What in the world had just happened?
Why had Alicia stabbed him?
Selian’s astute mind had already known the answer the moment Alicia plunged her sword into his heart.
It was an answer he didn’t want to know, an answer he had to know, and an answer he already did know.
His objective had been set. Although his goal as a Hero to defeat the Demon King had not changed, it wasn’t about abandoning that mission. It was merely because Alicia absolutely had to be part of his party, so he was determined to rescue her. Just as they had agreed with their friends, they were all going to defeat the Demon King together.
He naturally harbored no resentment toward her—toward the Alicia who had sacrificed herself for him in his first life, nor toward the Alicia who had stabbed his heart in his second life.
Even though Alicia had had countless opportunities to assassinate him, she had delayed the act, waiting and procrastinating.
In fact, when she finally stabbed him in the heart, her hand had wavered, and the pain on her face suggested that she, too, had likely been coerced into participating in the assassination.
Alicia was being forced down the path of assassination against her will.
And the person who could save her, the one who could free her from this path, was none other than himself. After regressing and understanding her identity, knowing what was about to happen, it was only he who could save her. No one else could. Only him.
For this reason, Selian pondered on how to act in this life. There were options: he could grow close to Alicia, as he did in his first life, to extract information about the assassination, or he could maintain a distance from her, as in his second life, and merely monitor her.
Truthfully, his heart leaned toward the former. However, was that really the correct choice? It wasn’t.
Recalling Alicia’s case from his first life, the one targeting him wasn’t Alicia but another assassin. There must have been a reason why Alicia, who sacrificed her own life to save him, didn’t confess about the assassin guild she belonged to.
Besides, if he grew close to her in this life, it risked repeating the events of his first life. Although his strength as a Sword Master could protect her from most dangers, he didn’t know the scale or threat posed by the assassin guild, so he couldn’t guarantee her safety.
Gambling Alicia’s life? That was simply unacceptable.
Thus, he decided to give up on this life. Instead, he would thoroughly investigate the assassin guild and aim for the next life.
All for the sake of saving Alicia.
*
Although he had experienced it in his second life, pushing Alicia away was always a painful and heart-wrenching ordeal. However, unlike the second life, this time he could endure the pain. The life goal of rescuing Alicia from the assassin guild sustained him.
Now, there was no need for unnecessary investigations into other people at the Academy. In his past life, he had already confirmed that there were no other assassins at the Academy aside from Alicia, so repeating this redundant work was unnecessary.
Of course, an assassin had visited in the first life, but that was an exception since Alicia had abandoned her role as an assassin targeting him.
Instead, he meticulously surveilled and investigated Alicia. Although he hadn’t yet retrieved the Holy Sword, and hadn’t regained the full strength of the Sword Master, which made his presence occasionally noticeable to the vigilant Alicia, he was careful to remain undetected.
He casually handled the Academy-related tasks, which he already knew thoroughly, and utilized the rest of his time back in his room, focusing it all on monitoring Alicia.
When she visited the training grounds to practice her swordsmanship, he would quietly observe her while practicing his own swordplay from a distance. When she studied at the library for her assignments, he would casually pick up a book from a distant shelf, pretending to read, while keeping watch on her.
Since he didn’t need to investigate for assignments like Alicia, he could use the time to read something unrelated to his tasks. Unexpectedly, novels—mere fictions in his previous lives—became one of the few joys in this life.
Not knowing when the assassin guild would contact her, he continued his surveillance even after she returned to her dorm room. From the window, he carefully observed every movement she made inside her room: studying, eating the desserts she bought from town, even changing her clothes.
Whenever she entered the bathroom for a nightly shower, it became his opportunity to search her room, as this was the only time he could do so without her noticing.
First, he thoroughly inspected the clothes she had worn throughout the day, left in the changing room. Since important items were often carried on a person, Alicia’s clothes were always among the first places he checked.
Next came her underwear drawer—a private space where people occasionally hid significant objects. Thus, even though he rarely found anything unusual, he made sure to examine every detail each time.
At times, he would even lie on her bed, trying to think as she did.
Of course, it was crucial to restore everything to its original state without Alicia noticing, ensuring no trace of his actions remained.
After the dormitory roll call ended, he would quietly slip out of the window, still watching Alicia until she fell asleep, tucked securely into her bed. Even after she seemed to be sleeping, he would wait for a while, wary of any possible contact she might make with the assassin guild.
Though intruding on her privacy made him feel guilty, this was an unavoidable necessary evil, driven by his intention to save her.
Of course, he couldn’t neglect his training either. Without yet being chosen as a Hero and thus unable to recover his Sword Master’s strength, and with the possibility that as a Hero he may still face challenges beyond his initial strength, he had to train diligently.
He would rise early, a couple of hours before Alicia woke, starting his training in the dim, pre-dawn light of the morning.
Though days, weeks, or months of this relentless routine tired him, the resolution to save her gave him the strength to endure.
Even if his health deteriorated, it mattered little, since he hadn’t planned to live long in this life.
As time passed, he not only regained his past strength after once again being chosen as a Hero but also grew much stronger at a faster pace than before.
From the start, he had both talent and diligence.
With the help of the Holy Sword and his training based on his prior knowledge of being a Sword Master, Selian’s skills advanced steeply beyond measure.
In truth, the most painful part of this tight schedule was watching her interacting joyfully with friends, far from where he could be by her side.
And now, that fateful day was approaching.
Just like in his second life, Alicia came to summon him with a sorrowful face.
Seeing her sad expression, Selian felt tears well up but made sure not to show them.
All preparation was done. His investigation into her was thorough, and the plan to save her was perfect.
Although he still hadn’t uncovered her true identity, he had devised a way for her to sever ties with the assassin guild and continue living under her current assumed identity.
So let the moment come; it was time to receive her blade with a light heart.
In order to help Alicia avoid mistakes, he stood with his chest fully exposed, making it easier for her to strike his heart, just as she had done before.
“Really… I’m so sorry… I can’t repay this sin… but please understand that my apology is sincere.”
Just like before, the same apology followed by the same piercing of his heart by Alicia’s sword.
But he felt no pain.
On the contrary, while he smiled, Alicia appeared to be in agony, unlike in his second life.
‘This is the complete opposite of the first life.’
Back then, he was crying, while a dying Alicia was smiling. But now, he was the one smiling while dying, and Alicia was the one overwhelmed with sorrow.
Remembering this made his weak smile widen slightly once more.
But, Alicia, please don’t be too sad. I’m content—I’ll be happy.
I’m about to go find my happiness.
I’m going to save you.
So, please wait for me, whether in the past or the future.
In this way, Selian found his third life strangely satisfying.
