novelraw Chapter 176 : Chapter 176
Chapter 176 : Chapter 176
Chapter 176 - How Not to Stray from the Path (3)
-Clatter, clatter.
Even in a world where magic and technology were combined, in some aspects surpassing the technology of modern humanity, there were always those who couldn't enjoy all the benefits of that advanced civilization.
Yes, for instance, the passengers on the 3rd-class train I was currently riding.
-Clatter, clatter.
As the continuous clattering sound proved, the 3rd-class passengers could not enjoy a very pleasant ride.
The noise generated as the train ran was dizzying, the seats were narrow and uncomfortable, and the train car itself was constantly shaking.
Compared to the luxurious cabin of the Railroad Mysterium I had boarded before… the very act of comparison was embarrassing.
In the first place, even the 1st-class carriage of this train couldn't compare to the Railroad Mysterium.
‘I guess this is the wealth gap.’
Looking around, most of the 3rd-class passengers were not extravagantly dressed. Should I say most? It was almost all of them.
And a person's appearance often represents their social class.
This meant that most, no, a proportion that could be described as all of them, belonged to a less affluent class.
‘It’s only natural, if you think about it.’
Among them, my appearance as Rain Enlight didn't particularly stand out.
That was because I, too, was wearing casual clothes bought with Yuna's help during the first semester, not the usual cadet uniform or the clothes gifted by Regina.
The robe casually draped over my clothes was also part of that.
-Clatter, clatter.
Well, anyway, despite being in such an uncomfortable environment, funnily enough, even this environment had its own charm.
The clattering sound of the train that appropriately muffled people's conversations, and the scenery outside that did not lose its brilliance despite the poor conditions, were good examples of that.
In such an environment, I was lost in thought, waiting for the train to reach its destination.
What was I thinking about? It was about my conversation with Acaite.
The conversation that I had now repeated four, no, five times.
***
During four or five regressions, the words Acaite conveyed to me were all the same.
It was only natural. As I repeated my regressions, I hadn't done anything to change Acaite's story.
So why was I listening to his story over and over again?
‘I wonder.’
It was a difficult question to answer easily. After all, I wasn't repeating this action based on rational thought.
‘Is it guilt?’
That was a possibility.
If I used the power of regression, I might have been able to assist Acaite at the right time and prevent his injury.
But I didn't. Why?
The answer was simple. It would be like telling the enemy who I was targeting.
‘At the very least, their vigilance towards me would increase. There’s already a skill gap, and if they become wary of me on top of that, it will become even more difficult.’
Therefore, I did not save him. It was a relief that he didn't lose his life, but he would no longer be able to display the same prowess as before.
Was it because of that? A manifestation of guilt for not saving him when I could have?
It was plausible, but I didn't think that was all.
Let's think about it from another perspective. Perhaps I was just hungry for conversation with people, or for their attention?
-Do you know that people around you are worried?
It came up in passing, but I meant the kind of attention that could be represented by such quotes.
Of course, I understood well how humane and kind the people around me were. Probably more than anyone else in this world.
‘And the fact that these kind people are worried about me.’
I wasn't an oblivious person. Whether I wanted it or not, my atmosphere after the Exchange Meeting must have subtly changed in an indescribably bad way.
And that sense of incongruity must have been seen as a sign of a bad change by those around me.
However, due to my circumstances, I had no opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with them.
Because of that, perhaps I felt loneliness and solitude—that was the story.
This led to the conclusion that I didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk with Acaite, or that I wanted to confirm the concern of others.
‘Is that so?’
This, too, wasn't an unconvincing story. As I was also human, I was prone to loneliness.
But my impression was the same as the previous point.
That might be part of it, but it didn't feel like the whole story.
There were many other thoughts as well.
Was I repeating this conversation to avenge Acaite, to not forget that anger? From a motivational aspect?
Or was it something else?
I shifted my thoughts again, trying to find a single point of focus within my consciousness.
‘What is the one part that won't leave my mind?’
That was the theme.
And, the conclusion that followed that thought was.
-Please, do not stray from the path.
The last part of the story Acaite told me.
It was the one thing that Acaite, who had been full of mischief the whole time, had conveyed with particular seriousness.
“Don’t stray from the path, he says…”
What did he mean by ‘path’?
The path of a knight?
Or if not that, the path of a human being?
There was no clear answer, but what was important was his intention.
The fact that he said such a thing to me meant that, at least from his perspective, I seemed to be standing on the boundary of the ‘path.’
‘Will I stray from the path, or will I continue to walk along it?’
Looking back, I feel that I haven't lived such an upright life in the days so far.
I might have been able to avoid killing.
There might have been more lives I could have saved.
But regardless of that, I simply chose the fastest path.
The reason was simple. I was desperate, and I didn't have the luxury of sparing even those who pointed their swords at me.
Even that was just an excuse, from the moment it was a case of ‘I could have, but I didn't.’
Not much had changed even now. No, it would be fair to say the situation had worsened.
I vividly remembered torturing Giovanni.
I still didn't regret that decision. It was the most rational, or perhaps the only, option I could choose.
In any case—no matter how rotten a person Giovanni was, and whatever choices I was given—it was undeniable that it was an act that deviated from the path of humanity.
What is the path? What is the way not to stray from it?
I didn't know.
I kept repeating the thought, but funnily enough, that was the conclusion.
Even in such a deflating conclusion, there was one thing that worried me, and that was.
‘How did I feel when I dealt with Giovanni?’
‘...Perhaps, did I enjoy it a little?’
That was the thought.
***
Endinium, the capital of Hargen Province, where Archenia Academy was located.
The train that had departed from Endinium came to a stop at the station of a small to medium-sized city on the way to the capital—Selbod.
Selbod was a small, featureless city that seemed to have no reason for a traveler to visit.
But I was in this city. If so, what could be the reason?
It was so obvious that it was embarrassing to even say it out loud.
‘Grændal is here.’
That was the reason.
-Crunch.
With a map in hand, I left the central area of Selbod and quickened my pace toward the outskirts.
Towards a small, abandoned village in the forest, where people no longer lived.
Towards the bell tower at its center.
‘Is it real this time?’
Such a doubt arose, but what good would doubting do?
If I was deceived again this time, I just had to stab my own neck with a sword again.
If I did that, I would return to two weeks ago, and I could just repeat what I had done so far.
Until the truth eventually came out of Giovanni's mouth.
-Crunch.
On the outskirts of the village, where no one passed, pure white snow was piled up high without a single footprint.
And I moved forward, leaving a single line of footprints on that pure white snowfield.
How much further did I walk?
By the time the sky was getting dark, something in the shape of a house came into view in the distance.
The reason I called it ‘something in the shape of a house’ and not a house was that the building no longer served the function of a house.
At that point, I sharpened my senses. If Giovanni had told the truth, it meant I had entered Grændal's base of operations.
‘I don’t… sense any presence, for now.’
The patterns when Giovanni deceived me so far had been twofold.
Either I was driven into a deathtrap teeming with enemies, or I arrived at an empty ruin.
The only fortunate thing, I suppose, was that even in the worst-case scenario, it wouldn't become troublesome.
With such idle thoughts, I moved across the silent ruins.
The destination was clear. As Giovanni had said, there was a stone bell tower about five stories high in the center of the abandoned village.
If he had told the truth, I would be able to face the disheveled madman in the bell tower.
As I crossed the pure white snowfield, the footprints of someone other than myself gradually came into view.
There weren't many footprints. They were split into several paths, but judging by their shape, they belonged to one person.
Those footprints converged into a single path at the center of the village.
Straight to the bell tower.
Thud.
I walked up the stone spiral staircase of the abandoned bell tower.
It looked as if it had endured many years, but it didn't seem likely to collapse.
Someone must be living here because they knew that.
As I climbed the steps, religious paintings drawn along the path of the stairs caught my eye.
Come to think of it, I remember that the power of religion wasn't that strong in this world.
Did a god even exist in this world in the first place?
Since it wasn't revealed in
What I knew was that 'The One' claimed to be a god.
And that he was absolutely not a god.
That was all.
Thud.
As I repeated the act of climbing the stairs, I soon reached the top floor of the bell tower.
Although calling it the top floor was an exaggeration, as it was only the fifth floor.
The fifth floor of the bell tower was shabby beyond compare. There was a bell in the distance, and a worn-out carpet was laid on the floor, and that was it.
Moreover, the ceiling and walls were riddled with holes, making it seem unsuitable for avoiding the heavily falling snow.
Nevertheless, there was a person here.
Someone kneeling in front of the bell, completely motionless.
Ah, the word person is too comprehensive, so I'll put it in a more specific sentence.
Here was a disheveled man with a haggard impression.
Here was a fanatic of a false god.
And here was a madman who believed himself to be a judge.
[ Episode 8. The Executioner's Dilemma ]
- Who executes the executioner?
[ System : 『Overcoming Ten Thousand Deaths』 has reached a checkpoint! ]