I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 58 - How to Cross a Desert (5)

“Why don’t you sit here for a while?”

I lightly tapped the spot next to me as I spoke.

It was a gentle invitation.

Regia hesitated for a moment before moving toward me, taking small, awkward steps. She quietly crouched beside me.

“...”

Regia didn’t say a word.

She remained silent.

Her always-clear green eyes were clouded with an undeniable sadness.

Perhaps she was feeling troubled.

I kept my mouth shut.

I didn’t want to disturb her thoughts.

She had seemed burdened by various worries throughout the day, and I hoped she could find some peace, even if just for a little while.

So, I simply waited in silence.

Whoooosh.

The soft breeze gently swept through.

As I brushed my messy bangs aside, my eyes naturally drifted to the vast desert night sky.

Countless fragments of stars twinkled in the pitch-black expanse.

“...”

I looked up at the scene, as if the stars might spill over at any moment.

The word beautiful came to mind on its own.

The grandeur of the shining stars is such that even adults, stained with the dirtiness of the world, can’t help but be moved.

I was no different.

As I continued gazing at the stars in awe, I heard a soft voice.

“My lord.”

The pink-haired girl called to me, her gaze fixed on the ground.

She looked small and withdrawn.

Her lips trembled, hesitant to form words, and her shoulders quivered slightly.

After several moments of hesitation, Regia finally murmured in a quiet voice.

“...I’m sorry.”

An unexpected apology.

I gently asked her.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I just... I feel like I’m such a useless person.”

“Useless?”

“I’ve been hiding behind you, trembling in fear, unable to do anything.”

“So that’s been weighing on you.”

Regia nodded.

Her trembling eyes were filled with nothing but self-blame.

“I know I’m a mess.”

“Miss Regia...”

“I’ve been chosen by a familiar that others would envy, but when it matters most, I can’t control my power.”

“...”

“At every crucial moment, I’m always so helpless.”

It had happened during the midterms as well.

If she’d been able to control her powers perfectly, she could have easily overpowered those monsters.

But the frightened girl had been unable to awaken her abilities.

Because of that, she had come close to death.

Not only her, but her teammates had nearly been killed as well.

“I feel like I’m always ruining everything.”

Was she now overwhelmed by the burden of it all?

Though her voice sounded calm, beneath it was a lingering pain.

“I’m scared. I’m so afraid that one day something truly irreversible will happen…”

Tears welled up in Regia’s eyes.

She hadn’t always been this way.

She had once been a lively, brave child, but the cruelty of adults had broken her during her childhood.

She grew up under abuse.

‘She had to learn sorrow too early.’

Her mother had hurled verbal and physical abuse at her daily.

Her father had never existed in her life.

It was the very definition of a miserable upbringing.

The girl grew up without the light she was born with.

Even after her mother died in an accident, when she tried to start living her life, it was already too late.

By then, Regia was no longer a child.

Her innocent and fearless nature was gone, leaving behind a frightened, fragile girl.

She had become isolated.

‘The scars must have run deep.’

Her unstable powers were a reflection of that trauma.

The wounds from her past still festered, disrupting her focus and causing her to falter.

She had not yet overcome it.

“I want to do better... but it never seems to work out the way I want.”

The protagonist, quietly bearing her pain.

Perhaps, for that reason...

“Miss Regia.”

That’s why I feel so attached to you.

Your story reminds me of my own past life.

When I see you struggling with similar wounds, I can’t help but want to protect you.

It’s a sense of kinship.

“Excessive self-blame is not good for you.”

At the same time, it’s admiration.

I never managed to overcome my pain, but you are destined to rise above yours.

To me, you are nothing less than hope.

“You’re doing your best, aren’t you?”

“B-But.”

“You keep calling yourself a coward, but I don’t see it that way.”

“What...?”

Regia had never once run away.

Even when her powers slipped out of her control and fear clouded her mind, she still took steps forward.

“Remember how you stood your ground against the monster in the Abandoned Laboratory? You could have escaped alone, but you chose to stay by Lady Vanity’s side.”

“...”

“I see how much courage that takes.”

At some point, the protagonist’s gaze turned to me.

I gave her a gentle smile.

“I have no doubt.”

That one day, you will bloom like a radiant flower.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You, Miss Regia, will shine brighter than anyone.”

You just haven’t reached your moment yet.

I held her hand firmly.

Her cold skin warmed beneath my touch.

“Everything will be alright.”

“...”

Regia remained silent for a while.

She sat there, looking dazed, as if unsure how to respond.

Soon, her lips parted.

“...It feels like you always say such nice things.”

“Because you deserve to hear them, Miss Regia.”

“This is the first time... anyone’s ever said something like this to me.”

“There will be many more times to come.”

The protagonist always has a way of being loved by many.

Friends, comrades, teachers... You will build many connections and eventually blossom beautifully.

I whispered softly.

“Until then, I’ll stay by your side.”

So you won’t feel alone.

Even if only for a short while, I wanted to be with you.

“When you’re afraid, just hold my hand. No matter what happens, I’ll never let go.”

I squeezed her hand gently.

Our warmth flowed back and forth between us.

Regia wiped away the tears that had been brimming in her eyes and gave a clumsy nod.

Her cheeks had turned a soft shade of red.

“...Thank you.”

“Hehe, don’t mention it.”

The air around us softened.

And so, under the star-filled night sky, we made a quiet promise to one another.

Remembering the warmth of our hands, still clasped together.

***

Meanwhile.

No one noticed, but within the girl’s heart, a small spark had ignited.

The flame of awakening.

Flicker!

It was faint, but undeniably present.

The girl, who had been confined within her shell until now, was slowly beginning to break free of her world.

Cracks were starting to form in the shell.

What would happen next...

No one could predict.

Except for one person.

***

The next day.

We resumed our journey across the desert.

It felt like the peace of the previous night had been nothing but a lie, as the morning was filled with the cries of monsters.

Another wave of monsters was upon us.

Screeeech!

Scorpions lunged aggressively.

As the difficulty level increased, so did the complexity of their attack patterns.

They came in larger numbers, some were twice their normal size, and the swirling sandstorms made it difficult to see.

The enemies were becoming more and more troublesome.

“Hm.”

Of course.

That didn’t mean we were struggling yet.

Regia seemed to be adapting to the field, and the old man’s marksmanship remained sharp.

The three of us were slowly starting to coordinate well together.

“Huff.”

After the battle ended.

We took a moment to catch our breath and regroup.

As we steadied our breathing, the old man approached me.

“Young man, are you holding up alright?”

“I’m fine, sir. How about you?”

“This old body is the same as always.”

The old man chuckled.

His wrinkled hands carefully tended to his crossbow.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I dropped dead any day now.”

“You’re talking about something rather heavy.”

“Well, what can I do? It’s the truth.”

“I just hope you stay healthy until we reach our destination.”

“And you wouldn’t care what happens after that, eh?”

“Oh, don’t twist my words like that, sir.”

We exchanged a few lighthearted comments.

The old man brushed some dust off his crossbow bolts.

As we rested, Regia, who had been standing nearby, spoke up quietly.

“Sir.”

“Hm?”

“Y-You mentioned yesterday that someone is waiting for you at the edge of the desert.”

“That’s right.”

“You’re going to meet them, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“May I ask who they are? If you’re crossing the desert to meet them, it must be... family?”

“That’s an interesting question.”

The old man stroked his beard.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then began to speak in a soft voice.

“There was someone I made a precious promise with.”

“A precious promise...?”

“It’s an old man’s story, but would you care to listen? It might pass the time as we walk.”

We quietly listened to his tale.

***

A long time ago, in a certain village.

There was a boy and a girl.

Their names were Josh and Rosalyn.

They had been close since childhood.

Everyone in the village knew about their bond, for it was impossible to miss.

No matter where they went, they were always together.

<Rosalyn! Let’s go outside and play!>

<I don’t want to... Let’s stay inside and read a book, okay? Josh.>

Josh was a mischievous boy, while Rosalyn was a shy, introverted girl.

Perhaps it was because of their opposing personalities.

The two of them complemented each other perfectly.

Rosalyn kept Josh from going astray.

And Josh protected Rosalyn from being bullied by the other kids.

Their relationship was unshakable.

<Josh and Rosalyn always play by themselves!>

<Why don’t they just get married already?>

<They’re so boring. They should just spend their whole lives together.>

Even though other children teased them, Josh and Rosalyn always looked out for each other.

Sometimes, they’d lie under the night sky, watching the stars, whispering promises into each other’s ears.

<What if we’re separated someday... What would we do?>

<Are you stupid? We just won’t separate!>

<But, you know, just in case...>

<I guess... In that case, let’s set a place to meet again!>

<Where will we meet?>

Their bond seemed like it would last forever.

But, of course, that didn’t happen.

The end came when the boy was fifteen.

Josh’s family had to move to a faraway country.

And so, the day of parting arrived.

<Go away and never come back!>

<I’m sick of you too! I hope I never see you again!>

The boy and the girl had a fight.

Neither of them remembered why they fought.

A small argument had escalated, and in the end, it drove a wedge between them.

Without a chance to reconcile, they parted ways.

Only later did Josh regret it.

He had left behind the person he cared about most.

He wanted to write a letter, but soon, even that became impossible.

<War has broken out!>

War erupted between the two countries.

And so, the boy and the girl never saw each other again.

Time passed and passed.

Fifty years went by.

The war ended, and the chaos subsided.

Only after peace returned did the boy set out to fulfill the promise he had made long ago.

The promise to meet again at a predetermined place.

<I’m coming to find you, Rosalyn.>

The boy began his journey across the desert.

It was a journey to reunite with the one waiting for him.

“So... that’s why you said you’re going to meet someone precious.”

“That’s right.”

The old man smiled softly, his eyes lost in distant memories.

We were crossing over a sandy hill as he finished his story.

Just as he was about to say more.

“And back when we were kids... Cough, cough!”

The old man suddenly started coughing.

At first, it seemed like he’d just choked, but it quickly became clear something was wrong.

There was pain in his voice.

Blood dripped from the hand that covered his mouth.

“S-Sir...?!”

It was hemoptysis.

Regia, shocked, rushed to check his condition.

But the old man waved her off as if he were used to this.

“Don’t worry. It’s just an illness I’ve had for a long time.”

“B-But you’re coughing up so much blood...”

“Hehe, you worry too much, young lady. I’m really fine, so don’t concern yourself.”

The old man’s wrinkled lips murmured softly.

“For now, just focus on getting through the desert. There’s not much time left, after all.”

“...”

At the time, Regia didn’t realize.

The significance hidden in the old man’s fading breath.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]