The next day, when Yuto awoke, Sariel thrust a map before him.
“Here, look, boy.”
“What is this all of a sudden?”
“What does it look like? It is a map of Callisto. Do any of the place names catch your attention?”
Yuto lowered his gaze and examined the map.
“This world, Callisto, is broadly divided into three continents.”
Despite the early hour, Sariel casually opened a bottle of liquor.
“Vermira to the west, Averan in the center, and Kusuar to the east. Most of Vermira is forest, while a frozen tundra stretches across its north.”
Sariel's finger moved over the letters spelling Vermira.
“The World Tree stands at the heart of this great forest, and the kingdom of the elves lies nearby. We are somewhere around here.”
Her finger traced downward from the word Vermira, crossed the word ‘Balistera,’ and stopped at the remote frontier beneath it.
“This is the borderland of Balistera, the mightiest and most brutal empire in Callisto. The central continent, Averan, begins here. Travel a little farther, and you will reach the kingdom of Listal.”
Listal.
The instant Yuto heard that name, his heart began pounding wildly. He clutched his chest and hurriedly forced his breathing under control. Sariel watched him for a moment, then smirked.
“You may not remember it, but you respond unconsciously. Hmm. Are you from Listal?”
“I... am not.”
Yuto forced the words out in a trembling voice. The certainty of his denial made Sariel's lone eye widen.
“You are not?”
“No. Listal... It is not Listal.”
“Then what is this reaction of yours? You did not react this way when you heard the name Balistera?”
“I do not... know.”
Yuto panted as he glared down at the map. Vermira, Averan, and Kusuar. Only three kingdoms were named across those three vast continents.
“There are... only three kingdoms across these enormous continents?”
“Kusuar is a land where barbarians and orcs live in tribes. There are no kingdoms there.”
Sariel answered while drinking.
“Vermira is mostly forest and holds only a single kingdom, founded around the elves. And most of Averan is ruled by Balistera...”
Her finger stopped over the name Listal.
“Listal is the only kingdom in Averan that has not been conquered by Balistera and still stands sovereign. The other lands exist as city-states and have no royal families.”
“No. That cannot be true.”
Yuto forced the words out between ragged breaths. Still glaring at the map, he extended a trembling finger.
“There should be a kingdom here.”
No name was written where Yuto pointed, yet certainty filled his voice. Sariel narrowed her lone eye and stared at the spot beneath his finger.
“Why do you think so?”
“I... do not know. I simply feel that a kingdom is... that a kingdom should be here.”
“Are you certain of that?”
“Yes. I am certain.”
“Hmm......”
Sariel propped her chin on one hand and lifted her lone eye to Yuto's face.
“How peculiar. But boy, you are correct. A kingdom once stood there. Now it can no longer even be recorded on a map.”
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.
As Yuto listened to Sariel, his heart pounded as though it might burst. He clutched his chest and swallowed his labored breaths.
“What... do you mean, it can no longer... be recorded on a map?”
“It is quite simple. It was destroyed three years ago.”
Yuto's face went deathly pale. The thunder of his heartbeat echoed deafeningly in his ears.
“De... stroyed...?”
“Yes. Boy, until three years ago, a kingdom named ‘Belkain’ stood where you pointed.”
Belkain.
The name dragged Yuto's memories to the surface. Before his regression, Yuto had been in Belkain. He had lived in Belkain. He had ruled Belkain.
‘I was... the king of Belkain.’
There was no doubt. The kingdom Yuto had ruled in his dream two nights ago was Belkain. He had failed to recall the name then, but now it felt painfully clear and familiar.
“Why......? Why was Belkain destroyed?”
“This One does not know the precise reason.”
Sariel answered as she stared at Yuto's pallid face.
“It was never made known. Belkain had been a prosperous kingdom only three years ago. Allied with Listal, it had divided Averan with Balistera―and then it was destroyed in a single night.”
“......!”
“It was a natural catastrophe. Lightning poured down like rain through the night, the land overturned, and lava boiled over. That was how it fell. Only a tiny handful survived the night of the Great Cataclysm, and not one member of the royal family lived.”
Impossible. It could not be true. The denial he could not voice echoed in Yuto's throat. CRACKLE, CRACKLE. As his emotions surged, aether began spilling from his body.
As pitch-black aether threatened to engulf Yuto, Sariel reached out. SNAP. Her hand closed around his wrist, and warmly glowing aether flowed from her into him. The rampaging black aether retreated into Yuto's body, and his heart gradually calmed from its frantic pounding.
“This is why This One has no choice but to call you boy. Calm yourself. Your power is far too easily swayed by your emotions.”
Sariel clicked her tongue and continued.
“Boy, judging by your reaction... you seem to be a survivor of Belkain. Then again, anyone who survived that hellish night could easily have suffered enough trauma to shatter his mind.”
“Hah, hah......”
Yuto steadied his ragged breathing. Cold sweat soaked his entire body. Sariel's aether had quelled his outburst, but the shock and emotion of that revelation remained lodged in his chest.
“Three years have passed since Belkain's fall. This One does not know what happened to you during that gap, but you said your memories begin inside the colosseum's prison, did you not?”
“Yes...... According to the guard, I was found lying naked in a forest.”
“Your mind was already damaged, so a minor shock must have thrown your memories into disorder. Naked... naked, hmm. Were you made the slave of some perverted noblewoman?”
“If that were the case, there was no slave brand on my body.”
“There are plenty of perverted nobles who forgo brands because they find them unsightly. You have a pretty face, so you were likely used as that sort of slave.”
Sariel smirked and released Yuto's wrist.
“In any case, This One now has a rough idea of your past. Then how might we recover all your memories......?”
“Belkain.”
Yuto spoke quickly.
“I must go to Belkain.”
“No. We are not going to Belkain.”
Sariel answered without hesitation. Yuto had not expected her to refuse, and he could only stare at her in shock.
“Why...?”
“Is it not obvious? Boy, simply hearing Belkain's name nearly sent you into a frenzy. If you saw those ghastly ruins for yourself, your mind would collapse completely.”
Her words were cold, but Yuto had no choice but to nod. He still could not recall all his memories. If he went to Belkain in his current state and faced the reality of his kingdom's destruction―Yuto had no confidence he could accept what he saw there.
“Besides, Belkain is difficult even to approach. After its destruction on the night of the Great Cataclysm, everything within its walls became a land infested with curses.”
Sariel placed her finger on the map once more.
“So we shall go to Listal first. It is closer than Belkain, and you also reacted to its name. Whether we go to Belkain―we shall decide after reaching Listal, based on what you remember there.”
Yuto worried at his lip and nodded. Whatever else might be true, Sariel was acting for his sake.
“Is the reason for its destruction... truly unknown?”
“Not entirely. The stories simply cannot be confirmed.”
Sariel folded the map with a bitter smile.
“Could a Great Cataclysm capable of erasing a prosperous kingdom in a single night possibly have been ordinary? In this wretched world, who do you think could accomplish such a thing?”
The smile vanished from Sariel's face. Her lone eye glinted coldly as she pointed upward.
“The constellations.”
Her voice sounded chilling.
“They created this world, Callisto, and look down upon everything within it. They are not equal. They are self-righteous, capricious, and faithful only to their own desires.”
“......”
“The constellations destroyed Belkain. The reason was never revealed... but according to the common tale, Belkain defied their will. And so it was judged.”
Sariel drained the rest of her liquor in one gulp and rose.
“That is the whole story. An unpleasant and dreadful one in every respect.”
The constellations had destroyed Belkain.
The story did not feel unfamiliar to Yuto. He had returned to the ‘past.’ Before returning, he had been the king of Belkain―
‘The Belkain I ruled... was destroyed too.’
He dreamed of stars in the sky cackling and jeering at him. Yuto clenched his fist. The more he thought, the more pieces of his memory returned.
‘I was betrayed.’
By whom?
‘The constellations... No, it was not only the constellations. There was someone else.’
A blond man had held a bloodstained sword. Yuto still could not recall his face or name.
‘It does not make sense. The Belkain I ruled should not be destroyed for several more decades... Why has it already fallen?’
He tried to think harder and dredge up more memories, but an ache deep inside his head obstructed his thoughts. Yuto groaned softly and clutched his head. Watching him, Sariel clicked her tongue and rested a hand atop his head.
“Do not force yourself to think. If the memories are truly important, they will return someday. So boy, think less about the past and more about the present―and the future.”
Warmth flowed from her palm and calmed Yuto's mind once again.
“On the way to Listal, you must learn many things from This One. We shall begin by correcting your unstable, damaged mind. At the slightest provocation, you tremble and try to spew aether everywhere.”
Sariel tutted as she tousled Yuto's hair.
“A mind of Clear Mirror, Still Water (a bright mirror and still water), and the method of controlling aether. We must also correct your instinct-driven swordsmanship and teach you to use that pitch-black hand and those steps efficiently. After that―we shall create an identity for you.”
“An... identity?”
The suggestion came from nowhere. When Yuto looked up in puzzlement, Sariel grinned.
“At present, you have nothing but the name Yuto, do you not? You fortunately bear no slave brand, but that does not prove your identity. You will need one to survive in this wretched world.”
“How can I establish an identity?”
“It is simple. You shall register with Listal's Adventurers' Guild. Right now, you are a penniless wretch with nothing but the clothes on your back, so This One shall lend you the registration fee.”
The hand tousling Yuto's hair withdrew.
“Your debt to This One grows by the moment. This One truly looks forward to collecting her price from you someday. Now, your thoughts appear to be somewhat in order, so follow This One outside.”
“Are we leaving at once?”
“No. First comes your morning training. Then we must eat.”
When Yuto followed Sariel out of the cabin, two swords stood embedded near the remains of last night's campfire. Sariel crooked a finger at them, and the swords pulled themselves free of the ground and flew to her.
“Since this is training to correct your swordsmanship, This One shall personally wield a sword as well.”
“You know how to use a sword too?”
“Hmm? Ahahaha! What an absurd thing to say. Boy, there is no weapon in this world that This One cannot wield.”
Laughing loudly, Sariel swung the sword in her hand. SWISH! It was only a casual stroke, yet not a trace of wasted motion existed in its path.
“Because This One never contracted with a constellation, she trained in every martial art this body could perform. Since she has already begun boasting, she may as well boast a little more: This One could readily face even a constellation.”
“...Truly?”
“No, that was a joke. Half of it, at least. The constellations high above will not descend to fight This One.”
If half of it was a joke, the other half was sincere.
“That is how remarkable This One is. Regrettably, however, she has no intention of teaching you her martial studies (martial arts).”
“Why not?”
“Because there is no time. Can you even imagine the time This One has devoted to the path of martial discipline? Therefore, This One intends to focus on refining what you already possess...... the things you cannot remember.”
Sariel crooked a finger, and the sword hovering in the air flew toward Yuto.
“That alone will likely be enough for you. The sword This One saw yesterday was faithful to instinct, but an instinct honed to that degree means that excellent swordsmanship must lie dormant in your subconscious.”
Yuto knew that as well. In the ‘past,’ he had been both the king of Belkain and a hero of Callisto.
Why had they called him a hero? One had to accomplish feats worthy of the name.
Though the details remained hazy, Yuto knew what he had achieved in the past. Crimson Ringmistress―the monster who had slaughtered everyone in the colosseum with the twitch of a finger, ruled the Blood Arena, and defied even a kingdom―had been slain by Yuto in his past life.
‘And not only Crimson Ringmistress.’
Yuto seized the sword suspended in the air.
‘I killed... the Eclipse. All seven of those monsters.’
It was difficult even for him to believe, and anyone else who heard it would dismiss it as nonsense. Yet Yuto was certain he had accomplished those feats. He simply could not remember how.
‘Crimson, whom I killed, is alive. I have clearly returned to the past. But... this past is different from... the one I remember.’
He would have to discover how this past had changed. Yuto steeled his resolve and spoke.
“Sariel, are you... stronger than Crimson Ringmistress?”
“Hmm. What an interesting question. What do you think?”
“I honestly do not know. I do not sense the same pressure from you that I did from Crimson Ringmistress.”
“Ahaha. That is because This One is being considerate of you. It is also not to her taste to leak a vulgar menace everywhere she goes, as that creature does.”
Sariel chuckled and stroked her chin.
“Since you do not know, This One shall tell you. This One is stronger than Crimson Ringmistress, that worthless thing.”
“Then why do you not kill Crimson Ringmistress?”
“Why should This One kill her?”
Sariel countered with a smile, leaving Yuto briefly at a loss for words.
“...Would killing that monster not be for Callisto's sake?”
“Then This One has even less reason to kill that thing.”
Sariel burst out laughing again.
“This One has no desire to act for Callisto's sake.”
Her laughter faded into a low voice.
“The only thing This One serves is her own cherished wish.”
Sariel's lone eye turned briefly toward the sky. At length, her gaze moved back to Yuto.
“Boy, you already have a sword in your hand. Why are you still standing there? Must This One strike you first before you move?”
The moment he heard that, Yuto charged. Watching him rush forward, Sariel clicked her tongue and muttered.
“There is no end to the things that need correcting.”
He clearly possessed a great many things of considerable depth, yet he could use almost none of them properly.