“Hello.”
I produced my usual voice while hiding the strangely anxious and uncomfortable feelings. The parallel world Ruvlian who stuck right next to me was younger than before reversing time, so he looked even more like Ruvlian than back then. It was even more so because the madness lingering in his eyes had completely disappeared.
“You’re not going to tell me your name?”
“……It’s Rian.”
The time I spent deliberating whether to give Baek Sihyeon or Rian as my name was short. Though it was now a memory only I had, when I was the Hero, the name Rian was more familiar. Moreover, this name was no different from a trace Ruvlian had left behind.
At my words, parallel world Ruvlian made a subtle expression.
“Rian? You came from another world but the pronunciation is similar.”
“Does everyone here use a unified language across all empires and kingdoms? Our world has various languages. So naturally it could be similar, couldn’t it?”
It was a probing question asking if he knew my real name or was pretending not to. I deflected and gave a bland answer. Seeing that those blue eyes were clear, the past, present, and future had definitely all changed. Since God had said so too, it must be correct.
But why was he acting so evasively like this? I couldn’t understand. I already had to resolve the fate of dying, but my attention was drawn here because he, who I thought would refuse subjugation, was stuck next to me.
It was suspicious enough to wonder if he’d added something else to the time reversal magic circle that had been particularly vivid in the memories parallel world Ruvlian showed me. Like everyone loses their memories but he’s the exception. Things like that. Back then it was an urgent situation, so I’d cast it without time to examine things one by one. It seemed I’d have to recall the magic circle when I had time and unravel the formulas and ancient language.
“I’m Ruvlian Belitent.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You won’t call my name?”
Strangely, the flow of conversation was going like the memories of parallel world Ruvlian I’d glimpsed before. I had to restrain him, who had seized the initiative in conversation without me knowing.
“No.”
“……No?”
“Is there a need to call it now? I’ll be calling it to the point of being sick of it until we kill the Demon King anyway.”
While actually finding my answer interesting, he pretended to be flustered. Looking at his actions, I could feel that it was different from before reversing time. If it had been before reversing time, parallel world Ruvlian would have grabbed my chin with a forceful touch and extorted an answer.
Then where exactly did this behavior and that interest come from? The question wasn’t resolved at all. To just pass it by—it felt like it would come back as a bigger problem later.
To find the answer, I racked my brain. Could he possibly remember seeing me briefly back then? I made him fall asleep quickly, and just in case, I handed over the Master of the Magic Tower and the black-haired mage like me. I’d worked quite hard to make him unable to think it was me, but if he properly remembered my face, it would become troublesome.
I had to prevent walking the path of regression again at all costs.
“You know,”
“I don’t.”
I stopped my thoughts and cut off parallel world Ruvlian who was trying to speak to me with one stroke.
“What?”
“I don’t, so please don’t talk to me.”
To him asking back, I clearly conveyed my intention. If I conversed with him, doubts would only grow fuller, and finding a way for me to live would be delayed. Of course, it was fate so it was unreasonable for me to resolve it, but I planned to try anything so I wouldn’t have regrets.
“What if I don’t want to?”
“……”
“You’re planning to completely ignore me.”
The languid voice didn’t change. With a smiling face, he turned around completely to stare at me intently. The gaze was piercing, but I’d been the Hero dozens of times. Though only one remained in my memories. Anyway, I was accustomed to ignoring stinging gazes.
“As I said earlier, I’m Ruvlian Belitent. I’m the eldest of Belitent, and I have a younger brother named Ludwig Belitent. My mother and father get along very well,”
“I’m not interested, so please be quiet.”
“You answered.”
It was a tone saying he’d listed his family history to get an answer. How tiresome, really. Letting out a sigh, I stared at the remaining companions who were quietly watching as if they themselves were white walls and sitting sofas.
Seeing my eyes that seemed to ask what exactly they were doing, they became embarrassed and sat up straight with smiles. Then, starting with Deadrian, self-introductions continued.
“I’m Deadrian Russell. I’m just someone with slightly good abilities, but I was chosen as the Hero’s companion. Please treat me well~.”
Perhaps because it was our first meeting, it was all affectation. Recalling the atrocities committed by Deadrian from other worlds, I nodded.
“I’m Alli Lincoln! I just modestly contracted with spirits to converse with them, but I was chosen! Please treat me well too!”
Even this world’s Alli didn’t know that the very fact of contracting with spirits meant she wasn’t ordinary. Whether here or there. Whichever world’s Alli, she seemed not to know the ways of the world.
And Montrio cleared his throat to gather attention before opening his mouth.
“I’m Third Prince Montrio Alescan. Call me Montrio.”
Perhaps because parallel world Ruvlian and Ruvlian’s actions were different. All their introductions were different from what I somewhat remembered. After returning to my unique world, this was the first different part, excluding only the suspicious guy performing bizarre acts next to me. Though I didn’t remember every conversation down to every particle, it meant the nuances were generally similar.
“I’d like to speak casually, but would that be uncomfortable?”
After the introductions all ended, a clear voice rang through the air in the space where silence had descended. It was Deadrian.
He did this before, and now he’s doing it again here. Was it because I had memories? I couldn’t help but compare with before reversing time. I kept comparing the current time with the time erased from everyone’s memories. I’d done it so much it had already solidified into a habit.
“I want to speak casually too.”
When I raised and waved the hand on the opposite side from parallel world Ruvlian a couple times, faster than anyone, the suspicious guy next to me answered.
“Good. Let’s speak casually. Since it’s come to this, those who want to can speak casually, and those who don’t want to don’t have to.”
He dropped formalities before even Alli and Montrio gave permission. Even if the world changed, his burning personality didn’t change. Ruvlian’s Burning Personality Preservation Law. I wondered if something like that even existed.
“I’m a bit awkward, so…… I’ll drop formalities later.”
“My speech has always been like this, so I’ll continue like this. If it’s awkward I can change it, but it takes quite a while.”
At Alli and Montrio’s answers, Deadrian and I readily agreed. Parallel world Ruvlian seemed to be looking at me without presenting any affirmation or denial. I could tell because I felt his gaze piercing and not leaving.
I’d rewound time, I’d changed the future. Why exactly was he acting like this? If it were someone else, I wouldn’t have even cared. However, he was the one who had his body stolen by the Demon God and showed an apocalyptic scene, and was a person who made me think ceaselessly after returning to my world—no, after returning to parallel world Baek Sihyeon’s world. His track record was spectacular.
In the end, I decided to call God, whom I’d told not to call often, and get a definite answer. Because from the first time I’d faced him after reversing time, the premonition that if I just left him alone I’d suffer greatly wouldn’t leave.
‘God.’
[Yes, Sihyeon!]
Because the familiar voice rang loudly in my head, I was startled and my shoulders jumped up. Everyone’s gazes focused on me. Having something to ask God, I didn’t welcome this attention. I was trying to make an excuse that I suddenly felt chills and smooth things over, when Deadrian made a worried face.
“It’s not a summer cold, is it? Should I heal you?”
“It’s not a cold. And I have divine power too, so I’m fine.”
Though my words came out stiffly, I called God again without minding.
‘God. Why can you talk to me?’
Conversing in one’s head was only possible if you received blessings and protection directly bestowed by the god you’d converse with. However, because I’d reversed time, the blessings and protection I’d received from that god had disappeared without a trace, and this time I’d received them from the god in charge of my unique world, so it should have been normal for communication not to work.
[Sihyeon worked hard trying to save the world, trying to do something about the Demon God, right? So I wrote down what Sihyeon did in detail and submitted the requirements upward. Surprisingly, those picky higher-ups gave permission! Of course, since it’s not my world, I had to get permission from the god in charge of this world.]
Except for the last sentence, it was a very excited voice. Since that answer came from the question of how communication was working, it seemed the permission obtained was for communication with me. But why was he obtaining good things for himself with the deeds I’d done? It was absurd.
‘Is that all?’
[No? Of course there’s more! Congratulations, Sihyeon! Sihyeon has escaped from the fate of death!]
At the completely unexpected good news, I unconsciously raised my head. Even knowing there was no substance and only a voice ringing in my head, I was surprised enough to do so reflexively. Thanks to that, gazes focused on me once again. I waved my hand saying it was nothing and dispersed the attention. Only one person’s gaze remained pierced on me.
‘Then I won’t die?’
[Yes. You’ll return alive.]
A sense of relief rushed in at the definite answer. Once because of parallel world Ruvlian’s memories, once from reversing time. The sensation of dying I’d felt a total of two times could never become familiar. The evasive guy showing the will not to turn his gaze until I looked was the abnormal one.
‘But the future definitely changed, right?’
I belatedly threw out the question I’d originally meant to ask. As if there was nothing to ponder, God answered immediately.
[Yes, of course. The Demon God’s whereabouts becoming uncertain is a problem, but aside from that, all the people have been identified and the future has completely changed.]
