SSS-Class Revival Hunter

Chapter 117: The Black Marriage (3)

Goldencup prayed desperately.

—L-Lady Ruin-Harvesting Cow, please... Please grant me a new blessing!

When humans were cornered, the world around them became smaller, and their perspective narrowed. At times like this, humans could either run away or blindly cling to someone. Goldencup was no different.

—In exchange... Yes, I will offer what’s left of me to you! No, I’ll plunge this world into pandemonium, just as you wish! Ruins! Violence! Destruction! Aren’t those to your liking, Lady Mutia?! I’m good at wreaking havoc!

I took a step, making Goldencup gasp and panic even more. Stumbling backward, she looked up at the bright red sunset as if her salvation was about to arrive.

I’m good at it! Lady Mutia! That is the one thing I’m really good at!

But there was no salvation or a response.

—This...

Her prayer quickly turned into sour resentment.

—This is a breach of the contract!

I took another step closer.

—You said you’ll give me the power to weave a new destiny! So why?! Why is there a crazy bitch in my body?! Give it back! Give me back my body!

“Oh, there is a slight error in what you said,” the Inquisitor said brightly. “If you’re referring to me, I’m sorry, but I’m a man! It would be more accurate to call me a crazy son of a bitch. Hmm. I suggest you use ‘maniac’ instead of ‘crazy son of a bitch,’ by the way. You should use that to refrain from cursing in the future. Healthy body in a healthy mind, Miss Evanail!”

Lady Goldencup—no, Sylvia Evanail burst into a rant.

—Fuck you! This is wrong! Yes, it’s wrong! It’s a breach of the contract. I deserve to be the empress. I’m going to become even more remarkable than Raviel Ivansia just as how it’s meant to be! It’s the fate I’ll create! So... it’s a breach of contract... I am...

With another step, I narrowed the distance enough to make it impossible to ignore me, forcing her to look away from the sky.

—Ugh! You freak! Clang!

Sylvia swung her hammer, which collided with the holy sword. Deflecting each frantic strike, I easily closed the remaining distance. She grew increasingly impatient as I blocked her attacks. It was easy to break her spirit.

—Ah.

The moment Sylvia swung her hammer too widely, I cut her wrist.

—Aaaaaaaah!

Naturally, she wasn’t injured. There was no blood, red stains, or any evidence of a wound. Nevertheless, she still lost her grip on her hammer and screamed as if she was being torn apart.

Thuuud!

The hammer fell to the ground.

—Ah, uh... Ugh...

I went down on one knee to meet Sylvia’s eyes. The dust that the hammer had kicked up covered both our knees. “Make a choice.”

—C-choice?

“You already lost your place in this world. Even if you run away now, you’re no longer Lady Goldencup. You’re merely a Constellation’s apostle.”

—...

“I’ll give you a chance.”

Sylvia glared at me while applying pressure to her wrist.

“If you want to stay as your Constellation’s servant, be my guest. I’ll let you go. But if you still have lingering feelings for this world and want to stay here and accomplish more, then give up the blessing you received.”

—Why?

“And let me kill you.” I pointed my sword at her. “You saw the fight just now. I can summon those I kill with all their memories intact. Sylvia Evanail, if you surrender, I’ll summon you to this world so that you can live as Lady Goldencup once again.”

—...

“Yes, your life won’t be the same as before. Antagonizing my lover, Raviel Ivansia, in any way is prohibited. Apart from that, you’re free to live as you please. If you want, go marry the crown prince or something.”

—Why...

“People should be allowed second chances.”

Purple was blending into the red sunset. In the empire, weddings were held from the start to the end of sunset. I probably had about less than thirty minutes left.

—How can I trust you? W-what if you make me your summon and then treat me like a slave? I won’t be able to resist in any way.

I looked at Sylvia. “Why were you and your butler chosen to be possessed?”

—Huh?

“Your memories, your body... You gave everything to your Constellation to make your wish come true, which cost you your place in this world.”

Anyone could take and replace her empty spot. This was probably the reason the Indoor Librarian had been able to send me and the Inquisitor into this world.

“It’s understandable why you have lost your place in this world, but have you ever wondered why your butler is gone too?”

Sylvia’s eyes widened.

“I don’t know the full story either, but I did become the butler once. I was even completely immersed in his life. What I realized then was that he gave you everything, Sylvia Evanail. Taking that into consideration, I assure you that you would never be happy even if you became the empress of this empire.”

—What?

“You weren’t trying to become the empress because you loved the crown prince. You just wanted to be better than Raviel. Would your life have really turned out well if you became the empress?”

I shook my head.

“You’re quite capable, but you aren’t better than Raviel. You neither have the power of Raviel’s family nor the charisma to control crowds like she does. Even if you had become an empress, people would have compared you to Raviel and looked down on you.”

—....

“For your entire life.”

Supposing the butler had watched his master suffer all her life, he would have surely thought, If Lady Goldencup hadn’t become empress, she would have been happy.

“The butler I know would willingly sacrifice everything to save you. That is what I think.”

—My butler regressed?

“No, you made a wish for yourself, but he didn’t. He instead prayed for you to get a second chance in life, not him.”

—What are you talking about?

“Do you remember your butler’s name?”

—Of course. His name is... Huh?

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t say the name. After a while, her frown disappeared. Taken aback, she blankly looked into space.

—Wait, this can’t be happening...

I calmly watched Sylvia.

Yes, the butler had never been called by his name. Not even Sylvia had ever called him by his first name even though he was her one and only butler and childhood friend. They didn’t have any need for formalities when they were alone in a room, but even then, she still only called him “Butler.”

“Butler.”

Raviel had also never called the butler by his first name. She had all the information of the empire at her fingertips, so there was no way she wouldn’t know about Lady Goldencup’s close butler.

“Butler.”

The person I possessed, Lady Goldencup’s butler, had been erased from this world because he had given everything to the Constellation. I had reached a complete immersion level as the butler before, but even I didn’t know his name. I couldn’t remember it, and that was how it was supposed to be.

The fire in Sylvia’s eyes died one spark at a time.

—Then, what...? My butler is gone forever?

“Yes.”

My guess was that this world had been rewound three times. First, Sylvia made a wish to Ruin-Harvesting Cow that she wanted to restart her life, and the Constellation granted it.

In her second life, Sylvia beat Raviel and became the empress. Afterward, the butler prayed to another Constellation that he wanted to turn back time.

It was unclear which Constellation had granted the wish, but because the butler sacrificed everything for Goldencup, time had been rewound once again. Everyone was returned to before Lady Goldencup married the crown prince—a time when nothing had been decided yet.

Finally, Raviel prayed to the Goddess of Protection’s fragment and accidentally triggered a time loop, trapping the world in an eternal loop of ten days. @@novelbin@@

That was how it all came to this moment.

“We’ll never get to know the butler’s name. Never.”

—...

“He’s gone, after all. We’ll never know how the butler felt as he served you or the reason he sacrificed everything to rewind time. Still, I’m sure he would have wanted you to live a different life. I want to grant his wish.”

—...

“Sylvia Evanail, someone whose name you won’t ever get to know sacrificed himself just for your sake without you even knowing. He loved you and wanted to be with you more than anyone else, but he gave up everything he had.”

That was the way that the nameless butler had loved her.

“Live again.”

It wasn’t too late.

“Just like he wanted.”

Sylvia’s mouth opened and closed, but no words left escaped her lips. Her hands and head trembled. She was shaking really badly. Her life was already cursed, so how bad could it be to know that someone wanted her to live again?

Her head slowly drooped, no longer having the strength to look straight ahead. Slowly, light leaked from her; she gave up the Constellation’s protection.

“Okay.” I raised my sword high after I turned Sympathy into Idol again.

Under the blazing sunset, the long shadow of my sword was cast on the ground. My shadow swung it, matching my movements.

[The apostle of Ruin-Harvesting Cow has been annihilated.]

The sun set completely. All the apostles from different worlds were defeated. The threats to this world were gone now.

[The stage has been cleared.]

The Tower confirmed as much. The Inquisitor and I were probably the only people in this world who could hear its voice.

[The twenty-fifth floor has been cleared today.]

It was the Tower’s voice.

[Announcement]

[The twenty-fifth floor has been cleared today.]

[Calculating the number of champions...]

[The calculation has been completed.]

[Announcing the three champions.]

Everyone who had been lost in their dreams due to the apostles’ lullaby—Preta, the Heavenly Demon Cult’s followers, and the guests—slowly woke up one by one.

“Ugh...”

“What in the world happened...?”

A system window appeared above them.

The Quest Clear Contribution List:

First Place: Death King

Second Place: Inquisitor

Third Place: None

I looked at the window in silence. The only two Hunters whom the Indoor Librarian had sent were me and the Inquisitor, yet the Tower showed three champions.

None...

The name of this nonexistent third champion didn’t show up.

I stared into space for a while. Eventually, Raviel came to my side and held my hand. We leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder.

Raviel slowly looked around at the guests. “He’s my spouse and shall be the duke consort of Ivansia.”

The guests who had just woken up from their dream blankly looked at Raviel and me.

“Does anyone oppose this marriage?”

No one could say anything. Some would have been disgruntled or even opposed it, but it was all in the past now. The mere appearance of beings from different worlds was already earth-shattering, but these people had also witnessed me defeating those beings. That was precisely why my bride had chosen this day to hold the wedding.

The guests remained silent to express their obedience to Raviel.

She nodded. “Good. I now announce that he and I are husband and wife.”