The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 64

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 64

“You slept for exactly two days. That’s what happens when someone fires twelve Matan shots when they used to faint after just seven. With a body that had barely returned from deployment… Sometimes I really think you’re more insane than Ethan, just like he says.”

“Insane? I made a rational judgment. That was the optimal way to kill the Kraken while minimizing casualties in that situation. You know that too.”

“Ah, yes, that damn ‘optimal strategy’ of yours.”

Gid gritted his teeth. Rita quickly changed the subject, worried he might mention her death again.

“Come to think of it, the Kraken appearing means magical contamination has really begun, right? What’s the situation? Don’t tell me war has already broken out?”

“Not yet. The Sun’s fire hasn’t been extinguished, and magical beasts haven’t overrun everything.”

“Even though something like a Kraken suddenly popped up, it’s still ‘not yet’?”

“That was probably a separate incident.”

“What?”

“We had an unfinished conversation earlier.”

He got up from the bed and extended his hand. Rita naturally took his hand and stood up. With his lips curved deeper, Gid led her toward the sofa.

As they sat down, he began to speak.

“Do not fear death. Your deaths will—”

“Become seeds of hope.”

She completed the maxim. Gid nodded and spoke with a smile that was almost mocking.

“Rita, this maxim wasn’t some prophecy or advice from the great mage. It was literally just wishful thinking.”

“Pascal said those words would save us someday.”

“Salvation, yes, that’s salvation. If we really become seeds of hope and prevent the predetermined destruction. But at that time, Pascal’s words were nothing but a blatant lie.”

“Why?”

“As you deduced, Pascal’s other purpose and true goal in creating us was historical modification. Changing the past through us who know the future. But here’s the thing—Pascal never successfully made even a single person ‘return.'”

“Pascal… never made anyone return?”

“That’s right, they all failed. The countless Pascal’s Children he created all just died. Not a single one returned to the past. And he knew it too. That dying in the future wouldn’t allow return to the past. That there were no seeds of hope to change history.”

“Wait, wait. Then what are we? We returned, didn’t we? All our squad members returned too, right? Oli, Ethan, Sera, Is, and even Luca—didn’t they all return?”

“Of course, we all returned. But that wasn’t Pascal’s achievement. We accomplished it ourselves. By chance, miraculously, and inevitably.”

Gid’s eyes sank deeply as if wandering to distant places. Rita stared at him blankly, then remembered something.

Something Pascal didn’t have, but the Beacon Squad did. Something capable of creating miracles. She slowly opened her mouth.

“The star.”

“…”

“We were the only ones who succeeded in returning because of that star’s power.”

“…I found out after you died. Your death was… different.”

“What was different about it?”

“You were erased from the world.”

“Huh?”

“If you no longer existed in the future, maybe you had returned to the past. By chance, miraculously. I clung to that hope and worked toward it. So our return was inevitable.”

Gid propped his arms up and covered his mouth with both hands. With his face half-hidden, he continued in a hoarse voice.

“That’s how we inherited Pascal’s failed experiment and succeeded. A true ‘return.'”

“Wait, explain in detail. What do you mean I was erased? What did you all do?”

“Ask Oli for the details later.”

Gid laughed quietly and added.

“I don’t trust myself to explain it properly.”

Not with a sound mind.

I’d surely pour out emotions too deep for you to handle. When to you, I’m probably just a comrade and fellow trainee who’s been with you the longest.

He swallowed those words and created a light smile as he removed his hands from his mouth.

“Anyway, in conclusion, we safely returned from the future. And Beacon’s immediate task is to prevent the disaster of magical contamination and change the history of destruction. All the squad members are already active for that purpose. We have specific goals and operational plans too—do you want to know?”

“Of course I need to know. Are you planning to carry out operations without me?”

“Honestly, I’d like to hide you away and lock you up in some safe house.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“What if I said I was serious? You wouldn’t let me get away with it, would you?”

“Is that even a question?”

“That’s why you shouldn’t have performed that ‘optimal strategy’ right in front of me. Seeing that made my eyes roll back, so I keep spouting nonsense.”

“I’m sorry about that… So where are the other squad members? I want to see them.”

“You’ll be able to meet them soon. When they hear you’ve returned, they’ll all drop what they’re doing and come running, but we have a regular meeting on the 1st of every month anyway. It’d be better to see everyone together then.”

“The 1st is soon. Where do you hold the meetings?”

“At the flower shop Is set up in the capital.”

“…Is returned and opened a flower shop?”

“Yeah, that’s the first thing he prepared when he arrived. By the way, don’t be surprised by how huge it is. It’s called a flower shop, but it’s practically a botanical garden.”

“That’s so like him.”

Rita burst into quiet laughter. Gid stared at her as if entranced, then touched the corner of her upturned lips. Rita blinked.

“Why?”

“Hm?”

“Is there something on my mouth?”

“Ah.”

He looked down at his hand as if it were foreign, then naturally withdrew it and grinned.

“You just looked pretty.”

“Mm… It is a pretty face, I’ll give you that.”

“Rita’s become as shameless as me.”

“It doesn’t feel like my face. I can only see it in mirrors, so it still feels strange.”

“So you can make objective judgments?”

“That’s right.”

“Mine wasn’t an objective judgment.”

“Of course not, your face doesn’t look much different from before anyway. Plus, you’ve already lived with that face for four years.”

“I wasn’t talking about my face…”

Suddenly Gid trailed off.

He looked toward the window, twisted his expression, and flared up with a menacing aura before taking a deep breath and calming down.

“Gid? What’s wrong?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, he smiled bitterly.

“I swore so firmly that I wouldn’t live like my father, but I never knew I’d waver this easily… Damn it.”

“What?”

“There isn’t much time left, Rita.”

Gid stood up, picked up a robe that had been neatly folded to one side, and draped it over her shoulders as she sat in her nightgown.

“I have a lot of questions for you. What you meant about your disappearance being a kidnapping, and what that maid who looks like you is about.”

“That’s—”

“I’ll send you a meeting invitation, so tell us there. Let’s meet again on the 1st.”

As he spoke quickly and helped her tie the robe, a loud bang came from outside. Gid clicked his tongue.

“Your brother is quite impatient. This is going to be troublesome to cover up quietly.”

“My brother?”

“Yeah, your second brother is on the verge of committing treason right now. Or has he already committed it? The witness is, um…”

Rita’s face went pale as she understood his meaning. Gid walked to the window with a playful laugh.

“Don’t worry, Rita. Cleaning up messes is my specialty. I’ll make it so nothing happened.”

As he opened the window and looked down, he shamelessly waved at someone below.

Only then did Rita sense the presence of someone outside. At the same time, she belatedly realized that her detection range had been limited to just the room until now.

‘I couldn’t perceive anything outside at all, but I didn’t feel anything was wrong… Gid was capable of doing this? How? Why?’

Before she could continue her questions, someone climbed up the wall and leaped through the window. Gid stepped back from the window with the same smiling face.

Richard, his eyes bloodshot as if half out of his mind, sat on the windowsill holding a sword in one hand, glaring at Gideon. When he spotted Lillieta, his expression changed drastically.

“Lili!”

He rushed over frantically, grabbed her, and hid her behind him. Then, with a face mixed with deadly resolve and fury, he pointed his sword at Gideon.

“You bastard…!”

“Richard!”

“Lillieta, I’m sorry I’m late. I should have come faster somehow.”

“No, Richard, there’s a misunderstand—”

“It’s okay, I’ll handle this somehow, you’ll be fine.”

A red aura rippled along the blade aimed at the Crown Prince. Gideon watched the siblings quietly, then smiled broadly.

“The role of the villain who kidnapped and imprisoned the princess is quite interesting. It makes me want to act the part properly.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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