Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

Chapter 20 

Byron gave an emotional glance at the duke's second son.

“Arrest the young lord!”

“Yes, sir!”

“You, catch the officials who ran away, and then bring them here."

“Yes, sir!”

He’d come to deal with the disappearances that had been occurring in the nearby territory of Garvia.

“Have we dealt with all of the corrupt people?”

“Yes, sir! We’ve caught them all and are now monitoring them.”

He not only killed the orchestrators of the disappearances, but also became the savior who freed Garvia from its previously tyrannical lord.

“And…”

The soldiers rushed along.

At the same time, a man covered in dirt was being dragged along the ground.

The opportunists who’d followed the corruption and tyranny had fled just in time, and the residents stepped up to help the soldiers to vent their anger.

Due to that, there was an uproar filled with all kinds of shouting and noise.

“Sir Julius! We’ve managed to chase down the Minister of Finance.”

“Is that so? Make sure that you get proof from him that he cheated on the ledger. And… Hm?”

After Byron calmed his racing heart, he turned towards him, the center of it all.

“Sir.”

“Lord Byron.”

Julius greeted him as if it were a good thing that he’d approached him.

“Sir Julius. I graciously thank you for liberating our long-suffering Garvia.”

Up until yesterday, the residents had no choice but to put up with their persecution. But now? Taking a look around, there wasn’t one face without a smile. 

“Lord Byron, there’s no need to say that. As the child of the duke, it was simply my duty.”

“No, sir.”

Byron shook his head.

There were numerous evil nobles in the world. Many of which didn’t even see commoners as people like them. Due to that preconception, he didn’t expect much of Julius at first.

The aristocratic rulers of Garvia were like that, but those who ruled over this land were different. 

That was what Byron thought.

That Julius was no different.

That they were all the same.

Especially with Julius’s infamous reputation, Byron didn’t bother to expect a single thing from him.

‘Byron may be different.’

Upon hearing of the accidents, Juilus immediately sought out the truth behind them without defending the rulers of Garvia as an aristocrat like him.

The image of him briefly gazing out into the sky had already become infamous to those around him.

‘Yeah, it’s him.’

Julius recalled his own convictions.

‘Byron was supposed to be a knight.’

He couldn't become a real knight by using prana, so he tried to make his actions reflect those of a knight.

In general, one could become recognized as a knight by using either magic or prana. However, simply acting like a knight wouldn’t garner the same recognition.

So he tried again, using magic to try to become a real knight.

Was it right to do nothing when a true follower of knighthood like Byron had appeared?

‘Like I thought, you can’t trust the rumors. I can’t believe they’re putting down a person like this…’

You can only truly know someone after meeting them.The bad rumors across the land must’ve been a part of some conspiracy against Julius.

Before he knew it, Byron was bowing his head to him.

“Thanks to you, sir. Many shall now be able to create a future.”

At first, he’d been worried about such a young person coming to aid the city.

However, he saw Julius’s spirit while defeating the orchestrators—a strong force, unexpected for his age.

And now—

“Would it be alright if I came to serve you as my lord, Sir Julius?”

He saw his sincerity and care towards the residents.

“Sure.”

Julius replied with a pleased face, as if he’d been waiting for this.

He tried as hard as he could to hold back his laughter, but he couldn’t help but smile, unable to hold back his satisfaction.

‘Finally, I got Byron.’

Byron, the Knight of Order.

Using magic as well, he was the only one who joined the Berserk Knights, the continent's most prestigious knighthood that only hosted knights that could use prana.

Julius was starting to give up because the knight’s whereabouts were unclear, but he didn't know that Byron would be here.

“Byron, I allow you to become my knight.”

Julius had put a lot of effort into recruiting him.

He had played a role according to Byron’s ideals and answered questions in the way he thought the knight would like best.

In the process, he did Quests, raised his reputation by confronting their tyrannical lord, and contributed much to the community.

Julius laughed aloud at his situation. Everything was going so smoothly.

“I look forward to your continued support.”

Without knowing a single thing.

* * *

* * * 

Allen came out of the cave to meet up again with the party he’d left earlier.

They were waiting at the entrance, accompanied by a few soldiers.

“Sir!”

“Sir Allen.”

Linbelle and Inellia appeared to have escaped the cave safely. 

Surely, everything they’d seen had been destroyed since they’d entered the cave, so it would have been easy to get out.

Linbelle approached him, bowing her head while doing so.

“Thank you, sir.”

Her eyes were swollen.

“Thank you for saving my mother,” she said as she bowed countless times.

Allen didn’t reject her thanks, as it was her own way of apologizing.

‘She looks better.’

It was a bit different than he’d seen in the city, but compared to when she was together with Francisca, her expression looked better.

She looked back at Inellia, who was smiling brightly and bowing.

“Thank you for saving us.”

She smiled the same as Linbelle. Yet upon closer inspection, her eyes had also turned a little red. 

Allen experienced a range of complex emotions—a mixture of the sense of achievement from fulfilling his purpose of coming here as well as the bitterness of being unable to successfully prevent the damage.

“I look forward to your help and support.”

“Yes, of course! We’ll do our best!”

“Alright.”

‘They would need to fix some things, starting from the way they spoke to learning manners as well.’

Thinking that they would get upset if they heard such a thought, Allen asked about the whereabouts of the rest of the party instead. The fact that there were so few soldiers present meant that the battle must have ended.

“Where are the other soldiers? And Miss Francisca?”

“They’re…”

With an uncomfortable smile, Inellia looked towards the forest.

Allen hardened his expression.

What happened?

Examining the soldiers’ expressions, they didn’t look happy either.

“Is the battle still not over?”

“No, the battle has finished… It’s just…”

Allen looked at the speechless Linbelle. She looked upset, as if something unsettling had come to mind.

He then turned towards the soldiers, and one of them—a veteran soldier—quickly approached him and began to speak. 

No.

“Sir Allen, the other soldiers—”

He tried to speak up.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

However, before the soldier could explain the situation, a scream rang out from within the forest. 

Allen hurried towards the sound, Inellia and Linbelle following him reluctantly.

The soldiers didn’t look optimistic, yet they hurriedly followed him as well. 

Allen pondered the strangeness of their reactions and headed to the source of the scream. It grew louder as they approached.

“P-Please! Aaaaaahhh!”

“Stop—Stop killing them. We’re human! I… Urgh!”

As he gradually got closer, Allen’s expression changed subtly to the sounds he heard.

‘It can’t be…’

Once he’d finally arrived at the source, he could see it.

The former three-meter-tall chimera that was now wriggling around without arms or legs.

His horns—even one of his eyes—had been pulled out. Compared to before, when he was full of energy, he’d become a mangled mess. 

And she, the woman who had put him in that situation, shook her head.

“Oh my. Sir, did you take care of the chimera sorcerer?”

She approached Allen as she used her sleeve to wipe off the green blood that accumulated over the night.

The remaining soldiers waited by the side just in case, but their faces had all turned pale.

“…Yes, but that’s…”

“No! The master cannot be dead! Master! If you can hear me, please, help your faithful servant… Gurgle!”

As Allen was interrupted, Francisca frowned and placed her hand into the fallen chimera’s lacerated stomach.

“My, my, he cut you off… He never listens. My apologies, sir.”

Allen uncomfortably accepted her apology.

Regnor had been quite arrogant in his memory.

Yet what on earth was this scene in front of him?

“Stop, stop! Don’t show off my organs! Oh, Master! Please! I know you’re alive! Please, please help me—”

“He still hasn’t come to his senses yet.”

Linbelle, unfamiliar with this kind of brutal sight, looked sick to her stomach.

Inellia watched the scene without emotion. She’d already witnessed many sights like this. Compared to her daughter’s reaction, it had little effect on her. 

Francisca, who’d been bothering Regnor for a while, only got up to cleanse her hands when he went quiet.

At that, the soldiers took a few quick steps back. 

“…Is there a reason why that bastard shouldn’t be dead by now?”

“Well, one would be his continually regenerative nature, and another…”

She pointed towards the chimera, giving another—very magical—reason.

“Would be for the sake of magic research. He was studying a system of magic very similar to that which I was studying, so there were a few things I wanted to look at.”

She shrugged.

Allen understood what she was talking about.

What was strange about a sorcerer taking action in order to seek knowledge?

The system of magic that she was using was the one that she would come to establish in the future. Therefore, she seemed to be refining the system, which was not yet perfect, by seeking out knowledge.

Allen smiled at her response.

“So I think this will help a lot.”

Allen watched new flesh sprout out from Regnor’s severed arm, materializing one of two lines connected to him.

“This is…!”

She looked at it with curiosity, hurrying towards it.

“No way.”

“It’s a contract connecting that chimera with its ‘creator’. Perhaps because of his low faith in his creator, it seems as though he’d practically worshiped the chimera sorcerer.”

It was the same thing as when he’d been calling for the deceased Deverre earlier. Allen watched him, still wriggling around like a worm.

“Maybe that’s why he still thinks the chimera sorcerer is alive.”

Francisca, whose eyes had been sparkling during his explanation, quickly asked him, “Sir, by chance, could you possibly give me that chimera? I’d be glad to offer you—”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Perhaps surprised that he was more willing to grant her request than she’d thought, she quickly blinked her eyes.

“You’ve helped me, free of charge, yet is there anything that I cannot give you?”

That was what he’d been planning to do the moment he got hold of Regnor.

There were many ways to use that chimera. He could be used as an escort, or if that didn’t work out, then as a weapon or a trap.

Or to pay off the debt he owed the sorceress.

‘This should be enough to cover it.’

Besides, the chimera wouldn’t have been that useful to him.

His funny appearance, his devilish nature…

‘Devil?’

Of the hypotheses explaining Allen’s regression, one came to mind.

The possibility that the regression was related to the devil. 

‘Hm… But he doesn’t have the same sticky feeling as the devil…’

Allen paused, feeling a difference between how he felt now and when he faced the devil at the very end of his past life, right before his regression.

“Sir?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

He stopped his thoughts before Francisca could feel anything strange and attached her to one of the two lines coming off of Regnor.

‘I could ask her to look into it later.’

What was different. Where it was off.

It was something he needed to check. 

As soon as Allen connected that line to her, the chimera felt something strange, and his limp body began to struggle as if it had gone crazy. 

“No, no! This—This is… No, no, no, no! Master! Help! Please! Please!”

Francisca came to her senses as Regnor began to lose his, and she stared blankly at the line trailing off of him.

“I’ll temporarily fulfill the contract for now. Sorcerer Prindal is studied in the contractual system, so he can adjust the terms later.”

Allen flicked his hand. Then, a complex string of letters shot out of his body and instantly wrapped around the line connecting Francisca and Regnor.

He subtly watched the effects of the contract on the behavior of the line.

‘The restrictions weren't too strong from the start.’

At the very least, could it prevent the chimera from leaving a certain area?

If so, it was understandable that Inellia was able to stand up against him with the contract.

“Whoa… So that’s magic.”

Linbelle’s pale face displayed a look of admiration.

Perhaps because it was also their first time seeing magic so closely, the soldiers stared blankly at the scene, as if hypnotized by it.

Allen continued his work, regardless of their gazes.

As he moved his hand around in the air as if writing something down, the string of characters that was wrapping itself around the line burst and streamed into Regnor's head.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

The chimera lifted his head up using only his abdominal strength and slammed his head into the ground repeatedly.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The characters streamed into Francisca as well.

She’d been nervous about the pain that would ensue from the process. However, contrary to her expectation, she didn’t feel any pain.

As she turned her head, Allen gave a slight smile and asked slyly, “Would I ever do you any harm, Miss Francisca?”

She silently glanced at him.

“…Does it feel good to lie to me?”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I felt as though you were too nervous.”

As Allen shrugged, Francisca took a deep breath.

The soldiers, who had been in a daze, came to their senses with his joke.

During their brief conversation, the magic appeared to have gone smoothly.

After a few moments had passed, Regnor approached the sorceress expressionlessly.

Or more specifically, he wormed his way towards her.

“From now on, I shall devote my everything to you, my new master.”

She smiled pleasantly, satisfied with the outcome.

“…Haha, I’m really looking forward to continuing my research.”

Regnor eventually became Francisca’s servant, and Inellia was safely rescued.

“It’s all over.”

The chimeras who’d attacked the city had all been taken care of by now, and since the chimeras who’d attacked them had all been defeated already, all that was left to do was to clean up.

Allen looked around the cave with inquisitive eyes for a moment, coming to his senses when a voice called out for him right in front of him.

A desolate breeze blew from behind him and silently wrapped around him.

“Let’s go.”