“Of course.”
The closer I get to those guys, the more I feel it.
The crystallization formed by the beings from the last round piling up inside me.
These flowers plucked from my inner world react, shining brightly, as if being drawn somewhere, and I can feel them swaying.
They had started to wilt slowly since I returned to the current world.
But the closer I get to those beings, the more vitality they regain.
For someone like me, who can’t forget the memories and moments of previous rounds, I can’t let these things die.
The last 12 regressions were undoubtedly filled with pain and regret.
But that doesn’t mean those memories aren’t precious.
Every one of the heroines who were with me was beautiful and lovely.
Every mistake I made was painful.
The wounds they inflicted still linger in my heart.
Not once have I wished for those memories to be erased.
All of it has helped me grow.
And it’s made the me who stands here now.
So these flowers might be…
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they are even more precious than my own life.
What these flowers feed on undoubtedly comes from each heroine’s desire.
The fact that their vitality blossoms as I get closer to them is proof of that.
It seems that it will take time to cultivate my inner world and allow these flowers to take root again, so I’ll think about replenishing them before they wither away.
“Really… are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“You really plan to tear through space and dive in there?”
“That’s right.”
As Nameless looked up at me with a bewildered expression, saying, “Are you serious?”, it was understandable.
I didn’t have a clue about the scale of the united army headquarters when I first heard it…
“Are you still thinking about going after seeing that…?”
Seeing the absurd fortress that Nameless pointed at made me want to laugh.
It might look like an ordinary city at first glance.
With not even a low wall for defense, it might be misunderstood as having far worse defensive capabilities than other cities.
But I can see it.
That fortress is a culmination of mana techniques created by mages and curse casters alike.
Countless formations and barriers wrap around and reinforce the city.
If one breaks, another can block, and it continues like that indefinitely.
It’s a structure that cannot be breached by physical force.
If I shot the Half Moon Slash for a year nonstop, I could probably destroy all the outer barriers.
The problem is, those barriers automatically dismantle right before they’re destroyed, replenishing their durability.
In other words, if I can’t break all the barriers at once, I would face an infuriating situation where they regenerate infinitely no matter how much I smash them.
This is just what can be seen from the outside.
How stringent must the defenses be inside?
It seems impossible to break through.
Yeah. I mean ‘breaking through’.
“No problem. I know how to tear through space, so I can teleport directly to where I want to go. That way, I won’t trigger the security system.”
“What?! You make it sound so simple, but what way are you going to do that…?”
“There’s someone here who knows the structure of the headquarters.”
“…?”
Nameless poked her chest, looking flustered.
That’s right.
If it’s her, she would know the layout of the headquarters.
Using the blueprint drawn by Nameless as a map, I can teleport to the necessary places and then slip out. It’s that simple.
“Are you asking me to draw the headquarters’ blueprint?!”
“Yeah. You know it all, right?”
“I know, but mistakes can happen. If anything goes wrong, I could end up teleporting into a wall. I could die…!”
“I won’t make mistakes.”
“Not you! I mean me! What if I mess up?”
“You won’t make mistakes either. I believe in you.”
“No, no! How can I trust my life to someone I just met yesterday…?”
Nameless’ face quickly turned pale, and she stepped back.
I felt a bit bad for putting that pressure on her, but it can’t be helped.
She needs to get used to it.
Being together means trusting each other with our lives.
If you’re too scared to take a step, that’s just going to be pointless.
I’ve lived long enough as a coward to know.
If you get scared at the start, you’re highly likely to regret it, no, you will always regret it.
It’s a situation where I have to take a gamble with my life.
There’s no need for hypothetical scenarios about what would happen if I fail.
If I fail, I’ll be living a life worse than death.
“I’m sorry. I’m so desperate that I have to risk my life. If it’s too much pressure, you can give up. I’ll find a way to handle it myself. But in that case, the contract will be broken.”
“…!”
Nameless helps me regain my existence, and I help her meet her master.
That was our agreement, and if she pulls out now, breaking the contract would be a natural consequence.
“If that’s the case…”
Mentioning the contract seemed to spark some determination in Nameless, who had been scared.
The desire to meet her master and vent her frustrations reignites.
Nameless’s ambition won’t stop there.
It feels like she’s ready to do whatever it takes to meet her master.
“I really don’t know what you’re seeing that makes you trust me… but I’ll give it a try. Your confidence hasn’t ever been without reason, right? If I end up dying here, I’ll really lose my mind.”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Nothing will happen if I just sit here scared.
That’s why I gave her the courage…
“Wow, she’s a lot like me.”
The more I look, the more it feels like Nameless resembles me.
Getting attached to someone I haven’t seen much of yet, and if you just nudge her a little, she’ll immediately clench her fist.
Before I knew it, the blueprint Nameless painstakingly drew was complete.
I began estimating the coordinates, comparing it to the actual headquarters.
I roughly figured out the location.
Nameless has done her part.
Now it’s up to me.
It’s a simple but challenging task to carefully tear open space and slip right inside.
Even Belphegor can’t do this…?
According to Nameless, this is definitely a dangerous endeavor.
But there’s no other way.
Well, there might be other ways, but I don’t have the time to go back.
“I’m going.”
This is the best option right now.
As I solidified my thoughts, my hesitation faded, and my body stopped trembling.
I reached out my hand to Mi Jeong and moved forward.
Naturally, Mi Jeong intertwined her fingers with mine and stepped forward alongside me.
“…Okay.”
Carddle doodle!
The magical energy gathered at a point around us.
We will have to jump through space about three times, but it would be hard to gather mana inside, so we need to stock up here in advance.
Realizing that without me needing to say it, Mi Jeong joined in, gathering mana and waiting.
I managed the fine control, while Mi Jeong took care of the mana supply.
The moment enough mana collected, I grasped it like I would a sword.
With all my strength, I swung it to create a rift in space.
The second I stepped inside, we were sucked away.
“Whoa! Whoa…!”
I almost died.
I was frozen in place, confronted with a sharp metal stick that was almost going to stab my eye.
If it weren’t for Mi Jeong, who grabbed the back of my neck, I would have started this with one eye gone right after teleports.
“Ugh…”
Mi Jeong pulled me back, cradling me in her arms and moving me to a safe place.
When I finally looked around, we were in a spacious room on the second floor.
The impressive chandelier that almost stabbed my eye stood out in this room.
And for some reason, this room felt eerily familiar…
As we stepped down to the first floor, filled with religious decor, I could feel my breath quickening.
This is it. I’ve found the quality location.
The way the yellow jasmines in my pocket are shining brightly confirms it.
Thump thump thump thump.
I almost stopped Mi Jeong from jumping down loudly.
But thinking about it, we’re in a state where Jill can’t recognize us.
It doesn’t really matter if we’re making noise.
“But where is she?”
However, I don’t see Jill anywhere.
Not in the living room, not in the bedroom.
It’s dead quiet.
Anyway, this place is surprisingly tidy for Jill’s residence.
Could she be out?
Just as I was thinking that, Mi Jeong pointed to a door.
“…Here. Not. Checked. Yet.”
It’s the bathroom.
I gulped nervously, placing my hand on the doorknob.
A bad premonition fluttered through my mind.
Jill can’t cook, and she’s terrible at cleaning.
She’d only take care of everything when I’m around, so there should be a housekeeper or maid if I’m not here, right?
No. I actually felt something was off from the tidy bedroom.
Even if she cleaned up where others could see it, she would usually leave her bedroom messy.
Has her personality changed this much in the meantime?
As I opened the bathroom door with apprehension…
“Jill.”
Splash.
In the middle of the spacious bathroom.
There was a small tub, barely big enough for one person, awkwardly placed.
And there, the saint I had longed to see was gazing blankly at the water’s surface, her white skin exposed.
Then, suddenly, Jill smiled shyly.
She pulled her arms out of the water.
What emerged from it was a small dagger.
The splendid dagger that Jill had gifted me.
“Ughuhu…”
“No!”
My body moved instinctively.
When I regained my senses, I realized I was already in the tub, grabbing both of Jill’s wrists.
Fortunately, I managed to make her drop the dagger.
Searching all around, I could see no wounds or red blood on her fair skin.
As I let out a sigh of relief…
“Yoo Jin? Is that you?!”
“…!”
In an instant.
I felt my heart stop.
