Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! Novel - Chapter 312
Pick me Up – Chapter 312 – Ashes (2)
Siris made her bed and changed into the black Niflheim uniform.
‘There’s a lot of work today too.’
She slapped her cheeks.
It was the start of the day.
[Here’s the next matter!]
Papers piled up next to Siris as she worked at her desk.
The one who handed over the documents was a red-haired fairy. This fairy, named ‘Nisel,’ was in charge of Niflheim before Loki fell into the game. Nisel had accompanied Siris when she left Niflheim to learn about Pick Me Up and continued assisting her even after returning to the Lobby.
[You seem to have been very busy lately.]
“It must be because of the changed situation.”
Siris responded coldly and began reading the documents.
The main content was what she expected.
Some of Niflheim’s heroes wished to retire.
‘Since that incident… many things have changed.’
After the server 1 headquarters collapsed and the gates between servers closed.
More precisely, after Loki, the master of Niflheim, locked himself in the frontier.
The situation of the Lobby, which struggled to survive, changed drastically.
Under the direction of the temporary representative, Sijel, Mobius employees began to restore the world.
There were no minor conflicts typical of a large-scale operation. As if they had been waiting for this moment, within just a few days, thousands and tens of thousands of dimensions were recovered. Among the list of restored dimensions were Niflheim and Taonier.
‘Retirement requests?’
Siris dipped her pen in ink and signed her name in the appropriate space.
Acting as master of Niflheim, Siris Agentheim. These heroes’ retirement requests were approved, and they would soon return to their homeland through the dimensional gate.
‘Once, the living hell that was Niflheim…’
Had changed.
Although the weather remained cold and the fog persisted all day, in the new world, the White Demons had become extinct. This was because the corrected history during the mission was applied as it was. The heroes who wished to retire would start exploring the unclaimed land once they returned home.
[Siris, but…]
Nisel descended next to Siris, who continued signing.
[What will you do about the master?]
“……”
[According to Mobius employees, he’s alone there.]
Siris did not respond.
Her hands moved faster reviewing the documents.
[Another rumor says that the master has lost his memories of when he was human. Don’t you think we should investigate more…?]
“……Enough.”
Siris stopped her right hand with the pen.
A cold voice came from her mouth.
“It’s the master’s wish. I have no right to overturn that choice.”
[Are you serious? Are you going to leave the master like that?]
Siris bit her lips.
‘Follow the master…?’
For what reason?
She had failed.
She didn’t fully understand the situation, blinded only by hopelessness, and made mistakes in her judgment.
‘It’s disgraceful.’
Her master must have been disappointed in her.
She didn’t dare to face him.
[Don’t you have the face to see the master?]
“He must have been disappointed in me. Because I did something deserving of it.”
She wished she could turn back time.
If she could meet her past self, she would have slapped her until she came to her senses.
‘I demanded an impossible choice from the master.’
She didn’t tell him anything.
Driven by her emotions, she only imposed the choice she wanted on the master.
She didn’t consider the most important opinion, the master’s own.
‘I… failed.’
It wasn’t surprising that the master left.
He must have grown tired of her selfishness.
Even if she managed to find the master, she might be rejected with disdain.
She might face looks of hatred and disgust. Although she had prepared to be hated when deciding to return the master to the land… now that determination had faded.
‘Why did I think like that?’
She wasn’t cold and calculating.
Maybe because she realized that everything she fought for the master and for Niflheim had become meaningless.
When she accidentally met Alpha Zero and her subordinate and heard the truth, she became obsessed only with that.
‘I should have acted more calmly.’
If she had handled the situation calmly, the outcome might have been different.
There might have been a day when she could talk and laugh with the master.
Not a farewell like this.
‘I was a fool.’
She lost a valuable opportunity.
The price of her mistake was that the master would spend his time in agony.
A mistake that couldn’t be corrected even by dying a hundred times.
‘No matter how long it takes. Until the master returns…’
She could only wait.
And pray for forgiveness.
Fortunately, Niflheim still had the energy needed to sustain the Lobby.
Bifrost, a U-grade weapon like Siris’s Lævateinn. It was the sword used by Loki and a crystal that contained the Master’s interference power.
After work, Siris returned to her room.
Nisel suggested a meeting with other members of the 13th floor, but she wasn’t in the mood for it.
‘Was I dreaming?’
Siris looked in the mirror.
What it reflected was a blonde woman in a black uniform staring at her.
‘That’s fake.’
She was never a true knight.
A hurried imitation created by President Tel.
Although she grew considerably thanks to Loki’s skills, once the master disappeared, she couldn’t do anything.
“I am…”
“What are you?”
Siris turned.
A young man in a grey coat was leaning against the wall.
With his short grey hair and cold expression, it was Lidygion, the third rank of the 13th floor.
His emotionless eyes were fixed on her.
“Again like this. It’s been more than a week since the master left. Are you going to keep lamenting? You don’t hold the title of submaster to laze around.”
“When did you arrive?”
“Make up your mind already. We don’t have time. Even now, the master is suffering.”
Siris lowered her head.
Lidygion looked at her and clicked his tongue.
“Siris Agentheim.”
“…I know.”
“Really? You made a grave mistake. I told you that you should have informed everything to the master and let him decide. But what did you do? Did you force him to return? Did you threaten to kill him if he didn’t? It’s so absurd that I can’t even laugh.”
Lidygion’s eyes turned cold.
“This is the result. The master abandoned us.”
“……”
“Was our goal to return to our homeland? That desolate land with nothing. What do you plan to do there? Abandon everything we’ve built and start a new life?”
Siris closed her eyes.
She had no intention of returning to her homeland continent.
Siris and her companions had sworn with their lives before challenging the 80th floor.
“The master gave us everything when we had nothing. A new home. A miraculous victory. Even a reason to live. Don’t turn our oath into a piece of paper.”
Swish.
Lidygion partially drew the sword at his hip.
Siris said nothing. His words were precise.
‘In that case.’
That young man, who thought about the future, might be more suitable for her position than her, who was so pathetic.
Siris bit her lips and spoke.
“Lidygion, I…!”
“I haven’t finished talking. Listen until the end.”
Click.
Lidygion sheathed his sword again.
“In the past, I thought a lot about you.”
With his arms crossed, a strange smile formed on his face.
“Why did the master choose you as the leader? There were many suitable people. In terms of analysis, there was Yurnet. If it weren’t for her, our strategic plans wouldn’t have been formulated correctly. Your command ability wasn’t particularly outstanding. Nor were you strong enough to overwhelm all of us. But the master chose you without hesitation. Do you know why?”
This time, Siris didn’t respond.
She just lowered her head silently.
“It’s not the first time you’ve failed.”
“……”
“You’re not perfect. Neither am I, nor Yurnet, nor all of us, not even the master. We all make mistakes and fail. But the important thing is not the mistake. It’s what we learn from it.”
Lidygion continued.
“Are you going to give up here, Siris, just because you failed once, because things turned out this way?”
“But…!”
“I don’t want excuses. You are the representative of Niflheim, where 20,000 heroes reside. You must be aware of your position. It’s not something you can hand over to others lightly.”
Lidygion threw something he had hidden in his coat.
When she caught it, she felt a significant weight.
A sword sheath with the image of a burning flame embossed on it.
It was the U-grade weapon that her master had given her with all his heart, the Lævateinn.
“It was carelessly stored. Don’t treat the sword that the master gave you with disdain.”
“……”
“Forget about saying you can’t. If you feel responsible, find a solution that satisfies all of us. We don’t need a temporary measure. Find a way to completely save the master. That is your obligation.”
Siris took two steps back.
Thinking of a way to completely save the master?
Lidygion spoke in a low voice.
“If you give the order as the submaster of Niflheim and the leader of the 13th floor, we are ready to throw ourselves into the fire or hell. Don’t let our determination be in vain.”
“……”
“I trust you.”
Lidygion stepped away from the wall.
He looked at Siris and then left the room.
‘A way to save the master.’
Siris thought while standing silently.
About the situation in which her master was.
Loki, who had acquired almost infinite power, continued his solitary struggle in the frontier.
As a price for that power, the master had lost almost all his humanity, including his memories. Even if Siris were right in front of him, he couldn’t recognize her.
That was her biggest fear.
If he had lost all his memories, what was the use of finding him?
Could he hear my voice?
Could we talk?
No, before that…
She wasn’t even sure she could reach the place where Loki was.
‘If I can make up for my mistakes…’
If she could have one more chance after having already failed.
“Master.”
Siris murmured.
The feeling of depression that had engulfed her until a moment ago had completely disappeared.
‘It’s my duty to find a way.’
If it didn’t exist, she would create it.
Siris clenched her teeth.
Even though her gums bled, she didn’t care at all.
‘Lidygion is right.’
Waiting was not her style.
If she needed something, she got it.
That was how Siris had lived as Loki’s hero.
‘If someone knows how to save the master…’
Suddenly, a name came to Siris’s mind.
“Nisel!”
[Here I am, boss!]
Fwoosh!
With a spark of fire, the fairy appeared.
Nisel looked at Siris’s face and patted her flat chest.
[Go ahead, say what you want!]
“You have Alpha Zero’s contact, right?”
[Alpha Zero… Oh! That old pervert? The one who asked for Siris’s panties as a price for information? So what happened to those panties…?]
Swish.
The Lævateinn came out of its sheath.
[No, it was a joke. A joke! I was just joking!]
Nisel waved her hands nervously.
Then she changed her expression and waved both arms in circles.
[Remote connection, go!]
Beep. Beep. Beep. Click.
In less than 10 seconds, the call was answered.
A voice echoed in her mind.
<It’s you.>
But it was a completely different voice than the one she knew.
Siris frowned.
“Where’s that decrepit old man?”
<The sage… has passed away.>
“Passed away, huh?”
The Sage.
‘You’re so cute, Siris-chan…’
That bastard called himself the Sage.
Siris’s hand clenched.
“Are you the subordinate who was with him?”
<Yes. As I mentioned in our first meeting, I am Sijel. I currently act as the representative of Mobius and am carrying out the repatriation of heroes.>
“I don’t need you to tell me that. I saw it in the documents.”
<Then… why would the submaster of the renowned Niflheim contact me directly…?>
Sijel paused for a moment before continuing.
<It must be about Master Loki.>
“……”
<I expected this call. I owe my life to that man. He was the benefactor who fulfilled my wish.>
“Then I’ll get to the point. I need a way to save the master. Even a small detail would help. Tell me everything you know.”
<As you know, Master Loki has exceeded the limit. He must be a specter now. Recovering his identity… is nearly impossible.>
“Nearly? Does that mean you know a way?”
Sijel didn’t deny it.
“Speak now.”
<On my own, it’s difficult. I’ve lost my divine status.>
“Then, what?”
<We need a helper. Someone close to Master Loki and with significant power. Fortunately, I’ve found the right person…>
“Who is it?”
<You might know him.>
Sijel said.
<He’s the former master of Taonier, Anything.>