271. Engagement Ep – Wounds

‘What the hell!’

Minseo growled.

Damn it, this shitty game, you bastard god! ─ He cursed, but he couldn’t keep his mind focused for long. Minseo quickly faded away under the shadow of Ray Dexter’s spirit.

It was clear he felt a rage that made his teeth chatter and a sense of betrayal. However, the person facing the ordeal, Ray Dexter, merely fiddled with a broken necklace.

“What’s that? A necklace?”

“…I just found it somewhere. Leira, I’ll go in first.”

As he took a step, a clatter echoed as silver coins filled his pocket, coins that hadn’t been there just moments ago. Feeling the round object weighing in his chest, Ray sheathed his sword. Ignoring Leira’s puzzled gaze, he left the open area.

But he wasn’t heading to his room. He didn’t like being cooped up. He stopped by Leira’s house and told her mother,

“I’ll take some Audre tea.”

Then he grabbed a teacup from the kitchen.

Opening the large wooden tub released a sour scent. It was the Audre fruit juice that both families had squeezed together last autumn.

Ray poured a little into the teacup and asked the mother, who was preparing lunch, for hot water to dilute it.

The ratio was heavily in favor of water.

He returned home with tea that was almost plain water. Finally in the living room, he tossed a few logs into the dying embers of the fireplace, sat at the table, and slurped it down. He sank into thought.

He was reviewing the duel he had with Leira.

Suddenly, bizarre memories flooded in. Memories unrelated to him, or rather, peculiar memories of the seven people, including himself.

Reb and Leah, Lean de Yeriel and Reriana de Yeriel, Minseo, and…

Leo Dexter and Leira Ainar.

The last one was the same person as him. His fiancée.

How much of this should I trust? ─ Ray Dexter struggled to find the gaps in his memories.

But the {Tracking Skill} activated without him realizing it. His father was in the study right now. Leira seemed to be peeking from the window over there. When he turned around, Leira had already hidden away.

Ray turned his head. Sorry, but he didn’t have the energy to pay her any mind.

He crossed his legs in the open living room and rummaged through the torrent of information about {Rules of the Back Alley}, {Noble Society}, and {History of the Ashin}. {Hunting}, {Passing Skill}, {Room Control Skill}, {Tactics}, {Leadership}, {Royal Blood}, {Dignity}, {Divine Insight}… Various abilities wrapped around him.

Images of colorful swordsmanship he had never learned swirled in his head, but Ray wasn’t happy about it. Each ability seemed to carry at least one unpleasant memory attached to it.

Ray Dexter felt the warmth from the fireplace through his feet and fumbled through his memories. Sometimes he felt angry and other times he swallowed tears that threatened to spill with the Audre tea.

Eventually, Ray muttered.

“How foolish…”

It wasn’t directed at Minseo. It was a remark meant for himself, Leo Dexter, who had no memories of the past. Ray finished off the remnants in the teacup and got up.

He had planned to go to the market with Leira.

He thought about going now, but it seemed Leira had gone alone.

The {Tracking Skill} was certainly convenient.

And when he realized she was going to buy him leather strings for his birthday, his gloomy feelings lightened somewhat. He threw the broken necklace into the fireplace.

So what should I do now?

Ray strolled around the somewhat dreary living room, even though it was furnished with decent quality furniture. He organized his thoughts and pulled out a hand mirror.

Honestly, he still couldn’t believe it.

That he was in this situation, that everything would end when he married Leira.

But when the hand mirror shone gently reflecting a startled young man’s face, he realized it wasn’t a matter of belief. Reb, in the mirror, raised his arms and said.

“It’s you, Ray. Hold on for a second. Everyone, freeze! Let’s take a little break here.”

The scenery beyond the mirror began to shake uncontrollably.

The noisy sounds of warriors and horses echoed.

“Captain! The timing is a bit off, but should we prepare a meal?” A voice shouted from Vann Bijan.

In that lively atmosphere, Ray was left speechless. Soon, a young man with a neat forehead appeared again in the mirror.

“That was a changeover in rounds. The mirror got fixed. I was debating whether to junk it after it broke last time, but this is a relief. Ray, what happened with the rebellion… Oh?! Your name has changed?”

“…”

“W-What the heck is going on? I thought the engagement started today… Ray, you learned your true name in my round, didn’t you?”

“…”

Seeing Ray Dexter remain silent, Reb also closed his mouth. He observed the somewhat unfamiliar Ray and then asked.

“Who are you?”

“…I’m Ray (Lei).”

Who wouldn’t know you’re Ray? Why is this guy acting like this ─ Reb contemplated and quickly guessed the reason.

“You regained your memories.”

“…”

“I get it. It’s confusing at first. But you’ll be alright soon. I was too.”

“…Well, I don’t know.”

Ray Dexter replied rather negatively. He remembered how this Reb guy had ‘accepted’ his own past.

But he had no intention of debating this. You are you, and I am me. Ray opened his mouth.

“It’s now the second time after your round. I don’t know where to start explaining, so I would appreciate it if you ask me questions.”

“Second time?! Was it that hard to start a rebellion here?”

“No. The rebellion succeeded. In your round. But that wasn’t the goal we were aiming for.”

“…Then?”

“The true ending condition was to fulfill Lena’s dream. In Leah’s case, it was to become a priestess and bless you.”

Reb seemed shocked and remained silent for a moment. After a while of closing his eyes and catching his breath, he spoke in a bitter voice.

“…I see. Then the engagement round must have been for Leira… that’s a pretty name. It must have been for her to become a knight.”

“…”

“But what’s the problem? You said it was a second time. Did Leira find out again that you’re the Swordmaster?”

“…Yeah.”

Ray responded with a vague affirmation.

He thought it unnecessary to relay what had happened since then. He conveyed to Reb.

“Whether you go find Hirie Gaidan or Leah, do as you please. I’ll handle my side.”

And with that, he cut off the connection. With a snap- the damaged mirror was thrown into the fireplace like the necklace.

Phew. Now I must acknowledge the terrible memories flooding my head as real.

However, it seemed Ray didn’t regret this. He gazed at the blazing fireplace as if recalling the memories, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

That smile grew wider.

He finally revealed his neat teeth and laughed, thinking, ‘How did I and Lena become mere pawns of the gods? Truly unlucky.’ Unlike Leo Dexter who always complained, he murmured with a light thrill.

“Thank you, God.”

Having realized what he needed to do and why, he immediately turned towards the study. Taking a deep breath by the door, he knocked.

– Knock knock.

“Come in.”

His father was seated in a rocking chair reading a book. Since the Nine-Day War, or rather, since his mother passed away, his father had buried himself in books, so Ray confessed.

“Father, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it? You seem to be in a good mood for some reason.”

“Before that, excuse me for a moment…”

Slowly, Ray pulled out his mother’s heirloom. Noel Dexter watched his son draw his sword in confusion then widened his eyes in shock.

The sword blazed brilliantly. But what came next from his son may have been even more shocking.

“Father, I’ve received a prophecy. The one who incited the Nine-Day War is the evil god Malhas, and the deity has commanded me to defeat him.”

“What… what does that mean?”

Noel shot up from his seat.

A civil war sparked by the mysterious death of a young king. After experiencing that chaos, Noel Dexter wondered what so many, including himself, fought for, why they spilled so much blood, he had been living in grief after sending away his wife…

Ray stated firmly.

“It’s just as I said. Currently, our kingdom’s king, ‘Paolo de Klaus,’ is not human, but an evil god. Father, please help me.”

Ray felt no discomfort in asking his father for help. In fact, he didn’t understand why he hadn’t asked for his father’s assistance until now. No one was as supportive as his father.

Though it was due to a lack of past memories, he had been too cautious. There was also another thing he overlooked because he had no memories.

His mother.

Minseo and the ‘us’ from the last round hadn’t learned about Mother. My brave mother. Although she passed away early, she was everything to me.

Until I got engaged to Leira, I lived for my mother, and I still miss her. The love I have for Leira could be because I long for my mother. Just like Leira, my mother was a warrior of the Ainara tribe who aimed to become a knight and participated in the Maunin-Letii Tournament.

Mother met my father, a knight from the Asran Kingdom who was helping with the tournament, and soon got married and had me. Then years later, she got caught up in the Nine-Day War and passed away…

‘Thank you, God, once again.’

Ray understood what kind of arrangement the once malevolent deity had done regarding the game called Raising Lena. That we simply had to dedicate ourselves for the sake of raising Lena, and nothing would be given to us,

[ Quest: Guardian, 1/4 – Barbatos ]

Perhaps I could bring my mother back to life. Ray’s heart raced.

After defeating Barbatos, the Childhood Friend scenario changed. In the place where Barbatos vanished, Reb’s mother was alive, meaning her passing was surely connected to Barbatos in some way.

The same applied to the Beggar Siblings’ mother, Ainass de Yeriel.

It seemed she was killed by Prince Eric de Yeriel, serving Oriax. So what if Oriax disappears? And if Malhas, the one who incited the Nine-Day War, disappears, will my mother, my mother…

Come back to life?

After finishing his conversation with his confused father, Ray emerged into the open area and broke into a smile.

Hahaha! ‘Guardian’ huh.

It’s a grand name attached, and if I fail, the world is supposed to perish, but the objective of this quest was to bring our mothers back to life. When I think about it, other than the last round, neither Astroth nor Malhas nor Oriax had ever descended. Those of us present in the ending credits mostly enjoyed the fate given to us.

Barbatos from the Childhood Friend scenario.

Malhas from the Engagement scenario.

Oriax from the Beggar Siblings scenario.

Then why was Astroth involved here? Whose mother are we trying to resurrect? Hahaha. I guess I wish she would help us save our mothers while bringing down Astroth as a bonus.

Ray wandered around the open area, oblivious to the cold falling snowflakes.

Blocked by limits on rounds and death, and with the necklace broken, his path ahead seemed bleak.

But now that he understood the true ending was for the Lenas, and the quest existed for the Leos, he no longer felt fear for the future. If the entirety of the past was a process meant to make the Lenas happy and bring back his mother,

Then I had no choice but to accept it.

Ray Dexter grasped a single snowflake that fell from the sky. At the moment he clenched his fist to crush it, “Ray! What have you been doing alone since a while ago?” Leira appeared.

Ray did not turn back but spoke to his fiancée.

“Leira. Let’s go to Barnau. I’m going to visit my mother’s grave. I think… I can go now.”

“…!”

In the open area where snowflakes were pouring down, the ground was dotted with Ray’s footsteps, wrapped in white silence. Ray had resolved himself, and Leira silently embraced him from behind.

For the sake of the wounded fiancée.