Elsword – Time Trouble v1c5

5. Boy who leapt through time
Add realized he was lying on a bed when he came to. For a moment he wondered if everything that
happened was a dream. But that was impossible.
There was no way this dull pain, this rage was fake.
Add abruptly raised himself up as he heard someone speak from besides him.
“It would be better if you stayed lying down. It hasn’t been that long since your wounds healed.”
It was Ara, no Eun who was peeling an apple with a fruit knife. White hair and the fox ears curling
up and down made it certain.
Add sent Eun a burning glare but she didn’t stop peeling the fruit.
“I healed the wounds on your body. They called it clairvoyant powers back in the day. It doesn’t end
with just increasing one’s natural healing ability and….”
Add reached out sideways with his hands. Dynamos that stood leaning against a wall at the corner of
the room flew towards him. Add scowled at Eun. His eyes were burning violently.
“…..You, You knew didn’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“About how Eve, Eve would be destroyed again!!”
That’s right. Eun said she could look into the future. She must have known about this future where
Eve was destroyed.
It wasn’t just this time. She must have known Eve was going to be destroyed….from the start.
There was no doubt about this when you examined every words she told him so far.
Eun nodded without even a hint of denial. Add had expected it to be true but he clenched his fists
because Eun had reacted so clearly.
“I’m on boy’s side. What are you curious about?”
“….”
“Boy didn’t ask me anything he was curious about. So I didn’t particularly tell him.”
Let’s calm down. Eve wasn’t going to come back even if he blew Eun away right now. Not only that,
Eun’s cooperation was necessary in order to time travel again.
“Where is Eve?”
169
“In the other room. You could go look if you want.”
“…..”
“Just dissecting and researching the destroyed Nasod would advance your research greatly.”
Add looked at Eun with a fearsome glare but Eun just made a beaming smile.
“Ah, is that so? What you wanted was the Core? Unfortunately, that’s been destroyed.”
“….Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“About what?”
Add’s blood pressure was about to soar through the roof after seeing Eun play dumb. If possible, he
wanted to hang Eun upside down and torture her until she spat out everything.
But now was the time where he had to suppress his anger and gather information.
“Why didn’t you tell me when you already knew Eve would be destroyed?”
“Because nothing would have changed even if I told you.”
Eun withdrew her smile and spoke seriously.
“My foresight isn’t absolute. Let’s see, how shall I explain this? Should I say it’s like number of cases?
If one were to say fate is like a dice. I can merely tell which number will come up from the die more
precisely than other people.”
Eun’s tails shook voluptuously.
“If future is a gambling game where the dice called fate is rolled endlessly, lives of the present are
the ones that make bets inside the game. Just like you have said, I can give information to those
around me and change the future I’ve seen.”
“That’s different from what you said before. Just what are…!”
“Boy, have patience. Calm down.”
Eun calmly blocked Add from speaking and explained again.
“It takes enormous amount of clairvoyant powers in order to see into things that are not directly
related to me. One must pay an equivalent amount of price in order to peek into the secrets of the
universe. It’s not something you do mindlessly.”
“…..”
Eun was confessing that even she needed to make great sacrifices in order to see into the future.
170
“So I make a great effort to peek into the eyes of the dice. Then let those around me know of the
results I’ve seen. But doing so causes a ripple, changing the distribution and the future. Didn’t the
boy also know what would happen this time around?
“…..”
Add had seen Eve be destroyed two times already. That was why he had decided to stay back in
Elder this time.
“But how was the result?”
“…..Are you saying that Eve getting destroyed is a decided future?”
“No, that’s wrong. There is no such thing. But how shall I put this? If the normal die of fate is 6
sided, and have 6 unique results…… Girl’s fate is a 100 sided dice, and up to 99 are similar results.”
It meant there was an extremely high chance that Eve would be destroyed. Eun laughed slightly as
Add trembled.
“Everything that is born dies someday and everything that is created is destroyed someday. It is
simple flow of the world. The 100 sided dice I mentioned just now also applies to boy’s fate as well.
It’s the law of mortality.”
“Stop with the wordplays. I have…. no intentions of playing around.”
Add manipulated his Dynamos after realizing that Eun had taunted him again. Electrical current
much more powerful than before sparked out of the Dynamos.
“Do I look like I’m playing around in the boy’s eyes? How regretful.”
Eun held out a dish containing neatly cut apples towards Add. Eun made a sly smile when Add
didn’t take it.
“But I also know of a way boy can achieve his goals.”
“What is that? Tell me right now….!”
Eun shook the dish up and down slightly when Add angrily pressed for an answer. Add reluctantly
accepted the dish because of her gesture that said she’d only talk after he had accepted it.
Eun made a satisfied smile and leaned on her chair as she crossed her legs. Her body was Ara’s but
one could tell they were completely different individuals by seeing how the lavish aura flowed out of
her even when she was sitting still.
“Boy, don’t get your priorities mixed up.”
“What?”
171
“What was the reason why the boy wanted the girl? Wasn’t it extortion of the Core?”
Add closed his mouth. That’s right, Eun’s indication was correct. Didn’t he join the El Search Party
in order to steal Eve’s Core in the first place?
He ended up time traveling because he kept seeing Eve get destroyed before he had the chance to
make his move.
“Didn’t I tell you? I want to help the boy.”
“….Just what do you want to say?”
“Boy should know very well already.”
Eun’s red eyes gleamed with wickedness.
“Travel through time right now and extort the girl’s Core….. Faster than the demons can destroy
her. Then the boy’s wish will be granted.”
“…..”
Add’s face turned stiff after listening to the voluptuous voice’s advice. On the contrary Eun was
making a grin.
“Think about it. Although limited, the boy can travel through time with my a.s.sistance. No matter
how much the girl is guarded against you, or even if other members tried to stop you….. It doesn’t
matter at all. Try, and if you fail, all you have to do is go back to the past and try again.”
“…..”
“You can ambush her when she’s sleeping, or whenever she lets her guard down. If you fail? All you
have to do is go back 5 minutes before. Repeating this, you’ll succeed in the end.”
What she said was reasonable. All Add had to do was achieve his goal before the demons destroyed
Eve.
With Eun’s help he could attempt infinitely. Then at some point….He’ll obtain Eve’s Core.
“…..Kukukuk.”
Add unconsciously burst out laughing. Eun also laughed along quietly.
“What’s your reason for helping me?”
“It’s because the future where the boy succeeds is related to my future. Well, how about it? Do you
still suspect me? Me, who helped the boy time travel all this time?”
172
Add didn’t answer Eun’s smile and closed his eyes. Starting the calculations in order to understand
his current situation. Let’s do a review.
What Eun said was correct.
Why Eve met with such a fate didn’t have anything to do with Add. All Add had to do was steal the
Core before it happened.
“Kukuk.”
Add created a time s.p.a.ce wormhole as he burst out laughing. Eun got up from her seat as if she was
waiting.
“Then when will you go back to?”
“Last night, right after Hoffman headed back after finis.h.i.+ng his story.”
Following Add’s words, Eun’s hand started to s.h.i.+ne with white light.
Wrrrrr
When Add came to, dumbfounded El Search Party members were staring at him.
“Add. Other people will be troubled if you ride that indoors.”
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Mr.Add? Is there a problem?”
“……”
Eve didn’t say anything and stared at Add quietly. Add looked outside the window to check the
approximate time then asked.
“Did Hoffman go back?”
“But Mr.Hoffman wasn’t here.”
“……What?”
Add’s eyes opened widely. Elsword scolded Add.
“What’s wrong Add? Did you already forget what we just talked about with that Blacksmith guy?”
“…..”
173
Why did the events from the past change when he time traveled? Add was taken aback at the fact
someone other than Hoffman had come to visit. But he decided to remain silent.
From other members’ atmosphere and what they were talking about, it looked like the decision to go
to the Wally’s Castle hadn’t changed.
“Alright, Eve. Come with me.”
“I’ll have to refuse.”
Eve spoke back coldly. Add hadn’t expected her to refuse instantly like this and was at a loss for
words for a while. Seeing this, Rena smiled and pushed Eve’s back.
“Rena, don’t push.”
“Go ahead. Important conversations have to be done privately.”
“……I can’t understand humans.”
Eve got up shaking her head looking like she didn’t understand. Add gave Ara an eye gesture before
he left the room but Ara only blinked her eyes innocently in response.
Add brought Eve up to the boy’s room. He moved out to the balcony and opened the Dynamos
around the balcony to create a barrier so that the conversation couldn’t be leaked outside.
“What business do you have with me?”
Eve didn’t seem too pleased that there were only two of them in this room. Well even if Add
thought about it himself…… He didn’t recall doing anything that would have pleased her.
No, even if Add did something, it became all nonexistent when he time travelled.
Eve in front of him wasn’t Eve that rode on Dynamos and fought together against Wally Robot
with him. She wasn’t Eve that fought against Shadow Master’s minions with him. She also wasn’t
Eve that conversed with him as they patrolled Elder together.
She was the 4
thEve that didn’t know anything.
“What relations.h.i.+p do Nasods have with Demons?”
“I don’t understand why you’d ask such a question.”
174
Eve shook her head slightly as she answered. Her hairs fluttered in a cute manner.
“If you had to say so, it’d be a hostile relations.h.i.+p.”
“…..Is that so.”
Add could finally fit all the pieces together.
Why was Eve getting continuously destroyed? The answer was simple. It was because the demons
were after her. Wally Robot was built by the Castle’s Lord that joined up with the demons. Shadow
Master was obviously a demon and the Dark Count Ran was also a demon.
Demons appeared wherever Eve was located and were trying to destroy her.
Their reason for doing so? Add didn’t know the details but it must have been an order from
someone called D. Well Eve was a highly ranked Nasod…. They must have a good enough reason.
“I’m going to make a prediction.”
“I don’t understand. Is it a superst.i.tion?”
“……You’re going to be destroyed soon.”
Add told her calmly but there was no particular change in Eve’s expression. Add frowned and
explained in detail.
“Demons are after you. You’ll be attacked by the demon’s a.s.sa.s.sins tomorrow, or maybe even today
or the day after tomorrow!”
“So it’s a superst.i.tion.”
Eve discarded Add’s warning as nonsense. It was obvious. Add would have considered them crazy
too if someone had told him the same thing.
“They are too powerful. No one can match up to them, not even you or the others.”
“You are lying. Although I don’t know why you’re telling me this lie.”
Eve looked like she couldn’t understand. Well Add’s current actions weren’t logical at all. But he still
decided to push forward with it.
“……Cooperate with my research”
“I can’t understand even more.”
“I’m researching time travel. I’m not even a person from this timeline. I’m wanderer of time that
jumped to this time from the past by accident and is desperately trying to get back!”
175
Eve was now only blinking as she listened to Add yell. Add couldn’t tell if she was so taken aback,
or that couldn’t believe, or both.
Add started to feel that this was a lost cause. But he still didn’t give up and spoke.
“If you’re really the Queen of Nasods then think about what I just said! What can I possibly hope to
gain by lying to you like this? I’d just get treated like a crazy person. Then wouldn’t it be fine to try
and a.s.sume what I said is true?”
“What do you plan to do by researching time travel?”
“….I’ll go back to the past.”
Add hesitated for a moment but then let out the last part of his word.
“With you.”
Time travel using Dynamo was only for one person but it had rooms for modifications. Just like
how he flew together with Eve.
Also…. Although it was limited to couple days, if Eun really had the ability to interpret time wave
function, he could research that mechanism and somehow make everything work out.
Maybe, possibilities might open up without having to steal Eve’s Core.
“I won’t go.”
“You’ll only get attacked by demons if you remain in this time. Do you think I’m lying?”
“Even if it’s true I won’t go.”
Eve refused outright. She ignored the now stunned Add as she spoke coldly.
“I have the mission to revive the Nasod civilization. I have no intention of stopping my search for
El, or to travel to a different timeline.”
“…..What about the demons that will attack you?”
“Even if what you’re talking about is true. I don’t think it’s something that can be solved by running
away. I must face them head on like Nasods should.”
Add’s heart burned up because he knew all too well the result of what she just said. He just gave her
all the information he had. He was even prepared to get treated like a crazy person. Despite all this
effort Eve didn’t waver.
Even if she believed Add’s words her decision wouldn’t change. Her course of action was firm.
176
“…..Are you sure it’s not because you can’t leave Elsword?”
“I don’t know why you’d bring up his name here.”
Eve’s voice suddenly turned rough. Again. Eve’s att.i.tude changed completely whenever Elsword
was mentioned. Add was about to respond with toxic remarks but stopped himself.
If he said such things he’d only make Eve angry just like before…. And get beat up.
Final persuasion was a failure. Then what’s left was….
“Is anyone in there?”
Sound of a door being opened was heard along with footsteps. Add was extremely startled but
calmed down soon as he saw that the shadow moving inside the room was Ara.
Ara will now turn into Eun.
Suppressing Eve would be as easy as pie if Eun also joined in ….. Add’s heart suddenly sank when
he thought about this.
“Ms.Eve?”
Ara who was wandering around the room came out to the balcony and exclaimed. Was it just a
coincidence? Ara had her spear in her hands.
“We were just talking for a bit.”
Eve answered but what she just said didn’t leak outside because of the barrier. Add suppressed his
uneasy heart and tried to read Ara’s actions. Ara tilted her head and asked.
“Could it be that… I made some mistake again?”
“…..”
She’s not turning into Eun? Come to think of it, every time Add met Eun was during late night after
sun had gone down completely. Was her appearance restricted by time of the day?
Add stared at Ara with complex feelings but Eve turned around coldly.
“I’ll head back now if you’re done.”
Eve left the balcony making silent footsteps. Seeing Add let out an ambiguous sigh Ara asked
confusedly.
“C, Could it be I got in your way by coming in?”
“That’s not it…..”
177
Eun must be asleep. Just when had Add a.s.sumed so and shook his head, Ara’s eyes suddenly
narrowed as she took off her hairpin.
Her hair turned white and the tone of her voice changed.
“Oops, I must have got in the way of the boy’s good time.”
“…..”
Add was spooked because Eun had popped out soon as he thought she was not there. Eun curled
up her hands like a cat and lightly scratched the air.
“It looked like you were about to attack Eve by yourself. Why didn’t you invite me as well?”
“…..Why are you showing up now?”
“Hm, I was busy with something. Then should I tell Ara to call Eve outside late at night? She’ll
probably come out if Ara asks. She won’t be able to resist if the boy attacks her then.”
She was correct. But……
“I don’t feel up to it today. You can go back.”
Add shook his head as he left the balcony. He saw that Eun was making a strange smile but ignored
her on purpose.
He really didn’t feel up to it right now.
Night.
Add let out a sigh as he lay on the bed. Persuading Eve was a failure as well. Now there was…. really
no choice but to do what Eun had suggested.
To make his move and obtain Eve’s core before the demons destroyed Eve. It was a piece of cake
for Add who could now perform limited time travel with Eun’s help.
“Sigh…..”
“Big brother Add, are you not going to sleep?”
Elsword who lay on the bed across the room started a conversation. There was only Add and
Elsword inside the boy’s bedroom without Raven.
Still, Add hadn’t expected Elsword to start talking to him. Wasn’t this the first time Add spoke with
Elsword in private since the day they camped out where Add had provoked him?
178
“I can’t sleep.”
Add pondered if he should ignore him but answered bluntly instead. Add needed someone he could
talk to even if that someone was Elsword.
So that Add could clear up his complicated feelings.
“Is it because you’re worried about tomorrow? You’re strong so it will be fine.”
“…..”
Elsword must have thought Add was worried about going to the Underground Waterway tomorrow.
Well wasn’t that kind of him….but what he just said only disturbed Add’s mind.
Strong? Who is?
If I was really strong….. I wouldn’t have lost someone important to me in front of my eyes!!!
“Yea, I’m stronger than you. But there’s absolutely no use in becoming stronger. There are things
that can’t be done….. No matter how much I run amok.”
“……There’s absolutely no use?”
“There are stronger people in this world, or they could come at you in numbers. So just getting
stronger doesn’t mean it’s the end of all your problems. I’m not being modest, this is resignation.”
As Add lay he stretched his arm out towards the ceiling. That hand obviously didn’t reach.
“Nothing will change. No matter how strong I become I’ll just continue to lose.”
“…..You’re saying something difficult.”
“You don’t have to listen. You won’t be able to remember anyways.”
Add will time travel again and this conversation will become nonexistent as well. There was a
rustling noise and then Elsword sat on his bed.
“There are things that change if you become stronger.”
“Kukuk, nonsense. I’m saying this as someone who’s stronger than you. You’ll figure it out too once
you become strong as me. That is…. if that day ever comes.”
Add was jeering then closed his mouth. Honestly, Elsword’s future wasn’t too bright either.
179
Didn’t Elsword get covered in blood as he fell to the Shadow Master’s attack? Add hadn’t checked if
Elsword survived but even if he wasn’t killed immediately he would have received a critical wound.
Long as the demons were after Eve, Elsword who was with her was also exposed to the same
danger.
“No, I know someone who’s stronger than you. That person told me. You can change if you
become stronger. That you desire to become stronger because you want to change.”
Elsword spoke with a force in his voice. Those words came from a young boy but they were
righteous words that didn’t waver.
“If you want to change you can become stronger, if you want to become stronger you will change.”
“…..Bunch of gibberish.”
“I don’t understand too much because it’s too difficult for me. But I know for sure that this is true.
Rena said it was true and Ara did as well. Eve did too.”
“……”
Geez, this guy was really popular amongst this group. Add let out a tired sigh.
Elsword mentioning Eve at the end really got on Add nerves but he decided to let it slide.
“Don’t you want to become stronger anymore? Don’t you want to change?”
“….You’re too noisy.”
Add turned his back around and covered himself fully inside the blanket. Everything became dark as
Add closed his eyes, but what Elsword said strangely bugged his ears.
What’s the point in becoming stronger? Triumphant that he had become stronger, Add even risked
his own life attacking Ran. But he couldn’t even touch a single strand of Ran’s hair. If Ran was that
strong…. Then D must be even stronger.
Protect Eve from the grasp of such powerful demons? Outrageous. It was hundred times better to
just cooperate with Eun and steal Eve’s Core.
Yes, hundred times better.
“Tch…..!”
That’s what he thought…. But Elsword’s words didn’t leave his ears.
180
‘Do you want to change? That’s…..’
It was a night where the answer didn’t come easily.
Next day morning.
Add didn’t want to get up. Add rolled up in his bed and dove deep into the blanket.
“Big brother Add? Aren’t you going to get up? We should get ready to go soon.”
“I’m not feeling well. I’m not going today.”
When Add declared bluntly Elsword left the room looking confused. When the room became empty
Add let out a thin sigh.
He sighed as he wriggled his fingers.
“Just what am I hesitating for…?”
Shouldn’t he steal Eve’s core soon as possible and use that to obtain the technology to safely go
back to the past? The moment to execute the plan Add had always dreamed of had come. But for
some reason he didn’t feel up to it.
Well if he could time travel repeatedly anyways….was there a problem with him lazing around for a
bit? Add basically had infinite time on his hands right now.
So he wouldn’t lose anything staying inside the bed and not doing anything for the entire day.
“Tired…..”
He couldn’t sleep last night. And because he kept seeing Eve get destroyed for last couple days,
(Although this expression wasn’t quite accurate because he had time traveled) his mind wasn’t doing
too well. He was also physically exhausted because he had to repeatedly fight high cla.s.s demons.
He was exhausted both mentally and physically even though Eun had supposedly healed him.
Clack.
Just when Add was about to close his eyes and tried to sleep, he heard the sound of a door opening.
Light footsteps, it was Rena.
“Add are you not feeling well?”
“…..Yes.”
181
Add answered as he curled himself up even further. He didn’t want to see Rena’s face right now. No,
he didn’t want to see anyone’s face right now.
He just wanted to close his eyes and be left alone.
“Do you need anything?”
“…..No. I’ll follow you guys when I get better. So go ahead without me.”
Add spoke about something he didn’t intend to do. He was just going to get a good rest, ignore
other members being in danger from the demon attack….then get Eun’s help and go back to the
past.
When should he go back to this time? Should the day when El Search Party was formed be okay?
“Alright, come if you change your mind.”
“……”
Rena spoke calmly and left the room. She didn’t force Add to come despite knowing perfectly well
that he was faking his illness.
Add let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. He felt a bit sorry for Rena…. But this event would
cease to exist as well.
Let’s just fall asleep.
Nothing would have changed…..when he woke up. But he just wanted to rest.
Clack.
Just when Add’s consciousness was fading, the sound of a door being opened was heard again. Add
was too drunk in his sleep to identify whose footstep it was.
“…..”
It sounded like the person hesitated for a moment then slowly walked out of the room. Sound of the
door closing courteously, the person’s footsteps drifted apart.
The sound felt nostalgic.
It was Eve’s footsteps.
“…..”
182
Add opened his eyes abruptly soon as he realized this. Sleepiness instantly disappeared and his mind
was awake. Add got up from the bed without a thought and looked around the room.
Eve was already gone. Add was about to quickly run towards the door but stopped. This was
certainly unexpected. But what was the point of meeting her right now? Same things will just repeat
again.
“By demons or…..”
Add muttered to himself with resignation in his voice. His gaze turned towards then remained on
the top of the 3 shelf drawer. Something that wasn’t there last night had appeared.
A cup filled with lemonade.
“What…..”
At a loss for words, Add looked down at the lemonade. There was no way Elsword had brought it
here. What that guy liked was apple juice.
“Seriously, what the heck…….”
Add let out a hollow laugh as he lifted the lemonade up. His gaze turned towards the white note that
was stuck below the cup.
I don’t understand what you said yesterday.
But thank you for worrying about me.
I’ll try to be careful.
Take good care of yourself.
A neat, calculated handwriting. It didn’t say the writer’s name but you could tell instantly who wrote
it.
“What the heck? Are you an idiot? Kukukuk, are you an idiot?”
Add made a hollow laugh as he grabbed the tip of the note and shook it up and down. It was so
nonsensical that all he could do was laugh.
183
“Are you an idiot? Wouldn’t it be normal for you to not go if you were going to believe me? Or
even just cooperate with me. Saying thank you when you don’t even believe me? That’s illogical.
You keep proclaiming to yourself that you don’t have any emotions yet you’re doing stupid things
like this…..”
Add’s body shook lightly. It wasn’t only because he was laughing.
“Kukukuk, Nasods paying humans a get well visit? The world must be ending. My name is going to
get carved in history. Kukukuk.”
Add swallowed his sigh multiple times. His head was feeling dizzy.
“It doesn’t make sense. You’re a masterpiece that I acknowledged. Why are you doing something
that doesn’t make sense like this? Do something that’s more believable if you’re going to write off
what I rambled about yesterday as a simple worry. I……”
Add muttered words that no one would hear. Then he slowly brought the lemonade to his mouth.
It was disgustingly sour.
“It’s sour. Just why do you….like this stuff?”
It was so sour that he could cry. So sour that tears really gathered in his eyes.
“Are you an idiot? Seriously. Kukukuk. Huh? You give it to me because you like it? People all have
different tastes. I absolutely hate sour things……”
Add drank it without leaving a drop despite what he just said. Add’s fists shook as he stared down
at the now clean empty cup.
It shook because his hand was crus.h.i.+ng the cup.
“I absolutely hate stuff like this….. I absolutely hate it when someone worries about me.”
That’s right, he was alone. He didn’t care what happened to the El Search Party. He only wanted
Eve’s Core.
He did.
“I…….”
Add bit his lower lip with a force that almost made them bleed. His eyes were still blurry from the
sour taste that still remained at the tip of his tongue.
“…….Eve”
He became a.s.sured soon as he called her name. His feeling made the conclusion before his reason
could. He couldn’t take this lying down.
184
“Don’t make me laugh. How dare you not believe what I say? Fine, I’m going to go watch your
pompous face turn pale with fear.”
Add put on his hood and bit his lip.
“You’ll find out what I said was true when you get cornered by the demons, so….”
He just had to rescue Eve at that moment and get her to properly cooperate. It was something
illogical, it was something that took too much effort, but Add really wanted to do it right now.
He’ll only be gratified if that pompous Eve thanked him honestly from the bottom of her heart.
He’ll only be convinced if her gaze that only looked at Elsword turned towards him.
“Just you wait!! Eve!!”
Add ran out with a force that almost broke the door. He was planning to catch up to the group right
away using Dynamo’s flight.
But as Add came out of the room he stopped. Ara was standing in the corridor leaning against the
wall.
Correction, Ara’s white hair, pointy fox ears on top of her head.
Eun was standing there.
“Alright, Boy. What time will you travel to now?”
“I don’t need it. I’m going after the Eve from right now.”
When Add glared at her, Eun giggled then nodded.
“Then we can go together. I’m not going to stop the boy. Even though he’s going to see the same
result again.”
“Are you saying that I’ll fail again?”
Eun subst.i.tuted her answer with a shrug.
“I just proposed a way to help the boy. Boy is free to choose. Whether he wants to see the girl get
destroyed again, the choice is up to the boy.”
“Me failing is a certain truth….?”
Add stopped speaking. Something was strange.
185
Sense that something was out of place.
The same sense of incompatibility that he felt ever since he saw Eun for the first time.
“……Hey.”
He couldn’t tell if Eun was good or evil. Ara said she was a Celestial spirit but in Add’s point of view
she was a wily beast no better than the demons. Despite which answer was true, Add had let things
pa.s.s so far because she said she’d help.
“…….You, just what are you?”
It was something he should have made sure of from the start.
“I am Eun, a frost fox that sees the future.”
“You…. Didn’t tell me the truth from the start.”
Eun smiled voluptuously as she shook her tails.
“Are you suspecting me? How cruel. Didn’t boy already find out I was on boy’s side when I helped
him with the time travels?”
“You may not have told any lies. But….there’s parts you didn’t speak about.”
Eun continued to smile despite the sudden interrogation that was put upon her.
“What are you saying all of a sudden, boy?”
“It was strange from the start. You suddenly said you wanted to help me. I thought it was because
you could see the future. That it was because I was related to your future.”
But that was impossible.
“But that doesn’t make sense at all. When I become able to freely control time travel, the time I’m
going back to is the past. There’s no way I’d be in the future after that point.”
So there was absolutely no reason for Eun to help Add. That wasn’t everything. Eun always…..knew
everything perfectly.
Too perfectly.
“In addition, you said it yourself that looking into the future unrelated to you consumes enormous
amount of clairvoyant powers.”
“I did. Is there a problem with that?”
186
“But how do you know about the future where Eve gets destroyed? Judging by how you appeared
subtly in the last timeline right after we who remained in Elder got attacked by the demons, you
already knew.”
Add protested sharply. Smile disappeared from Eun’s face.
“Just like you said, it’s more reasonable for me to go back to the past and attempt stealing the Core.
That means you had absolutely no reason to waste your clairvoyant powers and peek into Eve’s
future!!”
“…..”
“But you are telling me Eve getting destroyed is already an established fact. As if you already knew!!”
That’s right. That’s how it was from the start. This entire story would have changed completely if
Eun had told Add from the start that she could help him with time travel.
But Eun only revealed this fact after Add had witnessed Eve getting destroyed.
“Just what is your goal?!!”
Eun’s goal wasn’t to blindly help Add. Add didn’t know the truth, but Eve’s destruction, and making
Add witness her destruction was probably in her plans as well.
When Add glared at her, Eun scratched her hair and then sighed.
“I should be more careful from now on. I never expected the boy to attack through loopholes like
this so composedly.”
Eun’s eyes seemed to narrow then she fixed the grip on her spear. Add interpreted this as a battle
pose and tensed up. But Eun held out her other hand towards Add instead.
“Boy, as I said before I’m on boy’s side. So you don’t have to be so tense.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Until I find out your true goals…. I can never trust you.”
He couldn’t trust Eun anymore. Just seeing how Eun had pushed Add on to repeatedly witness
Eve’s destruction was enough to make Add’s heart uneasy.
“My goals? Will you be able to believe it even if I told you, boy?”
Eun spoke then lightly waved her empty hand.
“How was the girl’s reaction yesterday when you blindly told her the truth? She didn’t believe and
went on her way. I don’t think the boy would be any different.”
“It’s up to me to decide whether to believe or not. And Eve….”
187
Add touched the note he stuck in his chest pocket with his fingertips. She didn’t believe him, but
she also didn’t blatantly suspect him.
That lemonade was so sour that it made him shed tears…… But it was still tasty.
“Don’t you dare talk about her like that.”
“I’m sorry if I made you angry. But before I start talking, you’ll have to promise me one thing.”
“……What is it?”
“It’s very simple. Promise me that you’ll try to resolve this situation together with me. There’s no
point in me talking if you don’t do this.”
Add looked suspiciously at Eun. But Eun lightly closed her fingers then opened them. Her white
hand looked very soft.
Will I be able to find out the truth if I grabbed this hand? About what the heck was going on?
About why Eve had to end up like that?
“I don’t know if you’re some Celestial spirit or wily beast……”
That’s right, Add didn’t care an inch about Eun’s ident.i.ty or her goals. He just had to know. Why
did these events keep happening?
He had to know what was going on so he could break through this situation. For that he could even
join hands with a demon.
“I’ll cooperate.”
Eun added an ominous lead soon as Add grabbed the hand she held out to him.
“You’re going to regret saying that starting now.”
“Then I’ll just go back in time again.”
Eun burst out laughing at Add’s curtly counter. After making a sneer that you couldn’t tell who it
was directed to, the girl spoke coldly.
“Congratulations boy, for opening your eyes to the truth of this broken world.”
The fox smiled.
“Again, you’ll despair and collapse. Again, I’ll have to watch you like that and won’t be able to do
anything. Welcome aboard once more to this vacant rotating wheel of ruin and despair.”
188
It was a prophecy of despair.
“For we’re all mere beasts crying out after falling into the depths of h.e.l.l…..”
It was a prophecy of sympathy.
“Now boy, try to hold out much as you can.”
It was the true beginning of a fight that transcended time.