Chapter 40: The two timelines where Clyde Astley didn't exist

The kingdom of Colchis – Pira city.

Residence of Duke Luxembourg.

Two weeks later.

Arielle and I stood at the front gates.

I held her hand since she was sweating nervously next to me. Nate went back to their territory which was near the borders. Erica went back to the academy dorms. They still keep the dorms open to those that can't afford housing. It's sad that she doesn't have any relatives. I should probably ask if she needs anything.

That light spirit is still following me around, though. I now knew why I can see it. It must be because I can control light spirits to a certain extend.

Anyways…

As for Charlotte and Helen... Well, since Helen didn't have anywhere else to go, Charlotte said she'd arrange proper arrangements for her once they arrive at the palace.

We stopped by our village first when we came back. Although, the house was empty. My neighbours were so emotional when they saw me back. It was a happy moment for me knowing they prayed for my safety.

I asked where my parents were and they told us that mother and father came to the Duke's residence in the capital.

"Let's go."

She nodded and linked her arms with mine. The manor and its property looked just as majestic as always, not even a single stone was misaligned. The grass was neatly trimmed and all kinds of flowers bloomed this spring.

"Young Lady!!"

A scream then came from the manor's backyard. I looked over and saw a beautiful brown elf with her typical long dress maid uniform.

She had tears in her eyes as she ran up to Arielle.

"Forgive my rudeness!"

"L-Lithia..."

She said so and hugged Arielle tightly. The latter didn't seem to know how to react.

"Young master Clyde. I am glad you are safe."

She bowed respectfully to me and held my hands. This woman rarely showed any emotion in the past but it looks like that's changed after Arielle's absence.

"Lithia, is everyone inside?"

We walked around the glorious fountain with an angel spitting out water.

Lithia nodded with a smile.

"Yes. The entire family is gathered in the living room awaiting your return."

She opened the door with a proud smile.

""""Welcome back, young lady Arielle and young master Clyde."""""

Servants were bowing on each side of the long hallway. Some were crying but hid it with quiet sobs.

Arielle went red in the face as she greeted them all.

We walked the long row of servants that eventually stopped by the huge living room.

There they were. I spotted our entire family inside when we entered the room.

It was quiet for a second.

"... We're back."

Both me and Arielle cried as we headed into our families' embrace.

◇◇◇

We came outside to the garden to have tea and talk.

"My little boy! You look so healthy! Ah, you'll be a handsome young man when you grow up!"

Mother hugged my head tightly with tears in her eyes. I was the same. I missed them so much and thought about them every night.

Father also had tears when he hugged me but it looked like he was restraining himself from crying like mother.

"He really has grown up."

He stroked my head with a smile.

"Girls!"

Mother then waved to the two girls that just arrived.

'Is that Chloe and Jessica?'

The two twins had gotten so big since the last time I saw them. Naturally I hugged them like a good big brother. Jessica was the eldest and had a darker shade of brown hair than Chloe. The two were twins but it seemed they disliked wearing matching outfits.

They were so uncomfortable around me. That's understandable. The last time we properly spent time together was when I was 8 years old.

Now I'm constantly disappearing to somewhere.

"So that's what happened."

My parents explained what happened on that day of the incident. The people call the phenomena the 'Divide'. They call it as such since about 50% of the entire kingdom's land and resources disappeared. Many people also disappeared like we had. Some returned and others were still missing.

The king managed to recover all that land in a matter of months with the help of the neighbouring kingdom. I wondered how the land looked like back then. The White Order released an official document that explained who did this.

The individual didn't have that much information but they at least knew his name.

Zero. Apparently he himself said he's a descendant of the past immortals that lived on this planet.

'That word again.'

Immortals. My future self mentioned them in that void he summoned me to. So they are the threat we're up against. No, their descendants are.

The bizarre fact about this Zero person was that he could cast God Rank Magic.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I read the article my parents showed me.

Shouldn't this guy be treated as a national threat? They said that the surrounding nations refused to get involved with this mess. They weren't targeted like we were after all.

Selfish bastards.

Another thing I heard was that Aunt Kimberly left. Arielle's sister, Kenia was expected to become head of the household. Eric will take up a position of lord in one of their territories.

This meant that Arielle and Eric already lost.

"Oh, right. Where's Arthur?"

It's been so long since I've seen my best friend.

To my question, my parents had troubled expressions.

"Well, you'll have to–"

"Clyde!!!!!!!"

A thunderous roar came from the castle gates. My entire body shook for some reason.

When I looked towards the entrance from my seat, I saw a silver haired beauty looking around the premises. She looked like she was running all over the kingdom judging by her ragged breathing.

"W-Who's that?"

Can such a beautiful woman exist? She beat Melodia in terms of pure beauty.

Our eyes then met.

My mother broke the silence.

"That's Arthur…"

"Huh?"

'Did I perhaps mishear?'

"Clyde!!!"

I blinked only once but then saw her right in front of me.

"Ugh!"

Her arms were basically strangling my body.

She kept screaming my name as she rubbed her face in my hair.

'What the hell!?'

It felt pointless to try and escape from her arms. How could a woman be this strong?

"…Clyde…."

She grabbed a hold of my face and looked at my lips.

"!!!"

Before I knew it, her tongue insulted my throat wildly. She kissed me as to not let me go. It felt like I would suffocate because of how wildly she insulted my mouth.

'I'm being tainted!'

"Ahem."

A sharp cough came from my parents. The woman then released me with a red face. Her blue eyes looked like it'd be hearts if this were an anime.

"Introduce yourself. Properly this time…"

She let me go in a fluster. I held my hands on my mouth while looking at her with widened eyes.

"It's me, Arthur…"

"...Huh?" 

"W-Wait!"

This girl who called herself my best friend, Arthur then grabbed me as I attempted to run away.

"It really is Arthur, dear."

Mother had a wry smile on her face.

"…"

I sat down on the seat, awaiting an explanation.

◇◇◇

"The sword?"

'Artoria' nodded.

Heaven Piercer. That sword was the cause of all this.

After the disaster happened, Arthur went up to the pillar in the academy that held the Heaven Piercer sword and took it out. She said that she didn't really know why she did it. It's just that she had a feeling that told her she had to do it.

The results were her unlocking her true form, as she called it.

Arthur brought me to a secluded spot and began explaining to me.

"I'm the last survivor of the Archangel race. The Valkyries. The sword is the last known divine relic on the planet. Divinity is needed for us to take our true forms. And also, there's something else I want to tell you."

She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. The wind blew so strong that I had to close my eyes.

"I'm…" I opened my eyes after it subsided. "I'm a Regressor. This is my eight time–Hey, d-don't look at me like I'm insane…!"

Artoria had tears in her eyes and hit my chest.

"This sounds too ridiculous."

"T-Then how do you explain how I knew that divinity would be able to gain my true form!?"

"Maybe by asking that incompetent light goddess?"

"The goddess would never tell anyone where Divine relics are being kept! Plus, that sword's output was so weak that the church didn't notice its divinity. The sword was only treated as an artifact that the first king wielded."

"Can you make any more sense?"

Artoria looked like she was about to cry.

'Stop that. It invokes the sadistic nature within me if I see a beautiful girl cry.'

"But…" I scratched my head. "I believe you."

"Huh? You do?"

"Yeah. A lot of crazy things happened after all. That guy that can cast God rank magic, the phenomena, my spirit core and mana core that coexist. And also…"

I hesitated whether I should tell her.

"And also?"

"I met my future self."

"Already?"

"What? You knew about this!?"

I was momentarily dumbfounded by her reply.

"And I'm a reincarnated person–"

"I know that as well."

"…."

'Either she can read people's minds or she really isn't insane and is actually a Regressor.'

"Do you believe me, Clyde?"

I nodded to which she sighed in relief.

"So we were together in your previous lives…"

"Yes. But only in five of my seven lives. You weren't in the second and the fifth. I suspect it was because you didn't reincarnate or that you were reborn as someone else and not Clyde Astley."

Probability. I had the thought that it must've been that. There was no guarantee that her previous lives would've been the same as this one. Just look at old Clyde. He didn't meet Sol and he was probably born during wartimes when every day brought a new struggle to survive. Maybe the person who gave him power was the one who betrayed him in the end.

He or she wanted the old man to lose the trust his family and loved ones had for him. To think he was a merciless monster that would point his gun at anyone he wished. After losing everyone he loved then he'd become their loyal slave.

I could only fill in the gaps myself since he was vague in his explanations.

I suddenly realized.

"Oh, fuck..."

I cursed when I remembered the words of that loli goddess.

"What's wrong?"

Artoria tilted her head.

"Hey, Artoria. If you met my past selves, can you tell me something?"

"I'm not able to remember everything but I'll try."

"...Have I ever told you about meeting the goddess Sol? The daughter of the previous Light Goddess?"

She tilted her head again while drinking her juice.

"I don't remember such a thing. I only know that you met the old version of yourself."

"Ah... I know now why I didn't exist."

"Huh? You do?"

"Was there a hero that was suddenly born from George and Eleanor in those two versions of the timelines and defeated national threats while spouting Sol's name?"

Artoria stopped slurping on her juice and looked at me.

"...How did you know that...?"

I sighed yet again. It became obvious when I heard about myself not existing within those two timelines.

"The two of us switched places when I saved her the day I died. In the second and fifth reincarnation I didn't exist which means that I didn't save her. I grew old and lived my life to the fullest."

Sol managed to succeed despite being an incompetent goddess in this timeline.

"Which nation summoned her here? Do you remember?"

Artoria was frowning while thinking of something. She gazed at me.

"...I think it was the Magic Empire. They were the ones that succeeded in bringing back the Summoning Rituals."

I spat out the juice I had in my mouth when it went down the wrong pipe. I coughed violently.

"WHAT!?"