Schumacher was completely out of sight. Nigel turned to Kay, who hadn’t said a single word even as the man departed.
“He doesn’t seem like a bad person… It’s just strange that someone like him has done all sorts of horrible things.”
“That’s because he became the successor of Edelta.”
There was something unsettling about that phrasing, and Nigel frowned. It sounded almost like Kay was saying Schumacher committed all those acts because he became Edelta’s successor.
“What if he hadn’t become the successor of Edelta?”
“Then he probably would’ve lived a decent, uneventful life until he was purged or exiled to the borderlands. The king hated him, after all. It’s not just a theory—it’s actually happened before.”
“Well, power always invites greed…”
Kay shook his head.
“That’s not what I meant. The moment someone lays their hands on a Relic Fragment, they lose the ability to resist the desire to collect more. Even someone with immense mental fortitude can’t fight it.”
Nigel recalled the moment he first saw a Relic—how his hand had involuntarily reached toward it. A chill ran down his spine.
“You’re saying Schumacher’s being controlled?”
“Something like that. It’s not quite control—it’s more… insidious. It feels entirely natural. But once he assembles the fifth piece, he’ll completely lose his mind.”
“What?”
“Anyone who completes the full set of Relic Fragments becomes enslaved by its power. They turn into a full-blown monster—a creature that inherits Edelta’s will and lives only for slaughter. Not everyone turns, of course… but I don’t think this’ll be one of those rare cases.”
“…”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to save him.”
Kay smiled casually as he said it, like it was no big deal.
How could he say something so horrifying with such ease? Well… from Kay’s point of view, maybe it wasn’t so horrifying. But for Nigel, who had just bid what might be a final farewell to Schumacher, it was nauseating.
So Schumacher was doomed to become a monster, caught in a cruel fate and murdered by the world? If he’d known even a little earlier, maybe he could’ve helped… but Schumacher was already gone. Filled with growing anxiety, Nigel took the reins.
“I don’t care about myself. We have to stop him—”
“It’s what he wanted.”
“That’s—”
“There’s no need to worry so much. If Schumacher really wasn’t greedy, the Relic wouldn’t have been able to take hold of him completely. It’s all on him.”
Kay wasn’t wrong. But… was it fair to say someone who had suffered trauma and loss was solely to blame for wanting something? Doubt lingered.
“Let’s stop worrying about Schumacher. If you really can’t let it go, just save him in the next loop. We’ve got other things to do.”
He wasn’t wrong about that either. Even if they did meet Schumacher again, there’d be no way to explain the Time Loop to him. For a moment, Nigel had thought he’d regret how things would reset… but now he found himself relieved.
“Then let’s go.”
Despite the uneasy feeling in his chest, Nigel nodded. They’d come this far—there was no turning back.
He had planned to take the lead once they reached Montstein, but surprisingly, it was Kay who took charge, heading exactly in the direction Nigel had been thinking of.
They stopped before a massive boulder, which from the outside looked like just another rock scattered across the mountains. But this was it—the entrance to a secret passage that connected the interior and exterior of the fortress.
Looking at the narrow entrance, unease prickled Nigel’s nerves.
“How did you know about this place?”
“You told me.”
“I told you about this?”
“Yep.”
Kay flawlessly operated the complex mechanism that opened the hidden passage. Even witnessing it himself, Nigel still couldn’t believe it.
This wasn’t like the secret escape routes in the capital. This was something entirely different.
This land lay closest to Intusnica, where the dragon Odelrat had once been sealed. As a result, monsters here were especially powerful, not just in strength but also in intelligence—and some possessed bizarre abilities. For example, turning humans into monsters… or reading memories directly from a person’s mind.
Because of that, they couldn’t afford to let just anyone know about this passage. If the information got out—even by accident—it could spread to the entire monster population, and the Magnus Duchy might lose a stronghold that had withstood over a thousand years of war.
The defense of this place was the solemn duty of House Magnus. This passage was, in many ways, more important than Nigel’s life.
Had he not known the world would reset, Nigel would never have brought Kay here. In a timeline where he believed life was a one-time deal, he never would’ve revealed something like this so easily. Even as he stepped into the passage, he couldn’t believe it.
“I really told you about this?”
“You did. You were desperate to get away from Inas Idenbach. That’s how we managed to escape.”
“What could’ve happened to make me that desperate?”
“Inas Idenbach betrayed you.”
He hadn’t expected an answer—and certainly not that one. Nigel came to a sudden halt.
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said. He betrayed you. In a lot of ways.”
Kay smiled as he spoke. The tone was light, almost like he was mocking a trivial fact—or displaying some grotesque truth as if it were a trophy.
“He seduced you, then fooled around with others. Took control over nearly everything in the duchy while you were reduced to his puppet.”
Nigel froze in place, and Kay grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. His grip was strong enough to bruise, but Nigel didn’t even notice the pain. The words struck deeper than any injury.
“You’re seriously telling me Inas did that?”
“Yes. He was powerful then, but not as powerful as he is now. Strong enough to take down a knight order, but not a full army. Still, he could easily subdue you. I guess he threatened you and lived the high life off your misery. You couldn’t say no. He had you completely under his thumb.”
“…”
“And it wasn’t just your personal misery, either. The duchy’s defense was compromised. You fled through this passage, putting yourself in your vassal’s care so you could fight back.”
Nigel ripped his hand free with all his strength. Even someone as physically weak as him could shake off that grip if he flinched hard enough. When he looked down, his wrist was red and sore where Kay had grabbed him.
Kay’s expression was frozen in a cold smile, like he was wearing a mask. Nigel clenched his teeth.
“That’s bullshit. Don’t lie to me.”
“Why not? Because Inas Idenbach said he loved you?”
Kay’s voice dripped with derision.
“Words like ‘I love you’? Even someone like me, with zero real feelings for you, can say them.”
“…”
“I love you, Nigel.”
Nigel flinched.
Out of context, it was obviously a lie. But for one fleeting moment, the look in Kay’s eyes felt real.
Seeing his reaction, Kay stepped closer, sealing the wound with one final strike. He reached up and slowly caressed Nigel’s cheek with a touch that was far too intimate.
“I love you.”
“Don’t.”
“I mean it. From the moment I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful. Anyone would fall for you.”
“I said stop!”
Nigel couldn’t take it anymore and shouted. He knew what Kay was doing. Mocking him. Calling him a fool for trusting Inas just because of a few sweet words. Suggesting that all of it—every bit of affection—was a calculated lie.
He understood exactly what Kay was trying to say…
But still, part of him wanted to believe Inas really loved him.
Kay, of course, saw right through him. He clicked his tongue.
“Poor Duke.”
“…”
“Of course, he does love you. He’s obsessed with you. You’re special to him.”
“Then—”
“But think about it. He’s lived through thousands of lifetimes. Do you really think he never got tired of you? He’s still human.”
“You’re lying…”
Nigel mumbled, biting his lip. Kay’s words had struck too close to home. Inas’s words, too, had felt so real. But there was no way to verify which was true and which was false.
“I’ve lived through thousands of lifetimes. Let me tell you—nothing lasts forever. Nothing.”
“…”
“Inas Idenbach can cheat without consequences. Time resets, and you forget everything. That’s what makes this possible.”
Kay whispered relentlessly, feeding the doubt.
“When time resets, that’s what happens. He cheats, I leave behind my precious friends to come here with you, and you follow me even though you have no real intention of betraying Inas. Because it doesn’t matter. Everything resets. Everything disappears.”
Nigel’s head throbbed in pain.
Kay grabbed his wrist again. Nigel didn’t resist this time. His legs felt heavy, like they were bound by chains.
Could it be true? Had Inas really betrayed him before?
Nigel had no memories to prove otherwise. He couldn’t say with certainty that Kay was lying—or telling the truth.
He regretted it. Telling Kay he didn’t remember anything. Maybe Kay would’ve figured it out anyway, but he should’ve hidden it. That was Nigel’s mistake.
Logically, he knew Kay hated Inas. This could all just be a ploy to drive a wedge between them. And yet… Nigel had no way to verify anything.
The doubt took root.
Deep down, he still wanted to believe Inas would never do that. But…
<Achievements>.
A system that recorded and categorized everything Inas did. He believed it was the key to stopping the Time Loop.
“The first achievements were all centered around Kay. But after I completed the initial 327, new ones appeared. From then on, my own actions started to get recorded too. It may have been a bug, caused by my interference… I haven’t completed them all yet, there are just too many.”
“I’ve done all sorts of crazy things to unlock more achievements…”
That’s what Inas had told him. Maybe those “crazy things” included betrayal.
If it was all in pursuit of ending this cursed cycle… could he be forgiven for betraying Nigel a few times along the way?
No. There’s no proof…
Kay’s claim had no evidence. That, Nigel repeated to himself over and over. But his fingertips trembled, pitifully and uncontrollably, as if they were freezing.
Only now did he start to realize just how deeply entangled he had become in Inas’s schemes—and how lightly he’d taken the weight of the Reset.
Just because time rewound didn’t mean everything disappeared. The thoughts, the feelings, the sins committed in those lost moments—they still lingered.
If Inas had ever betrayed him, for any reason, Nigel couldn’t forgive it.
And likewise, the moment he left Inas behind would probably remain forever etched in Inas’s heart.
Nigel shut his eyes like someone trying to escape reality.
He wanted to believe in Inas. To believe that, no matter how selfish or erratic he might be, he’d never betray him like that. Never cut open his heart and leave it bleeding.
For now, all he could do was hope—hope that this fragile belief wouldn’t collapse in a pool of red.
