Gozine

Altende.
An exceptional mage with lavender eyes…
Born into or associated with the Reinhaver family.

‘Come to think of it, she resembles someone. I don’t remember clearly… It’s faint, but I’m certain.’

“I know this person.”

There must be some familial connection between Nox von Reinhaver and the mage Altende.
But the response I received was negative.

“Huh? Altende-nim has been secluded for so long that you might be mistaking her for someone else. She hasn’t evaen visited this village again…”

“Did anyone witness the death of this Altende?”

“No. But I heard she used an immensely powerful spell, and the recoil left her in a state where death wouldn’t have been surprising. This was back when I was still a young man…”

The villager happened to be the one managing Altende’s village.
His name was Hibis.
Judging by his graying beard and hair, he was at least over 60. If he had seen Altende in his youth, the likelihood of her still being alive was undeniably slim.

The recoil of magic.
Especially on a scale large enough to envelop an entire village, would lower the probability even further.

Yet, something about her statue kept nagging at me, refusing to let go.

“…Does it bother you?”

“Yes.”

At Ru’s question, I answered, and after a brief pause, he continued.

“I’ve also heard that violet pupils are a trait exclusive to the Reinhaver family. It’s highly likely that this Altende was a member of Reinhaver.”

He went on.

“Of course, there are historical discrepancies, like a mage being born into a knight family, but those are nothing more than illusions. You’d know, right? How unreliable this continent is, filled with such things.”

Ru alone grasped the essence.
His actions proved it. Ru was convinced Altende was connected to Reinhaver.
But soon, as if losing interest, he shook his head.

“Anyway, it’s a shame. There’s nothing you can uncover about your family now.”

“Yes. But it’s fine. My goals remain the same. Food and the dungeon. Just those two.”

“Then that’s fortunate. Let’s go.”

Ru nodded, and we began moving again.

But at that moment, I couldn’t hold back any longer and had to awaken the slumbering existence I hadn’t disturbed in a long time.

<You’re listening, aren’t you? Wake up, Gremory.>

The demon I’d sealed away, fearing she might take over my body.
Gremory.

‘After nearly losing my mind during the recent devilization, setting her free would’ve been too dangerous.’

So, for a while, Gremory had remained asleep in the mirror.
Without supplying her with mana, communication was nearly impossible.

But now it was different.

I needed her.

<Tch, you only call when you need me. Is this how it’s always gonna be?! Give me some freedom too!!>

<Answer my question. Unless you don’t want to open your eyes again.>

I spoke coldly.
After all, she was a demon, and I had sealed her in a desert dungeon. Our relationship was never meant to improve. It was nothing like the dramas or movies in my previous world, where bonds formed between humans and demons.

<…Fine.>

Hating the idea of complete annihilation, she reluctantly agreed.
Without wasting time, I asked quickly.

<The angel who sealed you, I heard she had violet eyes. That statue we just passed… does that woman have the same face as hers?>

<Emm…>

Gremory hesitated briefly, recalling the statue I had seen earlier.

Soon, as if dredging up unpleasant memories, she let out a sigh and confirmed.

<Y-yes. That’s correct. The one who sealed me and trapped me in that ruin…!>

<I knew it.>

Altende.
As expected, she was connected to both me and Reinhaver.
One of the archangels.
A being I already knew, one who evoked an inexplicable longing.

Perhaps…

‘The one who created this system.’

The conviction that it was most likely her solidified in my mind.

Now, I had to think.

‘An angel with the same eyes as mine existed. Whether it’s her real name or not, she was called Altende. If my hypothesis is correct, she is my mother, the one who granted me the power of the system.’

Mother.
My mother.

Perhaps she hadn’t died.
Theo said our mother sacrificed herself during the Night of Slaughter, but I thought differently. Was it because I hadn’t witnessed it?

No.
Theo hadn’t either, no?

In the end, the biggest question was my own existence.
and the world I now found myself in.

Interference between worlds wouldn’t be easy, even for an archangel.

The amount of mana required would be absurd, beyond imagination.
Yet, she performed magic of that scale.
To bring me back to this world.

First, to Korea, a place of advanced civilization without magic.
Then, back to the world of Inner Lunatic where I was originally born.

Why?

I undoubtedly possess two [Genius] traits.
But did I inherently have power capable of reshaping the continent’s fate? No.
The continent is filled with countless strong individuals. Ru alone proves that.
What if the immense mana used to traverse worldlines had been invested in him instead?

Theo von Reinhaver?
Or even Luna? Might they have achieved better results?

Then why, was I chosen?

Twice moved between worlds, then brought back here to enter the main story of Inner Lunatic. A being whose purpose and justification align perfectly. One who possesses power but doesn’t need to reveal it.

And someone who could blindly love me.

A mother.

Only she could.

“Young master, are you alright? You look pale.”

Zitri suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts.
Only then did I notice my surroundings, my sweaty face, Eleanor’s gaze, even Ellie’s worried eyes fixed on me.

“Sweating in this cold weather… Are you feeling unwell?”

“No. I’m fine.”

As I spoke, I slowly steadied my breath. Mist formed in the air.
Is this a problem I can solve now?
Can I unravel this puzzle-like story immediately?
No.

‘Focus on the present moment.’

I reminded myself.
Today, tomorrow, maybe in a few days, or hours—I could die at any moment.
I’m just terminally-ill, live while desperately trying to hide it

For someone like me, wasting precious time obsessing over unsolvable problems?

That’s just foolish.

For now, let’s move forward.
I can think about it later.

We’ve already gained enough today.

“…The night’s grown too deep. We’ll move in earnest starting tomorrow.”

At my words, the group nodded.
With a neigh, Carl, and a small squeak from Ellie, they all seemed to agree.

Now, it’s time to rest and prepare for tomorrow.

**********

Theo von Reinhaver’s office.
In a space reserved only for the family head, Theo was lost in thought.
On the table lay a portrait—a woman in a pure white dress, laughing as waves crashed against the shore.

“Even now, I can’t believe it. That you’re gone… and that I must leave too. I thought I’d accepted it in my mind…”

It was the Commemoration Day.
The day his wife had left. On days like this, Theo always spent time alone in the family head’s office.
He didn’t want to be disturbed while remembering her.

As he sipped wine, he recalled her unique violet eyes. At first, he’d mistaken her for a relative, no one outside Reinhaver had such eyes.

But she wasn’t.
She was from a distant land, unrelated to the family’s hellish competition for succession.

She never specified where, but it didn’t matter.
What mattered was the love that blossomed between them, how she grew on him.

Theo never wanted to become family head.
But when he realized it was the only way to protect her.
In the end, he chose to rise to the position.
Because he didn’t want to lose anything, he was pressured to make a choice, and he willingly decided to be played by that

— Accept a woman with no ties as the family’s legitimate wife? Don’t spout nonsense!

His wife, scorned by the family. To protect her, he had to win the competition.

Being ignored himself?
That was fine. But he couldn’t bear her being denied.

Looking back now, Theo realized how infatuated he’d been.
No, it was the madness of love.
Good or bad, he’d been insane.
Perhaps unbecoming of someone from a dark family. But even now, he’d make the same choice. Whether as the weakling of the past or the praised family head of today, one thing remained unchanged.

“She loved wine.”

Theo smiled faintly, remembering her.
As shadows stretched, the closed curtains caught his eye.
He’d been told they’d come here. The demons. And their followers.
His wife had confronted a demon to protect their youngest son.

That was the last.

The demon slaughtered his wife. When Theo returned to this office, all he found was blood, and a white dress soaked in it.

That was all he remembered.

To say he didn’t regret it would be a lie.

‘If only I hadn’t gone to fight. If I hadn’t gone to kill Paimon.’

Paimon was far stronger than when Nox faced him. Killing him was nearly impossible.
Noah von Trinity had to use time-reversal magic, and Theo had to unleash the final stage of the Supreme Black Sword Form.
Had they left him alone, greater disaster might have followed.

But now, Theo wondered.

Did it even matter?

With his own death approaching.
Theo finally regretted it. Weighing his wife against the continent? A man who went mad with love and became the family head? Only a lunatic could reach such a conclusion.
No, he shouldn’t have.

“It won’t be long now until we meet again.”

Theo quietly drank his wine.
On the table, another glass waited.
Ready for whenever she might return to sit beside him.

**********

“Ellie, let’s get going!”

The next day, I cheerfully called out to Ellie, still on the bed.
We’d slept together under the blankets, and she refused to leave my side, so I had no choice but to hold her tightly all night. My mouth was full of fur by morning, but it was the most satisfying sleep I’d had in ages.

This is life.

With that thought, I started moving again.
After all, the time bomb in my body was still ticking, wasn’t it?

Hesitation now would only lead to death. To live is to plan for the future, to feed Ellie delicious food someday.

Fueled by fierce determination, I stepped outside, where two people were already waiting. For the first time in a while, I greeted them with a light expression.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Alright.”