Parallel Memory

Chapter 720: The return of small time villain

By the fourth week, the number of observers had increased.

The gallery was almost always full.

Some observers were civilians.

Some represented guilds.

Some belonged to noble families.

Some were students from academies.

Some were simply people who had managed to receive an invitation through their connections.

The rules remained the same.

They could observe.

They could not speak.

At times, the situation became almost absurd.

A representative would make a statement.

The observers would react.

Some would nod.

Some would shake their heads.

Some would whisper among themselves during the breaks.

But the moment the meeting resumed, everyone became silent again.

The people were close enough to see the debate.

Yet far enough away to have no influence over it.

Among the observers were also several well-known adventurers.

They had been invited because of their reputation.

Among them was William.

William had reached Rank S.

More than once.

He had reached it through rank-up potions.

That fact was not a secret.

In the current era, Rank S had become far more accessible than it had been in the past.

Rank-up potions had changed the world.

What had once required years of talent, danger, and luck could now be achieved by those with enough money and the right connections.

The potions did not make Rank S meaningless.

An S Ranker was still powerful.

But the title no longer carried the same weight it once had.

William, however, did not seem to understand that.

Or perhaps he simply did not care.

To him, Rank S was still a symbol.

A symbol of superiority.

A symbol that separated him from ordinary people.

And William had always been fond of reminding others of the distance between himself and everyone else.

Especially when Mia was present.

Mia Frostine was now a member of the War Council.

She had also become one of the most celebrated heroes of the recent war.

The public believed she had defeated the Devil King.

William had accepted that story immediately.

In fact, he had embraced it.

Because in William’s mind, a woman who had defeated the Devil King was exactly the kind of woman worthy of becoming his wife.

At least, that was what he believed.

He had begun visiting the assembly hall frequently.

Not because he was particularly interested in the peace treaty.

Not because he had suddenly developed an interest in politics.

He came because Mia was there.

And whenever he had the opportunity, he spoke about it.

"Mia is an extraordinary woman."

"Only someone of my status could stand beside her."

"Of course, I have always admired her."

"She would make an excellent wife."

His followers laughed whenever he said such things.

They had long since learned that the safest response to William’s confidence was agreement.

William had a large group of followers.

Some were genuinely loyal.

Some were impressed by his Rank S status.

Others simply enjoyed being associated with someone who possessed wealth and influence.

Together, they followed him through the observer gallery like a small procession.

And every time Mia entered the hall, William found a reason to approach her.

Mia ignored him.

That was usually enough to make him angry.

But he had never been very good at recognizing when someone wanted him to leave.

*******************************************************

On the twenty-ninth day, the assembly hall was more crowded than usual.

The reason was simple.

The Authority had announced that several new clauses would be discussed.

The Church had requested amendments.

The War Council had requested military clarifications.

And the guilds had demanded that the issue of adventurer movement be discussed.

The main hall was full.

The observer gallery was also full.

William was sitting in the front row.

He had chosen the seat deliberately.

From there, he had a clear view of the main table.

More importantly, he had a clear view of Mia.

She was seated among the War Council representatives.

Her expression was calm.

Her posture was straight.

Her usual cold demeanor was present.

William smiled.

One of his followers leaned toward him.

"Master William."

"What?"

"You are staring."

William did not look away from Mia.

"I am observing."

"Of course."

William’s smile grew wider.

"Today, I will speak to her."

"You have spoken to her several times."

"Not properly."

His follower wisely remained silent.

William adjusted his expensive clothing.

He had dressed carefully that morning.

His suit was made from expensive material.

The fabric had been enchanted to resist damage.

The buttons were made from a rare metal.

His rings were expensive.

His entire appearance had been designed to communicate wealth.

William believed appearance mattered.

And he believed that people should immediately understand his position when they saw him.

He was a Rank S adventurer.

He came from a wealthy family.

He had connections.

He was respected.

Therefore, in his mind, he was a high-class individual.

The world had been created for people like him.

At least, that was what he believed.

The meeting began.

And for the next several hours, nothing happened.

The representatives argued.

The observers watched.

William became bored.

He glanced toward Mia.

She remained focused on the discussion.

William sighed.

Then, just as he was preparing to leave his seat during the next break, a disturbance occurred near the entrance.

The doors opened.

Several people turned.

A young man entered the hall.

He wore a dark suit.

It was simple.

Elegant.

The design was similar to the clothing worn by officials serving inside the assembly hall.

The fabric looked expensive.

The tailoring was perfect.

But the man did not seem interested in drawing attention.

He walked calmly into the hall.

The guards at the entrance did not stop him.

Several representatives turned.

Then the entire atmosphere changed.

Mia looked up.

For the first time that day, her cold expression disappeared.

Her eyes widened.

"Zero?"

He had returned.

Quietly.

Without announcement.

Without ceremony.

Without anyone knowing that he had arrived in the capital.

And the moment Mia saw him, everything else in the hall became irrelevant.

She stood.

The representatives around her looked surprised.

Zero noticed her.

Then smiled faintly.

Mia moved.

She crossed the distance between them faster than anyone expected.

And before Zero could say anything, she threw her arms around him.

The hall became silent.

Completely silent.

Zero froze.

Mia held him tightly.

For a moment, she did not care who was watching.

She had not seen him since the battle.

She had spent weeks believing he might have died.

Even after learning that his body had been found, she had not known whether he would wake up.

And now he was standing in front of her.

Alive.

The sight of him caused something inside her to break.

Her usual composure disappeared.

Her cold demeanor vanished.

She pressed her face against his shoulder.

"You came back."

Zero blinked.

"Yeah."

His voice was quiet.

Mia held him tighter.

"You’re late."

"I was busy."

"You almost died."

"I’ve done that before."

Her arms tightened around him.

"Don’t joke about that."

Zero smiled slightly.

But beneath the smile, Mia sensed something.

His body was not completely healed.

His mana was hidden perfectly.

But she could still feel the difference.

The rhythm of his breathing.

The slight tension in his muscles.

The way he stood.

Zero had recovered enough to move.

But he had not fully recovered.

Mia knew.

And seeing him standing there still made her happy.

So happy that she forgot about everyone watching.

Everyone except Zero.

The entire observer gallery had gone silent.

The representatives had gone silent.

The guards had gone silent.

And William—

William stared.

The smile had disappeared from his face.

He had seen Mia reject him.

He had seen her ignore him.

He had seen her remain cold toward everyone.

But he had never seen her look at someone like that.

Never.

His followers were equally shocked.

One of them whispered.

"Is that..."

"Who is he?"

Another stared at Zero’s clothing.

"He looks like one of the officials."

William’s expression darkened.

Then Zero noticed him.

For a moment, their eyes met.

And the past returned.

Ace Academy.

Etheron City.

The Elven Kingdom.

Every time William had attempted to prove his superiority.

Every time Zero had humiliated him without even trying.

Every time William had been forced to realize that Zero was stronger than him.

The memories returned like old wounds.

William’s jaw tightened.

He had thought time would erase them.

It had not.

And now Zero had appeared again.

Standing in front of Mia.

Being embraced by her.

The embarrassment returned.

And this time, it was worse.

Because everyone was watching.