Chapter 79
The second sword meant to kill a god, Sword #2, precisely slashed Mirne’s back.
The wound extended from her right shoulder blade down to her left pelvis.
Because I slashed without harboring any killing intent, the power itself was in a very weak state.
Nevertheless, it was enough to inflict meaningful damage.
“Mirne, I let it slide when you met with the representative Warrior of our Northern Region’s people because there was no proper physical evidence, but this is crossing the line.”
Not only did the Crown Princess of a mere Kingdom arbitrarily intrude upon the land the Empire declared off-limits to everyone.
She arbitrarily made contact with the most important figure within the Great Forest in a place boasting the most thorough security.
This was an issue that could no longer be ended with just words (Believer).
“This is no different from committing a capital offense. It’s a matter that could lead not simply to your death, but to the death of your Kingdom.”
Saying you entered without knowing won’t work.
Because there is already a record of you making contact with the Verdantia Kingdom and hearing information related to the Great Forest.
“To recklessly intrude upon Imperial Territory is an act no different from a Declaration of War.”
Even if Mirne survived and left here, the situation would continue.
She arbitrarily entered Imperial Territory, tried to appease the High Command, and attempted to smuggle out the World Tree, which was treated as a national treasure of the Empire.
This incident could never be overlooked lightly.
“Khaak… Huk… H-how… is Your Excellency… here?”
“The Great Forest has become the Empire’s, so is it strange for me to be in such a Great Forest? I’m just wandering around my own land.”
Simultaneously with my response to Mirne’s flustered tone, I swung my sword.
Slash!
If there is no killing intent, damage can be inflicted.
Following this rule, arrived the moment I tried to inflict an appropriate level of damage on Mirne for complete Subjugation.
Thud!
My sword was blocked by a black, solid dirt wall.
“Even if you made a contract.”
I could feel the Earth Spirit contracted with Mirne, dwelling within the dirt wall itself.
No matter how gently I swung it, I was astonished to think a mere Spirit could block my sword.
The advantage from the World Tree was certainly incredible.
However
“…I heard I just need to inflict enough damage to break the contract.”
I was only swinging gently at Mirne; there was no need to use Power Control on the Spirit.
Fwoosh.
My sword, instantly engulfed in flames, slashed the Earth Spirit just like that.
One-Strike.
A single red line remained in the air, showing off its presence.
That red line precisely turned the dirt wall into ashes.
Kieeeek!
The Earth Spirit, having suffered an unbearable level of damage, immediately tried to return to the Spirit Realm.
Not missing that moment, my Spirits grabbed the Earth Spirit.
“Your master is still writhing from the slash wound, so do you have the time to look after your Spirit?”
Leaving the Spirits' affairs for the Spirits to resolve among themselves.
I fixed my gaze on Mirne, who was recovering from the wound on her back.
“Do you have any last excuses? Seriously, what were you thinking coming here and saying such things.”
The Demon Race invasion, the continent’s destruction.
Mirne had definitely said that to persuade Eiloren.
Moreover, it was striking to see her say she could prevent the destruction after that by solving things step by step.
It seemed certain that all the remaining lands except the Maselin Kingdom were destined to be completely ruined.
Just what kind of story was the original work that Mirne knew?
At that very moment, I waited for Mirne’s answer with that thought.
“…Even when I played the game for countless guides and Challenges, there was never a case like this. Even when I installed various mods and enjoyed diverse stories… the Crown Prince never had such a strong presence.”
Mirne suddenly looked at me and started pouring out words (Believer).
“The current situation doesn’t make sense either. The Crown Prince has never appeared at the World Tree.”
Rather than an intention to calmly persuade me, it was closer to just running wild.
Did she feel that everything was suddenly getting tangled up?
Mirne roughly messed up her hair and continued speaking.
“So there’s only one conclusion that makes this current situation understandable: that you, Crown Prince, are also a Transmigrator.”
It was obvious, but Mirne’s words (Believer) were inaudible to everyone but me.
It was a measure I took thinking she might brainwash the surroundings with strange words (Believer).
Looking at it now, I felt I did a really good job soundproofing it.
“Right? You’re a Transmigrator too, aren’t you? Right?”
“Mirne, did you think your sins would disappear if you suddenly spouted crazy nonsense? If you pretended to be mad?”
Slash!
I swung my sword once again.
But this time, the woman wasn’t slashed.
Not containing killing intent was a very difficult task.
It was definitely easy at first, but looking at Mirne’s expression as she spat out those words (Believer), he felt an indescribable displeasure rush in.
“…Whether you’re a Transmigrator or not doesn’t actually matter. But… you shouldn’t have interfered with me at the very least. Do you think you’d be any different? Do you think you could entertain the thought of saving the entire Continent? Just… isn’t it enough if my surroundings just eat well and live well? You should have been in my position! I shouldn’t have to do anything, and everyone should just like me… but if you suddenly interfere like this… how angry do you think I’d be?”
Even as Mirne’s words (Believer) continued, I kept compressing Divine Power and flames at the tip of my sword.
I realized there was no point in exchanging words (Believer) with Mirne any further.
'Time will probably turn back again anyway.'
In the current situation, there is no way for Mirne to live.
As mentioned earlier, even if she makes it out alive, the Maselin Kingdom will be destroyed.
There is only one way to prevent this situation.
To turn back time like back then, and make the current situation something that never happened at all.
Perhaps Mirne was just spouting whatever because she knew this too.
'She couldn’t remember the regression the first time, but how was she able to remember it the second time?'
Since a Protagonist was an existence that constantly grew.
Perhaps she was in a state where she had gained an ability related to Save & Load.
Anyway.
“I can’t save everyone, but I can be a savior. You would have done the same. Think about it… Do you think you can protect this entire vast Continent? No? Just… just protecting our Kingdom… and protecting other places a little less… is fine, isn’t it? I’m the Protagonist. The Protagonist can receive affection no matter what choice they make. Because it’s okay to do this…, I just did it, and I plan to do it. Crown Prince, so you should give up everything too. It’s going to be destroyed anyway, so rather than the Empire that will be destroyed, support our Kingdom instead…”
While listening appropriately to Mirne (a Believer)'s words.
“You speak too informally for someone of your standing.”
Put the power compressed to the limit into the tip of the sword.
Tap.
I detonated it right in front of Mirne’s neck.
BOOM!
I had thoughts of digging up information, but hearing her complaints made me change my plans.
I didn’t set a trap to listen to this kind of nonsense.
And I had already secured the information I needed to hear to some extent.
'So this is why she rejected the Crown Prince’s proposal.'
She thought it would be ruined anyway.
She concluded that it was perfectly fine to do this since she was the Protagonist.
“Aaaaaaagh!”
With the Divine Power and flames exploding right in front of her eyes, Mirne immediately vomited in pain.
'It works.'
I tried it as a test, and it seemed to have hit Mirne splendidly.
Judging that the power was too weak to do only attacks without killing intent.
I wondered what it would be like if I detonated the power with the thought of attacking myself instead.
Perhaps because the attack intention itself was focused on 'me', Mirne, who was in close proximity, also suffered the damage.
This is a method of inflicting damage through such an expedient.
It felt like exploiting a bug to pierce through an invincible boss.
'It really is like a game.'
Swoosh.
The dust raised by the explosion created by the Divine Power and flames slowly settled.
Through that settled dust, Mirne’s messed-up appearance was revealed.
It looked like she had used Defensive Magic to the fullest through the Water Spirit and Magic, but.
My power, compressed to the limit, was not at a level that could be blocked by mere things like that.
“…Everything is being ruined because of you, because of you.”
“Your arm is dangling, and your face is barely mimicking a human’s, yet you speak well.”
“Do you know the faces of the people living at the edge of the Continent? Do people who know nothing, who you’ve never even met… really feel like people? Even at this moment, people will be dying, so are you going to mourn for those people every single moment? No, you won’t. Right? That’s why I don’t make the choice to save everyone, because there’s no reason to. Because I can’t understand it, because I can’t empathize!”
I might be able to kill her if I do it just one more time.
Happened the moment I ignored Mirne’s words (Believer) once again and tried to compress power at the tip of the sword.
Thump.
The situation I felt in the Maselin Kingdom’s garden was reproduced exactly.
The world that stopped like a lie.
Everything stopped moving as if a pause button had been pressed.
It was just like back then, above Mirne’s head.
[ The Protagonist must not die. ]
The exact same message as back then appeared.
Mirne’s System Message.
When I first saw that, I actually thought the System Message might be the mastermind.
[ The current flow does not match the original work. ]
[ However, first, remove the fundamental cause of the situation the Protagonist is facing. ]
This meant that Mirne was just a puppet suffering from manipulation according to the will of that system.
But looking at it now, that wasn’t the case.
'The Crown Prince’s Memory is like that too.'
The Crown Prince said the system reflects Mirne’s unconsciousness.
Of course, I don’t know how many regressions the Crown Prince had gone through at the time he said that.
He might have made a misjudgment in a similar situation, and he might have said something different in later regressions.
However,
“The story fits much better if I think of you as Mirne too.”
According to my judgment so far, the system was also Mirne.
Mirne wanted to receive appropriate responsibility and a lot of affection as the sole Protagonist.
And the system thoroughly designed the future to assist that Mirne.
I felt there was a need to perceive these two as one rather than seeing them as separate entities.
[ Erase Past Actions of Mirne attempting to intrude into the Great Forest. ]
[ Modify Past. ]
I couldn’t judge it properly at first, but seeing it for the second time gave me some certainty.
The atmosphere and aura exuded by Mirne and the system were extremely similar.
“But you won’t be able to turn everything back as you please like last time.”
Creaaaak.
My body, which had only been able to move its mouth, slowly moved.
With faster timing than last time, like a rusted machine moving with a creaking sound.
My hand holding the sword moved, and flames gradually formed at the tip of the sword.
“I’ll thrust it in at the exact time.”
[ Deny Current Situation. ]
BOOM!
As soon as the message denying the situation followed, I immediately discharged the flames.
If the damage was sustained after it had been modified, it wouldn’t be fixed, so the attack aimed for that.
But unfortunately, I couldn’t confirm whether this attack was a success or not.
This is because.
“Your Excellency! Unghi! Albedang is here! This Humble Woman baked some bread… Ahem, it’s my first time making it, so I don’t know the taste well, but… i-it might feel good if you eat it…”
Time had turned back.
Exactly before crossing over to the Great Forest.
I had returned to that time when I was talking with Arveda and Rowena.
'It’s good that I can keep kicking Mirne out like this for now.'
Still, it would be a shame if it kept going like this.
That thought was brief.
[ Due to the Effect of the Title 'Recorder', All Your Actions Have Been Recorded. ]
[ You will recall the records of what happened in the future. ]
[ You are Currently Contracted with the Earth Spirit 'Nomt'. ]
[ You Have Freed the World Tree and the Elf Race from the System’s Influence. ]
[ A clue about 'Noble' is provided as a reward. ]
“What?”
The unexpected effect of the title: 'Recorder' appeared as a message.
Wait a minute, if this was recorded, that means…
“…Hah, she’s going to suffer for a while.”
Mirne, the wound on your back and the pain from taking a full-body explosion head-on are going to hurt quite a bit.