Fernandez’s sleep pattern was six hours every three days. It didn’t mean he slept in two-hour chunks, but literally slept once every three days. The minimum sleep required to maintain basic bodily functions was exactly that much, according to experimental results.
Late at night, he sat cross-legged on his bed with a sword resting on his thigh. For several nights, he had been conducting experiments to restore his magical energy.
‘The Diemonica body is too high-performance.’
-If I had this in my previous life, I would’ve finished my work by sixty.
‘If I were Diemonica in my previous life, I wouldn’t have even learned magic. What are you talking about?’
Fernandez flexed his fingers lightly and quickly traced the Beastman’s meridians. The abdominal wound was healing, and the magic circuits in his body had already been burned out by the divine bl**d flowing through him.
-Sssss…
With a sharp pain in his left arm, his magical energy scattered. He placed the Bronze Throne on the table. The Bronze Throne’s functions were slowly returning.
‘Once a day, huh?’
It had completely lost its functionality due to the reckless use of magic during the Infernur incident, but it truly lived up to being an ancient demon relic.
-Knock knock.
“Are you asleep?”
“Come in.”
Fernandez quickly hung the Bronze Throne on his wrist and spoke. Soon, the door opened. Abel appeared, wearing a thin robe and smiling faintly. She had just washed her hair, and as she brushed her damp locks, she sat down across from Fernandez.
“It’s quite late for a lady to visit.”
“…?”
“If rumors spread, it would be a big deal. A woman sneaking into a young knight’s room at night.”
Abel smirked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him. Fernandez chuckled.
“If you’re afraid of rumors, couldn’t you have come during the day?”
“That’s no fun. I came because I’m curious about something.”
Abel made a sullen face for a moment, then looked at Fernandez and spoke.
“You said you made a deal with Vaitas, right? That you turned the world back. So, I’ve been thinking, and it’s strange. Before you turned the world back, were you a Dark Mage?”
“Yes.”
“You must have been a very powerful being.”
“Depending on your perspective, yes.”
“Did you borrow the power of demons?”
“I even summoned demons.”
“Then why?”
Abel paused, choosing her words carefully. Even if he had been a terrible villain, that was in the past. His recent actions had been just and righteous. She cautiously opened her mouth.
“Why did the Temple of the Gods turn the world back for you?”
“The world will perish.”
“…What?”
Abel froze. She stared at Fernandez, as if demanding an explanation. Speaking as if confessing to the human guardian dragon, Fernandez opened his mouth.
“The world will perish. I hope it can be undone, but it might not be possible. This era is already rotting from its roots. In every town, city, and country where people gather, demon worshippers and cults have infiltrated, and the wise are falling for the temptations of hell.”
“Such moments have always existed, and yet you humans have always…”
“This time is different. Abel. This time.”
Fernandez’s eyes were weary. He shook his head.
“All five Great Demons will descend to the earth. The Temple of the Gods is sealed, and humans are weak. The heroes will hang themselves and d*e. That is the fate left to us. The fate I saw, and the destruction I actively contributed to.”
“Is there… hope?”
“There is no hope. There is desperation. And there is me.”
With a sad look in her eyes, Abel listened as Fernandez spoke with a firm tone.
“There is me. I came back for this, and I swore to do it. Abel. Call it disgusting hypocrisy, call it worthless atonement. I have not repented, and I never will. But there is me. The demon worshipper who brought down the largest region and rallied the most heroes in the last world.”
“If the Temple of the Gods revived you to save human civilization, why are you so willingly fulfilling their promise?”
Fernandez pondered for a moment. Could he trust her? Should he tell her this? Her goodwill was clearly not admiration for a human hero. Her feelings were closer to affection.
He wasn’t a fool. He wasn’t insensitive or stupid. If he were, he wouldn’t have survived this long. He was a Dark Mage who knew how to read people’s hearts and actively exploited their weaknesses.
But he had no right to take advantage of her goodwill. Fernandez spoke slowly.
“I agreed to save my son’s soul.”
“…What??”
Abel’s eyes widened. A son…? A son? He had a child? Then, did he have a wife? Humans reproduce sexually, so yes. That would make sense.
Right… Abel slowly composed herself. But a son?
“A wife!”
“…What?”
“Ah, uh. Hmm… So, you had a wife? Of course, a man like you would have one. Right. My thoughts were too short-sighted. A wife. A wife… She must have been a dignified and beautiful woman. Right…”
Abel rambled, avoiding Fernandez’s gaze.
“He hasn’t been born yet.”
“…The age difference is quite… We were a couple?”
“Very, very much.”
“How much…?”
Abel needed to know how much time she had left. If he didn’t exist yet in this era, she still had a chance! At that moment, a loud commotion erupted downstairs. The sound of armor clashing and horses neighing.
“Albert of Sernerd!! Are you here!!”
“…Uninvited guests have arrived.”
“They’re the guests I’ve been waiting for.”
Fernandez, feeling relieved internally, strapped his sword to his belt and stood up. He hadn’t expected them to come at night, but he’d hear their reasons soon enough.
Baimeer was causing a commotion in front of the inn on horseback. The inn’s servants dared not stop him. If a Knight of the Round Table wanted to make a scene, it had to be allowed.
“Knight Albert! I am Baimeer of Altheis! Come out and face me!!”
“May I call this rude?”
The inn door opened, and a weary young man walked out. Baimeer laughed heartily but scrutinized him with sharp eyes.
A lean but well-trained body. The black curly hair and blue eyes of the House of Sernerd. His features were rugged from hardship, yet he retained the noble delicacy of his jawline.
‘Ah, it’s like seeing Lucas.’
Baimeer’s smile deepened. He jumped off his horse with a friendly expression. A heavy thud followed. Clanking in his armor, he strode over to the young man and clapped his shoulder.
“Hmm!! Well-trained indeed. Tall, good bones. For a son rumored to be so delicate! Haha, the rumors must have been wrong! Good for you!!”
Baimeer laughed warmly, slapping the young man’s shoulder with his steel gauntlet. The young man winced slightly.
“Even if you’re a Knight of the Round Table, this is rude.”
“Rude! It’s been a while since someone spoke to me like this! Hahaha. Very…”
