kscans

Chapter 86 - The Beginning of the End

‘No one notices.’

Madness and truth, piled up and woven together like gently falling snow.

No one knew where the lost magic power drifted and ended up. No one had noticed that it had opened its sleepy eyes and its pupils had squirmed, gyorori.

Not even the gods.

The die was cast.

The people of Arcadia knew not where the thing that had raised its head would end up.

"That makes three, right? Onii-sama, how are your memories feeling?"

Another year had passed since the incident in Donautil, and the twins were now eight years old. They would turn nine the following autumn. It was almost here.

Since then, the Little One had spoken with Prince Marcello of Flowers and visited Legion in the border forest.

"You should have told me important things like the little ogres being catalysts from the beginninggg!!"

The crisp sound, spaaan, was made by the shoulder bag the Little One always carried. Chihiro, carried into the air by Pochiko-san, had jumped from there and, with all her might, had slammed the bag down on Legion’s head.

The ogre Legion looked with sad eyes at the Little One, who had landed on the ground in a perfect 10.00 posture, schatt.

《...I apologize. I am... before being a Lord of the Forest, I am my master’s O-saki. ...I am sorry for keeping silent.》

According to the dejected Legion, when he was appointed as one of the guides, the young god had entrusted him with the black-purple magic crystal, having considered the worst-case scenario. In the event that Heislepe was lost, the young god had apparently intended to take over Arcadia. All the animals living here were created by the young god of the past. Although they were raised in Arcadia, their creator was him. The lives held in the palm of his hand until he was stripped of his divinity. If something were to happen to Heislepe, he would perish along with it. That is why he had set up an insurance policy.

To raise the magic crystal, in which he had sealed his memories from when he was human, in Arcadia.

The memories the young god sealed when he became a god. Even if he could abandon his divine self, he could not bring himself to discard these memories alone. If he lost the gamble, he would surely be stripped of his divinity and fall to a human. And that soul would most likely be reincarnated not into a world with no ties or connections, but into Arcadia, where the life from Heislepe lived. To lay the groundwork for that, the ogre Legion had made a pilgrimage, visiting the Lords of the Forest and planting the magic crystals. While leaving behind legends of the young god’s revival in various places. The reason those legends resembled the holy scriptures was simply because Heislepe’s guides were people who had come from Earth. For Heislepe, which had only the one young god, it must have been an easy teaching to become familiar with.

《This place was originally supposed to be the final land. It was the place to be visited last, after gaining memories from the other magic crystals. Because you visited here first...》

"A paradox was born, I see?"

《...Indeed.》

In other words, the revered one in the old legends was the young god Legion. It was a foreshadowing he himself had laid out, predicting that he would be reincarnated in Arcadia. A foreshadowing spread among the people of Arcadia beforehand so that when he regained his memories and power, he could seize control of humanity and rebel against the gods.

《When I came to Arcadia, my master had sealed new memories and power into the magic crystal. He said he hoped it was a needless worry.》

Neither the Little One nor the ogre Legion knew what that needless worry was. It seemed the young god had had some idea.

"So that’s why there were two lords in the Donautil border forest."

One was the original Lord of the Forest by the creator god. The other was an envoy from Heislepe that the ogre Legion had left behind during his pilgrimage. A guardian placed to watch over the growth of the magic crystal.

When the ogre Legion saw Chihaya, he had recognized the young god within him at a glance. He had desperately suppressed his desire to kneel and had made a pact with the Little One.

I see.

Cesare had his memories from when he was human purified and became a god of Heislepe. The memories he couldn’t completely erase were sealed into that magic crystal. Then, on the verge of Heislepe’s end, he poured new memories and power into that magic crystal and had his O-saki bring it to Arcadia. It was an insurance policy, and if he had won the gamble, he might have planned to collect it along with everything else in Arcadia.

But that very contingency had occurred.

Moreover, that soul has been purified and is now inhabiting Chihaya. Without the creator gods of Arcadia even knowing.

What on earth are those so-called higher beings thinking?

It was all a complete mystery.

Having thus obtained a certain amount of information, the Little One returned to Frontier.

"Isn’t it a bad idea to leave that as it is?"

Romel, who heard the report of the matter at the royal palace, tilted his head slightly.

"But we don’t know what will happen if Cesare regains his memories and power, you know?"

The Little One thought it was a bad idea to take Chihaya on the pilgrimage. There had to be Dark Magic Crystals somewhere along the way. Cesare’s memories and power would assault Chihaya one after another. There were eleven border forests remaining.

While holding the Little One, who was sucking her thumb, chuchu, on his lap, Romel spoke to her in a placating manner.

"I understand how you feel, Chihiro. But don’t you think that might not necessarily work against us?"

The Little One looked up at Romel with a complicated expression, as if looking at someone unbelievable. The girl’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her eyes wide, and her mouth hung open, pokan.

What are you talking about?

As the Little One’s face screamed those words, Romel’s cheeks couldn’t help but break into a broad grin, niyoniyo.

No, I understand what you want to say, but what’s with that face? It’s insanely cute!

Romel, who let out a light chuckle, bufu, cleared his throat lightly and explained his thoughts.

In short, he was saying that rather than unknowingly stepping on a landmine, it would be better to recover them after making predictions and preparations beforehand.

"He’s a former god, you know? We don’t know what will happen."

"And furthermore, he was originally a human from your world, wasn’t he? In that case, wouldn’t it be possible to have a proper dialogue and reach a mutual understanding?"

No, he’s the deadly poison of Cantarella, you know? He’s a man who became the byword for that Borgia family, you know? Ahh, how am I supposed to explain this!

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Romel did not know of the Borgia family. She had explained, but in Arcadia, which had a similar medieval feel, it was not considered unusual and was laughed off.

But maybe his suggestion isn’t so bad?

While bickering with Romel, the Little One somehow came to understand what he was saying. Running away wouldn’t start or end anything. Regretting something after doing it might be better than regretting not doing it. They say a wise man does not court danger, but they also say to not do what is right when one sees it is to lack courage. In the current situation where she didn’t know which was correct, it was better to have all the information she could get.

And so, the collection of Cesare’s memories began, doubling as the Little One’s pilgrimage.

"This makes six, I guess? The pilgrimage is going smoothly."

Having traveled from the Flowers borderlands to Donautil, the Little One had also visited the forest between the two countries and was steadily visiting the border regions.

The Lord of the Forest between the two countries was a squirrel.

A human-sized squirrel.

It goes without saying that the Little One went into a frenzy of delight.

After rebuilding the forest, she next visited the border forest to the northeast of Donautil. The forest was in a wasteland that bordered another country. The one who greeted the Little One and her party was, of all things, a centipede. The knight order screamed, but only in their hearts, at the sight of the beaded creature writhing about, washawasha.

In the center of a vortex of centipedes of all sizes was a giant centipede, looking down on the Little One’s party from a great height.

《Welcome. We have been waiting for you.》

The border forests, which were pseudo-connected by the magic stones the Little One sent, were now able to make faint contact with each other. It was the same as Frontier’s Golden Ring. And so, the border lords, having heard of the Golden King’s visit, had been waiting eagerly.

Having visited the border forests one after another, the Little One’s party finally found a forest where a Dark Magic Crystal had been planted.

Far to the east of Donautil. In a position that would be due north from Frontier, lies the Sucaraba Kingdom. In a forest on the border between the wilderness and the sea near there, the magic crystal in question was growing. Because she had taken a large detour, the Little One ended up visiting only countries near the border regions. If not for the groundwork laid by Frontier and the support of Donautil, which was technically a neighboring country, things would not have gone so smoothly. To cut through the central region, she would have had to pass through many more countries, so the Little One preferred to use the detour route. She had the Honeybee Carriage. If she flew, it would be over in an instant. It was much faster than clumsily traveling by land.

The Sucaraba Kingdom, with letters from Donautil and Frontier, also let the Little One’s party pass through, saying they were free to do as they pleased as long as they did not enter the country.

It was a great help.

"We’ve come to make a pact~"

A giant chicken smiled faintly at the approaching Little One. And with it, surprisingly, a giant mantis.

Ah, before she could even think, the Little One and her party were swallowed by the ground. There were two lords. This alone told the Little One that a magic crystal was here. The green land, which at first glance seemed to be covered in vines, was actually an entrance to a cave with holes everywhere. The destination they were carried to after being swallowed by the vines was, as expected, a cave of a Dark Magic Crystal.

"This has become a standard pattern, hasn’t it? Is this also information from the other lords?"

The chicken and the mantis nodded at the wryly smiling Little One.

《We heard it was necessary.》

《Master... It has been a long time.》

The mantis knelt before Chihaya, and tears flowed, hotahota.

‘I am sorry. My memories are insufficient. I do not remember you... but you have served me well. I thank you.’

《Such gracious words.》

Dark magic power burst forth from the magic crystal behind the lords and enveloped Chihaya with a roar. At the same time, Chihiro let out her golden magic power, canceling out the dark magic. The entangled magic was instantly sucked into their respective needle crystals. The golden magic into Chihaya. The dark magic into Chihiro.

Cesare, who had been closing his eyes for a while, suddenly blinked, fu, and looked at the Little One.

‘I see, I am Cesare Borgia. I went from cardinal to soldier. ...I was aiming to become Pope, yet why? I wonder?’

Cesare tilted his head.

The Little One knew the historical account. He could not become Pope because he was an illegitimate child. Although it was only speculation by later historians, it was written that Cesare, in despair over this fact, had killed his legitimate younger brother and thrown himself into a bloody conflict. That his desperation and despair were the cause of his violence towards his sister as well.

The past Cesare, who had cursed, destroyed, and ruined everything.

When he remembered that again, what would become of him?

Furthermore, she had heard that his memories from when he was a young god were also sealed. And his power as well.

What would Cesare, who had regained all of that, choose to do? Chihiro prayed that Cesare’s madness would not be directed at Chihaya. If, by some chance, he were to harm Chihaya, she would cut Cesare down without mercy.

However, the Little One, who was staring at her brother with a dangerous glint in her eyes, had forgotten.

That the Dark Magic Crystal had once been a seed. That the Dark Magic Crystal towering before her now was the grown form of that seed.

And the purified boy had also forgotten. The reason he knew how such a method of power inheritance was possible. The fact that he was about to tread once more upon the ruts of the abominable calamity that had once befallen Heislepe.

Known only to the higher beings, the end of the world was now beginning.