Chapter 12 - Eclecia [2] - The Cardinal Sky

In Noah's hands was a family photo.

It was a picture of a boy on his father's back, playing with his mom while posing as a hero.

They were truly happy. All of the pictures in this room were filled with joyful memories.

The boy's room was filled with pictures, toys, and things that were priceless to him.

"This is…"

I feel sick.

I wanted to vomit this instant, but I couldn't avert my gaze.

In the corner lie three statues: a mother, a father, and their child.

Their shadows were imprinted on the walls, depicting their last moments as graphically as possible.

The parents embraced their child in an attempt to protect them, no matter how futile it may have been.

"Urk…!!!" Unable to hold it back, I vomited.

The stress that had accumulated up to this point reached its limit.

This was the hidden truth from a world that was destroyed, smothered, trampled by something— a tragedy. A genocide that slaughtered billions.

All perished without a trace to those who defied the malevolent god.

"Kuro. If we get this artifact you mentioned, can we save everyone?"

"…That's right."

"…I see."

Noah stood up and placed the family photo where it belongs.

"Come on, let's sleep downstairs and… let them rest in peace."

I couldn't help but notice his expression—it mirrored the one he wore in the novel, a reflection of his struggle to come to terms with the harrowing reality of the world around us.

=======

Despite the gloomy atmosphere a few minutes ago, we were now lying on our soft and fluffy mattresses.

An unfamiliar place, unfamiliar darkness, an unfamiliar companion - this must be what camping feels like.

It is currently nighttime back on Earth after I found out what time it was, thanks to my phone.

Setting aside my complicated thoughts, this mattress was really impressive. What material was it made out of?

I would've fallen asleep in an instant if I were, y'know, not in hell right now.

“…Hey, Kuro.”

“Mmm?”

"Can you tell me who you are now?" Noah's voice was filled with uncertainty.

"...Do you really wanna know?"

"Please."

"…Hm."

I placed my arms behind my neck and took a deep breath. There's no escaping this one.

The more I leave him in the dark, the more anxious he becomes. It's not fair when I was the only one who knew everything about him, as if reading him like an open book.

"If you want a short answer… I guess I can see the future?"

"I'm not in the mood to make jokes right now."

"Alright, sheesh."

I sighed and forgot how he could see through lies. His eyes glowed red when he used the Eyes of Verity, so it was creepy.

“Tch, right. You can detect lies and whatnot."

"You're welcome."

"I thought you weren't in the mood to make jokes right now."

"Haha."

Although our laughter was dry, it helped ease the tension. Having someone to suffer with didn't feel so bad.

"I was originally from another world, you know?"

"…”

"A normal person with a regular job, a mundane life. Yet it wasn't so bad, not that I recall actually, it's been a while."

"You? A normal person?"

"Oh shut your mouth, let me talk about myself for a bit."

I punched him in the shoulder, though he didn't feel it when it was pure muscle.

"Anyways, those days were bland, but that was enough for me…"

I described the kind of life I lived, even saying the infamous line, "Back in my day," as if I were a man with a balding head.

"Then after I finished writing that novel… I found myself in this world as a child, living in a messed-up world like this." I laughed it off and made sure to avoid the topic

of how I created this world.

I've accepted my life in this world; there's no point in feeling bitter about it.

"So the person I'm talking to is a middle-aged man, is that what you mean?"

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't put it that way… but yes, I kind of am… mentally."

"Hmm, yeah, I can see it. You talk a little weird after all."

"You… you really know how to poke people's bubbles, huh?"

"I get that comment a lot."

"Glad that you're aware of that, you insufferable fool."

Noah, believing everything I said, didn't treat me differently even though I told the truth.

It felt… comforting, somehow.

Maybe I can say the other secret I'm hiding.

"…Noah, do you know what the Historia family is?"

"The Historia family? Yes, of course I do."

"I'm actually the only male son of the family… well, used to be. I was disowned recently."

"I see…"

“…”

"What? You're what now?!"

Noah jolted up from his bed. He was more interested in this than in my past life.

"You were shocked by this, but not how I came from another world?"

"…Ah. Ahem, no wonder you're so strong…" Noah regained his composure and lay back down.

"Is everyone else in the Historia family as strong as you?"

"Hmm, half-right half-wrong."

"What?" Noah tilted his head, confused about what I meant.

—Ving…!

To prove why that is, I demonstrated my precise control over fire, Earth, and wind all at the same time.

They were all small, but the challenge was maintaining all four simultaneously with precision.

The magic control I have was probably something impressive, spinning them around my fingertips like toys.

This may look amazing, but this was pathetically useless on the field. I learned all of this for my daily necessities anyway.

"Whoa…"

"Does this explain it?"

I tried to increase the output, squeezing all my mana to make them big, only to flicker and fade in the end.

Upon seeing this, Noah looked at me with a confused gaze.

"So does this mean the rumours weren't true?"

"Rumours…? What rumours are you talking about?"

"About you being the incompetent male heir of Historia."

"Urk."

That… hit me exactly where it hurts the most. Rude.

"Oof, sorry about that." Noah scratched his head, aware of how he crossed a line.

"It's fine, no need to take back what you said. They weren't wrong anyway."

I nodded in agreement; it wasn't like I was hiding my powers for personal reasons.

"If the public knew I had an unusual mana core operated outside of a ritual, I'd be dead by now."

"You're… right about that, yeah." Noah nodded his head and understood what I was trying to say.

I wasn't lying about what I said, not at all.

Fumble once and expose myself, say goodbye to a peaceful life, and attract attention everywhere, both good and bad.

—Like some guy named Noah Heavenfall who had to face the consequences.

"Then what are they like? Your sisters from up close."

"Ah… do you really want me to tell you? I'm serious this time."

"…Go ahead."

Nervous about my relationship with them, Noah nodded his head, a little hesitant when he sensed that I was serious.

Midway through our conversation, we both sat towards each other cross-legged, like we were on some campfire trip.

"First, do you respect the Historia family?" I looked him dead in the eyes.

Even though it was dark, he could clearly see my expression.

"I respect the Historia family the most. In truth, I wish to meet your father one day…" Noah's eyes sparkled, and his tone of voice changed into respect.

"He's a living legend, a hero. One day, I wanna be like him."

Noah clenched his hands, burning with ambition.

"Hmm, I see."

As I mentioned earlier, Gael Historia is one of the strongest individuals on the planet.

But alas, he is also…

"He is a horrible father, though."

"…What?" Noah's hand in the air faltered.

I remembered the day I ran away from home—the audacity to dismiss me after saying what he wanted to say.

"The sisters also can't even listen, think or cook for themselves, and fix their own mess. They think they're so special but cry over the things they can't do."

"Wait… wait just a minute…"

"Bellerose was a self-centered prick, Elenore has birdshit as her brain, Camellia was a monkey in disguise, Erina was insufferable, and Anemone can't see what's right and wrong."

"Hey, calm down-"

"I hate them, I hate them so much I'd rather die than see them."

“…”

"Sorry about that. That was embarrassing, haha."

I scratched my head, acting as if I hadn't taken advantage and vented to the main character out of all people.

Even worse, I essentially spoke poorly of the heroines to him. I might be too far gone at this point.

Eh- it's fine, the heroine's role was to fix his trauma anyway. I already did that on my part.

He'll be strong enough to go against anything the moment he gets the artifact.

"It's fine… so you people have your share of worries too… noble or not." Noah laughed awkwardly and stopped looking at me.

"You're a noble, too, you know, just under different circumstances."

"Haha… you aren't wrong about that. "

“…”

Wait, I sense something, an impending doom that will come from his mouth…!

"You see… I experienced the same thing as you."

Oh…? Oh, oh?! Here comes his backstory! The infamous protagonist flashback- sorry, that wasn't nice.

Quelling my devious inner thoughts, I took a deep breath and focused on Noah.

"I was mocked as the weakest in our clan, someone who barely had any mana— an outcast to the family and the village itself."

"Despite unfair treatment, I refused to repent for whatever my ancestors did in the past. Why should I when it wasn't my fault to begin with?"

Noah chuckled to hide his true feelings. Behind that laughter was a tinge of loneliness.

"Haha… in the end, they were all killed without a chance to repent, murdered by the people they were supposed to pray for."

“…”

"So now my goal is to kill Xelthatl with my own hands… I think."

"Huh? What do you mean, 'you think'?"

"Mmm… even after I resolved to kill Xelthatl with my own hands, a man in a robe told me that it's impossible for me. Isn't that horrible?" Noah joked about it.

He'd usually never joke about this kind of stuff, yet he did.

But that wasn't my primary concern right now.

"And who said that?"

…I don't recall anyone in the novel saying such a thing.

"I… I don't remember."

“…”

I don't get it.

Who on Earth would say that to the protagonist of all people? When he was young, too. Were they dumb?

"Ah, we've already talked for too long. What time is it?"

"The time? It's 9:00 pm."

"Oh, it's that late already. Huaaaah…! For some reason, the bed feels really cozy today." Noah yawned without a care for this world. It was as if the conversation seconds ago hadn't happened.

"Same here. Wanna call it a day?"

"Yeah, don't think I could handle it if I don't sleep after what happened."

"Hah, you can say that again."

"…"

An odd silence happened between us.

Slandering each other's suffering would only make things worse, so we decided to remain silent.

"Alright."

Noah was the first one to break the eerie silence.

"I'm starting to feel drowsy… so good night, my friend."

"…"

Another period of silence happened again, this time intentional.

"That was kind of cringe, dude-"