The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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He didn’t know when it started.

Around the time he began to question his life with Miragen, he started to doubt if he was on the right path.

Could he love Miragen and end the regressions at the same time?

He had died dozens of times trying to find the answer, yet he was still trapped in this endless cycle.

His head throbbed.

Nothing he did made a difference. No matter how hard he struggled, he always ended up dead.

He had begged like a dog, crawled on his knees, tried to unravel the Crown Prince’s schemes, but everything always went wrong at the last moment.

“…As if he knew everything.”

He didn’t know how much Kaitel knew, but he was certain Kaitel was anticipating his every move.

How? And more importantly, why was he so fixated on him? He hadn’t opposed Kaitel’s plans. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

He had even tried abandoning everything, taking Miragen and living a quiet life away from power, but Kaitel had still killed him.

He and Miragen were husband and wife again, but his main concern was Kaitel’s movements. He had gone to the North.

He was probably meeting with his father or plotting something.

He had killed him even after he had prevented their meeting in a previous iteration.

He had already addressed the known causes of his death and even planted a spy near Kaitel to anticipate any unforeseen circumstances.

There had been no indication that his spy had been discovered. If Kaitel knew, he would have killed him easily.

He had planted the spy to gain information, after all.

He had learned that Kaitel had been killing an alchemist named Jay, repeatedly, during his travels.

He had let it slide because he couldn’t save her without jeopardizing Miragen, but he planned to try and save her eventually.

Kaitel’s obsession with killing her suggested she knew something he wanted to keep hidden.

His head was spinning.

He still hadn’t figured out how much Kaitel knew. He could only be certain of a few things.

He counted them on his fingers, then sighed, rubbing his face.

He didn’t expect this to change anything. He was grasping at straws, his hopes dwindling.

He regretted neglecting Miragen in the process, but…this was the only way to ensure their survival.

He was on the verge of madness, clinging to the belief that his actions were justified.

He had died countless times in front of Miragen. He would have been even more broken if he had witnessed her death.

What had happened to Miragen after his death? Was their child still alive?

He had been overjoyed to become a father, but he had died before he could even raise his child.

That was why he had stopped having children with Miragen. He would only have another child when these regressions ended.

He stared into space.

The weight of his accumulated deaths was crushing him.

He couldn’t love Miragen the way he had in the beginning, couldn’t be as passionate.

He felt guilty, so he avoided seeing her. Miragen was in the South.

She would be returning this evening. He stared at the setting sun, then a sudden thought made him stand.

“I should get her a gift.”

He had seen something she liked, but he hadn’t been able to buy it for her because of his worries.

He had regretted it after seeing her disappointed expression. She would be pleased if he gave it to her as a welcome-home gift.

Seeing Miragen smile made these regressions bearable.

His mind, slowly decaying from the accumulated deaths, felt cleansed whenever he was with her.

He could endure anything as long as Miragen was by his side.

He would even do Kaitel’s bidding. If his current plan failed, he would consider becoming Kaitel’s confidant in the next iteration.

Kaitel wouldn’t be able to target him directly if he was close to him.

He waved to the soldiers who greeted him and walked towards the shop they had visited together.

He would be able to return just in time if he bought the trinket now. He knew Miragen’s schedule.

His steps were lighter than usual.

The thought that this peace would shatter filled him with dread, but thinking of Miragen calmed him. She was his anchor.

It was ironic that a single woman could resolve most of his problems, but after living dozens of lives intertwined with hers, it made sense.

He was already offering the gold coins before he even asked the price.

He had intended to buy it regardless of the cost, but he was surprised by how inexpensive it was. It was too modest a gift for a princess.

But she had wanted it, so he would give it to her. He pocketed the trinket, then a sudden chill made him turn.

Caw!

A crow cawed.

Crows were considered bad omens in the empire. They were said to be harbingers of misfortune.

They were creatures of the night, disappearing like shadows under the moonlight. The ominous sound, echoing from beyond the palace walls, filled him with unease.

“It’s not time yet.”

Miragen wasn’t due back for a while.

He dismissed his worries and continued walking, then he heard a frantic voice.

“Disaster! Disaster!”

Whoosh!

Flames engulfed the palace.

The sudden inferno was so intense that even his mana-insensitive body reacted to the surge of magical energy.

What was happening? As his mind reeled, a knight grabbed his sleeve, his face pale with fear.

A chilling premonition washed over him.

A coldness gripped his throat, and his breath felt like scorching lava.

In that fleeting moment, he heard the knight’s words, and his body reacted instinctively, sprinting faster than ever before.

“Her Highness… she’s been attacked!”

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Logic.

And impulse.

Kaitel considered himself a rational man. He had believed that until two years ago.

He had become somewhat emotional since he started handling the residual thoughts of the Four Dragons, but…it was a minor side effect.

He had deemed it an acceptable risk.

He remained silent about the things he did unconsciously.

“…Did I kill this person?”

“Yes, Your Highness. You said you didn’t like them.”

“I don’t have a hobby of killing people.”

Blood on his hands, flesh clinging to his sword. He would often wake up to scenes like this. It hadn’t been this bad before.

The frequency of these episodes was increasing. He had been fine when he first received the residual thoughts.

But the changes were accelerating. He used to lose control once a year, but now it happened several times a week.

His eyes would turn red, and he would go on a rampage.

He had to hide this if he wanted to become Emperor. That was why he had recruited the masked figures.

He had been suspicious when they approached him, offering to help him research the residual thoughts of the Four Dragons. But they were more efficient than any of his other subordinates.

They helped him control his impulses, preventing him from killing people when he lost control, protecting him from the influence of the Four Dragons.

He was the Crown Prince, the future Emperor.

He had to maintain perfect composure.

Everything was going according to plan.

Once Robert Taylor was eliminated, everything would be fine.

“…Why do I have to kill Robert Taylor?”

He asked himself in a low voice, and a sharp pain shot through his head.

His eyes, reflected in the mirror, were crimson.

The red glow intensified, as if trying to extinguish the fleeting gold within them. The dark room was illuminated by the eerie light.

Whatever the reason, Robert Taylor had to die. The reason didn’t matter.

Robert Taylor was meant to be broken.

He was the only one who could potentially ruin him in the long run. He had to crush his spirit before that happened.

“It seems you’re losing your mind, Your Highness.”

“…I’m fine. I’m the Crown Prince.”

“Then can you clearly state your current objective?”

Strange thoughts, of eons and forgotten times, swirled in his mind.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, then spoke.

His plan to break Robert Taylor.

He seemed obsessed with ending the regressions, but Miragen was his weakness.

His sister.

She would be instrumental in his future plans, after he became Emperor.

He would give her the North and conquer the South together.

No… She was a sacrifice, necessary for Robert Taylor’s demise.

His eyes turned crimson again, and Cain smiled, seemingly pleased.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll kill him. Everything is for the empire. Even my sister…she can’t be an obstacle.”

He was slowly forgetting whose plan this was.

He stared at the flames engulfing the palace, rubbed his crimson eyes, and chuckled softly.

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[Translator Notes]

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