Episode 93
< Son. >
He smiled helplessly as he saw Chepesch approaching him.
Then.
< ...What have I done? >
As if he realized it belatedly.
Should it be considered that the demon’s mental manipulation was released belatedly?
‘…No, I don’t think so.’
If it’s a runaway like Draculion, mental manipulation is just a slight push on the back.
In the end, everything was done by Draculion of his own will.
And Chepes.
“Father, don’t try to run away.”
I told my father firmly.
It was a word that put a dagger in my father’s chest, but I couldn’t help it.
Draculion looked at his son with rather dim eyes.
< ...Chepeshu. >
Damn Poison… …
He giggled and murmured.
< Yes... ...Your mother. >
“She was happy.”
Tzepes said firmly before he could say anything.
“My mother passed away, but I was never unhappy with her. She loved her husband and wanted the best for her children.”
< Happiness... .... >
“He did not consider his life unhappy. He was short-lived, but he was more concerned about our sorrow and misfortune than his own death.”
Chepeshu lowered his head.
A few drops of rain began to fall from the cloudy sky.
little by little.
They fell through Chepesch’s hair.
Only he knows what the water running down his cheek means.
“…My mother was worried about this situation.”
< Ha... ...Haha. >
Draculion laughed weakly.
falling raindrops.
He spoke slowly in a sad voice, as if he had decided not to think deeply about which one fell on his face.
< I wanted it back. >
“That didn’t work.”
< Nevertheless, I... .... >
“What sins were these innocent people caught up in your greed! What a son of yours, forced to bear their sacrifice!”
Chepesch shouted as if vomiting blood.
“If you truly cared about your family, you should have had a serious conversation with them at least once. As a father, you should have given me a chance at least once!”
Draculion was silent.
“But what did you do? Caught in the fantasy of that dungeon over and over again… …When you suddenly come up with such a topic… …”
Chepes continued to vomit.
what happened to you
How much you have been neglected and what you have overcome alone.
[It’s a pitiful story.]
Chepesch was neglected for a long time.
Draculion was a good father.
until my mother died.
No, I don’t know if I could have said that I was a good parent in some way after that.
It’s called neglect.
Because I wanted to fulfill my minimum duty as a parent.
one was missing
For a son who had lost his mother, such formal affection was incomparably lacking.
“I hate this immortality you gave me. I will probably live forever cursing the ‘blessing’ you gave me.”
< I am just... .... >
Draculion tried to say something.
At the point where it was all over, the miasma he harbored seemed to have completely evaporated.
‘Is there only regret left?’
I have no intention of sympathizing.
Even if you lose someone dear to you, most people accept the fact.
But he didn’t.
I didn’t accept it and sacrificed countless lives.
Of course, the responsibility for that rests entirely with him.
Tzepes glared at his father with resentment.
Tears did not flow.
no, don’t spill it
You must be thinking that way.
I felt that I had picked out countless emotions and words in my head.
You can vent your resentment here. The victim, Chepes, deserves it.
But little by little it broke down.
Little by little, he cut off the resentment he had shown towards his father.
And in the end.
“…But I will live.”
Said so.
< ...! >
“The damn immortality you gave me. The ability not to die gracefully is cursed, but… …”
Chepesch stood up.
“Yes, unlike you, I will leave everything behind and move on.”
There is no way to recover the father-son relationship, which has already been twisted to the point of twisting, just because it has come to an end.
but very little.
< Ha ha... .... >
Either party might have found some comfort in this cold conversation.
Draculion laughed.
Losing everything, in vain.
< ...Haha, unlike me. Yes, that's what you mean. >
As if he had nothing more to say, Chepes returned to me.
I now approached that place that was on the verge of extinction.
“It’s a futile end.”
< Should I be called a wizard or a warrior who made me look like this? >
“It doesn’t matter which way.”
It seems that Chepesch’s business is over, so it’s time to take care of mine.
My business is simple.
“I have to give it back to you as a virgin.”
< ...Ha, is that why? >
He laughed helplessly.
< You speak as if this god is yours. >
“Of course it is mine. I passed the ordeal of the grave rightfully.”
< ...Ha. >
Draculion giggled for a long time as if his appearance was funny.
Then he stabbed my chest with his only hand and began to stir it around.
His hand, which he pulled out shortly after, held something in his hand.
bright red jewels.
He let go of the hand holding it without regret, as if it had no meaning now.
– Took.
The jewel fell to the ground.
< I don't even have the strength to hold it. >
At one point, his right arm completely disappeared.
It’s really not long now.
< I thought I could get my hands on the reality I wanted. >
< ...What? >
“It’s literally. Reality manipulation is, after all, a miracle that only God can do.”
I smiled.
reality manipulation.
I know that Draculion wanted that.
In fact, it is true that I have done enough to judge that it is possible.
but.
Even I, who briefly stepped into the 10th circle, couldn’t manipulate reality.
There’s no way Draculion could do that.
< I... ...Did you try the impossible from the beginning? Draculion's eyes trembled violently. There's no way that's the case, there's no way you're wrong. But what can I do? It's true. “Did you seriously think that you could surpass the authority of a god by killing and eating only one manor?” < ...! >
“The world’s rules aren’t that lax. The immortality you boasted so much about wasn’t perfect after all.”
It was all nonsense!
Everything you did was just a high school student and didn’t make any sense!
That’s roughly what it says.
Draculion, who trembled at my words, spoke.
< Oh I don't want to know... ...It was true. Really. >
“Oh do you believe?”
< Because there is no reason to lie. you...It's endlessly cruel to those who cross the line... .... >
Draculion saw me.
< Yes, I won’t lie. >
“Hmm.”
I picked up the jewel he had dropped and held it in my hand.
There is no response at this time… …Well, that’s something you’ll have to check later.
I put it in my subspace pocket and looked at him.
Now, only the head of Draculion’s body remains.
It was too shabby to be the end of the monster that terrorized the empire and the kingdom 10 years ago.
< Ha ha. >
He laughed in vain for a long time, then in the pouring rain.
< I didn't mean to do this. damn... .... >
I quietly watched his end without sympathy.
And he, who laughed until the end, completely disappeared with his head disappearing in the rain.
The rain fell endlessly.
eternally.
* * *
“…It happened.”
I told Nephthys everything that had happened with my arms crossed.
At my words, she closed her eyes tightly.
“It ended up like that.”
“This wouldn’t have happened if you had done your duty.”
“…You’re cool.”
“No, it’s natural. To be honest, I am enduring this a lot when I think of the victims.”
At my words, Nephthys lowered her head with her shoulders drooping.
Seeing that she didn’t say much, it seemed that she was already aware of my mistake.
“The reason you came here again… …”
“There are things I want to criticize you for, but the point is this way.”
I took out the jewel I got from Draculion from her.
Seeing this, Nephthys’ eyes became complicated.
“…I’m sick of it.」
“Yes, I came. The god you were guarding.”
I said, turning the jewel that glowed bright red here and there.
“From a rough look, it seems to have a recovery-type power, but I don’t know the details.”
“really…You are quick-witted. Do you have a set… ….”
“No, she didn’t say anything.”
“What a wonderful kid.”
At my words, Nephthys laughed bitterly.
She carefully accepted the jewel I handed over and said in agony.
“The name is ‘abundance’. As you said, it has the power of healing and regeneration.”
“…Hmm.”
For a moment, I thought about what I could do with the ‘healing’ and ‘regeneration’ I heard in her words.
It’s not a new thing for nothing.
Like a storm, depending on how you use it, it could be of great use.
‘If it’s recovery and regeneration, I’ll be able to move without any damage even in areas contaminated with demonic energy.’
As a bonus, autonomous circulation.
‘I couldn’t turn it faster because of the physical damage caused by overload, but I think I can use that too… …’
There are so many things you can do.
“You seem to have already thought of this and that. I don’t need to explain otherwise. It seems that your specialty is such analysis.”
“How do you imprint?”
“I have to. It’s clear that you, who have passed the ordeal, are qualified, so there’s nothing to hesitate about.”
She said as she slowly began to gather strength in the hand holding the jewel.
Light leaked through the tightly clenched fingers.
And after a while, the light that came out like that… ….
“her.”
It was absorbed in me as in the storm.
A sense of exhilaration welled up in the depths of my heart.
It’s like putting a puzzle together.
The feeling of falling right in was pretty good. And around that time, my right wrist was burning.
“Is it the right hand this time?”
The storm is on the neck.
The divine object this time, ‘abundance’, was on the right hand side.
When you move your hand slowly, isn’t it that something like a green tree trunk climbs along your hand in accordance with it?
Then.
“…hmm?”
Ugh.
Suddenly, the energy of the world tree in his body began to resonate in accordance with ‘abundance’.
A refreshing feeling that fills the whole body.
The energy of the World Tree and ‘abundance’ entangled with each other and began to change into a new power.
it’s like… ….
‘sprout?’
Yes, should I say that it seems like a sprout has grown from deep within the body?
“Oh, did you have the energy of the World Tree? Yugu and the aura of abundance are quite compatible.”
“Is it because it is the power of life?”
“Yes, because Yug was in charge of regeneration and recovery as well.”
She laughed softly, covering her mouth. Then he said.
「Probably, something won’t change drastically right away just because you acquired a divine object.」
“I know.”
There is one thing I realized while analyzing the divine object before returning.
“There will be a greater meaning when we get together. I don’t know now.”
Although there are new things that are strong in themselves, they basically show special power when gathered.
At least, I figured out that such a property exists in a divine object.
Anyway, the analysis is over.
got what you got “
Are you thinking of going now?”
There’s no reason for more. About you… …”
He blurted out the end of his words and met eyes with Nephthys.
The kindness she had.
It was one-sided kindness that made me think it was cruel.
“What do you think about this incident?”
“It was my fault. Everything,”
she said with a rather downcast expression.
“I thought that the child could give a lot of things as a gift.”
“Well. I guess you didn’t give it too much thought.”
Her expression darkened even more at my words.
But no matter how Nephthys reacted, I had to do what I had to say.
“There will be plenty of time to think. I will not keep the tomb closed. perhaps…Others may come.”
Perhaps, like Draculion, those with the pain of loss might come.
“that….”
“I will come back. I will see what you do.”
I faced her directly.
Although I wasn’t sure how much a transcendent being like her would change… ….
“Are you going to give me a chance?”
“You can look at it that way.”
I answered roughly like that and turned my back.
I didn’t like Nephthys’ kindness.
But as always.
“See you later.”
If there is a possibility, there is no reason to trample on it.
Great mage who transcends by regression
