Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

“Sir Allen, I wish you godspeed.”

“Sir, would you like to go now—”

Smack!

“Be quiet.”

“Ah… My forehead…”

Linbelle touched her red forehead, eyes glistening.

Allen smiled flatly and turned around. Watching the mother and daughter fight was quite entertaining, but…

‘I have things to do.’

By the end of the day, he would kill the chimera sorcerer.

He raised his head.

The sturdy wall and thick gate stood in front of him, while the hundred soldiers he’d brought with him waited around him in an orderly manner.

The residents gathered around to watch the soldiers, causing a ruckus.

“I want to have this all settled and return within a few days, so be ready to go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Linbelle, who had been looking at him regretfully until that point, nodded.

Looking at Inellia, she opened her mouth as if she had something she wanted to say, yet hesitatingly closed it again.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“Sir, I…”

She looked back and forth between Allen and the surrounding troops, shook her head, and then answered quietly.

“I wish you a safe return.”

“How bland.”

He knew she was hiding something, but couldn't be bothered to try to figure out what it was. Being on his side and revealing all of her secrets to him were unrelated. 

There was no reason to dig if it didn’t affect him. 

He turned to face Francisca, who was there to see him off.

“I’d like to ask you to take care of those two while I’m away.”

“Don’t worry, sir.”

Francisca smiled gracefully before bowing.

He had left her in the city just in case. He needed to be prepared in case anything unexpected occurred. 

A Rank 4 sorcerer should be able to easily resolve any incidents that could occur in the city.

“So…”

Allen stepped forward. 

Creeeaaak—

The gate opened, and wind blew in through the opening.

In front of the north gate lay a prairie that had a forest behind it. 

In the face of the blowing wind, Allen made a silent resolve.

‘This time…’

…Without fail.

“Let’s go!”

His eyes stared coldly into the distance ahead.

* * *

Half an hour after Allen and the soldiers left the city, Inellia and Linbelle returned to their room in the baron’s manor to wait.

“Mom… I… couldn’t I have gone with them?”

She pouted, disappointed that she wasn’t allowed to go.

“No.”

“I’ll just go to watch the walls from a distance. Or is that not okay either? Hm? Moooooooom!”

“No. Absolutely not. They would’ve already reached the forest by now. How would you be able to watch them if you don't even know where they are?”

The young girl grumbled in response, tapping her toes against the floor in protest. Inellia could only sigh at her.

“Linbelle, combat is no joke, you know.”

“But still…”

As her daughter continued to pester her, Inellia let out a sigh and said, “…You’re weak. You would only be a burden to them.”

“Really… I wanted to watch Sir Allen fight…” Linbelle replied gloomily to her mother’s rebuttal.

Just a few days ago, she had almost gotten in serious trouble with the soldiers. 

She would be lying if she said she didn’t want to witness Allen defeat the villain like a scene in a movie. But what could she do when she would only be a burden?

“…I get it. I’ll stop now.”

She could do nothing but agree with her mother.

Her face turned sullen, but it didn’t inspire her mother to change her mind.

‘Maybe if it were at a different time…’

Had the soldiers at the tavern targeted someone else that day, Linbelle wouldn’t have ever crossed paths with Allen’s party.

‘I don’t really care if I live or die, as long as Linbelle gets spared…’

Now, she had a place to stay where she could relax.

The motive behind accepting Allen's offer was the fact that Inellia was able to escape ‘his’ gaze here.

Because it was difficult to make it out of here on your own. 

“…Well, he didn’t seem like too bad of a person.”

At first, she really believed that the young master’s motive behind helping them was to use them for their bodies. However, after spending a short amount of time together with him, Allen hadn’t shown any signs of having dark intentions.

She thought he would’ve tried to sneak a touch on her, but he really didn't lay a finger on either of them.

‘Maybe he’s a eunuch.’

Still thinking of those silly, vulgar speculations, she soothed her pouting daughter.

“Linbelle, when we go back to the duke’s manor, we can ask to see Sir Allen again.”

“…What?”

Even though she was fifteen years old now, old enough to be considered an adult, Linbelle was still young.

“Help me get stronger first, yeah? And then we can go together.”

“Really…? So you think Sir Allen would allow it?”

“Of course. After all, he appointed you as his maid.”

Inellia actually couldn’t tell whether or not Allen would behave as Linbelle had promised. But from what she’d seen of him so far, she thought that he’d probably allow it.

“Ok! Then… we’ll definitely go next time.”

“Alright.”

Inellia smiled as she thought of the bright future awaiting them.

Crash!

Until one of the walls of the manor was smashed in.

“Haha, it really wasn’t so hard to find you, Inellia.”

Inellia’s smile faded rapidly. 

She shuddered at the chilling voice and the ear-ringing sensation it produced.

“A rich person's house… so that’s why you were so hard to find.”

A gigantic monster had broken through the manor’s walls. Standing at three meters tall with two long, round, crooked horns on its head. Two hands with sharp, pointy nails, and red eyes that struck fear into the hearts of men.

With its muscles protruding along its entire body to indicate its dangerous potential, the monster began to speak in a noble manner, unbefitting of its intimidating appearance.

“Ma’am, do you know how many of my brethren have sacrificed their lives in hopes of finding you—capturing you—in order to take some of your time?”

She, whose hardened expression had changed, regained her focus upon hearing its voice.

‘Is Miss Fransisca…?’

Inellia frantically looked around, but Francisca didn’t come to their aid despite her silent cry.

The monster, Regnor, smirked and shook his head.

“Ah, are you looking for that sorcerer? Unfortunate for you, then—”

Clang!

As he uttered those words, a deafening roar came from behind him. The screams of frightened people followed shortly after.

“Ack, it’s a monster!”

“H-How did a monster get in here…?!”

Regnor closed his eyes for a moment, as if to savor the sounds, before continuing.

“I won’t be able to come back for a little while. It wouldn’t be worth it to come all this way for just one of them. So how about ten—or no, a hundred of them?”

“No…”

“That other thing is also hidden somewhere in the city, so it’ll take a long time to deal with it all. If it weren’t for those, we could just get it all over within three days… But, well, I guess there’s no use in talking about it.”

Inellia’s face contorted while Regnor bared his fangs as he laughed.

“You’re fucking insane.”

“You’re the only one who thinks that.”

Maybe it was because of all of the power he exuded that nobody dared to approach him.

Inellia bit her lips, regretting her decision.

‘If I had just revealed everything and followed Sir Allen, then…’

However, it was too late to regret.

As if uninterested in her thoughts, Regnor shrugged and began to speak.

“It’s hard to believe that you, the one behind this, are still playing with dolls. And the only thing you do is forsake the honor of being master's hands and feet…”

“Shut it, Regnor. I’m the one who decides whether I’m ‘playing with dolls’ or not.”

“Well…"

The chimera’s mouth was torn all the way up to his ears. Nevertheless, Regnor chuckled while being in that state.

“What would you do if the thing you loved most happened to disappear?”

“What?”

“I failed back then, but now… do you think you'll be able to stop me from going for that little thing?"

He pointed at Linbelle, who had just been sitting on the floor.

“Uh, Mom…? Do you know that monster?”

Hearing her daughter’s voice calling out to her, Inellia came to her senses. 

“Don’t you touch her! If you touch Linbelle even once…”

Inellia’s formerly round ears became pointy, and another pupil formed inside each eye. Her skin turned gray, and at the same time, twelve pairs of wings popped out from her back.

“I’ll be forced to take action.”

She was now in a position in which she could no longer call herself human. Upon closer inspection, she resembled the sprites who had disappeared from the continent. 

“M-Mom? Why do you look like that? And who is that monster…?”

“Linbelle, I’ll tell you everything later. So just… just wait for a minute.”

As their brief conversation ended, the chimera burst into laughter.

“But if I say that I will touch her… What then?”

Regnor’s red eyes reflected the crescent moon. 

Inellia parted her lips and asked, “…What the hell do you want?”

“Haha. As expected, you are pretty quick-witted, Inellia.”

Regnor calmed himself upon hearing her answer. However, Inellia knew that if she hadn’t given the right answer, he would’ve gone after her daughter immediately.

“Come back with us. If you do, we won’t do anything to the kid.”

“…Really?”

“Mom!”

“So long as you serve as a stepping stone for the sake of the master… I shall keep my promise.”

Linbelle let out a scream, and Inellia looked at her with sad eyes.

“Linbelle…”

Inellia thought she could escape to freedom. As maids of the duke’s eldest son, she thought they could start a new life together.

‘It was too good to be true…’

It was too naive of her to have tried to wait it out until the mastermind was taken down.

“Hurry up. It looks like a pretty strong sorcerer is on their way.”

He interrupted Inellia's thoughts and turned to face her daughter.

He smirked.

“I had no idea how this was all going to end up, you know.”

Upset by Regnor’s demands, Inellia quickly kissed Linbelle on the forehead and rose. 

“…I’m coming.”

“That’s a wise choice. Hold on tight. Let’s go.”

As he grinned with his pointed teeth, Inellia turned to Linbelle, who could only stare at her blankly in confusion.

“…Mom?”

With a faint smile, Inellia climbed onto Regnor’s back. 

“Mom… Mom! Mom!”

Linbelle, who had only just then come to her senses, called out to her mother.

However…

“…”

Of course, there was no response.

She had no other choice but to stare into the space where they once stood, as they disappeared into small dots over the horizon.