Chapter 618
Ellen had returned to the Allied Forces' base.
On the top floor of the Holy Knight Order's headquarters, in the commander's office, I sat.
In total, there were five of us seated there, including myself.
Olivia Lanze, who had essentially become the ruler of all factions.
Liana de Grantz, who was temporarily staying for climate control.
Rowan, the new Temple Knight Order commander.
And Harriet.
"Ellen returned to the Allied Forces?"
"...Yes, I suppose she did."
I answered Harriet's question. After all, the Allied Forces' camp would be quieter now, making it a better place for rest.
But I felt that something had changed.
It wasn't that she came back to the Imperial Capital to rest; rather, her return had led her to experience something even more difficult to endure.
And I was involved in that matter.
Not from the beginning, but eventually, it turned out that way.
Although it was bound to happen someday, seeing the back of Ellen, who had become an entirely different person, was not a pleasant feeling.
"As you commanded, I met with Ludwig."
Following my order, Rowan had met with Ludwig.
I asked her to talk to Ludwig.
Rowan, the weird newcomer who was certainly efficient at handling tasks.
Rowan had full control over the heretical forces in the refugee camp.
Rowan was indispensable for unifying the heretics. Like how we had to use Antirianus somehow, even if he was dangerous and sinister, we had to utilize her.
"I left him alone, as you told me not to do anything, but I think it would have been better to kill him."
"Why is that?"
"He gave off the impression that he would stab everyone and slit his own throat too."
At Rowan's eerie description, Harriet's eyes widened.
Everyone in the room, including myself, did not particularly like Rowan. To be precise, we couldn't like her.
We captured her only because her value was too high.
"That's exactly like you. What's the difference between what you've done?"
"I wouldn't want to face an enemy like myself."
Seeing her brush off the comment like that, it was absurd to think she knew how bizarre of a character she was.
"Anyway, leave him be."
"Do you not think he'll pose any significant threat?"
I remained silent at Rowan's question.
Instead, Olivia answered.
"Yeah, what could he possibly do?"
Everyone seemed to somewhat agree with Olivia's words. Even Rowan.
Ludwig could not be a threat.
No matter how twisted an individual is, there's only so much they can do.
He had even lost an arm.
The reason Rowan could do so much with her twisted nature was that she had been involved in extensive covert operations.
If Rowan had merely been a twisted Inquisitor or Holy Knight, there wouldn't have been much she could do.
But Ludwig was a mere individual with no faction or power.
We let Ludwig go because he was powerless.
Everyone might think that was my intention, but in fact, it wasn't.
"By the way, if you thought he wouldn't pose any significant threat, why did you order to meet Ludwig in the first place? We could have just left him alone."
If we didn't consider Ludwig a variable, there was no reason to send Rowan to meet him. And to all of us here, Ludwig was too small a human to ever become a variable.
"Come to think of it, you've always seemed to pay subtle attention to him. This time as well."
Harriet tilted her head as if recalling past events.
Although I didn't care more than necessary, I had been more sensitive to Ludwig's movements than the others.
And sadly,
I had been more shocked by Ludwig losing an arm than by Delphin's death.
Ludwig wasn't on bad terms with me, but we weren't close either. We were in different classes to begin with.
And now, Ludwig, who couldn't be a variable anymore and had even lost an arm.
There was no need to make him meet Rowan again and explain things to him. It would have been unfair, infuriating, and frustrating. But what could I do? There was no reason to care about Ludwig in such a state.
If I felt threatened, I should kill him.
If it wasn't a threat, there was no need to meet and talk.
Rowan seemed curious as to why I was unnecessarily concerned about Ludwig.
Because he was a classmate.
The others seemed to accept it that way, and Rowan had no choice but to think the same.
And in reality, I didn't intend to harm my classmates.
Even if they posed a threat or tried to kill me.
As long as that moment wasn't imminent, I didn't plan to kill them preemptively just because they might pose a threat.
If they actually had a knife at my throat, the story would be different, but I wouldn't act preemptively.
It might not be my only conscience, but it was my last line of defense.
I wouldn't cross that line.
If I started killing someone who was a classmate just because they were predicted to be a threat before actually becoming one, I was certain that more strange things would happen.
For personal reasons and the inexplicable absurdity of this world, I had no desire to kill Ludwig or any of the others with my own hands.
Until the moment I was forced to face a situation where I had to kill them, never.
"There's no particular reason."
There was no need to give a specific reason.
They wouldn't understand anyway.
Only I knew that Ludwig was originally the protagonist of this story.
They wouldn't understand, but if they did, it would be a problem.
Because then, the conversation about killing Ludwig would emerge.
Only I knew that it was strange for the protagonist, who should have been an important person at this point, to lose an arm and be stuck in limbo like this.
Incredibly complex and terrible things intertwined, leading to this bizarre outcome.
Numerous clues and incidents had already taken place, but the event that connected them was the creation of the Death Knight by them.
They had created the Death Knight in the Tomb of the Saints beneath the Holy Knight Headquarters.
Rowan began investigating that incident. From the start, Rowan knew that the heretics and the Demon God Cult couldn't have the scale to do such a thing. So, she conducted minimal investigations, tracking other forces as suspects.
Rowan believed that either the Demon King or the Empire was responsible for the incident.
The Demon King's location was unknown, but the Empire was right there on the land she stood upon.
In the midst of that, Ellen, Ludwig, and Eleion Bolton returned to the Imperial Capital.
Rowan had obtained information about Ludwig, a former Temple Royal class member, who had recently started working as a guard in the allied forces. Rowan had deliberately approached Ludwig, hoping to build trust and gather information about the inner workings of the Temple.
However, while doing so, an order came to halt the investigation. Rowan ignored the order, and Eleion Bolton attempted to eliminate her. From that point on, Ellen pursued the case with Ludwig's help, following the leads she provided.
Ultimately, what we had done set other groups and individuals in motion. And in a roundabout way, the result was Rowan offering me control over the Holy Knights, the Five Great Churches, and the refugee camp.
It was completely unexpected.
When we created the Death Knight, we couldn't have imagined that things would turn out this way.
Now, Rowan knew that we were responsible for the undead incident.
Of course, she wasn't particularly surprised.
Every event has a purpose.
What had transpired would lead to some sort of conclusion.
Rowan understood that this was both an ending and a beginning.
I now knew that the world was constructed in such a way.
Of course, if I were to say this, others might think I was overthinking things, but I couldn't help it.
The complex series of events that originated from our actions in the tomb of the saints.
Was the true conclusion of these events my taking over the Holy Knights, the Five Great Churches, and the refugee camp?
Was that the real ending?
I sent Rowan to find out what Ludwig was thinking.
Ludwig was not someone to be ignored.
In fact, I was the only one who knew that he had the potential to become the strangest variable.
Ludwig.
Ludwig, who had lost his arm.
The four investigators eventually discovered what was happening within the empire.
And Ludwig found out about the collusion, conspiracy, and lies among the leaders and influential people of various factions.
Wasn't that the true ending?
Could the original protagonist really do nothing until the very end?
Was it possible for Ludwig to lose his role entirely?
The protagonist should get what they want.
The world is designed to give the protagonist what they want.
In one way or another.
I ended up taking what Ludwig was supposed to have: the Alsbringer.
If Ludwig were the protagonist of this world, and the world truly worked in such a way, then Ludwig wouldn't deviate from the course of the story.
I thought Ludwig was done for, but when he came back into my line of sight, I thought he wasn't finished yet.
It was impossible for Ludwig to leave the story, assuming that was correct.
Ludwig had to get what he wanted, which was revenge, and the means to achieve it would naturally be power.
Ludwig had become useless and had even lost his arm.
No.
From the start, should I have changed my perspective?
Had he not lost his arm?
I finally understood.
I finally realized.
"So that's... what it was..."
In order to give something.
I had to take something away from the beginning.
He didn't lose his arm.
Taking his arm was, in itself, the beginning of giving him something.
From the beginning, it wasn't about being disqualified. Rather, losing his arm was the pivotal event that brought him onto the path.
"What's that, by the way?"
As I mumbled words that I didn't understand, Harriet was looking at my hand.
"Ah, this."
The object that I had been rolling in my hand throughout our conversation.
"I don't know."
"I see."
I didn't know. I didn't know why I had taken it.
I didn't know what it meant.
It seemed like a meaningless object for Ellen, who felt like she had crossed some kind of end.
But still, it shouldn't have been discarded.
I put the round, white amulet into my pocket.
Nighttime.
A dark night when even the researchers were asleep.
But in the deep, deep underground laboratory where day and night became meaningless.
Even in the isolation chamber at the deepest part of the lab.
There were four people there.
Christina, arranging the prepared drugs and reagents in order.
Anna de Gerna, drawing a magic circle.
Louis Ancton, checking the magical tools and ritual equipment.
And.
In the center of the magic circle.
There lay Ludwig, shirtless.
Wearing a mask, Christina checked the tools, more suited for primitive surgery than for a mage, and said,
"Think it over again."
"Please."
"I've told you dozens of times that you could die."
"I've thought about it a lot."
At Ludwig's words, Christina frowned.
"We can find an arm from a living person, someone who hasn't been dead long. The success rate would be higher. It wouldn't be difficult to obtain. Just wait a little longer, and we can find an arm that's safe and ethically unproblematic."
"You know that's not what I want anymore, Christina."
"..."
Christina had tried several times to change Ludwig's mind, but she couldn't.
"Ludwig... Do you really have to do this...?"
At Anna's words, Ludwig nodded his head.
"I want to become stronger."
"..."
"I don't know any other way, because I'm powerless."
Fortunately, they weren't the only ones who ignored Ludwig and deemed him insignificant.
He had friends who didn't consider him nothing.
An extremely dangerous ritual with a high possibility of death.
But still, he wanted to undergo the most perilous one.
There were also those who could help Ludwig. Anna and Christina both knew they couldn't persuade him.
However, wanting to do it didn't mean they could do it right away, and they couldn't cast such a dangerous spell on their friend's body without proper preparation.
So, all three of them carefully checked Ludwig's condition, gave him medication for several days beforehand, and tried to create the best possible state for him.
As a result.
Louis spoke from outside the magic circle.
"Ludwig, I've done a thorough check of your physical condition, and you're quite different from others. Quite a lot."
"Different?"
"Abnormal, to be precise."
As Louis examined the data he had collected, he wore a serious expression, checking something.
Anna and Christina were already aware of this information.
At Louis's words, Ludwig looked puzzled as he lay there.
"To put it simply, your talent is really strange."
Before starting anything, Louis Ancton had meticulously examined Ludwig's physical condition and discovered a very peculiar aspect.
Other students of the same level had powerful supernatural abilities, or two or three, or even talents that encompassed other abilities. In Ellen's case, she possessed numerous such comprehensive talents.
However, Ludwig had only one talent: physical stamina.
A talent corresponding to the B-class of the Royal Class.
Ludwig never considered his talent exceptional.
But he was the only one with the talent of physical stamina.
"A strange talent?"
"I thought your talent was related to endurance or physical stamina, but it seems it's not."
"Ludwig."
Christina took over Louis's words.
Wearing tight gloves and a mask, she looked at him.
"It seems your talent is closer to vitality rather than stamina."
He had always thought his only advantage was not getting tired.
A talent related to vitality rather than stamina.
Ludwig didn't know the specific meaning of this.
Was the one talent he thought he had actually quite remarkable?
In any case, there was no need to know the specifics.
"Anyway, for now... that's a good thing, right?"
In a moment of success or failure, the talent could provide assistance.
He could understand that much.
"Yes, your chances of not dying are much higher than others."
"That's a relief."
"Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll succeed. Keep that in mind."
"Understood."
Ludwig was born with an abnormally high level of vitality.
It wasn't a simple matter of muscular strength or endurance.
The very source of life.
As if under the protection of something unfathomable, Louis Ancton had discovered that Ludwig had some strange power.
Vitality.
Louis confirmed that it was indeed a bizarre and alien talent.
After a while, Anna finished the magic circle and stepped back. Louis took something out of the prepared container.
It was an arm.
Something in the shape of a right arm.
As Louis brought the arm, Ludwig asked,
"Can I ask whose arm it is?"
Louis carefully placed the arm where Ludwig's right arm should have been.
"Larken Simonstite."
"I see."
Hearing the name, Ludwig slightly closed his eyes. It wasn't an unfamiliar name to him.
Larken Simonstite.
The traitor of humanity who had become a Grandmaster.
Saviolin Turner's predecessor, humanity's strongest.
His right arm was placed where Ludwig's arm should be.
Louis stepped back, and Christina approached Ludwig with her gloves and mask on.
It was uncertain how much would change by receiving just one arm.
However, one thing was clear: something unexpected would happen.
It was a simple transplant, but the arm being transplanted had once belonged to a man who was mentioned among the world's strongest, and had been further enhanced by dark magic and alchemy before being regenerated.
If the transplant and adaptation were successful, something unpredictable would happen.
With the arm of a traitor to humanity, would he annihilate humanity's enemies?
"Now that it's come to this, I'll make sure we succeed, Ludwig."
"I'm counting on you."
"Together, let's take revenge on the world."
A gleam appeared in Christina's eyes.
"We'll make everyone pay for all of this."
Although she had tried to give up and resign herself, once she had resolved to act, Christina could not help but think of joining forces with Ludwig.
Seeing Christina's eyes flicker with madness and vengeance, Ludwig looked up at the ceiling.
"That's right... a price."
"We must make them pay."
"I'm stupid."
"But no more will I ask others for their opinions, or seek affirmation that my judgment is correct."
"I may be wrong, I may be making a mistake, but I won't look for answers from others anymore."
"If I'm wrong, then so be it."
"If I'm right, then so be it."
"I will follow the path I have chosen."
"Everyone must have had their reasons."
"There must have been some reason, and perhaps it was something they had no choice but to accept."
"But if that's the case..."
"I can do the same."
"I can be like this too."
"I must accept my own helplessness."
"Just as they justify many things by saying they had no choice."
"I will justify myself, that in this world they've created, I had no choice but to become this person."
"It's allowed, isn't it?"
"If it was allowed for them, I think it's allowed for me too."
"Revenge..."
"Well, I don't think it's revenge."
"This is... yes, in their favorite words."
"It's not revenge or retribution..."
Ludwig spoke.
"It's just... an inevitable occurrence, I suppose."
Fate disguised as coincidence intertwined and intermingled.
The phrase 'there was no choice' repeated and accumulated.
Another inevitability.
It had arrived at a destination and starting point.
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