There were multiple paths stretching before me.
There were no signposts, no guides, but instinctively I knew what lay at the end of each road.
'Did every knight stand at this crossroad?'
With that thought, I stood rooted at the divergence, gazing at what lay beyond. An endless horizon.
As I stared blankly at the roads, lost in thought, a faint voice rode the wind toward me.
"If you reach this end, you can be reborn as whatever form you desire. A life of wealth and honor without envy, together with a family who loves you—surely there is no greater rest than this."
A red carpet unfurled along the once-empty first path. At its end stood a magnificent mansion, and the sound of joyous laughter drifted from beyond its walls.
Some kind of celebration seemed to be underway inside, as occasionally what looked like flower petals scattered into the sky.
So what awaited at the end of that path was the beginning of a fairytale life. I withdrew my gaze, needing to see no more.
Then the voice resonated once more.
"Or perhaps you could return to the moment you desire and gain the chance to change everything."
The second path was dyed blue. A mystical, dreamlike light. Fireflies that seemed like the Milky Way itself transported here sparkled and captured my gaze.
"If you could make amends at the time and place of your choosing and create a perfect ending, what a peaceful rest that would be."
To think it could send me back to the past—that authority was truly remarkable. Was this what they called the power of a god?
With my lips twisted in a wry smile, I gazed at the path yet moved not a single step.
Madness, to return to the past. I had no desire to endure those hardships twice, nor did I wish to face again the faces of humans I had barely shaken off.
The moment I felt intense revulsion rising within me, a warm breeze blew from the third path.
"All is meaningless. Deep sleep alone is absolute and perfect peace."
A white, smooth marble path stretched out. At its end stood a pure white door.
"Poor child of mine, you can finally lay down your heavy burdens and surrender your body to peaceful death—what is there to hesitate for?"
So that end was eternal death. Neither reincarnation nor regression.
Suddenly I remembered when I had mounted the guillotine. That day I had resigned myself to everything and silently offered my neck while listening to the condemnation poured upon me.
The priest had asked if I had any final words, and I had answered then.
"……O God, have mercy."
"Since I grant you the most perfect and complete rest, you need only sleep peacefully."
As if answering my murmur, the voice came once more upon the wind.
Sleep peacefully. That was the most perfect and complete rest.
Honestly, to say I wasn't tempted would be a lie. At that end, nothing would torment me, and I would never again be held back by any troublesome things.
But that was all it was.
To have nothing meant not only the absence of things I hated, but also the absence of things I loved.
I slowly stepped backward.
Before my eyes, three brilliantly shining crossroads tempted me, yet my heart was drawn to none of them.
"Birth tormented you, yet how can it be right to rely on his authority to continue living!"
The wind wrapped around me. I swept up my fluttering hair roughly and turned without hesitation.
There was no path, yet I began walking aimlessly. The three shining roads grew increasingly distant.
The wind blew ceaselessly at my back.
"You need only cast everything aside and be born anew—this is merely foolish attachment."
"How can the final authority belong to one alone? Your choice will greatly affect all lives that have deferred their rest."
"If you choose while caught in illusory emotions, you will have to live your remaining life relying on a vicious shell."
"This is the final chance. No miracle-like authority will be exercised for anyone again, so you must be prudent."
The wind whispered incessantly in my ear. The more it spoke, the wider my strides became.
"How regrettable. Poor knights who have regained their proper souls will still open their eyes as monsters because of you."
At the words that continued like a threat, my steps halted.
Perhaps sensing that I had been persuaded, the voice ceaselessly tried to guide me back to the three shining paths.
"Surely you do not truly wish for them to remain in monster-like forms. If you let go of your attachment, their rest too will become perfect."
"Those words mean…."
I moistened my dry lips with my tongue and formed a faint smile.
"You're saying my knights wish to remain upon the earth even in monster form."
The Dullahans who had vanished before my eyes, whose fate I couldn't know, were deferring their rest and waiting for me before those shining crossroads.
If I remained, they too would remain.
"Past, future—I need none of it."
They too wanted me to choose the present.
A gale struck my back as if whipping me. But I stood firm and raised my head. Glaring at the empty sky where nothing could be seen, I retorted fiercely.
"I'm going back."
I'll travel with my precious ones, eating snacks along the way.
"So whether goddess or whatever else, now get your hands off me and get lost."
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, the world remained unchanged.
It was still filled with all sorts of wretched things, and humans with eyes blazing with greed to exploit me were scattered everywhere.
The only fortunate thing was that, having experienced resurrection once before, I could handle the second time more skillfully.
The first thing I did upon opening my eyes was to pick up a scrap of cloth lying about and wrap it around my head and face.
The place where I opened my eyes was an isolated body disposal site typically used by the Empire to discard the corpses of criminals.
It was the very same place where I had been abandoned after my execution.
"No matter how vile they thought me, to treat a person like this…."
I started to voice my complaints but ended up swallowing a sigh and closing my mouth.
I looked here and there just in case, and found that the divine authority had completely faded.
The scar on my neck remained, but seeing how I wobbled with even a little walking, it seemed my oddly sturdy physique had been taken from me.
[Gasping— it's a living human!]
[Ack! Run away!]
I had been examining my limbs when I turned my head toward the source of the sound. I saw several gray rats dragging their long tails as they quickly hid themselves.
Ah, so this insane ability to communicate with all things hadn't disappeared after all.
I rose to leave this place. Whether the goddess had thrown my body to the ground when she returned me, my entire body ached.
Groaning as I finally stood, I grabbed my throbbing head and let out a sigh.
"To call this rest…"
From the very start, I could see all too clearly the road of hardship ahead.
* * *
The ring communication device I had shared with Xenon was broken.
Yet it was amusing that Roam's Ring containing my fortune remained intact.
At this point, I questioned Dekin's skill, but I couldn't exactly confront him about it now. More important was recovering my body.
My terribly diminished constitution meant I couldn't just set off on a journey as I had before.
Because of that, I stayed at a nearby inn to recuperate while planning my next moves.
'The final destination would be Beladia Castle, naturally.'
Xenon would be anxiously waiting for me at Beladia Castle, so I needed to depart as soon as my body recovered somewhat.
'It would be nice if I could contact him directly.'
Fiddling with the communication ring that showed no response at all, I felt my solitude anew.
Somehow it reminded me of the first time I had resurrected at the guillotine. Back then I had left without any destination, and now I had a clear destination, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was similar.
Perhaps it was because I knew I had to find and take in the Dullahans again on the way to the castle.
I tapped my knee with my index finger while deliberating, then glanced out the window.
This place was the capital. Originally, the body disposal site was near the execution grounds, and those grounds were located on the outskirts of the capital.
'Seeing as I opened my eyes here, the Dullahans probably aren't at Beladia Castle either.'
It was more likely they were waiting for me at the places where I had first taken them in.
I didn't assume I would be able to meet all the Dullahans again. I couldn't be certain whether they would wait for me, whether they would remember me.
But I decided to set out to find them anyway.
Having done it once before, the second time would be easier.
"Hey, you there—the brown rat."
[Huh? Huh?]
"Yes, you."
I stared intently at the mouse hole in the corner of the inn room and spoke.
A rat cautiously poked its head out from beyond the hole and sniffed in my direction.
"I have something to ask."
[Hm?]
"Do you have many friends?"
Bark had waited for me at the imperial palace, and Minte had come to find me from the capital.
Since I had opened my eyes in the capital, it would be good if I could find and take those two first.
"I'm looking for some monsters—could you help me find them?"
[M-m-monsters?]
"I'll buy you food in return."
To lure animals for a while, I'd need to buy some raw meat, vegetables, and fruit. I should also buy a small spatial magical tool and prepare for travel.
"If you don't want to, could you introduce me to any animal or insect with lots of friends? Monsters are fine too."
[W-what are you saying?]
The rat looked up at me with bewildered eyes. Its squeaking cries carried a hint of confused emotion.
"Birds would be even better."
[……This human is insane……]
The brown rat whimpered and muttered in a frightened voice. Let it think what it wanted—I busily prepared to go out.
There was much I needed to buy for the long journey ahead.
Finally, the very first task I needed to do was decided.
First, let's go shopping.