TYND 102

“Please don’t forget that Your Grace can use that Trimule thanks to God’s mercy. Seara’s heart must have been torn when sending down that child. But she made the decision for humanity’s sake. And she took responsibility to the end by having Your Grace care for that child.”

The castle chaplain defended the god he worshipped.

“Thanks to that, His Highness Rothy became a unique being possessing both magical power and divine power, and he lives happily by Your Grace’s side, doesn’t she? Humanity is safe, Mayton’s spawn have retreated, His Highness Rothy is happy… As a result, everyone has found peace.”

“If you say that in front of Rothy, my sword will turn toward the temple.”

“……!”

Seeing Theon’s blood-red eyes, the castle chaplain flinched and stepped back.

The Archduke left a terrifying warning and strode out of the chapel. The castle chaplain could only watch bitterly.

Returning to the Grand Duchess’s bedroom, Theon drew back the canopy and sat in the chair beside the bed.

So that if Rothy woke up while he was asleep, he could see him immediately upon opening his eyes.

Looking at Rothy sleeping with a doll-like face, Theon’s expression twisted.

‘What reaction will you show?’

You’re not human.

You were a sacrifice for humanity.

Not a person, but a Trimule created solely to sacrifice for people.

When you learn this fact.

When you learn that the reason you had to suffer so much having magic stones injected into you, enduring painful experiments and brutal war.

Was solely for humanity’s sake.

And when you learn that all your suffering was planned by Seara.

“……”

Theon hung his head. He put his hands together and pressed them to his forehead. When he bit his lips, blood immediately showed. It would heal by the time Rothy woke up.

Rothy had to suffer because of the very god he believed in so deeply.

How deep would his disillusionment be?

A child who innocently laughs saying even a small blooming flower is simply pretty.

Who listens earnestly to whatever nonsense an assassin spouts, whose round eyes well up with tears at the hardships of fictional characters, who sheds transparent tears saying he’s relieved there are more good people than bad people in the world.

To think this pure and innocent child’s face would be stained with betrayal and despair.

Unbearable rage arose.

He wanted to hand over this watch to the demon Archduke. So that God’s meager guilt could never be resolved.

Of course, he wouldn’t commit such foolishness. There was something he absolutely had to do with this.

Theon closed his eyes.

The dream was a different scene than usual.

First, it wasn’t a bedroom but a scene resembling a reception room, and Rothy wasn’t there.

Only future Theon sat alone in the spacious reception room, looking at a mirror hanging on the wall. There was a hint of laughter in his expression.

– So this is how it felt.

Future Theon muttered to himself, then spoke to the mirror.

– I was wondering when you’d speak to me.

‘…Were you waiting for me?’

– Yes.

‘How did you know?’

– Because I experienced it myself.

Future Theon smiled while looking in the mirror.

It was strange.

Because that smile was very comfortable and gentle.

Theon thought that smile resembled someone.

‘You weren’t a violent man.’

During intimacy with Rothy, he always seemed rough enough to feel forceful, so he had worried somewhat that his future self might have become violent.

But seeing now, he had become a very affectionate and gentle man.

Looking at that smiling face, no one would think he was a lord ruling over frozen lands.

Future Theon laughed briefly aloud.

– Now that you’ve had a good look, ask what you want to ask.

‘How did Rothy grow?’

– That Trimule on your wrist now has the property of containing time, and the demon bastard has a Trimule that dissolves Trimules. You can synthesize that dissolution liquid with other Trimules. You must steal the Trimule from the demon bastard, dissolve the watch, then feed it to twenty-year-old Rothy. Then Rothy will gain time and grow.

The answer flowed out as if prepared.

‘You’re telling me to break into the demon bastard’s collection warehouse? Where is it?’

– The demon bastard brought the dissolution Trimule out with him. If you capture that bastard, you’ll naturally obtain it.

‘He brought it out? Why?’

– Because the demon bastard also wants to use time. Synthesizing Trimules can be done even by someone who isn’t the Trimule’s owner. That bastard wants to synthesize the Trimule he recently obtained with the watch Trimule to turn time back to the past.

‘Turning back to the past is possible…?’

A thought flashed through Theon’s mind.

He had been harboring one regret ever since meeting Rothy.

‘If I had looked into his barracks even once.’

How would things have been different if he had discovered Rothy even a little earlier?

If he had even lurked around Yolone Sirin’s barracks.

Could he have rescued this boy from that vicious abuser wearing a hero’s mask a bit sooner?

– Theon Dert Palsen.

Future Theon glared at the mirror and snapped.

– If you go back to the past, your memories will disappear. Can you guarantee that when your past self discovers Rothy in Yolone Sirin’s barracks, YOU will save Rothy?

‘……’

He couldn’t guarantee it. The past Theon might have discovered a pretty white-haired boy in the barracks and still passed by without caring. Whether he was a servant, a page, or a disciple… he might have passed by indifferently.

During the war, he had been such an unfeeling person.

From six years ago, the tide had gradually been turning in humanity’s favor, but it had been too long. He had wandered battlefields for a full fifteen years. Those were days when he felt his human emotions slowly being extinguished.

But.

Wasn’t that truly unknowable?

He had never actually been in that situation.

Perhaps he wouldn’t have passed by.

Upon discovering the one-sided intimacy and trust reflected in those round green eyes. Upon discovering the scars and wounds on those delicate limbs.

He might have paid attention.

He might have rescued Rothy from loneliness and pain a little sooner…

– Give up. You can’t choose the point in the past anyway.

‘…So God truly doesn’t care for us.’

– …….

‘If you can’t choose the point in the past, how does the demon bastard plan to use it?’

– He intends to use all the time contained in the Trimule to turn back to the past thousands of years ago.

‘To when there were more demons?’

– Yes. Precisely, he wants to revive the demon god… but since it’s something that won’t happen anyway, he said there’s no need to know the details.

‘Who said that?’

– My future self.

My future self.

It meant future Theon had this conversation with yet another future Theon ahead of him.

– To give time to Rothy, you must stop using the Trimule after this conversation. The more you use the watch to see future Rothy, the lower the limit of how much Rothy can grow becomes.

‘Does Rothy grow normally?’

– After drinking the dissolution liquid, he’ll grow all at once and be fixed at the period when hIS physical capabilities are at their best. You’ll be able to hold young, beautiful, and lovely Rothy in your arms every day.

Theon’s feelings were complex with all sorts of emotions swirling, while his reflection in the mirror was only peaceful and relaxed. Though he was angry at that light attitude… on the other hand, he felt relieved knowing it meant the future was that peaceful.

‘Holding Rothy has nothing to do with this matter. I’m not trying to make him grow so I can hold him.’

– Of course, he’ll also be able to withstand the high fever caused by the Living Magic stone very well.

It was exactly the answer Theon had wanted.

‘The magic stone inside Rothy causes pain when it touches the Trimule. Won’t Rothy suffer during the synthesis process?’

– There’s no pain, but he’ll sleep a lot for a while.

‘How long is “a while”?’

– For several years, you’ll see sleeping Rothy more than awake Rothy.

‘……’

The fear that arose from looking at sleeping Rothy was his burden to bear.

He instinctively sensed that little time remained for conversation and brought up what he had long wanted to say to his future self.

‘You’re too rough when having relations.’

– Hmm. That’s unfair. You know Rothy likes it too, don’t you?

‘Even if Rothy likes it, you should restrain yourself. His small body is full of congestion and it’s hard to watch with open eyes. Exercise self-control from now on.’

– It’s not easy. You’ll know when you experience it, but Rothy’s body is flexible and soft. His inside is always tight like the first time even though it’s held mine countless times. Even when I hold him quite roughly, he smiles lovingly and wraps his arms around my neck. You’ll surely become like me too.’

‘I will absolutely never hold Rothy roughly.’

– I hope you keep your word.

Future Theon chuckled as if he didn’t believe it at all.

‘How many years in the future is your time from now?’

– Since my future self didn’t tell me in my past either, I shouldn’t tell you either.

‘Will I experience the same thing as you in the future, this same question and answer session?’

– Yes. Just as I did. And the Theon Dert Palsen who has this conversation with you will also talk with his past self someday.

‘It’s a strange and mysterious thing.’

– You can simply shorten it to two words and call it a miracle. It would have been impossible without God’s blessing.

Theon couldn’t believe himself mentioning words like God’s blessing. Even his reflection in the mirror had a very comfortable expression.

Then Theon noticed the rosary on future Theon’s wrist.

A rosary.

Something that only Seara’s believers carry, worn on his wrist.

‘You, why do you have something of Seara’s…!’