"Super Boom Cannon!"

A massive wind cannonball the size of a small house flew in Mach 10, destroying every single plant and tree in its path. A few unfortunate monsters became victims to it as well, shattering into fine chunks of gore at impact.

I… I did it!

I fell down on my behind, laughing.

I was drained from top to bottom but I did it.

An instantaneous full power Super Boom Cannon.

"Well done, Hugo Greenwood. A second time spell in less than two weeks. You amaze me more and more."

"Hehe, thank you." I gave a grin to her direction.

“Now, on to the third spell.”

Without waiting for my approval, she brought up the same holographic screen once more.

"Wait, hold on, don't I get a little rest?"

"No time for that. This one is even more complicated and we're short on time."

"Alright, alright, sheesh, you're starting to remind me of my big sister, you know."

"... I'll take that as a compliment."

The next Time Spell she taught me was Delay. It was a spell that allows me to "store" a spell I casted to be used later. At first, I didn't know how it could be useful, but I could use it with another spell, overwhelming my opponent with successive spells one after the other.

Xaela explained it to me as a localized time stop. Thankfully, it was a far easier spell than an actual time stop spell. Though that didn't say much, since this spell was more complicated than the other two I had learned.

With renewed vigor, I began studying the spell.

-----------

A few days later...

"...She has returned."

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"Lady Felicia. She has returned."

"With Myrilla?"

"Yes. Scanning her bio signature, she seemed to be a demon. And she fits your description of her 100%."

I gulped.

Welp, it's time for me to own up to my mistakes.

“And so, it’s finally time for me to leave.” I gave a wry smile to the dragoness. “Man, two weeks sure flew like nothing. And you haven't even taught me time stop. Or that spell you used to heal me and Felicia. That was time reversal, wasn't it?"

"...You are correct. It was."

"Do I really have to go now? Another two weeks of training couldn't hurt."

"No." She shook her head. "Time stop and time reversal — it is impossible for you. I could only use them with the power given to me by the facility."

"Really?"

"If you can barely handle the three time spells I taught you, you can't touch those two. You'll die in an instant, stripped out of your Mana. And I do not wish that to happen to you, Hugo Greenwood."

"I see." I sighed. "That's unfortunate… Maybe you can teach them later once I have more mana reserves in my body."

"No. You're just a human. Your kind has its limit. You'll never be like the elves or the demons with their abundant mana."

I fell silent.

She might have a point but I still wanted to try anyway.

"At least give me a book about them so I can study them later? Please?" I gave my best puppy eyes as I grabbed her hands.

She blushed, retreating her hands in an instant. "No. It's too dangerous."

Damn it. She's not going to budge, is she?

I sighed. Fine. I'll just figure it out on my own. Even if it takes years. No sense in forcing it out of her.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. About the Dream Orb…"

An orb of light manifested above me, followed by an object falling into my hands. Instead of an orb, however, it was a palm-sized crystal — thin at the ends, thick at the middle. It was blue and translucent, with what looked like stars and lines floating inside of it.

"That's a Dream Crystal. It's the permanent version of the Dream Orb. However, you have to charge it with your unaspected mana first before it is usable."

"Permanent? You mean I can use it over and over?" A smile grew on my face.

"Yes. Though be warned that the mana needed is quite significant."

"Oh, thank you so much, Xaela! This is exactly what I want!" I grinned. I would give her a hug but that would upset Felicia for sure.

Now I can speak with Marina and Erika whenever I want!

"And one more thing."

This is it. This is what I've wanted to ask her for days.

"How about you come with us?" I flashed her my biggest grin. "You want to help me, right? Then you should come along with me. Act as my bodyguard."

There.

Look, it's a waste for a beauty like her to be cooped up in a place like this.

Even if I can't marry her, I can still show her around the world. She must be lonely here. I'm sure of it.

And since she's a long-lived dragoness, she can marry my descendants. Or Theo. Or one of his kids.

Yeah, if I have a kid, I'll tell him, "Keep Miss Xaela company." And since there's a high chance he'll be a pervert like me, he'll definitely start falling for her.

Ah, the perks of being a long-lived fantasy race.

Same with Myrilla. I'll give her one of my sons too. She deserves it. Damn it, Alan. You should've married her too.

She froze, averting her gaze from mine.

"...No. I apologize. You already have people who can protect you. I… my task here is not yet complete."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The seal of this facility. I have to protect it."

“But you said there’s nothing we can do to—”

Before I could say anything else, a bright light swallowed me whole.

I was teleported away.

-----------

Felicia

Felicia listened like a hawk as Myrilla gave her the short summary of Renee’s life.

Her real name was Lunafreya Norn, the little sister of Nicolas Norn. Both were born into the Norn family, one of the Ten Divine Families that resided in the Holy Land.

Once, she used to look up to her big brother, believing him to be able to do no wrong, treating him like a beacon that she needed to strive towards.

But then, after a certain incident, it made her see him in a different light. It made her see his family in a different light.

It made her run away, change her name into Renee, and take the mantle of an adventurer. Until one day, she bumped into Alan.

What was that incident, you might ask?

It was when she was still learning in one of the Church’s boarding schools. There, an incident happened involving a golden dragon statue that was owned by the school. Normally, it was proudly displayed at the dining hall, watching over the students as they ate. But then, one morning, it disappeared.

Naturally, it turned into an uproar. Not only was it a priceless holy artifact, commissioning a new one would bankrupt the school. It really was made out of pure gold after all.

There were no hints nor clues left behind. No one mysteriously disappeared overnight. So who was the culprit? Who took the statue from them?

The witchhunting began. Both the students and the staff needed someone to blame. Someone to call a thief and a burglar.

Someone to hang.

Eventually, that role fell to one unfortunate student.

And she just so happened to be Renee’s best friend. As she had a grandmother who used to be a witch in her younger days.

Indeed, the Holy Land hated wizards, witches, and anyone of their kind. They believed that everyone who practiced magic had sold their souls to the demons. It was just like how Mira, the first human witch, had sold hers.

If the Magocracy portrayed Milicis as a naive tyrant, the Church portrayed Mira as a greedy and powerhungry woman. After saving the world, she began coveting stronger and more powerful magic, until eventually, Milicis had to put her down in her old age.

And so, the poor girl became a scapegoat. She didn’t know anything, of course. She was just a poor commoner whose mother and father worked day and night to keep her in this school.

Renee came to her defense, saying proudly to her teachers, friends, and the principal that she couldn’t have done it. That they were all mistaken.

If it were not for Renee’s noble status, she would’ve been hanged as well.

Eventually, Nicolas had to come to sort things out. Renee thought he would side with her. After all, he was a priest of justice! He would see that her friend did nothing wrong.

Only for him to slap her in the face before giving her the scolding of her life. He told her that she should be ashamed. Not only for associating with an “unclean” commoner but also for defending a descendant of a witch.

That day, her entire world was shattered into pieces.

In the end, she could do nothing as her brother suggested the biggest punishment for her friend.

She was no longer to be hanged. Instead, she was to be burned alive.

Her scream that day… it never left Renee’s mind.

…

When Myrilla finished her story, all Felicia could do was stare coldly at the broken man in the corner of the room.

Whatever sympathies she had for him had disappeared. Instead, she was now willing to kill him herself.

But, it was not her place to judge.

It was her lord’s place. Renee’s suffering is his concern, first and foremost, as her dutiful son.

“I see now. Where Milord got his sense of justice from.”

Smiling, Felicia turned to face the demoness. “Both his father and mother — they’re all like him too. Fools who cling to their beliefs even if it means throwing everything away…

“If only they’re still alive, I would like to meet them… I want them to judge whether I’m worthy to be with their son or not.”

“...I do not know whether you’re worthy or not.” Myrilla answered. “But, you’ll have a chance to convince me you are throughout this journey. Sherry’s village… It's about a year from here. It’s far to the southeast of the continent.”

“I see.” Felicia replied, before pouting. “Hmph, as if you’re his aunt or something. I don’t think you share that sense of justice that they have.”

“...No. I do not.”

-----------

The duo continued to wait until Tira and the others finally returned. Once they did, Myrilla introduced herself immediately. They didn’t tell them everything, of course. No time for that. They simply gave the abridged version, that Myrilla was an old acquaintance of Hugo’s parents and that she would be their guide to Sherry’s village. And that the crazed priest over there was Hugo’s uncle.

After they were finished, they departed for the dungeon immediately, not caring that it was already nighttime outside.

When they made their appearance, the guards and the adventurers there promptly kept their distance. Even after two months of their disappearance, and the town changing alliance to the demons’ side, they still remembered what Felicia and her party did. Not to mention the rumors that they had struck a deal with Marlene. Or even the demons themselves. Some even said they were agents of the demons, here to assess the strength of the adventurers here before the war.

Luckily for them, Marlene and her father hadn’t announced their supposed “death”. They were too busy with other things like politics to bother with them.

They entered the teleporter room. Now out of sight from the masses, Felicia could call upon Xaela to let the newcomers teleport straight to the 600th floor.

Only for Hugo to suddenly manifested out of thin air, right above where Myrilla stood.

The two crashed, with Hugo landing on top of her.

H-huh? What happened?

This scent… it's the scent of a woman…

But this flatness…

Hugo sat up and looked at the face of the woman he was sitting on.

"Myrilla!"

---------

Hugo

Without hesitation, I gave her a hug.

I didn't know why. I just felt a strong urge to do it.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to do it as Felicia was right there beside her but I still did it nonetheless.

And when my face was buried in her chest, I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

I had failed to protect Alan and Renee.

I had run away from my family.

I was weak. I was cowardly.

Hear my thoughts, Myrilla. Read them. Read all my regrets… my shame… my secrets…

I deserve it…

I felt a hand resting on my hand.

I looked up and released my arms. I was now sitting on top of her.

The hand was hers, of course. She sat up as well, her face completely unreadable to me. Was she angry? Sad? Or was that pity I saw behind her eyes?

And then, she slapped me.

"That's for leaving your sisters."

And again.

"That's for blaming yourself for your parents' death."

And again.

"And that's for burying your face in my chest."

She didn't say anything. She only sent the message telepathically.

She then stood up. With a tiny smile, she offered me her hand.

"You're a man now. You have people that depend on you. You cannot weep and cry like this.

“Felicia has told me everything. So there’s no need for you to say anything.

"The Magocracy will pay. I will make sure of it."

And just like that, she had forgiven me.

I was ready for her to chew me out but I was let off scot free.

This… doesn't feel right in the slightest.

I grabbed her hand, standing up with a nervous smile on my face.

"Now, where's that elf? Felicia also told me about her. And about this Goddess.” Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, right. She needs to give you permission to remember as well." I guess the effect won’t take place right away since they can still discuss it on the outside.

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him—a man that definitely did not belong in our group whatsoever. He seemed to be a priest of some sort, judging by his attire. His eyes were going all over the place. Clearly he wasn’t right in the head.

"Umm, who is that?" I pointed at him.

Before I could get an answer, we were all teleported away.

When the light receded, we were back on the 501th floor. To be more precise, back to where I had my training with Xaela.

And she was there, of course, watching as we teleported in.

“Alright, who’s that man? And why are you teleporting him as well?” I asked Xaela as I gestured to the mad priest.

“That man is your uncle,” she answered. “It seemed Fate had conspired to deliver him to you. Perhaps the Heavenly Dragon wished for you two to meet.”

“M-my uncle?” My heart skipped a beat.

“I’ll explain,” Myrilla interrupted.

…

When her explanation was over, I could only look at the man with a mixture of disgust and pity.

Myrilla told me everything, how he drove Mother away. And how he had acted callously over the years, burning people in the stakes as an Inquisitor. Just like how he burned Mother's friend. Myrilla had dug up his every memory.

How could he do that to Mother? Being a bigoted zealot is one thing but slapping your cute little sister? Unforgivable. No wonder she ran away.

Just like Father, she too had a difficult life.

As for this scum, he really is just like his wife. Heh, to think that cold, cruel bitch met her end like those doujin leads… an NTR doujin to be exact… truly, a fitting punishment for both of them…

Still, I can't discard my pity completely. Not after what almost happened to Marina. And knowing the bitch Goddess, she'll try something like that again. She knows my weakness. All men's weakness, really.

I walked up to him.

"Uncle. I'm sorry. I couldn't protect your sister."

"S-sister? Whaaatt? What do you meannnn? My sister???? My cute little sister???!! Did a demon get to her too?!!!"

He was dancing on the spot, laughing.

"Yes. A terrible ice demoness killed her." I looked away.

"...Ah… hahahaha…. Ahahahahaha!"

He grabbed his head with both hands, crying and laughing at the same time.

"My sister…. Don't worry! I'll come to your side right now!"

And then, he ran away.

"Myrilla. Don't stop him. Let him go." I glanced sharply at her. "You told me that there's no restoring his mind, right? Then, this should be his end."

Myrilla flinched, perhaps surprised by my order. But she said nothing, only nodding in return.

"Milord, are you sure you're just going to—"

"Yes. We can't take him with us. Or rather, I don't want to." I gave Felicia a dry smile.

I am no hero. So I can do something like this with a clean conscience.

I then used Wind Step to look at the man from above.

Sure enough, he was running straight to a monster. A man-eating rafflesia. It would masquerade as a normal plant before leaping at you in a split second.

"DEMONS! DEVILS! I'LL CLEANSE YOU FROM THIS EARTH!"

Those were the last words he said before the monster swallowed him whole.

Rest in peace, Uncle.

I'll tell you that your god is a lie to make you despair more before your death, but you won't understand. Not with that shattered mind of yours.

…

Afterwards, Xaela explained the truth about the Heavenly Dragon and the Goddess to Myrilla. It was all we had heard before but it was nice to get a recap. Though I noticed she hid a little fact from her. About me retaining my memory from my old life. She simply said that my soul came from another world. And judging by how she had treated me, Felicia hadn’t told her about it either.

It has to be me to be the one breaking the news…

I’m lucky she hasn’t read my memories that deeply. Or perhaps it’s the influence of the Heavenly Dragon. He wouldn’t want people to know I came from another world, I imagine.

Fine. I’ll do it later. In private. Then maybe she’ll give me a proper punishment, now that she knows I’m actually an old man in a kid’s body.

Myrilla then asked a few questions that Xaela readily answered. And at the end, of course, she accepted her offer to keep her memory of the truth.

"To be honest, I can scarcely believe everything you say. Hugo being an Unchained One, his parents' death being a result of Her manipulations, and the truth about the Church… but I do not sense falsehood within you. And if your tale is the truth, then it's more important for me to stick with him. So yes. Let me keep this memory. And tell your artificial God that he had made a grave mistake, hiding the Goddess from the world like this."

Such were the words she uttered.

And so, Xaela lifted the restriction on her as well.

There was one more thing I was curious about however.

“Oh yeah, about the Demon Lord… where is she now? Has she fought Isolde yet?”

-------------

Isolde

“Haa… haa… haa… haa… you really are… a worthy opponent…”

The swordmaster was now standing in a pant, her blade covered entirely in jet black blood.

And in front of her was a corpse — of a gigantic black and red nine-tailed fox.

She had won. But not without injuries of her own.

Her clothes were torn to pieces, with gashes and scars all over her body. One hand was covering her abdomen, pressing the wound to keep her blood from escaping.

“Still… what an annoying… little fox… you only rely on your illusions… in direct combat… you never stood a chance…”

“I’m fortunate I have learned to cut through such trickery, no matter how thick they were...  Thank you… Father… for the sword technique…”

“Now… I just need to… recover these—”

She paused.

She noticed it. A small movement coming from the fox’s eyes.

“You’re… still alive? Heh… demon vitality really is something else…”

“...Human… that technique… I’ve heard of that technique before… My father… on his dying bed… told me the Hero used it… killing him in the process…”

“Oh… Is that so? Your grandfather… he’s one of the Demon God’s generals one thousand years ago… Interesting… Yes, it’s the same technique… Our Order learned it from him after all…”

“I can feel it… the gears of this world turning once more… the Demon God… he’s returning back to us… to wage war on humankind once more…”

“Yeah.. I’ve heard that one before..” Isolde grinned. “And I’ll be one of the new heroes that will fight him.”

The fox laughed weakly. “You… will never win… The new Demon God… is not someone… you can put to the sword…”

“Oh… really… Then… I'm looking forward to it even more…"

With another slash, she ended the Demon Lord's life.

*************

A/N:

By the way, next Patreon chapter is about

Spoiler

Hugo and Sherry doing it.

[collapse]

Finally.