Outside the dwelling.
Kael changed into clean civilian clothes and waved to the little girl who had come to see him off.
"Well then, see you next time. I believe if you need to, you'll come find me on your own, and you know how to find me."
Cassandra waved her hand, sending away this harbinger of plague, then closed the door, leaned against the wall, and gasped for breath.
Did he... really want to send me to the Entertainment District?
And Father... agreed?
Her gaze fell upon the man sitting in the chair, head in hands, muttering to himself.
Since his family members had left one after another, this man had changed. His mind had begun to twist, believing that this world was wrong, that being born in this era was wrong.
If he had power, perhaps he would have become a madman intent on changing the world.
Unfortunately, he was just an ordinary person who could do nothing but numb himself with thoughts of the next life. Indeed, when this life becomes too difficult, why not end it early and start the next round? This life is forfeit!
This seemingly absurd idea became truly feasible in the hands of the Gods.
In today's age of Gods, deities were not cold statues; they stood before the people. Praying to them was no longer mere spiritual solace — it was neither superstition nor fantasy.
"Lord Thanatos said... in the next life, he can reunite our family..." Uncle Ilion looked up with bloodshot eyes at Cassandra.
"Dad, Father..." Cassandra shook her head, her legs weakening as she collapsed to the ground.
Young as she was, she couldn't resist her father. If he really wanted to send her to a brothel...
However, Ilion's crimson eyes suddenly grew moist, and a heavy sigh filled the room, lingering in the air.
"Cassan-chan..."
"Eep—"
"You've been pretending all this time, haven't you? It must be exhausting."
"Eh?"
"Having to put on an act in front of me — I'm truly a failure as a father."
"..."
"You should escape..."
"Eh? Eh?"
Cassandra stared in disbelief at this man who was hopelessly lost in the fantasy of the "next life".
"I'm sorry..." The man buried his head in his knees, "If sacrificing just my life could bring our family happiness in the next life, that would be simple. But sacrificing Cassan-chan... my last... my last treasure Cassan-chan...
I'm sorry... I only wanted to take you with me to escape this dog-shit world. I thought dying early might be better than living. Maybe I should have listened to you sooner."
Cassandra couldn't understand why her father had suddenly awakened, why he now believed her prophecy. Everything had changed when that man arrived.
Yet she understood her father's intentions. If not for her, this man might have already fled this world.
Cassandra approached him, hugged his head, and stroked it gently.
After a while…
"Let's go together." Cassandra said through gritted teeth.
"No." Ilion shook his head with a bitter smile, "I can't turn back now. I've been marked by Death — it's my inevitable fate. You're different. You can make it. Leave this place, find a safe country to live in, and if possible, find a husband who loves you..."
He spoke as if giving his final instructions.
"Father... if I leave, what about you?" Cassandra asked, fear spreading across her face as she sensed something ominous.
"Me? I can't let your mother, sister, and brother wait for me too long." Ilion's gaze drifted unfocused as he sank into memories, "I remember how your mother loved the rice stalks in the farm. She always worked until late before coming home, and she was afraid of the dark, always claiming some places had spirits, begging me to bring her a lamp.
Your brother was so young, always asking me to teach him hunting when he returned home. And your sister—she was ambitious, wanting to attend the newly established school district, but sadly I couldn't provide that for her..."
Memories trickled back drop by drop, and it took a long while before the man returned to the present.
Seeing the pain etched on his daughter's face, Uncle Ilion gently stroked Cassandra's hair. "Don't worry, Lord Thanatos won't let me die for now. As long as I'm here, you'll be safe. Go on, we'll set out early tomorrow morning."
With that, he began packing her luggage, gathering all the valuable items in the house into a bundle and sighing with relief.
Cassandra understood... Her father had died years ago and had now accidentally returned to life. But this father would soon leave her again, going to a place she could never reach.
That night, she lay in bed as nightmares cascaded one after another. All these changes stemmed from that man, whose image kept flashing through her dreams.
Did she hate him? Hate him for driving her father toward death? Yet he had also reawakened her father who had been "dead" for many years.
Or did she not hate him? He had threatened to sell her to a brothel and had made her father determined to leave her.
In her nightmare, after fleeing from Melen for many years, that man found her again.
He pressed her against the wall, shouting, "Why didn't you come find me? Why didn't you come find me! If you don't come find me, then die!"
Blood stained her dream red, and Cassandra jolted awake from her nightmare.
This time, there were no special annotations. To avoid the deadly fate in her future, she simply needed to find him...
After waking, the first thing Cassandra did was find her father. Mustering the greatest courage of her life, she declared firmly:
"Dad, I want to go to the brothel! To find that man!"
"Uh... Cassan-chan, you... you haven't fallen for him, have you?"
"???" Cassandra's small face filled with confusion, "That man won't let me go — it's useless no matter where I run."
Her father, who had already made up his mind, was devastated.
Wait, after everything I said yesterday? Weren't you supposed to reluctantly take the belongings I prepared and flee far away? Why are you jumping into the fire pit instead?
Before he could persuade her, Cassandra's little face turned serious, "Father, that man lied to you. Brothels don't allow children to receive customers. If I go there, I'll still have a few years to learn. And trying to ambush an executive is impossible."
"Then..."
"He must have targeted me for some other purpose. Rather than wasting energy running away, I might as well confront him directly!"
"This... what should we do?"
"You can rescue me! You're an adventurer — go defeat monsters. I'll wait for you... I'll hold on until the day you come for me! I want you to be my hero!"
So... you must live, to save me.
Cassandra crafted a story that was nine parts truth and one part falsehood, desperately trying to give her father a reason to live.
Ah... I'm so cruel. Even though I know death is your final wish.
But... if you die fighting monsters, when you reach heaven, you can tell Mother it happened while trying to avenge the family.
By then, your little brother will probably call you a fool, and Mother will laugh as she tends to your wounds.
Rather than... someone who steals others' happiness... a madman.
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T/N: Favorite, comment and save to your library of best reads in the world, thank you for reading this far!
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That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)