Chapter 278

I felt a piercing emotion.

“Grand Duke, Grand Duke Pret…. You should not have died….”

I was confused.

I was even more confused because I did not know what I was confused about.

Everything just turned into mush.

I was twenty but forty, the son of the Great Emperor but hated the Empire, a human but became inhuman, and I was here now but bound to my past life.

Because all the elements of my life could not keep their places and were twisted, they collided with each other and were crushed.

The pain could not possibly be put into words.

“…Why….”

I muttered.

My teeth were packed with fangs.

Sharp, yet powerless.

‘What went wrong? What…?’

If it went according to my thoughts, it was clear.

‘If it is the Kerenneus I know, he would never have killed Grand Duke Pret. There is no way a Man-God who has hidden for a thousand years would suddenly rampage like this….’

Grand Duke Pret could not have died.

‘It has been correct all along…. I know the future. How careful I was…. Lest things get twisted, lest they differ from my expectations, how thoroughly….’

I was different from others.

I am a regressor.

Because I came back from the future, I knew what would happen.

Still, just in case, I was careful and careful again lest my actions change the future.

So until now, it has not been greatly twisted.

Important events all fell into place, only the timing was different.

‘Where is the problem?’

I rolled my brain desperately.

Life before regression, plans after regression.

I looked back and checked every thought I had built up one by one.

My head felt like it would explode.

My eyes were wide open and blood flowed from my nose.

That was how fiercely I rotated my brain.

‘……I do not know.’

There were a few corners I could guess.

But there was nothing I could say was definitely it.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no fatal mistake.

If one had to nitpick, the biggest problem was that I had not thought once more before sending Grand Duke Pret.

Why did I not think of it? Kerenneus is quick-witted, so he could have acted differently from before regression.

In the end, it was because I was tired.

Why was I tired?

Running while bound to fate for a long time, it could not be helped.

Since the sixth secret, ‘He became inhuman’, was revealed, my condition has been poor all along.

Why did I reveal the sixth secret?

I could have not revealed it yet.

It could not be helped in order to confront the Three-Faced Three-Poison Demon King Pāpīyān.

Because I became a seven-star mage, I also had to take out the ‘Dragon of Six Horns’.

Why was the Demon King Pāpīyān born?

Such an existence did not exist before regression.

It was because I saved Obro Denoebang.

So Belrsasal ended up becoming a seven-star mage using the Underworld as a sacrifice.

Then should I have left the White Lord alone?

To remain a crippled drunkard, to just suffer alone?

Leaving the eight hundred survivors of the Underworld to die there too?

‘…I could not do that.’

I gritted my teeth.

However, the questions do not cease.

If only I had been faster, if only I had been more thorough, if only I had been more outstanding, if only, if only, if only…….

Endless what-ifs grabbed my heart and tore it apart.

I felt suffocated by the immense responsibility.

‘Still, you knew…! You could have done better…!!!’

I, Shion Pollinglight, am a regressor.

Only I know.

Therefore, life was too heavy.

Too many responsibilities were burdened on me.

I claimed to be a hero who returned knowing the future, yet I did not foresee.

I did not prepare.

I could have been more thorough, but I did not.

Ah, I was regretful.

I was ashamed.

What went wrong?

Was the night I reunited with Serena and drank wine the problem?

Was the time I spent leisurely with Amethus under the name of Art Gallery Lamponé the problem?

Was all the leisure I enjoyed trying to live like a human while burdened with responsibility merely greed?

Correct.

If I was looking for a problem, I myself was the problem.

‘…Idiot-like bastard, worm-like bastard!’

I endlessly hacked at my own heart.

Knowing it, how could you do that, Shion Pollinglight.

Knowing what terrible things would come, knowing what the weight of life is, how dare you spend such vain time.

Because you were happy, people died!

Even though you could have protected them, you did not!

Even though you have become inhuman, you could not throw away the desire to live like a human, so Grand Duke Pret died!

Guilt shattered my heart.

My fine face quickly turned earthen.

It is because suffering was stuck in my throat.

My heart went bankrupt again.

“………….”

However, beneath the bankrupt heart, the howling became clear again.

It was a hunchback who had become a dragon.

A dragon wrapped in blue flames popped out from under my heart, asking how I could have forgotten him until now.

“…Things were too easy… so I was mistaken….”

I recited.

“……It feels new. I was always like this. I was always worm-like like this. I have just lived through it.”

After collapsing, I felt familiar.

It is because I lived for a long time in a collapsed place.

I let the dragon howl in my heart.

I also left alone the sound of crying, Poesia, Poesia, my beautiful Chyallo flower, from the side.

Blue flames flowed from my eyes.

“…I never even had thoughts like being able to save everyone. I just hate the Empire…. I just wanted to bring them down and grind and drink the Golden Throne….”

I lifted my eyes.

I had to choose.

Stop, or advance.

There is the Golden Throne in front.

The hateful Emperor’s seat.

Then, of course…….

“Amethus.”

“Yes.”

“……Call Obro for me. With the item I asked for.”

I, the Regression Prince, ground and drank my own heart.

I burned guilt, sorry, and all human hearts with ‘Soul Fire’ and swallowed them.

It hurt crazily, and it seemed like there was a burning smell from inside, but I did not care.

Thinking of Grand Duke Pret’s severed head, my bones ached.

However, because of that, even more, I could not let his death be in vain.

“Kerenneus….”

I muttered.

“…Let us prepare to kill a God.”

***

Obro Denoebang came holding a cloth bundle.

Inside was a dagger curving smoothly.

“The name of this sword is Ashkal.”

Unlike the splendid name, it was unsightly.

It looked well-maintained, but still, it could not hide all traces of time.

“It looks like a fang.”

“It is a fang.”

I answered Amethus’s words.

Dagger Ashkal was a fang-shaped dagger, and in fact, it really was a fang.

Obro Denoebang seemed to wonder what kind of creature a fang the size of an adult male’s forearm would belong to.

“It is the fang of the Last Mage.”

“…So this magic power.”

“A very long time ago, the founder of the Denoebang family gave her great help. In return, the Last Mage made the most outstanding sword on the continent for him.”

I resolved their curiosity immediately.

Faint silver magic flows over Dagger Ashkal.

It is proof that it is a fang pulled out long ago by my master, Beluchian Pollinglight, at the same time as Sen Sorti, and at the same time the Last Mage.

“I had a hard time bringing it, Shion.”

Obro Denoebang said.

“Ashkal does not permit itself unless it is the master of the Denoebang family. Even though I am me, I am not the master of the family, so I received a very fierce rejection.”

“Still, you brought it somehow.”

“If it were not me, I would have been frozen stiff long ago.”

The White Lord shook his head and showed his frozen palm.

The skin turned purple from frostbite.

The magic power of Dagger Ashkal was creepy.

“The great Obro Denoebang was suppressed by the sword’s magic power?”

“Suppressed… is slightly different.”

Obro Denoebang scratched his chin.

A new beard was sprouting where he had shaved off all the dirty beard.

“If I try to grip it, why would I not be able to grip it. Just that since it is such a noble sword, if I, who am not the master, hold it in my hand, it would probably break itself immediately.”

“Swords that keep their chastity by suicide are rare.”

“Is it just rare?”

Dagger Ashkal trembled.

It had a tone as if it did not even like its story being told.

I giggled.

I unwound the bandage I had wrapped around my arm.

Skin getting covered with black scales was revealed.

“What are you planning to do with this picky sword, Shion?”

“Obro, as you said, it is a very picky sword but… it is different for me.”

I reached out to Dagger Ashkal without hesitation.

Ashkal immediately spewed sharp cold air.

It was intense enough that even Amethus or Obro flinched.

However, I did not care.

“I cannot use it but… I can touch it.”

Silver magic tried to tear me apart.

But discovering magic resembling itself within me, it killed its momentum.

The magic power harbored by Dagger Ashkal is that of the ‘Last Mage’.

And I am her only disciple.

Taking advantage of the gap when Dagger Ashkal hesitated, I held it tight.

“Stay still.”

……!!

Dagger Ashkal screamed silently.

I read the magic engraved on Ashkal.

As expected, it was Master Beluchian’s work.

Old and supreme magic declares.

Only the master of the Denoebang family is qualified to hold this sword.

Ashkal struggled.

Even though it was just a dagger and not even a living creature, it trembled as if it were alive.

However, my grip is strong.

Covered in black scales, I did not let go of Ashkal.

Crack, a sound rang out.

It was the sound of Ashkal’s blade cracking.

It was an expression of will that it would rather break itself if I could not shake off.

“Harboring a will for a mere dagger, and even being noble.”

I held a scale in my hand.

Silver Dragon’s scale, a fragment of the Last Mage.

I crushed it and sprinkled it over Ashkal.

Then the trembling subsided.

“It seems flustered, Ashkal.”

I spoke to the sword.

It looked crazy, but surprisingly, the dagger understood my words.

I continued to whisper.

“You belong to the master of the Denoebang family. But what about the ‘Last Mage’? How should you answer the power of the old existence that created you?”

Ashkal became quiet as if responding to my words.

I continued.

“I am Pollinglight, the only disciple of the ‘Last Mage’.”

I revealed my surname proudly.

“I am not trying to steal you. I am just trying to repair you and make you stronger on behalf of my master. And then I will return you to your owner again.”

…….

The sword is silent.

Originally, a sword is an entity that cannot speak, so it was not that strange.

“So, cooperate for a moment.”

Ashkal trembled.

Not too violently, it trembled a couple of times and then became quiet in my hand.

I took this as a sign of agreement.

Obro Denoebang opened his eyes wide at the sight of the picky family treasure calming down.

“It is surprising, Shion! For Dagger Ashkal to listen…!”

“I only persuaded it.”

I signaled with my eyes.

“Amethus, bring out what we prepared.”

“Yes.”

Amethus soon brought a hammer.

It was made of black stone, but red heat boiled inside.

Ancient Weapon seized from Cordis Eight-Impact General Zeronimus, ‘Bellows’s Afterheat’.

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