The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 128: Unchanging Will

While Elize and the others were having a lively conversation with Lewis, Lewis and Edward had come to the training grounds to practice magic against each other.

“Hmm. It looks like it might snow soon. Let’s finish up early.”

“Indeed. I like snow, but I’m not fond of the cold, so let’s do that.”

Standing facing each other in the center of the training grounds, the knights who had trained earlier were watching the two with cheerful expressions.

“Who do you think will win?”

“If I remember correctly, it was Edward who won last time. So, I think Edward will win again this time.”

“However, Lewis has become quite robust over the last two years. Maybe this time Lewis might win.”

As one knight said, in their previous match, Lewis had lost to Edward, and at that time, he had just recently rewound from death, making his magic power and skills still inexperienced.

(I lost last time, but I won’t lose this time. Not even to Father… no, precisely because it’s Father, I will go all out.)

“Lewis. The rules remain the same as last time; we’ll use only magic. If either of us uses a weapon or martial arts, that will be a loss, agreed?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Ha ha. That’s relieving to hear. If martial arts were involved, my loss would be guaranteed. Zepharl! I leave the judging to you!”

“Understood.”

As Edward called out, a man with blue hair and several scars on his face stepped forward from among the knights.

“Knight Commander, nice to meet you.”

“Leave it to me, young master. More importantly, please win against that guy today.”

“Ha ha, I’ll do my best.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

With that, Zepharl smiled cheerfully and then, with a serious expression, turned towards Lewis and Edward.

“All right then, are both sides ready? For rule confirmation, the use of weapons or martial arts is prohibited. Victory will be determined if one side surrenders, or I deem one unable to continue. Any questions? … None, it seems. Then… begin!”

As Zepharl signaled the start, Lewis and Edward stopped moving as they sized each other up.

(Now, what to do? Normal attacks probably won’t work against Father, so should I test the waters with an attack?)

“Heh. You know, Lewis, it’s thrilling to have a match after such a long time. You feel the same, right?”

Edward grinned, and his expression mirrored the combat-ready look of Lewis, showing how much he was enjoying this fight.

In fact, Edward was quite fond of combat, especially during battles or experiments with only magic, he became almost a different person.

“Heh. Yes, it’s incredibly enjoyable.”

“Of course! You’re my son, so that’s only natural. Now! Lewis! Show me your power!”

“Then I won’t hold back! ‘Ice Spear’!”

With a smirk, Lewis created ten ice spears with ice magic and launched them towards Edward.

“Ha! Ice magic against me, huh? Such arrogance. ‘Ice Shield’!”

Edward conjured a massive shield, effortlessly blocking Lewis’s attack without a scratch.

(Nice! Father’s proficiency in ice magic is certainly superior.)

Edward’s specialty was ice magic, and he was said to be the strongest in the country in that regard. His prowess even earned him the responsibility of teaching magic to the princess.

“Ha ha! Now it’s my turn! ‘White Ice Tiger’!”

The next attack came from Edward, and as he declared the spell, a giant tiger’s head lunged at Lewis.

“‘Blazing Inferno Tsunami!'”

Lewis conjured a wave of flames like a tsunami to engulf the incoming ice tiger, causing it to evaporate.

The area became shrouded in steam, obscuring visibility, but Lewis remained vigilant, contemplating his next move.

However…

“Lewis, that was a poor move.”

“Wha?!”

At Edward’s words, immediately following, the evaporated ice materialized into icicles aimed directly at Lewis, prompting him to hurriedly erect an earthen wall for protection.

“Ha ha! Now! Try to defend against this!”

Edward mercilessly unleashed a rain of ice spikes toward Lewis’s earthen wall, which began to crumble under the onslaught, pushing Lewis into a corner.

(Damn. I’m curious about how those icicles suddenly appeared, but first, I need to figure out how to handle this situation.)

As Lewis began to gather his magic power to retaliate, he suddenly noticed an odd sensation and looked down at his feet.

“Huh? What’s going on here…?”

What he saw was the ground covered in ice and his own feet frozen in place, and no matter how much strength he applied, he felt as if that strength was being siphoned away instead.

“This is bad. I need to melt this quickly.”

In a rare moment of panic, Lewis attempted to use the flames he conjured to melt the ice, but even before he could, an ice spear that extended from the ground thrust towards his neck.

“…”

“Checkmate, Lewis.”

The one speaking to the bewildered Lewis was, of course, Edward, who grinned at him, silently asking what he would do next.

“…Surrender. I admit defeat.”

“Match over! The victor is Edward!”

The moment Zepharl announced the winner, the frozen ground returned to normal, freeing Lewis’s feet.

“Here. Take my hand.”

“Thank you.”

With Edward’s assistance, Lewis stood up, and the two moved to sit on a bench at the edge of the training grounds.

“What was that just now?”

“Ha ha. Curious, are we?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

As they leisurely sipped the warm tea prepared by the butler, Lewis asked about the final technique of the battle.

“When you negated my technique with fire magic, you said it was a poor move. At the moment you canceled my technique, the match was already decided.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hmm. Lewis, when you negate a spell, what usually happens to the magic power used for that spell?”

“In that case, it disperses into the air and disappears. It may take a moment, but the magic power quickly transforms into natural magic power and vanishes, I believe.”

“That’s right. Now, what if you could interfere with that magic power for just an instant before it dispersed?”

“Wait, don’t tell me…”

“Exactly. For that brief moment, I interfered with my own magic power before it disappeared and rewrote it into a new spell!”

(No way…)

Upon hearing Edward’s explanation, Lewis was left speechless, as it was a method he had never before considered, showcasing Edward’s phenomenal magical manipulation ability.

Typically, when a spell is negated or disappears, the magic power contained within it returns to natural magic power in an instant.

In less than a second, and for someone to even attempt to interfere with their own magic power disappearing was unimaginable.

However, Edward was able to manipulate his magic power in that instant and used it to cast a new spell.

“Then, how did the ground freeze? I was on guard for your magic movements, but I didn’t notice any movement from your magic at all.”

“The principle is the same. Like I said earlier, I interfered with the magic power before it vanished. At that moment, I created ice spikes with about 20% of my magic power and dispersed the remaining 80% into the ground.

Then, while you were focused on defending against the ice spikes, I interfered with the magic power that was on standby and froze the ground all at once. So, aside from that initial attack, my magic power didn’t decrease at all! That’s why even when you were on guard, there was no visible change.”

“…I’m left speechless.”

Amazed by the fighting style and techniques that were entirely foreign to him, Lewis found he had no more words left to express his thoughts.

“Ha ha. You’ll soon be able to do the same, Lewis.”

“I’ll do my best.”

After a while, as Lewis discussed magic and combat techniques with Edward, the latter, having finished his tea, looked up at the sky and spoke to Lewis.

“Hey, Lewis. You really are amazing. Not only is your magic top-notch, but your martial arts and knowledge as a noble are also unparalleled. But, Lewis, I worry about you. Is what you aim for truly correct? If there’s a reason, could you share it with me?”

Edward decided to finally discuss the concerns that had been on his mind with Lewis, looking at him with earnest eyes.

“Father, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of answering, nor do I plan to change my goals.”

“Why to such an extent…”

“Well, let me ask you in return. What is the most important thing to you, Father?”

“That would be, of course, you and Elize.”

“Heh. Thank you. Now, let’s say time rewound before I was born, even before you and Mother met and fell in love. You would have the option to fall in love and marry someone else. What would you do?”

“Of course, I’d make the same choice as now. I love Elize, and the child I cherish is only you.”

“Even if it were to happen countless times?”

“Countless times.”

“I’m grateful for that. I feel the same way. I’ve lived hoping for a future where it happens endlessly, and that has been my sole goal. I can’t turn back now. Living towards this wish is the only meaning of my life.”

“Lewis…”

Edward found himself at a loss for words upon hearing Lewis’s unwavering determination. After a moment, he sighed and looked up at the sky.

“I understand your resolve is firm. I won’t try to dissuade you any further. But when the time comes that your wish is within reach, take a moment to look back and reflect.

Consider who is behind you and what’s there. No one can live alone. Many people should be behind you. This is all I can advise you.”

“I understand that people cannot live alone. While there may be those who try, in the end, no one can truly live alone. People inevitably rely on someone’s hand at some point. I’ll keep your advice in mind. However, my wish will likely not change. I apologize for being such an unfilial son.”

“Not at all. I don’t see it as unfilial. If that is your choice, I won’t say anything more. I love you, after all.”

“Thank you. Father and Mother are my ideals, and I take pride in having been born as your child. Truly… thank you.”

After that, there was a lull in their conversation, and white snow began to fall from the sky, prompting them to head into the mansion. Lewis returned to his room to rest from his travels.