novelraw Chapter 83
Chapter 83
Ch.83 Must Be Dust in My Eye. I’ll Head In First
As the sun slowly set and darkness crept in, the hero party furled their sails.
Just as they were wrapping up the day’s sailing duties, Leah turned her gaze toward where her master was.
Hans, who had been moving at an incredible speed, had now slowed—just slightly, but unmistakably.
She murmured under her breath,
“He’s slowed down.”
“Really?”
At Mia’s question, Leah gave a small nod.
“Yeah. I’m sure of it.”
“That’s certainly good news.”
His ship, which had been advancing at an absurd pace, had finally—though for unknown reasons—begun to decelerate.
“How on earth did he move that fast?”
Even with the aid of mid-tier wind and water spirits all day, they hadn’t just failed to catch up—they’d been left further behind as his speed kept increasing. That had frustrated Leah the most.
She was certain her master, who defied all common sense, had used some trick—but not knowing what it was had left her deeply irritated.
Now, seeing his ship’s speed finally ease, she felt relieved—perhaps his tricks had run out.
“So… can we catch up now?”
At Scarlet’s question, Leah nodded.
“I’m not certain, but… probably.”
She lacked enough sailing knowledge to precisely measure her master’s speed, but with the help of two spirits, she guessed they’d close the gap soon.
“We’ll know for sure tomorrow.”
They’d find out the moment they fully unfurled their sails at dawn.
The others all nodded in agreement.
***
After the play ended, Selena returned to her cabin.
She collapsed onto the bed.
—Thud.
‘I can’t… keep going like this forever.’
Hans had said he planned to find a treasure ship and then return to the Old Continent.
Once they arrived there, she’d have to rejoin her organization—meaning their time together would end.
‘I have to settle this before we reach the Old Continent.’
Staring blankly out the window, Selena’s usually vivid red eyes looked dull tonight.
“Maybe… I should finally have a proper talk with him.”
‘But what if he refuses? What if he doesn’t understand me?’
Selena had lost her family in the nobles’ wars.
Taken in by an orphanage run by her organization, she’d grown up witnessing the world’s injustices firsthand—until she developed a deep, unshakable distrust of everything.
The gods who made this wretched world…
were evil.
Her faith lay in the God of Death—a deity who opposed those false gods and sought to bring peace and equality to humanity.
This life was suffering because the evil gods had designed it that way—to feast on human pain and groans.
Her god, in contrast, promised rest, peace, and paradise through death.
A paradise where rank, status, and the injustices born of them no longer existed.
If Hans couldn’t understand her mission—to deliver that paradise to humankind—she wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Because she loved him.
“But… I still have to talk to him.”
She needed to see his true reaction.
If he stood by her side, she’d be overjoyed—able to spend every remaining day with the man she loved.
But if his response was cold—if he grew wary—she’d already steeled herself, even considering regression. She quietly took her dagger.
—Creak.
She left her cabin and headed toward Hans’s room.
—Thump… thump.
Heart pounding, she stood before his door…
—Knock.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
—Creak!
“Huh? Selena? What’s wrong?”
Surprised by her late-night visit, Hans opened the door with a startled expression.
“Couldn’t sleep… thought I’d take a short walk.”
He smiled.
“Sure. Just a sec—I’ll grab my coat.”
He stepped back inside briefly and returned, coat on.
“How about the deck? I heard the view’s nice.”
His words brought back memories of their Arctic expedition.
Things were so different back then…
“Alright.”
Hans studied her quietly.
“Is something wrong?”
His question left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She’d felt distant from him lately—he must have sensed her turmoil too.
She shook her head gently.
“No… nothing. Just been in a strange mood lately.”
So they went up to the deck and talked—about Nekhuf and Nephert, about trivial everyday things.
And then…
“Really?”
“I’m telling you! Nephert suddenly called me in the middle of the night and told me to leave the house. She’s got quite the temper—when I tried to run, she used a plant spirit to tie my legs!”
“Heh heh… what even is that?”
His stories about the two were surprisingly amusing—perhaps because he was such a gifted storyteller.
His tale seemed about to end.
Feeling the moment approaching, she steeled herself once more.
When his words finally ceased, silence settled between them.
“Hans… there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Hmm?”
“I… worship in the Church of Death.”
His expression instantly turned to shock.
“What…?!”
His eyes trembled, unable to believe it.
He opened his mouth as if to speak—but no words came out.
“I came to this New Continent to kill you—to take back the divine power you carry from the Old Continent. And while I’m at it, reclaim that power too.”
“The… divine power?”
I nodded at his confused look.
“Yes. Things like Equality, Levi’s Dagger… the Trident of the Sea God.”
The moment I named the divine artifacts he’d obtained, his face turned ashen white.
“How… how do you know?! Does the Church of Death know? That’s impossible! No one’s supposed to know these things exist!”
“What?”
His voice shook as he pleaded,
“Selena, it’s not too late! Step away from them! The King of the Dead and the God of Death—they only want to turn everyone into puppets…!”
“Shut up! That’s not it at all! It’s about tearing down this world—the one the false gods created to make us suffer—and building equality, freedom, and rest for all of us!”
His ignorant words—spoken without understanding her at all—made tears spill from my eyes before I could stop them.
I’d known this would happen.
I’d foolishly hoped for a miracle… but none came.
“Selena… that’s a lie! I know the future! I know what they’re really planning…!”
“No—you’re the one who’s mistaken! Selena, you’re being deceived!”
“No! I know the truth—better than you ever could! Do you even know how I grew up? My family was killed, I nearly starved to death—and it was the Church and the organization that saved me! Don’t spout nonsense about my faith when you know nothing about it!”
At my harsh outburst, Hans looked at me with grave, serious eyes.
“Selena…”
I roughly wiped my tears and glared at him.
He swallowed hard and spoke calmly,
“You once asked me how I knew the way to the Arctic… or about the Trident of the Sea God.”
“So what?”
“I’m… not from this world. I’m from another world entirely.”
This wasn’t the usual playful Hans.
That made his words all the more startling—and I found myself blurting out,
“What?”
“The world I came from is far more advanced than this one. There, people enjoy something called ‘games’—like how dragons here play for amusement.”
His explanation was hard to grasp.
“There was a game called Destiny—a game set in this very world. A story where the Demon King revives and a hero rises.”
His expression grew distant, filled with longing—and I tensed without realizing it.
So… they played something based on this world?
I didn’t truly understand what a ‘game’ was.
Here, ‘games’ meant card or board games.
“When the hero defeats the Demon King, travel between the Old and New Continents becomes possible. And in this New Continent, dragons and Haetling exist. When Hatchling is killed by slavers, war erupts between dragons and humans. And after that story ends… the ‘King of the Dead’ revives.”
At his final words, I gasped in shock.
“Would ‘Roy de More’ be a more familiar name to you?”
“H-how do you know that?!”
Roy de More!
The name of the king who was overthrown and erased from history—only the highest-ranking priests in the Papal See should know it!
“Davinus and his followers are all deceived! Wake up, Selena! There’s no rest or paradise after the death the God of Death offers!”
His words were clear—but I refused to believe them.
“No! Don’t lie to me! Do you really think I’d believe such nonsense?!”
He took a step toward me.
“It’s true! They only want to harvest divine power through the death of every living thing!”
“Don’t come closer! Stay back!”
Hans looked at me with pity.
“Selena!”
His eyes confused me.
No—this was just another trick. He was nothing but a hypocrite!
I drew my dagger.
“I won’t listen anymore! I won’t hear another word!”
Hans’s expression hardened.
“Selena… put the dagger down. It’s not too late. The story hasn’t fully begun yet—you still have time!”
He gazed at me with sorrow.
Betrayal and emptiness filled my chest as I stared back.
“Huh… I’m… going to kill you and take the divine power you’ve gathered.”
He gave a faint, resigned shrug—perhaps he hadn’t expected me to say that.
“It’s impossible. I’m not weak. Do you really think I’d let you win after hearing all this? Selena… you can’t defeat me.”
I agreed with his certainty.
“You’re right. You could kill me right now with Equality. But Hans… do you know what my Gift is?”
“Gift? You mean your Trait?”
“Call it what you will. The god granted me a special ability: Death Regression. When I die, I return ten minutes into the past. And…”
My voice cracked with tears as I continued,
“Everything we just said… will be forgotten. Just like this…”
I plunged the dagger into my own throat.
Intense pain surged through me as my strength drained away—and crimson blood gushed onto the deck.
And then…
“That’s what I’m saying! Nephert suddenly called me in the middle of the night and told me to leave the house. She’s got quite the temper—when I tried to run, she used a plant spirit to tie my legs!”
I was back in the past.
Tears streamed down my face the moment I returned.
There really was no other way… I had to kill Hans.
“Huh…”
“Huh? Selena? Are you crying?”
At Hans’s question, I shook my head and forced a smile.
“Must be dust in my eye. I’ll head in first.”
And with that, I walked away.
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