113 – Climax (3)
As I entered the cave, I was lost in somewhat unfamiliar thoughts.
‘If Fran had not been the main character of the original work, what choice would I have made?’
Actually, there is nothing to think about. Because the answer was fixed.
If it had been someone else who stood in my way, or if Fran had not been the main character of the original work, he would most likely have been killed. I wouldn’t have even hesitated.
However, I did not kill Fran who stood in my way. Instead, he offered clumsy words of comfort to Fran, who was crying.
The reason I did that was simple.
Fran was not just a main character, but the most important main character in the original work, indispensable to prevent destruction.
In the original work, Fran was the only being who could meaningfully oppose evil such as evil spirits and the Seven Deadly Sins.
In short, he did not kill Fran because he was a necessary being in this world.
But if you think about it, it’s not like that.
Why? In the world I live in, which is not the original, a being called I, who is much stronger than Fran, is taking on the role that Fran played in the original.
There is a question I have heard from time to time.
Maybe Fran is a person who is not needed in this world where I exist?
The answer I gave to that question was always the same.
Unless I die, Fran is no longer needed in my world.
On the contrary, it is said to be a threatening element that could lead to the destruction of the world by forming a harem.
Despite what I always thought, I did not kill Fran, who was not only in contact with the Seven Deadly Sins, but even stood in my way in a critical situation.
To be honest, the moment I saw Fran, I completely ruled out the option of killing her.
Even though it was a situation where it was possible to kill him, and even though there was ample reason to do so.
Why on earth did that happen?
I suddenly had that question, and when I thought about it, the reason was clear.
Fran was the main character I was once immersed in, and someone I also considered myself.
So I had no choice but to know.
His sad, dark past,
What kind of character did he have and how ignorantly did he try?
What do you like, what do you dislike,
What beliefs does he have?
To be honest, Fran was surprisingly similar to me at the time. So he was able to empathize deeply and become immersed easily.
Fran was such a protagonist. Although it is true that the current Fran is acting like a frustrated and immature person, Fran is still Fran anyway.
Someday, I will grow up, and one day, I will become a warrior rather than a candidate for a warrior and fulfill my role.
More than anything, if something bad happens to me, he is the only person who can take my place.
‘I didn’t pay too much attention to Fran.’
I had an excuse that I was stuck at the training ground, but even so, I think I’ve been excluding Fran too much these days.
I thought he had come to his senses, so I didn’t even pay attention to whether Fran had a girlfriend.
When the accident reaches this point, a decision is made.
So as not to be swayed by evil like Envy like today,
So that you can swing the sword, not swing it,
So that you can rise up as a warrior without collapsing,
So as not to turn your attention to things like harems,
Even if they don’t treat you well in the future, you need to pay more attention to them.
****
From Noble mtl dot com
As I entered the cave, thinking about various things, I saw Seiji and Rose sleeping soundly on the cold floor.
I could see several magic circles around me, but I decided to check the condition of the two first. I was worried that I might have gotten hurt.
The gaze slowly begins to scan the bodies of the two women lying side by side.
A pretty face, slender wrists and collarbones, and a slightly raised skirt and bulging look that make you look desirable…
“···.”
After confirming that there were no outwardly visible injuries on either of them, I shook off my natural male instincts and began to look around.
Just as Malik said, several magic circles were visible, and I dispelled them all at the same time, then reached out to remove the sleep magic on Sage and Rose.
“Where are you…?”
“Huh…Huh? Camel···?”
Then the two women woke up yawning and looked puzzled.
“Are you both okay?”
“···Yes.”
“It’s okay, but…”
When I asked about their condition, Seiji and Rose both bowed their heads and answered, as if they were embarrassed.
Then, did I remember the situation right before I collapsed?
“Ah, Mr. Skull, are you okay?”
“What happened?”
“I’ll explain later, so would you please hold my hand first? “You have to move quickly.”
They both raised their heads at the same time and asked me, and I held out both hands to the two women and asked them to hold them.
If Sage and Rose hold my hand, I plan to immediately activate the artifact and move together.
“Son… I understand!”
“Go, all of a sudden…?”
For some reason, they were shy, but without hesitation, they squeezed my hand.
“Hold on tight. “You can’t miss it.”
If you miss while teleporting, your body may disintegrate.
I didn’t bother to say that for fear of scaring the two women, so I began injecting mana into the artifact held between my fingers.
“···?”
As I was doing that, I suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Naturally, my gaze goes down.
“Huh?”
I looked down, wondering why the mana I had injected was flowing again, and the jewel embedded in her artifact was broken.
‘Why is this broken? No way···.’
Thoughts spin quickly, and before long, a premise rises to the surface.
‘Envy, that woman destroyed Daisy’s artifact.’
After coming to that conclusion, I had to immediately call Sage and Rose.
“Rose, sage. “Take this first.”
“It’s a communication district. “Why is this?”
“···?”
“I’ll explain later, so for now, take the kid outside and hide in a safe place. If anything happens, contact me right away. “Keep in touch no matter where you arrive.”
After saying that, I immediately started moving.
After a long time, I had no choice but to deceive the scales.
****
Dian muttered quietly as he saw a sign hanging at the entrance of the cave that said no entry was allowed.
“It’s been a long time…”
This place, located in a corner of the academy, was a cave of fantasy that, depending on the user’s capabilities, could show the illusions they wanted to show to those who entered, or give them the trials they wanted to impose.
It was a closed place due to the risk of mental collapse, but it was also a place of memories for Diane and Celetina.
“It was really fun back then.”
Before getting engaged, Dian and Celetina were closer to enemies than friends.
The reason for that is because there were many similarities between them.
Excellent talent as a wizard,
A competitive spirit that does not like to lose,
Unbending pride and sensitive personality.
The two, who had many similarities in their eccentricities, happened to be in the same magic department and grade, and clashed over everything.
No matter how much of a princess her opponent was, Dian never bowed her head or bent her back to Celetina.
No matter how much her opponent had the qualities of an archmage, Celetina did not want to lose to Dian, and she rather wanted to be recognized.
So it was natural. Dian and Celetina showed off their small pride, bickered, and received envious looks from others.
They had a strong competitive spirit and often used this place, the Cave of Fantasy, to prove that they were superior to each other.
The reason they loved this place was simple. At that time, there were only two academy cadets with the qualifications of an archmage who could freely use this cave.
They made a bet here.
One day, we competed to see who could create a greater illusion.
One day, we showed each other terrible fantasies to determine who was more of an idiot.
One day, each person gave the other a trial they came up with to test the other person’s capabilities.
They were better than others and fought in their own way.
They were different from others, but they were able to slowly approach each other who were so similar without even realizing it.
That is why this place was a place of memories for Diane and Celetina.
This was the only place where we could remember each other’s feelings and memories of that time without any questions.
“You who remember this place, you who did not come to me and became corrupted, what kind of illusions have you prepared for today?”
While various emotions were intersecting in Dian’s head.
Dian muttered in a bitter tone and slowly began to enter the cave.
-“Just remember one thing. “That’s when you feel so happy that you don’t want this moment to end.”
Recalling what Carmel said,
Carmel touched the ring she had given to herself.
****
The woman who had just finished putting on her makeup asked the woman next to her, slightly lifting the skirt of her dress.
“How am I now? “Isn’t it pretty?”
“Huh, huh…!
Unlike the brightly dressed woman, the woman hanging from the cross-shaped wooden board had a gag over her mouth, so she could not respond.
Did the sight of such a woman make you feel happy?
Envy smiled and nodded at the crystal ball floating in the air, and then she whispered to Kalmia in a decadent voice.
“What’s wrong? “Are you worried about Dian you see over there?”
“Surp…!”
What Kalmia could see beyond the crystal ball was Dian walking inside the cave.
No, to be precise, Dian was standing in place making various expressions.
Dian was either laughing or crying. While she was angry, she was also happy like a child.
“You don’t have to worry. Dian is going to be with me forever now. “She will live with me for the rest of her life and be filled with happiness.”
“Surp…!”
“Pugh, Kalmia. You look really ugly like this. I’m really curious. “How could she have dared to think of liking Dian with such a lackluster face?”
Envy’s fingers caress Kalmia’s tangled hair.
“Ah, did you even have a glimmer of hope? For example, I hope that a child named Carmel will come here, or that the ring on Dian’s finger will work a miracle.”
“Huh, huh…!”
“I’m sorry if you really thought that way. As you know, I’m a very thorough woman, so I’ve already made all the preparations a long time ago. So···.”
Envy continued her words, nodding towards the bottom of the hill where the ghouls were roaming around.
“I wish you would stop thinking about other men and start worrying about yourself. You don’t know, right? “Maybe I’ll feel better kissing Dian beyond that crystal ball and save you?”
“Huh, huh…!”
“Pfft, you’re still quick-witted. That’s right, it was a lie. Those ghouls will try to kiss you the moment I kiss Dian. “No, is it correct to open your mouth to chew?”
Envy tilted her head and snapped her fingers while smiling brightly.
-Chrrr.
Black spherical matter is raised, and space is created.
“Hello, Kalmia. “I hope that the time I have prepared will be a good time for you.”
After saying that, Envy began to walk gracefully towards the space she had created.