We spoke in the innermost room where Richard was when I arrived. Since there was a wooden table and chairs, we sat facing each other, and I first asked a question.

“The reason I came here was because I found a familiar observing the two magic-users… First, to confirm, what’s your name?”

The other person was silent for a while. He looked back at me, and after a short pause, he made up his mind and began to speak.

“…Richal Ardet.”

“The same name as the magic-user in town… Can I assume you’re the same person?”

“Yes. You can assume I’m the same person. If I tell you this much, you can probably guess, can’t you?”

After organizing my thoughts a bit, I spoke.

“You look older than the Richard in town… Time magic, then?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

—There was no magic that manipulated time in the game. However, some books described such magic. All of them, though, were treated as Forbidden Arts.

However, it was a legendary magic whose details weren’t even recorded in literature, and even as Forbidden Arts, it was something that couldn’t be used—

“You succeeded in manipulating time?”

“Yes. But there’s a price.”

Richard smiled somewhat ironically. I then asked further questions.

“A price… Before I ask about that, judging by your appearance, it doesn’t seem like it’s happened just once or twice.”

“Yes. I’ve traversed time four times already.”

Four times…!? That’s quite surprising. But that information reveals one fact.

“So, that means you’ve failed that many times?”

“That’s how it is. From my perspective, this is my fifth attempt.”

Age-wise, due to four time travels, he appears older than the original Richard who was in this world… That must be why he looks the way he does.

Richard picked up a nearby canteen, took a sip, and then began to speak.

“…I acquired this magic by chance. In my first cycle, just as you met me in town, I was wandering and fighting monsters. I didn’t participate in large-scale battles, nor had I ever seen the Demon Race. Considering the situation on the continent, it might be inappropriate to say, but I somewhat enjoyed my journey with Rete.”

“Meaning, you were just ordinary adventurers, like anyone else.”

Richard nodded deeply at my words.

“That’s right… but eventually, the Demon Race’s invasion became more intense. I chose to avoid them rather than challenge them, and I continued my journey.”

Richard, who had spoken that far, showed a pained expression. From his demeanor, I understood what had happened and spoke up.

“So… during that journey, Ms. Rete…?”

“…Yes, that’s right. But that’s not the only reason I developed this magic.”

Richard spoke with a gloomy expression… That’s probably why he’s been observing the Richards from the original book in this world. Additionally, he said that wasn’t the only reason, but it seems safe to assume her situation was a major motivation for developing the magic.

“With the Demon Race invading and the continent on the verge of collapse, I was able to create this magic.”

“…Collapse?”

I frowned.

“Didn’t the Human Side resist?”

“Beings called the Five Great Demons ravaged various regions. It seems there were humans who fought back and defeated them… but they couldn’t withstand the large-scale attack from the Southern Region, and gradually…”

In other words, they defeated four of the Five Great Demons, but were defeated in the Southern Invasion event, is that what it means?

“And the person who defeated those Five Great Demons?”

When I asked, his face became solemn.

“There were two. I know their names.”

“Tell me.”

“Eina and Orudia.”

Eina and—Orudia. One of the Game Protagonists.

In the game, you can only choose four protagonists initially, excluding him. You can choose him after clearing the game once, but there’s a reason for that.

His position is vastly different from the other protagonists—he’s a hybrid of the Demon Race and Humans.

At the beginning of the scenario, he stands on the Demon Lord’s Side, completely different from the other protagonists. The period when he can act freely is around the mid-point of the scenario for the other protagonists, and he’s at a level where he can immediately challenge the first of the Five Great Demons.

In a scenario where the protagonists defeat the Five Great Demons one by one, if you choose anyone other than him as the protagonist, he will definitely be the one to defeat the fifth. He’s a protagonist with such circumstances… Also, Richard said that Eina and Orudia defeated the Five Great Demons. This means that the first playthrough he experienced was also the Continental Collapse route.

“And I resolved to fight the Demon Race and used magic to turn back time… I was able to turn it back to before the full-scale invasion began, in terms of the book.”

I estimate it was around the start of the scenario.

“But… it didn’t work out.”

“What failures did you have afterward?”

At my question, Richard looked down and began to speak.

“In the second playthrough, I aided and fought alongside the people whose names I’d learned in the first playthrough. That went well, but I still couldn’t stop the Southern Invasion…”

“So that’s the sticking point?”

“Yes. In the second playthrough, I participated in the subjugation of the Five Great Demons myself… and there, I learned the cost of this magic.”

“What is that cost?”

“The total amount of magic power I can hold decreases… Eventually, I won’t be able to turn back time anymore.”

I see… As I nodded, Richard continued.

“Even knowing the cost, I somehow managed to follow the subjugation and defeat them.”

“What was the name of that Demon Race member, and the name of the person who defeated them?”

“The Demon Race member’s name was Redras. And the one who defeated him was a person named Phili.”

He—at this point, a further question arose in me.

“After defeating Redras, did a light-like thing not appear?”

“Light… Ah, yes, there was.”

“Was it absorbed by Phili?”

“No, it just floated around… and then disappeared at some point.”

–It seems there are cases where even Game Protagonists couldn’t obtain the light. Just as Lefin said, it’s not that easy.

“Understood. Please continue your story.”

“Ah… I thought I had to move more in the third round, but the cost reduced my Magic Power, and it became a difficult battle for me. In that situation, I tried to take every possible measure and prepared for the Southern Invasion… but even then, the tide of the war didn’t turn.”

From what I’ve heard, it seems the Human Side isn’t even in a position to break through the Southern Invasion, let alone challenge the Demon King.

“And in the fourth round… I thought that Humans alone wouldn’t be enough as a force against the Southern Invasion… but I couldn’t get the cooperation of the Spirits. So, I thought about what I could do.”

“That was the creation of Monsters?”

“Yes. My total Magic Power has decreased, making it difficult to fight as before, but there are various ways to create Monsters, so I was able to do it… During the fourth round, I stole the art of creating Monsters from the Demon Race. But just as I completed it, I was attacked by the Demon Race and almost died, which led me into this fifth round. I’ve done further research and waited in the Fortress.”

“I see.”

I muttered… and then asked further questions.

“I understand the circumstances… So, can I also use that Magic that reverses time?”

“No, you can’t. This Magic is built specifically for me, so it can only be used with my Magic Power.”

“It’s not something you can just memorize the Incantation and use, is it?”

“No. And by the way, the target is only me. I can’t involve anyone else.”

If it could be managed by Brute Force, I wouldn’t feel like it was unusable, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

“…Can I ask another question?”

“I don’t mind. I owe you for helping me.”

He agreed, and I began to think about what else to ask.