#049

Regardless, Athanas seemed to have no talent for acting.

At this rate, he’d never be entrusted with an infiltration mission.

Who would actually be fooled by such half-hearted acting?

‘No, maybe it’s not a lack of talent, but a lack of sincerity.’

He should have at least brought a book, even if he didn’t intend to read it.

Sitting there without a book looked far too unnatural.

And above all, look at that expression.

‘Why does he look so unconvinced?’

If he were here without knowing what was going on, he’d have reasons to be dissatisfied, but he shouldn’t let it show. When the acting is this sloppy, it makes it hard for me to pretend I don’t know who he is.

‘From the perspective of a clueless Fabio, he’s just some weirdo whose intentions are impossible to read.’

I glanced at him tentatively, fidgeting with my book for no reason.

“So, do you have something to say to me? I assume you called for me for a reason…”

Athanas didn’t answer and simply stared at me.

Under that silent pressure, I began to shrink.

‘…Don’t be intimidated.’

Fabio doesn’t know who the Heretic Crusher is.

Therefore, it would be strange to be overly terrified of Athanas.

‘Right, let’s just think of him as someone who isn’t Athanas.’

The man before me isn’t Athanas, but Adrian, who became a hot topic because he looks exactly like Athanas.

I am currently at a gaming event.

This guy entered a cosplay competition because people around him nagged him into it, but since he’s never played the original game, he has no respect for the source material and no motivation to act like Athanas properly. He’s just some piece of trash.

Surprisingly, thinking this way significantly eased my tension.

‘This fake-thanas bastard is acting out just because he’s got a pretty face.’

He probably won the popularity poll with his looks and then gave a garbage acceptance speech.

‘And since he’s not actually the protagonist of Die Heretic!, he really is a fake-thanas.’

Die Heretic! has become something that never happened, and it will never be recreated.

Since the events he’ll experience are completely different, how could he be the same person?

Would a Bruce Wayne whose parents were still alive have ever put on a bat costume and started playing vigilante?

“…Actually, my real name is Athanas.”

‘So what?’

Because I had already deeply internalized the idea that he was a fake-thanas, his words didn’t shake me much.

I wore a look of brief confusion before speaking with a hint of surprise.

“Is there actually a trend of introducing oneself with a fake name?”

“…No.”

“Then why did you call yourself Adrian earlier…?”

“There was something I needed to test.”

‘Wow, now he’s openly calling it a test.’

“A test… you say?”

“I needed to verify if you remember the time that disappeared.”

My eyes widened.

Regression?

Did he just say that Regression actually exists?

‘Time was already wound back once, and I’m the one who doesn’t remember it?’

However, on the surface, I maintained an expression of total bewilderment.

“Disappeared time? How can time disappear? Do you mean the day felt shorter?”

“I am referring to the time that vanishes when time is turned back, returning things to how they were before certain events occurred.”

“Moving time?”

As if ‘Fabio’ couldn’t imagine such a thing, I frowned and sank into thought.

“…Does the Doctrine not state that time flows only forward? Is the ringing of the bell every hour not proof that time exists under Order? If time were to wind back, speed up, or slow down at will, how could it be said to be under Order?”

“Have you ever heard of Regression?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Regression…”

I put on a serious expression.

“Whatever that is, I don’t think it’s a conversation for someone as uneducated as I am.”

‘Don’t tell me, you son of a bitch.’

Whether Regression truly exists and this is actually the second conversation, or whether Regression doesn’t exist and he’s just delivering lines to trick a player into thinking it’s the second conversation, my course of action is the same.

‘I don’t want to know!’

Fabio is going to be a clueless serf!!

“Above all, I have only learned the most basic things about the Lord’s Order, so if you speak of such difficult matters, I won’t understand.”

“…You said you came from the County of Richelon.”

“Eh? How did you…”

“I asked if you remember the disappeared time, Fabio. This is the second time we have spoken.”

‘Yeah, I don’t believe you.’

The fact that I came from the County of Richelon was something all the apostles knew. If he wanted to claim he could turn back time, he’d need to bring far more miraculous evidence. Even a stupid serf wouldn’t be fooled by that.

“…That is a hard story to believe.”

“If I hadn’t turned back time, how would I know where you came from?”

“I mean, there are plenty of ways, right? Couldn’t you have heard about me from someone else? It’s not like I’ve been hiding the fact that I’m a Richelon native.”

“Do you believe I am lying to you right now?”

“Isn’t that obvious? How could I so easily believe that something akin to a miracle is possible? If I believed things like that blindly, I’d lose my entire fortune to a street gambler. Is there no other evidence that cannot be explained by any method other than turning back time?”

“…What kind of evidence would you believe?”

“For example… you should tell me a secret of mine that I have never told anyone.”

“Then, could you tell me one?”

“Pardon?”

“Since I couldn’t ask earlier, please tell me now.”

“No, what’s the point if I’m the one telling you? I’m saying it with my own mouth…”

“If you say what you intended to say before I turn back time to before I heard it, would that not be proof?”

‘Could there actually be Regression?’

Seeing him go this far, maybe it does exist?

I suddenly became anxious.

“…Come to think of it, a secret I’ve never told wouldn’t be proof. Couldn’t you read my mind, or make me forget the memory of saying it to deceive me?”

“Then what would it take for you to believe?”

I crossed my arms to hide my sweaty palms.

“W-well, why should I believe in the first place?”

‘I must make it impossible for him to prove it!’

“If such a grand miracle truly existed, the fact that no one knows of its existence would increase the effectiveness of that miracle. How could those who have never even imagined that time could be turned back stop the one who winds back time? Therefore, if I were in that position, I would only tell a very important and trustworthy person, and I would not speak of the possibility of time turning back to anyone else. The less people know, the better.”

“And so…”

“I am not a trustworthy person. Even if you prove such a miracle to me, you would gain nothing. If such a grand miracle were possible, the Lord who permitted it must surely have a great purpose, right? How could a single man who was a serf be of any help in such a monumental matter? I’d be lucky if I didn’t cause harm. I am truly nothing more than a trivial country bumpkin. Therefore, I will neither hear that story nor be curious about it.”

“…Are you saying you won’t believe no matter what?”

“Yes. No matter what evidence you bring, I will believe that no such miracle exists. And I will not cooperate with any proof.”

“You are… remarkably cautious.”

“Of course. I know my place very well. I am far from being a great man. If I were to learn of such a terrifyingly serious matter, I would immediately find any bishop and confess everything.”

“Did you not say it should only be told to a very trustworthy person?”

“Anyone above me would be more trustworthy than I am!”

Having said that, I stood up from my seat.

“Anyway, it was an interesting story. Turning back time! I must tell Elamin, whom I’ll be having dinner with tonight.”

I deliberately added one more thing.

“Do you know who Elamin is? He’s a Chanter…”

Athanas didn’t answer and just gazed at me.

“…Well, you might not know. Anyway, I heard Elamin had a special relationship with Lady Casimir even before he entered the clergy. Oh, you must know Lady Casimir, right? Casimir, the Knight Commander of the Inquisition.”

“…What is the intent behind you telling me this now?”

“No particular intent. I mean, does every story have to have a hidden meaning?”

‘What meaning? The meaning is that Fabio is a coward and a snitch, so if you don’t want the information to spread, don’t even talk to me after you turn back time.’

I truly, absolutely did not want to be entangled with Athanas.

I didn’t want to be Athanas’s trustworthy companion.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

I turned around and headed toward the stairs.

I felt his gaze, but I deliberately ignored it.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

‘What on earth did I do in the first meeting?’

Why did he decide to test someone like me?

Did I do something that stood out?

There are limits to [Regression].

Though it only temporarily reduces Health, a limit is still a limit.

If it were me, I wouldn’t waste precious time and Health on such an insignificant fellow…

‘…Still, seeing as he didn’t follow me, maybe he was just testing the waters.’

There must have been some minor ‘irritation,’ like me being so surprised to see his face that I fell on my butt.

That’s why he only knows that I’m from Richelon…

‘But does the Saintess know about the existence of Regression?’

She probably does, right?

She knows but is just letting it happen?

Maybe she just hasn’t told Athanas about the Othergod and the ‘Watched Ones’ yet?

‘Even if the Saintess doesn’t know, who the fuck cares.’

Even if I were to tell the Saintess, if Athanas didn’t want it, he would just turn back time and make it as if it never happened.

Of course, if I used my brain very well, I could possibly create a situation that Athanas couldn’t stop even by turning back time.

But I don’t want to use my brain.

If Athanas can truly turn back time, my only wish is for him to do so and make it so I know nothing.

‘Well, as long as Athanas doesn’t side with the Othergod, it doesn’t matter.’

“Stop.”

‘…Fuck.’

Did he have something left to say?

I wanted to run away more than anything, but there was no way a guy with 45 Health and 30 Strength could shake off Athanas.

I stopped obediently and turned around.

Athanas looked a bit angry.

‘That guy is a fake-thanas. He’s a fake-thanas cosplaying Die Heretic!…’

“Do you have further business?”

“Do you have no intention of speaking without lying?”

“Pardon? Lying? What lie am I telling?”

“You said you had never seen the Saintess.”

“Because I haven’t!”

“…How did someone who has never seen her manage to summon the Saintess?”

“What?”

“No, more importantly, what is your identity? What are you that the Saintess came immediately to protect you?”

‘In the first loop… the Saintess came?’

My head filled with questions.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Stop pretending not to know. It’s useless. Did I not even tell you that I can turn back time?”

‘Does the Saintess not notice when time is turned back?’

And she doesn’t know Athanas has Regression?

My mind raced frantically.

‘Then how did Athanas obtain Regression?’

What if it wasn’t because of information the Saintess learned from a player?

‘Did some player approach Athanas personally?’

No, if that were the case, he would have guessed I was a player the moment he saw me.

A player who told Athanas the location of Regression would have also taught him how to recognize other players.

That leaves only one possibility.

‘…Does Athanas have the memories of Die Heretic!?’

How that’s possible isn’t important.

It’s probably the work of the System. Since the Saintess also knew about the Othergod and the players.

They might have given the memories of Die Heretic! to Athanas, the original protagonist.

So, the Athanas before me isn’t a fake-thanas, but…

‘…the real Athanas from Die Heretic!?’

A chilling thought suddenly struck me.

‘Before the Regression, why did I call the Saintess?’

I absolutely do not want to be entangled with Athanas.

I don’t want to catch Athanas’s eye.

I don’t want to remain in Athanas’s memory.

I especially don’t want to be perceived as an ‘important existence’ by Athanas.

Even if I had made a mistake as egregious as shouting ‘Athanas?!’ the moment I saw him, I would have tried to brush it off by saying, ‘I have no idea why those words came out of my mouth!’

If Athanas continued to find ‘Fabio’ suspicious, I might have gone to Casimir, the person who vouched for my identity, while acting aggrieved.

But I would never, ever mention the Saintess.

And I certainly wouldn’t summon her!

A serf who can summon the Saintess!

Why would I ever want to become an unforgettable existence?

Unless I’ve gone mad, there’s no reason I would have called the Saintess.

The only reason the Saintess would come without me calling her is…

‘…They said this necklace releases divine power to defend when attacked.’

I looked up at Athanas.

His deep blue eyes were piercing through me as if to judge me.

‘Heretic Inquisitor Athanas…’

The Heretic Inquisitor of Die Heretic! was granted the new authority to execute without interrogation or trial.

There was no need to worry about an innocent person being wrongly executed.

For the Lord had promised that any innocent person who died by the hand of the Heretic Inquisitor would go to heaven.

Because of this, Athanas went around crushing every ‘heretic-like thing’ he encountered without hesitation.

He even had a nickname because of it.

‘Heretic Slayer Athanas…’

Of course, the current Athanas doesn’t have such terrifying authority.

But there is something even scarier.

[Regression], which can make it so that even a murder never happened.

Would an Athanas who remembers a world where Order had collapsed actually try to follow the current rules?

When he remembers being helpless against heretics because he followed such rules?

The Athanas of Die Heretic! is a brutally efficient man.

‘…Did he try to kill me once the moment he felt a sense of dissonance?’

And if nothing happened, he intended to turn it back to make it as if it never occurred?

‘But if the Saintess showed up, and that made him certain there’s something about this guy…’

My entire body froze with terror.

‘Isn’t this guy just a complete fucking psycho murderer?’

Chapter 50