotine. Could she be connected to Chronos?

Price, price…

Flipping sound.

From a regressor’s perspective, the content raises doubts, but it’s hard to dismiss it as nonsense. This is, after all, a book written by a time traveler.

Evans might’ve thrown in some fake info for fun, though.

At that moment, someone pounded on the door outside. Adela’s deep voice seeped through the gap.

“Oscar, are you in there?”

I quickly shoved <The Flower That Eats Time> back into the drawer while replying.

“Sister, what is it?”

“Umm… I have some very sad news.”

“What kind of sad news? Tell me.”

“Can I come in? This isn’t something light…”

“In a moment. I need to tidy up a bit.”

…To erase my expression.

If it’s something Adela’s lowering her voice for, it can only mean Leonard’s body was found at Endros Cliff. But I can’t stop laughing. Laughing has become a habit.

I raised my hand to my face and swept it down. A good trick for changing expressions. After all, a face is just a mask made of muscles and flesh; having a makeshift dressing room makes switching easier.

“All set. Come in.”

Click-clack.

“So, what is it?”

In an unusually solemn tone, I asked the question. To avoid upsetting Adela.

“…Leonard has been found.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“A few hours ago, stepmom filed a missing person report for Leonard… and the Demon Realm police found him at Endros Cliff.”

“Huh? Really? Why was Brother there?”

Maintaining seriousness but asking innocently.

Without doubting my acting for a second, Adela bit her lower lip hard and faintly moved her lips.

“…As a corpse.”

“Huh?”

“Exactly. Leonard was found dead. His body was shattered, likely from falling off the cliff.”

“…!”

“It doesn’t seem like an accident. There were signs of a fight on the cliff. Someone probably intentionally murdered Leonard… Damn it!”

Crunch.

Adela stopped mid-sentence. She bit her lips so hard blood dripped red.

Her trembling fists hint at the volcanic anger brewing inside her. She’s probably the only demon who reacts this strongly to a family member’s death.

Then again, that’s why she chose death over life to save me in my past life. That’s Adela’s charm—her unyielding principles even in the face of death.

A desire to corrupt and break those principles rises within me, but I suppress it. Even if I’m a bad guy, I won’t go that far for my sister who sacrificed herself for me.

The tiny grain of conscience remaining in a corner of my heart restrains my growing desires.

“Oscar, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

Calmly suppressing her boiling emotions, Adela lowered her gaze and grabbed my shoulders. Not painfully tight, but enough to make escape difficult.

What is this idiotic sister up to now?

“I believe this was Letavis’ doing.”

“…What??”

“Leonard and Letavis disappeared together, and Leonard was found dead at the bottom of the cliff. Signs of a fierce battle were found on top.”

“Are you saying Big Brother Letavis is the murderer who killed Little Brother Leonard?”

“Yes. In my opinion, there was some sort of conflict between them, and during the argument, Letavis pushed Leonard off the cliff. Then, remembering that killing in the Demon Realm is strictly forbidden, he fled.”

Oh, sharp deduction. For once, the idiot used clues to reason things out pretty well.

“But Little Brother Leonard had liquidation ability, right? Someone with that innate power wouldn’t die just from falling off a cliff.”

Still, she falls short.

“W-What? Hmm… could he have planned it from the start and deliberately carried it out…?”

“Pfft, that makes even less sense. Why would Big Brother do something like that? Why risk becoming a fugitive from the Demon Realm police?”

“Ah… right. No matter how much Letavis hated Leonard, there’s no reason to become a runaway…”

“Big Brother was closest to becoming the next head of the family. Why would he throw away easy opportunities?”

It’s good that Adela uses her brain. The more she thinks, the smarter she gets—it’s natural. Since she rarely picks fights with me anyway, there’s no reason to stop her from getting sharper.

Not now, though. I’ve already burned Letavis’ body completely with a cross. Even if I wanted to create a culprit, I can’t anymore. Unlike Leonard.

Clap-clap-clap!

Just then, someone hammered on the door violently. Startled by the urgency, Adela released my shoulders and spoke.

“What is it?”

“A-Agness! They caught the culprit! They caught the culprit!”

“What? Who? Caught who? Rea! Rea!”

The maid named Rea panted heavily as she delivered the news.

News I planned, prepared, and arranged.

“They found it! Near Leonard Young Master’s body, they found a mask owned by Duke King of the South!”

“…!”

Adela quickly opened the door and rushed out after the maid.

“Hehehe.”

Alone again, I chuckled softly.

Now’s not the time. I should hurry to the scene where the incident is unfolding entertainingly. I don’t want to regret missing the fun later.

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