Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

“Thank you, Sir Allen!”

“You cured us! Witch slayer!”

“Hooray!”

Allen and his companions were able to leave Bergen, drowned by countless flowers flying towards the carriage.

Where did they get so many flowers this out of season, with winter right over the horizon? The sight of the flowers caught in the wind, enveloping the carriage, almost made it feel as though springtime had come for a moment.

In the midst of the crowd of those seeing him off, Soned and Karik were laughing with each other, joyful, like the operation was a success.

Smirk.

Allen passed through Bergen’s front gate, surrounded by lavish praise.

Karik said he’d stay in the city for the rest of the year, so the number of people returning was reduced by one. In his place, there sat a box in the corner of the wagon containing the tea leaves that Soned had procured.

“Hehe…”

When Allen turned his head towards the joyful sound of laughter, he saw Linbelle smiling, clutching a sword encased in a black sheath. 

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes!”

She replied with a big smile.

“With this, I won’t be a burden anymore!”

Allen looked at the long utilitarian black sword in her arms—its name, given for its perfectly black exterior, was ‘Pure Black.’

‘A sword said to reveal the potential of whichever talent is designated by the wielder…’

The Daike merchant group of the present hadn’t yet had the chance to grow into the powerful group that Allen remembered it would become, so he didn't have grand expectations for their rare-item collections—so he was surprised to hear the description of the sword.

‘If it truly does have that effect, it could fetch a high price at the royal auction.’

However, upon hearing the even more detailed explanation, he could see why it was still gathering dust in the trove.

The conditions for using this sword were a bit demanding. The first was that the talent that the wielder designated to be revealed had to fundamentally belong to the wielder already. But if one’s talent needed to be awakened by a sword, how successful was that person bound to be?

Surely, the wielder must have already practiced in battle techniques like mana, prana, swordsmanship, and martial arts. But what if the wielder chose to reveal their talent for swordsmanship just to find that they, in reality, had none whatsoever?

Then, the wielder would just be wasting time, unsure of whether or not the sword had awoken their talents in a particular field yet.

No matter how hard you trained, if you didn’t have real talent, you wouldn’t grow at all. And for that reason, the people who bought the sword, in hopes that they might have a hidden special talent, often returned it after a few weeks.

‘But, it’s just as frustrating even if you do have talent.’

The second condition is just as indefinite.

In order to have their designated talent revealed, the user had to devote a lot of time to training in that field, to the extent that they had to carve time out of their schedule to get even a wink of sleep.

The irony was, no matter how talentless a person may have been, if they trained day and night, their skills would improve. But if you had talent, you would grow even faster.

So there’s no way to know if the sword worked or not.

In the first place, the reference point for the presence or absence of talent and one’s capacity for that talent was hard to define, so if it was natural, then it came as a natural result.

For this reason, Pure Black—which received a lot of attention when it was originally found—hopped from merchant to merchant before being picked up by the Daike merchant group.

Knowing this, Soned had urged Allen to pick something else when Allen had picked up Pure Black.

But Allen stubbornly insisted on the sword. Because he was confident.

'This can definitely help Linbelle to grow.’

Confident that the sword could assist Linbelle.

Allen knew how much talent she had, and how hard she’d been secretly working to improve it. So he chose the sword, without hesitation.

After Allen refused to change his decision, Soned accepted the request, knowing that it couldn’t be helped.

‘I think she’s been overdoing it lately…’

Allen looked at Linbelle for a moment, his face troubled. She stroked the sword repeatedly under an obsessive gaze, refusing to even look away.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable? It’s alright to put the sword away.”

“No, sir. I’ll never, ever, let it go.”

“Not even for a moment?”’

“I-I just like it, sir. Please, please… I’ll be careful with it.”

The words burst out of her mouth as she urgently hugged the sword in her arms with anxious eyes and a suddenly frightened expression.

‘Did I put too much pressure on her?’

Regret lingered in Allen’s eyes for a moment before dissipating. He smiled bitterly for a moment and shook his head. Having already seen the power she could possess in the future, he’d had too great a set of expectations for her.

‘It’s not even the same person.’

Her dead mother survived. Her raging vengeance did not exist.

‘Emotions have a tremendous impact on skill growth, especially when it comes to prana.’

He shouldn’t have expected the same result this time because what used to be her motivation for growth had disappeared.

‘While all of that was going on, I asked Inellia to do more things for me on her own.’

He didn’t know how she felt, thinking she didn’t meet Allen’s expectations.

Allen sighed and replied.

“No, if it’s better for you, then go ahead.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you.”

Linbelle smiled brightly again and embraced the sword strongly.

‘It’s my fault.’

Inellia’s expression was not good. Allen looked at her dark face and closed his eyes.

‘It would be nice if there were a good opportunity in this forest.’

Her presence proved that Allen could change the future.

So he couldn’t give up.

Leaves crumbled and rustled along the road in the late autumn, and their carriage bound for Elle Round moved quickly alongside the white clouds above.

It wouldn’t be long before he met Julius again.

* * *

Allen entered the city as quietly as he’d left the manor. Despite his arrival, there was no disturbance because word of his noble deeds at Bergen had yet to make its way to Elle Round.

Allen delivered to his father the report he had written while riding in the carriage.

“You originally stopped by Bergen for personal business, but then heard of a rampant curse, the caster of which you found and took down?”

Gaielle, reading what had happened in Bergen, asked back with a smile:

“Is this true?”

“Yes.”

His father, whom he’d finally met again after a few weeks, was no different from when he’d last seen him: a severe, cold demeanor—the kind of man who’d confirm the truth first rather than giving a word of concern for the news of a subjugated witch.

The master of the Reinhart family, and his father.

“To think, the witch reappeared and began spreading curses once more… I don't doubt your claims of fully eradicating her, but…”

Gaielle turned his glassy eyes to look at Allen.

“Why didn't you ask for backup? You shouldn’t act alone in such a situation…”

Maybe there was something else going on? In response to his father’s doubt, Allen recited the answer he’d prepared earlier.

“Many of the locals had already been cursed. I acted quickly and alone because I knew that the curse would grow more dangerous as time went by.” 

“Is that all?”

“Do I need more justification than the safety and lives of our people?”

Allen’s political argument forced Gaielle’s silence.

“Although I requested for help, I had no choice but to act since the curse was bound to kill many.”

Gaielle, who was staring at Allen without saying a word despite his secondary explanation, nodded with an unbothered expression.

“…I’m sorry to have doubted you. Good job. You must be tired, so go now.”

“Yes, I will.”

Allen bowed to Gaielle quietly and turned around.

Click.

As soon as Allen opened the office door, Gaielle suddenly called out.

“Allen.”

Allen paused as Gaielle threw him a question.

“Why did you go to Bergen?”

Was that it?

Allen answered his question in a low voice:

“I couldn’t forget the flavor of the elves’ tea we shared. I headed to Bergen to find some of the same tea leaves.”

“Really? Why, it just so happens that I don't have much left…”

“I’m sorry.”

Allen answered firmly and opened the door entirely.

“I don’t think I can give you any. I could only get a small amount.”

Allen heard a small sigh behind him.

“That’s simply too unfortunate.”

‘I think so too, Father.’

Truly.

After meeting with his father, Allen immediately went to meet with Eliza.

“It’s really been a long time since I’ve last seen you, Allen. Hm? Is there something you’re forgetting?”

She criticized Allen with a sulky face as if upset.

“I’m upset, Allen. Isn’t a promise to your mother still a promise?”

“Mother, I have so much work to do. I can’t help it…”

“You can't even take a moment to spend with me?”

With a keen look that said she knew everything, Allen calmly admitted his mistake:

“I’m sorry.”

From dealing with Arcanders to meeting with Soned and dealing with the witch—that he couldn’t see her was the truth. He had other business to take care of.

“I will visit you often from now on.”

“Well, I somehow doubt you really will, but… I forgive you because you were forthright about it.”

Allen replied quietly and silently.

Eliza looked at him with disapproving eyes and sighed:

“…But I'm glad you’re alright. I heard you battled a witch. Was it dangerous?”

“It all happened quite quickly.”

“Try to be careful. Honestly, this time, you were just plain reckless.”

Allen wanted to tell her that he acted that way because of how confident he was that he’d beat the witch. But in the face of her worried eyes, the words caught in his throat.

“…I’ll keep it in mind next time.”

“I won’t argue with you.”

Seeing his mother take a deep sigh, Allen gestured for Inellia.

Originally, he’d planned on giving it to her a little later, but he felt that doing so now could help him to end his current state of emotional discomfort.

Inellia, who’d been greeting a maid she hadn’t seen in a long time behind Allen, placed the items she’d quietly prepared on the table at Allen’s signal.

“What’s this?”

* * *

* * * 

“Tea from the Daike merchant group.”

“I have enough tea leaves for myself, so I’ll only accept your positive intentions—”

Allen added:

“It’s elf-grown.”

“—is what I would have said, but I simply cannot refuse a gift brought by my own son. Thank you for the gift. Laura?”

The maid, a similar age to his mother, smiled bitterly and filled a box with tea leaves.

“Then I must excuse myself.”

“Already? Well… alright. It hasn’t been long since you arrived, has it? You must be very tired. Hurry up and rest.”

“Alright.”

Allen addressed her with a happy smile, and stood up.

Step, step.

As he began to make his way out of the terrace, her voice reached his ears.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but don’t do anything dangerous.”

Pause.

“I don’t want to lose anybody again, Allen.”

Allen didn’t answer and just continued walking.

She, too, resumed her activities, having teatime with Laura again with a smile, as if she hadn’t expected an answer out of Allen either.

But in that moment, he was struck by the emotion in her words.

‘…Mother.’

It was horribly dark, and as grim as a deep swamp.

Beyond one’s wildest imagination.

* * *

Allen stayed silent after his arrival, patiently waiting to hear from Julius.

Eliza didn’t say much to him after their conversation that day, and Allen spent his days repeating his daily routine in the manor.

Going over his remaining plans, he delivered a secret order to Karik and Soned.

Allen learned about Vestla’s secret technique after she had finally been able to figure it out and took some time to investigate extra details about the Heavenly Forest. 

So, three days later…

“Brother!”

…Julius arrived.

“Julius.”

“How have you been, Brother?”

“I’ve been well. Ah…”

Allen looked surprised and pointed behind him. Julius replied, with an unrevealing expression:

“A lot happened during my journey to the capitol. This is what I got from there.”

The main gate of the mansion was crowded with items, brought by dozens of carriages entering from the city one after another.

Allen could have guessed what happened, even if he hadn't been there to see it for himself.

‘Are all of these gifts from the third princess, Young Lady Irene, the auction house, and black markets?’

It didn’t impress him much when he saw it in the black book, but seeing it in person, it was enormous.

‘In my previous life, I was stuck in a room all the time.’

This was the first time he actually saw it. The servants all admired the endless parade of gifts.

“Wow… as expected of Young Master Julius.”

“That’s crazy. I can’t believe he got that much from the capitol…”

"Wow… look at Young Master Julius."

The servants and maids seemed relieved by Julius’s complete attitude shift.

“…Tsk.”

Allen looked at Julius without a change in expression.

“You wouldn’t believe what happened.”

“Haha, very interesting. I’d love to hear all about it, but… you must have a lot to unpack from your travels, so let’s talk tomorrow.”

Julius replied with a friendly smile at Allen’s show of consideration.

“I’m alright, but… if my brother says no, then, of course, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“Yes, your health comes first, so rest well.”

The health of the body belonging to his brother.

“It’d be a shame if you caught a cold.”

“Haha, I see, Brother. I’ll rest up. That’ll keep me safe.”

Julius left the rest of his luggage to the servants and disappeared into the mansion with Laina. Allen watched as his back disappeared, then turned away.

‘Tell me tomorrow… I wonder if I’ll have time for that.’

Allen swallowed his cynicism and returned inside with Linbelle and Inellia. Still, he had to keep up the appearance of being Julius’s amiable brother and a righteous person.

Fortunately, Allen’s prediction was not wrong.

The next day, while the family gathered together for the first time in a long while to share a meal, a servant suddenly opened the door of the dining room with a stressed expression. 

Bang!

“Sir! Sir!”

Julius shouted, in a bad mood after being interrupted while talking excitedly.

“What is it! You interrupt me while I’m in the middle of my meal…”

But the servant, whose face turned white, shouted loudly before he could hear Julius.

“Elf! An elf…”

No one took issue with his attitude.

“…Has arrived at the manor in a terrible state!”

His words were important enough to ignore his rudeness. At the servant’s words, Gaielle and Eliza changed their expressions and quickly rose from their seats.

“What?”

“…An elf?”

Julius frowned as if he’d still yet to grasp the meaning of the servant’s words.

While all of that was occurring…

‘…It’s finally here.’

Allen’s eyes sank—that which he’d expected had finally arrived.

An event that greatly inflated Julius’s reputation in their previous life, an event that could also be called a disaster for the county, had begun.