NOVPUBBardray glared at Taesan, his expression laced with hostility and suspicion as he gripped the elaborate sword at his waist.
"Impressive. An assassin sneaks into my chambers without a hint of disturbance! Who hired someone with skills as refined as yours?"
Taesan didn’t answer. He turned his gaze slightly to his side.
[Oh...]
There, as usual, was the Spirit, who looked at his own younger self, the prince, with a pained expression.
Bardray, the man in human form.
And Bardray, the Spirit, no longer alive, his form spectral.
In this place, there were two Bardrays.
"I killed all my siblings with my own hands... Are you a servant of the gods? It doesn’t matter."
Bardray drew his sword.
"I’ll question you after I cut off your limbs!"
He lunged, wielding his blade like a storm that roared towards Taesan.
"What do you think?" Taesan asked, dodging.
The Spirit murmured, [That... that’s me. Well, my past self, to be precise.]
"Just as I thought."
Taesan's quest was to defeat the Demon King and save the world from destruction within the memory. This place was already a fallen world of the past, and the one at the center of this memory was none other than the Spirit.
Crash!
The sword moved ferociously, targeting Taesan’s throat and chest like a wolf on the hunt.
The swordsmanship was reminiscent of the Storm Scar technique the Spirit had shown him, but far clumsier, with glaring gaps. The Spirit clicked his tongue.
[What a mess! He should have aimed for the legs instead of the chest there. And he stopped at two attacks when he should have followed up with a third!]
"You do realize that’s your past self, don’t you?"
[I know, but it’s still frustrating. Watching this... I feel embarrassed.]
Crash!
Taesan dodged a slashing blow by leaning back. Bardray’s face hardened, and he planted his feet firmly, pouring strength into his blade.
"Not bad, though."
For someone from the outside who hadn’t descended into the labyrinth, Bardray’s skill was formidable.
Taesan reached out. The sword swung at him, only to be caught by Taesan’s hand.
"What!"
[Don’t break it, okay?]
"It’s only a memory. Does it really matter?"
[It does. If you break it, you’ll make an enemy of him entirely.]
On closer inspection, the sword Bardray wielded was identical to the relic Taesan possessed from Kabart. Following the Spirit’s advice, Taesan tugged on the sword.
"Urgh!"
Bardray didn’t let go. His training as a warrior allowed him to hold on.
But the cost was being pulled up off the ground.
Overwhelmed by Taesan’s strength, Bardray looked shocked.
Taesan twisted the sword from his grip and pointed it at Bardray’s throat as he fell to the floor.
"...You are strong."
Bardray stared at Taesan, his body soaked in sweat, while Taesan’s breathing was as steady as ever.
"Someone like you, an assassin... It’s truly a pity. Had you been a subject of the Empire, you would have been treated with the utmost respect."
Bardray sighed, closing his eyes in resignation.
"Congratulations. You’ve achieved your purpose. Go ahead, kill me."
Bardray calmly awaited his death, and Taesan looked at him without expression.
Of course, Taesan had no intention of killing Bardray.
The quest required him to defeat the Demon King, and Bardray was likely to be his ally in that mission. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
But things had gone awry from the start.
Regret had summoned Taesan to Bardray’s quarters, and Bardray had instantly assumed he was an assassin due to his sudden appearance.
He had to clear up the misunderstanding, but no clear solution came to mind. When Bardray felt no blade piercing his throat, he opened his eyes.
"...What are you doing? Are you thinking of taking me hostage?"
"That’s not it."
"Then kill me. Dying at the hands of a warrior as strong as you is hardly a dishonor."
Bardray closed his eyes again. Just then, the Spirit spoke up.
[Do as I suggested.]
The Spirit had given Taesan a plan to convince Bardray. Taking in the Spirit’s advice, Taesan began to speak.
"I don’t intend to kill you."
Taesan lowered his sword.
"I am not your enemy."
"I find it hard to believe, coming from someone who intruded into my chambers."
"I understand that. Which is why I intend to earn your trust."
He carefully relayed the words the Spirit had suggested, letting them flow smoothly from his lips.
"I’ve come seeking you to defeat the Demon King, Prince of the Kabart Empire."
At Taesan’s words, Bardray opened his eyes.
"You must know as well—the Demon King is soon to be born, and he plans to invade this world."
"...How do you..."
Shock and confusion flitted through Bardray’s eyes. What Taesan had just mentioned was a secret, known only to the royal family within the Empire.
Taesan continued.
"You are aware of the Hero of Kariart, correct?"
"...Yes."
The Hero Kariart. A legendary figure who, long ago, had appeared in this world. He had defeated the Demon King who sought to conquer the world and claimed dominion over it.
But Kariart fell into madness as he fought the Demon King, killing many people in his quest for power.
All of humanity had united to barely bring him down, and his bloodline was systematically eradicated. To this day, he was a name forbidden to mention—a taboo.
"I am Kariart’s descendant."
Bardray’s pupils widened at Taesan’s revelation.
"As a prince of the Empire, you would know. Kariart’s bloodline has not been entirely erased."
"...Yes, I know."
Some had escaped during the blood purge, a fact known to only a select few in the Empire.
The truths that poured from Taesan’s mouth could only have come from someone with firsthand knowledge. Bardray’s gaze softened as his doubts began to fade.
"Those of Kariart’s blood bear black hair and black eyes, don’t they?"
Taesan ran a hand through his hair.
"Because of these features, we have always faced persecution. I wish to restore the honor our ancestor tainted. That’s why I came to find you, Prince of the Empire. I’ve heard that you don’t hold prejudice against our lineage."
"..."
"I apologize for the intrusion into your chambers. I had no other way of meeting you."
"Enough."
The prince stood, murmuring.
"If you are truly Kariart’s descendant, then this was the only way you could have entered here. I forgive you."
Bardray grinned.
"Bold indeed. Although I’ve often spoken against prejudice toward your lineage, to come this far based on just that... And your strength. It’s impressive."
There was no longer any suspicion in his eyes.
Only goodwill and trust directed at Taesan.
‘It worked.’
The words Taesan had spoken had all been based on the Spirit’s suggestions. He’d been doubtful at first, but it seemed Bardray had truly begun to trust him.
[He is me, after all,] the Spirit said dryly.
[I know what he’s thinking, what he wants to hear, and what he longs for. Earning his trust was no hard feat.]
The biggest hurdle was now cleared.
The rest should be manageable. Bardray clicked his tongue as he looked around.
"Quite a mess."
His quarters were utterly destroyed. The walls, decorations, and carpets had been torn and shattered by the aftermath of their battle. It was more of a ruin than a royal chamber.
With such commotion, it was only natural that someone would come to check on them. Soon, there was a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, is everything alright?"
"There was a bit of a scuffle. Come in."
"Excuse me."
The door opened, and a maid entered. Her eyes widened as she took in the wrecked chamber, then widened further when she saw Taesan.
"...Your Highness? What on earth...?"
"I told you, there was a minor incident. Nothing to worry about."
"But he..."
She glanced at Taesan’s black hair and black eyes, clearly troubled. Bardray straightened his attire and spoke.
"Stay calm. He is my guest."
"...What?"
The maid’s eyes grew even larger.
She looked at Taesan, stammering.
"But... Your Highness, who is he...?"
"Since when have you been given permission to question my words?"
Bardray smiled quietly. The maid flinched, then immediately bowed.
"Apologies."
"Go and prepare a guest room for him."
"Y-yes..."
The maid tried to lift her head, but Bardray’s cold gaze caused her to bow again.
Surveying the damage, Bardray spoke.
"My apologies. I need to restore some order here first. We can continue our discussion after."
"Understood."
"Lead him to his quarters. Make sure he is properly accommodated, or you will answer to me."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Following Bardray’s orders, the maid led Taesan out into the corridor.
She glanced nervously back at Taesan, fear clear in her expression.
Taesan asked her, "What year is it?"
"The year 876, by Imperial reckoning..."
"I see."
Taesan nodded, and the maid, trembling, escorted him to a room.
"If you require anything, please ring the bell to call for assistance."
With those words, she quickly departed. Taesan sat down on the bed and spoke aloud.
"What do you think?"
[The Great Empire of Kabart has been established here for 876 years. If my memory is correct, the Demon King will appear in the year 877. Based on what I glimpsed outside while walking through the halls... there’s about three months left.]
Three months until the Demon King’s invasion.
The Spirit muttered bitterly.
[How cruel. Truly.]
The Spirit's world had been destroyed by the Demon King. Three months after the invasion began, they were unable to fend it off, leading him to ultimately end up in the labyrinth.
And now, he was being made to watch as his past self faces the Demon King's invasion once again.
[The God of Regret... They certainly live up to their name. I don’t like it one bit.]
After collecting himself, the Spirit continued.
[The quest requires that we defeat the Demon King. That likely means we’re supposed to help my past self accomplish that goal.]
"The Demon King, huh."
Taesan pondered, recalling what he knew.
"There’s a Demon King in the demon realm, too."
But their power was hardly remarkable.
Strong, yes, but nothing Taesan couldn’t handle.
If the Demon King here was similar, he could manage alone. But the Spirit disagreed.
[The Demon King in the demon realm and the one here are completely different. Think of the Demon King here as a sort of... systemic entity.]
"A system?"
[Remember back on the 51st floor when you fought the fragment of the wolf that brings ruin to worlds? How was that?]
"It was quite powerful."
Even though it wasn’t the true form, it had still given Taesan a hard time.
[The Demon King is like that. They exist solely to bring about the end of worlds. It’s difficult to make a direct comparison, but... even you would struggle to defeat it now.]
"Are you saying I have to defeat something like that?"
If Taesan, who had been progressing through the labyrinth’s depths, would struggle, that meant the outside world stood no chance against it. Facing such an enemy seemed impossible.
The Spirit replied.
[I told you, it’s a systemic existence. There’s a prophecy about the Demon King. Only by fulfilling that prophecy can you achieve victory.]
And with that, the Spirit began to recite the prophecy.
