CHAPTER 543
SIMPLE THINGS
Lucky stood at the back of a swath, her expression dubious, eyes glazing over the ‘battlefield’ that she could not understand no matter how hard she tried. Just a few moments ago, they fought with their lives on the line, outnumbered and outpowered, yet, out of nowhere, the other side had barely fifty left, standing about just as confused as Lucky herself. The rest? They decided to switch sides. One or two, perhaps, she could understand – but so many? She couldn’t.
Neither could Hannah or Alison who were standing at the epicenter of the change, glancing toward the strange, pale-skinned man next to them. The two repeatedly rubbed their eyes, yet nothing changed no matter how many times they did it. Fifty or so still stood on the opposite end, defiant, hundreds suddenly joining their cause.
“—you may not understand it,” seeing their confusion, Jonttar decided to offer an explanation, his smile somewhat stiff. “But, World-eater is… ah, it’s not the sort of existence that the Creator can just overpower.”
“Hm?” seeing that she was finally getting an explanation, Hannah focused her attention on the man.
“To put it into perspective, the general knowledge is that there are currently 14 World-eaters in existence. Of course, however, there are probably quite a few more hiding in the shadows. Regardless, those 14 remain untouched, free, unrestrained. The price the Creator would have to pay to kill them or subdue them is simply too big. Effectively, if those 14 banded together, it might not be impossible for them to entirely eradicate the Creator’s faction, roots and all.”
“… so that’s why the others decided to switch sides so quickly?” Hannah quizzed. “The roof is all-encompassing?”
“Hm,” the man nodded. “The protection offered by the sheer insulation of a World-eater is something that cannot be bought. Most of us are fairly old, uninterested in running about the vast cosmos and seeking treasures; we only wish to settle down someplace and not be hauled over time and again on missions like these. Moreover, a lot of us have families, and none are quite willing to hand their children the same fate they suffered – to be a soldier, a bug in a heartless army that didn’t care about us. We’ll still fight, naturally,” Jonttar provided insurance with a faint smile. "If it comes down to it. But, I must warn, young human; hearts are fickle. Be it me, or all others here, I would not trust us.”
Just as Hannah was about to reply, she felt a flicker in the domain above her, her heart growing taut; glancing up, her actions inspired others to do the same. The domain was ripped inside out, millions of flickering lights exploding outwardly like fireflies, vanishing soon after. There was no overbearing pressure that they had expected, no demonstrably bloody and cruel fight unfolding before their eyes.
Instead, the atmosphere was heavy – heavier than most had experienced in their lifetimes – and the fighting was nowhere to be found. A single soul stood breathing, three cold and listless. The former held one of the latter three gently in his arms, the other two floating next to him.
Lino shot a glance to the battlefield, his expression growing slightly dubious. Eh? What’s this? Shrugging, he glanced at the fifty or so that stood opposite to Hannah, throwing the two Agent’s bodies at them slowly.
“Bring them home,” he said in an indifferent, distant tone. “And warn that king of yours. This is my kingdom now. Next time… I won’t be as lenient.” Just as he finished talking, he put Ella’s body into the void world, shielding her from the gazes beneath, descending next to Hannah.
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Jonttar began shaking in his boots, a thousand thoughts blasting against the walls of his mind, not daring to look directly into the man’s eyes.
“… what’s going on?” Lino asked Hannah with a dubious expression, the latter sighing helplessly and relaying what happened.
"…" Lino glanced at the man shaking in front of him; he belonged to a Vampiric Dragonkin lineage and was fairly strong all things considered. "You forgot to zip your pants."
“… eeh?” Jonttar stuttered out, nearly losing grasp of himself as he heard the man speak.
“I’m not too familiar with your race’s customs,” Lino said, his expression wholly deadpan. “Are you inviting me over? Are you flipping me off? Are you exposing interest in pissing onto us? Which is it?”
“… I—I’m… not wearing pants…”
“… pervert.”
“…”
“See?” he then turned to Hannah who had a hand on her forehead already. “This is how you make a terrified man question all the choices he made in his life. Ally, lead the ones who want to stay and lock ‘em up someplace until I come down.” Alison sighed helplessly and slowly relayed his order; soon enough, the previous battlefield disappearing, only Lino and Hannah left behind, former gazing at the vanishing enemies in the distance, the latter at him.
“… I didn’t think you’d kill her.” She said lowly, gently wiping away the strands of hair that fell over his forehead.
“Me neither.” Lino replied, sighing.
“What happened?” Hannah asked.
"… they changed her," Lino replied after a short silence. "I don't know what they did to her, Hannah… but… the woman that came back to us was not Ella we knew. It was an obstinate, single-minded creature. Deep down, that resolute woman who raised me still existed, but she was buried beneath the layers of eroded sanity and reason."
“… an excuse?”
“No,” he shook his head, sighing once again. “Excuse or not, however, I still did something that the entire world will condemn me for.”
“… the world will condemn you for protecting it?” Hannah chuckled lightly, wrapping her arms around him from the back, hugging him tightly. “I very much doubt it.”
“… I’ll make a trip.”
“No you ain’t.”
“I have to.”
“Over my dead body.” She remained steadfast, causing Lino to chuckle lightly, glancing back at her defiant expression.
“I’ll come back,” he said, patting her head. “Some debts, however, I must pay immediately. Besides, because I did something stupid, I no longer have enough Chaotic Energy stored to revive the Edifice. So, I have to go and steal a bit from our good friends.”
“… haah, you really know how to make a gal feel utterly useless…” Hannah sighed, shaking her head in resignation.
"Somehow, I have a feeling I'll have an easier time than you," Lino shrugged. "You've a world-wide Empire to consolidate, a whole heap of newcomers that certainly cannot be controlled with just pretty words and a daughter who's begun developing some serious issues to boot. Comparatively, I'm taking a stroll up a slightly steep path."
“How long will you be gone?” Hannah asked.
“A few years, at most,” Lino replied, smiling gently. “Will you be alright?”
“… what do I tell Eggor and Cae?” Hannah asked while Lino sighed.
“Truth?” he said, smiling painfully. “I… don’t have the courage to face them just yet. If you want to, you can just make up a story until I return.”
“… it’s the least I can do,” Hannah said. “To lessen your burdens.”
“… did you ever imagine it?” Lino chuckled bitterly all of a sudden. “Back when I was a brat, in the village? That, one day, we’ll come this far?”
“I don’t think even the bards with the wildest imaginations could have ever even come close, let alone the poor, old me.” Hannah chuckled back. “Don’t tell me you’re still regretting embarking on this path?”
“… nah,” Lino shook his head. “It’s something I’ve chosen. I only regret always falling short of being strong enough to prevent so many tragedies from occurring. What about you?” he asked back.
“Regretting anything would mean regretting being with you,” she flashed him a faint smile. “So, I’m afraid, there are no regrets here. Go,” she gave him a light shove on the back, turning toward Noterra. “Give ‘em my greeting as well. And come back home safely.”
“… I will.” He watched her fading back for a moment, smiling, before turning around, focusing his eyes to the ever-growing beyond.
His body slowly faded, immediately reaching the sort of speed that could not be matched by anyone else. He traversed through the countless dimensions the reality was composed of, boring his way through the wall after a wall, his expression determined. It would all come to an end, soon. That was his only consolation at the moment.