Death and Chance
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〖Prison Star Calendar〗
『Year 187, May 11』
『8:48 PM』
〖Countdown to Confession Death: 30 days〗
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Witnessing one's own murder is invariably unsettling.
Especially with the knowledge that this event has tangibly transpired in the future.
Tyler cast a glance at Avril's current condition - she was still in a state of overheating shutdown, her small head puffing adorable smoke - and so, Tyler proceeded to assess the details within his own "death scene".
In the projection, Tyler found himself in the streets of an unknown town, surrounded by terrified onlookers.
A man adorned in dark leather armour, sporting a cloak with a black foundation and red emblem, held a longsword single-handedly. He plunged the blade into Tyler's back and it protruded from the left side of his chest, splattering fresh blood around. Undeniably, the sword had pierced Tyler's heart, the very reason this scene was frozen as the moment of Tyler's death.
Due to the man's oblique positioning away from the camera, Tyler could not discern his face. However, the stranger's garb was unfamiliar to Tyler. The audacity to commit murder in broad daylight suggested that the man was either a noble, an assassin, or a lunatic. Nevertheless, Tyler was certain of one thing: the man was significantly more powerful than him, hence his instinctive action to flee. Regrettably, he ultimately met his demise to a cowardly backstab.
Having assessed the general circumstances of his death scene, Tyler then began scrutinizing the details. He noticed that the cloaked man held a box in his hand. Carved on this box was a flaming emblem and a crest of a blazing stallion, identical to the one Tyler had previously retrieved from the body of Wolf, the leader of the Crimson Cloud Bandits.
Tyler found it implausible for such a coincidence to exist in this world, thus he temporarily assumed that the man had pilfered his treasured box.
Furthermore, the emblem on the man's cloak was the same as the one on the box - the flaming emblem and the blazing stallion. Consequently, it could be inferred that the cloaked man and the box likely originated from the same family, or a similar type of organization.
Viewing it in this light, the man's motive for murdering Tyler was likely to reclaim the gem, "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia", that was within the box. However, Tyler did not believe that himself would risk his life to keep the box. Therefore, the man must have decided to kill him even after Tyler had voluntarily handed over the box, indicating his exceedingly ruthless disposition.
After viewing these details, Tyler finally confirmed his time of death:
『Year 187, May 15 - 13:14 PM』
This date was approximately four days away. Tyler calculated based on this date and realized that he would be killed as soon as he arrived in the town, leaving no opportunity for escape.
If not for the Divine Eye of Transcendence, Tyler would not know how many times he had died already. The world of 'Difficulty: Impossible' was truly deserving of its name.
Now, having completed a preliminary analysis of the information within his death scene, Tyler temporarily arrived at three future steps.
1. Ascertain the name of the town in the death scene and avoid visiting it in the future.
2. Stow away the box containing "Pigeon Blood Ruby - Phylia" somewhere safe, ensuring it is not carried on himself.
3. Seek information about the origin of the "flaming emblem and the blazing stallion" crest.
·
When Avril emerged from her befuddled state, she discovered herself to be the last soul lingering at the dining table.
Just as she was beginning to mourn Banning's absence, the delicate chime of utensils echoed from behind.
On turning around, Avril discovered Banning dishwashing.
"Um…?"
"Oh…"
"Eh…"
Confronted with this sight, Avril was at a loss for words, or perhaps she had too many to choose from— the thought of Banning performing domestic chores in her kitchen was something she couldn't even have conjured in her dreams.
"You're awake, Avril. You've been staring blankly for a while. You didn't even respond when I was speaking to you."
Banning greeted Avril with a smile as she rose from her seat.
"Mm… Yeah… I don't know what happened… My mind just went blank all of a sudden…"
Avril attempted to recall the last thing she spoke to Banning, but found it elusive, and instead remembered a playful agreement about Banning doing her dishes, causing her to suppress a chuckle.
"You've probably been worn out from all the Rain Praise Festival preparation lately. You'll need a good rest tonight."
"Mm… Thank you, Banning."
Avril looked at Banning, and suddenly a thought seemed to surface.
"I think I remember now. Weren't we discussing travel plans?" Avril attempted to confirm with Banning.
"Yes, I've been planning to explore the nearby towns for a while now," Banning answered, calmly continuing with the dishwashing.
(Silly Nissen: Tyler, you rotten man! How dare you feign ignorance of her confession!!)
"Mm… I always knew you wouldn't stay in the village forever…"
Avril's expression clouded slightly, and she looked at Banning, her words faltering.
This time, Banning didn't attempt to draw out her confession of love, he simply watched her bury those feelings deep inside, waiting for a day when she might muster enough courage to voice them.
The buried confession left Avril with a nagging feeling of forgetting something important, but she couldn't quite place it. After several unsuccessful attempts, she decided to let it be.
Now, watching Banning wash the dishes, she was reminded of her parents cleaning up after dinner together.
This overlap of past and present brought warmth to her heart, intermingled with a tinge of nostalgia.
As they conversed during the cleaning, Banning casually asked a question.
"By the way, Avril, have you heard the name 'Lena'?"
"Lena? … I don't think so, I don't believe there's anyone by that name in our village."
Tyler wasn't asking this casually, this name might be directly related to "Ghost Elle". From Avril's truthful response and absence of any suspicious mental activity, Tyler confirmed that Avril indeed didn't know the name 'Lena'.
So, did Avril know about "Ghost Elle"?
If Tyler were to ask, "Avril, do you know your sister turned into a 'ghost'?", he could possibly glean crucial information instantly, but after much hesitation, he chose not to pose this harsh question to Avril.
Even though he had secured the perfect opportunity for confession, he couldn't bring himself to ask.
·
The culmination of the chore to clean and put away the dinnerware was within sight when a knock on the door drew attention. It was someone in search of Avril, stating that the village head had business with her. Apparently, there was a surplus of fruit meant for jam-making that needed to be returned to the orchard for management.
"No concerns, Avril, I shall take care of things here. You proceed first, and once I am done, I shall join you at the village chief's."
"Well... alright. I apologise, Banning, for the imposition... I shall treat you to a meal next time!"
Avril's departure was a surprise to Tyler, yet it presented an opportunity.
Initially, Tyler intended to seek another chance to infiltrate Avril's home in pursuit of the key, but now that opportunity had presented itself, it was senseless to pass it up.
Abandoning the plate in his hand, Tyler immediately began to stride about the house in search of the key.
With the experience of his previous search, he quickly eliminated most areas of the house, finally focusing his attention on two identical ragdolls. These dolls were placed in Avril and Elle's rooms. Giving the dolls a squeeze and a shake, Tyler discerned that they both concealed metal within. After a thorough exploration, he indeed discovered secret seams and reached inside to retrieve two distinct keys!
Although he was uncertain as to why there were two keys, he was sure that one of them would unlock the sealed room.
Approaching the door to the room, he tried inserting the first key, which failed to align with the lock. However, the second key slotted in successfully.
(The answer lies within this room...)
Inhaling deeply, Tyler turned the key, and with a click, the lock sprung open. Then, accompanied by a high-pitched creaking sound, the wooden door gradually swung open.