Chapter 59

At the words of the horned white snake Lacrosha, I raised my head.

No hostility was felt.

I wiped the blood from my lips and retracted Valziart.

“You've-been-waiting-for-me-?”

“Do not-imitate-me-.”

The owner of the valley showed a displeased expression.

It was unavoidable that its manner of speech became a little peculiar when a snake's oral structure tried to articulate human words.

Still, the displeasure soon vanished.

After all, it had met Shion Pollinglight after a thousand winters.

Sss, sss-sss, sss…….

The snake chuckled softly.

I scratched my chin, looking at its eyeballs, which were even larger than its own head.

I had many questions, but there was something to do first.

“If I am your objective, then they are irrelevant, is that what you mean?”

“Th-that's right. I-I'm not in-terested in hu-mans-.”

“Then let them go first. We'll talk afterwards.”

“How ki-ind of you---.”

Lacrosha bowed its head.

It seemed to be telling me to climb on, so I, without hesitation, stomped on its head.

The wound I had received earlier ached, so I deliberately put my full weight on my foot.

However, Lacrosha seemed not to have felt anything, which was regrettable.

“Al-right. We'll go up to my-lair-.”

“I told you to let them go.”

“When we get-up there-.”

Hmph.

Even while snorting, I settled on the white snake's head.

After grabbing its scales, I hit its head a couple of times.

It was a signal to depart, indicating I was ready.

Lacrosha ascended the valley as swiftly as it had descended.

Its long body writhed.

When I climbed on, it was truly long.

Even though Lacrosha's head was as large as a carriage, its entire body looked like nothing more than a tuft of fuzz at the end of a thread.

Although I couldn't tell its exact length, it seemed it could coil around the Beribelom city walls seven and a half times.

The snake stopped halfway up the valley.

Looking down, there were the Juet Acrobat Troupe members gathered together.

“Now, I'll let you go-o-.”

The snake blinked its eyes and made a sss, sss, sound.

“Ah, I have-to erase-their memories-.”

“Can you erase memories?”

“It's ea-sy.”

“Then I have one request.”

I spoke as if whispering.

“Will you erase all memories related to me, not just the events here?”

“S-sssum? Th-that's fine.”

Lacrosha flicked its forked tongue and muttered something.

It was in ancient Hotus and it sounded like a kind of incantation.

As the owner of the valley chanted the incantation, the fog rippled and enveloped the Juet Acrobat Troupe members.

‘I never thought I'd leave like this.’

The Juet Acrobat Troupe members began to wake up one by one.

They would forget me.

And then they would continue their spy activities as they had always done.

I touched the bridge of my nose.

‘I'm indebted to you, Juet Acrobat Troupe.’

***

Henry Horbi was the first to open his eyes.

Being skilled in illusionism, he had a little more resistance than others to types of power that affected the mind.

Of course, it was only a little, so the complete erasure of his memories regarding me was unavoidable.

“Hmm……”

He adjusted his round glasses and tilted his head.

There was a sense of incongruity.

It felt like he had been talking to someone…….

Sss, sss.

The fog intensified, and the sense of incongruity disappeared.

The acrobat troupe members opened their eyes one by one.

“…My head hurts.”

“…Why did we stop?”

Many felt a sense of incongruity.

It was because, as Western operatives, they were all quick-witted.

However, a sss, sss, sss, sound was heard, and the fog rippled, erasing the sense of incongruity.

Vice-captain Helena clutched one side of her face with a serious expression.

Her questions were deep.

But she didn't even know what she was questioning.

She felt as if she had swallowed a tangled skein that she could not possibly unravel, all the way down her throat.

The fog rippled once more.

“…Yes, Gentium.”

Helena let out a small mutter.

“We had to go to Gentium.”

“That's right. We have to go to Gentium.”

Henry Horbi also nodded, sucking on his pipe.

“But, why was that……?”

“Indeed, why was that……?”

“Let's just go. Because we have to.”

“As you wish.”

The fog pushed them forward.

Telling them to depart.

Telling them to forget everything that had happened here.

Even the kid named Shion, all of them, to leave everything here and go back.

No one could refuse.

It was natural, as they didn't even know what they should refuse.

“Drive the carriage.”

The Juet Acrobat Troupe set off.

Completely having forgotten the child who had pretended to be a big shot.

***

“It's done-.”

“You have good skills.”

“Having-lived for a thou-sand years-.”

Lacrosha shifted its body.

It seemed to want to shrug its shoulders, but unfortunately, this snake had no shoulders.

I looked at the departing Juet Acrobat Troupe, my former subordinates from before my regression.

“I'm relieved. It saved me the trouble of cleaning up after them myself.”

“-Sss-sss-sss-.”

I had planned to tell them many lies about when we would part ways in Gentium.

Because even if they were my former subordinates, secrets should not leak.

But it was a fortunate thing that it had been resolved so easily.

“Are you re-ady to talk-now-?”

“You're impatient for your size. Why are you rushing so much when you've waited a thousand years?”

“Because I've-waited a thou-sand years, I'm impatient-.”

“I don't know what you're trying to say, but go on and say it.”

I snorted.

“I have a lot to ask too.”

They stopped above the valley.

The moon hung in the sky, and the fog was thick.

I descended from the white snake's head.

Facing it again, it was incredibly massive.

However, my eyes were even more fervent.

“How do you know me, the name of Pollinglight, you horned white snake?”

“Do you think-that's all I-know-?”

“What do you know that makes you say that?”

“What do you know-?”

Lacrosha thrust its head towards me.

Its giant yellow pupils were so polished that my reflection was visible in them.

Reflected in its eyes, I was a child.

Fragile and pathetic.

“Shion, Shi-on.”

Sss, sss-sss…….

The strange snake laughter that I simply couldn't get used to.

I wanted to push its tongue away with my ‘Fantasy Finger’ at once, but it probably wouldn't budge.

Lacrosha blurted out.

“The one-who-returned.”

“……!!!”

I gasped in surprise, my eyes widening.

“…You……!”

Regression!

This snake was revealing my secret as a regressor.

A secret that no one in this world knew, a secret only I knew.

A secret-keeper whose secret was exposed had no choice but to be bewildered.

“…How……!”

“Ho-w-?”

The white snake tilted its head.

It was a small movement, yet the entire valley shook.

Even Henry Horbi, who was leaving, turned his head.

Lacrosha once again stared blankly at me.

“It's been stra-ange from the sta-art.”

Its yellow eyes were filled with questions.

“Why-y do you keep, keep-asking me, didn't you h-hear-?”

“…What, did I not hear?”

I asked cautiously.

My bewilderment had not yet fully subsided due to the revelation that I was a regressor.

Lacrosha looked at me and asked back.

“The one-who-told-me-all-these-fa-acts, the one-who-made-me-wait-a-thousand-years, the one-who-sent-you-back---.”

“……”

“All-the-sa-me-.”

Something welled up inside me.

“-She's the one-you-know-well-.”

It swirled.

The oldest future and the newest past.

‘It ended for nothing, Shion.’

A whisper from beyond the seven flames.

The white snake hissed and continued.

“A thousand years ago-I was asked. To wait-for-the-one-who-returned. And to guide-him-.”

“…In detail……”

“Sshhh. Follow-quietly, you'll-find-out-naturally-.”

Lacrosha twisted its body.

Immediately below the highest point of the valley, there was a large cave.

It seemed to be Lacrosha's den.

The white snake pushed me deep into the cave.

With its massive body, my eleven-year-old body had no choice but to be pushed.

“I've-al-ready-waited-long-e-nough-.”

They entered the cave.

It was as spacious as Lacrosha's body.

There were many scratches from scales all over, and poisonous snakes swarmed.

It was damp, so one had to be careful not to slip with every step.

Between the caves, there were often spacious caverns.

Among them, Lacrosha stopped me in a particularly large cavern.

Then it pushed away some straw in the corner with the tip of its nose.

A small passage was revealed.

The passage was about the size of Lacrosha's eyeball.

It certainly didn't look like a path for the white snake.

A path for a human, placed between the snake's dens.

The floor and walls were just old, but clear traces of human touch were evident.

“Go-in, Shi-on.”

Lacrosha gestured with its chin.

It was a path the white snake could not enter.

I nodded my head.

Having come this far, I couldn't back down.

The horned white snake let out a hiss, sshh.

“The gi-ift of the last-magician-awaits-.”

***

The passage was not long.

At the end, I saw a door.

The sign was in ancient Hotus.

I read it.

[This place serves the Last Magician.]

“…As expected, her temple.”

I pushed the door open.

The walls and floor, made of square white stones, were in the ancient Hotus style.

Though not splendid, it was well-structured.

On the wall opposite the door, there was a statue of a god.

It was in the form of a robed woman.

“……”

Before Cordis, there was Hotus.

A country like a paradise, ruled by the Eight Primordial Gods.

One of the Hotus Eight Gods was called the Last Magician.

The statue erected here was hers.

“……”

I stared at the statue.

The exquisite features were familiar.

It couldn't be helped.

This woman, the Last Magician.

The Primordial God, worshiped a thousand years ago, had stirred the world with countless names.

One name was Sen Sorti.

The Eternal Primus Magus.

Another name was Artis Atea.

The Unsold Novelist.

Her current name was Beluchian Pollinglight.

The Great Witch of the Silver Dragon Magic Kingdom and my master.

A member of the Hotus Eight Gods and the First Mage.

An unsold novelist and the Great Witch of the Silver Dragon Magic Kingdom.

And, the one who had regressed me, Shion Pollinglight.

They were all her.

“…Master.”

My head spun.

Something welled up from within and pulled me.

***

I saw myself looking at myself who had died.

“It ended for nothing, Shion. To fall when the Imperial Throne you so longed for was right before your eyes. But don't worry. When you open your eyes, it will be the past.”

The one whispering was also visible.

“Yes, Regression. Another chance. That was the promise, wasn't it? This time, you have to reach it. The Imperial Throne, the end of the destiny you ultimately couldn't reach.”

The shimmering silver flame also.

“Now, go back, Shion Pollinglight. Reach the pinnacle of the Great Empire with a soul bearing seven secrets. But don't forget. The last secret will overturn everything.”

Time intertwined.

The failed hero revived and returned to the past.

It was such a sight.

It was just a memory.

It was merely a memory that could not be changed.

***

However, I, Shion Pollinglight, the regressor.

A hero who had come to change an unchangeable past.

Therefore, she raised her head.

“Oh, you've reached this memory? Shion, it seems you met Lacrosha?”

She snickered and waved her hand, so I waved back.

“How is it? To look at yourself regressing?”

“Just so-so.”

In my memory, I pouted.

“…When did you leave a thought-form? If you're going to tamper with someone else's memories, you should at least tell me.”

“Why would I?”

The woman smiled.

She was the Last Magician, Sen Sorti and Beluchian Pollinglight.

And above all, she was an afterimage.

Despite being a remnant in my memory, she was excessively vivid.

“I gave my incompetent disciple seven secrets, regressed him when he failed and even prepared a gift for him. What more can I do?”

“…Thank you very much.”

“Oh my. You got that wrong, Shion.”

The woman's hair was silver.

It was different from Leniar's golden-tinged silver hair.

A silver like a blade, holding a sharp light even without luster.

And with the same eyes shining, she snickered.

“Shouldn't you ask, 'What kind of gift have you prepared, Master?'”

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