My current state is different from the time of the incident when the Saint was attacked; I have now fully awoken.
Back then, I had only managed to recall one of my past four lives, but now I remember all of them completely.
I’ve clearly realized the true nature of the Hero’s power, and because of that, I was able to defeat Eden. Of course, it wasn’t just my power alone—it was possible because of Selian too.
Oddly enough, my past lives are even synergizing with each other, driving me to further heights.
However, because of this, I’ve come to understand a truth I’d rather not know, yet must.
It wasn’t the past story revealed through the broken mind-control magic when I awakened as the Hero. This is a different story from the past.
“Why…! I’m fine! My heart has been solely for El since that day. The only one who can stop or make my heart beat is El!”
Selian was shouting at me with a level of excitement uncharacteristic of her usual demeanor as she stared at me.
When I first entered the Academy, I sought her trust to assassinate her. After the assassin guild fell apart, it was merely to survive.
And now, I can say I’ve completely gained her trust. Truly, this is an overwhelming feeling.
She’s probably talking about the day from my first life when I took the guild master’s sword instead of her.
I sacrificed myself for her then, but even that was, in the end, a hypocritical act. If I hadn’t grown close to her, I would’ve ended up stabbing her heart instead of protecting her. That’s what happened in my second and third lives, in fact.
Even in those second and third lives, I hesitated to stab her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dragged out the assassination deadline for so long.
Looking back, I must have been unqualified to be an assassin. After growing up for ten years as one, I developed sympathy towards my assassination target. And to think I should’ve pitied myself first…
But ultimately, I did stab her—there’s no denying that. Even if the Master-Slave Mark forced my actions, it was still my choice to act.
If I truly didn’t want to stab her, I could’ve resisted with a will stronger than the mark, like I did in my first life. Now that I know it’s possible, there’s no longer room for excuses.
So this is the first reason I cannot forgive myself, even if Selian might.
“If… if you’re going to leave… I’ll stop you, even by force!”
Selian raised the sword she still held and pointed it at me.
Yet despite her declaration to stop me by force, her arms, exhausted from pushing her body to its limits, trembled under the strain of trying to keep up with my peak condition.
With just a light step—too soft for her tired eyes to follow—I quietly approached her.
Clang!
I easily deflected her sword, which flew out of her grip and landed far away, embedding itself into the ground.
Her tired state contributed to it, but even if she were in perfect condition, she wouldn’t be able to stop me now.
Currently, she isn’t more than an entry-level Sword Master.
Of course, that level is still highly regarded across the continent, but compared to the era when I fought the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army, it feels lacking.
Without the assistance of the Holy Sword, and with her body far from its prime, she’s overexerted herself trying to enhance her power, which has only delayed her recovery.
Had she not overexerted herself, her body might’ve reached its peak within two or three years, and she could’ve regained her strength from our previous lives.
But given her current state, even two or three years might not be enough.
She must’ve pushed herself hard, believing she would regain the Holy Sword. It’s a natural thought for her—after all, I never imagined being chosen as the Hero either.
But the Holy Sword ended up in my hands instead, making her choice ultimately the wrong one.
I cannot take her, in her weakened state, to the perilous Demon King extermination mission. I failed in the past even when I was stronger than I am now, so it’s the obvious decision to protect her life.
This is the second reason I cannot stay with her.
“…”
Seeing Selian’s tear-streaked face as she bows her head in frustration, I feel my resolve weaken. There’s an urge within me to comfort and console her.
That’s why I grit my teeth and turn away, hoping that not facing her will help me carry through this.
“Please don’t go!”
As soon as I turn around, her pleading cry reaches my ears.
I sense a flow of mana tickling my body, and through my heightened sensitivity as a Sword Master, I trace it back to its source—Selian sitting behind me.
Once again, I turn back to face her.
Her teeth clenched, tears streaming down her face, she holds something in her hand and sobs.
“Please… don’t go.”
“Of course you had it, Selian.”
In her hand was a Master-Slave Mark Scroll.
Thinking back to my fourth life, I remembered how the Master-Slave Mark on my body had suddenly disappeared. It must’ve been when Selian destroyed the assassin’s guild to save me, burning the scroll in the process.
But in this life, even though the assassin guild was eradicated, the mark remained. Meaning the scroll was still intact.
If she didn’t burn it, it was only natural to find it here, in her possession.
I don’t even bother asking why she hid it from me. She must’ve kept it in case I acted rashly again, like in my fourth life.
And here I am, once again acting without listening to her. Her choice was the right one.
I don’t resent her for not destroying the scroll. She did it out of concern for my life.
Nor do I resent her for keeping it secret despite my worries about the mark. Neither of us could’ve predicted that I’d awaken as the Hero in this life.
In fact, I should be grateful to her, and yet how could I possibly hold her responsible?
“Cel…”
Looking at Selian, who now clutches the already scorched scroll and pleads with me desperately, I call her name softly.
She must’ve chosen to reveal this scroll as her final option.
But…
“Cel, you know, don’t you? That such mind-control magic is useless on a Hero…”
Her choice was meaningless from the start.
Even when I hadn’t fully awakened as a Hero, how could a warrior wielding the Goddess’s sword ever fall prey to such simple magic?
The scroll, already half-burnt, caught fire again and was instantly reduced to ash.
At the same moment, I could feel the Master-Slave Mark on my body fading completely, as if erased.
Much like how the brainwashing magic naturally broke when I fully awakened as the Hero, the Master-Slave Mark had already lost its meaning.
Selian, who had been a Hero herself, must’ve known this.
Still, she pulled out the scroll, bracing herself for rejection—or worse—because of how desperate she was.
Yes. The Master-Slave Mark Scroll, which has tormented me so much, is the third and most significant reason I can’t remain by her and the others’ side.
“Cel, do you remember? The me from the second and third lives…?”
The barrier crumbling as Eden falls still needs a bit more time to completely vanish. There’s at least enough time for a brief conversation.
Normally, I would’ve taken this to my grave, but since she’s the only one who shares the memories of my past lives, I can confess this to her.
“At that time… no matter how much I was forced by the Master-Slave Mark, I ended up stabbing your heart…”
“But I don’t mind, I said!”
“But you see… the one I stabbed wasn’t just you, Cel.”
The story she doesn’t know, the story she couldn’t possibly know—this is what I intend to confess now.
