R4STWH - Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Episode 106

If that had been the case, she wouldn't have suffered because of her former colleague, who was trying to ruin this abundant world.

But it was already too late, and Zero had made his choice.

Assimilation progress 57.177%…… 57.178%……

Since he had recklessly and hastily stolen a body, failure meant the end.

However, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

If only he could turn back time, back to that day, that moment, he was confident he wouldn't make the same mistake.

After all, hadn’t he heard everything that Elias, that pathetic brat, whispered to capture Illesha’s heart while he was a soul stone residing in her inventory?

Of course, the first reason seemed to be his face… but anyway, this was like having thoroughly read ‘The Illesha Capture Guide.’

'With my original looks, I'm better than this pale guy or that brat.'

Even considering differences in taste, he didn’t think he lacked anything compared to Leonard or Elias, objectively speaking.

So, all he had to do was hide his not-so-good… no, frankly speaking, his almost trashy personality.

'I'll change my speech to be kind and gentle…'

…It was disgusting just imagining it, but what did it matter? He’d died and come back to life; there was nothing he couldn’t do.

First, when he returned to the day they first met, he planned to open the door and greet her cheerfully as soon as the doorbell rang.

He would smile gently and say, ‘Hello, welcome.’

He would take her, who had forgotten how to interact with others, inside, sit her at the table, serve her a warm meal, wash her well, put her to bed….

Teaching her how to communicate from the basics also seemed rewarding. He wanted to teach her about social norms and human emotions himself.

This time, he wouldn't have to try to blind her with false truths, so it would be much more enjoyable.

He would help Illesha adapt to her new environment and gradually become closer to her. Not as colleagues like now, but as intimate friends who could share more.

With Illesha, he could handle the disasters that would befall the world without error. He knew the future, and he had experienced firsthand the limits of both Illesha and himself.

If they corrected the crucial events that led to the world’s destruction one by one, true peace would finally come to their world and their lives.

After that, he wanted to become a couple, have children who perfectly resembled her beautiful face, raise them, and live happily ever after in the rebuilt world.

Imagining Illesha's bright smile, the one she had given Elias, directed at him made Zero's heart ache.

'At least I'll make you smile more than he did. So don't resent me too much.'

Immediately after entering the Imperial Palace, Zero got off the carriage.

It was better to travel alone and quietly from here to his palace. Hiding his presence from Illesha, who had excellent mana detection abilities, was not easy, even for him.

While walking towards the First Prince's Palace, which had become as familiar as his own home over the past month, Zero estimated the probability.

The probability that Illesha had fallen into the trap he had set.

When he had teamed up with her in the past, there was Yumi, the mage, so they didn't have to worry about strategies or tactics. They held meetings, but Illesha tended to accept Yumi’s opinions as much as possible.

As a result, Illesha and Zero didn't know much about each other’s strategic capabilities.

But even if she had discovered the trap, it didn't really matter.

The more hostile forces in World E-17ACEM, the greater the influence you can exert.

Lucendria Empire (Tenaclad Duchy): +MAX

Lucendria Empire (Galek Marquisate): +15

Influence in World E-17ACEM has increased. (Current: 4/10 stages)

Once a day, ability restrictions are lifted for 40 seconds.

How easy it was to increase hostile forces using the body of the First Prince, who was in the midst of a succession struggle.

He had started at stage 3 just by taking over the body, and now he had already reached stage 4. And the moment his plan succeeded, he would jump up three or four stages in an instant.

'Illesha, you wouldn't have even considered this method. That’s why you can’t beat me this time.'

Even though he moved with minimal presence, the moment he entered the palace, Zero could feel it.

That Illesha had noticed him.

He felt the same way.

He knew exactly where she was.

So, without trying to hide anymore, he strode towards the basement.

'What kind of expression will she greet me with?'

After briefly picturing Illesha's expression in his mind, he opened the door.

He saw Illesha standing in front of Ermitar, which he had intentionally left untouched, in a single glance.

The mana confinement barrier he had set up, even incorporating Yumi's advice….

'She completely destroyed it.'

She had simply smashed it with pure force, ignoring any method of dismantling it.

He had expected it to some extent, but actually seeing it made him laugh in disbelief.

At that moment,

“Are you laughing?”

Illesha, turning to face him, spat out the words.

“Ugh……”

Zero felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

Cute and pretty, yet terrifying.

Terrifying enough to make him want to deny it immediately, saying he hadn't laughed and that she had misheard.

I waited for Zero's carriage to leave the Imperial Palace before climbing over the wall.

If it were before I heard from the White Snake, I would have thought he was really planning to visit Tenaclad, but not now.

'He's the type who diligently carries out troublesome tasks if he feels like it.'

Considering the effort Zero had put in to deceive me so thoroughly, I judged that a bothersome task like going to the gate and back was something he would definitely do.

So, without needing to confirm, rushing in as soon as he left was the best course of action.

'As long as the bait is in place.'

The walls of the Imperial Palace, even taller than Tenaclad's outer walls, were protected by a guardian magic circle that I considered complete by this world's standards.

Passing through it without even cracking it stung me a little.

Still, if I shook it unnecessarily, Yumi would definitely notice, so I found the area with the weakest mana resistance and climbed over the wall.

'It seems they haven’t fully formed an alliance with Yumi yet.'

If I were Zero, I would have remodeled this magic circle first to make it impossible to infiltrate without destroying it.

After that, there were no real obstacles.

Passing by the patrolling knights and soldiers, I headed towards the place marked as the First Prince's Palace on the map the Saintess had drawn.

As I approached, I didn't need to look at the map. The unforgettable scent of mana emanated from that place.

'He really… was alive.'

Despite already knowing this from the quest details, actually encountering his presence felt strange.

Naturally, my pace quickened.

I hurriedly entered the First Prince's Palace and went down to the basement. However, when I reached the door where he was surely waiting, I couldn’t act rashly anymore.

'The mana is tangled up in a complicated way…?'

I diligently examined it, but it was difficult for me to find a solution.

'Hmm… Yumi said I shouldn’t touch things like this carelessly…'

This was definitely a trap. Probably one that Zero had put as much effort into as he could….

'What a bothersome thing to do.'

Clicking my tongue softly, I took a step back and checked the structure of the basement.

'It seems to be quite sturdily built.'

In that case….

'Wouldn’t it be okay to break it a little? As long as the building doesn’t collapse?'

'There’s a famous saying that if brute force doesn’t solve the problem, you’re simply not using enough force.'

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