P.M.U Chapter 312: Embers (2) (Part 1)

After tidying up the bed, Seris changed into the black uniform of Niflheimr.

‘Another busy day today.’

Smack.

Seris lightly slapped her own gaunt cheeks.

It was the start of a new day.

[This is the next item!]

A stack of documents piled up beside Seris as she sat at her desk, working.

Delivering the documents was a red-haired fairy. This fairy, known as Niselle, had managed Niflheimr before Loki fell into the game. She had accompanied Seris when Seris left Niflheimr to learn about Pick Me Up, and even after returning to the waiting room, she continued assisting her.

[You’ve been really busy lately.]

“It’s because the situation changed.”

Seris answered bluntly and began reading through the documents.

The main contents were exactly what she had anticipated.

Some of Niflheimr’s heroes were requesting discharge.

‘Since that incident… a lot has changed.’

After the headquarters in Server 1 collapsed and the gates between servers closed—

Or, more precisely, after Master Loki locked himself in the Boundary—

The state of the waiting room, which had been struggling for survival, was turned completely around.

Under the temporary command of Cizel, Mobius staff began restoring the world.

There wasn’t even a trace of the usual friction that tends to occur during large-scale operations. As if they had all been waiting for this moment, within days, thousands—even tens of thousands—of dimensions had been revived. Among those restored were both Niflheimr and Townia.

‘A discharge request form, huh.’

Seris dipped her feather pen in ink and wrote her name in the signature box.

Acting Master of Niflheimr, Seris Argentheim.

The discharge requests were processed, and soon those heroes would return to their homelands through the dimensional gates.

‘Once a living hell, Niflheimr…’

Had changed.

The weather was still cold, and the fog persisted throughout the day, but in this newly reborn world, the White Oni were extinct. It was because the revised history from the mission had taken effect. Those requesting discharge would return to their homelands and begin pioneering efforts in the now-masterless lands.

[Hey, um, Seris.]

Niselle fluttered down beside Seris, who was continuing to sign documents.

[What about the Master?]

“…”

[According to the Mobius staff, he was left alone in that place.]

Seris didn’t respond.

Her hands sorting through documents moved faster.

[There’s another rumor that the Master lost all memories from when he was human. Maybe that’s why he left us behind? I’m really worried. Shouldn’t we try finding out more…]

“...Stop.”

Seris halted her right hand, which held the feather pen.

A cold voice fell from her lips.

“It was the Master’s wish. I don’t have the right to overturn that decision.”

[You really mean that? You’re going to just leave the Master like this?]

Seris bit her lip hard.

‘To go after the Master?’

On what grounds?

She had failed.

Blinded by hopelessness, unable to properly assess the situation, she had made the wrong decision.

‘How shameless.’

Her Master must have been disappointed in her.

She didn’t feel she had the right to stand before him again.

[You mean… you can’t even face the Master?]

“He must’ve been disappointed in me. Because I did something worthy of that.”

All she wanted was to turn back time.

If she could meet her past self, she would slap herself so hard her ears would ring.

To wake up.

‘I forced a choice on the Master that never should’ve been made.’

She hadn’t told him anything.

Consumed by her own emotions, she forced the decision she wanted onto the Master.

She hadn’t even considered the will of the one person who mattered most—her Master.

‘I failed…’

It was no wonder the Master had left.

He must’ve grown tired of her selfishness.

Even if she somehow found him again, she might only be scolded and cast out.

He might look at her with disgust and contempt. She had braced herself for being hated when she resolved to send him back to Earth… but now, even that resolve had crumbled.

‘Why did I ever think that way?’

She hadn’t been calm.

Was it because she realized everything she’d done for the Master and Niflheimr was now meaningless?

When she happened to meet Alpha Zero and that man’s adjutant and heard the truth from them, she had been fixated on just that.

‘I should’ve been more composed.’

If she had handled things more calmly, this might not have been the result.

She might have had the chance to speak and laugh with the Master again.

Instead of parting ways like this.

‘I’m such a fool.’

She had wasted a precious opportunity.

And the price of that mistake was the Master spending his days in pain.

A mistake she could never undo, not even if she died a hundred times.

‘No matter how long it takes. Until the Master returns…’

All she could do was wait.

And beg for forgiveness.

Fortunately, Niflheimr still had the power source needed to maintain the waiting room.

U-grade items like Seris’s Laevateinn, and Bifrost—the sword once used by Loki and the crystal infused with the Master’s interference power.

After finishing her work, Seris returned to her room.

Niselle had suggested a meeting with the other 13th Floor members, but she wasn’t in the mood.

‘Was I dreaming?’

Seris looked into the mirror.

Reflected there was a blond woman in a black uniform, glaring back at her.

‘That’s not the real me.’

She had never truly been a knight.

Just a nominal copy created under the CEO, Tel.

She had grown strong relying on Loki’s power, but when the Master disappeared, she couldn’t do anything.

“I…”

“What about you?”

Seris turned around.

A young man in a grey coat leaned against the wall.

With short spiked gray hair and a cold expression—Rank 3 of the 13th Floor, Ridigion.

His emotionless gaze turned to her.

“You’re doing this again. It’s been over a week since the Master left. Are you planning to spend more time wallowing in guilt? You weren’t given the title of Sub-Master to sit around doing nothing.”

“When did you get here?”

“Make a decision now. We don’t have time. Even now, the Master is in pain.”

Seris lowered her head.

Ridigion clicked his tongue at her.

“Seris Argentheim.”

“…I know.”

“Do you really? You made a serious mistake. I told you. We should’ve told the Master everything and let him decide. But what did you do? You pressured him and forced him to go back? Threatened to cut him down if he resisted? I was too stunned to even laugh.”

His eyes sank coldly.

“This is the result. The Master abandoned us.”

“…”

“Was our goal to return to our homelands? Those barren, empty lands? What are we going to do there? Throw away everything we’ve built and start over?”

Seris closed her eyes.

She had no intention of returning to her home continent.

She and her comrades had risked their lives and sworn an oath before challenging the 80th Floor.

“The Master gave everything to those of us who had nothing. A new home. Miraculous victories. Even a reason to keep living. Don’t turn that vow into a worthless scrap of paper now.”

Sching.

Half the blade slid from the sheath at Ridigion’s waist.

Seris couldn’t say anything. His words pierced right through her.

‘In that case…’

Maybe that young man, who was already thinking about the future, was more suited to her role than her pathetic self.

Seris bit her lip and spoke.

“Ridigion, I…!”

“I’m not done talking. Listen to the end.”

Clack.

Ridigion slid the blade back in.

“I used to think about you a lot.”

Ridgion changed his posture, arms crossed, and a faint smile formed on his face.