But that didn’t mean that I could let my guard down. I would need to think of backup plans that would run concurrently, just in case the main plan failed.
Moving people, in and of itself, was easy. All you needed to do in order to guide people in the direction you wanted, was to prod the weaknesses that everyone had in their hearts.
The problem was the occurrence of unpredictable events that you couldn’t account for. No matter how far ahead you anticipated, there would be nothing you could do about sudden incidents, and their resulting irreversible consequences.
What worried me more than anything else was whether the Variant would really cross over in six months.
According to Harold, the initial prediction was that it would cross over in a year. And now, it had shortened to only six months. That fluctuation was too big, and there was a risk that it could be shortened even more. Still, it probably wasn’t going to cross over today or tomorrow, but the possibility of it shortening by another month or so wasn’t zero.
The time schedule of my plan to become one of the Regalia in six months, and to be immediately acknowledged as a worthy commander-in-chief, was already very tight to begin with.
If the timing were to be shortened by a large degree, it would be absolutely impossible for us to play an active part in the battle against the Variant.
Even if we devoted ourselves desperately to raising our fighting strength, and made the best use of every underhanded method available, shortening it by one month would be the limit. In other words, I could complete the preparations for accomplishing my plan in about five months, but it was questionable whether the Variant would take five months to cross over.
Of course, I had no intention of giving up until the very end, but God only knows what will ultimately happen in the end.
「……God, huh」
The concept of God exists in this world, but no one has ever seen Him. No, that wasn’t strictly true, but it was only self-proclaimed, and the truth could not be verified.
Led by the Church of the Holy Cross, each religious organization defined God as they pleased, and controlled their followers using their teachings and precepts.
It was truly absurd.
Even if it only had a moral code in the beginning, it would eventually end up with a doctrine that was convenient for the organization’s leaders, letting them line their pockets and satiate their lust for power. Seeing that kind of abominable behavior, what part of God was there for me to believe in?
On one hand were the homeless children who had starved till they were nothing but skin and bones, and on the other were the fat self-proclaimed clergymen indulging in their love for boys; it was insane.
If I were God, I would strike them dead the moment scum like that did such outrageous things in my name. And yet, they did not receive divine punishment at all. In other words, that was probably proof that there is no God in this world. --The young me, who though that, had asked Grandfather.
Is there a God? I asked.
「I believe there is」
Grandfather's answer was unexpected. Although Grandfather was a hero when he was young, I knew that he was also a hopelessly rough person, so I doubted my ears when I heard that.
I had thought for sure that Grandfather would answer with a “no” to my question. I had only asked Grandfather because I had wanted to hear the answer I desired. Basically, I had wanted Grandfather, who was the person I respected and trusted the most, to confirm that God did not exist.
However, when I thought about it, it had been a long time since Grandfather had been feared as Over Death. It was possible that Grandfather, who had become more mellow after having a family, might have had a change of heart. Also, because he had lost his spouse and daughter, he might be praying that God would save their souls.
Even though I was able to think of such reasons, it was still a big shock to me, and I remembered freezing in place with my head still tilted.
「Is it so strange that I believe in God?」
When I nodded, Grandfather roared with laughter.
「Gahahaha, that’s understandable! But I didn’t become religious because I became old and faint-hearted, you know? I’ve believed in God since I was young」
「……Have you ever met Him?」
「Certainly not! Don’t confuse me with one of those fake saints. The God I believe in doesn’t have a definite form, it's everything in this world」
「What do you mean?」
「Religions manipulate their followers with a God that’s convenient for them, but that’s only a product of their imagination. A true God is definitely not something that’s only convenient for humans, but one that resides in all things, and is the coalescence of their fates. If I were to compare it to something, I would say that it’s like a big river. We are but a drop of water flowing inside it. We cannot go outside the river on our own volition. But if we accept that we’re simply water as well, we won’t just be a drop of water, but the big river itself」
At that time, I wasn’t too sure that I understood what Grandfather was saying. When I tilted my head again, Grandfather smiled gently.
「It might be too early for Noel. But someday, a time will come when you'll understand. --Don't go against the flow. Accept it. It’s not humanly possible to change the flow, but if you stand at it’s crest without opposing the current, it’s equivalent to controlling the flow in it’s entirety」
Grandfather's large rock-like hand patted my head gently.
「Noel, if you can do that, then you’ll probably become God. I believe that you have that power to do that」
At that time, I could only vaguely understand what Grandfather wanted to convey. But now that I had become a Seeker, I truly understood what it is he meant.
To sum it up, if you accept all fate, and still have the will to aim for the top without losing yourself, then you will surely obtain the future you want someday.
Essentially, don't give up and keep on applying yourself diligently.
At the end of the day, that was the best way. Even if I was covered in mud, or even if I was branded a demon, it would all pay off if I’m the winner in the end. If standing at the peak of the path I sought meant becoming God, then I didn’t mind being a Demon until I reached my goal.
Because, in this merciless world, results are everything.
「Hey, Noel!」
On my way back to the imperial capital, I unexpectedly heard someone call out to me. Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Leisha waving her hand. She came over with a smile. Behind her was everyone from Lightning Bite. No, not just Lightning Bite. Fist King, led by Logan, and even Scarlet Lotus Flower, led by Veronica, were there as well.
As I observed the large crowd, before I knew it, Leisha was standing beside me.
「Hi! What are you doing?」
「I'm taking a walk. What about you? And what’s the gathering for?」
Was what I asked her, but I had a rough idea of what was going on.
「Oh, that…… Until just now, the leaders were dueling one another. They had an agreement that the winner would be the leader of the merged party, you see」
「I see」
「Did you, by any chance, already know about it? You certainly have your ear to the ground, don’t you?」
「I guess」
I knew that Veronica, in an attempt to outmaneuver the others, had proposed a merger with Lightning Bite and Fist King. I had been curious about how the situation would unfold, but it seems like Wolf and Logan had accepted the merger.
From my perspective as someone who had also merged with the Sky Winged Knights, I knew quite well that merging organizations was the most effective way of becoming stronger quickly. It wasn’t without its problems, but the benefits were huge.
「So, who won?」
Well, looking at Leisha’s demeanor, I could tell who the winner was.
「It goes without saying that I’m the winner!」
The person who had appeared while speaking boldly was Wolf, the leader of Lightning Bite. The armor that he was wearing was battered, and he was leaning on his ally’s shoulder for support as he walked, but his face was bursting with confidence.
Above all, I could tell just by looking at him that the nature of his strength was different from before. It appeared that he had retrained himself quite a bit since I last saw him. The current Wolf had undoubtedly become B Rank.
He had done well becoming this strong in the short time since I had tried to light a fire under him. It was probably the result of his innate talent meshing with his steadfast will.
「Congratulations, Wolf. You’ve suddenly become the leader of a large party」
「……This isn’t the result I wished for though. In truth, I wanted to continue on as just Lightning Bite」
「If so, why did you choose to merge?」
When I tilted my head, Wolf laughed, as if mocking himself, then looked straight at me.
「It’s so that I won’t lose to you, Noel」
Those defiant words were so unlike the usually easygoing Wolf. No, I suppose he was emphatically throwing down a challenge to me.
「Upon our return to the imperial capital, we’ll apply to create a clan. We still can't reach the Snake, but we’ll definitely catch up someday. No matter how much time it takes, we’ll prove that we’re indeed the strongest. That’s why you should also keep on winning」
Wolf laughed audaciously, but suddenly winced from the pain of his wounds.
「Hehe, you’re saying something manly, but you’re such a sorry sight that it’s wasted, you know?」
「Shut up. I’m not going to let you take all the good parts. I'll definitely make you regret not becoming our ally」
「I won’t hold my breath for that one」
「Keep flapping your gums, you snake」
Wolf laughed happily and thrust his fist out. When I bumped his fist lightly with mine, he nodded contentedly, and turned back towards the imperial capital.
「Oww, oww, walk a little bit slower!」
After seeing off Wolf, who was complaining to the ally who was supporting him, I met eyes with Logan, the leader of Fist King.
He also looked terrible because of the duel, but unlike Wolf, he could walk under his own power. The fact that the winner was the one who had received more damage was an intriguing result. However, if you considered that what made the difference between winning and losing was whether they had been able to push themselves to the limit and bring out every ounce of their power, then it wasn’t so strange.
Judging from his appearance, Logan had also become B Rank, so there should have been no clear differences in their abilities, even if you considered their battle histories so far.
In that case, it was probably the difference in the strength of their will that caused Logan to lose. Much more than in battles against Beasts, the state of a person’s mind has a great influence in fights against other people. When confronting each other, the slight difference in how much each person stepped in would determine the outcome of the fight.
Either he had read those thoughts that I had, or he was just feeling ashamed of being a loser, Logan frowned unhappily and hurried away.
「I wonder why men lose their cool when it comes to winning and losing」
When Leisha grumbled beside me, I laughed.
「That’s a sexist remark. In terms of losing their cool when it comes to winning and losing, isn’t it the same for women?」
I had pointed my chin at Veronica, the leader of Scarlet Lotus Flower, who was ignoring what others might think and was bawling her eyes out. She was probably very frustrated. Though it didn’t seem like she had received a lot of damage in the duel itself, she was walking with an unsteady gait due to the mental shock she had received. With the help of her allies, she was somehow moving forward.
Among them was a former member of Sky Winged Knights, Vlaclav, a wolf beast-man. I had heard through the grapevine that Vlaclav had became a member of Scarlet Lotus Flower, but it appeared that it was true.
However, judging from the situation, it appeared that Veronica had been the representative in the duel. When I heard that she had recruited Vlaclav, I thought that she had planned to let him take her place as the representative, but that didn’t seem to have been the case.
Did that mean that Veronica had also ranked up to B Rank? Considering her personality, I didn’t think that she would take on a fight where her chances of winning were slim. In all likelihood, she had probably ranked up by the time she approached Wolf and Logan.
However, the last time we met, I hadn’t felt that much power from her. Unlike vanguards, it was difficult to grasp the strength of a rearguard at a glance. That was because the modifiers to their physical strength would barely rise when they ranked up. A considerable amount of experience and knowledge was required to recognize the difference.
But even if I took that into consideration, I had felt at that time that Veronica's abilities were lower than Wolf’s and Logan’s. In fact, I knew from memory that her battle history was also unspectacular.
In other words, she must have been covering up her strength the entire time in order to deceive Wolf and Logan. It was possible to conceal a person’s fighting ability by using Skills and items. Making her abilities look weaker shouldn't adversely affect her activities as a Seeker, but if it was meant to deceive and make others drop their guard, then it had huge implications.
Whether it was her merger plan, or headhunting Vlaclav, she was a formidable woman. For that reason, she must be especially frustrated at losing in the duel.
「It doesn't matter whether it’s a man or a woman. The reason why they can’t stay calm is because they’re fighting seriously」
When I muttered, Leisha nodded.
「I guess so. ……The reason Noel can calmly kick others down is because Noel is always serious?」
「That's right」
At Leisha’s question, I affirmed without hesitation.
「By the way, Ophelia of Sky Winged Knights and you are from the same hometown, right? Are you going to reproach me on Ophelia’s behalf?」
「I won't do something like that. I’m also a Seeker. Even I know that no matter what methods Noel used to win, it’s the ones who failed to take countermeasures that are in the wrong」
She was denying it, but her words were a bit barbed.
「Then what are you dissatisfied about?」
「I'm not particularly dissatisfied, but I’m just a little bit worried……」
「At a time when the parties have merged, and you’re about to start your activities as a full-fledged clan, for you to have the time to worry about your rival, you’re pretty relaxed, aren’t you?」
「Mumuu, you didn’t have to say it like that!」
「But it’s the truth. Leisha, I’m not the one you should be worrying about. It’s the members of Lightning Bite, led by Wolf, and all your new allies, am I right?」
「Uhh…… W, well, that’s right, but……」
When I looked at Leisha, whose ears had drooped when she couldn’t refute me, I smiled wryly.
「Worrying about others is proof that you’re hesitating. I know that you're feeling lost because of the new environment, but don't lose sight of the most important thing. You're an elf, a race with a long lifespan, but most of your allies aren't. You should live in the present and cherish the moment more」
「Is that a sermon? Even if I look like this, I’m much older than Noel, you know?」
「No, it's advice from a friend」
Leisha was taken aback for a moment, then she grinned broadly.
「If it’s advice from a friend, then I’ll have to take it to heart, now won’t I?」
Noel, you dog! Well played!!
And so, the continuation of the rivalry! Did you guys expect Wolf to win against Veronica's plans and become the leader of the new party? It was definitely a surprise to me, I had totally expected Veronica to win, but I'm still happy that Wolf won. So, Wolf, Logan, Veronica, Leisha and Vlaclav, 2 vanguards and 3 rearguards, that actually sounds pretty strong. No healer though lol.
We're taking a break from Noel's perspective next chapter, so whose will it be? Stay tuned!
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