Regressor Instruction Manual

Untitled Part 163

"Are you..."

"Yes?"

"Are you really a messenger chosen by the Goddess?"

"That's not a lie. I am really communicating with the Goddess. As you might expect, the Goddess of this world is not fair. At least the one I'm related with isn't. It is no lie that God has chosen me."

"That's ridiculous. Crazy bastards. Shit. Crazy... bastards... why..."

"I don't know why, but what you're saying is... blasphemous. How dare a human try to understand the will of the Goddess? Still, this might comfort you a bit. The reason I could scam you is because God has chosen me. You are superior and smarter than me. I can feel the spirit of the continental people."

"Don't look at me funny, motherfucker."

I could see a face very despondent to my murmur. It was as if he denied everything in the world.

Jin Qing didn't seem to want to ask why I did so much shit to him.

I couldn't help but agree with his generous way of thinking. What I told him had indeed affected him.

"Now, it's time for you to choose. That's the end of my offer, and that's the end of what you will get in benefit. Whether you accept it or not is entirely up to you."

"Do I have a choice? No matter how I think about it, I don't think there's an option where you can save me..."

"Surprisingly, that's also an option. I think you won't accept that option, but... ahem. Anyway, if you listen intently, you might like it. It's the first option if you accept my offer."

"Tell me."

"You can save your life. You will live miserably, but you will save your life anyway. Officially you will be executed, and everyone will think you are dead. It's like going into an underground prison and staying there. It's a place where you can eat and sleep, and it's comfortable in its own way. Think of it as something roughly similar to being exiled."

"..."

"And the second option is... as you might expect, it's the guillotine for you. You will die swiftly and painlessly. The trial will proceed smoothly, then the announcement of this list will also be announced to the public, and in its own way, it would be your goodbye to this continent."

"..."

"I'll let you take off your stigma instead. I'll say that an unknown force actually brainwashed Demon Summoner Jin Qing, and his sacrifice allowed the continent to become one. Or maybe we can assume that the people on this list were controlling you from behind. Rather than being executed... I don't think it's bad for you to show that you couldn't endure what you have done, causing you to end your life after you regained sanity, or that your opponents killed you. There are so many options to choose from. I'll look at the details a little more, but... essentially you will be going out with honor. Oh! Instead, please understand that this other option can take a while."

"Ha..."

"You will survive to the end while being cursed by the entire continent, or you will take care of the enemies of the Republic and keep the least honor. Two options. I think those are reasonable."

"How can I trust you?"

"It's your freedom. Honestly, you are already out of my reach. I once respected you a little, but now I don't have that feeling, and to be honest, I don't care much about it. My head is about to explode due offering this because it would make it easier to solve complex situations. Of course, there is no option to combine the first and second options. I am not worried about what happens after either. If you refuse, then that's it. You will die as a demon summoner, leaving nothing behind. You will die as the worst trash that sold the continent to the demon."

"..."

"Now, what do you think? Isn't it quite appealing? Life or honor. If I were to choose, I'd choose the former..."

"One more thing."

"I'm sorry, but there would be no negotiation."

"I want you to be considerate of those who are here. They are innocent. Let this end only between us."

"..."

"..."

"Please."

"Well. I will think about it. It's an easy thing to do. Anyway, I would like you to answer quickly. I'm quite late for dinner. Is it life or honor? Or will you not accept such a deal with a son of a bitch like me."

"..."

"..."

A short time had passed by.

It probably wasn't an easy decision, but I thought I could see what choice he would make.

The answer was so easy. I didn't think I even needed to ask.

"Honor."

That was what he wanted.

'He's quite a difficult person to understand.'

It wasn't just him.

The Second Princess Charlotte was of the same mind.

Our Princess and the Republic's Jin were the ones who had chosen the latter of the two options. From my point of view, it was bound to feel strange.

In Charlotte's case, of course, she couldn't die like him, but if she too were in a position to choose, she would certainly have chosen the latter.

'What's the use of honor when you die?'

People could always throw away honor or personal value in the trash in the face of death.

If I had been in his situation, I would've held onto his pants and convinced him to keep me alive.

However, he seemed to want to choose an honorable death more than to continue to live somehow.

As I stood up, I saw the Demon Summoner looking at me. His eyes, which seemed to have already given up on everything, made me feel a tad uncomfortable.

'That's the difference between you and me.'

It was better a living coward than a dead hero.

"It looks like the conversation is over... well, I'll be going."

"Keep your promise."

"Yes. I'm not trashy enough to lie, even in this situation. It won't be dealt with right away, but history won't record you as a demon summoner. You can rest assured that I am making this an oath under the name of the Goddess."

"..."

Of course, things like oaths under the name of the Goddess had nothing to do with me.

However, I could see that the suspicion in his eyes was gradually fading away.

"I believe that you have already memorized the list I gave. I will discard it. And I'm telling you just in case, but it's better not to do anything stupid. You won't be able to do it right, but you know better about what happens to people who uselessly spread rumors."

"I know."

"Well, then."

"There will come a time when the things you've done will eat you off."

"No way. If there really is anything like that, would I be here now? Winners take no risk."

"..."

"Then, this is really goodbye."

If I came to his trial, I might be able to see his face, but I knew this had to be the end.

I might need to look at his face through an official event or the Goddess's Mirror. There were still many issues that had to be dealt with involving him, after all. However, Jin Qing, which once stood at the center of the Republic, ended there.

From that point onwards, he had already given up on his life.

As I went outside and looked back, I could see him quietly closing his eyes. I didn't know what he was thinking.

"Asshole."

I would never understand what he was thinking.