A Regressor's Bucket List

[This station is the last stop. Shandong, Shandong station. All passengers, please……]

The Guardian Train's announcement signaling the final stop was heard.

Chiiiiik-

Drrrk-

After many twists and turns, we disembarked on the Shandong Peninsula.

“…We've finally arrived.”

“…You can say that again.”

At Jerry's low mumble, which seemed to hold many meanings, Loxy immediately nodded in agreement.

“To think a normal train station could feel so welcoming……”

In truth, not even a full 24 hours had passed.

Objectively speaking, they hadn't spent enough time on the train to be so glad to be on solid ground.

…Nevertheless, the reason for such an intense reaction was probably because of the sheer scale of what they had experienced.

Even for me, the events at Kunlun were flashing through my mind like a revolving lantern.

Ssk-

But the moment of feeling something akin to relief in each of their hearts was brief.

Eliya looked at me and opened her mouth.

“Well then, I'll be going first, Hero.”

I had heard the story on the way here, but the reason Eliya had been able to arrive at Kunlun so quickly was because she had stolen and used The Order's emergency transport Artifact without permission.

Of course, she hadn't actually stolen it.

She had requested permission but used it before the approval came through, so it was effectively categorized as unauthorized use.

“Have fun.”

“…Is that all you have to say? How am I supposed to have fun at the priest training corps? It's dreadful just thinking about it……”

“Is that so?”

“Anyway…… stay out of trouble and behave while you're here. It probably won't take that long.”

Her returning to her lair as soon as we arrived in Shandong was in a similar context.

Although her unauthorized use was somewhat taken into consideration in the post-incident judgment and didn't cause any serious problems, she was told she had to retake part of her priest training as a preventative measure against recurrence.

“Haa…… What sin did I commit in my past life to deserve this?”

To be honest, it was a welcome development for me.

I would need Eliya's help later when I officially joined the War against Demons front, but for what I had to do on the Shandong Peninsula, it was more convenient for me if she was out of the picture.

…And it seemed staying out of trouble and behaving quietly would be difficult for me anyway.

“Then……”

Bow-

After Eliya finished her final farewell and left.

Jerry, who had been gauging the atmosphere, raised his hand as if he had something to say.

Jerry's business was simple.

“…Let's move separately for a while from here, partner.”

It was a request to act individually.

He was saying he had things he'd planned in advance on the Shandong Peninsula, so he would move on his own.

“I don't mind what happens afterward, but I have some business to take care of.”

Pfft-

“Going to the back alleys?”

At the direct question, his brow twitched.

It seemed he thought I wouldn't know about his ‘business’.

“…Just how much do you know?”

“Let's go together. It won't take long anyway, so I can just wait there. Who knows, you might need my help.”

“……”

“You know, right? With a Hero candidate's insignia, we can get past most troublesome things.”

He weighed the pros and cons for a moment.

Jerry nodded.

“…Understood.”

* * *

‘……’

Seo U-jin.

From Jerry's perspective, he was a completely incomprehensible human.

It had been like that since they first met.

The nuance that suggested U-jin knew Jerry himself was in that train car, and the manifestation of the vampire race's unique black magic that followed.

Even up to that point, there were more than enough incomprehensible elements, but everything that followed was also far beyond the realm of understanding.

The encounter with the Demon King's Army's deposed baron, ‘Shuten’.

The nonchalant attitude he showed during the process, and the vast amount of information about Shuten that he spouted as if it were a matter of course.

His unbending spirit even in front of the mighty Einstein, and his mana utilization skills that far surpassed the level of a ‘Hero candidate’.

And just now, the way he casually mentioned the ‘back alleys’.

Although he didn't show it outwardly, the shock U-jin had given Jerry was not small, to the point that he had thought about U-jin nonstop from boarding the train until arriving at the Shandong Peninsula.

‘…I just can't comprehend it.’

Thus.

Although from Jerry's perspective, every aspect of U-jin was already riddled with incomprehensible things.

Among them, what Jerry found particularly hard to accept was the scale of the picture U-jin was painting.

Even giving him the benefit of the doubt a hundred times over and looking at him without the ‘Hero candidate’ title, the scale of the picture U-jin was painting was far beyond what could be understood.

This wasn't a simple exaggeration; it was a fact.

Jerry had broadened his horizons by traveling here and there throughout the Upper Plane.

But until he heard the ultimate goal of ‘Demon King hunt’ from U-jin's own lips, Jerry couldn't fathom even an inch of what U-jin's plan was ultimately aiming for.

‘Demon King hunt… he says.’

Of course, learning the final destination of his plan could hardly be called a ‘boon’.

No, to be honest, it was more accurate to call it a ‘bane’.

Because U-jin's goal of ‘Demon King hunt’, which felt not just grand but excessive, was in direct opposition to Jerry's creed of ‘thorough practicality’.

…To get straight to the point, U-jin's goal was too dangerous.

It was too uncertain, too dangerous, and so absurd that normally, he wouldn't have even given it a second glance.

As a prime example, the mere fact that he was involved with ‘that Isaac Einstein’ was something Jerry wanted to avoid so badly it gave him goosebumps.

But.

Despite all that, Jerry could not turn his back on U-jin and leave.

Ssk-

‘My mother's keepsake… he called it……’

Jerry had something he had to do, even if it meant taking on all that risk.

Because U-jin seemed to be the only one who knew the way.

Of course, even if the danger of the path with U-jin was so great that Jerry couldn't fully gauge it.

There was no way he could give up the shortcut laid out before his eyes.

『J.J…… You must carry on his final wish…….』

『…….』

『…You must.』

Because Jerry had already sworn long ago to dedicate his entire life to it.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“……”

Loxy's voice broke through his deep thoughts and entered Jerry's ears.

“…It's nothing. Just a personal thought.”

“…You two really are similar in some ways. That one over there never answers when I ask, either.”

Muttering as she glanced back at U-jin, who was following two steps behind, Loxy then looked down at Jerry's palm.

“…Huh?”

Then she suddenly raised her right hand to cover her mouth—gasp—and her eyes widened.

“That earring, could it be……”

“……”

“No way……”

“…I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not that.”

“What do you mean, it's not? It looks exactly like the one he picked up from The Order's treasure vault.”

“……”

“Do you have matching rings, too?”

Then she nodded with an expression that seemed to say she ‘understood’ something.

“……”

Jerry wasn't the type to care much about people's gazes, but being mistaken as having ‘that kind of taste’, which he had no interest in, was something he'd rather avoid.

“…I received it as a down payment. Don't get the wrong idea……”

“I support you!”

…But it wasn't as if Loxy looked convinced by Jerry's explanation.

“…It seems you're already misunderstanding enough.”

A moment of silence passed.

Loxy giggled—‘kukkuk’—and relaxed her expression.

“You looked so serious all by yourself, so I tried to lighten the mood. It was a joke, so don't worry about it.”

“…For a joke, your expression was too serious.”

“Oh my…… was it really?”

“……”

“Huhu. It really was a joke.”

With her characteristic eye-smile, Loxy swept her hair back once and held out her hand to Jerry.

“Give it. I'll put it on for you.”

“…No thanks. I'd rather not be misunderstood again. It's a pain to explain every time.”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems perfect for getting lost.”

“……”

“Are you really going to just carry it around?”

“……”

After rubbing his brow and pondering for a moment, Jerry finally held out the earring reluctantly and said.

“…I'll only wear it until I can find a storage box for it.”

Pfft-

“Yeees~ I'm suuure you will.”

And so, having put on the earring with little choice, Jerry and Loxy started walking toward their destination again.

“…It's not a common case.”

“…What is?”

“Your…… situation.”

A somewhat unsatisfactory answer.

Ssk-

Realizing he had swallowed the word he was about to say, Loxy took out her insignia, which had a purple crack in it.

Then she shrugged and said.

“You can speak freely. I had something I wanted to ask too, so I already took care of this damned peeping insignia. We're not in the middle of a quest anyway, and it's not like a Constellation would bother looking into this backwater place.”

“…I see.”

After a brief pause, Jerry asked properly this time.

“…I have never heard of a Succubus following a human. Not in the realm of The Order, nor in the realm of the Demon King.”

“……”

“…Is there a particular reason?”

A more direct question than she'd expected.

Loxy thought for a moment before answering.

“…I don't know either.”

“……”

“Well, it's not like I started traveling with him of my own free will… but I was the one who said I'd try being on the good side, so it's hard to say I had no choice in the matter……”

“……”

Shrug-

“Anyway, I don't know. I don't have anywhere to go right now, and I can't run away because of this mark on my neck. For now, it's a feeling of resignation.”

Loxy shrugged, pointing to the black mark engraved behind her ear.

『This is…….』

『I can't just trust you completely and let you go.』

『…….』

『It's called the ‘Seal of the Ancient Priestess’. It's a mana suppression formula that binds you to that body.』

『…….』

『Well…… you might be able to escape if you try hard enough, but keep in mind that I'll probably notice and take action first.』

Although he hadn't explained it in detail, the mana suppression formula U-jin had engraved behind Kim Sia's right ear served to bind Loxy to her body and, at the same time, allowed him to monitor her in real-time.

The role of that ‘Seal of the Ancient Priestess’ was a significant reason why Loxy obediently listened to U-jin.

“Well.”

“……?”

“…it's not like I'm not curious about how things will end for that person.”

After hearing her added words, Jerry, who had been silent for a moment, muttered quietly.

“…I see.”

Smirk-

“Well then, it's my turn, right?”

Loxy was about to ask something, emphasizing that it was her turn with a smile, but she couldn't get the words out.

The reason was simple.

Shake, shake-

Because Jerry shook his head, rejecting her request.

As if feeling wronged by Jerry's shameless attitude.

“…Hey, you asked everything you wanted to ask. Isn't that too unfair?”

Loxy retorted.

“…That's not it.”

“What do you mean, that's not it? You're just asking what you want and then bailing……”

“…We've arrived.”

Cutting off her pressing words, Jerry pointed ahead.

Ssk-

And as Loxy's gaze followed his finger.

“…Oh.”

- C'mon, it's cheap, cheap! Selling it for a bargain, so hurry up and buy~.

- Here's a rare beastkin of the dog tribe! Only one left!

- This time…….

In the secluded back alley they had arrived at, a somewhat unfamiliar form of a black market had formed.

“This place is……”

“…This is Shandong's slave market, known as the ‘Back Alley’. It's where the business I mentioned earlier is.”

Jerry said, putting on a pair of sunglasses he had taken from his coat.

“…Sorry, but I'll take your question after I've handled my business.”

“……”

“…The business in Kunlun already dragged on and delayed my schedule. I might not get anything if I'm not careful. I ask for your understanding.”

Step, step-

With that, Jerry entered the back alley first, as if he were familiar with it.

U-jin, who had been staring at his notebook the whole way, followed as if it were a matter of course and asked.

“Not coming?”

“…I'm coming. Now.”