Episode 37: Retreat, Retreat!
When I came to, I was already at the Halsenberg Castle.
I found myself standing in the middle of the Audience Hall.
“…Why?”
After staring blankly at the ground for a while, a voice suddenly echoed from above.
“…”
I looked up to see Leira.
She must have detected the summoning magic or my presence inside the castle.
In her right hand, she held the broom blade I’d seen countless times by now, and in her left hand, a giant iron ball.
Although I’d never seen her like this in this life, if I imagined her in a sewer, it would be an eerily familiar sight.
Despite myself, a chuckle escaped me.
“Oh, so my sneaky departure wasn’t so stealthy after all?”
“Why did you come back alone?”
She was crying.
“Keek! You have the audacity to show your face again after what you did,” she shrieked, pressing her broom blade against my neck.
I didn’t move. After glancing at the blade, my eyes met hers—her gaze sharper than the weapon.
Leira continued bitterly. “Last night, master was talking about you.”
“…”
“You’re supposedly an extraordinary person. Perhaps you’re the true hero, or maybe the one who could save us from this hell. Even after being betrayed, there was still hope—”
“…”
“And then this morning, both you and master disappeared. I was beside myself with worry until I sensed an enormous wave of ancient magic a moment ago from the undead den in the north.”
I remained silent, unable to respond.
The atmosphere suggested she wouldn’t hesitate to sever my head with a mere whisper from me.
“… So, that’s how it went.”
To myself, I muttered while slowly tearing my shirt open. I began to write something on it.
Though a ragged shirt and blood aren’t ideal writing tools, thanks to someone familiar with blood-writing, the process became somewhat second nature.
The words on my shirt came together quickly.
“… Aren’t you going to explain?”
Just as I finished, her blade pierced my left shoulder without warning. Startled, I stood up immediately, suppressing a scream.
Thud. Blood poured out as she withdrew the blade, casually cleaning it off.
Spitting out her words like venom, she accused. “Is this what you gave back in return for master’s final trust?”
“…”
“Are all heroes from another world this way, no matter where they’re from?”
“…”
“How much more do you plan to take from me before you’re satisfied?”
As I continued my silence, she realized the conversation was fruitless.
Suddenly, she disappeared from sight.
Clang!
Swords clashed.
The sword that had pierced me countless times before was unexpectedly and comically easy to block this time.
“Why?! Why do you always meddle with us?! Why don’t you leave us alone?! Why?!”
Leira screamed like a berserk beast before rushing forward. However…
Clang, clang, clang! None of her numerous attacks could reach me beyond the Vestark I’d raised.
It was a one-sided battle that even left me surprised.
“!”
Her movements were clear, and with every missed strike, her emotions grew more intense.
Conserving my strength, I evaded her attacks gracefully, despite having given up one shoulder already, the gap between us undeniable. I fully grasped the difference forty or so levels could make.
“Die already!!!”
At some point, she gave up the broom and began spinning the iron ball in the air before throwing it at my face.
The iron ball whizzed into view with a tearing sound. Slowly raising my Vestark vertically,
“Seven Sword Pierce.”
Pipipip!
I simultaneously projected magical swords in seven different directions. Simultaneously, I lunged forward.
The iron ball thrown by Leira had already been cut in half by my Vestark.
“It’s… it’s a cowardly trick!”
Leira released the chain and quickly dodged my magical swords.
Pzzzzip! Sparks flew wherever the swords struck.
With gymnastic-like precision, Leira narrowly dodged all but one which grazed her right waist.
“Ughh… This… this…,” she said, spilling blood as she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
“Krrrh… Is… Is this…”
The one-sided slash in tandem with the Seven Sword Pierce was one of the Castle Halsenberg skill’s notorious tricks.
It was almost like a sword art, yet the direction of sword slashes had no relation to the direction where the magical swords would shoot out.
A technique usable solely by the martial magus Halsenberg… or now, by only me.
“I… I’m still…!”
Before her, wounded as she was, could rise again.
Keek! I pressed my Vestark against her neck this time.
“…”
“…”
The situation was exactly reversed.
Ironically smiling, I shook my head and lowered my weapon.
In an instant, Leira’s brow twitched, her eyes now filled with humiliation and hatred.
“… I refuse any pity. Kill me.”
She bit her lip tightly, evidently mistaking my actions for pity.
Do not misinterpret my intentions. I’m not some soft fool to pity someone who has killed me twenty-one times.
That’d make me not just a fool, but a moron.
I chuckled maniacally, looking directly at her.
“Are you insane? I just don’t like dealing with nuisances.”
“…”
“Killing you serves no purpose. It’ll be as if it never happened.”
“Never… happened?”
At that moment, uncontrollable waves of killing intent erupted from her eyes.
Shaking violently with fury, she gripped the black sword with all her might.
Blood poured from her tightly clenched hand, yet she ignored it and approached me with determined strides.
“It’s not going to be like it never happened! Your actions, our castle’s downfall, Guin losing his mind, the lady’s death, and master’s death!!!”
Shreeiiik! Leira’s cry reverberated as the broom blade rushed toward me.
I stared at it indifferently.
Here, if I just exerted a little force with my Vestark, her delicate fingers and neck would fly off.
And I would certainly block her final blow.
‘There is no better time for an escape.’
Leira is no longer in play; Halsenberg is absent. No one can stop me from leaving.
This is practically a golden opportunity to effortlessly complete a legendary quest.
‘Retired sewer murderer Leira, count yourself lucky for running into such a sucker.’
—Sorry.
—Once, I dared to dream of a future for Castle Halsenberg.
If only I didn’t feel sorry every time I said I don’t feel sorry, you would’ve lost to my sword already.
This choice wouldn’t even have entered the equation.
“…”
After a period of silence, Leira’s eyes popped open in surprise.
Perhaps realizing just how vulnerable her attack had been, she must have envisioned her inevitable demise.
But ta-da! In this world, absolutes don’t exist.
“… Shit… What… the…”
It hurts like hell indeed. And the familiar sting makes it twice as painful.
Staring at the broom blade piercing my chest, these thoughts crossed my mind.
It felt nostalgic somehow.
It’s been a month. Such is the feeling of being slashed again like this.
Looking back, time flies. Damn it.
“Why… Why… How could this…”
Mumbling to herself, Leira looked at her blood-drenched hands. It’s likely her own blood as well as mine.
As I watched her confused eyes, I contemplated what to say.
“You shouldn’t have turned down my date request if you didn’t want this, you damned witch.”
“What… what?”
I decided to deliver one final vulgar remark.
With all the strength I had left, I smirked,
“Don’t try to act high and mighty next time… Sh…it…”
With that defiant middle finger as my last act, my vision faded.
It’s freezing.
The sensation accompanying the twenty-first death was that.
*
[The regression point for immortality has been updated.]
[Date – Mittelrand Kingdom Calendar/Year 547, December 20, 7:00 AM]
[Location – The northern border of the Halsenberg territory, the Plains of Snow]
[Notice – The Undying Demon King is nearing hatching.]
[Notice – Every 12 hours, the regression point will be updated until the Undying Demon King fully revives.]
The time has come. I immediately began final preparations.
“I sincerely hope I never have to see this.”
Saying this, nonetheless, I rummaged through my backpack and retrieved the Box of the Dead.
And I widened my eyes.
[Item Information]
[Name: Box of the Dead]
[Notice: Item Updated – The stored item in the Box of the Dead from a previous life has been updated.]
“… Huh.”
I dropped the note I was holding without realizing it. After a long moment of blankness, I opened the ominous Box of the Dead.
Inside was the note I had just planned to place, and above it, another hastily scribbled note.
I took out the trembling notes. They read:
—Drop everything and head back to the Audience Hall.
It must be the final testament I wanted to leave after failing.
“…”
I realized at once that I had failed.
I gave it my best shot but succumbed. That’s why the Box of the Dead item had been updated.
Initially intending to use it for such instances, the me from my previous incarnation must’ve done the same.
‘… But why return to the Audience Hall?’
This thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t question it.
After all, the hint left behind by the past me who wagered his life was unlikely to be a joke or prank. I didn’t have that much genius-level thinking.
Ultimately, I turned to Halsenberg who was preparing fully,
“Um… Lord Halsenberg.”
“Hmm. My blades are ready whenever you are!”
“… But let’s fall back this time.”
“… Huh?”
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and made what I hoped was a convincing retreat proposal.
Fortunately, Halsenberg accepted my rather flimsy excuse of being underprepared. And thus, our attack plan was postponed to the same time the next day.
Regretfully heading back to the castle with him, I arrived at the Audience Hall amidst anxiety and guilt.
There, in front of me, stood—
My cold corpse, clearly marked by Leira’s broom blade.
“Whoa!”
I was so shocked, I nearly rolled my eyes. Halsenberg, of course, along with Leira who was outside the hall, came running in.
No matter how I thought about it, explaining my corpse sprawled out in the Audience Hall would be extraordinarily difficult.
“Hey, why are you crying out like that? Did you see a ghost?”
“Um… Master? No, isn’t this… don’t you see it?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
That’s correct.
The corpse is only visible to me. The others cannot see it.
Looking at their baffled expressions, I managed to regain some composure. After explaining vaguely, I expressed my desire to be alone in the Audience Hall. Lord Halsenberg obligingly agreed. Fortunately, it was daytime.
“… Phew.”
After a deep breath, I slowly approached the residual memory with Izanami’s Heart.
“Ah…! Gahhh…!!”
A waterfall of agony and memories engulfed me.
Though I tried to suppress my groans, I couldn’t entirely mask my heaving breaths and slight noises.
“Mr. Jung Yong! Are you alright?! We keep hearing your groans…”
And then, the moment my memories were restored, Lord Halsenberg re-entered the hall with a worried look. Perfect timing.
As I looked into his concerned face, weary from the memory restoration—
“… Don’t live such a frustrating life.”
I delivered the long-anticipated older generation’s advice before losing consciousness again.
