Chapter 11
After that, life became relatively peaceful.
I carried out my plans step by step. I checked in on Ricardo in the middle realm from time to time to make sure he was okay, and I also made sure to keep Aslan’s moods in check.
I didn’t forget to confirm that no reapers had somehow detected Ricardo’s location.
Every task was exhausting in its own way, but I could manage it.
All except for one thing.
Beeeep!
‘Here we go again.’
While taking a short break from work in my room, I heard that now-familiar ringing in my ears.
I let out a faint sigh and pulled out a teleport scroll from my belongings. I tore it open, and instantly the blue sky of the middle realm filled my vision.
Lowering my gaze, I saw Ricardo stepping out of his modest mansion.
His face brightened slightly when he saw me.
“You’re here again?”
His tone was innocent, as if he knew nothing.
Knowing exactly why he acted this way, I sighed again and approached him, taking his hand and pulling him along.
The small body went without resistance, and he was drawn into the mansion.
“Yeah, someone kept calling me.”
“Someone?”
“There’s… one annoyingly disobedient kid.”
I closed the door while looking at his now almost playful expression.
I bent my knees and sat down, examining Ricardo’s body from various angles.
“So… where did you get hurt this time?”
“Here. Here’s where I’m hurt.”
Ricardo extended his left leg slightly.
Looking closely, I saw a small scrape near his knee. It was similar in size to the minor injuries he had shown me recently.
Since moving into this mansion, this was already the seventh time.
Did he fall on purpose again?
I studied the wound that clearly seemed deliberate and began speaking.
“You know the story of the boy who cried wolf?”
“What’s that?”
“The shepherd boy who would lie to people for fun whenever a wolf supposedly appeared, but when a real wolf showed up, he lost all his sheep because no one came to help.”
“Ahh.”
Ricardo nodded, understanding.
I hadn’t expected him to stop, but I also didn’t hold much hope that he would.
Soon he grinned, pointing at his knee.
“But I haven’t lied. I really did get hurt.”
“Then why aren’t you healing it? Something so simple you could easily fix with your own power.”
Ricardo answered confidently, almost as if he had been waiting for that question.
“You told me to use my power as little as possible.”
…How did I end up taking care of someone like this?
I gave up adding more words and continued examining the wound.
At first, he tried to make it look realistic… now there’s barely any effort.
Of course, I understood why Ricardo had changed his attitude.
His safety was my top priority.
No matter what caused the injury, when I receive the signal, I would have no choice but to go to him.
This clever child had figured it out immediately.
Even though he knew it would show, he kept injuring himself every day or two to test it.
Moreover, after that day, he developed a strange habit—constantly checking my hands to make sure I wasn’t hurt.
Was he really that shocked when I cut my palm in the alley?
Ricardo glanced at my palms, then smiled softly, clearly reassured that they were uninjured.
I made a protective barrier so he wouldn’t be in danger, and he’s using it like this…
Was he frustrated that he couldn’t do anything to protect me?
Or maybe…
“Ricardo, are you worried about me?”
“Huh?”
Ricardo jumped slightly, clearly caught off guard.
“Oh—no, I’m not!”
“Then why do you keep paying attention to me? You keep injuring yourself to check if I’m okay.”
“It’s not because I’m paying attention…”
“You’re still just a little kid.”
Ricardo pressed his lips shut, seemingly caught by my last words. I didn’t feel the need to soothe him.
I was right.
You haven’t even unlocked your full abilities yet—what could you do?
Standing at the door was getting comical, so I pulled him further inside.
Ricardo stayed silent for a while.
I could almost hear the little gears turning in his head.
He only spoke after I seated him on the sofa.
“I-I’m repaying my debt!”
“Debt?”
“You gave me food, a place to stay… and that… scary reaper came! You saved me then too.”
His blue eyes rolled as he tried to find the right words.
For a moment, he seemed so mature… but at times like this, he still looked like a child.
I smiled faintly, watching him.
How funny. Listing all this is just him admitting he cares about me.
Of course, I didn’t comment on it. It was amusing enough without teasing him further.
He suddenly raised his little fist with a determined look.
“So, if you’re ever in danger, I’ll make sure to save you!”
“My debt… I hate owing people.”
I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
Ricardo’s eyes went wide, then squinted into a triangular shape.
“I didn’t say that to make you laugh.”
“I know. I’ll hold you to it.”
“You don’t sound sincere at all.”
“I am sincere. Pity you don’t believe me.”
For such a fragile body to promise to protect me… it was almost laughable, yet he meant it.
There was still a long way to reach the peaceful life I aimed for.
The Winslet family has to be broken, and there’s Windsor too…
Eustaph had also been particularly irksome recently, so it would be better to deal with him as well.
The problem: all those people were major figures in Inferno, untouchable by my current strength alone.
And now, the protagonist is saving me… I had no reason to refuse.
“Thank you. Truly.”
I reached out and gently stroked Ricardo’s head. Though the action was tender, my mind was calculating.
I sincerely hoped, as you said, that one day you’d be someone who could help me.
“But that aside, hurting yourself is another matter.”
“Huh?”
“I appreciate that you worry about me, but if you keep doing this, it’s a problem.”
I brushed my hand over his injured knee.
Recently, movements in Inferno… no, Windsor… have been unpredictable.
At first, it was just luck that Ricardo stayed alive. Now, it felt like someone was determined to find him no matter what.
Soon, proof of his death might even be demanded.
I don’t entirely blame him.
Windsor’s concern wasn’t just because Ricardo was the descendant of the Chelus squad leader.
In this world, Your Happiness Becomes the Goal, there existed an overwhelming, untouchable force.
The Absolute God.
The being who presided over Chelus and Inferno, and everything in the world.
Chelus and Inferno hated each other enough to almost destroy each other, yet neither trespassed into the other’s territory—because the Absolute God forbade it.
Of course, 400 years ago, after the Absolute God vanished, things got a bit chaotic.
But the baseline remained.
A promise left by the Absolute God before disappearing:
“From the darkness, a single ray of light shall rise again.”
Meaning, at some point, the Absolute God would find a suitable soul and revive.
And the soul chosen by the Absolute God…
It has to be this child.
The protagonist of this world.
The only person possessing the powers of both Chelus and Inferno.
That person was none other than Ricardo.
Windsor must have known this too.
“I told you before, didn’t I? Many reapers are after you.”
“Because I have the powers of both worlds?”
“Yes, you understand well.”
I dropped my smile and spoke seriously.
Ricardo’s expression stiffened, realizing the gravity.
“But I’m not strong enough to be a target.”
“No, that’s not it. You have no idea how desirable your power looks to them. Almost every reaper wants you.”
For a moment, fear flickered in Ricardo’s eyes.
Honestly, I was tempted by his power too.
If I had it, I wouldn’t have to scrape by in the shadows, flirting with death. I wouldn’t have to hear the grumbles of the dead every day.
But I cannot take it.
It belongs to him.
I crouched to meet Ricardo’s gaze.
“But don’t worry too much. You won’t have to live trembling in fear.”
I smiled faintly, reassuring him.
“I’ll be by your side. If you’re ever in danger, I’ll come to save you.”
“…Whenever?”
“Yes. Always.”
Ricardo’s eyes shook violently, like a vast sea struck by a massive storm.
The turmoil in his gaze calmed to small ripples, then stillness. Stars reflected across its surface, shimmering.
Watching this, I continued.
“So stop intentionally hurting yourself. If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to protect you in time.”
Ricardo worried because he needed me.
Everyone else had left his side, so when someone finally returned, he clung to them.
Because I showed concern for his life, he used it as a weak sort of bait.
So I told him: if you act like this, I won’t help you.
I was confident that after this, he wouldn’t hurt himself again.
He should understand by now.
I sighed in relief and began to stand.
“Then what about you?”
Ricardo spoke.
His tone sounded slightly angry.
“After you protect me like that… what happens to you?”
