Memoirs of the Returnee-Chapter 343: Crystal (2)

Johanna is someone of immense value. If I can bring her to my side, it would be a significant advantage.

If such an ‘ally’ were to reach their peak, and she herself becomes someone entirely ‘for’ me-

As she is now-

It would be the best possible outcome, far exceeding my expectations.

-Such thoughts crossed my mind as I gazed at Johanna, her eyes closed.

Johanna has fallen in love with me. A plan I once thought impossible has come to fruition.

A result I achieved through meticulous actions, based on the senses, skills, and information I retained from before the regression. Yet, a small question still lingers within me.

Where do Johanna’s emotions come from? How are they born? Is it possible for the emotions of someone born a psychopath to suddenly revive, as if by some miracle?

However, for now, I must bury that question.

I must focus on the present.

“……”

Johanna’s eyebrows trembled. Belatedly, I closed my eyes and reached out, wrapping my arms around her slender waist.

Johanna filled my embrace.

She, too, wrapped her arms around my back. Our bodies pressed closely together.

Soon, our lips parted.

Johanna licked her moist lips with her tongue and slowly rested her face against my chest, as if trying to feel the pulse of my heart.

I asked her.

“Lady Johanna. Are you sure about this?”

A question not about the present, but about the future.

“…Even if it becomes unbearably painful, remembering days like these will make it bearable.”

Johanna replied.

Her fragile form made me think of revenge. Revenge against all of Libra.

Johanna bore guilt. Guilt deserving of execution.

She had not treated people as people. She had regarded humans as ants, killing them without the slightest remorse.

It was a similarity between Derek and Johanna.

Derek, unchanging, would meet his death. But Johanna, having changed, would survive.

Her life, perhaps, would be filled with suffering and torment greater than death.

Because one day, I will leave her.

Because, in the end, she will be left alone.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Johanna took a step back.

“My apologies.”

I muttered, smoothing her reddened face with my fingertips.

“There's nothing to apologize for… Hm. I’ll keep an eye on how Zia handles things.”

Derek’s downfall was already decided.

The remaining process was for Zia and me to deal with Derek’s rampage.

“You should prepare yourself as well. Complacency leads to death.”

Unlike before the regression, Johanna had begun to understand Zia’s plans. Likely because of the variable that was ‘me.’ Because of me, she had taken an unnecessary interest in Zia.

“lt would be best to finish this before Father awakens. Whether he’s truly asleep or off traveling somewhere, I’m unsure.”

Even so, Johanna is aiding our operation.

In other words, she is lending her strength to Zia.

For my sake.

“I have work to attend to, so I'll take my leave.”

She turned to go. As she began to walk away, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her back.

“…1”

Johanna’s body jolted sharply.

I buried my face into her shoulder, calling her name softly, almost childishly.

“…Lady Johan na.”

In the near future, I will sell her my truth. The issue lies in the price.

There is still something she must help me with-’Belingham Kantar’ remains.

“Sometimes… I feel like giving it all up.”

A confession of wanting to be with her.

Johanna let out a faint breath and placed her hand over mine, which rested on her stomach.

“Don’t speak such weakness.”

Her voice sank into a calm, steady tone.

“…Though, I might be the one making you weak.”

With a slightly sorrowful smile, she placed her hand on my cheek.

“Shion Ascal. You are a much stronger man than you think you are.”

Then, she rose onto her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

“When this is all over, let’s go on a trip together.”

A trip.

Perhaps, for one final journey, we could be together.

“Yes.”

I gave her a small smile.

“…Good.”

As if realizing her actions belatedly, Johanna’s face flushed red, and she hurriedly left, hiding her embarrassment.

Trick City, Section D: [Valmant Manaology]

Once operated by the once-wealthy Wieder family’s ‘Kanya’, the establishment had now grown into a full-fledged corporation.

Using magical innovations such as the [Death Eater] , [Delivery Box] , and [Waterworks] -all based on the foundational magic created by Dale Kal-the company had developed countless magical products and engineering technologies, revitalizing Trick City’s Section D.

[Valmant] had organized a vigilante corps under corporate leadership to maintain order and had even successfully elevated one of Kanya’s associates to the position of Senator.

Curiously, corrupt politicians who opposed [Valmant] never seemed to live long, and as a result, Kanya had become a prominent figure in Section D.

“…Old man! How’s it looking today? Think you can meet the quota?!”

These days, the continent was filled with people who couldn’t live without mass-produced magical products. Packaged with mana stones and pre-inscribed magic spells, these products only required a bit of mana to activate-so-called [Magical Commodities.]

This was especially true for monster hunters, explorers, adventurers, mercenaries, and the like-essentially, the majority of mana users.

They knew how to use mana but lacked the finesse to wield it skillfully. These individuals, spread not only across Trick City but the entire continent, were Valmant’s largest customer base.

“More than enough!”

“Okay! Then I’m off to drink!”

“Don’t overdo it, you bastard!”

Kanya flipped him the middle finger as she made her way to the tavern.

[One Drink, One Sip].

The newly renamed tavern featured private rooms for special meetings-ideal for business partners, politicians, or those in power.

Inside one such room, someone had arrived ahead of her.

It was ‘Dale Kal’, the major shareholder of Valmant-more commonly known as the mage ‘Raquel Dra’.

“You’re here early?”

Kanya, despite having much to lose now, still didn’t hold back.

The person across from her gave a slight nod in greeting, sipping their whiskey.

“But is it really okay to keep moving like this? The mages are still lurking around Trick City.”

Raquel Dra had drawn the attention of the Magic Tower. His name had spread across the nation, not only because of his reputation but also because he had killed a significant number of corrupt mages.

“There's no time to play it safe.”

“…Fair enough. There’s no shortage of trash, is there? In Trick City, on the continent. No matter how many you kill, there’s always more.”

Kanya gave a bitter smile as she poured herself a glass of whiskey. As she took a sip, Raquel Dra spoke again.

“lf I ever die or get captured, keep your composure.”

“…Tch. Why ruin the mood with talk like that?”

Raquel Dra had always intended to die as Raquel Dra. Just as every identity Shion Ascal had taken on had its end, so too would Shion Ascal himself meet his end.

“Do you think about dying often?”

“I never intended to live a long life.”

His words made Kanya silent.

Even someone who always seemed invincible-was it starting to weigh on him now?

“Don’t worry. I’ve known from the start. Even if you die, the cause must be carried on by someone else. The greater the purpose, the wider it spreads.”

“Prepare for war.”

Raquel Dra's sudden declaration broke the moment.

“War?”

“Monsters will soon flood the land.”

Theia may not have died, but she could no longer take to the front lines. The Monster Association would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to rise again.

“The bastards who formed the Association will soon have to ‘consume’ for t h e mse lves.”

Thanks to Jade having already killed the Monster Association’s central figure, Jude Velot, Trick City wouldn’t face as intense a surge as before the regression, but Section D would certainly suffer greatly.

“…“Isthat so? Monsters, you say?”

“Enhance the vigilante corps. Build barriers. You’ll need to unite strength by section if you want even a chance to endure.”

Kanya took his words seriously. Raquel Dra spoke like a prophet foreseeing the future-or perhaps a fanatic-but he was someone who had lived in a world far darker than hers.

It was a prophecy worth believing.

“Can I ask for your reason ing?”

“I investigated the underworld myself.”

His own findings.

Kanya could only nod in acknowledgment.

“Unde rstood .”

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of Trick City’s Section C, Elise met with the swordswoman Rena Heller. They were there to share updates on the investigation into Raquel Dra.

“…Lately, the targets of his killings have been rather bold, haven’t they?”

Raquel Dra killed indiscriminately-regardless of age, gender, or social status.

He had killed a compassionate social activist, a corrupt politician, a religious figure running an orphanage, and a corporate executive who treated workers like disposable parts.

Recently, most of Raquel Dra’s targets have been individuals directly connected to the underworld-specifically, the monster cartel.

“Yes. Thanks to that, well, he’s actually gained more foHowers,”

Elise said with a faint smirk.

“lt doesn’t matter. A murderer is still a murderer, no matter who they kill,”

Rena Heller replied coldly.

“But… is this thing even working?”

Rena gestured toward the ‘mana crystal’ placed on the rooftop. Elise glanced at it and gave a sly smile.

“Yes, it is. With this, we can detect specific mana patterns. It tells us where magic is being used in Trick City and what kind of magic it is.”

“…1 nte resti ng.”

“So,”

Elise said, looking up at the sky.

“Is there something you want?”

Floating above them was Mila, Trick City’s renowned hero. She had come to see Elise today but had remained silent the entire time, as if her lips were sealed shut.

“Meeting someone famous and not hearing a word from them feels a little… disappointing,” Elise teased, leaning against the railing and looking up at Mila.

“Or… could it be that we know each other? If you take off that mask, will I recognize you?”

It was a sharp question, one that pierced Mila like a dagger to the heart.

“Th… that… couldn’t… be…”

Mila responded, her voice distorted through a modulator. Elise chuckled softly at the reply.

“lf anything comes up, I’ll let you know. For now, you should go. I’m sure you’re busy.”

“…I shall-be going-then-.”

Mila said, leaving as if she had been waiting for permission to escape.

She left because she felt she was on the verge of being exposed. No, she ‘knew’ she would be exposed if she stayed any longer.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave as well,”

Rena said, descending from the rooftop. Left alone, Elise gazed at the night sky over Trick City.

Her mind was occupied by a single thought.

“The painting’s price… it needs to go up.”

What was the title again? [Stars, Sky, and Wind] ? Hoping for a hundredfold increase was greedy, but even a twentyfold rise would do.

Whirrrrr-

At that moment, the [Sky Network] reacted. Elise turned to it quickly.

Whirrr- Whirrr-

The mana crystal flickered blue. Somewhere, magic had been activated.

It was ‘that’ magic.

Elise bolted toward the location. The coordinates were quite far, but using magnetism, she practically flew through the sky.

It was a relatively simple application.

The city below was filled with metallic objects, and Elise’s mana carried [Magnetism] . Moreover, she could freely generate or manipulate [Magnetism] .

So by inducing magnetism in the metallic objects on the ground and synchronizing it with her mana, Elise could effectively ‘fly’ through the air.

A so-called air step.

*Thud!*

She arrived within two minutes. The crime scene was in Section C, on a deserted road. A car had been overturned, and a person lay nearby.

Elise checked their pulse. They were already dead. She scanned the surroundings again, her senses sharp.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Are they still nearby?

Elise attempted to track them using [magnetism] - behind her.

Directly behind her, someone stood.

No footsteps. No warning. Just a sudden, overwhelming presence.

…*Gulp?

Elise swallowed hard.

Who was this? This figure, devoid of even the sound of breathing-was it Raquel Dra?

It had to be. The state of the corpse, the method of the kill-it all pointed to him.

Tap.

The figure placed a hand on her neck. At this moment, anyone else would have panicked. They would have gasped, screamed, or flinched in terror.

But Elise? A smile spread across her lips.

This was his mistake.

“Hah!”

She radiated her mana in an instant, unleashing it in a sharp burst.

The hand that dared to touch her neck was immediately imbued with [Magnetism] . Specifically, a south pole charge. Meanwhile, everything else in the vicinity-every trace of magnetism-was anchored to the north pole.

Now, he would be repelled by the force of her magnetic mana. He would be flung away, unable to even crash to the ground, left to flail helplessly in the air until he was crushed by the magnetic pressure…

That’s how it should have gone…

…

…

“…….”

But it didn’t.

No matter how long she waited, the presence behind her remained. His hand stayed firmly on her neck.

Her [Magnetism] had been nullified.

Completely.

Without question.

A cold sweat began to gather at Elise’s waist. The worst tension and dread she had ever experienced in her life consumed her entire body.

If she moved, she would die. If she used magic, she would die.

That instinct paralyzed her, rendering her incapable of any action-

“Hrk!”

The figure pressed down on her neck with a firm, needle-like precision.

The sharp sensation overwhelmed her, and Elise lost consciousness.