Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

If you think about it again, there were quite a few precious things located in the county.

Before heading to Hibelle, an elixir in the city to increase his mana. The dragon and giant remains and Vestla in a ruin southwest of the county. One of the five Wonders of the First Warrior gathering dust in the family's treasure trove. Ancient relics found in numerous ruins explored by Julius.

There were so many treasures out there in the world, but were people simply incapable of finding them or was the Reinhart territory just overflowing with precious objects?

What was clear was that Julius had found many treasures in the estate before the regression.

Rumble.

“Ah!”

If Allen left them as they were, it would only be a matter of time before Julius would find them again this time.

Ruuuuuuumble.

“Aah!”

The reason why Allen was currently riding on a carriage was related to that very same issue: it was in order to get in advance the things that Julius had had first, as well as to strengthen his party’s power.

Because of this, Allen had secretly left the manor with Inellia and Linbelle, camouflaged in a shabby carriage so as to go unnoticed.

Rattle.

“Ah… My butt…”

Linbelle—who kept adjusting her posture from the discomfort of the ride—turned her head sideways to the pair of eyes she felt on her.

“Ah! Sir?”

“What is it? Is this because it’s not your usual carriage?”

“That’s… Hehe.”

She smiled awkwardly and nodded.

Linbelle’s butt hurt so much because of the stiff feeling of this carriage ride, unlike the one she normally took. No, it was more like she looked sick.

She was surprised by her sudden reduction in tolerance as a rural girl who’d been used to discomfort and hardship just a month ago.

Although, such behavior was natural.

‘If I don’t do this…’

Then would she be able to use prana?

Allen had said she had talent. He’d said that prana was a noble power, and she understood that clearly.

Inellia sometimes disappeared somewhere, saying it was Allen’s orders.

He had said that she could definitely use the noble power of prana, but instead, she tried to take it slowly, unduly considerate.

Her mother occasionally left her seat at Allen’s orders. Because she was recognized for her power.

‘I need to get stronger.’

It took strength to not go through the same thing again. Just enough, at least.

But despite how the weeks and months passed, despite the blisters on her hands that formed from swinging her sword, despite the knights saying that there was nothing more to teach her…

She was nothing but a maid who could wield a sword.

Maybe that was why Linbelle naturally behaved so cutely—doing so was an instinctive act meant to prove the value of her existence.

“…I guess I got too comfortable, hehe.”

The truth was that it didn’t actually hurt that much—it was only natural to be able to endure that level of pain after having trained so much.

To prove herself useful—to prove that she didn’t take advantage of their goodwill.

She fluttered her eyelashes.

With a smile, Allen asked her:

“There are going to be more times when you’ll have to ride in shabby carriages such as this. What will you do then?”

“Hmmm… I’ll have to just get used to it, right? Hehe.”

Linbelle smiled as she glossed over the question but Allen—thinking that she just couldn’t adapt to the circumstances—replied:

“Make sure you can adapt next time.”

“…Pout. Alright.”

Unable to stay still, she sniffled after receiving Allen’s warning.

Allen judged the time by looking through the carriage window at the dense forests and mountains in the distance.

‘Hm… At this rate, it’ll probably be another 30 minutes.’

Allen hardly felt any pain after gaining the attributes of a giant’s body, but he could understand hers—he remembered what it was like to live in his weak, untrained body before his regression.

‘It hasn’t been long since she started training. It must be hard.’

Allen pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.

* * *

* * * 

“Are you that uncomfortable?”

She nodded her head immediately. 

“Yes!”

Allen sighed.

Dozens of threads burst out.

“Just this once.”

“What? Kyaaa!”

A thread connected to Linbelle’s body, letting her float in the air.

“Woah…”

Her eyes sparkled as she carefully looked around in the air.

“Hehe… Thank you, sir.”

“Next time, try to bear with it yourself.”

“Yes, sir~”

Allen had grown so tolerant of Linbelle. 

He wasn’t sure if it was because of the guilt that he felt for causing her death before the regression, or because of the responsibility he felt for having employed her as a maid.

Or…

‘Is it because her existence is proof?’

Proof that the future can be changed—that their destinies can be overridden.

‘What could it be?’

But he didn’t bother trying to change her attitude. She was his personal maid, so what was wrong with treating her a little special?

“Hm, hmm, hmmmhmmmmmm—”

Allen stared quietly at her as she hummed before asking about something that suddenly came to mind.

“Linbelle, is Miss Francisca back yet?”

“Miss Francisca is… No, she hasn’t come back yet.”

She hadn’t returned yet…?

“Without any news?”

“No, none. Shall we check when we get back to the manor?”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“OK!”

Allen needed to meet with her.

To be more specific, he needed to meet with her to learn more about the chimera soul he’d gifted her.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from her in over a month.’

Allen leafed through the black book, recalling his memories of the past, but unfortunately, all it said was that she’d left with Prindal after being summoned to the magic towers.

‘I’d like to see her before we leave for the academy.’

She’d left before the Thanksgiving festival, but nobody had heard from her even after the festival had concluded.

He found himself deep in thought.

Knock, knock.

“Sir, we stopped—”

“Everyone, come out!”

“Come out, dammit!”

“…!!”

Allen sighed as he heard the husky voices following Inellia’s.

‘I can’t believe bandits appeared in such a deserted place.’

Or did the bandits show up because they were in a deserted place?

“Ya can’t come out quick? Ya wanna die? Take everything you have and come out!”

“Sir?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Creaaaaak…

A rusty hinge creaked as the carriage door opened.

The cool autumn breeze greeted him as he descended from the carriage. Looking around, he saw colorful maple leaves beneath bare trees, coloring the world orange.

As he turned his head upward, about 15 bandits in dirty clothes looked at him with dreary smiles.

“Bro, bro, isn’t this the best?”

“Whoa… We’re robbin’ nobles. Your eyes are great, bro.”

“Yeah, guys! I told you we should hide here!”

Allen laughed at them, talking as if they’d already succeeded in their robbery.

“Sir, I can handle this. Unless there’s a reason why you bothered coming out—”

“No, I was about to stop the carriage anyway since it will soon be difficult to finish our journey via it.”

“Then I’ll take care of this quickly—”

“Me!”

Inellia was about to step out when Linbelle cried out:

“I’ll do it.”

Inellia tried to stop her. Inellia said that it was too soon, that she would do it herself.

“I want to show you the results of my training.”

However, the words following her earlier statement were suffocating.

“If I’m to keep following Sir Allen, I can't avoid battle forever, can I? This battle would be good for experience.”

Knowing her usual temperament, and how she must’ve felt when she said those words, Inellia remained silent.

Allen stared at her as she spoke, then consented.

“Alright, this will be good experience.”

“Yay! So then—”

“But…”

Allen met her eyes—only eagerness swirled around in them.

“You’re going to kill a man. It’s not too late to kill something other than a human for your first time. Do you still want to do it?”

She answered without hesitation:

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Well, then… Go ahead, show me your progress.”

When Linbelle picked up a sword and went out, the bandits let out loud laughter.

“Aw, baby, why are you here alone? Is that little prince abandoning you—”

Clink.

“Huh?”

It happened in an instant. In front of them, the bandit’s head rose into the air. His body, spurting blood, fell to the side. Linbelle’s swordship showed no hesitation.

Just as she’d learned—just as her body had been trained.

‘Minimizing movement, maximizing fluidity.’

“Jake! How dare you—”

Her sword moved.

“Choke, gurgle.”

Ignoring the terrible feeling of separating flesh from bone, she emptied her mind as much as possible.

‘Because this act is a good deed.’

It wouldn’t be mere murder. The person in front of her was a bandit—dozens of people must have shed their blood and tears because of them, so this was both necessary and just.

“What are you all doing? Kill her!”

“You bitch!!”

Linbelle’s face lost its expression, and she chanted softly:

“Prana is a noble power…”

So, this battle…

Shuk.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!”

…Is a noble act, meant to wash away evil.

A crude ax flew over her. She avoided it by twisting her waist slightly, lowering her body, and thrusting her sword over her head at the same time.

It pierced someone’s chin, sliding right through their head.

“Four.”

She demonstrated her capabilities for using that noble power.

“Diiiiiie!”

She lowered herself and stabbed the enemy coming in from the side in their shoulder. At the same time, she dodged a sword swiping down and backed away.

Whoosh!

Her bangs fluttered. 

A bandit’s neck was slit in her big attack. A fallen one spewed bubbles of blood. Linbelle cut the wrist of a bewildered bandit beside her before quickly stabbing him in the chest.

“W-wait a minute, I-I surrende—”

Stab.

“Seven.”

After that, it was a slaughter.

With half of their people killed in an instant, the remaining bandits gave themselves up, unable to even think of fighting back.

“Haa, haa…”

“Linbelle, are you okay?”

Inellia looked nervously at her, approaching her as soon as the battle had finished.

“It’s alright. There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine. It’s just because I moved so suddenly.”

Linbelle squeezed her trembling hands, continuing on as if she’d done nothing more than simply lift something heavy.

It still wasn’t enough. Without magic or prana, she could only do this much.

“Are you okay? Are you tired?”

Allen asked, turning a blind eye to her shaking hands. Because it was she who chose this outcome, and that choice needed to be respected.

“Yes.”

Linbelle controlled her wobbly expression, raising the corners of her mouth.

“Hehe~ It was kinda tough, but I'm okay!”

“…Really? Let’s take a break and then keep going, in that case.”

“If it’s because of me—”

Linbelle hurried out of Inellia’s arms and spoke hurriedly, but Allen shook his head.

“It’s just to see if there are other people nearby. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“…Ah.”

He noticed Inellia expressing her thanks with the sound.

Allen stretched out his sensing range and looked around for a moment. A small voice came from behind him.

“…Thank you.”

Allen didn’t say a word.

That was enough.