Chapter 289 : Time Traveler

I won.

I let out a long breath and looked at Lasol, who had collapsed on the ground.

The Hero of Light, who had been sparkling, was covered in dust and was glaring at me, a complete mess.

Her face was half-filled with disbelief and half with resentment.

"Haha."

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

I won.

I was the one who won.

The Hero of Light. I had defeated the master of the Pure White Sword, one of the Eight Sword Masters.

Of course, Siri's blessing and Ketel's sudden help had been effective in the process.

But in any case, a win was a win.

The process was not that important.

What was important was the fact that I had won.

Anyway, that was that.

The surroundings were quiet.

There were many spectators in white armor.

But not even a breath could be heard.

Instead, they were speaking with their expressions.

I didn't know for sure, but it seemed they were very surprised.

It seemed I was the only one who had believed I would win.

[Hmm.]

"...You too, Master?"

[...]

Seeing that there was no answer, it seemed the Heavenly Demon had also bet on Lasol's victory.

"Tsk."

It's okay.

After all, you come into this world alone and you leave alone.

I looked at the white sword in my hand.

It was not a fake.

It was definitely a true masterpiece created by the master blacksmith, Ophosis, with the help of the god of blacksmiths, Volund.

Because.

[...You are amazing. Apostle of Ketel.]

An unfamiliar voice came from the sword.

It was the voice of a graceful woman, and it suited the name of the Holy Sword.

I closed my eyes and answered the voice.

"Where did you bet?"

[Pardon?]

"Me and Lasol. The apostle of Ketel and the Hero of Light. Where did you bet?"

[Of course...]

"Of course?"

[I bet on Lasol.]

"Are you surprised?"

[Yes. To be honest, I didn't expect it.]

"It seems I was the only one who believed I would win."

[Well, Lasol is stronger.]

"Shut up. The one who wins is the stronger one. I just proved it with the result."

[...]

"If you don't give up, sometimes a pleasant rebellion happens."

I stealthily opened my eyes and looked at the black bracelet on my wrist.

This guy had been diligently absorbing the power of the sword since I had taken the Pure White Sword.

[Is that... my father's work?]

"That's right. It's a body that will soon bloom into a brilliant rainbow."

[Ah, the God-Slaying Sword of prophecy...!]

"I don't know if it's a God-Slaying Sword or not. I was just given the mission by Ophosis to hold each of you once."

[What number am I?]

"I wonder. The third, I think."

[There are still many left.]

"I'm a positive person, so I'll just say it's already three."

[A good attitude.]

The Pure White Sword asked me.

[Son of Ketel. What do you plan to do with me?]

"I wonder. Should I run away with it?"

[Would you be so kind as to return me to my original owner?]

I looked at Lasol, who was lying on the ground.

The hero was lying there, looking up at me without moving.

Because I was stepping on her chest with one foot, and pointing the Pure White Sword at her neck.

Come to think of it, it was a very tense situation.

It was natural that the holy knights couldn't even breathe.

Because the hero's life was on the line.

If I put a little more strength here, the hero would die.

Come to think of it, I was calmly talking to the Pure White Sword in this suffocating situation.

A situation where I was muttering to myself with a sword pointed at the hero's throat.

To others, I must have looked like a madman.

But since I was a man who had always talked to the Heavenly Demon without hesitation, I didn't care.

"Why? If I had my way, I'd like to give it to Siri as a gift."

[...The Saint of Pure White is not a swordsman.]

"So what. A gift is up to the giver."

[No...]

"If you don't like it, convince me. Try to change my mind. Why should I give you back?"

If you think about it, this was a spoil of war. And that was the winner's share.

The Pure White Sword let out a breath and said in a reverent tone.

[Because I need Lasol, and Lasol also needs me.]

I listened quietly.

[Lasol is a more soft-hearted child than you think. The entire empire is looking at her. She is living under an unimaginable pressure.]

[Lasol's only hobby is reading the holy scripture that contains the doctrine of light.]

[She reads and rereads the holy scripture, and she imagines the blueprint of the future to come by fitting the pieces of the prophecy together as she pleases. And she would draw the role she would play there.]

[Lasol has been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. She was as happy as a child when she met you. Saying that the prophecy had been fulfilled.]

"Hmm."

I can't forget it.

As soon as she was summoned, she rushed at me like a shooting star.

It was probably one of the most intense first meetings I've ever had.

[Lasol has a role to play. As the daughter of the midday sun god, Hope. As the apostle of light and the hero of the empire, she has many things to do.]

"Is that all?"

[Pardon?]

"It's not enough."

[If Lasol is not there, it may become a task that you have to do. Is it still not enough?]

"..."

[Let me tell you one more thing. Do you know the fact that one of the nine swords that my father forged has been lost?]

"What?"

This was the first I had heard of this.

[The Indigo Sword has been lost. It met a storm while crossing the sea on a ship. It must be stuck at the very bottom of the sea.]

If that was true, it was impossible to pull that sword out again.

Not only would it be impossible to pinpoint its exact location, but how on earth would you pull something up from the bottom of the sea?

"...Damn it. Then the rainbow is impossible forever?"

[That's not it. Because there is a simple solution.]

"And what is that?"

[You just have to go back in time to before the Indigo Sword was lost.]

"..."

I blinked for a moment, dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me?"

[I am not kidding, time traveler. It is written in the prophecy.]

"That damn prophecy."

[The prophecy is true.]

"Bullshit."

Suddenly, the bracelet was quiet, so I glanced at the inside of the bracelet.

A brightly shining white band had been added.

I looked at Lasol, who was lying under my feet.

She was still glaring at me with a resentful face, even in a situation where her life was on the line.

I looked at Lasol, and then I stabbed the sword of light that had been pointed at her neck.

Stab!

"Heok!"

"Hmph!"

I could hear someone gasping for breath next to me.

I took a few steps back and watched Lasol slowly get up.

I had no intention of killing her or taking her sword anyway.

Lasol, with only her upper body raised, looked at the holy sword that was stuck next to her neck, and then at me.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

I asked in return.

"Why should I kill you?"

"Because I lost."

"Do you have to die if you lose? If that's the case, I've already died dozens of times."

"..."

Lasol glared at me without a word.

"It seems you have a role left. Add one more to it."

"What is it?"

"The underground fighting arena. Do you know about it?"

"...The underground fighting arena?"

I pointed at the holy knights, who were visibly flustered, and said.

"Ask those guys. They'll know better than anyone."

When Lasol's gaze turned to the holy knights, they froze as if they had met the grim reaper.

"...It seems so."

I held out my hand to Lasol, who had half-raised her body.

"...?"

"It was a good fight, friend."

"...Friend?"

She looked up at me with a dazed face and then took my hand in a daze.

And I pulled her hand and helped her up completely.

"Lasol."

"...Ashuban."

"Will we meet again?"

"...We will."

I grinned.

"Then, let's meet again then. At the end of the prophecy."

With those words, I turned and walked away.

The guys who had been watching quietly from behind naturally followed me.

"Lady, it was a wonderful battle. Please don't be discouraged just because you lost to that guy..."

In the meantime, I also hit the debauched knight, who was flirting, on the back of the head and brought him with me.

We headed north, but no one blocked our way.

After walking far away like that.

"Hey."

"What."

"You can't see them anymore, right?"

"Right."

As soon as I heard Lyle's answer.

Swoosh-

My legs gave out.

The world tilted sideways.

"Big Brother!"

Siri quickly caught me.

And Lyle clicked his tongue and supported me.

"I knew it."

To be honest, my body had already passed its limit.

How many secret techniques had I used?

I had squeezed out my inner energy to the limit.

It was amazing that I hadn't collapsed there.

I muttered, feeling my vision gradually darken.

"Damn it... he's so strong."

Beyond my fading consciousness, I could hear their voices.

—Huh... I still can't believe it. To think he beat the Hero of Light.

—That's my big brother!

—Siri, are you okay?

—Of course! I'm... huh?

—Tsk. Neyman, you carry Siri. We'll have to get a carriage as soon as we go.

—I'm sorry...

—What are you sorry for? It's all this guy's fault. To think he's the captain...

Their conversation faded away...

[You've worked hard.]

Was it an auditory hallucination?

I think I heard the Heavenly Demon's voice at the end...

* * *

I had a dream.

What more can I say.

It was a strange dream.

I met a man who was carrying a bathtub full of red liquid on his head.

I had seen him before.

This time, I just watched him without knocking him down.

Then, he suddenly tripped and fell, and all the red liquid in the bathtub poured out onto the floor.

"..."

As I was watching him quietly, the fallen man looked at me and said.

"This is your..."

"My what."

I asked, thinking I would beat him up if he didn't answer this time, and the man answered.

"Time."

"Time?"

"Can you pick up the time that has been spilled?"

"No."

"That's right."

When the man snapped his fingers, the red liquid that had been spilled shot up and returned to the bathtub.

And the man put the bathtub on his head again and walked backwards.

It was as if time had been rewound.

The man looked at me, happily doing the backstep.

"Time traveler. You are the exception."

I woke up from my dream, looking at the absurd sight.

When I woke up, I was in a rattling carriage.

The back of my head was protected by something soft and warm.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar and welcome face.

"You, are you okay?"

It was Shushuruta, who had been waiting eagerly in Novus village after completing her mission.

Her eyes, which resembled the night sky, were full of worry.

"I heard you had a fight with the Hero of Light. What on earth were you thinking, doing such a dangerous thing?"

"..."

"You should have just fought her moderately and then tried to run away. Even for you, the Eight Sword Masters are on a different level. You did the same thing with the Knight of Frost, so why are you so reckless?"

"..."

"At the very least, you should have attacked together. To think you rushed in alone. Phew... it's a miracle, a miracle. It's a wonder you're not dead. Are you listening to me?"

I looked up at Shushuruta's face, which was nagging me with a worried expression...

And I pushed her face away with my palm.

"I can't live to my full life expectancy because of you... eunyak!"

As soon as I woke up, I was hit on the head by Shushuruta and got up.

It was a refreshing and pleasant awakening.

Before I forgot, I first paid my respects to the Heavenly Demon, whom I respected so much.

"Master. Your sleepy disciple is up."

[Oh.]

I moved my stiff body slightly, being hit on the shoulder by Shushuruta.

Except for the fact that my whole body was aching as if someone had beaten me with a club while I was sleeping. Surprisingly, there was no place that hurt.

My arms and legs were fine.

It didn't hurt as much as I thought.

I looked out the window.

I could see the trees passing by.

"And Neyman and Daryl?"

Shushuruta answered in a slightly sulky tone.

"We parted ways in Novus."

That meant we had already passed Novus...

"Already?"

"It's not already. It's been over a week since you collapsed and slept like the dead."

"Hmm."

It felt like it had been a while.

Wasn't this the first time I had been unconscious for so long since Blake?

"Have I grown? To think I'm fine even after almost dying."

Shushuruta snorted.

"That's mostly thanks to that girl. She poured divine magic of day and night on you whenever she had a chance."

At Shushuruta's words, I looked across and saw a girl sleeping soundly on a long chair.

It was Siri.

"Huh?"

I was surprised.

Because most of her snow-white hair had turned black.

"What, our Siri. What's this."

About two-thirds of it had become as dark as the night.

Shushuruta explained to me, who was surprised and fiddling with Siri's hair.

"You didn't know? When you were fighting the hero, she said she heard Ketel's whisper."

"What?"

"Did she say she witnessed the miracle of the moon eating the sun? She borrowed Ketel's power."

"...!"

Was it Siri's work?

Come to think of it, there was no one else who could have created such a miracle.

No matter how much Ketel liked me, she couldn't have sent out a miracle that had such a big impact on the ground without any medium.

It was something that only someone with a huge amount of divine power, like the Hero of Light, could do.

"Mmm..."

Just then, as if she had been woken up by the sound of our voices, Siri stirred and opened her eyes.

"Big Brother...?"

"...Huh?"

Her sleepy eyes were divided into black and white.

(End of Chapter)