Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

The sorcerer's workshop was filled with the scent of monster corpses and rotten corpses. 

I heard sounds of people crying.

Gurgle, gurgle.

An unidentifiable potion, a sprawling heap of organs, and bound corpses. These things all together overwhelmed my senses.

“Mom! Where are you, mom?!”

“They’re all… residents…?”

“Sir Allen! We couldn’t find any survivors. Sir Allen. …Sir Allen?”

Blaargh…

‘Who was that? Someone we rescued? Or a soldier? Jesus, they call themselves soldiers yet they’re so squeamish…’

Blaaaaaargh…

‘Oh. It was me.’

As soon as I realized, I got even more nauseous.

‘What an awful smell.’

Sobbing resounded throughout the disastrous scene. Someone was screaming out for their mother. Who was it this time? Anxiety-ridden sounds coated the walls. 

‘The world is spinning.’

“Sir Allen, are you alright?”

‘Shut up. I just need a minute to catch my breath.’

I blinked. Once… twice… good.

“Huh?”

Then, I saw someone. 

“I’ll kill them all. All those monsters. All those fucking bastards…” 

They wore a horrifying expression, eyes filled with poison.

They came closer, turning their bloodshot eyes toward me. 

“Young Master, I want to take my revenge on those monsters.”

‘Well, what am I going to do about it? Back off, of course. I didn’t come here just to mess with you.’

“Please accept my resolve. That I shall kill every monster in the world.”

‘Why did I even come here? I should’ve just studied and researched magic normally.’

Oh, magic. The magic that I needed to save my brother.

Creak, creak—

‘Someone else is here now too.’

I ran towards the door that had finally appeared to me.

‘…I want to go home.’

While on my way out, I heard a sound behind me.

“…lius… Please take me with… you…”

“Oh… Everything is… red…”

The faster I ran, the more insistent the voices became. 

‘She has a lot of weird tricks up her sleeve. It’ll be hard to beat her. Looks like magic is the only solution.’

“I need to get to the manor, quickl—What?”

“Young Master, please take me with you.”

There, I saw her. The earth and sky turned upside down.

My study, filled with the smell of old books and ink. My research room, set aside for me and only me. 

My sanctuary. 

It was safe there. Unlike this godforsaken sorcerer's workshop, there was nothing dangerous there. 

‘But apart from that study, will danger surround me in the house?’

My brief moment of relief was cut short by a ruckus from outside.

I dragged my feet back towards the entrance, to the smell of those rotting corpses.

“Huh?”

I saw a trampled figure on the ground. Raven-black hair, sparkling purple eyes, and a ghastly face.

The world began to crumble. 

“I didn’t mean to do this…”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… I… Hurgh…”

The gruesome smell flooded into my nose. I felt nauseous again.

“Mom… Mom…”

I heard more sobbing sounds.

I saw her again, through fragments of broken glass.

‘Fuck off. I need to survive.’

Sob, sob…

“I need to… I need to save my brother.”

Bloody arms bound, I tried to ignore the anguished sobs surrounding me.

I opened the grimoire again. As I always had.

* * *

* * * 

It had been three days since he returned to the manor.

Since the road they returned on was well-constructed and well-kept by the old empire, it wasn’t inconvenient to use at all.

With the one hundred soldiers surrounding it, no bandits could approach the carriage that bore the duke’s insignia, so they had a generally smooth journey.

The silence of dawn and the bustle of maids preparing the morning’s breakfast intermingled. 

Allen greeted the soldiers on duty and grabbed his sword. With his sword in hand, he headed towards a nearby riverbank.

After his regression, he hadn’t maintained the sword skills he had acquired in his first life. All he could manage was basic self-defense. 

Well, since he had lost his skills, he thought he would be better off not confronting any wandering soldiers.

Yet the reason as to why he carried his sword was simple. 

‘It’s not enough.’

He was insecure. Of course, he had already begun delving into the powers that magic could grant him. But compared to his brother?

‘Well, it’s always been like this.’

Even in comparing himself to the bastard inside rather than his brother himself, it was no different. 

Allen had no talent. 

Even if he amassed all of his family’s wealth, he couldn’t develop—or even find out where he was supposed to learn—the skills and magic quickly enough to save his brother.

Rumor had it that if you miraculously survived a dangerous situation, you would become much stronger as a result.

If you were faced with a wall, there were a bunch of lonely old people out there who would be willing to help and teach you. Even if they had ulterior motives in mind while doing so, you would still manage to get out unscathed at some point. 

‘Can a fallen god grant anybody his grace?’

The actions of this story’s protagonist were questionable.

He knew about the future, so he could use that knowledge to his advantage.

‘Ok, fine. You do it, then. Go ahead. Do you think you can get a better outcome? Huh?’ 

He’s not sure.

Nevertheless, I’ll have to keep tabs on him.

‘But first, I’ll need to improve my sword skills.’

Grunt!

He swung his sword. He cut a line straight down through the air, followed by a horizontal slice. He twisted his body as he went for a diagonal cut. He went again, cutting diagonally in the opposite direction.

‘Is basic proficiency even enough for now?’

He channeled all of his strength into his sword.

‘No.’

THUMP!

He was suddenly overwhelmed by his emotions. The tip of his sword rattled unsteadily.

Could it be because of the nightmare he had the day before?

Allen reminisced on the incident that had taken place in Hibelle before his regression.

What had occurred there was far worse than what had been reported to his Father.

People were being kidnapped every day.

Residents packed their bags and moved from the city to safer towns in its outskirts as the lord of Hibelle flaunted his incompetence by refusing to take action.

Violent attacks continued on the remaining residents due to their presence, and soldiers weren’t allowed to leave due to the lack of safety.

Allen recalled what exactly it was that he had done there.

‘Under the guise of saving my brother… I…’

Swish!

His arm trembled. A twisted blow. The imprecise sword swing created a dull sound as it failed to cut through the air.

He raised his sword again.

‘Julius got in the way with everything he did.’

He would carry out tasks using senseless methods, but then prevent any work from being done by saying that the tasks didn’t really need to be done at all.

Only now did Allen realize that Julius would have been able to strategize using abilities like ‘Quest Window’, which he had learned from the black book.

‘So what’s the difference, then?’

If Allen had had access to that ability, would he have even acted any differently?

He couldn’t know for sure.

Regardless, the results wouldn’t have been any different.

Tons of Hibelle residents died. 

Every day, hundreds of chimeras would flock to the city to kill and kidnap massive numbers of people. The unprepared city would suffer lots of damage, and Julius would become the city’s hero in the process of repairing it.

Or at least, that’s what was written in the book.

‘So…’

Why? Did I feel bad after seeing the past that I wanted to forget? All because of a stupid mistake? Did I regret it?

“Yeah.”

It was all correct. 

He was stupid to thoughtlessly listen and move according to his emotions. 

Remembering the shadows of their corpses was proof enough of his regret.

What was it that he saw in that chimera workshop?

A young girl who had lost her parents? Parents who had to let their children go? A man whose lover had been kidnapped?

‘Why am I… Why am I acting like this? For their sake? It was all so I could save my brother… but…’

At the end of the day, it was only the beginning. He did a lot of things while using that very reason as a shield. 

‘Are you going to do the same thing again this time?’

He swung his sword. He didn’t use any mana at all; purely his own muscular strength.

The sword was heavy.

‘Was it always this heavy?’

The weight strained his joints.

‘No.’

Even though he had returned and the choices he previously made had yet to happen, his faults did not disappear. 

As such, the Great Duke Reinhart—

‘As Julius’s older brother…’

—didn’t want to hide behind the resolve of saving his brother.

He would be ashamed if he would have to face his younger brother without first resolving this problem.

The real Julius was already gone, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye to what had happened before his regression if he wanted to move on.

That was why he came to this place.

To settle things with himself. To be aware of his current standing. To take responsibility. 

‘Can I save my brother?’

He didn’t think of the likelihood of success.

Even though he had regressed, he wasn’t sure if he could deal with the bastard. No, he just wasn’t sure if he could get his brother back at all.

How could he kill the bastard within Julius without first knowing how to bring his brother back?

That was it.

‘I have to admit it now.’

That his real brother was dead. Or more accurately, his little brother’s soul no longer existed in Julius’s body. 

One of Allen’s magical abilities dealt with souls, but he didn’t have to identify them at their first meeting.If he did it now, he could check without Julius noticing. 

So naturally, he looked at ‘Julius’s’ soul right away.

However…

‘My brother’s soul has disappeared.’

He was sure of it.

The words that I’d heard only after my death. 

From the faintly crying voice that had told me to kill someone.

My brother’s earnest outcry.

That was proof that his brother was still alive.

It was why he couldn’t stop trying to get him back. How could he give up when there was still a chance?

‘But…’

If the current Julius tried to climb beyond my reach… If I couldn’t keep my distance from that bastard no matter how hard I tried…

‘No more.’

Crackle.

Allen felt light on his feet.

His steps moved smoothly, as if in tune with a beat, and the tip of his sword pierced the air decidedly.

‘I won’t hesitate anymore.’

The search for his brother’s lost soul would never stop. However, the possibility of success was, like a faint star in the heavens, difficult to reach. 

‘If that parasite’s growth is a price that I don’t want to pay… then I’ll kill him and put my brother back in him.’