The promised day finally arrived.
Jared, clad only in his combat uniform, stood alone at the entrance of the Alway Ducal Family Villa, waiting for the Progenitor. Olivier was not present.
No one else was there except the boy. The Pfeils, possessing equivalent combat power, were prepared for any contingency in their respective locations. Jared alone was present because they didn’t know how humans who revered the Progenitor would act.
Conversely, it was easier for the boy. He didn’t need to worry about his surroundings. It was comforting to know that his reliable family was protecting everyone.
However, there was also anxiety. The whereabouts of Rasmus were unknown. He seemed to have his own plans and was acting independently, which made Jared uneasy.
“Oh, have I kept you waiting?”
“No.”
“Hmm. That’s curt. Do you dislike me being in my own appearance? Would you be a little gentler if I appeared as Olivier?”
The Progenitor, who appeared without a sound, was as nonchalant as ever. While using Olivier’s body, their form was completely different. It had only been a few days since their last meeting, yet Jared found himself losing his composure more than he had imagined.
Yuna Miharasaki had revived by taking away Olivier, even though it wasn’t what the Progenitor had intended. Even if she harbored no malice, it made little difference to the boy, who was the victim. Olivier had been taken from him, and that was the answer.
“Shut up. I have no intention of conversing with you.”
“How cold. It seems you only open your heart to Olivier, a few other humans, or rather, your family. I saw Olivier’s memories. So much happened in such a short time.”
“Those belong to Olivier. They are not yours to see. Are you not satisfied with just taking her body, and now you want to take her memories too?”
“The memories flow because our bodies are synchronized. She must love you dearly. It’s not just her memories; almost all of her emotions are filled with affection for you.”
Jared bit his lip hard. He knew that only Olivier herself could truly know how she felt about him. However, he never expected to hear about her feelings from the Progenitor, of all people. Even if her current emotions were revealed by chance, he couldn’t even convey that he was happy to be loved. That was what made him so sad.
“I don’t mean to provoke you, but I expected you to attack me more emotionally. To confess, I have a habit of easily angering people.”
“Then shut your mouth.”
“Oh dear, it seems you are angry after all. It’s always like this; my words apparently hurt people a little.”
The boy responded concisely to the Progenitor, who even seemed to be enjoying the conversation with Jared. He didn’t want to stir them up by being too agitated, but he was also observing the situation, ready for combat at any moment.
However, strangely, he felt no hostility or malice. The Progenitor was conversing with him naturally.
“…Hey, what are you planning?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to fight me, right? If so, let’s get it over with.”
“To be honest, after seeing Olivier’s memories, I became more interested in you. You could even say I became fond of you.”
“Thanks for that. I’m not happy.”
“But it’s the truth. That’s why I’m trying to see if we can reach an understanding.”
“Me, reaching an understanding with you? How would that even work?”
“It’s simple — just give up on Olivier.”
For a moment, his blood seemed to boil. He had never imagined being asked for something so absurd.
“Stop joking around. There’s no way I’d give up on Olivier.”
“Good news for you, then. Olivier Alway is still alive within me.”
“——!”
“However, as our fusion progresses, we will eventually merge. At that time, we will become a single new being.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that Olivier and I will blend together to become a new human. Of course, Olivier will be the primary factor physically, while I will be the primary factor mentally.”
“…Are you alright with that?”
“It’s not a matter of being alright or not; it will happen naturally if things continue like this. No matter how much I am revered as a Progenitor, it’s an unchangeable fact. Two beings cannot fit into a single vessel. Therefore, we must either expel one as an obstacle or merge.”
Despite hearing of Olivier’s survival, he couldn’t feel any joy.
