Ch.194 Stop Playing Gas! Just Tell the Truth
After seeing the lighthouse with Selena, we headed north.
—Grrrr!
We rode a dog sled across the Arctic, just as before.
“The weather’s really nice, isn’t it?”
It was cold—but perhaps because this was an inner world?
Compared to the real Arctic, the sky was clear, yet Selena glared at the sled, grumbling.
“You’re doing nothing while I pull this thing.”
She shot a cold look.
“Why are you even here?”
“Just… to relive mories with you?”
When we traveled to obtain the Trident of the Sea God, we grew close.
We shared a cabin to endure the Arctic wind. We shared food under the freezing skies.
I gave her ingredients. She cooked.
Looking back, I was utterly smitten with her.
And she, too, had risked her life to protect .
The Guardian of the Trident was too strong for to defeat alone.
Equality couldn’t hit its core. Levi’s Dagger couldn’t pierce its icy shield.
In the end, I used the Altarion’s Staff—and froze the entire lake with Stella Frost.
The backlash left unconscious.
That part was fine.
The real problem ca after.
I’d frozen the lake—but had no way to lt it.
Flare couldn’t thaw such a vast expanse. teor would risk losing the Trident.
So I forced it to lt… but failed to do so within the ti limit.
That’s when Selena must have stepped in.
She probably used the Altarion’s Staff while I was unconscious.
I was bound by limitations. She wasn’t.
Unfair.
Why couldn’t I use the Altarion’s Staff? Ridiculous.
Staring at the endless snowy plain, one thought trailed into another.
The Concept Artifacts—here called ‘divine power’—weren’t they ant to be my tools?
Then why couldn’t I use the Altarion’s Staff?
I could freely wield every other Concept Artifact.
But using the Altarion’s Staff always ca with backlash.
“Ugh. You dragged all the way here just to boss around?”
Her grumbling.
I grinned.
“What? Isn’t this worth it? After seeing your mories? The weather’s nice. The wind’s cool.”
It was too warm to believe this was the Arctic.
Like spring.
The sun ward the snow—but since this was a false world, it didn’t lt.
“Ugh. Forget it.”
Selena sulked.
I asked her:
“Selena. Can I ask you one thing?”
She ignored , still annoyed.
“Selena?”
“…What?”
Her gruff tone made smirk.
“You approached originally to kill and steal divine power, right?”
She never said it outright—but the circumstances were clear.
“…Yeah, I guess.”
“You had the chance to kill after defeating the Sea Goddess. Why didn’t you?”
She knew I carried Equality. Knew I was the Adversary.
Even if divine power was strong, eliminating —especially if I drowned beneath the lake with the artifacts—would’ve helped her cause.
The God of Death and King of the Dead’s plan would’ve proceeded unimpeded.
So why didn’t she?
Was it because without the Trident or the Staff, she couldn’t return to the New Continent?
But even then—she could’ve killed while I was unconscious.
I’d wondered this for a long ti.
“…It’s obvious.”
“Huh?”
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Would you just let the person you love die? Of course you run to save them.”
Her actions—trying to kill —and her words didn’t match.
“…Did you like back then?”
She nodded.
“Mm. Yeah.”
She no longer hid it.
After all—I’d seen her inner world, where we married, lived together, built a life.
There was no point hiding it now.
“Isn’t that a little too obvious? I an, you’ve already fantasized about marrying …”
“Kyaah!”
She threw the sled’s reins and pumled my shoulder.
“What the hell?!”
“Hey, you jerk! How dare you reveal a lady’s secret?!”
Her face burned crimson. Tears glistened at her eyes.
“What? You already confessed!”
“Shut up! You pervert!”
“A pervert? You’re the one who dread of marrying !”
Her face flushed, lips bitten—she shoved hard.
“Waaah!”
—Thud.
I tumbled off the moving sled.
Fortunately, the snow cushioned my fall—or perhaps Selena subtly adjusted her inner world.
“Selena!”
She vanished, leaving behind.
Then—
“Huh? The weather…?”
The surroundings darkened. The temperature dropped.
A biting, icy wind howled.
—Whoosh!
“No way! This is too much!”
I was indignant.
She’d brought it up first—now this?
Too far.
The wind was cold enough to freeze flesh.
Selena must’ve thought so too.
The sled turned toward . The wind slowly receded.
Phew… I thought I was done for.
Even if I didn’t die here, freezing in her inner world would’ve been hell.
She stopped the sled in front of , staring coldly at the seat beside her.
As if to say: ‘Aren’t you sorry?’
I carefully climbed aboard—
“Hmph.”
She turned away and drove forward.
Silent.
Staring only ahead.
Had I gone too far?
I regretted it silently.
***
The Four Heavenly Kings led their armies toward the Hell Gate.
“Succubus Queen. I’ve heard there are many human forces beyond the Hell Gate. We’ll clear the path—slip into the Imperial Capital and break the Ark of the Covenant.”
phist, the demon with long gray horns on either side, spoke.
Lilith nodded.
“Don’t worry, phist. My children and I will fulfill the Demon King’s command.”
phist replied coldly:
“Humans are weak. But don’t forget—Auros and the dragons are formidable.”
Gigas, whose lower body was a serpent, added:
“Hah… I thought dragons had gone extinct. They’ve been hiding, haven’t they?”
“Probably playing while leaving the Hero Party to handle things.”
phist turned to the Succubus Queen.
“Regardless, we must follow the plan. The Adversary and the Hero Party are the Demon King’s concern. Until then, break the Ark of the Covenant and strip the Adversary of his power.”
The Queen replied in a flat tone:
“Don’t worry. The Demon King’s will shall be fulfilled.”
phist nodded and moved forward.
Ten thousand demons.
He surveyed his army.
“Good. Armies of Hell!”
His voice echoed across the heavens.
“At last, the Hell Gate has opened. For too long, we’ve suffered humiliation at the hands of vermin—Hero Parties and humans. Today… we repay that sha!”
He roared, his army rising with fury.
“For the price of our rage, we shall grant humanity extinction!”
—Waaah!
—Extinction for humanity!
—Extinction for humanity!
phist turned to the Succubus Queen.
“You know what happens if we fail.”
“You… make sure the path is cleared properly.”
“I understand, Queen. All of you—advance!”
The Demon King’s army surged toward the Hell Gate.
***
We boarded the Freya, bound for the New Continent.
Captain Carlos and his crew looked delighted.
—Hahaha! We’ve succeeded in the Arctic expedition!
—Our nas will be written in history, Captain!
Exactly as I rembered.
“Hans?”
“Huh? Selena?”
She sipped beer beside .
“What are you trying to do?”
“Huh?”
She watched the celebrating crew and whispered to :
“Are you traveling to change your mind?”
We were retracing our journey.
Had she changed?
I asked, hopeful:
“Yes. Has your mind changed?”
She shook her head, locking eyes with .
“No. Nothing’s changed.”
“Hmm? Really?”
“Mm. So stop this pointless nonsense.”
She turned back to the crew.
“I’m not sure about the Church of Death… or the ga’s ending. I think… I’ll just stay here.”
The Church of Death. The ga’s ending.
Neither convinced her.
Her choice? To linger here.
“Then… can you at least trust ?”
—Glug!
She drank half her beer.
“Trust you… and believe in the ga?”
“No. I’m asking you to honor our promise.”
She turned, frowning.
“Promise? What promise?”
I smiled, watching her forget.
I’d heard won are moved by small promises.
I didn’t know if it was true.
But ours was tiny. So small, she’d forgotten.
“Let this journey end with that promise.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
I smiled brightly at her confusion.
“You’ll find out when the journey ends.”
She fell silent, thinking.
“Hmm…”
Long silence. She frowned.
“I really don’t get it… What promise did we make?”
“Huh? Disappointed? I rember our promise… and you don’t?”
I feigned sadness.
“Is it… really that important?”
She was right.
This promise was important.
It was the difference between saving the world—or its end.
“A promise is sothing you keep, right?”
She blinked her crimson eyes.
“…Yeah?”
Her look said: ‘Why are you asking that?’
I continued:
“Then… keep this one.”
She raised both arms in exasperation.
“Eek! Stop playing gas! Just tell the truth!”
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