Volume 5 Chapter 1 The Girl Who Continues To Search
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I don’t want to! I don’t want to be reincarnated! Let me die!!” she screamed.
Outside the pages of time, in a darkness so deep it swallowed all, a flickering blue crystal danced like a flame.
Humanity, the fate of the world rests upon you. Please, save the people.
The voice echoed softly, not like a command, but a quiet plea. As if everything had already been decided long ago, the crystal—mined with a scream that pierced the ears—was cut and set perfectly into a ring.
”That’s cruel!! You want me to relive my life with this painful feeling? I don’t want to!! Erase everything, please!” she cried again.
There is no time to nurture your heart from scratch. Please, overcome this.
The voice, though calm, was merciless. Words of salvation disguised as a curse drew her in. She, the girl left sinking on the dark staircase, could not even descend into the underworld—her tears of lament overflowing instead.
”Please, please, God. If that’s the case, then at least let me forget about Cianie!!” she pleaded.
Her path had always been set. She should have known that from the beginning.
A craftsman smiled gently as he watered a bed of flowers, as if offering a silent act of mercy. Thus, the greatest jester in the world was born.
When the silent agent of God descended to earth, the flames that once burned the stars flared brighter. What awaited her was the banner of Waltumna.
What is needed are five people. Namely, the pursuer, the challenger, the guide, the binder, and the shooter. Adelina, the guide. I greatly anticipate your story.
It was a cruel declaration. The kind that crushed ants without a second thought, nest and all. Dangling before her was a fishing line spun from diamond—madness itself, to present such a thing to a doll not yet finished.
”What is Adelina?” she whispered.
Even now, she couldn’t grasp the color of her own soul. Taught to live as if she had been born on another star, she looked up under the same sky, head tilted in quiet confusion. The one who smiled at her said nothing.
Eventually, she was led away. Parting the blooming cluster of red spider lilies (T/N: Higanbana, a flower associated with death and farewells in Japanese culture), she stepped onto the ship.
The white sail descended. Tiqwa offered her a pair of heavenly flowers—a tribute chosen from among many, meant for her alone. Her own lantern, guiding her forward.
So you were here. I’ve been looking for you.
And thus, the path opened.
As the flower she had received turned white in her hands, she curled up into herself, weeping silently.
”…Here you go,” she muttered.
What was handed over was a dull, dark brown coin. In return, what was tossed to her was a freshly baked loaf of bread—warm, soft. Above her, the wheat-colored moon—the first she had ever seen—shone down gently.
As she turned to leave, she noticed the store clerk’s gaze flicker, ever so slightly. But it no longer mattered. She wouldn’t be coming back here again.
Yet, if tomorrow arrived just like today, surely a few adults would still be nearby.
Running.
Cutting through the wind, kicking off the ground, staring up at the sky.
She descended the slope and raced along the earthen path, hair whipping behind her as she ran forward with all her strength.
As her steps changed, a broad expanse of gray unfolded before her—an orderly cobblestone road, bathed in oppressive sunlight. Crowds of people filled her view, their peaceful lives undisturbed.
This was the Holy Fritz Theocracy. The capital, Schiefeld.
A town said to be the most refined in the world—developed through unwavering faith in God and driven by bustling trade, its reddish-brown streets glowed with dignity.
To her, who had been born and raised here, it was a familiar sight. But to outsiders seeing it for the first time, it might well seem a jewel among cities.
Its colors resembled rust—perhaps reflecting the hearts of its people.
But if she walked just a little farther down the main street, the truth of it became clearer. This was a country that, in every sense, resembled a work of art.
From the vibrant designs of the buildings to the sweet, alluring scent of high-end chocolate wafting through the air, it was a place of crafted beauty.
The white crystals embedded in a priest’s cassock shimmered as he passed by, and the richly patterned silk worn by both gentlemen and ladies was worthy of portraiture.
Each person, each item, seemed carefully curated—like characters in a painted masterpiece.
A stark contrast to her—with her mixed-color hair and simple linen dress. In this world of perpetual beauty, it was only when eyes turned toward her that she remembered it was all real.
A country overflowing with deceit and pain—one better off destroyed.
That was the place where she had been born and raised.
”…I should go home soon,” she murmured.
Blending into the crowd, she passed along the street. Occasionally, the sharp tsk of a tongue clicked in her direction reached her ears.
She crossed the old stone bridge spanning the Nihan River (T/N: fictional name, possibly referencing Nihon or Japan itself), watching the fish visible beneath the clear current. Reaching the east side, she walked on.
The cobblestones here were grimier. The air had a strange stench.
Unbothered, her pace never slowed as she stepped into a half-dim, half-collapsing residential district—a patchwork of buildings haphazardly thrown together.
Older. Dirtier. Darker than the western side.
Shaking her head to dispel the obvious disparity, she approached a small apartment complex a short walk from the church.
She pulled a thin wallet from her pocket and peeked inside. Today’s earnings were a bit better than usual.
After taking out just the money, she tossed the unfamiliar wallet into a barely visible hole nearby, then slipped a few large copper coins into her pocket from what remained.
”…I’m home,” she said softly.
As she opened the door, she was met by a wave of dusty air. The room beyond, with its dark wooden floor, looked uninhabited. Carelessly, she placed the silver and copper coins on the corner of a small table.
It would be enough—for a little while.
Silently, she ascended to the second floor.
She climbed without a sound, heart racing. The one person waiting for her was her only solace in this world.
Holding a fragrant paper bag, she rushed up the last steps and burst through the door.
A puzzled face looked up at her, curiosity in her eyes.
”Welcome back, big sister!” Leticia said brightly.
A radiant, angelic smile greeted her—her beloved younger sister.
”Leti. I brought back some bread today,” she said, kneeling beside her. “They say it’s called a croissant. It’s made with a special baking method using fire magic stones. Let’s eat it together.”
”Really? That’s amazing! I wonder what it tastes like,” Leticia replied, her eyes lighting up.
Leticia sat up on the old, gray bed. As her older sister helped her, she eagerly opened the paper bag. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the room, and Leticia’s expression bloomed with joy.
”Wow, it looks so delicious!! Thank you, big sister!!”
That smile alone made everything worthwhile. Her heart overflowed with warmth. The desire to hug her sister tightly surged through her chest, but she suppressed it.
Instead, she handed Leticia one of the croissants—her sister, too weak to reach for it herself. Then she took one for herself. They exchanged glances and took a bite together.
A strange, delightful sensation spread in her mouth—fluffy, yet crisp.
”It’s so good! It’s crispy even though it’s bread!” Leticia exclaimed, nibbling in tiny bites.
Watching her eat so carefully, taking in such little food, she felt at peace. She wanted this moment to last forever. Though she knew that was impossible, the wish remained in her heart.
”…Thank you for the meal! …Cough,” Leticia said, stifling a light cough.
The sound pierced her heart.
She masked her concern and gently patted Leticia’s head. Then, after giving her some water from a nearby container, she helped her lie back down, tucking her in gently.
It wouldn’t be much longer. She had known that for some time.
But even so… it wasn’t necessarily something to be sad about.
That was what she kept telling herself.
”Big sister… how much longer can I live?” Leticia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
”I told you before, didn’t I? About a year more,” she replied, forcing a smile.
”…I see. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit unsure,” Leticia said softly.
At those words, her sister instinctively lowered her gaze.
She was lying.
The end was much closer than a year. But she didn’t want to say it. She couldn’t bear to see Leticia’s smile vanish.
”Hey, big sister… what’s paradise like?” Leticia asked, tugging the slightly dusty blanket up to her neck.
It was her usual question, asked with innocent wonder.
She had always been curious about where she would go. After all, having seen the sea only once in her life, she still harbored a deep yearning to travel.
”There are no swords or spears. No money, and no snakes either,” her sister replied gently. “Instead, there are lots of flowers.”
”I wonder what a lot of flowers would be like… I can’t imagine it.”
”You might not understand until you see it with your own eyes,” she said with a small smile. “There’s a sparkling river where you can breathe even though it has no bottom. Sweet clouds that fall from the sky, and if you climb an invisible staircase, you can see a huge waterfall from above the clouds.”
Leticia’s eyes sparkled as she listened.
They captivated her sister completely. They intersected with her golden eyes, whispered to be strange and abominable. She could sense Leticia’s excitement—like a child barely able to wait to go out.
”Big sister, what kind of person is the goddess?”
”Goddess Teekua. She’s kind, but a difficult person. But it’s okay. She’ll be very kind to Letty. She’ll come to pick you up in a white boat so you won’t get lost. With the sails of Waltumna raised, she’ll row through the river of stars just to come for Letty. Because—”
”Because you promised, right?”
The goddess’s arrangements. That was salvation for her, the one who had to see her off. Leticia had a future ahead of her, and that was why she could smile like this. She could see her off.
”Big sister, what kind of person is my destined one?”
”…That’s a secret.”
It was a difficult question to answer. If she said a bad person, Leticia would worry. Even if it would inevitably be revealed once she went there, she didn’t want to burden her sister until then.
”Eh. Big sister never tells me about that person. It’s someone who calls you by your real name, right? I want to know!”
”Hehe. No way.”
Her real name. She didn’t know if she could call her that. But Goddess Teekua did indeed call her that back then, with a name she didn’t know: Adelina.
Her mother had named her Cynthia and called her Cynthia. The last saint in the future was also Cynthia. So, as a child, she’d always wondered why Teekua called her Adelina. Looking back now, it wasn’t such a difficult thing to understand. That was the color of her soul. Teekua was probably just calling her as she would eventually live—as Adelina.
”Big sister. I’m getting sleepy.”
”Mm. Let’s rest a bit.”
She stroked the tired Letty. After giving her a kiss on the forehead—something she wouldn’t have many chances to do again—Leticia shyly buried her face in the blanket. After a while, quiet breathing reached her ears from the now silent room.
The result was as calculated.
She leaned against the side of Leticia’s bed. The smile that had lost its direction faded, replaced by the sullen face her mother often scolded her for. The fun time had ended.
Today, she had to begin the role imposed on her.
Her role. The rest of the day was her time for herself.
────Skill activation, Future Vision.
The view shifted rapidly. The denominator of the world digitized, and an impossible calculation began with her existence as the numerator. It was a journey of the soul. Measuring—a voyage of information through numbers. Crossing mountains, entering towns and streets, riding a horse, and entering the forest.
Riding the waves of a colorless if, in a time humans could never reach.
There were only two purposes.
For that, without sparing the bestowed magical power that was not of this world, she would waste it for the sake of the world.
No, not for the world. For herself—and for him.
”…Ah, was this your home? Sorry, I borrowed it for a bit.”
He filled himself with joy once again at the voice he had heard countless times.
”…What the hell are we supposed to do with this? Are we really going to do this?”
She—characterized by her black hair with red streaks—questioned while brandishing a halberd.
”This place won’t hold. It could be breached at any moment; we have no choice but to act. Hey, Klock. Are you ready?”
A merchant man, notable for his stoutness and well-groomed beard, raised his voice.
”Yeah, I can go anytime. But probably not even half of us will survive.”
He spoke with strong resolve, his face twisted as if he had crushed a bitter bug.
Seeing that, the two did not laugh. They were no longer at a stage where they could exchange insults.
”Ah, so this is finally the end. Well, I’ll be the first to escape, but you guys better hold them off as proper fodder for the monsters. If it’s Boit, it’ll probably be enough meat for two or three strays.”
”…What did you say, you muscle-headed bitch? Well, I’d rather take a beast like you than a monster. I’ve got my cute, cute girl—Nora—to protect. You should lure the beasts with that huge ass of yours. You’re good at that, right?”
”Shut up, pigs. Don’t start arguing even with the end near. You all would look good tied up. I’ll strip you down and line you up on the walls to make raw ham for the monsters.”
”Huh?”
”Eh?”
”What the hell?”
Correction. They were always in a relationship where they exchanged insults.
The woman, who was the leader of the combatants who had survived this far, and the man who managed supplies for the evacuees—both of them, like him—Sir Klock—were not good people. Perhaps they should be called bad friends.
They had overcome crises together many times. Their relationship should have softened by now, but it was always like this.
”Mr. Klock. Everyone seems to understand the situation. It seems many already knew the fortress wouldn’t hold…”
Michelle, a girl in a maid outfit, delivered the news. Even after finishing her report, she did not leave his side. In any scenario, she always chose Sir Klock as her final opponent.
After this, the last supper began within the fortress.
As usual, Michelle spent the night with Sir Klock. The inside of the fortress was in a state of revelry, with some partaking in forbidden alcohol. It was a familiar sight. It seemed that when people are on the brink of death, they choose gluttony, drink, and sex.
As the sun set, the fateful morning approached.
Last night’s processing of the consolation or relief was kept to a minimum, and preparations for the early morning departure were complete.
In front of the castle gate stood the refugees. Their complexions were not good. They all understood they were going to die. Even knowing this, they were not fully prepared.
”All right, let’s go! This might be the last time for you all! Give it everything you’ve got!!”
Leading the way as the leader of the refugees was Sir Klock. The besieged fortress’s gate opened at his signal. This was the final battle to secure the retreat route for the refugees.
Despite having no power, he had led and saved so many people up to this point. He was the true hero. Even if her prayers might never reach him, she could not help but join her hands in reverence to his brave figure.
”Come on!! Bring it on, you bastards!!”
The gate opened. At the same time, Ada howled, and Sir Klock, along with Boit—the usual trio of troublemakers—took the lead with great flair. A mere few thousand charged into the midst of tens of thousands of monsters.
”Damn, there are a lot of them!! Get to work, you heroes!!”
”Hey!? Don’t expect anything from those who have fallen!! Humans have lost!!”
Knowing it was a futile wish, it was human nature to still hope for something. Whimpering cries, akin to screams, echoed and spread like a death knell.
But whether they cried or laughed, it was the end.
That thought spurred on those behind them, armed with spears.
The sudden charge caught the monsters off guard, creating openings for the refugees. The former residents of the Kingdom Federation, led by adventurers, pushed through the large army. The brainwashed monsters were sluggish in their reactions. Realizing this, they aimed to break through with a straightforward ambush tactic.
However, it seemed too thick to break through.
As time passed, the monsters became more active. They had taken too long. The demon’s response had caught up with them.
This flow was not good.
What came into view was the nightmare approaching from behind.
Those who were fully exposed to the monsters’ wrath fell one after another. They rapidly spread forward like an avalanche.
This was a scene seen before. It seemed that this was the kind of result that awaited them.
”Hehehe. You must be the leader of the refugees?”
Despairing words were spoken. The invader, in their prime, carried themself with a confidence that masked their cowardice. Their voice echoed with the weight of one who had brought ruin countless times in countless forms.
”What the hell are you?!” Klock shouted.
”Four Generals of the Demon Lord, Earth General Bandanzine,” they declared flatly. “This is your end.”
A nightmare resurfaced in full force. The fiend’s arm shot straight toward Sir Klock, ignoring everything else around them──
”Clock!!? Run away!!?” Boit screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. Ada reached out frantically, trying to stop it──
But it was too late. Sir Klock, who had saved so many commoners in the hero’s place──
────Skill deactivated.
In an instant, the bloody battlefield vanished, replaced by the gloom of a small, dark wooden room.
”…No.”
Hugging her knees to her chest, she buried her face. The sweat clinging to her skin left a faint dampness. She slowly raised her eyes to the ceiling.
This route’s wrong too. From the very beginning, it feels like she’s making a mistake.
She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh at the invisible wall she had run into again and again.
”Cynthia?! Are you there?!”
Suddenly, a voice rang out from downstairs, accompanied by the clatter of footsteps. She recognized the words—they were the same as yesterday. It was already that time again.
She rose to her feet. Peering out the window, she saw dusk settling over the town. Her mother must’ve stopped by on the way home from work; she’d begun climbing the stairs with her usual noisy footsteps.
”Don’t come up. Letty is unwell. You might catch her illness,” Cynthia called out.
The footsteps halted mid-step. A quiet sigh floated up in response. Her mother was choosing her words carefully, clearly trying to find a way to break through.
”…Cynthia. If you keep living in a place like this, you’ll fall sick too someday. You should come live with your mother──”
”But my mother will abandon Letty,” Cynthia interrupted coldly. “I want to see Letty off. There’s money on the table downstairs, so please go home for today.”
She had to reject her mother firmly. Even the slightest hint of hesitation would invite her in. With those terrifying adult hands, she’d try to tear them apart. Cynthia would push her away, press the money into her hand—and that would be enough to make her give up, at least for now.
”…I understand. I’ll come again, and when I do, I expect a good answer. I love you, Cynthia.”
Her mother’s footsteps receded into silence.
Having abandoned her and Letty for a man, she only started talking about love after that man abandoned her.
She left early, clutching the silver coins. Pretending not to notice, she already knew she was stealing. As long as she brought in money, she turned a blind eye. It was her insurance—a way to feign ignorance if her actions were ever exposed.
He had no complaints against her. If giving her money was enough to make her leave them alone, then he didn’t mind. Of course, once the money stopped, she’d try to take him to a brothel. She’d abandon Letty and sell him for coin.
He wouldn’t say she was the worst. He understood she became that way to survive. He knew just how filthy the town was, how rotten the country was. A truly wealthy country wasn’t like this—neither a kingdom nor an empire.
Everyone survived by taking from others, feeding off each other. He did it too. And so did she.
”There you are,” a man said, approaching him. “I’ve been looking for you.”
The man closed his eyes once more, resuming his search. The prayers he offered were not to any god. They were for someone he had yet to meet. For the sake of the scene he’d witnessed that day, he kept searching for the path that remained closed.
Notes:
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Schiefeld – The capital city is a refined gem, appeared as Cynthia’s homeland, a place of rusted beauty and deceit. It’s a stark contrast to Cynthia’s unique appearance.
• Leticia – Leti is Cynthia’s beloved younger sister, innocent and inquisitive, facing an unfortunate prognosis. She’s the light in Cynthia’s life, a reason to strive.
• Goddess Teekua – The deity who saved Sylvia after her death and granted her rebirth as a hero.
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Michelle – The leader of the combatants, described as a woman with a no-nonsense attitude and a sharp tongue. She’s a survivor alongside Sir Klock, always choosing him as her final dance.
• Ada – Female. Ada the Wild Wind. An A-rank adventurer. Her appearance is striking, with black hair mixed with fiery red, multiple earrings, and an axe spear as tall as she is. She is incredibly strong and fast, with a Unique Skill called the ‘Blessing of the Wind’ that enhances her speed and agility. Ada is ruthless in combat but shows a surprising willingness to negotiate. She is highly respected in adventurer circles and feared by criminals. Her relationship with Klock is adversarial, as he stole from her and escaped using trickery.
• Bandanzine – They are one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a warrior with a dignified gaze, known for their frontline combat prowess.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply