Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

Acanders stared at Allen like he was watching a crazy person.

“You want to… kill Julius?”

“Yes.”

Allen didn't talk about possession or regression—they were meaningless for their purposes. Did they need to talk about the details, since they didn't trust each other yet? Acanders’s goal was to get revenge on Julius, and Allen’s goal was to bring Acanders under his wing.

A detailed story built trust. It still wasn’t too late to do it.

“Sure.”

Allen calmly nodded in approval.

“Ha, you know, I… I thought I was the crazy one—but it turns out, the real crazy one was you.”

“Also, I happened to hear you were trying to figure out your father’s whereabouts…”

Allen blurted out his words, as if waiting to hear the response.

“Is that so?”

Although Acanders let out a smirk, he was actually conflicted on the inside about whether or not he could properly distinguish Allen’s truths from his lies.

Inellia, still remaining silent, displayed an expression of clear confusion.

‘Once we get back to the manor, I’ll explain everything to Inellia.’

He only thought about her that one time.

“So, what do you think?”

“About what?”

“What do you think? It’s pretty clear, isn’t it?”

Acanders—who’d smirked at Allen’s question—reversed, going expressionless for just a moment.

Inellia made an uncomfortable face, unhappy with his sudden change.

“Alright, alright, I’m just playin’ with ya. We’re gonna go try to kill your brother?”

Acanders was fully suspicious of Allen’s words. Even though Allen kept insisting they were true, would he really have come to Acanders directly to recruit him? Acanders knew his own value. 

Was he trying to use him to bait Julius?

'It’d be more realistic to say that I’d be used as a tool to be used in the oncoming power struggle with Julius.'

Allen, feeling threatened by Julius’s recent actions, was attempting to gather together those who had a grudge against him in order to keep him in check. This, I thought, was a much more plausible explanation. 

'But what's the reason behind saying such easily dissectible bullshit?'

Was there any actual reason to talk about it directly? Did he think I’d be so easily deceived? Or was he really trying to just kill me?

'Whatever the reason is…'

It didn’t matter.

‘If you want to use me, I will use you too.’

Even if it was a trap.

If it really were true that he was going to try to kill Julius…

If I could escape this beggar-like lifestyle…

And…

‘If I can find out where Dad is…’

I’d do it. 

So, he answered with a light smirk. There were only two possible results:

That I would die.

“Sure, I’ll go with you.”

Or he would.

For him, I could risk my life—which had already been ruined anyway.

“Good choice, Acanders. We can talk details in Elle Round.”

“What’s the deadline for this?”

“Just come to the city within the month. Can you do that?”

“Of course. But, by chance…”

Acanders hesitated about whether it was okay to say this.

“What’s the hesitation for?”

“…There are others, too. They all hold some sort of grudge against Julius, so they wouldn’t be a hindrance…”

“Sure, bring them all. I’ll also give you some information about your father at that time.”

Allen replied casually, as if he’d been asking about something inconsequential. But Acanders felt a little different.

‘…I won't just be thrown away after being used once.’

The fact that Acanders took care of everyone else, too, not just himself—who could be used for his position as a former nobleman—meant that he was looking to stay in this for the long term.

“…Thank you.”

"You're welcome. Now that you have become my subordinate, let’s get to work.”

Now, was it over? Oh, right.

Allen suddenly remembered what his conversation partner had said earlier and began to speak:

“You were right about before. Compared to Julius, you are less than a candle.”

Yes, to him, Julius might appear that way. 

In his previous life, he’d inherited his position of head of the household after his father had died, but now, he fell into a situation where he had not even that.

So he could understand why he thought of himself that way in comparison.

But…

“There’s no need for the light to be too bright.”

He got up.

Sunlight streamed in through the dark interior via the small cracks in the door. Acanders’s green eyes shone through the shadows that consumed the room.

“An overly bright light is no different from darkness.”

Like a candle.

“A candle is enough to light up a dark room. Any more than that is just too much.”

Acanders stared blankly at Allen’s back as he walked away.

“…Bullshit.”

Acanders’s belated answer rose from behind.

Yeah, whatever. 

“Well… to each his own.”

Allen responded with a smile.

Today, Allen was able to acquire talented people and those who would become his foundation.

* * *

The road to Elle Round was smooth. Neither bandits nor monsters made attempts to block their path. Thus, Allen returned home within the week.

The day passed on to the next.

After finishing his morning training session and meditation as usual, Allen headed to his private study.

There were few places quite as quiet as his study for having confidential conversations.

Allen finished replying to Rachael and Cathleen's letter sent from the Academy, and sent his back.

“Cathleen seems to be doing a pretty good job, and Rachael hasn’t changed a bit.”

Allen recalled her emotional letter and looked at the magic formula spread out in front of him.

“…Hmm, I need to keep improving my magic.”

If he were to evaluate his rank, he’d be about Rank 5.

His heart, which had become like a dragon's core, was endlessly producing mana. Thus, he had no shortage of mana—but his knowledge of magic was lacking.

The effectiveness of one’s magic could be improved by increasing one’s mana reserves. 

But…

"That's too inefficient."

A sorcerer accumulates and studies a magic system in which he specializes in, in order to interact with the phenomenon that is mana and distort reality itself in the process.

Using that logic, ‘A sorcerer simply uses magic.’

Magic used like this is efficient. Though there has to be no excess. In other words, increasing the strength of one’s magic just by adding mana is an immature solution for a sorcerer to suggest.

“…However, it’s difficult to obtain any knowledge around here.”

This was Allen, who’d looked for magical books for 10 years in his previous life, so he knew best.

In this place, he couldn’t expect to find any knowledge which could improve his skills now.

Instead, to improve himself, it had to be…

‘The Academy.’

He had to go there.

As he finished his thought, Allen closed his eyes.

He’d found inspiration when he brought back Linbelle and Inellia from Hibelle. 

‘Since then, there hasn’t been much progress, but…’

He meditated, repeatedly recalling the sensations he’d felt at that time. He didn't think it’d pay off in one go.

How long had he been meditating?

Knock, knock.

* * *

* * * 

He was somewhere between consciousness and a lack thereof. He heard Inellia’s voice as he shook off the dreamy feeling.

“…Sir Allen, may I come in?”

Time was already up. Allen checked the hands of the clock, pointing towards the afternoon’s time zone, and quickly allowed her to enter the room.

“Yes.”

Click.

Inellia walked into the study with a nervous expression on her face.

'This isn't her first time coming in, is it?'

What kind of scolding was she expecting?

“That’s right, I have something to tell you… Take a seat.”

Allen sat down first on the sofa in his study before she sat cautiously across from him.

“Why did you call for me, sir?”

She kept turning her eyes to the side, unable to look directly at Allen's face.

Her purple eyes were mixed with tension and determination. A beautiful appearance, mixed with fairy-like features. Her black hair was wet, just recently washed, and the faint scent of lilac drifted towards his nose.

“Inellia.”

Allen looked at her with an earnest expression.

“Y-yes, sir?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, Inellia grabbed the hem of her clothing.

'Maybe because nothing happened last time…’

It might be the same this time, too.

Because the Allen that she knew was a rational person. But what if—what if he weren’t so?

‘Actually, I’ve been trying to reassure you until now…’

“…Thank you for following me without any questions.”

However, as she thought, Allen didn't do anything.

“Your expression is strange. Is there something wrong?"

“Oh, nothing!”

With a strange look, Allen held out a box carved with an old-fashioned wavy pattern.

'Could this be…’

She accepted his gift with a bewildered look on her face.

“Th-thank you, sir…”

As her expression mysteriously changed, Allen asked curiously:

“Do you not like it?”

“Oh, no. It's just so…”

Allen shook his head.

“Haven’t you gone far above and beyond the expectations of a maid without argument and supported me so well thus far?”

Chasing after people, collecting the potions buried behind mountains, tracking down and investigating people… She had every right to have expressed her curiosity, but Allen called her because he wanted to reward her for following him without saying anything.

'I also want to talk to her about the chimera sorcerer and Julius.'

“Inside is a spirit jade I came across the other day. Inellia, you are a fairy chimera… so I figured it could be of use to you.”

She didn’t use spirits.

He didn’t know if that was a side effect of her being a chimera, or if she just hadn't contracted any spirits yet, but he knew that the jade could help her in some way.

“And since I haven’t been able to talk in detail because I’ve just been so busy, I wanted to take the time to talk about it.”

“…Ah."

She let out a sigh filled with many emotions, and opened her mouth blankly.

"Then… First, let's talk about the chimera sorcerer."

Allen looked at her, seemingly moved by her own actions, and opened her mouth.

“The stone sword obtained from the chimera sorcerer…”

She started talking about everything she knew.

About how the chimera sorcerer went out somewhere about once a month, and about how he’d brought everything with him.

Even about how on the day he went out, a gloomy aura hung over the mountains.

“So, that’s how that was related to the chimera sorcerer? That’s what I’d thought…”

As certain thoughts came to Allen’s mind, Inellia cautiously opened her mouth.

“Sir Allen, is this the last of your questions?”

"Ah, yes.”

Allen answered her question with a nod.

“Are you curious about Julius? I should have told you earlier… I apologize.”

"Y-yes."

That wasn't her intention, but she nodded her head nevertheless.

“Alright, so, Julius is currently possessed by the ‘devil.’”

It was necessary to tell Inellia. Unlike Acanders—with whom he hadn’t yet built up credence—they had a certain level of mutual trust. And if she was going to be by his side, she’d have no choice but to know something.

'Rather than letting her make strange assumptions, it's better to tell her directly.'

Even if he didn’t tell her, she’d probably take care of it anyway—following strange orders, just like the ones from the whole ordeal with Acanders.

"Did you say… the devil?”

"Yes, the devil. He's being possessed by a very terrible demon.”

A demon who feels no guilt even after taking someone else's body.

Allen spread out his senses.

Information from within a few dozen meters flooded into his brain.

‘No one is listening. But just in case…'

A transparent skein of thread surrounded them, surrounding the room, and blocking it from the outside world.

“To explain…”

Inellia was nervous by Allen's cautious attitude. She could sense that the story he was going to tell wasn’t going to be one to take lightly, just by taking into account his demeanor.

Allen dramatized the story to a certain extent so that she could better understand it.

That Julius was possessed by a demon. And that Allen wanted to save his brother by defeating the demon possessing him. And that the reason Allen recruited Acanders was to establish a force to oppose him.

“So, the orders given to you were all part of this plan. Does that all make sense?”

"Ah…”

She felt as if everything made sense now.

“He’s pretending to act with good intentions for the world, but in reality he isn’t, so we need to be careful not to be fooled by appearances.”

Thus, the recap about Julius came to an end.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about? If not, let’s go have our meal.”

When Allen really looked like he was going to get up, she hesitated and opened her mouth.

“S-so, is this the end? You shared these stories… and gave me this thing…”

“Yes.”

“Really…?”

He didn’t know why she asked, but when Allen sent her a small nod, she put on a dejected expression.

“What's wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Then let’s go eat. It’s right about time…”

“…Alright.”

When Allen began to rise from his seat, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“It’s Linbelle, sir. May I come in?”

Allen returned his lower body back to its original place and opened his mouth:

“Yes, come in.”

She paused as she looked at Inellia with Allen inside the room.

"Ah… ”

“Linbelle? What’s the matter?”

Then she met Allen's eyes and suddenly opened her mouth, as if just coming to her senses.

“Ah, that, sir, you have a guest.”

"Guest?"

“Yes, one Mr. Karik is looking for you, sir…”

Had he already succeeded?

Allen replied, feeling that things were going smoothly:

“I’ll meet with him soon.”

It was finally time to implement his plan, which had been vaguely conceived since his regression.

Allen, remembering what he would need to do, rushed out the door, so he couldn't see it.

“…”

That her expression darkened.