I was relieved to hear that the future had completely changed. However, the fact that the Evil God’s whereabouts were unclear was quite unsettling. I glanced sideways at the parallel world Ruvlian who naturally came to mind together with the Evil God, and straightened my gaze as soon as our eyes met.
In my memory, he made a contract after receiving the Evil God’s blessing and protection.
The God’s blessing and protection are received by the body, not the soul. That’s why I was flustered earlier at the point that I could converse with the God currently ringing in my head. In other words, the current parallel world Ruvlian had nothing to do with the Evil God. I could conclude that definitively.
Of course, on the premise that contracts are also made with the body……
‘God.’
[Yes.]
‘If a contract was made with your power, and time was turned back. Then what happens?’
[It’s ambiguous. Usually, contracts are engraved on the soul. That way, if the contract is broken, traces remain on the soul and they pay the price when they reincarnate later. But rarely, they’re also engraved on the body……]
Since both were possible, it was the God’s choice. Then what choice did the Evil God make? In the parallel world Ruvlian’s memory, there was a scene where he carefully looked over the contract and signed it. But it wasn’t clear. It felt like hazy fog had settled over it.
Several memories were like that, and that memory was also like that. I felt like the memories that had flowed into my head were slowly fading. Probably within a few months they would all change as if blur-processed. I tapped my nails together and spoke to the God again.
‘The Evil God might remain in the parallel world Ruvlian’s body.’
[What?]
‘Before turning back time, the parallel world Ruvlian made a contract with the Evil God.’
[Whaat?!]
At the intense reaction, my head hurt as if it would split for a moment. I stopped tapping my thumb and index finger together and held my head again, and gazes stuck to me. Before, I had asked the companions for understanding in advance that I could hear the God’s voice, but now I had no such intention. If only for the sake of the parallel world Ruvlian.
I thought I just had to properly grasp my own lifeline, but I don’t know what this is again. Having lived for several years without major worries, it burst out big all at once like this. Every time the parallel world Ruvlian was involved, there wasn’t a moment when I didn’t have to use my head.
“Are you really sure you’re okay?”
“There’s no way I’m not okay.”
“Hmm. I heard you only came to greet us today. How about going in first to rest?”
At Deadrian’s suggestion, Montrio and Alli nodded. Unlike before turning back time, his attitude was very straightforward. Of course, because the event of meeting me when he was young didn’t exist for him, and had now become a past that didn’t exist at all, it was natural.
It was strange, perhaps because I was starting to see one or two different points that hadn’t been visible until now. It felt like a crack had formed. At the same time, I realized that I had been identifying my inherent world with the parallel world Baek Sihyeon’s world. Since there wasn’t a single difference, while thinking I was adapting to my world, I was subconsciously just overlaying them.
No wonder. It was more okay than I thought. An empty sigh leaked out. I guess I inadvertently thought I was repeating the past in the same world.
“Rian?”
It was a call full of puzzlement. I was delaying my answer, lost in thought. I opened my mouth while getting up from my seat.
“I was wondering if it’s okay for me to leave first when everyone’s here. Sorry, but I’ll get up first.”
“Yeah~ Rest well, see you tomorrow.”
“Rest well, Rian!”
“See you tomorrow.”
I received their farewells and was about to move my steps when I felt a presence heading toward my wrist. I pulled my wrist forward and looked back to see a white hand that had lost its way. The arm floating awkwardly in the air moved a bit more and finally tried to grab my wrist. But I didn’t offer my wrist.
The parallel world Ruvlian brought his arm back to its place and then rolled his eyes. In a way that made one’s breath catch somewhere.
“You were leaving without even receiving my farewell. Should I escort you?”
“No.”
“Hmm. Alright. Go carefully, Rian.”
Somehow ending his words in an evasive tone, he cleanly backed down. I lightly glanced at the parallel world Ruvlian who was smiling with his eyes folded thinly, nodded my head, then turned my back. Then I opened the door, went out, and moved to the assigned room while continuously exhaling deflating sighs. The more I reflected on the 14 years after turning back time, the more absurd I felt about myself. Adapting to my inherent world, what nonsense.
“Haa.”
A sigh came out naturally. In the midst of this, I missed Ruvlian. Even though we’ll never meet again, and he won’t even remember. I was pathetic for not being able to let go of my attachment.
I entered the room, opened the door, and lay on the bed. The fate of dying was resolved, and the Evil God’s whereabouts seemed to be related to the parallel world Ruvlian after all. There’s no way the Evil God made a contract with the body instead of the soul. Ah. A realization suddenly struck me.
‘God.’
[Why are you calling?]
‘The Evil God is attached to the parallel world Ruvlian, right.’
Because the parallel world Ruvlian was so strange, my attention was drawn there and I couldn’t think properly. After making a contract with the Evil God, he had already turned back time once. So even now that time has been turned back again, the Evil God would be parasitizing him.
When I conveyed this to the God, the God said they would inform the higher-ups and disappeared. As my head became quiet, I fell deeper into idle thoughts.
I understood the parallel world Ruvlian’s behavior of not hiding his interest when looking at me. He would have already heard stories from before the regression from the Evil God, become interested, and treated me that way, scanning me with observing eyes.
Recalling those eyes, when the parallel world Ruvlian remembers, when time had never been turned back even once—I understand why I didn’t like him. How could anyone like someone who looked directly at them with those eyes? I felt like a court jester.
I also understand the reason I accepted his confession. Because it was an innocent time, he was on the line I drew, on the boundary, and I didn’t want things to become awkward with someone I had to see until we killed the Demon King. I would have also thought I shouldn’t cause trouble for the other companions.
I was blankly staring at the ceiling when light came in through the window beyond the drawn curtains. The sunlight warmly tickled my skin. The scent of the fluffy blanket was cozy. It will all be resolved soon, but the feeling of emptiness won’t go away. It might be because I clearly recognized my inherent world, or it might be because I faintly held an impossible expectation that if I’m lucky, I might meet Ruvlian again.
I swept down my face with both hands. It’s already been 14 years since I turned back time, but the emotions won’t be discarded. Rather, the longing deepened. I have no sense of how many more years must pass before I can give up. I wondered if it would completely disappear.
……Should I rather bind my memories? Completely erasing memories was virtually impossible. The head was a sensitive area, so even the slightest wrong touch would make one an idiot.
After the Evil God problem is resolved, after killing the Demon King and returning to the original world again, let’s manipulate my memories. Let’s bind and firmly hide the memories of Ruvlian. Rarely, it was a choice for me, not for Ruvlian. Then a familiar voice filled my head.
[I’m back, Sihyeon.]
‘Welcome back. What did they say up there?’
[Originally, the reason they don’t interfere with the human realm is partly because of predetermined fate, and because once you intervene once, it becomes easy to intervene two or three times, which isn’t good in many ways, but this time they said the higher-ups will specially intervene. Because this is something humans can’t resolve.]
It was a tone that said it should have been like this from the beginning. It seemed the God would resolve the Evil God on their own. Since the Demon King is created by the Evil God, if they dealt with the Evil God earlier, there would be no need to catch the Demon King. That fact suddenly struck my mind.
‘How long will it take to deal with the Evil God?’
[Um, well…… Since I’m not the one doing it, it’s a bit ambiguous, but still, wouldn’t it take at least a year? Since the Evil God created this world together with the Supreme God, we need to make full preparations.]
The God corrected their words several more times, then said they really didn’t know. It seems they can’t estimate. I answered that I understood and looked at the ceiling. As the things to worry about decreased, my mind just went blank.
[Sihyeon.]
‘What?’
[Um. Honestly, as a God I shouldn’t say this…… Want to go visit? The world where Ruvlian is.]
……What? I raised my upper body and frowned. What intention the God had in saying such a thing. I had no idea at all.
[It’s sudden so you’ll be flustered and won’t understand. After time was turned back, I’ve been watching Sihyeon living for the past 14 years in between times.]
The God who started spoke out a sincere confession. That they had been watching me in between times wasn’t surprising. Gods seemed to regard humans as entertainment, and because I knew this God cherished me.
[But Sihyeon, you were pretending to be okay again. Sihyeon, you don’t seem to know yourself well like that. So I thought it might be good to see Ruvlian once. It will be harder to give up, but you want to see him, right? I’m saying this because I’m worried Sihyeon will get sick at this rate.]
It wasn’t easy for the God who cared so much about the balance of the world to make such a suggestion. Therefore, it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t swayed. However, if I saw Ruvlian directly, it would be even harder to remove my foot from that world. As long as I couldn’t picture a future ‘together,’ it was right not to see him even once.
I firmly hardened my heart.
‘It’s okay.’
[I see…… But you do want to see him, right?]
‘……I want to see him.’
[Isn’t it hard to want to see him but endure it?]
I don’t understand the intent of the continuously following questions. Of course it’s hard. How could it not be hard? The answer to the question was so obvious I was dumbfounded, but I answered by shaking my head without showing it. It meant it was hard.
[You know, Sihyeon. I’m really sorry, but actually I was threatened by Ruvlian again……!]
‘What?’
It was the moment I was about to properly dig deeper. I feel a delicate yet shallow mana wave. At the mana spreading out roundly from one spot as if vibrations were ringing, I froze. Thump thump. My heartbeat rapidly accelerated.
Soon, platinum blonde hair swaying is revealed from the epicenter of the mana wave, and as the golden eyelashes tremble flutter, clear eyes capture me. Thump thump. A soft voice is added to the pleasantly ringing heart sound that occupied my ears.
“I missed you too, Sihyeon.”
