NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 148
The snow began to pile up, turning the ground white, but a part of it was stained red.
The bright new white mixed with the crimson blood, its color becoming lighter, resembling a faint wine hue.
Come to think of it, I had never tasted alcohol even once while living as a knight.
If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have enjoyed a drink with my precious people now and then, just like the other knights.
Whoosh.
The spear pierced my chest and pulled out.
With it came the sensation of breath leaving my body, and all strength drained from me.
“Laydan!”
A scream came from just below.
The owner of the voice was Oko.
Ha, how amusing.
Even if it were for Gaia, I shouldn’t have forgotten my precious person.
Still, I was grateful to my body.
Even amidst this, the knight’s conviction had succeeded in saving a person on the brink of death.
And to think it was Oko made it all the more worthwhile.
“Uh, what’s happening…?”
The Knight Commander’s expression twisted as she looked at me, slowly collapsing against Oko.
Fortunately, it seemed that Gaia’s brainwashing had been lifted by my piercing.
Was she keeping her promise to restore my memories if I died?
There’s a time when such a sense of loyalty might come in handy.
The Knight Commander’s gaze fixed directly on me.
“W-What is it, Laydan… what have I done? Laydan!”
Suddenly, the Knight Commander turned and began to run in another direction.
As she couldn’t do anything herself, she must have dashed off to find a healer.
Whenever a knight got injured while catching ruffians in the Empire, the Knight Commander made similar judgments.
And most of the time, such actions increased their chances of survival.
But it meant nothing.
The weapon that pierced me was none other than the Spear of Longinus.
I had heard that divine beings couldn’t heal wounds from the Spear of Longinus unless they were healed naturally.
Oko was currently pouring something on me, but my body had no intention of coming back.
I thought maybe she could just reverse time like she did earlier, but that was not possible.
When the destiny of the world sought to kill Oko, I had chosen death solely by my own will.
Once a human’s will is involved, Oko would have no way to intervene.
But I don’t regret it.
Of course, I wouldn’t regret it.
My strength was waning slowly.
Ah.
So this is what it feels like to die.
Humans say that it’s the cold, loneliness, and hunger that hurt the most.
The reason we fear death is that we feel all three sensations simultaneously.
In a bid to ease my loneliness, I clutched Oko’s arm.
“Laydan!”
“Haha, Oko. Stop it. You’re going to tire yourself out.”
“If exhausting myself can save you, then of course…”
“It might sound harsh, but you know it won’t work, Oko.”
As I patted Oko’s arm, a strong tremor transferred through.
I had saved her hoping she would live.
But perhaps this became a shackle for her instead.
Yet, Oko would live long.
Oko was strong; incredibly strong.
The four top-tier abilities she’d hidden until now.
It must have been because of Oko and Apta.
If I thought for a moment, the answer would come to me.
A power that lets one see only what they wish to see.
A power that allows Oko to record what she observed in her own way.
It was nothing more than the concept of reality manipulation that only existed in novels.
More so than Demeter, whom I’d seen earlier.
Even more than Gaia, who was now showing that empty expression synonymous with creation.
So, someone like me was just a passing mortal.
It should be fine.
“…Why?”
A voice came from behind Oko.
It was Gaia’s voice.
“Why did you do that…?”
“…Of course, it’s the knight’s duty to save someone on the brink of death…”
“Don’t make me laugh! Do you think I can accept that? You’re a human, right? A creature steeped in desire! Then you should selfishly live by your standards! Why? Do you think you’re the protagonist of a story? Do you think that dying means you can resurrect?!”
Gaia began hurling vitriol at me, her face twisted with despair, likely collapsing under the contradiction between my actions and her firmly-held beliefs.
Such irony.
I took righteous action, yet I was criticized by the source of all evils.
No.
Being scorned by the source of all evils might just be the most glorious moment for a knight.
It meant I had performed a righteous deed.
Still, I felt pity.
I should say something to comfort her.
“Gaia.”
“…!”
“The humans you saw might seem like greedy creatures, biting and fighting each other, and going so far as to steal in various ways. However…”
My throat tightened.
I felt like if I didn’t concentrate on breathing, I might just stop right then and there.
But to say what I wished meant I had to force my abdominal muscles to breathe.
“…Still, they all act for something different.”
“….”
“Holding vast territories is so that their descendants can lead slightly more comfortable lives. Stealing objects may often come from bad intentions, but it’s also common that people who steal do it out of necessity to take care of their families. But if they betray those circumstances, there wouldn’t be a creature left to live in this world. In the end, the cycle of biting and snapping is just like the animals running across the savanna.”
With those words, my diaphragm began to harden.
The pain of paralysis was far worse than I had anticipated.
It felt like I was emitting a groan from the burning sensation of not being able to move what should be moving.
Dying in the arms of a precious person.
It felt strangely pleasing, just like the last moments I had witnessed of His Majesty.
I looked around.
Knights with spears were swarming in.
Among them, the Knight Commander was bringing a healer, and blood stained her spear.
“Don’t say any more, Laydan. I’ll surely save you…!”
“Oko.”
To this gentle-hearted deity, I gave my best smile.
“…Thank you so much for being with this pitiful knight. The days I spent with you were more valuable and precious than anything.”
Oko shook her head in distress, starting to speak something.
But I could not hear it.
In the fading consciousness, I looked at her one last time.
“Please… tell my grandfather… that I’m sorry….”
Right before my life ended, I still felt a whisper of regret.
What did Oko truly think of me? Did she genuinely have feelings for me?
If so, I would have conveyed my feelings first and protected everything.
But that was a futile regret.
#
In the arms of the Watcher lay Tanton.
Yet he smiled with a calm demeanor, already having passed away.
By the time the doctor arrived to check on him, it was already too late.
Just because he had been alive didn’t mean the doctor could save him.
It likely was just delaying the inevitable.
The Watcher forced a smile to hide the aching heart that felt like it would break, looking down at Tanton.
In a situation where he should have been the one to die, Tanton had saved an unknown woman while having lost his memory.
As he caressed Tanton’s gradually stiffening body, the Watcher made a choice.
An extreme one, but one that was the only way to meet Tanton.
The Creator approached the Watcher.
Her eyes appeared to be filled with deep sadness.
Although she must have committed an irreversible error, the Watcher felt no anger towards the Creator.
The Creator, who had been standing there silently, bit down and slowly opened her mouth.
“…Soon, the Second Princess will completely rampage. Jealous of the bond between the Divine and humans, she will utterly distort the forms of the divine beings who could influence her. The humans witnessing this will suffer psychologically as a result. If you don’t want to harm the humans, it’s best to leave the Empire with the Divine now.”
“…Alright.”
“…She is currently in a situation where living is torment. Even if she leaves her in a state of utter incapacity, she won’t take her life. Humans will be able to survive adequately.”
“Okay.”
As the Creator said this, she eventually found it hard to contain her emotions.
“Are you an idiot?!”
“….”
“Why do you not complain to me about this injustice? Why aren’t you angry? I took away something precious from you! Please don’t just stand there blankly…!”
“If nothing has been lost yet.”
“…?”
After pouring her heart out, the Creator bent her posture and looked up in confusion at the Watcher’s words.
The Watcher’s expression, which looked sad but not hopeless, met the Creator’s gaze.
As if she had already figured out a way.
“Gaia, this world has far more hidden elements than you would expect. Something that transcends the scientific and philosophical concepts that humans speak of. Facts that even you, who can only create, may be unaware of.”
“….”
“That doesn’t mean I think you’re arrogant. In the end, that paltry knowledge leads one to destruction. But fortunately, you didn’t perish. Except for Laydan and the Emperor, in the end, no one died.”
The Watcher smiled knowingly.
“So, has this experience been an important lesson for you, Gaia?”
“….”
What exactly had the Watcher seen to display such a relaxed demeanor?
Even after her frantic actions just earlier, now she seemed infinitely at ease.
“You.”
“Gaia, I probably won’t exist in this world for a while.”
“…What do you mean? Don’t tell me, you!”
The Creator looked at the Watcher with a horrified expression, but she seemed resolute in her intent.
At that moment, the Record Keeper, who had approached, looked at the Watcher with an anxious expression.
The Watcher offered an apologetic smile to the Record Keeper.
“I’m sorry, Apta. I think I must make an unreasonable request of you.”
“…Okay.”
“While I’m gone, please take good care of Laydan. He’s a bit more scatterbrained than expected. Whenever he seems likely to make a mistake, please let him know yourself.”
“Okay.”
“…A soul that has already departed quickly moves to another world. To retrieve a soul that has separated from the body, first, life must be breathed into that body. In other words, one must pay a price.”
The Record Keeper continued to look concerned, gazing at the Watcher, prompting her to exhale and gather her emotions.
“It will be until I return. And if you find something to substitute for Laydan’s life force…. Then please guide Laydan on the right path. The path that can save this world. If so, surely… when the time comes to do something right, I might just awaken.”
“I don’t have much confidence.”
“Still, I’ll give it a shot. I’d rather not see a space without Laydan.”
The Watcher held Tanton’s hand.
As she did, her body began to glow with a brilliant blue light.
The Watcher concentrated all her spirit on Tanton, smiling for no reason.
“You were my reason for living, Laydan.”
Gradually, her body began to become transparent.
Her essence began to flow into Laydan’s body, transforming into life force.
In response, Laydan’s head and eyes began to be tinged with hers.
With white hair and blue eyes.
“I wish you could see the truth as my power permits.”
Tears rolled down the Watcher’s cheeks.
Yet she smiled until the end.