Reincarnated User Manual - Chapter 211: Snowy Mountains Are Always Clear After Cloudy Days

“Still, it’s a reunion after hundreds of years… Sorry for the interruption.”

Glen, with a meaningless smile, brought a chair and sat down.

…But his actions were more awkward than before.

‘He didn’t show any signs of pain when he was in the reception room…’

Was it because he heard such shocking news? After all, believing for a lifetime that he was a descendant of a hero, and then the person in question suddenly appearing and denying it… Even a person with strong mental fortitude would naturally be quite shocked.

“Were you waiting outside all this time?”

Unlike Lucia, who kept her mouth shut and only rolled her eyes, Yuma, aware of Glen’s condition, spoke with concern. As Yuma became aware of Glen’s condition again, he noticed his injuries.

“I heard it hasn’t even been a night. We must have visited while you were still focused on your treatment…”

“If I sleep now… well, I probably won’t wake up for at least a few days.”

“…”

“I want to rest peacefully if I do. I’m afraid I might forget what I want to say if I lose my mind.”

Glen, who spoke lightly as if joking, sighed and looked at Lucia. The mixed emotions in his gaze made Lucia’s shoulders tremble.

Calling him a scammer and a bastard… It felt refreshing when she spat out those harsh words, but now that her unjust feelings had subsided, she felt a bit of regret creeping in.

‘This feels like sitting on a bed of thorns.’

That’s why she didn’t leave Yuma’s side under the pretext of caring for her. While Lucia was stuck in indecision, Glen spoke in a low voice.

“The power of foresight is not manifesting.”

“…What?”

“Just as I said. The last prophecy I saw was before arriving here, and since then, my clarity has vanished.”

Glen recalled the last prophecy he saw, a scene of crossing swords with his stepdaughter, Lucia.

At first, he couldn’t understand why he would suddenly point a sword at his daughter, but now he was beginning to understand why such a prophecy appeared.

It made sense, considering Lucia’s true identity was Kyrie, didn’t it? If you kidnapped a great hero from 500 years ago and treated them like a piece of luggage, locking them up in a remote castle on a snowy mountain… Glen thought it wouldn’t be surprising if a sword was stabbed in a fit of rage.

Moreover, the burden of death wasn’t the only thing.

Glen stared intently at Lucia, who had been fidgeting since earlier. Her golden eyes deliberately avoided his gaze, looking out the window instead.

-I’ve never had children!

‘…She must be resentful enough to want to kill me.’

Pretending to be a hero’s descendant for 500 years wasn’t enough; despite dying unjustly as a maiden, being slandered for having children would make anyone furious.

Considering all this, it was strange that she wasn’t more enraged.

“So, I have something to tell you, Kyrie.”

“Yes, yes? What is it?”

Lucia asked back foolishly, looking foolish.

“…You can speak comfortably.”

“Even so, I’m still like a daughter to you.”

“A moment ago, you were calling me a scammer and a bastard with ease. Isn’t it strange now?”

“…”

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t hold it against you. I even think it was quite a mild response, considering there was no violence. Please, speak comfortably.”

“…I’ll call you the head of the household.”

Lucia hesitated for a moment before finally saying it as if compromising.

Actually, it was good for her, as she needed to sort out how to treat Glen, but honestly, Lucia felt that calling him the head of the household was also ambiguous.

He wasn’t her real father, and it wasn’t like they had spent enough time together to build familial affection. Moreover, it felt awkward for someone who had just revealed her true identity to be treated with such deference. The reversal of their relationship, which she had known as father and daughter until recently, was… quite an uncomfortable factor for Lucia, who wasn’t well-versed in human relationships.

“So, what do you want to say?”

Lucia continued, looking at Glen’s side.

“You said you feel like you’ll collapse any moment. So it seems important and urgent.”

“It is important, but it’s not something simple enough to handle hastily.”

Glen sighed, conscious of the gaping wound that still wouldn’t heal on his side.

“Do you feel any attachment to the Prient family?”

“…Yes.”

“Then, are you willing to succeed me as the head of the family?”

“No.”

Lucia firmly shook her head, holding onto her sanity.

“Sorry, but now that I’ve revealed my true identity, I have no lingering attachment to this family.”

“…I see.”

“To be honest, I got caught up in the atmosphere during the coming-of-age ceremony. Whether I’m a descendant of a hero or not, I would have killed the apostle if I had encountered him on the street.”

“Then why didn’t you refuse?”

Yuma squinted and glared at Lucia.

“Would it have made any difference if I refused? At that time, it was the best option. Besides, I don’t know what Siriel and Shiron think, but the position of the head of a family that’s not a hero’s descendant… it’s like a punishment that only leaves you with responsibilities.”

“You…”

“Then, I’d rather take on the burden. Unlike them, I’m an adult.”

Though it was revealed that she had no blood relation to them, Lucia had always hoped that the two she grew up with would be happy.

“But I’m not the head. The head of the Prient family is still alive, and Shiron and I are taking down the apostles one by one. I don’t know what Shiron thinks, but if things go on like this, won’t it be smooth sailing until the complete annihilation of the Demon God? If so, I don’t need to take over as head or go to the Demon Realm…”

“It seems that won’t be possible.”

Listening to the conversation, Glen cut off Lucia’s words. Lucia looked up at Glen’s denial.

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m saying I have no intention of succeeding as the head.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then…”

“My strength is starting to decline. I can’t tell if I’ll survive the next battle or not. Look at this.”

Glen took a breath and lifted his shirt.

A hole gaped in his side. That was the source of the bloody smell filling the room.

“This is an injury from the last battle. I foresaw the spell aimed at me and could have easily dodged it, but my rusting body didn’t cooperate, and I couldn’t avoid it.”

“…Who were you fighting?”

“I don’t know the name. Just know that it was a magician proficient in teleportation.”

Glen recalled the enemy who had been different from the apostles he had faced until now.

He was sure he had locked eyes on the opponent, but with a blink, attacks came from an entirely different direction.

Constantly aiming at his blind spots.

An opponent difficult to counter without the power of foresight and by merely spreading his senses.

“I don’t know why, but I no longer have the power of foresight. I barely drove him off in this battle… but honestly, I have no confidence in the next one.”

“…”

“Of course, you can continue to fight the apostles without becoming the head. But without proper support from Dawn Castle and the enhanced power of foresight, it won’t be easy.”

While Glen was speaking to Lucia, he was also aware of Yuma listening intently.

Yuma still addressed Glen respectfully, even though Prient was not Kyrie’s descendant.

“Yuma.”

“Yes, head of the household.”

“Do you think the other guardians will follow me even though I’m not Kyrie’s descendant?”

“As long as the engraving remains, it should be fine…”

“But there are those who do not have the engraving.”

Glen unbuckled the sword, Rigel, from his back and placed it on the table.

“Gravedigger Goldmund, Great Mountain Atmos, Dolby, Mountain Keeper Keyhol… Even if it’s Kyrie, facing the apostles without their help is quite difficult.”

“…Shouldn’t I just reveal that I am Kyrie? Isn’t it better for me to step forward than as a descendant?”

“If Atmos knew you were Kyrie, he wouldn’t have made you a weapon.”

Lucia made a puzzled expression at Yuma’s denial. Seeing her perplexed face, Yuma rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.

“Atmos still fears you. Mountain Keeper Keyhol hates you.”

“…What does that mean?”

Lucia recalled that Goldmund and Keyhol hadn’t been met yet, but she remembered that Atmos and Dolby were quite cooperative with Prient and Yuma.

“Never mind the giant, but who is this Mountain Keeper Keyhol? If he hates me, why is he helping Prient?”

“Do you remember the wild wolf Focal?”

“…”

“Judging by your lack of response, you do remember.”

“Why is that bastard’s name coming up?”

Lucia recalled the wild beast she had killed long ago. The reason for killing him was simple. That bastard… he was eating living people in the middle of the battlefield, claiming it would boost morale.

“Why do you think? Because Keyhol is Focal’s son.”

“Then why…”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you go and ask him yourself? Oh! Come to think of it, let’s stop revealing your identity from now on.”

Yuma changed Glen’s bandages and dusted off her hands. Since she couldn’t summon another demon, she had to treat Glen herself.

“There are still many who hate you. The grudge runs so deep that if they hear you have been resurrected, they will immediately send a tracking party.”

“…Can’t I just kill them first?”

“That’s why they hold such a deep grudge against you!”

Suddenly, a searing pain shot from the place where her horn had been cut. Yuma glared at Lucia and scolded her.

“The Queen of the Abyss is still alive, and so is the Master of the Tower of Despair. What about Demodras, who is in deep sleep in the back mountain right now?”

Yuma started poking Lucia’s head with her finger and gave a long lecture.

Stories of the fishy-smelling woman on the eastern coastal cliff.

Stories of the gloomy beast watching beyond the mountains from the highest place in the Demon Realm.

And most importantly, the story of the disgusting lizard who clung to the young master and taught him magic.

Hearing stories of these tough ones who still lived after 500 years, Lucia’s expression turned pale.

“Normally, I would also have deep resentment and would have attacked upon hearing your name. If there had been no progress in avenging the Demon God, I would have done so.”

“…W-What do you expect me to do? Who told them to go around killing people! Damn it, it’s been hundreds of years, and they’re still holding a grudge!”

Smack-

Lucia slapped away the hand that was poking her head.

“I don’t care. I’m leaving.”

Lucia sprang up from the sofa and gulped down the tea in one go.

“You make it sound like something terrible will happen if I don’t take over as head right away. But I have my own reasons.”

[I’m going on a journey to find myself. It won’t take long, so don’t worry too much.]

It had already been two weeks since she left the message to Shiron through Ophelia. Lucia had no intention of becoming the head right away because of the promise she made to Shiron.

“If you don’t take over, apostles will eventually cross the mountains.”

Glen stared at Lucia with cold eyes. Lucia returned the cold gaze.

“Are you threatening me right now?”

“Haha, no. I just hoped to rely on the kindness of an old hero.”

“That’s the same thing!”

Lucia, like Glen, placed Sirius on her waist.

“I’m no longer a hero, and I don’t want to bear responsibilities without reward. It might seem selfish… but I want to live happily in this life.”

“…”

“I’ve been through too much hardship…”

Lucia’s voice cracked with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Do you intend to burden the young master with everything?”

“…If Shiron tells me to become the head, I’ll do it. If Shiron is in danger, I’ll gladly step forward to save him. That’s enough.”

In her childhood, Shiron had taken up the holy sword instead of Lucia. Though she never showed it, Lucia felt both guilty and grateful for Shiron’s actions at that time.

“Yuma, you also only need to kill the Demon God.”

“…It’s strange to hear that from you.”

Yuma laughed dryly, understanding why Lucia hadn’t carried the holy sword.

“Head of the household, if you need to rest, then rest. A life of sacrifice without any reward is really shitty.”

“…Thank you for your concern.”

“I’m really going now.”

Lucia didn’t want to be troubled by the hero’s duties any longer. Bowing her head, she grabbed her sword and fled the room.