"I said I was sorry. Come on, cheer up already."
After I’d had my fill of laughing, I found myself in the position of having to soothe a disgruntled Nyau.
"I’m not... particularly angry..."
Despite her protest, her cheeks were puffed out like a blowfish. No matter how you looked at it, she was fuming. Well, if she insisted she wasn’t, I suppose I’d just leave it at that.
In any case, though I had lived through countless timelines by now, this was the first time I had ever actually sat down and talked with Mage Nyau like this.
Since I had the opportunity, it couldn't hurt to dig a little deeper into her circumstances. Holy Knight Kanaria and Warrior Golgano were traitors, but where did she stand?
I had no hard evidence, but my gut told me she probably wasn’t one of them. If she were a traitor, her scatterbrained personality would have likely given her away ages ago. If anything, it might actually be worth trying to secure her cooperation.
"Hey, Nyau. Does the name 'Luna Village' mean anything to you?"
Before diving into the heart of the matter, I decided to ask her about the place Kanaria had mentioned.
"Luna Village? Ah, yes, I’ve heard of it. I believe it was a village that was purged a long time ago for allegedly collaborating with the Demon Race."
I see. So that was the story.
Presumably, the First Prince—Hero Eligion—had been involved in that purge in some capacity. That would explain why Holy Knight Kanaria bore such a visceral hatred for the man.
"It seems Holy Knight Kanaria is actually a native of Luna Village."
"Huh? But I recall her records stating she was of noble birth..."
"I don’t know all the specifics myself, but it sounds like she was an illegitimate child born from an affair. Apparently, she was sent away to be raised in Luna Village when she was a young girl."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"And because of that, she seems to harbor a deep-seated grudge against Hero Eligion."
"Huuuh? Really?"
Nyau the Elf tilted her head in confusion. Given how Kanaria usually acted around him, one would never imagine she was secretly nursing a desire for revenge.
"It appears the Hero played a role in the purge of her village."
"Umm... so, from Holy Knight Kanaria’s perspective, it’s the same as having her parents murdered by the Hero?"
Her quick intuition was a godsend. She wasn't a Mage for nothing.
"Exactly. And tonight, she’s planning to assassinate him. Warrior Golgano is in on it, too."
I watched her, waiting for a reaction. If she truly wasn't part of the conspiracy, she might be willing to help.
"Eh...? What are you even talking about?"
Nyau’s face twisted into a scowl.
"There’s no way Kanaria-san would ever betray the Hero. That's just impossible."
On top of her dismissal, she looked at me like I was some kind of idiot.
...Just as I thought. She wouldn't believe me. Even though I had expected this outcome, it was still a bit of a letdown.
"Funyaa! Wh-Why are you pinching Nyau’s cheek!?"
"Because you were being irritating."
I gave her cheek a solid squeeze. I was the fool for expecting anything from her in the first place.
Midnight arrived.
Just like in every other timeline, the battle was about to begin.
How many times had I charged into this with the determination that I wouldn't let Eligion die, only to fail? To be honest, I didn't have much faith in this attempt either. No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't visualize a single future where Hero Eligion walked away alive.
With a defeatist attitude like that, I was probably doomed to fail again.
"Alright, let's do this."
I slapped my cheeks to knock some sense into myself. If this attempt failed, I was done. I’d decided that when I last experienced Return by Death. If I couldn't make this work, I would have to abandon this strategy and look for an entirely different path.
Since this was the last time I was trying it this way, I was going to give it everything I had.
With that resolve, I headed for the Hero's chambers.
It was almost time...
I stood guard near the bed where Hero Eligion slept, positioned alongside Holy Knight Kanaria. Any moment now, Warrior Golgano would burst into the room, and that would be the signal for the slaughter to begin.
"Yo. You been doing well?"
Golgano quietly breached the door and stepped inside, calling out to me with casual ease.
"I feel like hell."
"Ah, is that so? Look, sorry, but could you step out into the hallway for a second?"
"Not a chance. You’re planning to kill the Hero the moment I leave, aren't you?"
"Oh? So our little plan was leaked, was it? Fine then. We’ll just do this the hard way. Kanaria!"
In that instant, Kanaria’s eyes snapped open and she lunged toward the Hero’s bed. Simultaneously, Golgano swung his weapon at me.
I already knew from previous timelines that Eligion wouldn't be killed by her initial surprise attack. The real challenge was finding a way to stop her from saying those words—from mentioning Luna Village.
"Hey, isn't it a bit reckless to be looking away? Your opponent is right here, buddy."
Golgano moved to block my path. Damn it. I needed to silence Kanaria, but this man always stood in my way. If only I could find some kind of opening—!
"I am a survivor of Luna Village," I heard Kanaria’s voice ring out.
It was over. That was the trigger. Eligion would lose his mind, and then he would be killed. Another failure to add to the pile.
"Wh-What is going on here...?"
The voice was entirely unexpected.
Nyau was standing in the doorway, clutching her rod. She stared at the chaos unfolding in the room, her eyes wide with shock.
"Nyau! Protect the Hero!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Following my command, Nyau immediately began an incantation.
Her sudden intrusion had drastically altered the course of events. For the first time, there was a chance. I might actually be able to save the Hero from death in this timeline!
"Tch. A nuisance showed up."
Golgano clicked his tongue, glaring at Nyau. In the same breath, he addressed his weapon.
"Tough Triple Jaws: Azi Dahaka!"
Suddenly, the Parasitic Scythe: Kyogenmawashi mutated into a grotesque, three-headed nightmare.
Ah, that’s right. Golgano had been holding back against me this entire time. To a man with that kind of power, killing me was nothing more than an afterthought.
"Dammit—!!"
Just as the thought of success had crossed my mind... it was stripped away. Another failure.
I heard the sickening sound of something being crushed.
The Tough Triple Jaws: Azi Dahaka had clamped its teeth around my neck.
My vision blurred, and my consciousness rapidly faded into the dark.
"Ah..."
I opened my eyes.
It was a sensation I knew all too well. It seemed I had gone through Return by Death once more. Time to start over from square one.
With a heavy heart, I tried to sit up.
"Ah! Please don't move yet! Your wounds haven't fully closed!"
"Eh...?"
The sight before me was completely unfamiliar.
Instead of waking up at a save point, I was lying in the middle of a forest. Nyau was crouching beside me, looking frantic.
"What... what is this?"
"What do you mean 'what'...? I carried you all the way out here after you passed out. You really should be more grateful to Nyau! If I hadn't been there, you’d be dead by now."
As I listened to her explanation, I reached up and touched my neck. I remembered vividly the feeling of Azi Dahaka’s teeth sinking into me. My fingers found the jagged remains of a wound.
"Ah, don't touch it! I'm still in the middle of fixing that!"
Nyau was desperately focusing her healing magic on me.
Slowly, the reality of the situation began to sink in.
I hadn't died. I had actually survived.