Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Doodle, Eyes

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Chapter 146: The Sorceress Empress (1)

The evaluation of the Sorceress Empress in the near future would be polarizing.

– A dark ruler who failed to prevent the empire’s twilight.

Or,

– A benevolent sovereign who tried to comfort her citizens and subjects, striving to protect them at all costs.

She had been forcibly placed on the throne by the Imperial Guard’s coup, contrary to her own wishes.

Perhaps the Sorceress Empress, lacking power, was simply incapable of preventing the Great War.

However, it was also true that despite her gift of foresight, she was unable to use it effectively. Because of that she was resented by many people.

Theo’s opinion of the Sorceress Empress was closer to “indifference.”

In his past life, he had left his family behind and been too preoccupied with his own survival to pay any attention to politics.

‘Still, I had planned to approach her with the idea that if I could mediate her foresight, I could leverage the advantages of future knowledge…’

But there was something he had not considered at the time.

If foresight were possible, could he not also become “assimilated” with the future version of himself that appeared in that vision?

“Why are you speaking so informally to me, knowing who I am?”

The Sorceress Empress made a playful remark as she looked at Theo.

“Not really. In any case, the Cassandra here and now is just a young Cassandra.”

Theo snorted lightly, unconcerned.

The Sorceress Empress’s smile deepened.

“As expected, you’re someone who doesn’t appear in my foresight.”

Theo recalled how the young Cassandra had been unable to see his future.

“It’s true that there was no one like you in the timeline I lived in… It must be because you’ve ‘deviated’ from that timeline. That’s likely why you’ve arrived in this past through some other means I’m not aware of, isn’t it?”

“……”

“I’ll take that as confirmation. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t know my epithet so accurately.”

Cassandra looked somewhat pleased.

It was a feeling of camaraderie that only those who shared a secret could have.

“I once read about it in the Imperial Secret Archives. It mentioned that among the northern Ragnar family, individuals with the occasionally manifest.”

Theo neither confirmed nor denied it.

Instead, he posed a question.

“Did the Great War occur in the timeline you lived in as well?”

“First, let me clarify one thing. Unlike you, Theo, who lived a genuine life and regressed, I didn’t possess my younger self after truly living my life. The future isn’t fixed; it contains countless possibilities. I’m simply transmitting powerful telepathic messages to my present self from the ‘most probable’ future.”

“You here are not real?”

“That’s right. While I have my own life history and memories, you can think of me as nothing more than a that can be changed at any time.”

Cassandra lightly snapped her forefinger as she continued.

“For instance, in the timeline I remember, you, Theo, did not exist. But now, I’m here talking with you. This must inevitably influence the real me (young Cassandra), don’t you think?”

Theo nodded.

“Then the real me (young Cassandra) will make choices different from what I originally intended, and as a result, the possible futures will be immediately adjusted. That means the current me will vanish as well.”

“Because the has been altered?”

“Bingo. You’re as sharp as ever.”

“Then why bother possessing young Cassandra to change the future? If your configuration changes, you’ll disappear, right?”

“Because it’s obvious.”

Cassandra’s smile turned bitter.

“The future I exist in is not one that should ever come to pass.”

“……”

“You asked if there was a Great War? I’m sorry, but it’s far worse than that. In my , the world itself no longer exists.”

Cassandra stared straight at Theo.

It felt as if she was using her foresight to observe him.

‘If I go by the timeline of my previous life, it would be long after the Great War and far beyond the time I lived through, wouldn’t it?’

Theo could not begin to imagine what that place might look like.

“So, the reason you specifically chose this timeline for possession is that it’s the most suitable moment to alter your ?”

“That’s right. Theo, you’re the singularity that meets the real me in this timeline. And the timeline I needed is where you need me the most, and it’s this timeline.

“What can I possibly do?”

“You’re the leader of the Resolution Squad. The lost secret art of the former patriarch of Ragnar—don’t you need me to restore it?”

Theo clicked his tongue lightly.

It seemed she had come here fully informed.

However, there were still parts that remained suspicious.

“You said the existence of ‘Theo Ragnar’ didn’t exist in your , right?”

“That’s why I came to this timeline. Because meeting you was the one irregularity in my .”

Cassandra clenched her fist tightly.

“Originally… according to my , I wouldn’t have received Ragnar’s protection and would have been kidnapped by Troyban. And just like that, I’d be dragged here to the mausoleum without resistance, as they demanded.”

“Troyban is targeting this mausoleum? Why?”

“They’re also after the Sword Legacy.”

“……!”

“Additionally, the Sacred Demon Church is using me to track the traces of the . They’re strengthening their doctrine.”

“……”

“This event will serve as the turning point for Troyban and the Sacred Demon Church to expand their influence uncontrollably. Ragnar is eventually defeated, and the world is engulfed in the Great War, ultimately summoning the to this land.”

‘It’s a different future from the one I knew.’

The future in which this Cassandra resided was starkly simple.

– A world brought to its end by the .

Everything had faded like an illusion, leaving only a world waiting to return to its starting point.

Yet, Theo couldn’t quite understand.

A future where Ragnar is defeated?

As long as Kyle existed, that should be impossible.

‘Moreover, if the weight of the Sword Legacy is truly so significant, why did Troyban lose in my previous life? They must have had the Sword Legacy, didn’t they?’

What exactly was the difference between his past life and the configuration of this Cassandra?

Questions began to form an unending chain in his mind.

“And so, I bear the duty to ensure that the Sword Legacy falls into your hands.”

“For now… I understand.”

Theo refrained from asking any further.

If the future was going to change anyway, it seemed best not to overthink it.

He had no desire to let his actions be hindered by incomplete information.

“This is the place, then.”

– Oh, you’ve arrived?

– That young girl is the one who will restore the Sword Legacy…!

The ghosts who had been waiting for Theo lit up with excitement.

An attempt to quickly restore the secret art —it relied on borrowing Cassandra’s precognitive ability.

『A concept inspired by the notion of time as a ?』

‘Yes, that’s correct.’

If time were a cyclical circle, and the precognitive ability allowed one to glimpse into a previous part of that circle—

If, in such a framework, the distinctions of past, present, and future held no meaning—

Then, following the rotation of the circle should naturally make it possible to catch a glimpse of the ‘past.’ This was precisely Theo’s idea.

Most importantly, Theo had inadvertently seen a future vision similar to this by borrowing Cassandra’s eyes.

‘The Wheel of Death… Could the individual among the dead who seemed to be their leader be him?’

Though shrouded in shadows, rendering his face unrecognizable, Theo had found him strangely familiar.

‘If my guess is correct, that person’s identity is…!’

Cassandra from the future had also appeared, seemingly confirming Theo’s suspicion.

Theo couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment was the most pivotal branching point determining Cassandra’s future.

“Greetings, elders.”

Cassandra bowed respectfully, a gesture far too solemn for her nine-year-old frame.

Unlike the current Cassandra, this was evidence of someone long accustomed to the Imperial etiquette.

– What’s this?

– Can you hear our voices?

– Is she a Ragnar too?

– Eh? She seems too feeble for that.

– Blind girl, can you see us?

“If I properly use my foresight ability, the effect is no different from being able to see in front of me.”

– Oh, is that so?

– Fascinating. We wandered the world far and wide, but we’ve never met anyone like this young lady.

– Are you someone from the Imperial side?

Cassandra smiled instead of answering and subtly shifted the topic.

“If it’s not rude, I’d like to ask the elders something.”

– If you can truly restore the Sword Legacy, ask away.

“Are the elders more interested in regaining your forgotten lord’s ‘face’ or ‘name’?”

A completely unexpected question.

The ghosts flinched in surprise.

– …Are those two things different?

“Yes, they are. Your lord was cursed by the , erasing their existence from the world. I intend to rewind the Wheel of Time to glimpse the moment just before that . Seeing their face is not difficult—it’s as simple as looking.”

– Hmm!

– I see.

“On the other hand, recovering their name is a different matter. To recognize their existence, I would have to go against the ’s will. By doing so, the curse might rebound onto me. Whether I succeed or not, my possession would likely end as a result.”

The ghosts fell silent, exchanging glances.

Their lord’s face or name?

Their deliberation didn’t last long.

The leading ghost gave a bitter smile.

– Young lady, your jest is far too harsh. No matter how brazen we old ghosts may be, how could we demand a living person sacrifice herself?

The other ghosts nodded in agreement.

– To glimpse the name, you’d have to risk the curse, and in all likelihood, the curse would rebound. Then the little miss would be erased as well. Isn’t that right?

Theo looked at Cassandra with shocked eyes.

This was something he hadn’t anticipated.

Cassandra bowed her head deeply.

“I apologize if it felt like a cruel joke. But if the elders had truly desired it, I was genuinely willing to comply.”

If sacrificing herself could stop such a future, she must have deemed it a worthwhile trade.

At the same time, Theo felt a twinge of regret in her expression, leaving him conflicted.

– At the end of the day, whether it’s the leader or us, we’re all already dead.

– Why go to such lengths to uncover a name? It won’t bring anyone back to life.

– A simple memory of us, a grave in our honor—that’s all we need.

– Just look at the face. If you do, perhaps you’ll also witness the dance she once longed for, along with the Sword Legacy placed over it.

“Yes, I understand.”

Cassandra lightly pinched the hem of her skirt and bowed her head, taking a slow, steady breath.

Fwaaah!

In an instant, wind swirled around her feet, and a blue light began to flicker.

The ability of foresight.

Young Cassandra could only glimpse fleeting moments of the future, but the Sorceress Empress could observe all timelines, from the distant past to the far future, by following the circle of time.

The blue light of the quest shone brighter, shattering beautifully as it gently swayed Cassandra’s hair.

Then, when she suddenly opened her tightly closed eyes—

[‘Skill: Hatchling Synchronization’ has been forcibly activated, allowing you to glimpse the timeline seen by the Sorceress Empress Cassandra.]

Flash!

Theo’s vision flipped with the burst of light.

And the world reassembled itself.

This place was identical to the foresight Theo had once seen.

– A being standing solemnly among the dead.

The faces of the dead slowly transformed into those of the ghosts of the mausoleum. Their tattered appearances turned into ornate armor and weapons.

Even the black shadows surrounding their leader gradually receded and dissipated.

The revealed face was, as Theo had expected, familiar.

It was Lezé Ragnar.