"Seriously…"
Until the very moment I entered the dungeon safely after returning from death, I was in shock.
I never expected that Hero Eligion would be killed by the Holy Knight Canaria.
I couldn't have foreseen such an event.
"Even so, this method should not be wrong."
I don't believe that relying on Hero Eligion is the wrong way.
This time it failed, but if we repeat it several times, eventually, there should be a future where Hero Eligion wins.
So, let's try the same method one more time.
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"I then acted as if retracing the previous timeline."
"No, no, no…"
In front of me, there was the figure of the insane Hero Eligion.
After a while, Hero Eligion was killed by the hands of the Holy Knight Canaria.
Ah, it didn't work this time either.
With that conclusion, I cut my own throat with a sword.
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After searching for a method to rely on Hero Eligion, this was the third attempt. Somehow, I struggled to make the word "Luna Village," which is the cause of Hero Eligion's madness, come out of the mouth of the Holy Knight Canaria.
"Hey, don't get in the way."
Due to being subdued by the warrior Gorgano, I couldn't do anything.
In the end, once again, Hero Eligion went insane and was killed.
It didn't work this time either.
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The fourth attempt.
I decided to inform Hero Eligion in advance that the Holy Knight Canaria hails from Luna Village. I speculated that if I let him know beforehand, the shock when he finds out might be less.
So, after telling Hero Eligion that the Holy Knight Canaria and the warrior Gorgano were traitors in the dungeon, I also mentioned Luna Village.
"Kiska-kun, if you say more than that, I'll get angry."
The moment I brought up Luna Village, Hero Eligion visibly wore an unhappy expression.
"But please don't forget. Holy Knight Canaria is from Luna Village, and that's why she holds a grudge against you Hero!"
"Shut up!"
Thud, I was hit in the abdomen with full force.
I groaned in pain but continued to watch Hero Eligion.
"Listen, if you say the same thing again, I won't be so forgiving next time."
After that, Hero Eligion became cold toward me. In the previous timelines, I had been granted permission to enter the room and stand guard when he went to sleep, but this time, he refused even to let me inside the room.
It seemed that, for Hero Eligion, the word "Luna Village" was a taboo.
As a result, just like before, Hero Eligion was killed by the Holy Knight Canaria.
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The fifth attempt, still unsuccessful.
The sixth attempt, still unsuccessful.
The eighth attempt, still unsuccessful.
The ninth attempt, still unsuccessful.
The tenth attempt, still unsuccessful.
…
The thirtieth attempt, once again, it was unsuccessful.
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The thirty-first attempt.
"If it doesn't work this time, let's give up," I thought as I returned from death, walking through the dungeon once more.
No matter how many times I tried, Hero Eligion was killed by the hands of the Holy Knight Canaria.
If it doesn't work this time, let's think of and try a different approach.
With that decision, I headed back to where Hero Eligion was.
From that point on, the timeline remained unchanged.
I informed Hero Eligion that the Holy Knight Canaria and the warrior Gorgano were traitors.
"I don't entirely trust you, but I will respect your words about 'risking your life,'" a phrase I had heard many times.
"Thank you," I replied, bowing my head.
Afterward, we used the mage Nyau's teleportation magic to return from the dungeon.
Then, a celebration was held in Katarov Village, much like the victorious celebrations I had experienced many times before.
"Hey, Kiska, are you having fun?" Hero Eligion asked me at the banquet.
From there, I engaged in casual conversation with Hero Eligion.
I didn't mention Luna Village at all. Bringing up Luna Village would likely enrage him.
"Kiska, you still seem a bit down," Hero Eligion suddenly said during the banquet.
A bit down… Indeed, repeating the same events many times might have caused me to become somewhat neurotic.
"Maybe I've had a bit too much to drink."
"Well, maybe you should take a break then?"
"I'm sorry, I'll do that."
"You don't have to worry about it."
With Hero Eligion's kindness, I stood up to find a place to rest.
If I continued to participate in the banquet, I would likely be approached by the warrior Gorgano, and honestly, that prospect was disheartening. Why did I have to converse with enemies I would soon be fighting to the death?
So, I decided to rest in a place where no one would find me. After all, the fight wouldn't start until nightfall, so there shouldn't be any problems passing the time until then.
"I should be safe here, I think," I said to myself as I reached a secluded alleyway away from the banquet.
Here, no one should find me.
Thinking this, I settled down on the ground.
"Hey, why are you sitting next to me like this?"
"Huh?"
I looked in the direction of the voice, and there was Nyau, an elf and mage, sitting on the ground. She was so small that I hadn't noticed her until now.
"No, it's just that you happened to sit next to where I was sitting."
"No, that's not it! You specifically chose to sit next to where Nyau was sitting!"
"…I didn't notice you because you're so small."
"Sm… small! You just called Nyau small! Fuee~"
It seemed like it might get noisy, so I grabbed Nyau's mouth to prevent her from speaking. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but after holding her for a while, she eventually gave up and became quiet.
"Finally, it's quiet," I said as I released my grip.
"Because my mouth was covered, I thought I couldn't breathe and would die," Nyau replied.
"Don't lie. You could still breathe through your nose."
We had this conversation as I leaned against the wall, wanting the banquet to end soon.
"Why did you come here? The banquet is still going on," Nyau asked.
"I just got tired of talking to people. That's why I came here."
"I see. But why are you here?"
Looking back, I had never seen Nyau at the banquet in previous timelines, so I was surprised she was hiding here.
"I'm not good at those kinds of gatherings."
"Why is that?"
"Everyone's drinking, right? I want to drink too…"
"No, it's not good for children to drink."
"Ugh! That's exactly why I don't like it! People always treat me like a child!"
As Nyau said this, tears welled up in her eyes. She probably didn't realize that she's treated like a child precisely because of such reactions.
"Sorry about that. Here, try this," I said, feeling a bit annoyed by the tears, as I offered her a glass of alcohol from the jug I had brought for myself.
Nyau then took the glass and took a sip of the alcohol.
"This tastes awful!"
She gave her brief opinion.
I thought to myself that she still seemed like a child, but I didn't say it out loud, as I wanted to be kind.
"Why are you laughing at Nyau?" Nyau accused me.
I realized that I had been laughing.
It felt like it had been a very long time since I had laughed like that.
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