novelraw Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Ch.194 Stop Playing Games! Just Tell Me the Truth
After seeing the lighthouse with Selena, we headed north.
—Grrrr!
We rode a dog sled across the Arctic, just as before.
“The weather’s really nice, isn’t it?”
It was cold—but perhaps because this was an inner world?
Compared to the real Arctic, the sky was clear, yet Selena glared at the sled, grumbling.
“You’re doing nothing while I pull this thing.”
She shot me a cold look.
“Why are you even here?”
“Just… to relive memories with you?”
When we traveled to obtain the Trident of the Sea God, we grew close.
We shared a cabin to endure the Arctic wind. We shared food under the freezing skies.
I gave her ingredients. She cooked.
Looking back, I was utterly smitten with her.
And she, too, had risked her life to protect me.
The Guardian of the Trident was too strong for me to defeat alone.
Equality couldn’t hit its core. Levi’s Dagger couldn’t pierce its icy shield.
In the end, I used the Altarion’s Staff—and froze the entire lake with Stella Frost.
The backlash left me unconscious.
That part was fine.
The real problem came after.
I’d frozen the lake—but had no way to melt it.
Flare couldn’t thaw such a vast expanse. Meteor would risk losing the Trident.
So I forced it to melt… but failed to do so within the time limit.
That’s when Selena must have stepped in.
She probably used the Altarion’s Staff while I was unconscious.
I was bound by limitations. She wasn’t.
Unfair.
Why couldn’t I use the Altarion’s Staff? Ridiculous.
Staring at the endless snowy plain, one thought trailed into another.
The Concept Artifacts—here called ‘divine power’—weren’t they meant to be my tools?
Then why couldn’t I use the Altarion’s Staff?
I could freely wield every other Concept Artifact.
But using the Altarion’s Staff always came with backlash.
“Ugh. You dragged me all the way here just to boss me around?”
Her grumbling.
I grinned.
“What? Isn’t this worth it? After seeing your memories? The weather’s nice. The wind’s cool.”
It was too warm to believe this was the Arctic.
Like spring.
The sun warmed the snow—but since this was a false world, it didn’t melt.
“Ugh. Forget it.”
Selena sulked.
I asked her:
“Selena. Can I ask you one thing?”
She ignored me, still annoyed.
“Selena?”
“…What?”
Her gruff tone made me smirk.
“You approached me originally to kill me and steal divine power, right?”
She never said it outright—but the circumstances were clear.
“…Yeah, I guess.”
“You had the chance to kill me after defeating the Sea Goddess. Why didn’t you?”
She knew I carried Equality. Knew I was the Adversary.
Even if divine power was strong, eliminating me—especially if I drowned beneath the lake with the artifacts—would’ve helped her cause.
The God of Death and King of the Dead’s plan would’ve proceeded unimpeded.
So why didn’t she?
Was it because without the Trident or the Staff, she couldn’t return to the New Continent?
But even then—she could’ve killed me while I was unconscious.
I’d wondered this for a long time.
“…It’s obvious.”
“Huh?”
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Would you just let the person you love die? Of course you run to save them.”
Her actions—trying to kill me—and her words didn’t match.
“…Did you like me back then?”
She nodded.
“Mm. Yeah.”
She no longer hid it.
After all—I’d seen her inner world, where we married, lived together, built a life.
There was no point hiding it now.
“Isn’t that a little too obvious? I mean, you’ve already fantasized about marrying me…”
“Kyaah!”
She threw the sled’s reins and pummeled my shoulder.
“What the hell?!”
“Hey, you jerk! How dare you reveal a lady’s secret?!”
Her face burned crimson. Tears glistened at her eyes.
“What? You already confessed!”
“Shut up! You pervert!”
“A pervert? You’re the one who dreamed of marrying me!”
Her face flushed, lips bitten—she shoved me hard.
“Waaah!”
—Thud.
I tumbled off the moving sled.
Fortunately, the snow cushioned my fall—or perhaps Selena subtly adjusted her inner world.
“Selena!”
She vanished, leaving me behind.
Then—
“Huh? The weather…?”
The surroundings darkened. The temperature dropped.
A biting, icy wind howled.
—Whoosh!
“No way! This is too much!”
I was indignant.
She’d brought it up first—now this?
Too far.
The wind was cold enough to freeze flesh.
Selena must’ve thought so too.
The sled turned toward me. The wind slowly receded.
Phew… I thought I was done for.
Even if I didn’t die here, freezing in her inner world would’ve been hell.
She stopped the sled in front of me, staring coldly at the seat beside her.
As if to say: ‘Aren’t you sorry?’
I carefully climbed aboard—
“Hmph.”
She turned away and drove forward.
Silent.
Staring only ahead.
Had I gone too far?
I regretted it silently.
***
The Four Heavenly Kings led their armies toward the Hell Gate.
“Succubus Queen. I’ve heard there are many human forces beyond the Hell Gate. We’ll clear the path—slip into the Imperial Capital and break the Ark of the Covenant.”
Mephist, the demon with long gray horns on either side, spoke.
Lilith nodded.
“Don’t worry, Mephist. My children and I will fulfill the Demon King’s command.”
Mephist replied coldly:
“Humans are weak. But don’t forget—Auros and the dragons are formidable.”
Gigas, whose lower body was a serpent, added:
“Hah… I thought dragons had gone extinct. They’ve been hiding, haven’t they?”
“Probably playing while leaving the Hero Party to handle things.”
Mephist turned to the Succubus Queen.
“Regardless, we must follow the plan. The Adversary and the Hero Party are the Demon King’s concern. Until then, break the Ark of the Covenant and strip the Adversary of his power.”
The Queen replied in a flat tone:
“Don’t worry. The Demon King’s will shall be fulfilled.”
Mephist nodded and moved forward.
Ten thousand demons.
He surveyed his army.
“Good. Armies of Hell!”
His voice echoed across the heavens.
“At last, the Hell Gate has opened. For too long, we’ve suffered humiliation at the hands of vermin—Hero Parties and humans. Today… we repay that shame!”
He roared, his army rising with fury.
“For the price of our rage, we shall grant humanity extinction!”
—Waaah!
—Extinction for humanity!
—Extinction for humanity!
Mephist turned to the Succubus Queen.
“You know what happens if we fail.”
“You… make sure the path is cleared properly.”
“I understand, Queen. All of you—advance!”
The Demon King’s army surged toward the Hell Gate.
***
We boarded the Freya, bound for the New Continent.
Captain Carlos and his crew looked delighted.
—Hahaha! We’ve succeeded in the Arctic expedition!
—Our names will be written in history, Captain!
Exactly as I remembered.
“Hans?”
“Huh? Selena?”
She sipped beer beside me.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Huh?”
She watched the celebrating crew and whispered to me:
“Are you traveling to change your mind?”
We were retracing our journey.
Had she changed?
I asked, hopeful:
“Yes. Has your mind changed?”
She shook her head, locking eyes with me.
“No. Nothing’s changed.”
“Hmm? Really?”
“Mm. So stop this pointless nonsense.”
She turned back to the crew.
“I’m not sure about the Church of Death… or the game’s ending. I think… I’ll just stay here.”
The Church of Death. The game’s ending.
Neither convinced her.
Her choice? To linger here.
“Then… can you at least trust me?”
—Glug!
She drank half her beer.
“Trust you… and believe in the game?”
“No. I’m asking you to honor our promise.”
She turned, frowning.
“Promise? What promise?”
I smiled, watching her forget.
I’d heard women are moved by small promises.
I didn’t know if it was true.
But ours was tiny. So small, she’d forgotten.
“Let this journey end with that promise.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
I smiled brightly at her confusion.
“You’ll find out when the journey ends.”
She fell silent, thinking.
“Hmm…”
Long silence. She frowned.
“I really don’t get it… What promise did we make?”
“Huh? Disappointed? I remember our promise… and you don’t?”
I feigned sadness.
“Is it… really that important?”
She was right.
This promise was important.
It was the difference between saving the world—or its end.
“A promise is something you keep, right?”
She blinked her crimson eyes.
“…Yeah?”
Her look said: ‘Why are you asking that?’
I continued:
“Then… keep this one.”
She raised both arms in exasperation.
“Eek! Stop playing games! Just tell me the truth!”
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