Chapter 156

✠

Ellet seemed to have completely forgotten about the fact that her life was threatened.

Her breathing and heart rate had calmed down, and when she started to carefully examine his complexion, she asked Thesilid.

“Is the gift……okay?”

“Yes.”

“Really? You are not forcing yourself to receive it even if you don’t like it, are you?”

“Yes, I really like it. Thank you.”

“I’m glad, then.”

“And thank you for everything else.”

“Everything else?”

With a full smile on his face, he answered in a kind voice.

“For killing me.”

“……What?”

“I said, thank you for saving me.”

“Oh, you scared me. I was thinking about what you were talking about. But, are you thanking me yet again?”

“Yes, again.”

Taking the comment as a joke, Thesilid lifted the floppy disk to his eye level and examined it.

“It looks old.”

“Well, there were no new ones, only used products. Originally, it can be used a total of 30 times, but now the remaining number is……”

“Shall I guess?”

“Huh?”

“Fourteen.”

“Wow, how did you get it right?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, as he opened his mouth to continue, his tone became serious.

“If I use this now and die, will I come back to this place and this moment?”

His eyes widened and Ellet could feel the sparks of imagination take life.

“I’ll be talking to you again about this artifact. You’ll be surprised to learn that the number of times the artifact has left is 13 instead of 14, and I’ll confess to you the times I only remember to myself……Will it happen like that?”

“……”

“Could it happen?”

“……”

Her silence was heavy and it wasn’t long after that he gave up waiting for an answer.

“Sorry, Eli.”

“……Why?”

“I brought up a useless story.”

Thesilid said with a detached face as if looking into the distance.

“I know you can’t because you only exist in this seventeenth episode.”

“……”

“Even if there is another seventeenth dimension somewhere, you won’t be there.”

Unlike his lips which spoke of assumptions, he was confident.

Ellet doesn’t seem to know, but this isn’t the first 17th episode for him.

In the first 17th episode he wandered about, but it was ordinary.

In the second 17th episode, he lived like a human for the last time.

And now, in the third 17th episode, charged with atonement, he fell from grace and lost his strength.

Among all of them, the current timeline was the only one Ellet Rodellaine existed. Throughout all time and space, the one and only Ellet Rodellaine.

Yes, he finally met her in his third run of the 17th episode.

Holding the save point in his hand, he ponders the years that have passed, and he feels the sting of a ghastly grudge.

It was right in front of her eyes, but she didn’t know how this save point had been used for the past sixteen times.

Cattleya Gillette and the five heroes imprisoned him in the abyss, making him unable to die or live.

Is that all?

They cleverly procured vile objects and designed an ingenious and wicked life sentence. They forced him to drink the Water of Eternal Life and triggered the save point to activate.

Just like that, he lived sixteen lives of saving and reloading.

She was his salvation, the one who put an end to his suffering, but she herself is completely unaware of the existence of these terrible timelines.

She’s not supposed to know.

And she shouldn’t.

Because what is in front of her is the good and faithful Thesilid of the 17th episode.

……Not the 117th that wears the body of the 17th, who is already dead.

Therefore, he will endure and suppress the urge to buy her sympathy and compassion by displaying his misfortune and misery.

He shoved the floppy disk into his inner pocket as if to signal the end of the conversation.

“Eli, thank you so much. The way I’m feeling right now, I think I could save the world.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes.”

It was sincere.

It feels like she’ll save him while saving the world.

Thesilid thought she would let him finally rest in peace, once and for all.

✠

It wasn’t until dawn the next day, real-time, that I and Thesilid were back at the palace.

Ash was a great talent who would not hesitate to say anything even to a Knight Commander.

He didn’t bother to wait for us at the townhouse and nag about why we were out so late.

Just as I instructed, it seems that he went to the palace and put my name forward.

…… But getting Grandpa and Edgar to let him in was another matter.

The grubby assassin was cut off at the front door. So he had to spend the whole night out on the streets until dawn when me and Thesilid returned, so he could enter together with us.

Feeling sorry for some reason, I agreed with my inner self to give Ash a raise.

I slept soundly and woke up when the sun passed the middle of the sky.

As I made my way down to the dining room for a late lunch, Rex, as expected, caught up to bother me.

“You said you wouldn’t stay out all night, Your Eminence.”

“Things weren’t going my way.”

“That’s a poor excuse.”

“Please cut me some slack, and rest assured that this lordship has done nothing to worry you. Terry will attest to that.”

I sneakily passed the baton to Thesilid.

Apparently, even Rex felt he’d have a hard time taking on the upright Guardian of the Doctrine because as soon as the opponent for the next match was decided, the topic changed.

“That’s not all.”

“What else?”

“That you would induct an unbeliever, whose identity you’re not even sure of, into the Order.”

“I did missionary work.”

“We are talking about the paladins under the command of a High Saint, The Chosen One. Wouldn’t it be proper to appoint a verified person through a suitable and rigorous procedure?”

“He’s a mercenary, so please go easy on him.”

“That’s the problem. Temporary employment is demeaning.”

“Do you hire them for full-time employment?”

“Of course not. A twin dagger doesn’t belong with paladins.”

“……Ah, yes. I’ve heard your personal preference, and I’ll do as I please.”

I declined with a wave of my hand, even my brother didn’t nag like Sir Rex did.

‘Ah, just thinking about it makes me want to see Frintz.’

It was then that I saw Edgar coming quickly across the hall from the other side. It was not his usual leisurely gait of an old gentleman.

“Your Eminence, it’s a big deal.”

“What’s going on, Chief Aide Edgar?”

“Let’s move to a more suitable place, let’s go together to His Excellency’s office. I must also report it to His Excellency.”

“No need for that Edgar. I am here.”

Grandpa appeared just in time.

“What is it, Edgar?”

He asked in a grave tone, with the face of a ruler. In the tense air, Edgar opened his mouth.

“This is a message from Marquis Romina Lecandro, who is now in the parlour.”

These words alone made everyone’s eyes widen.

Romina Lecandro.

She was the Headmistress of the Military Academy and the best knight of the Kingdom of Vinchester.

Any news, worthy of such a bigwig coming to deliver in person, are…….

“Prince Hardale and Princess Celestide have reportedly been caught up in an SS-class dungeon sink. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Vinchester requested military support from each country.”

Alas.

So, it was today.

Reed made his move to wreak havoc on the Kingdom.

I let out a long, hot breath and spoke.

“We’d better get ready, everyone, we’re returning to the Church of Elpenheim right now.”

âœ