Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 300: What are Memories (3)

Theia had a mentor. Even she couldn’t have succeeded alone. She was exceptionally talented, but she needed someone to guide her direction.

Theia’s mentor had only three disciples, and two of them were Theia and Akane. They were disciples of the same master.

Now, they have become sworn enemies.

It was because of their master’s death.

The suspicious death of their old master, a respected scholar and mage, was the crux of Theia’s downfall before my regression.

“……”

I’m pondering, rolling my pen between my fingers.

The Theia Esil before my regression died. She was executed, the highest form of legal punishment. It was made possible through countless fabrications by Libra and the cooperation of the council.

Theia had many enemies.

 

As many enemies as she had, she also had allies, but she was too harsh with the important higher-ups.

 

Unfortunately, there are too many things on this continent that one cannot endure alone with personal strength.

I know this all too well because I’ve painfully experienced it.

That’s why…

“Even if it wasn’t me, someone would have to do it.”

I don’t know exactly when Libra’s ‘evil’ began. However, if Sherlock moves, he will surely execute Theia.

Before that, I must prevent the future.

I can prevent her execution.

I must.

Even if a momentary imprisonment is difficult, even if it makes me utterly detestable.

Theia, as long as you are alive, you will surely triumph someday.

Akane’s [Selfless Coffin].

I visited her. As usual, she was sitting at the counter.

With her legs propped up on the desk, she glanced at me while flipping through a magazine.

“What now?”

I browsed the items on the shelves. There were quite a few new products.

“Are prosthetics selling well these days?”

“…Did you come here to worry about my business?”

“Well, two birds with one stone.”

I fiddled with a prosthetic hand that felt almost like a real one. Akane yawned and turned the page of her magazine.

“They sell, but the profit isn’t great.”

“That figures. You put too much effort into each one.”

Akane is a chronic debtor, plagued by financial losses. Prosthetic creation is costly, and most people who lose limbs are financially strained.

The wealthy rarely find themselves in situations where they might lose a limb.

“Tell me what you’re here for. Did you come to buy a prosthetic?”

“No.”

I stood in front of the counter. Looking her straight in the eye, I said,

“This time, I’ve come as a Chaser for Libra.”

“… Libra?”

“Yes.”

I placed my business card on the table.

“I need your help, Akane.”

“…”

Akane eyed me strangely, and I handed her an envelope.

“Take a look.”

She sighed as she pulled out the documents. Her expression, initially casual as she skimmed the content, quickly turned stern.

It was the first time we faced each other in this life.

“These are documents about Theia Esil.”

“…Where did you get this information, and how?”

Akane set the documents upright. Her voice was edged with sharpness, as if she might detonate the papers and split my head open at any moment.

“I investigated.”

“This isn’t something you just ‘find out’ through investigation.”

“lt wasn’t a ‘simple’ investigation, obviously.”

“…Don’t play word games with me.”

Akane glared at me. I met her gaze without flinching.

I felt no psychological pressure. It’s a skill that has grown day by day, dealing with people like Johanna, Jade.

“Shion Ascal.”

She called my name.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to die?”

“No.”

“You’re crossing a line.”

“I have to cross it, to deliver Theia Esil.”

Akane gritted her teeth. She flung the documents aside.

The papers fluttered to the ground.

“Take them.”

“Does this mean you’ll cooperate?”

I asked, a sly tone in my voice.

“…”

In an instant, Akane’s complexion stiffened. She summoned her magic power. A chilling sensation surged throughout [Selfless Coffin].

“You know, with just a flick of my finger, I could kill you.”

“I think I’ve heard that before. Could you switch it to a punch instead?”

I seemed to have grown somewhat since then.

“…”

Akane remained silent.

Her face was genuinely angry. Her pupils began to lose color, and a dry magic brushed against my skin.

After all, her mentor was her Achilles’ heel.

“Are you going to lose your anchor?”

The atmosphere shifted dramatically at my words. Akane stood up abruptly, emitting a vividly eerie aura.

“ls that what you call a threat?”

“No, just curious.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Using your mentor, or dealing with Theia Esil. Which do you dislike more, Akane?”

Akane didn’t open her mouth. I began to gather the documents she had thrown on the floor.

“Akane, if you don’t cooperate…”

Theia Esil and Akane were archenemies. Their mutual hatred was deep enough to turn into lethal curses.

Yet, ironically, in the last moments, Akane had tried to save Theia Esil.

“…Theia Esil will die.”

I held out the documents back to her.

Akane’s magic wavered. She frowned.

“Good riddance if she dies. But if you dare use my mentor in such filthy schemes, you’ll die too.”

Akane’s expression was cold and impassive. An uncommon emotion flickered in her when discussing her mentor.

It was respect and reverence.

“Really? That’s strange.”

I continued with a bitter smile.

“For someone who claims that, you’ve been quite cooperative with Libra.”

Akane’s body tensed for a moment. I watched her closely.

I had always harbored some suspicions.

There was something peculiar about her.

“Right?”

Before and after the regression—she knew too much about me. About my illness, about my existence.

I had never disclosed my disease to her, yet she acted as if she already knew.

And she did know.

Initially, I thought it was simply her information network… the capability to spread dolls across the continent at any time.

But I found another clue in Vito’s lab.

“Akane, you participated in Libra’s experi ments.”

She was involved in the experiments that my father had participated in.

At the very least, she knew of an entity named ‘Dale Ascal.’

“……”

Akane did not respond. However, the sharp air around us gradually dulled.

“You say your mentor should not be used.”

I continued slowly, but remained silent about my father.

It was a story I couldn’t bring up just yet.

“And yet, it’s alright to completely exploit someone else’s life?”

Silence settled in Selfless Coffin.

Akane stiffened like a wax doll, and I maintained my poker face.

Soon, she let out a small sigh.

“What difference does it make if I help?”

“Yes. Theia Esil won’t die but will be imprisoned.”

“…What?”

Akane frowned, seemingly puzzled.

“Which do you prefer? Do you want to kill Theia or save her?”

“Um…”

I looked into Akane’s eyes, pondering.

“I hope.”

The ‘real’ her. Could Akane become my ally?

Could she join me in all my intentions?

“I hope Theia Esil doesn’t die.”

Before the regression, she had been of proper help to me, but ultimately, she became just a ‘phenomenon.’

A phenomenon called ‘Akane,’ where countless dolls share a single consciousness, not even knowing if they are real.

“That’s what you want too, isn’t it, Akane?”

I extended my hand to her. Akane scoffed.

“I want to kill her with my own hands. I don’t want someone else to beat me to it.”

It was an unusual reason, but considering their relationship, it made sense.

“And…”

Akane took my hand and said,

“My mentor would also hope she doesn’t die.”

A handshake sealing the agreement.

“Yes.”

Of course, there are still things about Akane I don’t know and aspects that are suspicious.

“Let’s do this.”

That’s why I need to delve deeper into her world.

The second stage of the knight qualification exam was a swamp.

The format was a competition to hunt monsters in the ‘Banpara Swamp,’ teeming with creatures.

This time it was an individual competition, so I couldn’t team up with soliette, and the 300 candidates who passed the first exam had to navigate the swamp alone.

Others struggled quite a bit.

‘Banpara Swamp’ is a magic space. The more you take a step within, the deeper you sink into the swamp.

They had to maintain a Magic Body constantly to take even a single step, but it was comfortable for me.

I borrowed the power of Grawl.

Mud is a type of soil. Solidifying it with every step I took made it easier.

Anyway.

The exam took 48 hours.

“ We will now announce the rankings!”

Outside the swamp, on the dirt ground, the instructor gathered us. Most of the participants looked exhausted, their breaths heavy with fatigue.

“The top 200 will advance to the final exam!”

The instructor projected the list of passers into the air.

At the top, in first place, was someone I had expected.

[1st Place: Gerkhen]

Gerkhen, a freshman, had ranked the highest.

He was sitting on the ground, leaning his forehead against his sword.

He seemed to be recovering his stamina, but he looked like something out of a movie.

[3rd Place: Soliette]

Soliette was in third place, and I was in fifteenth.

Not in the top 5%, but considering I’m a freshman, it’s sufficient. I qualify as a Libra Balancer.

“Congratulations to the top 200. Unfortunately, the rest have failed. The final exam will be an interview. See you next week!”

As the instructor left, groans and some cries erupted here and there. Some were crying, whether from joy or sorrow, I couldn’t tell.

“……l’m dead.”

Soliette approached me. Her face was covered in mud as she sighed.

“Shion. Good job.”

“Yeah. You too.”

It felt like the old soliette could pop out at any moment, but I had to keep my composure.

Suddenly, Soliette glanced at me and asked.

“……Shion. I heard a rumor that you drove here.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ll give you a ride. I parked nearby.”

“Phew. Thank you. I’m totally spent.”

Then someone turned to look at me. I was slightly startled by the sudden gaze.

It was Gerkhen.

After dropping off soliette and Gerkhen, I was on my way home.

“……lt feels awkward.”

By the way, I received a house as a gift. I was certain to pass the knight exam, and I needed a suitable base, so Zia had gifted me an apartment near the capital, close to the Aerial Garden.

It was even in ‘Veromonon,’ a place where mostly the upper class lived.

[Welcome]

An unfamiliar mechanical voice greeted me as I parked in the parking lot, used the unfamiliar card key to access the elevator, and opened the door to what had now become my home.

Pop—!

Some sort of confetti-like pollen burst out. I flinched and looked in that direction.

Zia was standing in the living room.

“Congratulations……”

Pop—!

She set off another large firecracker in each hand. I chuckled and approached her.

“There’s still the interview left.”

I picked confetti out of her hair.

“Eh… you won’t fail the final interview…”

“How can you be so sure?”

The pass rate for the final interview is surprisingly only 75%. It’s not just a formality; they really filter people out.

“……lt’s just a feeling.”

Zia smiled faintly. I stared at her for a moment and then smiled back.

In this situation, it seems best to just be comfortable and show a relaxed demeanor.

“Did you come here to congratulate me?”

“Yes…… and also, I’m kind of hungry.”

Zia sat down on the sofa.

“Shion…… you make delicious food.”

Her voice dripped with anticipation, as if she was hinting at something.

It seemed like a request.

I walked to the kitchen and asked.

“ls there anything in particular you’d like to eat? I have plenty of ingredients.”

“Anything is fine…”

I started cooking. I presented a steak with truffles, casually showing off my most confident dish.

“Please eat.”

“……WOW.”

She first admired it with her eyes, and upon taking a bite, her whole body shivered.

“Is it alright?”

“Mmm… it’s so delicious.”

Her face was visibly moved.

I smiled slightly and took a bite myself.

Clatter, clatter.

Amid the sounds of utensils, Zia’s voice mixed in, discussing work.

“Theia Esil… will it be okay?”

“Yes. It will take a while, but it’s possible.”

I relay all the sensitive matters of the Intelligence Agency to Zia. Even hiding a small part could be sensitively perceived by her.

“……Right… be careful…”

Zia seemed to have more to say.

“ls there something else you need to mention?”

“……There’s been a problem with the distribution of Lithium. It’s Blocker.”

Blocker. Notoriously infamous in the underworld, essentially the backbone behind the old ‘Jesco.’

“What exactly is the problem?”

“They’re performing gorilla warfare on the distribution networks… It seems sonya isn’t handling it well…”

“Yes. Leave it to me.”

Though this guy is two to three times bigger than Jesco, the method to handle it might be surprisingly simple.

The situation itself is different from the Jesco days.

Back then, due to the sheer size of the Lithium, we opted to internally dismantle the Jesco organization, but now, that isn’t necessary.

If we just cut off the head of Blocker, we’ll have the power to easily swallow the rest.

“Can you do it…?”

“Of course.”

The clue is, Lithium’s distribution network that Zia uses appears to handle ‘coffee beans’ on the surface.

They hide weapons and raw materials under the guise of coffee beans in their distribution, a business gifted by Jade.

Moreover, under Jade, there’s hardly any combat force. It’s even being reduced day by day, for reasons unknown to anyone, because he’s considered the strongest in the world.

“Helping you is my priority.”

So, what if we provoke Blocker to touch Jade?

If we annoy him not just for a day or two, but almost every day for a long time?

Even Jade, who dislikes violence, would have to step in, and a thorough cleanup would be enough for one day.

“lt’s delicious…”

Zia smiled as she ate the steak. Her expression relieved by my words.

“You trust my words.”

“Yeah. Shion, you’ve always succeeded… I trust you.”

“l’m glad.”

Like Zia, I smiled, happy at her words.