Running and looking back, I expanded 《Dimension》 to the rear, but Rowen was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he wasn’t heading straight for me, but somewhere else. He might simply lack magic for detection, but I felt his movements were unsettling.
However, I couldn’t spend all my time focusing on Rowen with 《Dimension》. I had to regroup with Rainer and Reinand first. To find them, I spread 《Dimension》 thinly over a wide area.
“This… This is…”
Unable to hide her shock at the world’s transformation, Viais exclaimed as she ran through the streets. Most of the plants that had adorned the town were now ashes, and even the little nature that remained was withered and discolored. Many houses that had been fine yesterday had collapsed, exposed to the elements. Above all, it was eerily deserted. While the weather might have played a part, it was clearly not a situation where people could go out freely.
Considering Rowen’s words, this place must be during or after the great war a thousand years ago.
As I raced through the city scorched by the fires of war, I refined my plans for the future, adapting to the current situation.
“First, I need to rendezvous with Rainer and the others… or, to escape through the labyrinth, do I need more food…? Should I prepare to leave this place first—”
“You there, stop moving! Wait!!”
But I was given no chance to think before the next problem arose. Ahead of me, running through the rain, appeared a group of people heavily armed. I had been so focused on my future plans that I had been careless and not paid enough attention to the approaching enemies.
Five beastmen, clad in gauntlets and armor, swords in hand. It had been a long time since I had seen such an appearance. They were somewhat similar to the explorers on the surface. They were likely the interference Rowen had prepared by shifting the timeline. I tried to run past them without engaging, but sharp sword flashes came from all directions, forcing me to retreat.
“Wha—!”
Surprised by their speed, I checked their statuses with ‘Display.’ From left to right: Level 27, 24, 28, 24—all five were at a high level comparable to mine. Their ‘Aptitude’ values were also high across the board. While none surpassed my own stats, they were not enemies to be ignored.
“—Do not underestimate us. We are members of the honorable ‘Royal Guard Knights.’ We will not let anyone pass so easily, not even our Commander.”
The beastman knight with the highest level declared their position, representing all five. ‘Royal Guard Knights,’ and they called me Commander. Their politeness and strength reminded me of the ‘Seven Knights of Heaven’ on the surface. However, these knights lived in the legendary era a thousand years ago. They possessed not just a difference in sheer power, but an aura unique to those who survive amidst war.
“I am saddened that the power you bestowed upon me must be repaid in this manner.”
“Now, you are a traitor… There is no choice but for us to cross swords…”
The beastman knights spread out cautiously, attempting to surround me. The fighting spirit burning in their eyes was no ordinary flame. They likely believed they couldn’t defeat me even as five of them, yet their expressions showed they absolutely could not back down. It resembled the look on my face when I challenged a guardian.
If we fought, it would easily escalate into a battle to the death. To avoid that, I sheathed my sword. Above all, I believed a conversation might yield results. The way they spoke suggested they were acquaintances.
“I have no intention of fighting. Please, could you hear me out first…?”
I wanted to explain that this place was a space created within a labyrinth. I wanted to tell them that they were on the palm of the guardians of a thousand years later. But that would not be granted.
“…We cannot do that. Your words have power, and we lack the ability to discern their truth. Therefore, we cannot listen to your story. We cannot… listen, even if we wanted to! We merely carry out our mission. Now, we shall bring judgment upon the ‘Commander of the Royal Guard Knights,’ a traitor—!!”
With those words, the lead wolf-like beastman knight charged. Following him, the other beastman knights attacked from the left, right, and even the rear.
With no other choice, I drew my sword and met their attack. Almost simultaneously, five blades closed in, blocking my escape routes. It was evident in an instant that they had trained together well. In fact, I was barely able to parry with the ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword.’
The swordplay between five opponents and one in the storm-swept town struck up a unique rhythm that sounded like music. As our swords clashed, I realized that I was the one who had taught these beastman knights swordsmanship. Their fighting style was so rational and aligned with modern values that I could be certain. They thoroughly practiced simultaneous attacks only when facing multiple opponents against a few. They never charged in alone; victory was more important than their pride as warriors. A fighting style that sought only victory was precisely what ‘cornered me’ preferred.
I could only defend against their wave-like attacks, backed by theory, and was unable to press the offense.
Dodging through the storm of swords, I mulled over various things. Their tactics were powerful, but their individual strength was also formidable. At the same time, I wondered: were there such formidable warriors in Viais until yesterday…? No, there shouldn’t have been. I was confident in my memory and my ability to grasp 《Dimension》. They were undeniably unfamiliar faces. Then where had they been? My observation and ‘Gaze’ naturally intensified. The improved grasping ability of 《Dimension》, further strengthened by my level increase, brought me a piece of information.
It was the color of their magical luminescence. This magical glow—no, the light from these magic stones. I had seen it before. It was when I was amidst Viais’s dark sky. The faint glow of the magic stones there was exactly the same as the light of their magic. Cross-referencing with my memories, I was convinced. Until yesterday, they had been magic stones floating in the sky. Knights wielding swords were unnecessary in a peaceful world, so that was natural.
However, with the shift in the timeline, they had been called back to the present once more. Rowen and Nosfy had chosen this. To reproduce a war filled with despair and suspicion—for that reason alone—
“—Magic, 《Dimension – Decisive Calculation》!!”
The moment I understood, I chanted the magic, consuming a large amount of MP. There was no time to be held up, even for their sake. Releasing the magic, I swung my sword with all my might. The blue phosphorescence of the ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword’ became a thin line, deflecting all five swords. Then, I slashed at the beastman knights’ arms and legs, rendering them incapable of fighting. With the overwhelming power of stat differences supplemented by support magic, the battle ended in an instant.
“Ugh, gr—!”
To the groaning beastman knights on the ground, I asked, “Please tell me, do you know where Reinand and Rainer are now…?” If we didn’t leave, their role wouldn’t end. I sought information for our reunion, but the answer I received was entirely different. They showed faces distorted by grief and despair.
“Commander… no, Kanami-sama… Wh-Why… Why did you betray us…?” And then, they hurled words of accusation. I had no recollection of anything, yet I could not ignore it.
“We believed in you. We thought of you as a second ‘Savior’… So why…”
“You were a knight from the south, but you were kind to us demons… You had a heart so close to ours that we didn’t even feel the slightest discrimination…”
“Were all the words you spoke to us, lies!? In truth, deep down, you loathed us demons, did you not, Kanami-sama…!”
To them, Reinand and Rainer were clearly not their concern. They only condemned my betrayal.
“Th-That is…”
I had no memory of that time. Yet, overwhelmed by their despair, my voice trembled. Naturally, I could not answer a single word.
“Please return our ‘Ruling King’… That person is our hope… the necessary guide for our lives…”
“Without the ‘Ruling King,’ this country will perish…”
“Tell us… Why did you abduct our King?”
From the back of my throat, only inarticulate sounds emerged. I wished I could have just said it was a case of mistaken identity. However, those words caught in my throat as I looked into the sorrowful eyes of the beastman knights. I felt I didn’t deserve to even stand before them, unable to understand anything.
“I’m sorry… I have to go now…”
My apology held no meaning since I remembered nothing. Even knowing that, I couldn’t help but apologize to the fallen beastman knights. The heavy rain pounded the street, and a mournful, roaring music echoed. Leaving the beastman knights collapsed in the rain, I started running again. It would be faster to find it myself than to ask someone. With that thought, I expanded 《Dimension》 over a wide area.
“—Magic, 《Dimension – Multiple Expansion》!!”
Before anything else, I searched for Reinand’s house. If we were to decide on a place to regroup, it had to be there. Even though the area had expanded like the empire, this vicinity was undeniably ‘Viais.’ However, the place that should have been there was gone. Much like returning to one’s hometown after several years, I couldn’t find it. The town must have gone through cycles of development and decline over time. Yesterday’s information was useless.
Resigned, I began to rebuild a map of Viais in my head from scratch. As I ran along the street, I spotted a shop. I remembered its exterior. It seemed to be a store that had survived even after being engulfed by time and war. It was, if I recalled correctly, a variety store that sold food. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to replenish my supplies first, so I dashed inside. But the sight that awaited me within—
“—Terrible.”
It was as if the storm had entered the shop; everything was chaotically scattered. It no longer resembled a store. The shelves for displaying goods were broken, and everything was strewn across the floor. There were countless sword marks—and at the edge of the shop, a corpse. I saw the dismembered body of a beastwoman, her upper and lower halves separated. She was someone I had frequented for shopping these past few days.
“This person… was someone who was going to die in this timeline…” A large amount of blood splattered the entire shop. What I felt from the brutal scene was not disgust, but sadness. No matter how many conversations I had with her over these past few days, this was the truth in the end. Everything in this town had died a thousand years ago.
But there was no time for such sentimentalism. I immediately filled the shop with 《Dimension》 and searched for anything edible.
“……*Tsk*.”
However, the information I received presented an even harsher reality. I had hoped for some food among the broken daily necessities, but there wasn’t even a crumb of bread, as if to mock my haste. It was likely due to this timeline. In the midst of war, there was a possibility of a nationwide food shortage. Or perhaps it had been plundered by invaders. I understood that this was a world where even stealing was difficult, let alone buying things. With an exasperated click of my tongue, I left the shop and was about to dash out into the storm again. Just then, I was spotted again by a new group of beastman knights patrolling the town.
“Found him! It’s the traitorous knight Kanami!”
My 《Dimension》 had been cast far away to create a map, making my nearby search insufficient. Or perhaps, I was being swayed by the current situation. If my focus was scattered by my agitation, it was exactly as Rowen intended.
Taking one deep breath, I moved away from the approaching knights before they could get any closer. Even if I defeated the knights, I wouldn’t gain experience points or magic stones. I had no confidence in extracting information from them. There was no reason to fight them at all. Fortunately, I was good at escaping enemies. I had many spells for that purpose. While being chased, I carefully worked towards completing my new map of Viais. I also eavesdropped on the information exchanges of the patrolling beastman knights. Then, just as the map was nearing completion, I overheard the words I had been waiting for amidst the conversation of knights talking on the main street.
“Find her at all costs! This is near the Volz mansion! The acting commander will be here soon! Until then, keep them in this area!”
“Ah, if it’s Elizabeth Volz, she can handle even the Commander!”
For a moment, I stopped in an alley, concentrating on the conversation on the street. “Elizabeth Volz…?” Wasn’t that Bess-chan’s full name? She was called the acting commander? If the timeline had shifted, her age would have changed significantly since the last time I saw her. It wasn’t strange if an adult her age held a position like a knight commander. Perhaps it was thanks to her lineage from Reinand; her aptitude was certainly sufficient. And if the knights’ words were true, Bess-chan’s mansion was nearby. The reason 《Dimension》 couldn’t find it was likely not that the Volz family didn’t exist, but that the mansion’s appearance had drastically changed over time. If Bess-chan was an adult and Reinand had reached the end of his lifespan, the workshop might not even exist.
I filled the vicinity with 《Dimension》 instead of casting it far away. Then, rather than relying on the building’s exterior features, I checked the inside one by one. A still-smoldering shack. A shop with no goods left. A storehouse filled with burnt corpses. A fort where soldiers were stationed. And then, a mansion large enough to house ten households—inside, I found two familiar faces. In a grand entrance hall, spacious enough to host a ball, stood an injured Reinand and Nosfy, the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light,’ facing each other.
“Finally found—, !?”
The moment I found them, the view in 《Dimension》 shook. Viais’s land was struck by an earthquake. My 《Dimension》 was dispelled, and I lost my balance. And the words I was about to say were spoken by another.
“—Finally found you.”
From the darkness of the alley, a high-pitched voice echoed. How had she gotten so close without me noticing? How had she found me? Numerous questions floated in my mind. But that wasn’t what was important right now. From the darkness, a tall woman emerged. It was a magic I had never seen before. Each step she took was filled with earth-attribute magic. Even without analyzing it with 《Dimension》, I could tell it was magic that caused earthquakes. As if a colossal statue were walking, Viais shook with earthquakes with every step she took.
Balancing on the trembling ground, I confirmed the tall woman’s face. Large eyes, a high nose, and visible canine teeth from her light pink lips—no, those features were irrelevant. It was simply a woman who bore a resemblance to the young Bess-chan. And, before ‘Display’ could even show it, I understood that she was the grown-up Bess-chan. Adult Bess-chan was clad in formidable armor and weapons. Her red hair, with its stiff texture, reached her waist, and from its side, unique, feline ears dangled.
“Even though your appearance has changed, the quality of your footsteps remains the same, Commander.”
Her words indicated that she specialized in earth-attribute magic—or rather, in channeling magic through the ‘ground.’
[Status]
Name: Elizabeth Volz HP721/721 MP103/143 Class: Knight
Level 33
Strength 15.91 Stamina 14.46 Dexterity 12.01 Speed 6.44 Intelligence 5.04 Magic Power 6.72 Aptitude 1.52
[Skills]
Innate Skills: Axe Technique 0.89 Fire Magic 1.56 Earth Magic 1.67
Acquired Skills: Swordsmanship 1.43 Blacksmithing 0.88 Confectionery Making 1.56
Cooking 1.09 Knitting 1.00 Music 1.32
And ‘Display’ accurately conveyed Bess-chan’s threat. She had surpassed her grandfather, Reinand. Undoubtedly—
