Regas Vol 3. Chapter 6

He couldn’t tell if he actually said those words or not.

Exhausted just from the effort of opening his eyes, Abel found himself unable to do anything more. Just when he managed to et his gaze a little longer, his vision abruptly closed again.

"I need to rest a bit more and then open my eyes again. Just a little bit more..."

His mind sank into darkness like sinking °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° into a swamp.

And how much ti had passed? It felt like just a mont. Though brief, the short respite rejuvenated his weary mind, much like when one rests on a rock after climbing a difficult mountain, only to find renewed strength. His ears were the first to react. The surroundings were bustling with multiple voices.

“No, if you promised to guard diligently, you should have guarded the entrance! You just stood there idly watching the fire?!”

“That’s right! What would have happened if so wolf-like sinister bastard could have entered and hard our young master!”

Following the angry voices of the two, a timid voice responded.

“I thought one of you was inside the tent. Sir, both of you were also just watching! We all t there peacefully!”

A gasp followed by a gulp was heard. Abel, recognizing the familiar angry voices, struggled to lift his heavy eyelids to confirm.

As expected, it was lmond and the butler, both with stern expressions. Facing them was a soldier in his early thirties. Despite his short stature, his stocky build seed sowhat familiar. After a mont of tense silence between them, lmond cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Well, I wasn’t exactly just watching. The flas were quite srizing, you see. Ahem. But more importantly, isn’t it a fact that Abel was left alone? If he were to regain consciousness now, he wouldn’t appreciate being left unattended like this! Look, lying there defenseless, anyone could have—”

lmond pointed at Abel with his hand, emphasizing how dangerous it was to leave the tent empty. But then, he made eye contact with soone. Green eyes that were half-opened with great effort.

“......”

lmond turned his head. And as he recalled what he had just seen, he quickly checked again. This ti, he saw it clearly. Eyes that were completely open and blinking.

“Ah! Abel...”

However, before he could even express his surprise, soone ran out first, pushing him aside.

“Y-Young master!!!!!”

The butler cried out loudly enough for the tent to fly away and burst into tears in an instant.

“Abel, are you okay? Huh? Are you awake? Do you know who I am?”

Abel nodded his head and looked back and forth between the butler and lmond.

“Wait? The prince was here, right here.”

“The prince? You’ve been unconscious for over ten days since being shot with an arrow in Crimson Valley.”

As lmond explained, Abel finally recalled when he had collapsed.

Crimson Valley. Yes, that’s where the rocks ca crashing down... Wait? Suddenly, he couldn’t breathe. The mory ca flooding back vividly. The deafening roar from above him, and the shaking ground beneath his feet.

About to fall off the cliff—or rather, already falling—were the rocks. And naturally, he himself should have died. Yet he was alive. Only bearing the wounds from the arrow. Abel could only think of one reason. As the shock registered on his face, lmond, noticing, asked with concern:

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt? Huh?”

“...Mr. lmond.”

“Yes. What?”

“.”

“Yes, what about you?”

Unable to bear it any longer, lmond’s green eyes shook. Everyone was shocked by the words that ca out of Abel’s mouth.

“I, I think I’ve been reincarnated again!”

****

Ashler’s mind was in turmoil as he lay down. Even if he wasn’t Abel’s reincarnation, the fact that soone appeared to help Karas but was still unconscious was quite concerning. He was worried that if Abel were to die, it would only worsen Karas’ mood. After seeing the fake Abel so many tis, Karas’s inner world had beco as dry as a desert.

There were no more wounds to endure.

What if Abel approached him again and ended up dying just like that?

He felt anxious at the thought that this might be the last chance to change Karas.

Why wasn’t he waking up, though? The wound on his arm was healing.

“Captain Ashler!”

Suddenly, he heard his na. Ashler sighed inwardly. Then he slowly raised his body, which had been half lying on the bed. There was only one person who would call him that. In fact, he already knew that Nani would co. He had heard a report from his soldier a while ago that there was a commotion because the fire in the bonfire suddenly grew stronger. Nani must have witnessed it directly. So, he probably ca to deliver such useless news...

“He, he woke up!”

Ashler’s hand, which was about to throw a dagger at Nani, stopped.

Woke up?

There was only one person who could be the subject of this word.

Could it be?

As he stood up straight, the excited Nani rushed into the tent.

“Oh, oh... Ashler, he woke up! He... the young master has awakened.”

Nani was about to shout out that he was a fairy, but quickly lowered his voice toward the end. Then, with a face full of uncontrollable laughter, he waved his hand.

“Co on, I’m serious, Captain Ashler!”

“What is it?”

Is there a problem with him waking up? Just as he was about to worry, an answer ca.

“Really, really, really, really beautiful!”

“.....”

“When he moves and speaks, it’s, it’s, wow, it really makes my heart flutter! Hehe, I feel like I’m falling in lo—”

Swoosh.

Ashler unsheathed his sword halfway. Fortunately, the quick-witted Nani quickly hid his expression and stepped back.

“Ahem, um, I ca to report that the fairy has finally awakened.”

Ashler glanced at Nani for a mont and started walking. Finally, he could confirm. Whether he was really Abel’s reincarnation or just a fraud who deceived even lmond. But as Ashler was about to leave, Nani hurriedly added sothing.

“By the way, he said he has been reincarnated.”

“I know.”

“No, he said he has been reincarnated again. Wow, isn’t that amazing? Reincarnating right after dying. It seems like he has a reincarnation constitution.”

What kind of constitution?

Ashler’s hope turned into anxiety.

****

lmond couldn’t possibly answer Abel’s question. All he could do was ask back:

“Who?”

“The Commander-in-Chief.”

“......”

“I clearly saw the Commander-in-Chief coming in through the cliff at that ti. Is the Commander-in-Chief safe?”

lmond had never thought of himself as soone who lacked insight, but he had no other words to say.

“......Who?”

Abel repeated it more clearly, as if frustrated.

“The Commander-in-Chief.”

When lmond still couldn’t answer, Abel’s face darkened.

“So, he really died? I’m the only one who reincarnated. Ugh.”

With a face full of worry, Abel suddenly clutched his chest and stooped his barely-standing upper body. lmond finally regained his confused mind with the word Commander-in-Chief.

The butler tried to comfort Abel, skillfully checking his condition and wiping his sweat. With eyes glaring at lmond, he shouted:

“Don’t shock our young master!”

Not knowing if it was “commander” or “chief” that was being referred to, lmond felt wronged. However, Abel’s health ca first. Considering his weakened body due to the arrow wounds, his mind needed to be handled even more delicately than usual. lmond decided to put aside his doubts and go along with the conversation. He vaguely felt that “Commander” referred to Karas, too.

So, if the emperor was indeed there, couldn’t Abel really recognize him?

“No, you’re not the only one who survived.”

Suddenly, Abel’s head jerked up. His surprised green eyes quickly filled with hope.

“So, the Commander-in-Chief also reincarnated!”

Reincarnation was treated more commonly than a neighborhood dog. lmond felt a lump in his throat. Seeing that absurd innocence, he keenly felt that Abel had truly returned.

“It’s not reincarnation. When we arrived at the valley, soone you ntioned was holding you. Perhaps that person saved you?”

“What? But the rocks fell from above my head.”

When Abel objected in confusion, lmond was also taken aback.

Rocks fell from above?

He tilted his head and thought of the valley.

“No, if rocks had fallen in the valley, there would be traces, but there weren’t any signs of rocks falling due to an attack.”

Thump, thump.

Abel pressed his chest again and breathed heavily. Then, abruptly, the butler looked at him sternly. lmond quickly opened his mouth to rectify the situation.

“Haha, why worry about such things? You probably just hallucinated when you fainted. You were shot with an arrow. It’s common to experience hallucinations when you lose a lot of blood. You must have seen it wrong.”

“Is that so?” Abel still didn’t understand, but the butler testified that he had witnessed the sa thing as lmond.

“I see. I must have been mistaken... then I haven’t reincarnated again. Hehe.”

Although he smiled outwardly, there seed to be a lack of energy in his deanor.

“Are you disappointed because you didn’t reincarnate again?”

lmond asked in confusion, and Abel shook his head with a smile.

“No. I thought it was a sign that I had survived twice, so I should go and see the prince.”

“The prince has already... hm, well, it’s still possible to et him now.”

He was about to say that the Commander he t was the prince, but when he saw Abel’s pale face, he furrowed his brows. But if it were him, he would’ve nodded and gone to et him right away. However, this guy just smiled silently again. lmond rembered how Abel always laughed whenever he was in trouble.

“You’re not going to et him?”

“No.”

lmond was at a loss for words at his easy response.

Wasn’t this the guy who had rushed to the battlefield shouting only for the prince?

Finally managing to ask, “Why?”

Abel habitually glanced at the empty space.

“Rather than causing unnecessary confusion by appearing as soone who got reincarnated, I’d like to offer my help without eting him.”

“Is that what you thought when you saw the fake Abel in the valley?”

Suddenly, another voice interjected with a question. Everyone was startled and turned their heads to see Ashler standing at the entrance. Abel expressed his pleasure at seeing Ashler’s appearance for the first ti since his reincarnation.

“Sir Ashler! It’s truly a pleasure to see you again. I’m glad to et you once more.”

Abel greeted warmly. However, Ashler stared back with a stern expression.

“So, you’re saying there’s no such thing as reincarnation?”

His inquiry was sharp and probing. Abel was taken aback but soon nodded.

“Yes. If it is known that I have been reincarnated, the people in the King’s Heart will try to tornt the prince even more. They’ll say I am a fake, and they can claim that the person they present is the real reincarnation. Then the prince will be even more confused.”

“He’s no longer a prince, but an Emperor now.”

Ashler stated coldly, intentionally harsh.

“Is that truly the only reason? Are you not fleeing out of fear that His Majesty might not recognize you as Abel and chase you away? Or perhaps...”

Ashler scrutinized Abel’s face with a cold gaze before adding:

“You are not the real Abel.”

lmond, who had been listening from the side, was about to say sothing, but Abel spoke first, with a smile on his face as if he were happy to see him.

“Wow, you look similar to when I first saw you. Back then, you were so intimidating, asking why I was alone and where Lord Regas was.”

Ashler vaguely recalled that such a thing had really happened in Abel’s words. However, the mories from a long ti ago were blurry, so he still had doubts. Then Abel scratched his head.

“To , the events of 12 years ago are mories from a few months ago. Thanks to that, they are still vivid. When we went into the forest together to find the prince, even when you got trapped in the fog when you let go of my hand, you still let go out of consideration. And when you guided when I took the prince and ran away.”

“......”

“By the way, I didn’t properly thank you last ti. Even though things went wrong, I shalessly asked you to stay by the prince’s side.”

Nodding, Abel bowed his head and expressed his gratitude for the last ti he hadn’t properly thanked Ashler.

“Thank you. Thank you for continuing to stay by the prince’s side.”