Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 309: Who Is The Hostage

The oversized clothes draped loosely over Hilde’s shrunken body, her shoulders now fully exposed as her violet hair cascaded down.

Gripping the long sleeves of her shirt, Hilde crawled across the round table.

The Regressor, visibly displeased by Hilde’s transformation, muttered under her breath.

“I should’ve shown this to those old geezers….”

“I didn’t want to show them! How else would I pull off my ‘Zigrund’ performance without my disguise?”

Disguising one’s entire body and form was an exhausting skill, even for Hilde, whose mastery of Gam Qi Art had reached near perfection.

Letting out a deep sigh of fatigue, she sprawled comfortably atop the table, casually kicking her legs as if she were at home.

“Anyway, you understand, right? We’ll be exchanging hostages.”

“Hostages?”

“Yes, hostages! A time-honored tradition with a deep history, a wonderful method of guaranteeing trust between enemies!”

Hilde’s cheerful tone was lost on the Regressor, who, instead of sharing her enthusiasm, hardened her expression even more.

“Watch what you say. I don’t like hostages.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Why do you think?”

｢Every time I try to get things done, they grab random people—people I barely even know—and hold them hostage. Damn it, I’m getting angry just thinking about it. They even grabbed the kid who said ‘Hi’ to me at the inn and the merchant I briefly traded with… Tch.｣

The Regressor’s memories seemed to stir a deep-seated disgust.

She quickly shook off the rising frustration.

“It’s disgusting.”

“Hmm, sounds like someone important to you was taken hostage before?”

“Quite the opposite. I hate when they take people I barely care about and try to manipulate me through them.”

“That’s basically the whole point of a hostage, to manipulate someone. Saying you won’t be swayed doesn’t really negate the concept.”

“Hmph, I don’t need that nonsense. Besides, there’s no one important enough in my life to be taken hostage.”

“Really?”

With exaggerated movements, Hilde glanced around dramatically before pointing toward me.

“Then what about ‘Father’?”

“…I don’t know why you keep calling him that, but honestly, it’d be more convenient if someone took him off my hands.”

Haha! Regressor, surely you don’t mean that…

｢Seriously. He can be useful in certain situations, but he’s not reliable enough to depend on. Maybe someone could take him and return him when I actually need him.｣

Wait… are you serious?

Come on, Regressor!

After all I’ve done for you? Does it need to come out of my own mouth for you to realize my value?

“Mr. Shei, that’s too much. After all the hard work I’ve put in, you’re just going to sell me off like that? Even the worst pimp wouldn’t be this heartless!”

“First of all, I’m not a pimp, and secondly, why are you calling me a pimp in the first place?! And what have you contributed? You just vanished with the Princess and the Gunmaster!”

“Don’t you know why I did that? It’s thanks to me that we’re even having these negotiations with the Military State right now!”

“What?”

“It’s exactly as Father says!”

Hilde suddenly leaped into my arms, settling comfortably on my lap.

She adjusted herself into a more relaxed posture and continued speaking.

“Sorry to say this, but compared to others, Father’s a bit… underwhelming, don’t you think? He’s incredibly weak with no notable abilities. Then there’s Historia, the proud general of the Military State, and the beloved Daughter of the State. Don’t you find it curious why someone of such high stature suddenly started following him around? Things took a strange turn! How can he do that when he looks like someone you could knock over with a feather!”

“Well, that’s not inaccurate, but did you have to say it like that?”

“And when I considered the possibility that he seduced everyone with his sly face, I quickly dismissed it when I found out there was a man in the group as well! But judging from Shei’s tastes—I shouldn’t have ruled it out so quickly!”

“I can’t deny that. That’s definitely a fact.”

“Hey, deny it! How can you accept that so easily!? It’s not true at all!”

｢These two…! Now I get why I’ve always felt uneasy around that Camarilla. She reminds me of him!｣

Well, it’s been so long we’ve met that I can’t help but tease you.

Hilde, clearly enjoying herself, gently tapped my chest with her head as she giggled.

“When you can’t explain something logically, it’s often the key to everything. Naturally, the Military State assumed Father was leading you all. There’s that whole Pied Piper of Hamelin thing, plus Father’s actions resembled the notorious Colonel Lankart’s escape incident!”

It’s true.

That’s why Hilde had her eyes on me back at the refinery. Even though her guess was way off.

I may play a big role, but the real leader of this group is the Regressor.

“Naturally? Hah. Why would we follow him?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Absolutely not….”

The Regressor stopped mid-sentence, hesitating.

｢Wait. Azzy, Tyrkanzyaka, and even the Gunmaster followed Hughes. Excluding them, there’s also Nabi and the Princess, but they’re not really reliable followers. Hold on… could Hughes be the stroke of luck in this timeline?｣

Oh, now you realize my worth, Regressor?

You’re finally understanding just how much I’ve helped you?

I pressed on, eager to drive the point home.

“Mr. Shei, do you see my value now? From now on, I expect a monthly thank-you and a small financial reward for my contributions.”

“Ugh! That’s not the point! Even if that’s true, why would we follow this guy? He doesn’t stand out for anything except being sly!”

So you’re trying to run away when you were itching for a fight earlier, huh?

Fine, have it your way.

Hilde, waving her fingers side to side, responded playfully.

“Oh, there’s a reason, alright. If Father is a Prophet or someone chosen by prophecy, it’s entirely possible! A person who receives divine revelation, journeying with companions to defeat evil—it’s a scene straight out of an epic!”

That was the unpolished truth.

When I revealed my true identity to Hilde, she’d even called me a “Prophet” back then, genuinely believing I was some sort of chosen figure.

To correct that misconception, I subtly hinted at my true identity as the Human King. I may have played a strong card, but I didn’t regret it.

Some cards are meant to be played eventually and thanks to that, I uncovered the Military State’s secrets and… protected humanity.

“A prophet? From the Sanctum?”

“Yes! The Military State has fallen out of favor with the Sanctum, after all! It wouldn’t be surprising if they attacked at any moment!”

“That does sound likely.”

｢Right. The Sanctum has always kept an eye on the Military State. In previous timelines, they’d intervene if the Military State waged a large-scale war.｣

That might have been because of Yuel, but I’ll leave that part out for now.

“Besides that, Father stayed behind and proved there was room for negotiation! He came to talk with you and the Progenitor alone. Thanks to all the fuss and commotion, the Military State felt assured enough to engage in talks, leading to the arrangement of this meeting!”

“Wha—what’s this ‘fuss and commotion’ nonsense? You’re glossing over too much!”

“Sorry, it’s too much effort to explain everything.”

“Don’t be lazy about the most important details….”

Whether it was the overwhelming influx of information or the exhaustion from dealing with me and Hilde, the Regressor grabbed her head in frustration.

She turned to Historia, hoping for some clarity.

｢No, better to ask her than that guy.｣

I don’t quite understand her thought process, but she turned sharply toward Historia, who seemed more trustworthy.

“Gunmaster. Is that really true?”

“Ah….”

｢Not at all. Huey may have gone to talk, but it wasn’t for the peace treaty. It’s probably because Huey is the Human King…｣

But Regressor, sorry to break it to you—Historia’s on my side.

Even if she doesn’t follow me completely, she’ll keep certain information hidden.

Historia spoke, carefully omitting key details.

“Yes. Maximilien tried to interfere, but Huey and I stopped him. We barely managed to bring him down, but then….”

“Ah, I see. That’s when Nevida arrived?”

Though key information, like my identity as the Human King and Yuel’s existence, was left out, Historia’s explanation was close enough to the truth to convince the Regressor.

“I get it. So what? Hughes was useful to me, so now he’s going to be taken as a hostage?”

“Haha. No, no. How could we possibly take someone like Father as a hostage? That’s neither possible nor acceptable.”

｢Tch. What a shame…｣

Were you actually willing to give me up?

Damn it. Knowing your true feelings through Mind Reading makes this all the more irritating.

I’ll get my revenge eventually, Regressor.

When you’re taken hostage, I’ll make you sweat before rescuing you!

While I was silently stewing, Hilde, giggling to herself, revealed the true hostages.

“Relax! Shei’s hostages will be the Princess and her maid!”

“The Princess?”

The Regressor asked in surprise, clearly taken aback by the unexpected choice of hostages.

｢In this timeline, I haven’t been particularly involved with the Princess. And she’s the leader of the Resistance? Taking her hostage would mean we have to leave the Resistance untouched, right? They can’t harm the hostage directly or indirectly while the agreement is in place.｣

In fact, the Regressor should be grateful.

It’s a great deal in her favor.

She was about to nod in agreement.

｢I haven’t had much to do with the Princess in this timeline. In the past, maybe, but now…｣

But even though it was a perfectly reasonable offer, the Regressor didn’t nod.

Memories from past timelines—particularly those involving the Princess—flashed through her mind. Though she didn’t recall everything, certain key memories surfaced, enough to give me valuable insight.

In the second timeline, the Regressor had tried to flee the Military State’s draft.

At that time, she encountered the Princess while escaping to the Fallen Dominion through the Resistance.

The Princess, a seasoned leader, had offered the Regressor a place in the Resistance, but fearing battle, the Regressor declined and headed for the Fallen Dominion.

She ended up getting ambushed and killed.

In the third timeline, the Regressor, realizing the need for power, joined the Resistance.

Though the Princess was more cautious and initially mistrustful, they quickly grew close.

With the Princess’s full support, the Regressor learned a forgotten Qi Art from the Kingdom. That, with the Qi Arts she learned in her first and second timelines quickly enhanced her strength. The life and death situations she often found herself in also helped tremendously in honing her skills.

Over time, the Regressor became less involved with the Resistance as she got caught up in larger events… but the Princess remained her friend for a long time.

Maybe not in this timeline, but still.

Following her heart, the Regressor spoke.

“No.”

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