novelraw Chapter 189 : Chapter 189
Chapter 189 : Chapter 189
Chapter 189 - Fading Away(2)
Time flows again.
The long conversation with Regina that followed also came to a close.
Listening to how she would act in the future, and the strategic intent behind those actions.
It also meant that I had achieved all the original purposes for which I had been summoned by Regina.
And my impression of that conversation was.
“……It’s so meticulous it’s almost cunning.”
Honestly, I thought it wasn't a word to be used for a princess, but I thought it would be difficult to find a more accurate expression.
How to create a hero and how to imprint them on the public. That would be a part of the act of seizing people's hearts.
In the field of manipulating the psychology of the masses, Regina was truly a master who brooked no comparison. Yes, I understood that in my head. After all, she was described that way in
But after actually hearing the strategy and its intent directly, the knowledge I had gained from watching the original
‘Perhaps in this aspect alone, even more so than that prince…….’
The worst personality-disordered person in
I'll just say that I could somewhat understand the reason why he was treated as a rival by the prince, who was treated as the de facto final boss in the original work.
‘He was eliminated early in the original, but if Regina had even one useful piece, the situation might have been different.’
To the extent that such a thought lingered in my mind.
Anyway, when all the talk had come to an end and it was time to part.
“From now on, many things will change rapidly. This world, the world’s political situation, and…… your life, young lord.”
Regina opened her mouth with a slightly languid tone, as if it were the last time.
“It will certainly be so.”
“Yes, you understand. Because you are none other than that young lord.”
She said, shrugging her shoulders as if she had expected me to answer that way.
“Nevertheless, I wanted to ask about your resolve.”
“My resolve, you say?”
“The resolve to leave your past daily life in the past.”
The resolve to leave my daily life in the past.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, there’s no great implication. It just means that you’ll be so busy from now on that you won’t be able to enjoy the things you used to enjoy in your daily life anymore.”
“…….”
Daily life. At that word, I closed my eyes for a moment and thought.
Although I had forgotten for a moment, having overcome over a thousand deaths, they were certainly close to me when viewed in the absolute timeline.
The late-night training I had done every day with Serene, Khan, Yuna, and Elwin, and the sense of stability I felt from it.
The trivial jokes I had exchanged with Acaite every time I was taught by him.
The small laughs I had let out in the study sessions with Arien where we pointed out each other’s shortcomings.
Besides that, when I was tutoring Yuna, when I was being scolded by Khan or Elwin for no reason, and so on.
In my future life, it would be difficult to feel such daily elements.
Although I could pride myself on having lived a breathless life without wasting any time until now, my future life, as Regina said, would be several times busier.
I know. It was certainly a loss, and it would affect my life in some way.
But, well.
“I’ll have to endure it. Isn’t it all for the sake of survival?”
Naturally, I had no choice.
To push away the lifeline given to me because I didn't want to lose those daily routines?
It was a story that didn't make sense in the first place.
“Fortunately, I’m quite used to this kind of no-choice situation.”
And when had I ever chosen a path I liked?
Since falling into the fate of repeating death, had I ever had the luxury of choosing a path I preferred?
That was the story.
“Fortunately, you have a good understanding of our situation.”
At my answer, Regina drew a small arc on her lips. For some reason, it was a smile that even showed a hint of satisfaction.
“That's a good resolve. It doesn't seem as solemn as a resolve, but rather, that's why I like it more.”
Continuing those words, Regina slowly reached out her hand towards me. Since we were sitting across a small table, her hand easily reached the destination Regina had wanted—that is, my face.
“…….”
To be honest, I was at a loss as to how to respond to Regina’s action, but I soon guessed that silence was the right path.
Perhaps I had just been captivated.
“Well, don't worry too much. That empty space in your daily life…… I'll try to fill it in somehow.”
And she left those words, changing the faint smile into a rather deep one.
“Let’s do well, you and I, who have no choice.”
What did I say in response to Regina’s words?
I don't know. I don't remember well.
But what I do remember is that the white flowers in the garden where I faced the princess were in full bloom that day.
And that the something in the shape of a burning purple circle had a gentler form than usual.
Yes, that was about it.
***
Although I had spent what was practically an ascetic's time, repeating death over a thousand times against Grændal, the time I could rest was not that long. About five days, I suppose.
During that time, I did whatever I wanted.
Things like wasting time in bed, which I couldn't even dream of before, and…… well. Spending a plausible daily life with people I could call my friends.
Of course, Regina hadn't given me those six days just to catch my breath.
After all, those six days were the time it took for my subjugation of Grændal to be officially approved by the Knight Order and for the news to spread to the public through newspapers and word of mouth.
Well. That's how it was.
After the six days of catching my breath, the existence of me had taken on various meanings for people.
A hero who had executed the vicious madman who had murdered countless knights and falsely accused them.
A rising star of a turbulent era who, despite his young age, had proudly achieved victory against a difficult foe that even the mighty knights could not defeat.
A standard-bearer of a new era who, despite being despised and ignored to the point of being given the derogatory name ‘wastrel young lord’ due to his humble position as an illegitimate son among the nobles, had overwhelmed the nobles, and so on.
It was embarrassing to say it myself, but they were all names that referred to me.
And Regina did not let the name Rain Enlight, which had become the center of the topic, simply pass as a temporary topic.
- From now on, you will accompany me on my external activities. It will mainly be meeting with promising researchers in the field of magic engineering.
The field of magic engineering, which deals with the business of production, did not have many people born of noble status due to its nature.
It was rare anywhere for the child of a noble family to be in the business of technology and production.
Thus, naturally, the class that formed the mainstay in the field of magic engineering was bound to be heretics who were alienated from society or somewhat deviated from the mainstream.
However, what kind of era was the background of
Wasn't it the era of magic engineering, where airships equipped with magic cores sailed the skies and various magic engineering weapons dominated the battlefield?
Although it was just beginning to develop and had transitional aspects, it was nevertheless a field that was clearly beginning to establish itself as the mainstay of the world.
Yes, Regina effectively embraced the alienated through the persona of me, the ‘hero of the alienated.’
If there was an icon that could be identified with a specific class, it was bound to be easier to embrace that class.
And this, in contrast to the Crown Prince's Faction, which strongly displayed its aristocratic nature, created a progressive image for the princess, that is, ‘the princess embraces the alienated.’
‘And the forces she has embraced in this way will become the foundation for her to confront the prince.’
The conservative Crown Prince's Faction, the progressive Princess's Faction. Wouldn't that be a good confrontation?
And my role in that process was.
- You don't need to say much, young lord. No, rather, to make a deep impression, it's necessary to artificially adjust the frequency.
Accompanying the princess, I received various questions or stories, though I didn't want to.
Things like how I had overcome the hardships while being treated worse than a stranger by my family and receiving the insulting nickname of a wastrel young lord from society.
“What kind of mindset did you live with?”
“How should we live?”
Those who questioned me had their eyes shining at me.
They were expecting something.
Even though I, who had to give the answer, was not a person who had gained some great enlightenment, they were hoping.
Therefore.
- Deliver a short but firm message rather than a long-winded one.
Following Regina’s advice, I just left an appropriate story according to the situation.
“I just chose. To endure, or to wither away. Between the two.”
In my opinion, it was an ridiculously obvious story, but fortunately, it seemed to have been a quite satisfactory answer for those who wanted some kind of answer from me.
“That's…… a really good saying.”
Perhaps it was because they had already decided on an unspoken answer from me.
They were ready to accept anything positively. Something like that.
***
Naturally, it wasn't just about accompanying the princess.
It was effective to actively show one's face to the public, but there was a risk of being seen as a person who was too eager to show off.
According to Regina’s theory, I had to prove my worth to the public not just with words, but with actions.
In what way?
The answer was simple. There were many battlefields in unfavorable situations, and I would go to those battlefields and achieve victory.
The monster front in the north, the rebel front in the south, and other threatening battlefields that occurred frequently.
I roamed those battlefields tirelessly, both before and after the academy's new semester began.
And, I won.
Compared to the previous affairs, it was a rather simple task. In the first place, my body was not allowed to die, and I was also under the protection of the princess.
The main reason would have been that I was not sent to battlefields where the future was truly bleak, where only the future of defeat was concluded.
‘Is this Regina’s discerning eye?’
Whatever the behind-the-scenes story, to the people, I had become a young hero who brought victory, moving on from my previous image.
There was also the fact that I had received the spotlight under Regina’s hand.
Yes. This was definitely an honorable thing. For I, who had been treated as a nuisance…… Rain Enlight, to now be praised as one of the empire’s respectable heroes.
It was a treatment that was completely opposite to the treatment Rain Enlight had received a year ago.
If one were to embrace such an honor, anyone would be worthy of pride and dignity. Many people might think so…… but, I wonder.
My heart didn't particularly pound with elation.
Unlike that time when I was still a naive first-year, when I received a commendation for defeating the formidable enemies of Ad Astra who had invaded Ailton Hall.
Why was that?
If I were to compare then and now, the honor I enjoyed was so different it was incomparable.
What had moved my heart then, and what had made my heart calm now?
That was a small topic I had been thinking about whenever I had free time recently.