novelraw Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Chapter 152. Witch Hunt (1)
A momentary silence passed between them.
Kaldrach looked at Yulian, who had approached him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and spoken.
'... What?'
20 repetitions?
No one else in this world knew that but himself.
He hadn't told anyone.
Because it was something that no one else could know.
'Then how?'
The first time he began the 'repetition' was when he had initiated the revolution.
To restore the 'right of succession to the throne' that had been taken from him.
And further, to kill his brothers and father, the 'emperor', who had taken away his right of succession.
Kaldrach, who was blinded by power to the point of wanting to kill his own kin, had drawn his sword, knowing full well it was impossible.
Fortunately.
His independent coup had been given some legitimacy with the help of the 'Wedge Knights'.
Advance, advance again.
But Kaldrach's decision was rendered useless by the betrayal of a general he had trusted and relied on.
【"Noble blood becomes dew on the execution ground."】
He still remembered that line from the newspaper.
With that, Kaldrach had stepped onto the execution platform and, as the line foretold, became dew on the execution ground.
Thus, after his first death, 'repetition' manifested.
But no matter how many times he repeated, the ending was much the same for Kaldrach.
The same coup.
A similar betrayal.
A consistent death.
Kaldrach knew all too well that giving up power was a foolish act.
His brothers.
The first and second princes were by no means foolish.
Even to prevent a 'just in case' scenario, they would root out any threats.
Even if a member of the royal family relinquished power, they were cold-blooded enough to kill their blood relatives as long as there was a succession right to the emperor.
Of course, he had no thought of blaming them for it.
After all, Kaldrach had also tried to kill the fourth prince, Eulsis.
'But why do I meet the same ending?'
In order to find out, Kaldrach began gathering information through 'repetition'.
The number of times he had done so amounted to 20.
Ignoring the few times he had wasted meaninglessly at the start, he had gathered and memorized as much information as possible.
For the next 'repetition'.
Yet, how did he know something that was certainly a secret known only to himself?
"Yulian."
"Yes, Your Highness Kaldrach."
"What kind of person are you?"
In response to Kaldrach's question, Yulian quietly showed a smile.
"I am a loyal servant of the royal family and a member of the 'Blind Eyes'. And your sword. Have you forgotten?"
To speak such sweet nothings so easily.
Kaldrach knew all too well that this was the path the man had trodden.
Normally, he would have snorted and shrugged off such behavior, but this time the weight of his words was different.
'I thought he was a fellow repeater.'
Kaldrach hadn't entertained the naive thought that only he would wield this 'miracle'.
But Yulian, standing before him now, didn't seem to be a 'repeater' like himself.
'Could he be using a higher miracle than mine?'
Yulian, whose eyes were slyly narrowed as if he understood the 'structure' of the world that Kaldrach himself had felt.
Even if he were a 'repeater', Kaldrach did not know Yulian's number of 'repetitions', nor could he be certain he was a 'repeater'.
'... I must confirm it.'
So thinking, Kaldrach resolved.
If even for a short time, he intended to keep Yulian bound to 'North Pole'.
He needed to find out what 'Yulian' was, and further.
He had to learn the reason behind Yulian's knowledge of his number of repetitions.
Kaldrach turned towards Yulian.
"If you are the sword of the royal family, you should perform tasks befitting that role."
"I am prepared to fulfill that role as much as needed."
His pretentious eye smile and smile at the corners of his lips were finally beginning to become clear.
'What nerve.'
"The subjugation unit has been deployed beyond the North Pole wall, so we are not in a position to manage the barbarian front."
Kaldrach thought that Yulian would have picked up on it with this statement.
Even though the subjugation was underway, there was no way they lacked the force to fend off the barbarians from the North Pole.
"I want you to occupy the forward base of the barbarian tribe that came to this gate."
Yulian would know, too.
That this was merely to buy time for holding him down.
'Now then, what will you do, what answer will you give?'
If 'refusal' was the answer, he would deal with it appropriately to fit his status.
If 'acceptance' was the response, he would take appropriate measures.
Whether Yulian was a 'repeater' or not, Kaldrach knew that Yulian had only one suitable answer.
That very answer.
"Yes, understood, Your Highness."
***
Even the Wedge Knights began to notice that Kaldrach's seemingly impregnable composure was beginning to crumble.
And they well knew that the reason was due to Yulian, the troublemaker who had intruded upon 'North Pole' without permission.
As a result, voices within the Wedge Knights were advocating for a strong countermeasure.
"We should make him an example for the other soldiers this time."
"You saw them too, didn't you? How the soldiers tossed about under his influence, with his support!"
"So, what are you proposing?"
"His Highness Kaldrach has issued him a command for an expedition. If an 'unfortunate accident' happens during that... well, it can't be helped, can it?"
They began rationalizing.
After all, they reasoned, Kaldrach had brought Yulian here to discreetly get rid of him.
Of course, there were those who opposed.
"Hold on. If His Highness Kaldrach intended to deal with Sir Yulian, he would have hinted something to us."
When the oldest member among the Wedge Knights spoke, the others wavered momentarily, but those who had initially spoken cut the notion swiftly.
"Wasn't it that kind of naive thinking that led us to be stirred by the soldiers?"
Naturally, the Wedge Knights who showed a fervent devotion to the figure known as 'Kaldrach' began leaning towards the radical faction.
"Yulian, that fool has smeared the name of the royal family and disgraced the face of His Highness the Third Prince, Kaldrach! Why do we Wedge Knights exist?"
They began to recall the reason they had been given the name 'Wedge Knights'.
The purpose of the wedge, true to its name, was to pierce the heart of anyone blocking the Third Prince's path.
In the end, with a unified purpose, the Wedge Knights resolved to carry out their decision.
***
【No more auto-save spaces are available.】
【To perform an auto-save, please delete the contents of the slots.】
The reason I could know Kaldrach's number of 'repetitions' was simple.
Because of the 'system window' that appeared above his head, which I could read.
'In 〈Survive•Die•Repeat〉, there are 20 slots for auto-saves.'
When you die in the game, it auto-saves the situation just before death, and a system window pops up to ask the player.
'Do you want to reload the autosave just before death?'
If you cannot respond, the system defaults to the game stored in slot 1.
'Perhaps, the time stored in that slot 1 is the point to which Kaldrach reverts.'
With this repetitive process of 'auto-saving'.
Naturally, limited save slots will fill up, and you reach a point where you can't reload upon 'death'.
That's the predicament Kaldrach is in now.
'The fool wouldn't know.'
That this time he can't revert, even if he dies.
I was confident about it.
He cannot see the 'system window'.
That's why he's entirely unaware of his situation, revealing 'discomfort' at my words.
Moreover.
'When you consider the point in time he repeats from...'
It seemed that he didn't quite know the future beyond the deviation of the 'Sword Saint'.
In that case, there's a high probability he only knows fragmented information about this world, much like I do. No, probably even less.
Nonetheless.
'Occupy the barbarian forward base, he says.'
What tyranny of the royal family is this?
Being an outsider, and not even a member of the subjugation squad, and having to help with the North Pole's wall issues?
'That can't possibly be the real intention.'
As I stepped through the gate, headed towards the 'barbarian forward base' Kaldrach spoke of, I slyly observed the Wedge Knights trailing me.
Three Wedge Knights followed me to carry out the mission.
Kaldrach had assigned them, claiming it was dangerous for me to go alone.
'Do they plan to bury me here?'
The murderous intent spilling from their gazes wasn't normal.
The emotion visible through the 'Color of Negativity' surpassed 'fury' by far.
'This surely can't be Kaldrach's thinking.'
Just a hunch.
I was almost certain those Wedge Knights bore lethal intentions not because of Kaldrach's orders.
He had sent me here to test me, suspecting me to be 'like him,' a fellow 'repeater'.
To share information and seek a comrade with whom he could join forces.
'Especially after having seen the future.'
If he witnessed the Demon God's revival and its spread of catastrophe across the continent with his own eyes, it's more than plausible.
'If that's the case, then this will present an opportunity.'
Initially, I prioritized leaving the 'North Pole' wall behind, but my thoughts had slightly shifted by now.
If Kaldrach, who declared himself a 'repeater', were kept subdued, he would prove useful.
Knowing the 'future' is a plus, and being a 'prince' adds further leverage.
'Originally, dealing with him was tricky due to his princely status, however.'
The Wedge Knights themselves created an opportunity for me.
With these thoughts, I came to a standstill.
I examined the footprints I'd left in the snow before turning my gaze to the Wedge Knights following behind me.
"... What? Why have you stopped?"
"The forward base His Highness Kaldrach mentioned wouldn't be here, would it?"
"There's no need for pretense."
With those words and smiling lightly, the three Wedge Knights flinched.
"Well, I suppose with someone like you, formalities aren't needed."
Showing no pretense and boldly revealing their murderous intentions, the Wedge Knights drew their swords in unison and charged.
Their skills were far above average soldiers, yet they posed no real threat.
None of them seemed suited to subdue me.
"Hrrrrgh!"
Before they could reach me, Felkhor, who'd stealthily followed, leapt out from the bushes and struck one of the Wedge Knights with a powerful punch, sending him flying.
What sheer power.
"What, what is this!?"
The startled Wedge Knights.
Swish.
I swiftly drew my sword, slashing at another's waist.
Whack.
I struck the last one's neck with the hilt of my sword.
"Gaaah!"
Thud.
One collapsed, and another staggered back, blood scattering across the snow.
A familiar purple haze began rising above the head of the flustered, retreating Wedge.
Though his eyes willed him to flee, his feet wouldn't follow suit.
"Whoaa!"
Felkhor tackled him with a brutal punch, toppling the last remaining Wedge.
"Don't kill them."
"Yes?"
Felkhor looked at me, puzzled at my words.
'The mad killer' is saying such a thing?
His disrespectful gaze exuded such nuance... Perhaps he needs an exorcism.
"In that case, shouldn't we bind them? If they come to, there's going to be chaos."
'Chaos,' indeed.
He has a point.
"If Kaldrach learns of this, he might send a pursuit squad."
"Do not worry. His Highness won't do such a thing."
"... What?"
Rather, he won't be able to.
"I arrived just in time."
Once more, the bushes rustled, and an austere voice was heard.
"Did you have a good reunion, Zahard?"
Zahard gave a bitter smile at the question.
I wanted to add a few words, but now wasn't the time.
From directly behind Zahard, the one his sword was aimed at, glared at us with sharp, opened eyes.
"Even for a witch, life seems precious, it seems."
Zahard's sword threatened none other than her.
The witch of the blizzard forest.