Chapter 171: Post-Mortem (2)

“First, Ms. Aizel Ludwig.”

“Speaking of Ludwig..”

“You’ve met her, I’m sure. She’s the most important person in this case, and the one I’m trying to save.”

“You’re trying to save Ludwig..”

Rei, who seems to know something about the Ludwig clan, murmurs.

“So what are we supposed to do with Aizel?”

“Save her.”

Rei’s question is immediately followed by a short answer.

“Save her..? Won’t brother die to save Aizel?”

“That’s why you have to save her, so that my death won’t be in vain. There is a possibility that after learning of my death, Ms. Aizel will choose to take her own life.”

“..”

The words make Rei think. It’s as if she knows she’s a Regressor.

Perhaps it’s best to save the explanation for later.

[I don’t understand. Why would your death lead to her suicide just because you and Aizel have developed a rapport?]

Sierra, however, not knowing the information about Aizel being a regressor, asked me if she didn’t understand.

It was a perfectly normal reaction.

“I can’t really explain all the reasons but.. there’s a chance, and if that happens, all my hard work will be for naught.”

I can’t explain everything.

As with any piece of information, the source is just as important as the information itself.

I can’t reveal the source so I have to admit that I don’t have a clear idea of the source either.

Aizel’s self-determination.

This means that she chooses to regress.

I still had a question mark hanging over my head. Would Aizel choose to regress just because I died?

I don’t know the answer to that question, nor do I want to.

I just wanted to be prepared.

Anyway, if this goes through, a lot of things will change.

A regressor is a regressor for a reason.

When you die you come back to the past and get another chance.

However, if you fail to break the wall, you are trapped in a time loop..but in that time, you gain information and experience to replenish your strength and break the wall.

Therefore, a regressor is a regressor only when he dies.

Assuming the current Aizel survived “that day,” she would no longer be a regressor.

This was significant in many ways and from then on, I would have the information advantage.

“Well, after the Academy.. I mean, after the game’s ending, I’ll be in the same position..

The fact that Aizel survives shouldn’t be ruled out, but I can’t deny that it would make things easier.

Above all..I want to experience it.

I want to show her the world after that day, a world that is free from the horrors of regression.

“Of course, that’s all assuming everything goes well, that I’ve managed to eliminate the risk factors.”

“Lord Zetto, are you saying you might fail?”

“..That’s possible. I’ll give it my best shot, but without knowing the enemy’s strength, it’s hard to tell.”

With the Tears of the Dead, there is no such thing as complete failure. But without the Tears of the Dead, I might have said something different.

‘If I fail, don’t stop Aizel from self-destructing.’

Or something like that.

It doesn’t really matter whose death it is, mine or hers. If someone died, my goal would also be shattered.

I feel like that.

I wonder if I wouldn’t have taken full advantage of Aizel’s regression if I were in the present day..

It sounds harsh, but I think I would have done that to achieve my goal.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to appear in Aizel’s next regression even if I die now, but I’d bet on it.

‘No.. maybe I already did..’

I said, as the nightmare that had risen from nowhere was slowly taking over my mind.

“But what’s to stop her from taking her own life?”

Rei’s voice snapped me out of it.

Yeah. After all, we walk through the present with an eye to the future.

The now is what matters.

It’s in my hands to decide if the nightmare will end up being just a nightmare.

I’ve come this far because I didn’t let my past fears stop me.

“..how to stop it.”

I muttered without pause.

Fortunately, I had an idea.

“There are many ways to stop it, but physically stopping it would be difficult for Geppeti and Rei right now, so..”

I told them how to stop Aizel from killing herself.

I explained to Rei and Geppeti the situation she was in and how to use them the emotions she was feeling as a weapon against.

After listening to my explanation, Rei opens her mouth with trepidation.

“I can’t do this..”

Geppeti, who was next to him, steps forward.

“Then I’ll do it.”

Geppeti nods with an expressionless face.

“..Then please do me a favor, it’s enough if it’s a critical situation.”

It seemed like a good idea to leave this to Geppeti since she’d handle it perfectly.

“Next up, Miss Yuri Clementine.”

I went on to simulate what ‘might’ happen after my death, giving them tips on how to deal with it.

Given Yuri’s personality, when she learns of my death, she will be furious.

The only problem would be that there would be nowhere to direct that simmering rage.

If all went well, the demon that killed me would have died with me. But if the timing coincides with events in the Kingdom of Terracia, she’ll have an outlet for her anger.

This needed to be dealt with appropriately and it was something that Rei was willing to take on.

Rei is supposed to be pretty far removed from politics..I didn’t quite understand how she could stop it, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

As for Kaen, I didn’t say much. Even though she usually plays the role of a lighthearted idiot, she is a woman who can control her emotions.

As for the other characters, I didn’t think they would cause much trouble.

Any small problems would be resolved quickly after I woke up, even without Rei and Geppeti.

“And finally..Bernice, the Saint of Innocence. She will be a very important figure in my resurrection.”

“..A miracle?”

[Is that what you’re going for?]

Rei and Sierra guessed the answer.

As they said, Bernice was the closest thing to a miracle and a Saint’s miracle will hide the existence of the Tears of the Dead.

Even for Bernice, it would be unbelievable, but with the witnesses of the miracle around her..it would be true, regardless of her denials.

“It’s not like she’s going to cause any trouble anyway..everyone knows about her powers, you just have to be careful with your words. As for the rest, I’ll just have to time it right. If my resurrection is delayed, it’ll be enough to tie her hands a bit.”

Timing was crucial since once my death was known to Bernice, there would be an approach, official or unofficial..so I had to wake up in time for that approach.

To do that, I couldn’t wake up late or early, thought I’d rather be early.

I think I’ll need some preparation to get the timing right.

Well.. I’ll think about the explanation after I wake up.

“I think I’ve explained everything, it’s going to be a little complicated and a lot of work, but I know you can do it.”

And that was the end of my post-mortem.

Even if Rei misses something, I’m sure Geppeti will be able to fill in the gaps.

Now all that’s left is..Aizel and Murka.

I wonder what they’ll both bring to the table..This chapter's initial release occurred on the N0v3l-B1n site.

***

Meanwhile, Murka, having set foot on human soil, is finally able to meet Albed in and unremarkable alcove that didn’t even have the most basic arrangement for a hideout.

Perhaps that was the point.

“Here..this way. Near the academy.”

Albed was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even realize Murka’s entered the room.

In any case, Murka had come to talk to him, so he knocked on the alcove door, which was wide open, and opened his mouth.

“..Albed.”

“Moo, Murka?!”

Albed, who had been studying the map, was startled.

“Your focus is still there, and so are your weaknesses.”

“Da, you were at the Legionnaire’s side..”

Albed trailed off in embarrassment, and Murka dusted off an empty chair nearby and sat down.

“Well, you know..ah, I didn’t come alone..one of the staff was following me..Don’t worry too much about it. It’s a simple matter of killing one of the humans. So what’s the situation? There are a lot of people I can’t reach..including you.”

“....”

Albed swallowed hard at Murka’s question about the current situation.

“The situation is.”

Murka’s icy gaze pierces through him and he ducks his head, and explains the situation as he knows it.

He skips right over Krektar’s death, as Murka knows, and on to Zagoras and Echis.

Albed realizes that they are dead but he wasn’t just sitting on it.

He tried to interpret the information and rack his brain but the picture was too strange.

In the end his conclusion was this.

Krektar died to a nameless warrior, Zagoras died to the saint and Aizel killed Echis.

Of the five demons who had once been ordered to slaughter the Ludwig clan, only two remained.

Murka smirks at Albed’s explanation.

“..I see. The rest are dead.”

He had expected this, but they weren’t going to die for nothing.

Murka chuckled softly at the mention of his men’s deaths.

It was just funny.

Dead and incompetent.

Were they incompetent because they were dead?

Murka hadn’t expected the little greed he’d harbored in the past to come back to haunt him like this.

The point was simple.

Three demons linked to Aizel had died in a relatively short period of time.

So while Aizel’s involvement could not be ruled out, she certainly did not act alone.

She must have an assistant and someone with the power to enlist the saint.

Neither Albed nor Murka were the first to realize this.

The only catch was..

“But they’re hard to defeat without information, aren’t they?”

Murka asked while listening to Albed’s explanation.

Information.

Krektar was a theater actor, Zagoras was the deputy leader of a kingdom’s knights order and Echis had been wandering around, though she hadn’t made it known.

Even if they were dead, Aizel wouldn’t have had information on all of them, but all three were dead in such a short period of time.

It was like a carefully planned hunt but it didn’t make sense, even if Aizel had an assistant by her side.

“I also suspected that they were helped by someone from inside, but..”

“Yes. Strange..Now, Albed, you’re the only one left.”

“Haha..That makes it sound like you’re suspecting that I’m a spy..”

Albed smirks but Albed had been suspicious of Zagoras, however Zagoras was dead now.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Murka’s thoughts, but it was frustrating.

“So..I’m the one with the connections?”

Murka’s question was followed by a gust of wind that whipped through the alcove and several blades were brought to Albed’s throat.

Masked figures leap out of the darkness with daggers pointed at Albed’s throat.

‘This is..Drakkir..’

Drakkir: the faceless killer.

He heard they were an assassination unit under the Legionnaire, but why are they following Murka’s orders?

“Legionnaire has given me five drakkir this time. They have yet to see blood on their swords at my command.. but.. I never thought I’d be the first to use it on a former subordinate.”

“Lord Murka.. I hope you will reconsider..”

Albed’s gravelly voice trails off, and Murka raises his hand, before the drakkir disappear back into the darkness.

“..I know there is no reason or rationale for you to betray me..which makes it all the more bizarre. I wonder what kind of stranger he is who did this.. I wonder.”

Murka muttered.

Albed, who had been groping for his throat just moments before, decided to share some good news with the distressed Murka.

“More importantly..”

Approaching the desk with the map, Albed picks it up and hands it to Murka.

“..is that Aizel’s death is now final.”

Albed flashed a wicked grin.

What Albed had given Murka was a “tracker” of sorts that would allow him to locate Aizel.

This situation and all the troubles caused by the unexpected survival of Aizel Ludwig would be solved if Aizel dies.