Chapter 211: Because That’s You (1)
Imperial Year 378, May 27th.
After saying Artshever’s name and successfully concluding the Pelasion Conquest, I fainted due to exhaustion. Well, it was a natural consequence.
When I opened my eyes, the first person I saw was Levidian, so I was blessed. But at the same time, I also had the blessing of Lynin.
My eyes flashed with light from the slap Levidian delivered.
“Just how much were you going to worry me! Why didn’t you tell me if something was going on and just shouldered it all alone! If you were going to do this, why did you give me this! Do you think I’m your accessory! Do you even know how worried I was when you suddenly disappeared? No, you wouldn’t know! Why am I because of this kind of man……!”
She was truly burning with rage. I had nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths. This was especially true since I had intentionally hidden the truth.
So I just hung my head without saying a word.
“Unni, calm down. He must have had his reasons.”
“Was that the action of someone with a reason?”
“That’s…… not really. Sigh. But let’s hear his side of the story first before you hit or stab him.”
“Phew, you’re right. Now, Risel, talk. I’ll listen to everything and then think about it.”
I scratched my head and looked around at the others. Thanks to Levidian’s quick action, Aila, Joey, and Namia were just standing still. But they all had one thing in common: they were looking at me with eyes that demanded an explanation.
I glanced out the window and saw that it was dusk.
If I said I was hungry and wanted to eat first, Levidian would probably threaten to cut open my stomach and pour food inside.
I need to finish the story quickly so that people can understand, and I can eat. Well, there’s no helping it.
“It all started late at night on the day we occupied the Pelasia Plain.”
I briefly explained the bet with Artshever, the operation I carried out after accepting it, and how I said his name with the morning sun, winning the bet and completely occupying Pelasion.
Of course, I didn’t mention his real name. I want to curse him out, but since he’s me, it would end up being me cursing myself.
Everyone except one person seemed to understand, sighing or nodding their heads at my story. It was a story that could be accepted as such by others.
Only one person, Aila, couldn’t hide her surprise, her face pale white.
I smiled brightly at her and finished my story.
“That’s all. I’m sorry for not telling you. But I thought it was something I had to handle alone, and he seemed to want that too.”
Levidian sighed deeply. It was a sigh mixed with the reproach that I should have told her at least. To think I hid it even from her, I deserved the slap.
As I reflected on my mistake, the Priest of Lynin spoke.
“What’s his real name?”
“I’m curious.”
“Indeed. In the end, the fact that this place was occupied means that Hyung-nim figured out his real name. I’m curious.”
“Me too. Even Aila was hiding it, so how did you find out?”
Faced with the barrage of questions that started with Namia, I glanced at Aila. Her face was now pale blue. It seems she doesn’t want me to say it.
I thought for a moment and made a decision.
“I’m sorry, but I need to have a separate conversation. I’ll tell you everything later…… I’d like it if only Aila and Levidian could stay.”
Namia looked at me with her deep, sunken red eyes, then nodded.
“Very well. Ru Ikellainin.”
At Namia’s words, Al and Joey looked at each other and silently nodded. As the red-haired priestess left first, the two of them also left the room.
Levidian, realizing the seriousness of the situation, hardened her expression. She asked,
“What are you going to talk about?”
Hmm. How should I say this…… I thought for a moment and decided to say this.
“Well, first, let me introduce you. Her name is Sermaila Herduke, and she’s my daughter.”
“Huh?”
“And Artshever’s real name is…… Arisein Herduke. It’s myself from another parallel dimension.”
“Huh?”
Levidian’s face changed from questioning to suspicion, then quickly to doubt, and finally settled on astonishment. She looked back and forth between me and Aila in disbelief.
“Then…… you are?”
“Yes. I’m Aila’s ‘dad’. It’s a matter between parallel dimensions, but this is how it is. Right, my grown-up daughter?”
“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry, Mom.”
Aila spoke hesitantly, hanging her head. Her situation must be quite complicated.
Originally, we had planned to talk before attacking the Imperial Capital, but I found out first.
Levidian’s eyes widened at Aila’s words.
“Uh, Mom? Me?”
“Yes. The person who is supposed to be my mom is you, Unni. And my dad is Risel here. And Artshever is…… That’s right. It’s Risel who has gone through thousands of resets.”
My gray-haired friend, no, my daughter from another parallel dimension, sighed deeply, as if there was no point in hiding it now.
“I didn’t say it on purpose. I didn’t know how to treat you two.”
“No, wait, so…… My husband is Risel, and you’re my daughter? I’m dizzy……”
Levidian pressed her temples with her hands as if she was feeling dizzy. I also gave a bitter smile.
If Aila was someone else’s daughter, there wouldn’t have been a problem. Aila wouldn’t have hidden her identity in the first place.
This solved another mystery within me. Why I hadn’t seen Aila, who possessed the qualities of a beautiful and lively beauty, as a romantic interest.
It might be my instinct, but it was probably because I recognized her as family.
I said,
“Well, the most perplexing person is actually me. I’m Artshever, and Artshever is me. It’s funny that both of us are Arisein Herduke, and that we see each other as enemies. Aila, that’s your real name, right?”
“Right. My real name is Sermaila Ka Herduke. I even received a knighthood from the Imperial Family, not an honorary knighthood, but through my skills.”
“Hmm, this concludes one of the biggest fights that could happen between a married couple. Levidian, here’s your daughter. No need to name her.”
“Ri, Risel! No, do you think this is something to be taken so lightly?”
“Then what can we do, it’s already happened?”
Really, there’s nothing I can say. I can feel Artshever’s sincerity – of course, it’s my sincerity – and when I shouted my name, which is also his name, the words he uttered were true.
In the end, Aila, the daughter of Artshever, is my daughter, and Aila confirmed that Levidian would be her mother.
Hahaha, it’s so absurd I can’t even describe it. To think I’ve been joking around with a daughter I didn’t even give birth to for years.
“I, I can’t accept this! A daughter with this kind of personality, how am I supposed to handle……!”
Surely that’s neither a joke nor the truth. It’s just something she’s saying out of confusion. Anyone can tell by the look on her face, as if she’s seeing circles in her eyes.
Aila said nonchalantly,
“Whose fault is this? Although a large part of it is because of Dad, the daughter who lived caught between a love for her parents stronger than maternal love had no choice but to grow up alone.”
“E, even so…… Risel!”
“It might be difficult, but just accept it.”
At my words, Levidian couldn’t overcome her confusion and ended up dropping her head. It took her about three minutes to recover from that confusion.
Actually, I don’t want to believe this unrealistic story either, but since I’ve experienced a rather unrealistic situation myself, I seem to have developed some tolerance.
Finally, Levidian, barely escaping from her confusion, spoke with a somewhat pale face.
“If I don’t accept it, I’ll be the only strange one……”
“Good thinking, Mom.”
“Don’t call me that. I haven’t even given birth to a child yet. Let alone a child this grown up…… Please let me adjust.”
“Hmm, well, okay. What about Dad?”
“Shut up. If you keep calling me Dad, I’ll wield the whip of paternal love.”
“Kyaa! Pervert! Even incest!”
“That’s not what I meant! Kaaak!”
Well, this is our relationship in the end. Anyway, we seem to be most stable when we’re bantering like this.
I said to Aila, who had regained her cheerful smile,
“By the way, Aila, there’s nothing to hide anymore, so let’s finish what we were talking about. Do you know what Artshever’s objective is?”
“Hmm, well. I don’t know. I also don’t know how the person that bastard killed came here. But I do know one thing. About the origin of this parallel dimension.”
“Origin? This dimension itself is the origin.”
Levidian nodded at my words. I had heard that from Namia before. That the countless branches that emerged from this parallel dimension become other parallel dimensions.
Aila flicked her finger.
“No. Of course, this dimension is the origin. But just as a water source can be traced back to a single raindrop, there’s someone who leads it even within the origin of parallel dimensions. In other words, the possibilities that person holds are separated into parallel dimensions. I told you before, right? That there are possibilities split by whether you eat bread or soup.”
“Ah, right. And you also said that the separation of parallel dimensions is caused by people. But is there something else?”
“Yes. It’s all caused by one person.”
She pointed her finger at me. And I looked closely to see if something was stuck on her finger, and then I realized the meaning of her action.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You are the key and the final piece that allows this origin to be separated. Because you exist, or rather, because you existed, parallel dimensions can exist as parallel dimensions.”
A bell rang in my head. Who is that foolish person ringing the bell at this hour?
I just looked at Aila with a blank expression. And before I could even understand, it seemed like she was determined to plant countless waves of words into my head.
“I told you, the origin moves. This cycle changes roughly every few hundred years, and during that time, the person who leads the flow of parallel dimensions keeps changing. I said this dimension became the origin when the Empire was founded, right? Your ancestor and my ancestor, Viserin Herduke. He was the first Originator chosen when this parallel dimension was designated as the origin. In this parallel dimension, a member of the Herduke family has always taken on that role.”
“Uh, uh-huh, uh-huh-huh-huh……”
I could only let out a hollow laugh.
Then does that mean the current universe revolves around me? No, since the differentiation has stopped…… it was like that until I reset?
“Although I’m not sure, the next one will probably be you. So, the daughter of the two of you who will be born in the future. Maybe it could be a son. The parents don’t change even if the gender changes. It’s just a difference in who gives birth. Anyway, that child will become the Originator. Come to think of it, there might be a female Risel and a male Levidian in some other parallel dimension. Hoho, my condolences to the female Risel who will experience the pain of childbirth.”
“Don’t actually offer your condolences. But what does this have to do with Artshever?”
Aila thought for a moment and shrugged.
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