Chapter 259
And so I found common ground with Vargan.
My purpose, his purpose.
We didn’t even need to speak it out loud; we knew each other all too well.
—So, it’s really possible to save Erica?
He asked.
I nodded in response to his question.
I couldn’t let him hesitate. He needed unconditional reassurance and trust.
If he were to go on a rampage and off himself, I would be in quite the pickle, so I had to throw him a lifeline of hope.
“Of course. Besides, if you just sit around, your soul will eventually just kick the bucket in a few years. It wouldn’t really matter if it means cutting your lifespan short, right?”
Your only regret is Erica.
—……Okay. You’re right.
As he accepted it, I smiled gently.
“It’s nice to have an opponent I can actually communicate with. Sharing everything isn’t so bad after all.”
Who else could understand me this well?
And who else could understand you this well?
Vargan. We must cooperate.
We have to help each other reach our respective goals.
I laid out his finishing line clearly.
“Your goal is to save Erica. And to ensure she can live on. No doubt about that, right?”
—Correct. And what you wish to achieve is…
Ah, no need to say mine.
After all, by the time I’ve accomplished everything, you won’t be around anymore.
If you are a character sharing this novel’s story… no, if you are Vargan himself, you surely know better, right?
What I want to eradicate for my own purpose.
—…….
She is so precious to you.
For me, she is a massive stumbling block.
That heavy heart of yours is just an obstacle for me too.
I mentioned that Vargan has two weaknesses, right? Yes, the short lifespan of his soul and Erica.
In fact, if you just hang around, you’re going to die on your own. Once you kick the bucket, my feelings for Erica will fade away too.
“But the reason I want to help you is not just to shorten your lifespan and free myself sooner, but because I can’t pretend I don’t see your pain.”
—Is it because we share the same senses and memories?
Exactly.
Your suffering is my suffering.
Your wounds are my wounds.
I glanced at Vargan’s wrist, where old scars were etched.
The bleeding had stopped, but with no magic used, the marks remained vividly.
“So we need to join forces, Vargan. Your talent and knowledge in magic, and your family. My acting skills and knowledge of the story. We’ll use that.”
“Great talents and knowledge, and a family. I’ll use the acting skills and the knowledge of the novel I possess.”
—Is it really possible to change things… to truly change Erica…
“Vargan. There’s no need to think any longer. You know my principle of action. If we move, there is at least a possibility, but if we just sit still, that possibility vanishes.”
So, let’s make a plan.
A plan to completely shatter the framework of the novel.
Roughly calculating the time… it will probably take about 7 days?
Including the time for me to get used to you, and you to me.
“I’ll be holed up in a room for a week, but that’s not a big deal, right?”
—It’s no problem. But… does the target we need to recruit have to be her?
Hmm? Ah, you read my mind?
Hmph. Yeah. I acknowledge that you dislike her. It’s natural not to have good feelings towards the woman who stabbed a knife into your heart.
However, using Arha would be way too risky.
It’s hard to control her.
On the other hand, she probably hasn’t discovered her talents at the church yet. So, now would be a good time.
—…Then there’s no helping it.
Good thinking.
Now, shall we draft our plan together?
In exactly 7 days it will be suitable.
After predicting as many developments as possible and finalizing the details.
Then let’s go meet Alicia, the heroine of this novel.
What to say to her foster mother… Ah, how about this line?
“Please give me your daughter.”
“Selling” her sounds a bit off, but it’s pretty clean, right?
If she doesn’t understand, I’ll just throw in the selling line.
Vargan nodded at my suggestion.
He didn’t seem to care about Alicia at all. Anyway, what a hopeless romantic he is.
—Let’s go with that. If that’s the way to save Erica, I’ll gladly accept.
That’s the spirit.
With that mindset, Vargan, it seems we will make a good team.
*
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
As Erica’s voice rang in his ears, Vargan snapped back to reality.
It had already been half a day since he spent time with her.
The sun, which had been warming the ground, had long set, replaced by the moon.
Vargan smiled lightly and responded.
“Nothing at all.”
“Really? Um… but… can I dig a little deeper?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Are you serious?”
With a bright smile, Erica nestled closer into Vargan’s embrace.
As she squirmed, the covers on the bed crumpled further with each move.
Soon, Erica was completely pressed up against Vargan.
With such a height difference, if they were covered in blankets, you wouldn’t even notice Erica was there.
“It’s warm.”
Erica said with a tone of happiness.
Vargan gently stroked her back with the hand that was wrapped around her.
Every time he did, the soft touch of the white nightgown Erica wore, the texture of Laurelei felt delicate against her tender body.
The two spent the day visiting the attractions of the Academia, enjoying their own moment together.
From the brightly colored flowers boasting vibrant leaves to the modest, upright grass seen in the botanical garden.
To the edge of Academia, where one could overlook the earth, showcasing the grandeur of the aerial city.
At the edge of the Academia.
A wide lake park where several pairs of men and women strolled hand in hand.
A fountain that sparkled with light only when night fell…
It felt like they had been everywhere they could go.
Vargan stroked Erica and asked,
“Have you gotten tired from visiting so many places?”
“Not at all. I haven’t felt tired even a bit.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wish this day wouldn’t end just like this…”
“…….”
“Of course, that can’t happen.”
Erica smiled as if to say there was no helping it.
The breath and vibrations from her body reached Vargan’s, making him feel a sharp, pricking sensation in his chest.
A moment of silence flowed between them.
Erica, burying her face in Vargan’s embrace, suddenly asked,
“But… why did you suddenly make time for this?”
“I just wanted to catch some fresh air.”
“…….”
Erica burrowed further into Vargan’s arms.
She couldn’t get any closer, but still, she tried to stick as close as possible.
“…Vargan. I just need you.”
“…….”
“It doesn’t matter how many years it is. It would be nice if it were long, but even if it’s not, that’s okay.”
“Erica….”
“I don’t know if it’s because of your incurable disease or something else, but I… I’m so scared…”
“…….”
Vargan held Erica without answering.
He knew her desired reaction wasn’t that, but there was no other way to ease her anxiety.
“Sniff….”
And so, Vargan pretended not to notice Erica’s sobbing.
In reality, everything was conveyed through her breath and vibrations.
He simply patted her back in silence.
*
Bang bang—!
Kah-gah-gah-gah—!
“First row! Increase the output until the very end!”
“Second row, hold your position! As soon as it’s your turn, swing your red aura!”
“Magician attack squad, keep using elemental magic, and the support squad, don’t stop supplying mana!”
An enormous red canopy, seemingly endless.
In front of an invisible barrier made of crimson aura that swallowed the terrain whole.
Countless heroes huddled together to devise a strategy.
They had tried just about everything possible.
They brought heroes with the same red aura and attempted to stab it simultaneously.
They focused their attacks on one place.
Using Helion’s holy magic and Ferangis’s spirit arts, they tried to find a gap, but that too proved impossible.
Not even a small hole was made, nor was there a single scratch.
It was truly impregnable.
It was as solid as the barriers that covered Academia or Rikeion.
“Even after all this, it’s not effective. It might be better to look for another method.”
From a somewhat distant position,
Helion, who had taken in the whole scene, said.
At that, a burly man shouted back, wondering what nonsense that was.
“That’s nonsense! This is the problem with pampered young masters! Weak-willed!”
“Are you referring to me, Grayden, the pampered young master?”
The current third in the hero ranking.
The pinnacle of martial artists, Grayden.
A man who seemed to have weights hanging around his neck like a necklace, so heavy it looked like three men would struggle to lift it.
He raised his thick, rugged eyebrows and spoke.
He said.
“Then, who else is here besides you, Helion!”
“Well, that’s true. I’ve never heard such words in my life, so I was confused.”
“Anyway! Those guys lack spirit! This is why everyone who fights with weapons is so weak!”
“…That’s something Grayden or no one else would say.”
No matter what Helion said, Grayden didn’t hear a word.
Instead, he was glaring at the Red Canopy with his bulging eyes and let out a hot breath.
“I’m getting frustrated! This won’t do. I have to step in myself. I need to show that Red Canopy the true power of a Martial Artist.”
“Oh, Grayden? Then maybe there’s a chance.”
“Of course! I should have been the first one called here! If Sylvester hadn’t made me do all that other crap, I could’ve wiped out all those Bishops here! That idiot!”
Grayden insulted the man ranked number one among heroes.
He was confident.
If he fought the Bishops properly, he was sure he could make them not move an inch.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to snap a Bishop’s neck yet, but his fists were powerful enough to crush the bodies of the Bishops who had completed their Liberation.
“Watch closely, Helion. This is the terror of a Martial Artist.”
Grayden ripped his outer clothing.
It was a habit he always had before entering battle, which is why the heroes supporting him always had to carry spare clothes in bulk.
“I’m looking forward to it, Grayden.”
“Pretty Young Master, just lie back and enjoy the show!”
Boom—!
The sound of a cannon firing echoed.
It was the sound of Grayden kicking off the ground and charging forward.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—!
The ground shook as if a giant boar was running.
“Hrraaaah!!”
His thunderous battle cry forced all creatures in the forest to wake up.
The heroes who were there quickly scattered to the sides as Grayden charged forward.
His fist collided with the Red Canopy.
A sound like a massive explosion erupted, reverberating powerfully among the surrounding heroes.
With overwhelming noise and force that made one doubt if they were bleeding from their eardrums, a ripple spread across the Red Canopy’s surface, like the surface of a lake.
It was truly a tremendous blow.
‘…It seems impossible. I need to find another way.’
However, watching Grayden’s fist, Helion came to that conclusion.
It was tremendous power, but not enough to break the Red Canopy.
He needed to devise another plan. They couldn’t waste any more time…
Boom—! Boom—!
“Uraaaah!!”
Grayden continued to rain down punches, unable to break the Red Canopy.
Each time, the Red Canopy showed clear signs of shaking but never broke.
As Helion was deep in thought looking for a solution, a hero rushed towards him.
“H-Helion! I have a message from Chancellor Gulemashia of the Academia!”
“Chancellor Gulemashia…?”
“Yes, Chancellor Gulemashia… no, the Academia…!”
The hero conveyed Gulemashia’s intention.
“They say they can break the Red Canopy!”
