Chapter 211: In Dork’s Point of View (1)

After finishing his conversation with the gigolo-like Veiga, Keter came over, slinging an arm around Daat’s shoulders.

“Gramps, this here is Dork, my younger brother and business partner. Dork, this old man is Butler Jacques.”

Keter suddenly started making introductions, even though the house was wrecked by the teleportation overload and the atmosphere had been hostile only moments ago.

How befitting of Big Brother,

Daat thought.

Jacques straightened his attire and gave Daat a polite nod.

“I am Jacques Blendere, butler of the Sefira County. Welcome to Sefira, Dork...”

“Dork, my nickname, is only for my brother to use. I’m Daat. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jacques.”

“So you are Mr. Daat.”

Daat had only heard of noble butlers in books and stories.

He really is different. He has somewhat of an elegance to him.

Jacques’ every move radiated composure and precision. His attitude was a mix of comfort and intimidation, which was contradictory yet fitting.

From the way Big Brother treated and spoke to Mr. Jacques, he clearly cherishes him. Strange. Looking at the old man’s features, he doesn’t seem like the compromising type. How could Big Brother like him? Is Sefira simply different?

Now that Daat thought about it, the very fact that Keter held such fondness for a noble family that valued honor and tradition was strange enough. He couldn’t help but think that Keter’s devotion to Sefira wasn’t solely about opposing Lillian.

“Gramps, this little one is called Popo. He likes wide spaces,” Keter explained, transferring Popo from Daat’s hand to Jacques’.

Though classified as a monster, Popo was a spiritual beast. It understood human speech and knew what Keter valued. Normally, if anyone touched Popo without permission, they would immediately be dissolved and consumed, but Jacques was unharmed.

“I’ll clear out a storage room to make space for it.”

Jacques held Popo carefully in both hands as though lifting a treasure. At that moment, Daat understood why Keter liked him. Even without knowing why Keter was making that request, Jacques asked no questions and simply proposed a solution.

Interesting. Are all nobles different from what I imagined, or is Sefira the exception?

The crown of Daat’s head tingled. He wanted to look around as quickly as possible. He wanted to go to the library and read how similar the outside world was to what he had read in Liqueur.

Daat glanced outside through the window.

The outside world is fascinating—the blue sky, the fluffy clouds, the endless horizon...

“Dork,” Keter called.

Daat turned around and saw Keter pointing toward a room on their right. From his gaze, Daat knew he had something important to say. Keter led them into the study and immediately put up a magical barrier so sound wouldn’t escape. He picked up a paper and a pen and laid them on the table.

“How does it feel to be outside?” Keter asked Daat.

While speaking, he also began writing something on the paper. The reason Keter was having a written conversation was that what he was about to say was tied directly to life and death. Daat sharpened my focus.

—I am a regressor.

Daat’s head spun the moment he read that absurd sentence. But aloud, he quickly replied, “Feels like a dream.”

“Any pain?”

“I feel so good it’s scary, haha.”

—Sefira was annihilated by Queen Lillian. Because of guilt by association, I, too, could not escape death.

“You said there was something you wanted to do once you were out here. What was it again?” Keter asked.

—I want revenge for what happened before my regression and to kill Queen Lillian so it doesn’t all repeat.

“I want to see the sea. Have you seen it, Big Brother?”

—Thirty years. That’s the future I lived through before my regression. I don’t know everything, but I remember every major event. I’ll tell you what I know.

“I haven’t yet. It’s quite far from Sefira.”

Daat grabbed his own paper and pen.

—Does telling me this mean you truly trust me?

One must not let the conversation stop in this kind of written exchange, as someone eavesdropping would notice and find it suspicious.

“Then want to go together?”

“Sure, anytime.”

—Even before regressing, the only one I trusted was you. If I can’t trust you, there is no one I can trust in this world.

“How’s your family? Are they good people?”

“Meet them yourself. That's the fastest.”

—I trust you too, Big Brother.

He silently tore the paper and swallowed it. Daat did the same to leave no evidence. This was a study, sealed on all sides. Even the curtains were drawn. Since it was a study, it also had thick walls to block out sound. Since Keter also had his barrier up, it was probably impossible to eavesdrop, but...

But in this world, nothing is absolute.

If the eavesdropper were omniscient, this written conversation would be meaningless, but if such a being was watching them, they wouldn’t have made it this far anyway.

Once all the paper was gone, Keter continued the conversation naturally.

“I’ll be leaving Sefira. I’ll be back in a month.”

“So you’ll return before the party?”

“Right. That’s my smart Dork—always understands without me saying much.”

“It’s not anything special. Anyone listening to you talk with that Veiga guy could figure it out.”

“Bring someone back here. Sefira needs capable people.” Keter requested.

“Want me to look around? Find some sharp ones?”

“Do whatever you want, just like in Liqueur. I’ll give you everything you need.”

“That’s Sefira’s will too, right?” Dork asked.

“Of course.”

Snap!

Keter released the barrier.

“It won’t be fun if I tell you everything from the start, so just see and hear what you want first. That’ll be more interesting.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is?”

What Keter was saying was that he wasn’t going to tell Daat the thirty years of future knowledge yet. Keter was also trying to say that since he would be back in a month, Daat should focus on adapting to this world first.

“Well then, I’m off. Have fun with Elise.”

“Elise? Who’s that?”

“Slurpie. She transformed into a human.”

“Well, you won’t be bored then.”

Keter smirked and tapped my chest with his fist.

“It’ll be better than Liqueur.”

And with that, Keter left Sefira, taking Six with him.

* * *

“He’s gone, then,” Jacques muttered as he looked out the open window.

He looked resigned, as though this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened.

He continued, “Mr. Daat, would you like to use the same room as Lord Keter, or shall I prepare a separate one...?”

“Mr. Jacques, please don’t call me so formally. Strictly speaking, I’m just an outsider with no confirmed background, aren’t I?”

“No. I’ve never seen Lord Keter like that before. The way the lord looked at you—he trusted you completely.”

“Well, it’s true that Big Brother trusts me, but I’m the one who feels uncomfortable.”

“In that case... I’ll call you simply Daat.”

“Yes, thank you. By the way, may I look around Sefira a bit?”

“Please wait just a moment. I need time to inform everyone of your identity.”

It was a fair proposal, but from the glimpse Daat caught out the window, Sefira looked enormous. Of course, that was expected of a noble family; just the number of people managing the estate must run into the hundreds. And that was the problem. It would take so long to spread word of Daat’s identity throughout the entire estate.

It’s going to take at least a week...

“Would you prefer green tea or black tea?” Jacques asked.

“Do you have coffee?”

“Yes. Please wait a moment.”

“I would like it in the study, thank you.”

Expecting it to take some time, Daat went to the study and browsed the bookshelves. Most of the books were on world history, but they didn’t pique his interest as they were almost identical to those he had read in Liqueur. Disappointed, Daat sipped the coffee a maid had brought. That was an even greater disappointment.

“Huh? This is just colored water.”

The coffee Daat had in Liqueur had jolted his senses awake at the first sip. The one here only had the color; it was weak in both aroma and taste.

“Is coffee rare in the outside world...?”

There was no way he would survive a week on this. Daat decided to head into the kitchen and make it himself. Just as he rose to do so, he ran into Jacques.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“The coffee’s too weak. May I make it myself?”

“That’s no issue, but are you sure you’re fine putting off your tour of Sefira?”

“It’s not possible today anyway, so I thought it didn’t matter.”

“No, I’ve already informed everyone. From this moment, you may enter anywhere in Sefira.”

“...What?”

Daat had barely gotten through a single book. Thirty minutes—no, maybe twenty—had passed at most. Yet Jacques claimed that word of his presence had already reached the thousands across this vast estate.

How is that even possible?

However, Jacques didn’t sound like he was joking, nor did he seem like the type to do so.

Wait... have I underestimated Sefira?

Daat had always assumed Sefira was the weakest among the noble families, lagging in all respects. However, that assumption seemed to have been wrong.

“Then I’ll take a look around Sefira,” Daat replied.

“I’ll assign you a servant. They know the grounds well, so ask them anything you wish.”

“Thank you.”

With Jacques’ arrangement, Daat left the mansion with a servant.

“Phew!”

The moment Daat stepped outside, it hit him again: he was truly in the outside world.

“So this is Sefira...”

The mansions were grand and imposing. The sense of disciplined elegance that radiated from them was impressive. To either side stretched wide, open plains and towering mountain ranges. The bustling footsteps and clamorous sounds of party preparations filled the air with movement and noise. There was so much to see.

“My lord, is there somewhere you wish to go or something you wish to see?”

Daat shook his head and replied, “Don’t call me ‘lord.’ You look about my age. Let’s just walk, no destination—just walk.”

“As you wish.”

So Daat walked, slowly to the point of frustration. He absorbed everything: the laborers sweating through their work, the soldiers in heavy armor guarding the area, the crisp breeze brushing between chill and warmth. He took it all in.

This... this is the real world.

Daat thought he might fall in love with it—no, he already had.

All of this belongs to Big Brother? No. With his personality, he probably has no interest in becoming the patriarch. But even so, all this could become his.

“I’m going to kill Queen Lillian.”

Despite having this peace and power, Keter chose to fight Lillian. When Daat first heard that Keter was a regressor, many thoughts crossed his mind. Keter had the choice to avoid rather than fight. It would be easier and safer, yet he chose to fight. Now Daat understood why.

For excitement, and for purpose.

One needed a reason to live. People didn’t live simply because they were born; they lived to find a reason. And one who lost that reason was as good as dead.

Daat too had a reason: to live a peaceful life even in the hellscape of Liqueur. That was his goal, and he achieved it. But achieving his lifelong dream only left him bored. Everything became dull and felt... hollow.

Above all, it wasn’t even something I achieved with my own strength.

Daat had only managed it because of Keter. The comfortable life he lived in Liqueur, a place swarming with cannibals and psychopaths, was not his achievement. Of course, he hadn’t stood by doing nothing, but Daat wanted to achieve his dream himself. He didn’t want it to be handed to him, even by someone like Keter, who was the light and salt of his life.

Life required dreams, but those dreams couldn’t be small. Daat’s dream in Liqueur was too easily achieved.

That was my dream before. Now, it’s different.

His goal now was to kill Lillian and win peace, something Keter and him failed to achieve before regression. But this time was different: Keter wasn’t the only one with the advantage of regression. Daat also knew he had failed, and knowing that alone made him certain that they would succeed in killing Lillian. It wasn’t arrogance; the advantage of regression was that powerful. And surely, Keter knew this too.

But then, a question struck him: would killing Lillian really be the end? After that, would Keter and Daat live happily ever after? Would Sefira become the greatest family in the land, basking in endless glory?

No. Killing Queen Lillian will be just the beginning.

The magnitude of this situation was far too great. Daat couldn’t even guess what conspiracy or forces lurked behind this.

Could someone like me, a mere human, really oppose a being who might possess godlike power? No, I must. If not me, then who?

There was no need to cower in advance. Keter had said that if an omniscient god really existed, dice wouldn’t exist. They knew omniscient gods were just an illusion.

Analysis and deduction—that’s what I do best. And that’s what Big Brother expects of me.

There was no need to rush, but no time to waste either.

Daat pointed toward a building that looked like it was for the patriarch and asked, “Is the patriarch there?”