By Zephyria 
“Ha, ahahaha, haha, ha…….”
It was a white laughter. The dry laughter that cut through the black night after the scorching flames had subsided somehow made the listener’s heart shudder. Why? Was it because, despite the fact that it was a situation where it could never be, the expression of the person who was sitting pitifully in front of the corpse of the servant boy he had heard that he cherished like a brother and bursting into laughter was eerily strange? Or was it because the blue eyes that had fallen into grief looked particularly clear?
Adrian Pearson and his party could only stare at Noah Hamilton, who was laughing as if he had lost his mind, without being able to stop him or turn him away.
“Your Highness, Adrian.”
Suddenly stopping his laughter, Noah called Adrian in a voice that was so gentle and affectionate that it seemed to melt. Stretching out his hand as if asking to be lifted up. The Crown Prince immediately approached Noah without thinking and tried to lift him up. But the two people’s hands never touched. As if the purpose was different from the beginning, Noah didn’t even think of taking the Crown Prince’s hand and reached further inside. Then, he pulled out the sword that was hanging on the Crown Prince’s waist.
It was at that moment. Clang! The knights, who had been surrounding Noah Hamilton with a solemn air until just now, suddenly raised their momentum sharply and drew their swords. It was to immediately stop the Crown Princess, who was the Crown Prince’s fiancée, from committing an impious act if she had any unpleasant feelings towards the Crown Prince due to this unexpected situation.
The Crown Prince, who was in danger, was only glaring fiercely, as if he was angry at his subjects’ natural reaction.
Even if Noah Hamilton was going to stab him with a sword, Adrian Pearson felt that he could endure that much as a way to vent his anger as long as he didn’t die. It didn’t matter even if Noah Hamilton didn’t know his heart-wrenching feelings.
However, Noah Hamilton didn’t seem to have any intention of stabbing Adrian. The sharp blue blade didn’t touch any of the Crown Prince’s limbs. It was only landing on Noah Hamilton’s slender neck, which was exposed in white.
“Noah!”
“Young Master!”
The Crown Prince and the Sorcerer’s voices immediately rose.
The Sorcerer wanted to use magic to stop Noah Hamilton’s actions right away, but he couldn’t bring himself to use his abilities. Wasn’t it because he didn’t even think of putting a shield on Noah Hamilton’s servant that the situation had become so serious? His patron, who had always been so kind, didn’t seem to have any intention of blaming Lennox for his actions. Lennox rather wanted Noah to blame him. Because of you, why didn’t you do it even though you could have, if he just shouted at Lennox and blamed him, then…
“It’s because of me. Because of me, Nicole…”
Ah. This poor person would never blame himself.
“No. Why is it Young Master’s fault? It’s because of me. I was selfish and foolish and couldn’t think of saving him. Blame me. It’s all because of me, so, put that scary thing down, okay?”
The tongue, which used to move so well, is now stiff and heavy as if it had iron bars in it. Lennox tried to pull up the corners of his lips somehow. Am I smiling properly now? How are my eyebrows moving? The usual dazzling talent and eloquent speech, which were praised as being unprecedented in human history, all lose their power. In the face of overwhelming fear, he was also just a creature. If this person, who is so precious and sometimes even scary, really dies… No. I can’t. I can’t lose him…
“I’m sorry, everyone. But, I, don’t want to anymore… I can’t, I can’t do it anymore… I’m going back. I’m going to start over from the beginning. I can’t lose Nicole, I can’t do that… I can’t stand it.”
Under the dark night sky where the sun hadn’t risen, Noah Hamilton smiled more brilliantly than the sun. Even though he was stuttering with a tearful voice, his expression was truly brilliant.
“Noah!”
“……!”
It was when strength was finally about to be put into the dry hand.
No, Noah. That’s enough.
A voice like thunder was planted in the minds of everyone in that place. It wasn’t a physically real sound. Lennox and a few others with high resistance sensed the abnormality and tried to reject it somehow, but it was useless. The voice that rushed in like a tidal wave was nothing short of an unstoppable disaster.
“Keuh…, what, what the hell is this…?”
Everyone stops moving. Noah Hamilton could not be an exception either. And beyond the people who were holding their heads and sitting down, ‘he’ leisurely revealed himself.
You know, don’t you? That even if you die, you can’t go back anymore. That if you die, it’s really… ‘the end’.
The tall man was wearing a light nightgown as if he had come out for a walk before going to bed. Silver hair and deep purple eyes that shone faintly even in the dark. Everyone recognized the man’s identity just by seeing him once. It’s Allen Hamilton. The returned biological son of Count Hamilton, who was supposed to be in Noah Hamilton’s place in the first place.
The man, who was said to have resembled Noah so much that it was difficult to distinguish them at a glance when he first came to his place, had changed completely like a different person since some time ago. However, that was only limited to the shape of his body and features, and according to the Crown Prince’s informants, his insides were still just a weak Recessive Omega… How on earth did that man gain such abilities?
No one would answer his question right away, even if he had doubts. It seemed that Allen Hamilton didn’t care about anyone other than his brother, who was holding a knife to his neck.
Without a single gesture or glance, the man who had miraculously brought everyone to their knees approached Noah Hamilton with ease. Lennox, who had realized his true identity, resisted frantically, but all in vain. Even the Ancient God’s Relics wrapped around his wrist like charms were of no help this time. The human Sorcerer coughed up bright red blood as if he had consumption.
Come here, be a good boy?
“…Yeah, you’re right. You said this was my last chance.”
Noah.
“So, I really can’t get Nicole back anymore, huh? Is that right?”
…….
“Fine, I’ll end it like this. What’s the point of struggling to stay alive? Even if I escape from you, even if I win the bet, Nicole won’t be there. She’s not… not by my side anymore…”
Dying is your choice. But, what happens after you die? Your soul will shatter into pieces and vanish. But this world will remain. Do you think I, Noah Hamilton, will just stand by and watch what’s left after I die? Your precious fiancé, the Little Count, even Graham’s bastard son… I won’t leave any of them alone.
It was not anger but fear and dread that made his voice, full of resentment, tremble. Even to a mere creation, a human, the god’s pathetic fear was palpable.
“Ah. You’re such a fool, Allen.”
But Noah Hamilton, who was facing him head-on, seemed to know or not know, and simply burst into a clear laugh once again.
“Surely, you used such threats to drag me into this damn gambling game. But… those threats don’t work anymore. I’m already too, yeah… too tired to be played by you.”
The limit of what he could endure had been far exceeded from the start. Noah Hamilton’s soul had simply gritted its teeth and endured, looking faintly at the hope of a future that he wasn’t even sure he could attain. But Nicole Seymour’s death was like driving a wedge into him, who had been barely holding on.
He had done enough. Noah Hamilton was certain that even the most noble Saint in the world could not have endured as long and as fiercely as he had. Even if he were to face eternal doom at the hands of a god blinded by rage, it would not be his fault. It was only the god’s fault. Noah decided to think that way. He could no longer blame himself and endure alone. Now that a very important part of his humanity, which had been somehow maintained, had been lost forever, no one could force Noah to sacrifice himself for the world, nor would he accept it even if they did.
“Do whatever you want with this world, whether you destroy it or not. I just want to rest.”
Facing his clear face, which no longer shed tears, the god cried out, uncharacteristically anxious.
What do you want? What can I do for you? Just tell me. I can do anything you want, except tell you to give up on yourself. So don’t end it like this. I can’t end it yet…
“Then will you save Nicole?”
Noah Hamilton asked lightly, in a tone that didn’t expect anything.
…….
The god couldn’t answer.
If this were a ‘normal’ world, reviving a human who had died not long ago would have been nothing. But this world, which had been rewound as many times as Noah Hamilton had been rewound to suit the god’s obsession… was like a glass about to break. Even a single drop of water could shatter it. Then Noah Hamilton’s old soul within it would also be torn to shreds.
“See? You told me to say anything, but you can’t grant what I really want. You’ve always been like that. Yeah, always.”
Noah Hamilton didn’t know the detailed circumstances of maintaining the world. Instead, what he knew for sure was the cowardly and insidious nature of the god. If the god could have saved Nicole, he would not have tried to dissuade Noah in this way, but would have negotiated by saying that he would save Nicole, so he should obediently crawl into him. So it was certain. The god could not save Nicole.
“Goodbye, Allen.”
It was when Noah Hamilton put strength into his grip without any hesitation, along with his last farewell.
The ‘Save-Load One-Time Ticket’ will be forcibly activated.
There is no saved point. The System will arbitrarily create a save point.
Save point found. Would you like to load?
▶ Yes
▶ No
Currently ‘Save-Load One-Time Ticket’
Is being forcibly activated.
Automatically selecting option 1, proceeding.
…roading(75%)…
…roading(82%)…
…roading(99%)…
…roading(100%)…
Bang!
“Noah!”