Chapter 65
- I don’t remember how many regressions it has been already
- In truth, the number of regressions wasn’t what mattered
- The key was how much information I gained during the regressions
- Meanwhile, the World Tree is a truly unique entity, as it remembers the regressions
- However, it doesn’t remember the details
- It manifests as intensely remembered memories
- The groundwork is all laid out
- If I can just meet the World Tree, I will be able to recruit it immediately without any complications
- That is, if I can just meet it
The Crown Prince’s Memory continued to rise to the surface.
It had never been like this before, so just how much must he have hated it for this to happen?
“Even after countless regressions, whipping a tree wouldn”t have been something to get used to.'
Fortunately, there was no longer any need to do such a thing.
Since he said the groundwork was all finished, it seemed like I could just make it Gardener #1 later, if it came down to it.
The problem was whether the position of Gardener #1 would be filled.
But before that, there was one thing to resolve first.
“How do you know Mirne’s name?”
The reason a Male Lead who hadn’t even met Mirne yet knew about her.
I was incredibly curious about that.
“…How could I not hear when rumors are spreading? It’s nonsense to say you don’t know Mirne in the Western Continent.”
Eiloren answered my question as if it were completely obvious.
Smack!
“You are conversing with Your Highness, yet your words are too informal.”
Pavan, seemingly displeased with that answer, fiercely struck Eiloren’s lower jaw as soon as the reply ended.
“…Did you say you were Dorareun and Hegail? Do you two know about Mirne?”
“I-I don’t… I don’t know.”
“I do not know either.”
While Eiloren was dazed from taking a hit.
I asked the elves nearby if they knew about Mirne.
However,
“What about the High Elves?”
“W-We also… do not know.”
I could tell that no one except Eiloren knew about Mirne.
And Eiloren, finding this situation strange, raised his head.
“…Wait, none of you know Mirne? How can you not know? We hear news about her sometimes.”
His bewildered expression at the other Elves' ignorance was quite a sight.
“What are you talking about, Eiloren… Who among us would possibly be interested in Human news?”
“N-No… No? That can’t be. There was a High Elf who often told me the news, and I would just hear stories myself.”
“Who on earth would be interested in an inferior ra… no, humans! Who among us! Other than you!”
And the conversation that followed was incredibly shocking.
Eiloren opened his eyes wide and looked around like someone who had just broken out of Hypnosis.
Everyone else also stared at Eiloren in disbelief, as if his words were too bizarre.
“…I was the only one who knew? No, there was definitely someone who told me the news of what was happening in the Western Kingdom…”
“Since when did we ever care about what happens in Human kingdoms? There’s no reason to care either!”
“…”
Eiloren rolled his eyes around with a stiffened expression.
“Where… where is he? He should definitely be here, the Elf who told me…”
It seemed like he was looking for the Elf who had told him who Mirne was.
His eyes looked so hollow that it couldn’t possibly be seen as acting.
“W-Wait a minute… I really won’t run away, so please let me go for just a moment. I definitely… I definitely know. I met them!”
At Eiloren’s words, Pavan looked at me.
I nodded, allowing Eiloren to stand up.
He sprang up.
As soon as Pavan released the pressure, Eiloren sprang up.
Like someone possessed, he moved his body toward the World Tree.
“Was I… was I the only one who saw? That’s not true, you saw it too! World Tree!”
It was as if I was watching an Elf’s sanity crumble before my very eyes.
“Does this mean that Characters with a Male Lead Designation unknowingly keep hearing stories about Mirne?”
As I watched that, a chilling possibility came to mind.
If this was true, then the Northern Great Warrior couldn’t be considered safe either.
“Among races that view humans as inferior, there is a rumor about a Human woman that only they can hear.”
Was that how they unknowingly built Inner Intimacy?
It made sense why they couldn’t help but fall for Mirne.
They were constantly hearing nothing but good things from their surroundings.
And this was making it so they couldn’t even feel that it was strange.
At this point, it could truly be considered suggestion or Hypnosis.
“Was this the core of how the surrounding male leads showered her with affection?”
That thought was brief.
“…Is there really no one? No one… told me about Mirne?!”
Eiloren grabbed his head and began to slam it into the Ground.
“Then these memories… who… who on earth was I talking to!”
And at the same time
Ssssss.
Pink Mist began to rise slowly from Eiloren’s body.
[ The High Elf, Eiloren, is attempting an action to break away from the narrative right before meeting Mirne. ]
[ The System is moving to prevent this. ]
[ The probability of his being replaced is extremely high. ]
“…Hah.”
My System Message immediately explained the current situation.
So, was it placing a suggestion on him so he couldn’t escape, because he was trying to break out of the Hypnosis now?
Indeed.
“…No, still… still, I definitely heard it… I definitely heard it, so wouldn’t it be fine? There’s no particular problem with listening to it in the first place. Giving the World Tree… to the Maselin Kingdom…”
“What are you talking about! Why would we give the World Tree to the Maselin Kingdom!”
“I-In case of an emergency… or the Great Forest might burn down… if the Demon Race comes…”
Eiloren looked like he was having a very hard time right now.
To the point where he was in a state of utter frenzy.
He thrashed about, rolling on the Ground and wildly swinging at anything within reach.
It seemed impossible for him to maintain his sanity.
“Why would the Demon Race come! No, the Demon Race disappeared in the first place!”
“Mirne… didn’t they say Mirne could save everyone…?”
While Eiloren spoke, the Pink Aura continued to spew out.
Feeling no need to keep watching, I ordered Pavan to execute a Subjugation.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
With a massive roar, Pavan’s body was instantly smashed into the World Tree.
“…No, no… she can save everyone, everyone… I have to meet Mirne, definitely… she’ll definitely know the person who told me those words.”
[ The System is attempting to force Eiloren to follow the Original Story Flow. ]
[ The System may even kill Eiloren if necessary. ]
[ Subdue him. ]
The message that followed came immediately after.
As soon as I read it, I firmly secured the scabbard at my hip.
“In the past, I had to kill them, but now I even have to worry about keeping them alive.”
Muttering that, I was just about to rush toward Eiloren.
- What exactly is the Original Story Flow
- …As long as this is maintained, regression might be meaningless
- Perhaps the first thing I must do is…
- Can I forsake the laws of heaven?
- I can feel my mind crumbling
- Perhaps the first thing I should have discarded was my humanity
- Infinite regression is not a blessing, but a curse
The Crown Prince’s Memory rose to the surface once again.
“I can”t dwell on it right now. What a shame.'
Instead of thinking deeply, I arrived right in front of Eiloren.
If I shouldn’t kill him, knocking him out with a strike would be the best option.
Whoosh.
I lowered my body and dug into Eiloren’s guard.
Thwack!
Using my ulna, I struck Eiloren’s jaw upward.
There was a solid feeling of impact.
The shock was strong enough to break the jawbone.
Normally, his brain would have been shaken immediately, causing him to collapse.
“Mirne… I, I have to go to Mirne, then everything will be resolved!”
“Your jawbone is shattered, yet your pronunciation is accurate.”
Eiloren was continuing to speak perfectly fine.
Without even looking at me, he fixed his gaze in the direction where the Maselin Kingdom would likely be.
“Killing him is absolutely out of the question.”
Eiloren was the only existence who clearly knew how Mirne bought the favor of the male leads.
Even without the message, I would have strategized in the direction of unconditionally subduing him.
“World Tree! Grab him!”
[ The Villainess moves to actively listen to your words. ]
I had to use everything at my disposal at that moment.
“But did Pavan faint right after taking one hit? That Pavan?”
Could he really knock out an Executioner with a single blow?
“I don”t think Eiloren is that strong. Is it the System’s doing?'
Many things came to mind, but I had no time to dwell on them further.
“I have to go, I have to… to confirm that I have a friend who told me your story…”
“I have no idea why that’s a reason to go to Mirne.”
Swoosh, Bam!
I spun my body and accurately struck Eiloren’s solar plexus with the ball of my foot.
Eiloren flew straight into the World Tree and crashed into it, and roots that had sprouted from the Ground bound him.
“Pavan! Wake up!”
But I couldn’t be relieved with just that.
Until the message said the situation was concluded, carelessness was forbidden.
Indeed.
Crack, snap.
Despite having a clearly slender physique, Eiloren was tearing off the World Tree Root.
Biting it off with his mouth and thrashing about.
[ Eiloren must not meet Mirne right now. ]
I know that even without you telling me.
M