*
I spilled all the facts I knew to my mother-in-law.
The information that Pina is the hero in the prophecy that the Demon Kings are after.
And that she lived an unhappy life as the Nameless Saintess.
Lastly, the fact that Queen Bellin Grancia gets caught by the Magic Hat and turns into a card.
“…So, the dead Magic Hat is going to reappear in this time frame.”
“The situation is really bad…”
The queen sighed heavily and put down her pen.
She had been furiously writing everything I said onto a long piece of parchment.
“I wish all of this was just a dream. Son-in-law.”
Her expression, as she realized what was happening to her daughter, was serious.
To be robbed of everything and become a Saintess.
Or to become a Glass Knight who has lost all emotions.
Given Queen Bellin’s position, it couldn’t help but feel like a crushing blow.
“Our cute Pina is going to turn white-haired…”
The part that shocked her the most was the change in Pina’s hair color.
A phenomenon referred to as Marie Antoinette syndrome.
Her beautifully black hair, as lovely as the night sky, was a noble trait.
That’s also why I couldn’t easily think of the Nameless Saintess as Rufus’s sister.
“Is there a way to stop the Magic Hat?”
“Well… If what you said is true, we need to twist fate.”
The queen gestured, and thick books flew towards me.
About heroes and Demon Kings.
Contents relating to the God of Light and the God of Darkness.
Even searching through the history of the Grancia Empire.
“Just changing the past doesn’t simply alter the future.”
After a moment, as if her thoughts had gathered, the queen stared intensely at me and shared one fact.
“In the end, it means that the Grand Route has to be completed for our Pina to have a chance at happiness.”
The importance of completing the Grand Route.
There are still several Affection Levels missing from the Status Window, though.
[Lee Soo-hyun ♥ Pina Grancia 90%]
Even excluding the success stories of the Nex and Dennis couples,
[Drake ♥ Sage: 0%]
The last Sage of the Wizard Tower and the Grand Sword Master.
[Giseok ♥ Sophia: 50%]
The unyielding strategist from the northern region.
These two pairs of couples were still left.
For now, stopping the Magic Hat seemed urgent.
Why was I talking about this?
“Why can’t the future change easily?”
“Because the God of Light and the God of Darkness govern time and space.”
A black-painted tree with a white snake coiling around it.
With her finger, Queen Bellin touched the words representing Starter and Reset.
“So, in order to go against fate, we definitely need their help.”
─ Going against fate comes with restrictions.
A short yet intense sentence.
Even minor gods were said to be unable to help with this.
I too had been mistaken, thinking of this world as a game, unable to recall all of my previous memories.
“Son-in-law, you know all heroes have corresponding epithets, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
I nodded.
This was the reason I could create the Mind Sword to behead the Demon Kings.
“That’s why heroes are closely related to the God of Light, while the Demon Kings are to the God of Darkness.”
“…Huh? Aren’t heroes chosen by Pantoze and the other gods?”
Listening to her continuation gave me goosebumps.
I thought the Saintess was chosen by the God of Light, but this was news to me.
“They merely assist the duties of the higher gods. The real decision-makers are different.”
Seeing my surprise, the queen pulled another book, this one about Heroes and Demon Kings.
“Our son-in-law, the stronger your belief is… the more you can ignore other things.”
Queen Bellin began to explain the content of the book.
Every hero has an epithet suited for them.
In Kainel’s case, it was Light; in my case, it was Belief. Other Demon Kings also had their epithet match their abilities.
“So, what would our Pina’s epithet be?”
“Affection (親愛). It means to love closely.”
Pina hadn’t shown that side yet.
While she copied Kainel’s Holy Sword and saved my life, all of it was merely the tip of the iceberg.
The book described how the powers of heroes and Demon Kings could twist providence itself.
“So, for the Grand Route to be completed…”
“It means Pina can utilize her abilities as the Hero of Affection.”
I had anticipated this part.
The completion of the Grand Route was linked to the Affection Levels shown in the Status Window.
“Exactly. If not, this bizarre encounter wouldn’t have happened, right?”
“…..”
“The coincidence of the future and past intersecting is intriguing.”
Only when the surrounding love lines are completed would her abilities fully blossom.
Up until I mistook myself for a reincarnation, I realized I had to complete the Grand Route.
“It may not be a coincidence.”
I had to pioneer new possibilities for Pina.
“By any chance, do you know when Emperor Rock will return?”
“He was supposed to take about two months… but since I sent a letter, it might take two days.”
I started hurriedly asking about everything I could use right now.
I tried to seek help from the Wolf King, but failed.
“Is it impossible to summon the Imperial Guard and recruit knights?”
“Yes, if they’ve awakened as Demon Gods, it’d be tough.”
Not just a Demon King, but a Demon God.
According to the Nameless Saintess, the Magic Hat had resurrected as a Demon God.
In that case, as seen last time, summoning other world lines should also be possible.
“Bringing in people without Holy Swords would only exacerbate the damage.”
Ordinary knights wouldn’t stand a chance.
I heard Emperor Rock had suffered greatly fighting the Demon Kings.
“Then… is there really no way?”
“The remaining Ten Heroes have gone off with Rock for the hunt… Ha, truly.”
There seemed to be no clear path, leaving us in a desolate situation.
It felt very much like a cruel joke of fate.
It was as if Pina had to go through some horrific event.
As Bellin said, altering a pre-decided future was indeed difficult.
“Clearly, the war has ended… and yet, it was exploiting that gap.”
“……”
The Demon Kings of the Hero Church had been in a stagnant state after being defeated by Rock.
Magic Hat might have targeted this very gap as well.
My fists turned white from the blood not circulating, clenching tightly.
What on earth had our Pina done to deserve this?
The Demon God of Truth obsessively tormenting her was an indecent act, crossing the line by far.
“I will definitely protect Pina… no, everyone here.”
I said through gritted teeth.
If there was no happy future for Pina, then I’d create one myself.
“Alright. For now, I’ll set up protective barriers around the Imperial Palace and tighten security.”
Seeing my resolve, Queen Bellin gently smiled.
“Alternatively, duplicating this entire space and placing a fake here wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Thank you. Pina, no, Mother-in-law.”
A genius well-versed in magic.
Was it her inherited talent that allowed Pina to create glass clones?
Doooon!
With a loud sound, similar buildings started materializing around us.
“I told you to call me Mother-in-law.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just not used to it yet…”
After my slip-up, Bellin chuckled softly and patted my back.
It seemed amusing that I called her Mother instead of Mother-in-law.
“Hehe, son-in-law. Do you know why I named her Pina?”
“Well, do you have a special reason?”
She asked me for the reason behind her choosing the name Pina.
“When you use terms like Dalsegno or Da Capo in sheet music, there’s a finishing symbol, right?”
As I pondered the meaning, the queen moved to the piano and began to speak.
──Tada~
Along with the sweet sound of the keys, a certain part of the music sheet was repeated.
“Pina (Fine)…”
“Exactly. It means to return to the previous part and end at this symbol.”
Seeing me accurately guess it, she perked up her ears.
In that moment, I was once again reminded how much Pina resembled her mother.
“As you live your life, you will inevitably face hard moments. Just like this sheet music.”
She continued to play the piano.
At first, only bright and lively notes repeated, but then there came a slightly dreary melody.
“…Right?”
“But even the darkest night that seems endless will eventually see the sun rise, and twilight will come to bring it to an end.”
After a moment, the melody returned to a bright tune.
“That’s why I named her that.”
The song, ending with a brighter melody, had something that made my heart race.
“I hope that even if our Pina faces difficult times… she always believes there’s hope and lives steadfastly.”
*
After the short piano performance ended, I left the palace and headed to where I would stay.
The serene sound of crickets echoed in the night.
Roses flickered in the moonlight.
Thanks to the magic cast by Bellin Grancia, the surroundings appeared transformed like a Matryoshka.
“Brother..!”
“Pina..?”
Suddenly, I heard a cute voice behind me.
With her black wolf tail wagging like a motor, Pina approached me.
“What did you talk about with Mother? Why did the surroundings change like this?”
“I spoke about your safety.”
She looked around the transformed palace with wonder.
“My safety?”
Even with danger right in front of her, she tilted her head, seemingly clueless.
I couldn’t bring myself to comment on such an innocent demeanor.
“There’s something about it. Princess, I’ll protect you, so don’t worry.”
“Hehe, you really are reassuring, Brother.”
Kneeling to meet her eye level, she beamed a bright smile.
“Oh! Right! I came to give you a present!”
Pina pulled something out from her hands that had been behind her back.
“What is this…?”
It was a necklace made of colorful paper.
The links were haphazardly connected.
At the end, there was a red paper flower that looked like a rose.
“I made you a rose necklace myself!”
Real roses have thorns.
She must have tried her best to avoid hurting her hands.
“…I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“Hehe, it looks great on you, Brother!”
As I wore the necklace she gifted, Pina scratched her cheek and smiled.
“Promise me you won’t take it off in front of other girls! It’s a must…! We’ll pinky swear!”
Her wolf ears flopped backward.
Seeing her slightly flushed cheeks, it felt like there was something more to it.
“Yes, I promise.”
Even that innocent display revealed budding emotions that made me smile.
She made it just for me, after all.
In that moment of making a promise to Pina.
[The Demon God of Truth has invaded the Grancia Imperial Palace.]
A bright red notification window appeared before my eyes, reminding me of the imminent crisis I had feared.
[Player Lee Soo-hyun, good luck.]
*
