“I’m sorry.”
I’m tired of hearing that.
I clicked my tongue and kept my eyes on the Director.
“I can guess roughly. He told you there’s a way to save Dorado, right? That way must be connected to the problem you ntioned. That’s why El Cid headed to Server 1, isn’t it?”
Well, in any case, it’s simple.
He went to Server 1 to save Dorado.
“Going to Server 1...”
The Director coughed again.
“It’s not El Cid.”
“...?”
What is he talking about?
“As you saw in the viewing room earlier, El Cid used most of his seven-star power in Dorado’s final stage. To the point where it was consuming his life.”
“...”
“From the mont he cleared Floor 90, he was living on borrowed ti.”
I put my hand to my head.
I needed ti to think.
El Cid used almost all his influence on Floor 90.
So, the power he displayed during the raid wasn’t his full strength.
But that’s not the issue.
“He didn’t have ti left. It’s unfortunate, really.”
“Then Server 1 is...”
“El Cid’s goal... wasn’t Server 1.”
The Director continued.
“...It was Server 2.”
“Server 2? That doesn’t make sense. There’s nothing there...”
No.
It’s not that there’s nothing there.
I rembered El Cid’s final monts.
He refused to return to Earth, no matter how much I tried to persuade him.
Instead, it was as if he was asking
to kill him...
‘...’
The headache gradually worsened.
“Loki...”
“...”
“In your Book of Reversal... there is a master key that can unlock Server 1...”
“In other words.”
I continued.
“El Cid ca to Niflheimr not to fight , but to die by my hands?”
“...Yes.”
“So it was all an act?”
“...It could be seen that way.”
I let out a hollow laugh.
Yeah, that makes sense.
For the first ti, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
“He passed a troubleso burden onto . He knew he was going to die soon, so he wanted
to go to Server 1 and solve the problem instead.”
I crossed my legs on the chair.
“Who said I would?”
“...”
“Is your reason for bringing
here and saying all this also [N O V E L I G H T] part of the contract with El Cid?”
You tricked —thoroughly.
It left a foul taste in my mouth.
I felt like spitting.
“Master Loki.”
Cizel spoke with an expressionless face.
“Whether you go to Server 1 or not is entirely up to you. We will never force you. The Director even said it would be fine if you threw away the Book of Reversal.”
“....”
“Let
add one more thing. Even though it’s incomplete, clearing the ga is clearing the ga. If you complete the Townia mission, and if you are willing, we will use all our resources to send you back to Earth. Of course, as promised, with a large reward and a share of Mobius.”
I glared at Cizel.
She continued with a calm deanor.
“We are offering you a choice. To finish the mission and return to Earth to live a peaceful life. Or to stay here, face all the truths and destinies of Mobius, and continue another struggle. The choice is yours, Master Loki.”
“...”
“If you choose the latter, El Cid’s Golden Legacy will be a great help.”
The Golden Legacy.
I thought of El Cid’s ntos hidden in my room.
The Book of Reversal, the wolf-fur cloak he wore, and El Cid’s twin swords, Colada and Tizona.
All were invaluable items.
“What if I leave?”
“That’s fine. As long as you complete the mission. We will keep our promise.”
“What happens to Townia then?”
“I don’t think I need to explain that to you.”
I thought of my contract with the Black Dragon.
The condition was to clear the Townia mission to the end.
As long as I completed the mission, leaving for Earth wouldn’t break the contract.
“You’re offering a pretty ssed-up choice.”
“I’m honored.”
I closed my eyes.
Since I fell into this place, I had only one goal.
To return safely to Earth. Whether Townia fell or thrived was none of my concern.
But could I still say that now?
‘I am...’
Earth is the place where I was born and lived.
That fact hasn’t changed.
But...
I thought of Pria’s face.
I also rembered the corpse of Eloka disappearing into the deep sea, and Edis, who died in the explosion of the airship.
And the countless other sacrifices...
‘How foolish.’
I couldn’t make a decision right away.
I couldn’t just say I didn’t care about this damned world and insist on going ho.
“Take your ti to think. I understand.”
“...”
“El Cid’s insight was right. You’re a warr person than you realize, Master Loki.”
“Se, Seris-chan...”
“The effects are wearing off.”
Cizel smiled softly and grabbed the handles of the Director’s wheelchair.
I looked back.
At the corner of the office, a dinsional vortex was swirling.
“It’s the exit.”
“...”
“Our contract with El Cid is complete, so we are returning to Server 1. I hope we can et again soday.”
My head hurt.
There was plenty of ti to think, so I needed to let my heated mind cool off and think slowly.
Standing at the threshold of the dinsional gate, I glanced back.
The office, once filled with machines and computers, had turned into a completely different space.
Boundless darkness.
Red lightning crackled through the black mist in various places.
In that darkness, a man and a woman walked with a wheelchair.
The woman pushing the wheelchair turned to look at .
Her body was hidden in the mist, but I could clearly see the pair of glowing red eyes.
Above them, a na tag slowly appeared.
[73＠313§Ac靑⊙┌8≤9 Lv.999]
‘As expected...’
She wasn’t an ordinary being.
「See you in Server 1.」
The voice echoed from within .
A deep voice that seed to drain my ntal energy just by hearing it.
「Samsara... Seris-chan...」
「Indeed, from the seat of Samsara. Heh heh heh...」
The two disappeared into the darkness.
‘...El Cid.’
So, you placed your trust in .
That I would solve the problem.
A sword to conquer fate?
Conquer, my foot. You just dumped the burden on .
‘You should have said sothing that made more sense.’
I let out a deep sigh and stepped into the dinsional gate.
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