Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

The god in his true form was enormous.

His body and long snout was reminiscent of a wolf—though one the size of a house—with a mane flowing along his back, pure white fur that glistened in the sun, and purple horns atop his head, all adding to the god’s mythical atmosphere.

"…God! How could you give the egg to an outsider!"

⟨What's the problem with entrusting it to the good man who helped me?⟩

It was telepathy, similar to Vestla’s yet still a little different.

"But—!"

⟨Enough. This ordeal has forced me into a long, deep slumber, and I choose him to be its guardian it as I sleep.⟩

“Then, we elves—”

⟨Seeing how you elves handled this… I’m a little skeptical about leaving its protection in your hands.⟩

“I…” Natasha bit her lips in response to the god’s answer. In even her eyes, the elves' handling of the incident was disappointing.

‘If it weren’t for the Reinharts’ support…’

She rushed to erase what might have happened from her imagination.

⟨He rescued me, he defeated monsters, and he protected the Heavenly Forest. Thus, he is suitable—well qualified, even—for the task.⟩

Natasha looked at Julius and replied to the god’s resolution with a shy look. "…Even if you don’t entrust us with the task directly, we shall protect you as you sleep.”

The god stared at her and nodded. ⟨I'll leave it to you.⟩

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief in response.

Upon sharing his answer, the god ignored her and handed the egg to Julius. ⟨Thanks to your help, I was saved from corruption. Though, there’s not much I can offer as a reward. Would it be preferable instead to offer myself as your guardian…⟩

"Yes! I will gladly accept your protection.”

Julius nodded without even thinking.

「Stop the dark sorcerer trying to take control of the god! Save the god within the time limit! (Completed)

Reward: the god's favor, ???」

‘Whoa… the secret reward was the god’s egg?’

He recalled a small detail included in the god’s trial arc from the , something about the power to control tidal waves.

'I need to get it.’

If the 'Iridescent Eye' could not be strengthened using the god’s ability, then obtaining this power would be just as beneficial.

⟨I look forward to working with you. And…⟩

The god, who’d been looking at Julius with warm eyes, turned to Allen.

As soon as Vestla met gazes with the god, she rose in front of Allen on her own. Allen quickly reached out to snatch the handle of the sword in case anyone saw.

⟬Who are you grabbing? I called dibs on this one first.⟭

He couldn't read the god's expression exactly, but… perhaps it was a bitter smile.

⟨For you… you’ve already set your path, so I'll give you this instead.⟩

"That's…!”

Bu-doon!

The elves nearby shouted in surprise as the god removed his horn and blew it.

⟨Don't resist. I mean no harm.⟩

The purple horn quickly turned into powder and floated to Allen.

‘Should I dodge it?’

No, he couldn’t waste his kindness.

Allen nervously inhaled the purple powder.

The moment the powder he breathed in the powder and absorbed it into his body, his senses expanded.

"…Ah!"

Unlike the mana that fluctuated in his core, mana outside of his body began to gather around him in waves. The mana surrounding him naturally followed his will. Allen realized that he could use external mana freely in tune with his internal mana.

⟬Wow… Now you have both the body of a giant and the heart of a dragon. I’m starting to get emotional. You’re almost like a chimera.⟭

It was a new sense—a blessing.

But for just a moment, his senses all suddenly amplified, sending him into overwhelming pain.

⟬Allen, Allen? What? Hey! What’s going on…?!⟭

His vision expanded like crazy, making him dizzy. The sound of falling leaves became thunder in his ears, and smells of all kinds mixed inside his nose, making him want to vomit. His skin stung as if it had been cut by a knife, and he couldn't feel anything on his tongue because of just how heightened his sensitivity had become.

"Oh, my god.”

Allen's face turned ashen from the abnormal pain coming from his five senses.

⟨Oh, it's too soon.⟩

As the god blew out another unexpected note, Allen inhaled a turquoise-colored powder, different from the purple one.

Cough. Gasp.

After breathing in several times, Allen was relieved to feel normal again.

'Heightened senses are more of a curse than a blessing.’

The god apologized glumly, seeming truly regretful. ⟨I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. Please forgive me.⟩

"That's all right. I know it wasn't intentional."

⟨I’ll adjust it so that your senses aren’t so severely heightened—only as much as is possible to handle—in order to make sure this won't happen again.⟩

Just as the god promised, he felt his five senses getting gradually more sensitive, but only to an extent he could handle.

‘But how much more sensitive am I compared to my baseline senses?’

He didn't expect how much this could add to his strength, should the skill be employed productively.

Allen smiled and thanked him.

Julius was annoyed, evident by the lack of his normal, slightly subtle expression that showed his pleasure, but Allen was not embarrassed because he expected it to some extent.

‘I didn’t think he’d choose me over him…’

He’d only gone through the god’s trial in an attempt to find traces of his younger brother, but he didn't think he’d come out with such a reward.

The god then tried to bless the Knight Commander for completing the search. But he refused, saying he didn't want to be given any outside assistance.

The elves were surprised by this.

"I'm sorry, god."

However, the Knight Commander did not budge from his stance.

The elves normally would have shouted that he was arrogant, but they respected his choice instead, perhaps because of the aid he’d given them.

Having completed her task that Allen had ordered of her, Inellia came to stand at his side.

Natasha spoke next. "…Thank you, sir."

"No, Princess Natasha. I only hope that our relationship will recover."

"I'll do my utmost best for the sake of that as well."

"Well then, we shall take our leave."

After saying farewell to the elves, Allen left the Heavenly Forest.

Julius watched Natasha's back with lingering eyes until the very last moment, and Camilla watched Julius just the same, as if she’d realized something.

"Well…"

Allen, now in a very different environment, shouted as he watched Inellia ask Linbelle this and that. “Let’s head home!”

It was time to go back to the manor.

And…

'In a few months…’

Finally, the time had come to head to the Academy.

* * *

* * * 

A tombstone was erected for the dead. Though the dead didn’t really need tombstones. Such a thing was for the living, instead. For the remembrance of the dead, for the memories of the living.

Then who was a tombstone of the living for?

"Happy birthday, Sir Julius!"

"I've heard of your accomplishments in the Heavenly Forest! How incredible…”

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.

Allen walked alone in the dark hallway.

It was raining heavily outside. The black clouds gobbled up all the light that might otherwise have been in the sky.

"Sir, we have access to plenty of the finest gems—”

“Although I’m not sure what Sir julius would like best, I humbly offer this bottle of wine, aged 200 years—”

He could hear the chatter from the faraway banquet hall.

But in that dark hallway, there was no one but Allen.

"B-by chance, that egg next to you… Is that from the rumor…”

"It’s so amazing hearing all that Sir Julius did…”

Not even coming from his destination.

"Hahaha, thank you very much, everyone."

It had already been a day since he’d returned from the Heavenly Forest. In the meantime, the rumors had spread, and many nobles had their interest piqued.

"I would like to thank everyone who attended the banquet to celebrate my birthday."

They were so interested that they accepted the family’s birthday invitations, which they ordinarily would have ignored.

"As I reach the end of this year of life, I’d like to propose a toast to my health, well-being, and good fortune for the year to come—”

Their purpose may not have truly been to celebrate his birthday, but it didn’t matter. The family’s goal, too, was certainly to promote its own longevity.

The sight Allen came to see was finally before him once again after so long. The garden was still in full bloom.

The damp wind swept across his face, as he saw it at the corner of that familiar path.

A tower of stones. He’d piled it up right after his regression, and when he stayed in the manor, he visited it often. 

But perhaps, could it have been due to the strong winds?

“…It collapsed.”

Allen knelt to the floor on one knee. He didn't mind the dirt getting on his clothes.

“……”

And then he slowly began to pile up the tower of stones again. The stones, submerged in the pale soil, smelled almost fishy from all of the moss.

But what was the point of that action?

Allen laughed bitterly as he erased the thoughts from his mind. Soon after, the tower of stones stood once more.

"…There’s not even much time left. I won’t be able to keep seeing this for long."

Topple.

Allen watched as the small tower slowly fell apart.

There was no name.

No body, no offering.

Not even a will.

"Julius."

Just an empty cry with no meaning, no message, no value.

Just something to remember him.

Even if it was only an act performed for the sake of self-satisfaction, Allen began as if speaking to his brother.

"…Julius."

However, this wasn’t a grave.

He didn't think his lost brother was dead, and he wasn’t planning to give up on getting him back.

Nevertheless, Allen continued. He couldn't stop talking.

"It's already been so long."

He’d seen him in his forgotten dream.

"A lot has happened in the meantime. I’ve made new resolutions, and I’ve realized something again."

Whether it was real, fake, or maybe even just a fantasy generated along with the trial itself.

"How are you doing? I'm sure you’re doing well. I don’t really know for sure… but I’m sure you’re doing just fine.”

Maybe it was just a terrible delusion.

"A lot of really distinguished people came to your party this year.”

Nevertheless…

"Today is your birthday, isn't it?

Wouldn't it be a little unfair if no one really celebrated ‘him’?

"Here’s a gift."

He opened the cap off the bottle of wine he was holding.

“Your favorite. I hope you like it."

Allen forced up the corners of his mouth into a smile.

Perhaps it was because he’d been outside for a long time, the water droplets running down his face felt a little hot. 

"To Julius's 16th birthday!"

“To Julius!”

The voices from the banquet hall carried across the air, all the way to the wine.

The liquor, mixed with the raindrops, flowed down the stones, permeating through the stone tomb.

"Congratulations!"

Allen opened his mouth, savoring the cheers that grazed his ears.

"Julius."

He truly believed that he was alive. So then, someday, somehow…

"It's your 16th birthday.”

So, please…

"Happy birthday."

He hoped he could wait, just until he could kill the other ‘him’.

He sincerely hoped and prayed.

Step, step.

Then, he heard something.

It was the sound of hasty footsteps. Allen's cold eyes turned to the source—the hallway by the window on the manor’s second floor.

Allen shook the raindrops off his face, spreading out his senses. The black figure moved at a high speed.

‘Who could it be? The Knight Commander? Inellia or Linbelle?’

Maybe it was one of the guests who came for the celebration this year.

But the mystery person quickly disappeared into the banquet hall before Allen's senses could reach them.

Allen stopped concentrating on his senses as they stretched right up to the banquet hall entrance.

"…A beat late.”

It would be highly disrespectful to spread his senses out into the room full of nobles.

There was no way that the escorts brought there would allow him to examine their masters at will, so he decided to quit there.

Sigh.

Allen rose from his seat.

It was time to go back to his usual self. The ‘him’ who was always in perfect condition, fully at ease. The firstborn son of the Reinhart family. 

Under the shadow of the gray sky, the heavy rain washed away the pile of gray stones—Allen’s stone tomb.

* * *

Time flew by.

Winter painted the world white then passed, and spring began to arrive with the rise of new life.

Allen met with Acanders, who came to the city after completing the reorganization.

"…I'm a little late. I apologize."

The Acanders he met this time was different. Unlike the last time when he was drunk, he wore a neat uniform and lowered his head in a polite way, revealing his intelligent eyes.

"You have a very different attitude from before.”

“Since you have nominally become my master, shouldn’t you share your life with the public?” He added, "…if you don't want to be bitten by a mad dog."

Allen smirked at the sight. Standing by him, Inellia looked at Acanders with displeasure, but he didn't pay her any mind.

Allen certainly thought that this was much more like him.

'This is better than hiding your plans, feigning obedience.'

"So…" Acanders raised his bowed head. "What should we do?"

Allen recounted the story that he’d told Soned and Karik. Recently, illegal trade had been ramping up in their territory, and because it was being kept under wraps, it was difficult to pin down.

"You’ll hear more from the two people who will work with you."

"Alright." Acanders nodded modestly.

He had expected that he would be in charge of chores like this. Wouldn't it be strange for Allen to leave him doing absolutely nothing after working so hard to get him on his side?

"And… the most important thing you have to do there is to gather people."

"People?"

When Acanders hinted at his confusion, Allen said lightly, "You just have to do what you usually do."

"I…"

"Isn't it best to gather up the people who have a grudge against Julius?"

Perhaps sensing something in Allen's words, Acanders looked tense. "What are you going to use them for…?”

Would it be necessary for them to suffer the same damage from Julius as he had before they would go with him?

‘Or… depending on how he talks about them now, I can feel out how I’m supposed to go about this.’

Acanders was smart enough to think of acting like a fool in front of him.

But Allen, uncaring of what he thought, waved his hand in response. “Just do what you normally do. If you find people who have been hurt because of Julius, help them out.” Allocate those people to different tasks and train them accordingly. "You just have to wait for the right time."

"Wait…?”

"Yes." He didn’t intend to use them for combat. "It’s all just to prepare for the future, just think of it like that.”

"…I see." Acanders had yet to see Allen's true intentions, but still nodded. He didn't seem willing to tell him anyway, so it was better to just do as he ordered. "Then, what shall we name this new organization?”

"You know, I was thinking—”

⟬Wait a minute!⟭

He paused.

⟬I want to decide the name! Let me decide!⟭

Arcanders looked suspicious when Allen suddenly stopped talking. "Is everything alright?”

"Yes, I was just distracted, thinking of a good name.”

Acanders nodded coolly at his excuse. "Oh, is that so? Then, what name…”

⟬‘Skoll’! Do ‘skoll!’⟭

"‘Skoll’ sounds good.”

"Squall, like a sudden gust of wind… that sounds like a good name for us.” Acanders immediately agreed that Allen's—or to be exact, Vestla’s—name choice was good. "Let’s go with that name."

“Let's take this week off and start working next week. I'll introduce you to the two people who will work together with you soon."

"Thank you."

Three days after the conversation with Acanders, Soned and Karik came to him.

Allen had them all meet together with Acanders, then called them out separately to speak.

"What happened to that thing I asked about? Is it all ready?"

Before going to the Heavenly Forest, he had secretly contacted them.

"Yes, I had a lot of the necessary materials in storage already, so the preparation itself went smoothly.”

"Then…"

Allen looked at the manor where Julius was staying with a smiling face.

"Do as planned."