Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 148



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 148

Short story (4)

Hypothesis formation.

Run verification.

Record the results.

Theory review.

In this [fragment] where all resources are limited, and even ‘mana’ itself is lacking, let alone reference literature or papers.

Elise steadily built up her own knowledge.

She was full of talent.

A genius who broke the egg and came out with that desperate realization just once.

The Elise here is completely different from the Elise before. She even applied ‘magnetism’ to herself, activating her brain by over 200%.

It amplifies brain function itself by connecting neural networks including synapses and neurons very strongly.

Perhaps… …Elise herself may never be able to return to the way she was before.

anyway.

The more I study, the more I realize that there is one thing that is more and more absurd.

“… … It was truly an unplanned coincidence.”

The reason I was drawn to this [fragment] was, truly, a simple coincidence.

While he was exploring the fragments of time while scattering the aura of magical power in the planarium, by a strange coincidence, lightning struck [the fragments].

At that moment, [the fragment] vibrated greatly, and his magical power resonated with it.

By coincidence, I was pulled into [the fragments].

Well, I don’t regret it, though.

“If you look at it broadly, it’s because of me.”

Zion replied.

By the way, Elise found out his big secret here.

That he is a ‘regressor’.

“[The fragments of time] were created because of my regression.”

“I said no. It’s not because of you. Absolutely not.”

Elise frowned.

“The great miracle of return does not occur solely through your will, Zion. Rather, it is the will of the world. If the world is the one who turned back time, then the [fragments] that were created as a result are not your fault. They are the fault of the world.”

A voice full of Elise’s favoritism, as if to say that it wouldn’t be her fault if someone were killed.

Zion smiled slyly.

“Okay. Okay, now write it here.”

Then he held out a small piece of paper. It was a post-it note-like note.

“… … .”

Elise accepted it without saying a word.

After much thought, I wrote just two lines.

[June 8th. Open the farm.]

When you return to the original world, a note to hand over to Zion.

A medium that helps the two of us meet.

“Keep it safe and give it to your past self.”

Zion said so and took Elise’s hand in his own.

“……huh.”

Boom───!

Again, the crashing sound rang out. Elise sat up and looked outside the greenhouse.

More than half of the world has already disappeared.

Zion asked.

“Are you ready?”

“of course.”

Elise took out Zion’s card.

From now on, I will be implementing special magnetism using this card as a medium.

“Why, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a ‘monopole’?”

“Monopole?”

“huh.”

A magnet with only one pole, either a north pole or a south pole, also called a magnetic monopole or a monopolar magnet.

Although it is impossible to achieve with modern science, Elise is a magnet that can be easily created – and at a magical level.

“It’s like an infinite repulsive force, if we’re to use an analogy.”

Elise will put the magnetic force that endlessly pushes all power into this vinyl house. She will push away disappearance and regeneration and preserve her memories intact.

Yes, I will get out alive.

“I’m ready.”

It’s not just Elise’s own preparations.

Zion.

He has a very unique constitution. He is a human who is naturally immune to the infinite return of [Fragments].

But the current Zion is, fortunately, in a very imperfect state. The years he has endured are so vast that it is difficult to even maintain ‘consciousness as a human being’.

So Elise will magnetically pull his vast memories together and connect them to herself.

If you do that, the moment Zion exits.

The moment you break free from this [fragment].

His body will leave, but his memories will remain attached to him and will not be able to leave this [fragment].

He can become a complete Zion again.

──That’s it.

The last gift Elise had secretly prepared.

“The remaining time is… … .”

She looked at her watch.

“Exactly three hours.”

Perhaps, this is the last regeneration.

Elise pointed her finger at Zion.

“You go out.”

And then he stabbed himself in the chest.

“I wait.”

“……okay.”

Zion nodded briefly and held out his hand.

Elise willingly took his hand.

* * *

Two people are walking down the street together.

Thump… … .

Thump… … .

Without anyone saying anything first, they all walked at the same slow pace.

Last walk.

They are moving forward, holding hands.

Even if we could never meet again, even if we lived apart forever, without showing it.

Just ordinary.

Seeing a scenery you’ve seen hundreds of times as if it were your first time.

“… … It’s all dried up here too.”

The river leading to the exit and cave was completely dry.

It doesn’t rain anymore, because the debris is collapsing.

Thanks to that, the weather is nice, you know.

“Shall we cross?”

Zion asked Elise. Elise nodded vigorously.

“huh.”

The two crossed the river.

We reached the cave beyond.

Together, we looked at it.

There is a gap at the end of the cave. It is the only exit from this debris.

Of course, it is an exit that opens only by Elise’s magnetism.

“… … The exit is already open.”

Preparations are complete.

Zion just needs to go out in person

“therefore…….”

Elise was the first to let go of his hand.

He looked at her quietly.

Elise took a couple of steps back. She bent down slightly and waved her hand.

“Have a good trip.”

It’s a farewell.

He now leaves himself, leaves the fragments, forgets everything.

I remain here, waiting for the collapse, still keeping everything of you.

“… … I’ll remember.”

Zion, unaware of this fact, only says so.

A very grateful promise to remember me.

But instead of answering, she laughed.

Because you have to forget.

Even if you forget, I’ll just remember.

Do you think I could raise that little guy while remembering you?

“Yeah. Thank you.”

Elise turned around.

Zion’s gaze looking at him. The warmth touches his back, but he doesn’t look back.

Holding back tears that were about to burst, I retraced the path where two pairs of footprints were carved.

With faster steps than when I came… … .

So, the vinyl house came back alone.

She sat still and looked around the interior.

There were many traces.

It was full of traces.

The first carved camel horse.

A book I wrote myself.

A bed assembled together.

A sofa made by enchanting soft dirt.

Clothes designed by each other for each other.

Not only that, but the wooden desk, table, sink, hammock, checkerboard, chessboard, all of it… … [Ascal Farm] that we grew together.

“… … You’ve done a lot.”

She smiled slightly and looked at the paper in her hand.

[June 8]

[Open the farm]

He raised his head, holding on to it tightly.

I looked outside the greenhouse.

Kwaaaa …

The land was slowly being erased.

The sky was also turning white and disappearing.

The long time we’ve been together.

The sight of those years disappearing,

Elise watched quietly.

Look at it.

Look at it… … .

* * *

A cave leading to the exit.

Zion is moving forward to the place that Elise had opened in advance.

One step at a time. I’m walking step by step.

Now, at the end of this path, there is an ‘exit’.

You will be able to escape this fragment and return to your own timeline.

I don’t even remember exactly what time zone it was there.

Kwaaaa …

Suddenly, the sound of [fragments] collapsing is heard.

Zion stopped in his tracks.

My heart ached.

Even with all this time behind him, he was worried about the guy who had helped him maintain his humanity.

still…….

It’ll be okay.

Elise will live on with her memories intact.

Because you will be able to live without dying.

Because you will remember me.

The moment I took another step with a sense of relief in my heart.

───Zion!

A faint cry flows from behind.

A voice that shouldn’t be here.

I tilted my head, wondering if I had heard wrong, but soon my eyes opened wide.

I quickly looked back there.

“Zion Ascal───!”

Elise.

She is running towards him.

Running with all your might, with a smile on your face.

“you-”

Elise was thrown into his arms in a panic, her movements more violent than ever.

She smiled bashfully with a playful expression on her face.

“I’m sorry. I have a confession to make.”

“……confession?”

“huh.”

She nodded, her lips pursed.

“Zion, you will forget me. You will forget all about your days in this shard.”

It means that you will forget yourself.

Zion looked at her blankly.

She looked at him too.

The eyes of the two people were focused only on each other.

“So, I decided to forget too.”

“… … Forget?”

“Yeah. Even if I remember it alone, it’s meaningless if I’m not with you.”

Elise’s eyes narrowed. It was a smile, but it also seemed like tears.

“… …Why did you do that?”

Zion asked, stroking her hair.

“You said you didn’t want to die.”

Two thousand days in Elise’s life.

Precious times filled with happiness and joy.

Since it defines the present Elise, its disappearance would be tantamount to the death of existence.

“… … I thought about it. It’s not that I didn’t want to die.”

Elise shook her head vigorously. She bit her lip.

“I didn’t want to break up with you.”

Kwaaaaaaa… … .

The other side of the cave is collapsing.

One space, one space.

One space, one space.

The collapse of [the fragments] is approaching.

But the two people don’t look at it. They don’t waste even a moment.

Just focus on this moment.

“My memories are meaningless without you.”

Elise placed her hand on Zion’s cheek.

“Zion. I think we are a ‘fragment’ after all.”

A short story that I hope will become a feature-length story.

However, it is a short story that can only remain a short story.

“however.”

Elise immediately smiled and shook her head.

“I believe in myself.”

Even though it’s just a short story now.

With the hope that it will someday lead to a feature-length piece.

“I will definitely remember you. I will remember you. Someday, when time passes. So… … .”

A small drop of water flowed from the corner of Elise’s eye.

She said it with determination.

“I will fall in love with you again.”

certainly.

She added softly, and buried her forehead in his chest.

And then he carefully let him go.

“… … Go now. I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”

She shrugged, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.

Until then, Zion stood still.

“… …Elise.”

Quaddddddd───

Before I knew it, I was in the midst of a collapse of debris that reached all the way to my chin.

Zion responded to Elise’s heartfelt gratitude with one word.

“I love you now.”

Although his words were brief, his feelings were more genuine than ever.

It was the greatest gift to Elise.

“… … Yeah. Thank you.”

In the little time left, she will rewind those words, and rewind them, and rewind them again, until she dies.

“Go quickly. You’ll be late.”

Elise said and waved her hand.

He must leave before it is too late.

“Okay. Take care.”

He turned around. He hesitated for a moment, but then took a step toward the exit.

He went back to his own time.

“… … Have a good trip.”

The moment he completely left.

Elise activated her magnetism.

He let his body go──but he held on tightly to his ‘memories’ connected to Elise’s magnetism.

Swaaaaaaahh …

Memories of losing their master flooded in like a tsunami, vastly increasing inside the cave.

Elise watched the scenery.

Now, all of these will disappear along with the [fragments].

With memories.

Come with me.

In the middle of it all, Elise… … .

“… … Hello. Elise.”

Said goodbye to myself.

The death of existence.

Loss of memory.

I accepted the ‘regression’ with my whole body.

* * *

“!”

Again, I opened my eyes.

I looked up at the sky blankly.

The sky, which had been purple, cleared to blue, and the sunlight spread out like fireworks.

“… … ?”

She absentmindedly touched my eyes.

was soaked with tears.

“What is this… … .”

As he was about to grope around, he found himself holding two things in his hands.

One is a blue crystal, and the other is a note.

[June 8]

[Open the farm]

“What is this?”

She tilted her head, but continued walking.

It wasn’t that my body was moving on its own. My two legs were shaking on their own.

It felt somehow familiar.

As if I had been here dozens, hundreds of times.

I walked without stopping and arrived at a certain place.

[Ascal Farm]

“……farm?”

A farm sign, and a pure white card stuck right underneath the sign.

Elise bent down to pick it up.

Bam-

Suddenly the door opened.

“!”

Elise was startled.

It was Zion Ascal.

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at himself.

“What are you?”

“… … What, what is it? What is this?”

A pure white card. Zion picked it up and stuck it on the sign.

“It’s the card I chose, why? It’s so expensive. It’s my land, so don’t even think about stealing it.”

“… … What is this expensive thing? Are you playing Hold’em?”

Elise looked at the sign, muttering in vain.

“Ascal Farm… … .”

Zion explained, muttering in a very calm voice.

“It’s literally a farm. Soon, we’ll be selling rice and fruit. Payment is only possible with achievement points… … . What the heck.”

He looked slightly surprised.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Elise frowned at the question.

“what.”

“What the heck? You’re crying.”

“……huh?”

She blinked without realizing it. Water droplets splashed out with a “slap.”

“oh.”

Before I knew it, tears were flowing like a river. Even my chest was prickling with pain.

Zion said with a dumbfounded expression.

“Are you crazy?”

“Oh, no. I just had a dream. I’m not crying.”

“Dream? You dreamed?”

“that…….”

“Yes,” said Elise, who was about to answer.

“……no.”

He shook his head.

It was strange.

For nothing, it was a dream – I didn’t want to answer.

“No. It wasn’t a dream… ….”

“… … You should see a psychiatrist. What is that?”

Zion sneered and let go of the note Elise was holding. He reached out his hand absentmindedly, but Elise quickly took it back.

“no!”

“Surprise. Why?”

It’s not time to give yet.

It takes a great deal of determination to give this to Zion.

Because Zion also has to make great sacrifices.

… … what sacrifice?

What does he sacrifice?

“Somehow. You looked tired since this morning.”

Zion shook his head.

Oh, right.

It just occurred to me.

Camel.

I need to save up money in Bedundan to buy a camel called ‘Bianca’.

I also need to find the fragments of time.

“Are you okay?”

He shrugged and chuckled.

“… … .”

But, right then.

The smile at that moment made Elise so happy.

For a moment, without realizing it, my head became dizzy to the point where my whole body felt tingly.

Without me knowing… …

bean-.

I buried my forehead in Zion’s chest.

“What, what is it? Why is it like this?”

“… … Uh, huh?”

Zion was in a panic, and Elise herself was equally in a panic, but even more so.

“Oh my gosh───!!!!!”

Suddenly, a very loud scream exploded from the ridge of the mountain.

“Eeeeeee, Ellie!!! What did you just do!!!!!”

“!”

Rayeda, who happened to be looking down from the foot of the mountain.

Elise’s eyes, witnessing the trumpeter and the loudspeaker-like guy, grew wider than ever before, more than when she had witnessed destruction.

“This, this is crazy!”

I blurted out a curse word without realizing it.

“You, you, you! I saw it all!!!”

Raye looked shocked, or rather, overly smiling despite being shocked, and alternately glared at Elise and Zion.

“Hey! That’s not it! You, you, come here for a second!”

Elise quickly pushed herself into the mountain to run to her, but suddenly from under the bushes.

suddenly-!

“Whoa!”

Gerken appeared.

“You, what are you!”

“… … I came to confirm as the second largest shareholder of the farm.”

“What, what are you talking about!”

Gerken seems to have no interest in Elise and approaches Zion like a robot.

I stare blankly at those humans again.

“I saw it- I saw it- I saw it- What are you doing to Elysion-”

Raye dancing in a way that makes you really mad.

What kind of hula is this?

“You, you, come here when you say nice things!”

“I don’t like it~~”

Raye ran away again,

“Come here! Come here──!”

Elise chased her desperately, almost in tears.