The ground she had been standing on gave way with a *swoosh*.
Everything she had felt disappeared. Wind, scent, moisture, time, space, all of it… receding as if sinking into the distant depths of the sea.
Still strange and bizarre, this twenty-first time.
True to the super-magical phenomenon known as regression, it was uncomfortable and suspicious in no small measure, yet the sensation announcing her ‘arrival’ was surprisingly clear.
*Tuk—*
The sound of something snapping.
The bracelet, no longer her artifact.
The suffocating, breath-stopping pain that surged at this moment every single time.
“Hah….”
Having composed herself with a deep breath, Ipeurin slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she looked at was the bracelet hanging from her wrist.
“….”
With its connection point completely severed, it was now nothing more than a simple ‘string’ rather than a bracelet. She picked it up carefully and tucked it into her inner pocket.
—He hated your mother, and he hated you too. You, who resembled my wife.
Dikailren’s voice echoed in her ears. A scene that surfaced like a nightmare every time she slept.
…She didn’t want to believe it.
In a corner of her heart, she still couldn’t believe it.
She believed in her father, not Dikailren.
“You’re awake.”
Just as she was about to be immersed in sentiment, a voice called out to her.
Ipeurin turned in that direction and immediately broke into a bright smile.
“Knight Yulri!”
Shouting, she sprang to her feet and rushed into her embrace.
“Oof….”
Yulri accepted her reflexively, but her face was quite flustered.
Ipeurin spoke.
“I’m back again.”
“…Huh?”
Yulri’s eyes, resembling snowflakes, blinked. Her face was bewildered.
Even so, Ipeurin only smiled bashfully.
“I’m back.”
“Um… yes. Where might you have returned from?”
“…What?”
“Hm?”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
They repeated questions back and forth before, suddenly, the surrounding scenery caught Ipeurin’s eye.
“…Huh.”
This wasn’t Rekoreudak. It was neither cold nor hot.
A comfortable environment at just the right temperature, an interior filled with a sofa, all kinds of furniture, tables, and fixtures.
“Where is this?”
“It is a guest room in the Imperial Palace.”
“What? How could—”
Before she could ask if that was possible, the hair on Ipeurin’s head bristled sharply.
*Whoosh—! Whoosh—!*
Ipeurin turned her head left and right.
*Whoosh—! Whoosh—!*
She looked around the interior until she was dizzy.
“…No way.”
And then, a thought came to her belatedly.
She quickly rummaged through her chest. She fumbled at her bosom with her fingers.
“….”
It wasn’t there.
Dekyullein’s letter.
His letter that had seemed to console her every time she regressed.
It was gone.
“…Knight!”
Ipeurin urgently turned to Yulri. Startled, Yulri jerked her head back.
“Yes.”
“Could it be, the Professor—”
*Screeeak—*
The sound of the guest room door opening. And the scent that drifted through the gap.
The clacking of dress shoes.
“…Ah.”
Ipeurin looked toward it, her mouth opening blankly. She took in only one person with her eyes.
His hair was neatly slicked back, his attire a somber black suit, and his uniquely sharp eyes always seemed to glare at her.
Indifferent, heartless, cold, composed……
“You’re awake.”
…Dekyullein, solid as a mountain.
Looking at him, Ipeurin’s body moved before any thought or greeting. Her legs hopped— jumped on their own.
And.
“….”
She hugged him tight.
She wrapped both arms tightly around his waist. She buried her face in his chest.
She cried a little.
“…Huh?”
She heard Yulri’s surprised gasp from behind, and Dekyullein’s mana seemed to surge as if in anger (?), and a whining sound like some puppy flowed from my own mouth, but none of it mattered.
Right now, only this very moment was important.
* * *
…Dekyullein is alive.
At that fact, Ipeurin fainted for a moment.
There wasn’t a single emotion like ‘I’m so happy,’ ‘I’m moved to see you again,’ or ‘as expected of Dekyullein.’
It was simply because she had been freed from the massive burden that had been crushing her mind. The dam in her heart broke, and exhaustion poured out.
“…Professor.”
At any rate, after sleeping like that, lying in the bed of an Imperial Palace guest room, Ipeurin looked at Dekyullein sitting in the chair beside her.
He held a book in one hand and turned the pages.
“Then Your Majesty is still….”
“More regressions are needed. I have not fully overcome it either.”
At Dekyullein’s words, Ipeurin let out a sigh.
The past had clearly changed dramatically. Dekyullein had ‘overcome’ the regression and hadn’t died, but His Majesty the Emperor was still….
“But how?”
“The rest is my responsibility. It is not something for you to worry about.”
Dekyullein spoke calmly. Ipeurin looked at him steadily.
Suddenly, a dark thought came to mind.
She raised her upper body. She fidgeted with her hands on her thighs.
“…Professor. I have something I want to ask.”
My voice must have sounded unusual.
Dekyullein shut his book with a snap. He raised his head and looked back at her.
As if telling her to say anything.
“Professor. What kind of person was my father?”
“….”
Then Dekyullein fell silent. Uncharacteristically, he spent time seemingly agonizing over it.
Ipeurin didn’t disturb him. She just waited quietly.
“Well.”
A low, drawn-out tone.
Words slowly following.
“He was exactly the kind of person you think he was.”
“….”
Dekyullein didn’t speak the truth. He didn’t defend himself. Nor did he disparage her father.
If the purpose was to not hurt her, it was truly the right answer.
Ipeurin’s expression darkened heavily, but only for a moment. She gritted her teeth and looked up at Dekyullein.
“Professor. May I go somewhere?”
“…Go somewhere?”
“Yes. I still have something left to do. Something I need to check.”
Dekyullein looked at her without a word. Meeting those indifferent eyes, Ipeurin added one more thing.
“If you’re worried… ah.”
Wait, this is absurd even to me.
Worried? Dekyullein, about me?
Ipeurin let out a snicker and shook her head.
“There’s no way you’d be worried….”
She muttered to herself, feeling foolish, when suddenly.
“Worried.”
Dekyullein said. Ipeurin waved her hand.
“No~ I was just talking nonsense—”
“You may.”
“Was….”
Her mouth clamped shut. Her ears perked up belatedly at what she’d just heard.
She blinked blankly and asked again.
“…What?”
“I’m worried.”
A definite sentence formed in Dekyullein’s voice.
“Because you now harbor the regression.”
“….”
*Gulp.* Ipeurin swallowed.
Whatever the reason, he had said he was worried.
She fiddled with her throat and asked again.
“Then should I… not go?”
Dekyullein didn’t answer.
Reading his expression, she asked once more.
“Should I not go? Since you’re worried?”
“No. It’s fine.”
He shook his head.
“For now, it is free time. Saving His Majesty will begin in earnest starting from the next cycle.”
“Ah… yes.”
Dekyullein rose from the chair.
“Go on, then. Tell Ahan when you leave.”
“…Yes.”
Ipeurin bowed her head, and he left the guest room.
Stride, stride. Stride, stride.
“…Tch.”
She felt somewhat disappointed for some reason, but before long she got up too.
“Hmm… should I buy a train ticket.”
What was left for me.
Thinking of ‘that place’ she had been unable to visit while fleeing during the regression, Ipeurin prepared to move again.
* * *
Ipeurin’s destination, ‘that place’, was Jyuhaelle, the territory of Illeide.
A small village in the region where the House of Runa had once stayed. A countryside hometown where a stream appeared after five minutes of walking and you’d get lost in the mountains after ten.
Among it, the hills and streams where her father was buried.
The village communal cemetery.
“….”
She silently gazed at the tombstone engraved with the name [Keigeon Runa], then quietly turned around.
“Granny.”
“Ohh~? Our granddaughter’s here?”
Our cute granny smiled at me with her eyes. I smiled back at her.
“You know what.”
“Yeah. Yer not cryin’ today? Ye cry every time ye come here.”
“…You know what.”
She lowered her tone. Granny’s wrinkles sagged with question.
Ipeurin asked carefully.
“Dad hated me, didn’t he?”
“….”
A question she had never asked once in her life, one she had never needed to ask.
At that moment, Granny’s expression stiffened.
It was a somewhat fatal change.
The all-too-clear evidence from our Granny, who couldn’t lie.
That alone was enough for Ipeurin to know.
“What in the world are ye sayin’…. No. Absolutely not~”
Granny naturally denied it, and Ipeurin deliberately opened her mouth wide and laughed.
“Kyehee~ Just kidding, just kidding. Why would Dad hate me~”
For now, she just laughed. It was enough if only she hurt; there was no need to torment Granny as well.
“Ye rascal! What kind of joke is that.”
Granny’s face turned as red as an apple. *Smack— smack—* Even as she received sharp slaps, Ipeurin laughed.
“Sorry, sorry.”
“That’s right! How much, yer, yer… father loved ye!”
“…Yeah. I know.”
Just as Ipeurin answered in a small voice.
—Ipeurin~
Grandpa’s shout came from afar.
“Oh, it’s Grandpa.”
Grandpa approached with his hands behind his back, his steps surprisingly fast.
Perhaps it was characteristic of mountain folk. When climbing mountains, each step was like the earth-shrinking technique.
“Grandpa, what is it?”
“Ooh~ it’s like this.”
Grandpa pointed toward the back of the cemetery, the entrance to the mountain.
“D’ye plan to head back soon today?”
“Why?”
“Well~ seems someone’s waitin’ for ye over there.”
“…Huh?”
Ipeurin’s eyes widened. She tilted her head and asked again.
“Who’s waiting for me?”
“Dunno. Asked ‘em, and they said they’re some professor.”
“…Professor?”
“Sure was. A handsome fella. Almost snapped me neck lookin’ at ‘em.”
Professor. No further explanation was needed; upon hearing that title, one person came to mind.
Ipeurin quickly turned around.
“Someone ye know?”
“Yeah! Granny, Grandpa, I’ll be right back!”
“Ooh, child! Be careful! Ye might fall over!”
She had been about to dash frantically in case Dekyullein might run away… but there was no need.
Under the shade of a tree at the not-so-distant mountain entrance.
Dekyullein was standing there openly.
“…Professor.”
Ipeurin called out as she approached him. He was admiring the sky for some reason.
“Your hometown has clear skies.”
The only advantage of the countryside. Clear skies, good soil and grass, unspoiled nature.
Even city folk enjoyed it for about a day or two.
“Yes. But why are you here?”
“…Because the Order might target you. Another knight is guarding you not far from here.”
“Aha. Is it Sir Delrik?”
Dekyullein raised his eyebrows.
“How did you know?”
“Hehe. Well, that’s… Oh right. Professor. Sir Delrik is a really good person.”
“A good person?”
“Yes. Loyal, loyal through and through. So please trust him. Keep him by your side.”
“….”
Then Dekyullein’s expression turned somewhat perplexed.
“…I shall believe you since you’ve experienced the future, but it is unexpected. That Delrik would be so.”
“I thought so too at first, but you can trust him.”
Ipeurin slowly approached Dekyullein.
“He is a knight who is always sincere toward you, Professor.”
With each word exchanged, one step, one step, one step.
About three steps away, Ipeurin looked up at Dekyullein.
“But, Professor.”
He calmly looked down at her.
“It’s just….”
“Speak.”
Meeting his eyes, bluer than the countryside sky, Ipeurin spoke.
“May I hug you one more time?”
“….”
For a moment, Dekyullein’s brow furrowed deeply.
*Absurd. This lunatic, what’s wrong with her head, has her brain run away,* and similar thoughts filled his face, but……
“I feel like I’m going to kill myself right now.”
Truthfully, she was just that desperate.
“I’m serious.”
Right now, her heart couldn’t help but ache.
She couldn’t be indifferent, couldn’t be normally okay.
It couldn’t help but fester and rot.
Because Dad was my universe.
“I’m not joking.”
He had been a genius mage, unable to fail at anything, unable to make nothing, always telling me that he loved me, that I was the only one.
That proud and tender father of mine.
“If I could just…… hug him one more time, I think I’d feel a little better.”
Because he had hated me.
Because he had tried to sell me off.
“……Please.”
Epherene lowered her face. Droplets had already marked the ground.
Only then did she realize that she was crying.
“Enough of this madness. How pathetic, Epherene.”
For a moment, Epherene’s shoulders shook.
Instead of permission, Deculein handed her a handkerchief.
“Tch.”
Taking it and wiping her tears, she pointlessly pretended to sulk, jutting out her lips. As if nothing were wrong, she muttered, How petty, and even shook her head.
Had that worked, just a little?
Deculein said,
“There will be an opportunity later.”
“……When later?”
“Someday.”
Then he turned and went down the mountain.
“……Hah.”
Epherene watched his back—especially his shoes—and gave a hollow laugh.
Those fancy dress shoes, even on a country mountain path like this. He sure has his character nailed down. Aren’t they uncomfortable?
Halt—
Deculein suddenly stopped and looked back at her. Epherene instinctively straightened her back. She stiffened her face like a soldier.
“Epherene.”
“Wh-what?”
“If you have nothing else to do, follow me. I want to hear your memories of the future.”
“……Ah, yes.”
Epherene walked after him.
With her worn-out sneakers, she kicked pebbles—scrape, scrape—keeping a distance of about three steps.
Chirp, chirp…… chirp chirp chirp……
A forest path where the same time flowed. Birdsong rang richly between the trees.
Perhaps because spring was near, their cries were quite lively.
Whoooosh——
The wind tangled her hair. The scent of mountain and earth seeped into her nose.
And then.
“Epherene.”
Deculein calling her name.
“Yes? What now?”
As they walked the same path, as he shared the same time with her, he asked,
“Was regression bearable?”
A question far too familiar.
Yuli, Ellie, Delric, even Sylvia had asked it at least once.
“Hmm……”
Epherene thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“……No.”
She answered with her cheeks puffed out.
“It was so hard I thought I’d die. Ah, now that I’m thinking about it, I might cry again. I believed you when you told me to wait, so I ran and waited at the same time. For two years. Two years. I went through hell for those two years, and when I said I felt like killing myself, instead of comforting me, you called me pathetic……”
It was a long hardship she had never been able to tell anyone about until now.