“Join the Military Nation’s fight. You don’t need to worry about all the little tasks—just take down the enemy generals! It’s not an unreasonable request, is it? You’ve already dealt with the Musketeers and subdued the Overload soldiers while helping the Military Nation, so it’s only fair, right? The Heat Nations might call it balancing the scales!”

Hilde made her demand with the confidence of a debt collector.

Despite everything, the regressor had once plunged a blade into the heart of the Military Nation’s headquarters. Regardless of his larger goals, he wouldn’t have chosen to attack if he didn’t harbor at least some personal animosity toward the Military Nation. Feeling reluctant, he retorted.

“You want me to become a soldier of the Military Nation?”

“I’m not asking you to enlist—just join as a mercenary for a short while! With your power combined with the Military Nation’s strategies, we’ll easily crush the legions led by the Golden Mirror! After all, the quickest way to peace is through overwhelming strength, isn’t it?”

Once her true intentions were laid bare, Hilde spoke with an effortless eloquence that left no room for doubt. It was a stark contrast to her previously passive attitude.

From the beginning, Hilde had been here to represent the interests of the Military Nation. Her participation in the peace talks was driven by a concern that the regressor might broker an agreement unfavorable to her side. And yet, the person who should have been most sensitive to the Military Nation’s agenda had maintained a bystander’s stance—until now.

The reason for that finally became clear now that the truce had fallen apart.

“This was your plan all along?”

“I wouldn’t call it a plan! Isn’t it the duty of any diplomat to consider worst-case scenarios? I was simply fulfilling my obligations!”

‘Honestly, yes, I planned this! From the Military Nation’s perspective, a clear victory is better than a vague peace. Besides, if we can recruit the human king, the vampire queen will follow as a bonus! What a bargain!’

The human king, treated as a discount bonus. Well, he had lost all his power, so he was just another commoner now.

Though her words danced around the truth, her intent was glaringly obvious. Even the regressor had caught on to Hilde’s true motives.

“You think I’ll move according to your plans?”

“There’s always the option of running away! Let thousands die while you wash your hands of it. You can claim you tried with the best of intentions but failed, leaving the rest to us. Just turn your back on the consequences and walk away!”

Though phrased as a choice, her words barely masked the scorn and accusation beneath them. Hilde’s barbs deepened, and the regressor’s expression darkened further with every word.

Pushing him to the brink, Hilde squinted her eyes and asked pointedly:

“But Shay, can you really do that? Don’t you have to stop this war?”

Their gazes locked. The regressor glared fiercely, as if ready to leap at her, but Hilde met his intensity with a mischievous smile, brushing it off.

‘No sane person would recklessly throw themselves into stopping a war. If Shay isn’t just a delusional peace fanatic, he must be bound by some duty—just like I was in the past. And if that’s the case, he wouldn’t walk away without seeing it through, would he?’

Not bad, Hilde. To play a role well, you must first understand it.

See? Mind-reading really isn’t all that necessary. Just spending a few days with someone is enough to get a sense of their thoughts. If she sticks around much longer, she might uncover even more of the regressor’s secrets. He should watch out.

‘So? What’s your move? Will you betray your duty, or will you begrudgingly step into the Military Nation’s ranks? I’m curious to see what you’ll choose!’

Hilde watched expectantly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Meanwhile, the regressor folded his arms, deep in thought.

‘I hate the Military Nation. The idea of fighting under them makes me sick. If I join their ranks, I’ll just end up massacring ordinary soldiers. It’ll leave a bitter taste in my mouth.’

‘But at the same time, I don’t want to run away and abandon everything, like Elik said. I need to see this through, even if only to prepare for the next iteration. If I’m going to keep moving forward, what’s the best way to do it?’

The regressor was not one to deliberate for long. Once he made a decision, he would push forward relentlessly, breaking only when utterly defeated. Perhaps this was a luxury afforded by the promise of another chance.

This time was no different. He spoke even before fully organizing his thoughts.

“It’s not over yet.”

“Huh?”

“The truce negotiations. They’re not over.”

‘I know this is a stretch. It won’t be easy. I might even die. But… I could succeed. And if I do, it’ll be a step forward.’

All that was left was to commit. Clutching Tianying and Jizan tightly, the regressor steeled himself.

“Just like I did with the Military Nation, I’ll hold a blade to their necks.”

Damn. It’s hard not to be impressed. To pursue such madness with such calm sincerity—it’s almost admirable. It makes you want to look up to him.

Hilde blinked, seemingly caught off guard by his resolve.

“Uh, Shay? Do you think that’s going to work?”

“It’s not impossible. Whether or not the Golden Mirror is truly invincible, there must be a core anchoring the Golden Palace. Without it, the palace wouldn’t be able to maintain its boundaries while moving through the Heat Nations.”

“And you’re going to destroy it?”

“Even if I can’t, I need to show that I can. Only then will they take us seriously.”

The determination in the regressor’s eyes was genuine. Hilde stood frozen, speechless for once, her face a mixture of confusion and awe.

‘This is strange~. He’s supposed to be a soldier of his mission, yet he doesn’t seem to care about his own life? Could I have miscalculated? The Golden Mirror is a demonic god. Whatever happens inside the Golden Palace… even foresight won’t reveal it.’

He’ll die and regress anyway. That’s why he can charge in recklessly, without fear. That’s just how the regressor works.

But that’s not an option for me. No matter what happens in this world, I can’t bring myself to charge headfirst into certain death. Even if it means fighting the Golden Mirror, I can’t join that battle.

To avoid any misunderstandings, let me clarify in advance.

“Uh, Shay. I don’t want to back out now that we’ve come this far, but I feel I need to say this. I’m not fighting the Golden Mirror, right?”

“What?”

‘Why? Aren’t you my ally… Oh. Right. You wouldn’t be much help, would you? In fact, bringing you along would be more trouble than it’s worth.’

Exactly. I’d only end up dragging you down. Still, being dismissed based on someone else’s thoughts feels a bit irritating. Suppressing the flicker of disappointment with logic, the regressor replied nonchalantly.

“Of course. I wasn’t expecting you to.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Yes, I value my life, but that’s not all. I rely on trickery, and against the Golden Mirror, I’d be useless.”

“I know. We need someone to stay in the rear anyway. Take the Verdant Overseer and Azi with you and pull back for now.”

It was a sound decision. If it weren’t for the Golden Mirror, I’d probably have been snacking on corn while watching the fight from a distance, petting Azi’s head with one hand.

That said, I can’t completely pass up this opportunity either.

If not the regressor, who would dare hold a blade to the Golden Mirror’s throat? The stronger someone is, the more cautious they become, and the Golden Mirror is so far removed from human concerns that it doesn’t even feel competitive—more like a natural phenomenon. Only someone as insane as the regressor would attempt such a suicide mission.

On my own, I could never approach the Golden Mirror’s core. I wouldn’t even try. It’s impossible, and it would get me killed.

But if the regressor creates an opening… there’s a chance. A chance to reach the core of the Golden Mirror, to uncover the true state of the king.

“However, if it’s not a full-on suicide mission, I might be able to lend a hand.”

The regressor blinked in surprise. What, no response? I’m offering to help, and you’ve got nothing to say? I’m not about to bow my head while doing you a favor.

“I said I’ll help. Now answer.”

“What help? How are you going to help?”

“Do you remember? Back underground in the Abyss, when I held onto Jizan?”

“I remember, but… ah!”

I nodded in confirmation.

“I may not be fully recognized by relics, and I can’t wield the power to change the world. But if it’s just stealing something, I can manage that.”

I am the human king. Human technology, knowledge, weapons—even human faith. If it belongs to humanity, I can handle it.

Though I’ve lost my power and had everything taken from me, the potential to reclaim it remains. My strength may be lacking, and I may be bound by countless limitations, but nothing is truly impossible for me. Anything you can do, I can do—albeit on a much smaller scale.

The same applies to the demonic god. If it stems from humanity, then I, too, can…

“If you draw their attention, Shay, I’ll sneak in and steal the core of the Golden Palace. I can at least try that.”

“Do you know what the core of the Golden Palace is?”

“I have a guess. Just a hunch, but if the Golden Palace has a core, it can only be one thing.”

The golden bell that hung at the child-like Golden Mirror’s waist. Transmuted from brass, it was the first piece of gold created through alchemy after its discovery.

The demonic god’s relic is undoubtedly that golden bell. Until another relic is created, the first remains unique. As the first, it holds a value that represents the whole.

“Let’s see if I can pull off a little pickpocketing.”