Chapter 212: A Selfish Man and a Conversation
“Reincarnator…”
“Is that not the case?”
“…How did you know?”
The figure before me, Leonardo Gascoigne, seemed utterly convinced that Rest was a Reincarnator. There was no point in trying to deceive him further.
(And… Leonardo Gascoigne is the chairman of the Council of Sages, isn’t he?)
He had introduced himself as such, but Leonardo Gascoigne, also known as the “Heavenly Emperor,” was the head of the academy Rest was nominally enrolled in, just like Verloid Harn, a member of the Council of Sages. He was hailed as the world’s greatest magician.
(Could it really be… him? He looks quite young, though…)
I couldn’t ascertain the age of the man before me. He could easily pass for a youth, yet if someone claimed he was in his fifties, I could see that too. However, if he were the real Leonardo Gascoigne, he should be at least seventy years old.
(In a world where magic exists, isn’t it easy to alter one’s appearance? After all, there are surely members of the Council of Sages who are over a hundred…)
“I see, so you truly are a Reincarnator… Was this incredible destruction also your doing?”
Gascoigne looked down at the remnants of the wetlands, marked by the explosive traces left by the God of Flame. The devastation was so extensive that one could believe a nuclear missile had struck the area, and he sighed heavily.
“Such destruction… It must have taken considerable power. Perhaps it was ‘Indra’s Arrow’ or ‘Sword of Surtr.’ ‘Odin’s Spear’ and ‘Fang of Quetzalcoatl’ already exist, so it can’t be those…”
Gascoigne stroked his chin, muttering to himself.
“Now then… what should I do? Depending on which side you’re on… should I simply kill you here?”
“…………!”
At his words, Rest braced himself. I didn’t know what this man was talking about, but if he was an enemy, I had no choice but to fight.
“Hmm? That magical power… After causing such destruction, you still possess that much strength… Could it be that the power you wield is the ‘Ouroboros Ring’?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“A troublesome ability. Are you managing to utilize the Infinite Magic Power that often goes to waste? If that’s the case… perhaps it would be a pity to kill you here…?”
As Rest remained on guard, Gascoigne continued to ponder. Would it be better to strike first? Just as Rest was wrestling with that thought, Gascoigne nodded decisively.
“Boy, I will put your fate on hold for now. It appears you haven’t been reincarnated in this world for more than twenty years… It’s not yet time to reach a conclusion.”
“So, what are you talking about…?”
“Ah, yes. It is still too early. Whether the ripe fruit falls to the ground, becomes bird feed, or bears fruit in another form… we are not at the stage to find that answer.”
Ignoring Rest’s confusion, Gascoigne sighed and surveyed the surroundings. Then, in an instant, he vanished.
“What…?!”
“I declare… that I forbid the use of this magic against humans. Should you break this rule, I will consider you an enemy of humanity and eliminate you with all my might.”
“ッ…!? “
His words were whispered directly into my ear from behind. I turned around in a panic, catching a glimpse of Gascoigne for just a moment before he disappeared again.
“I made a promise, boy. Do not become a fallen fruit.”
Gascoigne reappeared before me once more. He must have used Teleportation Magic, but I couldn’t sense any activation of magic at all. I still felt no power emanating from the man before me. It was as if I were conversing with a ghost.
“Could it be that you too are a Reincarnator…?”
“Then, farewell.”
With that, he dismissed me and vanished completely from the scene.
“What was that man…?”
It was an encounter that was far too selfish and shrouded in mystery. Rest, bewildered, gazed up at the sky in a daze.