novelnext Chapter 183 : Successor (4)
Chapter 183 : Successor (4)
While everyone was making their departure preparations, I asked Edel to secure an Artifact for us.— Share Marker. A high-grade Artifact that reveals your current location to anyone carrying the matching marker, with a margin of error of roughly twenty meters. This should be enough.
Watching the carriage approaching from the distance, I relayed Edel's words.
“In any case, there's a high chance it isn't too far from the capital, so please don't stray too far from the metropolitan area. At most, it'll take three hours to rendezvous with us. We won't be able to hold out any longer than that.”
“…Understood.”
Everything that needed to be said had been said.
Looking at those waiting behind us for the carriage to arrive, I gave them a brief farewell.
“Then, until next time.”
“Hopefully there won't be a next time. If we're forced to come there, it'll mean the situation has become critical.”
“…That's true.”
As I turned to quietly leave after finishing our conversation—
“If money or status had been your goal, you never would've come up with a suicidal plan like this.”
Karen stopped me for the first time.
“You're genuinely trying to save the Empire.”
“Why are you going this far?”
“……”
“Neither you nor I ever had any affection for this Empire, did we?”
“…That's true.”
“So it isn't some sense of duty to save this rotten Empire.”
“I suppose not.”
“Or are you simply arrogant enough to think you're the only one who can save it?”
“Neither.”
“To be honest, I couldn't care less what happens to the Empire.”
“Then why...!”
“Because if the Empire falls...”
“They'll all die.”
“They?”
“Rubia Magnus?”
“Or Francia Brida?”
“Princess Edel?”
“Chairwoman Michel?”
“Is there someone else?”
“You got four out of five right.”
“You missed one.”
I glanced behind me before quietly answering.
“One of the people I have to save...”
“Is you.”
“……What?”
“So don't you dare die, Karen Rosefield.”
“For the sake of the future...”
“You absolutely have to survive.”
Karen stood there, completely stunned.
Beside her, Luke watched the two of us with obvious curiosity.
Leaving them behind, I returned to the others.
Even if it wasn't because of this matter, I'd meet Karen again before long.
Hopefully by then...
The two of us would be able to open up to each other a little more than we had today.
.
.
.
When I returned, everyone had long since finished preparing.
Everyone except Edel was already aboard the carriage bound for Karbenna.
“Can Karen Rosefield really be trusted?”
“We have to trust her.”
“She happens to be one of our trump cards.”
“A trump card?”
“One of the key forces necessary to accomplish our objective.”
I answered as I walked toward the carriage.
Edel raised her right hand and called out as if reminding me.
“Tuesday, 5 PM. Don't forget!”
“As if I would.”
Just as my hand reached for the carriage door—
“Wait, Carter!”
“Yes?”
I turned around.
Before I knew it, she was standing right in front of me.
“……”
“…Your Highness?”
“…If you're like me.”
For the first time ever, Edel wore an expression I'd never seen before.
She took both of my hands into hers.
“Please save us.”
“All of us...”
“Who endured every moment of humiliation together.”
The hands gripping mine trembled faintly.
Her eyes shone with unwavering clarity.
I couldn't be certain what her words truly meant.
Even so...
My answer had never changed.
“……I'll do everything I can.”
Inside the carriage bound for Karbenna.
Clatter.
Clatter.
The uneven rhythm of the horses' hooves echoed through the carriage.
Meanwhile, Rubia alternated worried glances between Francia and Michel.
“Are you both really going to be alright?”
“……”
“No matter what, we have to avoid turning against each other when the critical moment comes.”
During our earlier discussion, we'd shared every piece of information we'd previously kept to ourselves.
Including the fact that Francia's father had been killed by the Bernhardt Family.
I'd also explained that I deliberately hadn't taken Francia on our previous infiltration mission because I believed those circumstances could become a problem.
That was probably where Rubia's concern came from.
One sought revenge against the Bernhardt Family.
The other sought to rebuild it.
At first glance, those goals sounded incompatible.
But in reality...
The future both women desired wasn't very different.
“I'll do it.”
“Even if I can't.”
Francia spoke first.
Caressing the sword at her waist, her eyes turned sharp.
“This is my choice.”
“I won't yield it to anyone.”
Michel spoke next.
“In any case, everyone should focus on protecting yourselves.”
“We have to survive and make it out alive.”
“Only then can we properly punish the person who killed Miss Francia's father.”
“…Even if that person is someone very close to you, Chairwoman?”
“Even if it's my own flesh and blood.”
“……”
“Though honestly...”
“My blood relatives were never that close to me in the first place.”
“That's all the Bernhardt of the past means to me.”
Though the two exchanged sharp gazes...
There wasn't the slightest trace of hostility between them.
“Well.”
“We can continue that discussion later.”
It was about time I stepped in.
“Let's all get some sleep.”
“Things are going to get busy starting tomorrow.”
At my mediation, the three of them quietly closed their eyes without objection.
Watching them for a moment, I turned my gaze toward the window.
Countless thoughts crossed my mind.
But in the end, the one that lingered was still Edel's parting remark.
If you're like me.
And...
All of us who endured every moment of humiliation together.
There was only one possible conclusion those words suggested.
'A returner... Edel Ribenia?'
Of course, I couldn't jump to that conclusion.
The “moments of humiliation” she mentioned could simply refer to all the hardships she'd endured throughout her life.
MAGA had always been like that.
But the main heroines in Apocalypse Mode had it especially bad.
The deaths of those precious to them were practically guaranteed.
Some even lost every reason they had to keep living.
The details differed...
But all of them carried similarly unbearable pain.
Francia Brida.
Whose entire family had been destroyed, forcing her to patiently wait for the day she could take revenge.
Rubia Magnus.
An orphan who entered Mallet alone and, despite possessing extraordinary talent, had been ignored by its members for years.
Michel Bernhardt.
Who, at a young age, had to abandon her entire family and lose the few people who truly understood her.
Karen Rosefield.
Who, through the greed and mistakes of the Orthodox Church, had personally killed those precious to her before being used as nothing more than a tool by the very Church she despised.
Compared to them...
Edel Ribenia's past hadn't exactly been smooth, but it also hadn't been particularly tragic.
She'd once been beloved by Emperor Ludwig.
Even by past standards, her standing within the Imperial Household and her influence throughout the Empire had never been significantly inferior to her rivals.
It was certainly tragic that Emperor Ludwig had become a vegetable.
And equally tragic that Empress Eleonore had died before reaching old age.
Even considering those events...
It was difficult to say she'd carried suffering comparable to the other four.
But...
If she were someone who had repeated the same era countless times—
A returner—
Then everything changed.
She would've endured hardships far beyond anything she'd experienced in this timeline.
If that were true...
Her earlier words suddenly made perfect sense.
She probably believed I was a returner just like her.
Given everything I'd done so far...
It wasn't strange she'd reached that conclusion.
'Too bad I'm not a returner.'
'I'm a transmigrator.'
That thought led me to another small question.
If returners and transmigrators could both exist...
Then couldn't there also be reincarnators somewhere?
Of course, judging from the example of the Reincarnation Stone...
The possibility seemed incredibly low.
At least, as far as I knew.
And even the matter of Edel being a returner...
I couldn't assume anything until she admitted it herself.
Thinking about all that...
I closed my eyes for a while as well.
Inside the rattling carriage, only each person's steady breathing echoed through the silence.
As soon as Monday arrived, everyone began carrying out their assigned roles.
First, Francia, Rubia, and I went to meet Dale Wedmeyer to receive the exact location.
“The small city of Theodel in the Parcel region.”
“It's inside Count Vilfor's territory.”
“It'll obviously be disguised.”
“How do you intend to get through that?”
“We'll pretend to be volunteers.”
“They've already brought quite a few people inside that way.”
“Hm.”
“Eric has been entrusted with managing the temporary lodgings where the volunteers stay.”
“I'm the only one carrying an Orb capable of contacting him.”
As he produced the Tebrel Orb—
Francia immediately snatched it away.
“I'll be the one talking.”
“…Fine.”
“Do as you like.”
Watching Dale nod awkwardly, I fixed him with a wary stare.
“It'd be ideal if none of us were exposed until the operation ends...”
“But we also have to prepare for the possibility that we will be.”
“You included.”
“…Sounds like you're still hiding part of your plan.”
“Because we still haven't confirmed whether you're truly on our side.”
“…Isn't it about time you trusted me?”
“I've already given you every piece of information I have.”
“You do have quite the track record.”
“You were the leading pro-Bernhardt figure.”
“And you also belonged to the Platinum Dawn Society.”
“But I've severed ties with both of them.”
“That's exactly why I'm cooperating with you now...”
“There's still one faction left.”
“……”
Just as Dale had said, the chances of him betraying us again were almost nonexistent.
He'd already revealed far too much.
Even so...
There was a reason I continued pressuring him.
'Even if he has no intention of betraying us...'
'Rachel Ribenia might think differently.'
That was why I had to keep him under pressure.
Just in case.
“If two hours pass after we infiltrate and we still haven't escaped...”
“Disable the intruder defense system immediately.”
“That'll be enough.”
It was practically an order.
Dale frowned with dissatisfaction before reluctantly nodding.
“Then we'll meet near the territory tomorrow at 5 PM.”
“No problems?”
“…Fine.”
“I understand.”
While I forced his agreement, Rubia suddenly asked another question.
“Do we know anything about the internal layout?”
“It'd be perfect if there were a map.”
“There isn't one.”
“I can tell you where the buildings on the surface are.”
“But the underground section is too vast and complicated to explain.”
“The underground...”
“I think I get the general idea.”
“We'll go over the details after everyone gathers on-site.”
“I've got plenty to prepare as well.”
.
.
.
Once we'd finished discussing everything, we left the General Affairs Department.
As planned, Rubia immediately departed for Mallet.
“I'll make sure to secure plenty of Artifacts and reinforcements!”
“Don't overdo it.”
“Hehe.”
“Then I'll see you later, Mr. Eugene!”
“Miss Francia!”
Next, Francia headed toward her morning classes.
“I'll make sure to win Eric over.”
“Good.”
“That guy can't refuse anything you ask.”
After parting ways with Francia as well...
I headed alone toward the Chairwoman's office.
The council's verification of the will...
Was about to begin.