༺ I Love You ༻
The imperial hospital, once bustling, was now devoid not only of patients but also of doctors and nurses.
– Knock knock knock
The resounding knocks reverberated through the long-empty hospital room.
“W-Who’s there…?”
The maid, who had been dozing off in the ward, immediately awoke and asked in frightened confusion.
“…….”
However, there was no response.
“W-What was that?”
The maid felt a hint of unease as she cautiously approached the door.
– Creeeak…
“Hmm?”
When she slowly turned the old, rusty doorknob, and opened the door, her head tilted in puzzlement.
She had clearly heard knocking. However, there wasn’t a flicker of movement even in the shadows, much less someone at the door or in the corridor.
“…..?”
Perplexed, the maid scratched her head.
“Sigh… have I lost my mind staying in a place like this?”
She eventually left the ward, grumbling to herself.
“……..”
Silence once again filled the ward.
– Crackle!! Crackle…!
Suddenly, a spark ignited in the center of the room.
“Ha…”
From that spark emerged Frey, wearing a gloomy expression as he observed his surroundings.
“…Clana.”
Frey spoke with a sad smile while fiddling with the pendant around his neck.
“I had hoped that I would never have to see you in such a state again.”
“Chirp! Chirp!”
At that moment, a canary that had been quietly perched by the window with its eyes closed until now, darted into Frey’s arms.
It seemed to have been inactive for a while because it staggered and swayed during its flight. Regardless of its awkward movements, its gaze remained fixed on Frey.
– Hug…
Finally, the canary successfully landed in Frey’s arms after its unstable flight.
However, it quickly tilted its head in confusion.
– Shahrhrhr...
Instead of the expected warmth, the canary felt a piercing surge of solar mana within itself when it came into contact with Frey’s chest that emanated stellar mana.
“Chirp♪ Chirp♪”
The canary quickly abandoned the intention to nest in Frey’s chest and instead, settled on his shoulder, cautiously pressing its cheek against his face as it began to chirp.
“…Clana.”
Frey watched this scene with profound sadness in his eyes.
“How long will you remain like this…?”
He gently petted the canary with his hand covered in stellar mana as he asked with a pained expression.
– Buzzz…!
It was only at that moment that the canary that had been chirping at him came to its senses and swiftly flew off somewhere.
– Buzzz…
The canary, upon its arrival, instantly merged with Clana’s body, who had been lying motionless on the bed as if she were dead.
“F-Frey!”
Shortly after, Clana, who had turned frail and gaunt with weakness, suddenly sat up and began to exclaim at Frey.
“Is it really you, Frey? Are you really Frey that I know?”
Frey slowly nodded in response to Clana’s question, but then he asked her gloomily.
“What do you think you’re doing, transforming into a canary like that?”
Upon that, Clana stammered out an answer.
“W-When I transform into a canary… I can suppress my emotions…”
“……”
“However, I still occasionally return to my body to take care of the tasks. I ensured the safe evacuation of all citizens… I also delegated authority to the emergency powers and sanctioned a nationwide mobilization effort… And, also…”
Frey only silently observed her.
“…Sigh.”
With a sigh, he walked out of the ward.
“F-Frey? Where are you going? Frey!”
Due to the extended time in bed weakening her muscles, Clana staggered unsteadily as she followed behind him.
“But how did you come back? D-Didn’t you… get annihilated…”
She anxiously asked as she chased after him.
“Hmm…”
Leaving Clana behind, Frey opened the ward door and entered the corridor. He then headed towards somewhere while clenching his teeth.
“Y-You shouldn’t enter… there…”
Clana warned, breaking into a cold sweat. Frey stood before a door that had a warning sticker attached to it.
– Creak…!
However, Frey ignored the warning and swung the door open.
“Who… is that?”
Then, a weary voice echoed throughout the room.
“You’re disturbing me, so please leave…”
The voice belonged to Serena, who was surrounded by an array of formulas, magic circles, and experimental tools while jotting something down.
“What are you doing?”
Frey asked Serena.
“……….”
However, even after hearing his voice, Serena remained engrossed in the formulas before her.
These were key formulas derived from pitch-dark symbols covering the furniture, floor, and wallpaper.
“Let’s see…”
Frey sighed and approached her side. He examined the formulas while tilting his head before finally speaking up.
“The second formula on the 8th row is incorrect.”
“…Huh?”
“And, while using the runic alphabet might be efficient, its success rate is low. Especially for disposable scrolls.”
“W-Wait…”
“Also…”
Frey, who was focused on analyzing the formula Serena had written down, finally noticed that she was looking at him with wide eyes.
“…You clearly know it, don’t you? The fact that time travel is impossible.”
“F-Frey…?”
“And despite that, you persist in trying to create formulas that will allow you to break the world’s rules? That’s so typical of you, Serena.”
He spoke with forced laughter.
“But… No matter how brilliant of a genius you are, you won’t be able to succeed.”
“Ah…”
“I’ve already tried it countless times.”
The moment Frey finished talking, Serena rushed towards him.
“Freeeeeeeeey!!!”
“No, don’t go. Frey, please!!”
“…Serena.”
“Even if it’s just for a while, please stay by my side!! I’ll find a way to keep you in this world! Just for a while…”
Eventually, Frey looked at the desperate Serena.
“…As expected, this isn’t the happy ending I wished for.”
He quietly clenched his fist and muttered.
“Frey! Please give me that necklace! I need to analyze it…!”
“…This is not a world where everyone has forgotten me nor is it a peaceful world.”
He alternated his gaze between Clana, who stood with a pale expression behind him, and Serena, who began to fervently beg upon noticing his presence.
“Phew.”
After letting out a short sigh, he slowly began to speak.
“I have something to ask…”
“…What do you want me to do, Frey?”
But before Frey could even say anything, Serena preemptively responded.
“I’ll give you my lifespan, no… I’ll give you my soul.”
“……”
“No, no, I can also carry your fate in place of you. So…”
“…Sigh.”
Frey looked at Serena in disbelief.
“W-Well, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here, but… I’ll do it! I’ll do it too!”
Wordlessly, Frey lowered his head as Clana, who had been wearing a dazed expression from behind, hurriedly spoke.
“…Thank you, both of you.”
For a moment, Frey kept his head down.
“Thank you for giving me the assurance I needed.”
After mumbling briefly, he removed the necklace.
“Frey…”
“W-Where did he go? Frey?”
Frey silently observed the two girls for a moment.
“…System.”
He softly summoned the system.
Clana’s Affection: 100
Serena’s Affection: Immeasurable
“…Hmm.”
Frey intently examined the system window.
“All right…”
On the left side of the ‘Main Heroine Affection Levels’ screen, there was no longer any indication of the ‘Heroines’ Affection Level’.
Affection towards Kania: 100
Affection towards Irina: 100
Affection towards Clana: 100
Affection towards Serena: 100
Affection towards Ferloche: ???
The right side of the screen displayed the ‘Affection Level towards Heroines.’
Initially, he had only focused on the right side of the screen since acquiring this feature in the system.
He hadn’t cared much about the left side because the heroines’ feelings toward him hadn’t mattered.
The only thing that mattered to him was how he felt about the heroines.
“…It seems like I’ve properly returned back to my old self.”
It was because ever since he had borrowed his body from a different timeline, he had been searching for the heroines and working to restore his love for them.
“Thank goodness.”
No matter how potent the memory-wiping magic was or even how effective the mind control, the love engraved in his soul remained, unerasable.
“It’s truly such a relief.”
That was why, upon discovering the intruding Demon God, he halted the countdown just before his complete deletion. Later, he witnessed how the heroines suffered upon learning the truth and how the world he wanted to protect began to lose its light and happiness.
Eventually, he resolved to rekindle his love for the five heroines.
That way, he could retain his rationality when he needed to judge the ‘Main Heroines’ according to the question that floated in front of him.
“If I continue like this… I think it’ll be safe to go to the next cycle…”
Moreover, he could prepare for the inevitable next cycle.
Despite being reconfigured by the ordeal, he had easily noticed the future version of himself from another timeline because of his overwhelming abilities.
As such, he knew that this cycle was not the end.
Somehow, the next cycle was destined to unfold.
That was why he hastened to rekindle his love for the heroines.
Then, when the next cycle came, he could prevent himself from repeating the same mistakes by hating those girls again.
Next time, he would undoubtedly bring about a truly happy ending for them.
“However…”
However, even though he had figured out almost everything in this world.
“How can I trigger the Retry? The abilities of my system should have been wiped out already.”
Several questions still remained unanswered.
“Also, as expected, has the future version of ‘me’ forgotten everything? His unsure behavior… And not purchasing the system’s function, which shows hidden affection levels, as well…”
It was a question that exceeded his comprehension.
“It’s like myself in the early days of my regression.”
Therefore, Frey was lost in thought for a while.
“Either way, I’ll know how to initiate the ‘Retry’ when the world nears its end.”
He muttered softly as he left the ward.
“…Well then, finally, it’s time to meet Ferloche.”
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Meanwhile, at that very moment.
“Please…”
In the long-abandoned church of the Sun God, now shrouded in snow and ice, no one had visited in a long time.
“I beg you, please…”
Within the church, Ferloche knelt on the frigid floor, tears streaming down her face.
“Retry? Regression? Whatever you call that ability you mentioned before, please give it to me…”
“I will bear all the consequences. After all, I’m the only one who can receive it since I’m connected to you, and if you don’t give it to anyone, the world will be doomed, right? Moreover…”
She was praying earnestly.
“… I can’t let his soul remain in pain any longer.”
Ferloche lamented while gazing at the half-destroyed statue of the Sun God before her.
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