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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The weather had turned a bit chilly.
Autumn was drawing to a close. Of course, this was inside the Trial, but even here, the seasons seemed to change.
‘A consideration from the God of Fate?’
There was no real reason for the Trial to care about our sense of disconnect. In fact, the Trial of the God of Regret had abruptly shifted to a desert.
But the God of Fate had made an effort to eliminate any spatial dissonance.
‘That’s probably because of Elsie and me being in this space.’
The cool air touched my face, which was exposed outside the blanket. But inside, it was warm. We were lying under the blankets in an inn in Basilium, recreated within the Trial.
-Snore
Elsie slept soundly, her face buried in my neck. Her warm breath tickled my skin with each exhale, and her downy, fine blonde hair occasionally brushed against my chin.
My right arm was pinned beneath her, but even though my Strength stat was lower than hers, her weight hadn’t changed, so she didn’t feel heavy.
‘The problem wasn’t my Strength stat, though.’
I had put in a lot of effort today. It wasn’t my first time anymore, and I’d become quite proficient.
Besides, every time I reached my limit, Elsie’s provocative words brought me back from the brink.
“You know, I’m a virgin again this time. Want to check?”
I already knew. Our last time had also been within the Trial. But hearing it from her lips had a different effect.
“I’m a princess of the Lodreim Kingdom, you know… Shouldn’t you appreciate and savor the moment a little more?”
That was beyond my control. It was Elsie’s fault for having such an alluring body, despite being a princess.
Besides, she was the one deliberately provoking me. I almost lost it when she asked me to call her Ercia and suggested we change the location to the inn we stayed at two years ago.
No matter how hard I tried not to, the image of Elsie from two years ago kept overlapping with the present. And the timing of her provocations was impeccable, rekindling my passion every time I was about to burn out…
…But it was still too much.
It wasn’t Elsie’s first time either, and she seemed even more talented in this area than I was. If I let my guard down for even a moment, I’d be lost in a haze of pleasure.
So, I had to replenish my stamina eight times.
‘What am I going to do outside?’
The one thing I had going for me was that although my stamina was significantly lower than Elsie’s, my recovery rate was abnormally fast.
So, it would be better to spread out Elsie’s overflowing libido rather than receiving it all at once. Time and place would be an issue, since Yuseora would also be traveling with us.
‘Still…’
I didn’t dislike it. No, that was an understatement. How many men would refuse the pleasure of a woman?
But Elsie was no longer just a woman to me. She was a comrade I could trust with my life. And…
‘Are we… not lovers yet?’
Neither of us had confessed our feelings. I liked her, and she liked me. But we hadn’t put it into words.
‘But we’ve already done everything?’
Perhaps things had progressed a bit too quickly. We’d jumped straight into the act before even holding hands. Wait, did holding hands while using Dark Night count?
‘That’s not important right now.’
Elsie’s soft skin against mine was important. And even more important than that was her warm body heat. It was incredibly comforting.
‘Elsie…’
I wasn’t someone who had many deep connections. I always had to move on to the next place just as bonds started to form.
I’d even had to kill Libero, someone I’d wanted to learn from, someone I’d genuinely wanted to spend time with.
Elsie was special. She’d put in unimaginable effort to reach me, someone who only thought of connections one-sidedly. And through her, I finally understood what a “connection” truly meant.
The connection between Elsie and me was, in a way, the simplest kind. We both felt the same way about each other. Holding her like this brought me undeniable happiness and a sense of relief.
‘It’s also a driving force that keeps me going.’
The reason I was trying to save this world was because of this happiness.
Elsie, and all my other connections. Because of them, I could feel so much, even amidst difficult battles, and they kept me moving forward.
‘I have to admit, connections are just as important as regret and reality.’
That was the greatest reward I received from the Hero Academy.
-I’m glad to hear you say that.
The voice of the God of Voyeurism, or rather, the God of Fate, echoed in my mind.
It was still the polite, calm male voice, incongruous with its name. I imagined him as a bespectacled scholar if he had a physical form.
As I’ve said many times, I am not the God of Voyeurism. Voyeurism, or rather, observation, is simply a tool to develop my concept.
‘Sure, whatever.’
What I wanted to express was gratitude. Now that I was graduating, I wouldn’t be able to use this Trial anymore. I wanted to thank him for everything he’d done for me.
No need for thanks. Everything I did was based on our contract. If anything, I should be thanking you for helping me develop my concept.
If that was the case, there was no need. He seemed to have already read my mind. Then I could bring up a different topic.
‘By the way, I tried using the reward you gave me from the Trial. I did feel a cost, but it wasn’t as significant as the skill description made it out to be.’
-The cost related to lifespan varies greatly from person to person. And you are… No, I shouldn’t say anything.
‘What shouldn’t you say?’
-To explain that, I would have to delve into matters you’re not yet privy to. Just know that there is nothing wrong with the skill’s description. Even we cannot interfere with that.
It was a bit unsettling. But he clearly held some goodwill towards me, so I doubted he was deliberately hiding something.
That meant it must be important information I wasn’t ready to know yet.
‘Something about the knowledge from 500 years ago?’
I knew almost everything about the Hundred Braves game’s timeline. If there was something I didn’t know, it was likely related to the Chaos Era 500 years ago, or even earlier.
-But you don’t need to be so anxious. If things proceed as they are, you’ll eventually learn this information. When the time comes, another god, not me, might tell you.
Another god. That meant a god other than the ones I’d met so far: Regret, Reality, and Chains.
‘The very nature of these gods is a mystery.’
All I knew was that they existed within the Trials and were omnipotent within their respective concepts.
They didn’t directly appear in Hundred Braves, and any records of their existence outside the Trials predated the Chaos Era, so I had no way of knowing more. I still had so much to learn.
-It saddens me that I know but cannot tell you.
It wasn’t the God of Fate’s fault. He, too, seemed bound by some restriction.
-However, thanks to you, my concept has recovered considerably, and I can now share a piece of information you might be able to deduce.
‘Information I can deduce?’
-Yes, incomplete information, but perhaps you can complete it with the knowledge you already possess.
The restrictions binding the gods. Because of them, the gods couldn’t reveal information outside their domains that I didn’t already know.
But even information they revealed within the confines of my knowledge could be helpful.
‘Most of it was important information I’d overlooked, forgotten, or ignored.’
-So, it would be wise to pay close attention to this information.
‘What is it?’
-The god that the church serves is different from us.
‘Different?’
This was unexpected. Not entirely contradictory to what I had thought, but unexpected nonetheless. Because…
‘I haven’t really thought about the god the church serves.’
I’d simply considered them as a single group. This was largely influenced by Seo Yoo-rang’s near-atheistic views.
So, I naturally thought of the church as an organization that managed Heroes, rather than one that worshipped a god. And what the God of Fate had just said was something I’d overlooked, but already knew.
‘The god the church serves is a monotheistic god.’
This was a fact stated in the game’s setting. The god the church served was a monotheistic god, also known as the God of Creation.
On the other hand, the gods I met in the Trials were multiple gods with different names.
‘I already knew they were different… but why emphasize it now?’
I cannot tell you that. But I can offer one more piece of advice: there is no such thing as good and evil in the world.
‘No such thing as good and evil?’
Because neither you, nor the Heroes, nor the Demon Kings, nor the church, not even we gods, can be judged solely by good and evil.
As the God of Fate, I would say that judging by connections is the most accurate… but not everyone is connected to everything.
What was he trying to say? That all beings cannot be judged by good and evil alone? I already knew that, and it was an undeniable fact. But I wondered why he was emphasizing it.
The god said to me,
-But you don’t need to be confused. At least I see you as a righteous person and I support you. I hope you make the decisions you believe are right.
‘Decisions I believe are right?’
-Yes, the path you walk will undoubtedly be rough and challenging. But that does not mean failure. Even the God of Chains has bet everything on you in this world, which shows how well you’re doing.
I was doing well. The God of Chains had also said that. But the God of Fate was adding something else.
-So, you don’t need to be swayed by the world’s definition of good and evil. That does not mean the church is evil and the Demon Kings are good. The Demon King faction is clearly trying to destroy the world. I simply want you to make your own judgments and have conviction.
Make my own judgments and have conviction. Those were certainly words to keep in mind. Perhaps I could use this to uncover new truths. And applying it right now…
‘There may be no good or evil, but you seem like a good god, God of Fate.’
At least he was better than the God of Regret, with his terrible hobby of triggering people’s trauma, and the God of Chains, who always looked down on people from atop a giant tree.
But it was time to say goodbye to him as well.
‘I’m grateful for your help and your Trials this past year.’
-Likewise. Then, our contract will now end.
He was right. With graduation, the contract we made when we first met had reached its expiration date.
The contract was for him to help me conceal the fact that I was hiding my swordsmanship and acting as Seo Yoo-rang. And its duration was until I graduated from the Hero Academy.
The price had been telling him why I was hiding my swordsmanship.
‘Come to think of it, I told him it was because I wanted to learn archery, since my swordsmanship had reached its limit.’
That was indeed one of the reasons I entered the Hero Academy. But thinking back, I hadn’t been honest. I had even hidden my loneliness from myself.
‘However…’
Back then, the God of Fate had said he couldn’t read my mind. Because it didn’t fall under his domain. But considering what just happened, there was a contradiction.
‘He read my mind when I felt grateful to him.’
It was only natural. That was a thought related to ‘fate.’ Then, he must have known I was lonely back then.
‘Is that right?’
-…Yes. But it was still a sufficient price since it was also true that you entered the Hero Academy to learn archery. Then I’ll return the commission I received.
The contract’s commission, separate from the price. It was leaving the Gravitus Replicant with him until graduation. Now, I should get it back.
But then…
-However, a commission is just a commission. I’d like to extend our contract.
‘Extend?’
-Yes, it’s nothing much… but gods are beings bound by contracts and unable to act on their own volition. I don’t think I can protect your records within the Trial without extending our contract. So, I’d like to extend it.
There was no downside for me. If what he said was true, it felt wrong to simply end the contract.
‘Alright. Let’s extend it.’
-Thank you. I’ve placed it in your black inventory, so you can check it there.
As soon as I heard that, I reached into my inventory. He must have placed it there without my knowledge. My hand grasped a familiar hilt. It felt cool and heavy.
‘It’s been a while.’
Even if most of the memories were gone, it was a sword I had used for hundreds of years.
Naturally, it was more precious to me than the bow I received from Lyudmila. I probably wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary now.
‘But I missed you.’
As I was savoring the reunion with my sword…
“Allen?”
Elsie seemed to have woken up when I moved my arm to reach into my inventory.
“Why do you have such a happy expression…?”
Her cheerful expression, looking at my face, instantly turned cold. Her senses must have tingled.
She swiftly snatched my hand from my inventory. The Gravitus Replicant was pulled out along with it.
“Is this sword… the Gravitus Replicant you used to use?”
“Uh, yeah.”
A chill ran down my spine. Elsie looked back and forth between my face and the sword, then said,
“I never thought I’d have to compete with a sword for your affections. This is unexpected.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing. I guess I just have to try harder.”
Elsie’s hand moved beneath the blanket.
“Wait, Elsie…!”
“Be quiet.”
She bit my lip.
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