As many feared and protested, it was humanity itself that brought about their near mass extinction.
Even now, Julius found it surreal.
To live a life built on false pretenses, false expectations, and false promises, only to end as one of the major families responsible for humanity's downfall, was a truth that fell bitterly on him.
"Julius Sebastian Schneider."
"Yes."
"Any last words?"
"…."
A bitter smile crept across Julius's face. The man before him wasn't even a powerful commander of the Revolution Army but a nameless individual with a forgettable face.
For one of the aristocrats hailed as the incompetent patriarch of the Schneider family, one of the leading houses behind magi-tech engineering's rise, the family that had once preached its benefits for humanity's future, to now kneel before the blade of a nobody, it was nothing short of humiliating.
It was all but a futile display from the Revolutionary Army. Humanity was on the brink of extinction, and in their desperation for vengeance, they condemned every family involved, slaughtering men, women, and children alike, if only to soothe their rage.
"Then die—"
"Your name?"
"…."
The blade stopped just an inch from Julius's neck as he spoke.
"Michael."
"Michael, I see."
Julius's crimson eyes gleamed, staring intently at the young man.
"I'll see you in hell, Michael."
A sneer tugged at Julius's lips. Even after all these years, his arrogance refused to die.
A young master would always be a young master.
And if there was anything left for him, it was the pride of nobility.
Slash——
Just like that, Julius's life flashed before his eyes.
[Rollback Initializing…]
* * *
The smell of smoke from burning coal and the metallic stench of mana exhaust wafted in the air.
"February 11, 2149."
A young man with a refined and delicate face sat on a bench under the neon glow of the cityscape. His long, golden blonde hair fluttered freely, untied, as the wind breezed past.
His crimson eyes thoroughly scanned the glowing screen of his phone, reading each line.
[Dream Industries unveils progress on artificial magic circuits.]
[Gerald Fritz Fischer of the Fischer family voices their denunciation of such technology, stating, "Artificial circuits compromise the very foundation of magic itself."]
It was nothing surprising.
"The date aligns…"
The Fischer family was one of the oldest pure-blood mage lineages in the Capital and had long since defended the sanctity of sorcery against industrial encroachment.
"They won't be able to stop it."
It was futile. The Fischer family would one day cross the line, and when they did, they would be erased from history by Dream Industries.
Such was the power of a collective that already held near control over the world.
"It seems I've really come back…"
The very concept of regression was difficult to digest. Even now, Julius found it hard to believe.
When he had first awakened, he ran away from home in disbelief and wandered the streets as he tried to make sense of his current reality.
Eventually, he found himself in some random district of the Capital.
——Young Master. It's dangerous to wander at this hour, especially in a place like this.
A voice echoed from the shadows. Of course, they had found him. The Schneider Patriarch was nothing if not meticulous when it came to his children.
"It's been a long time, Gabriel," Julius said.
"Pardon?"
From behind, a man stepped into view. It was Gabriel Ludwig Dieterich, his personal retainer.
'Though for you, it should have been only hours since we've last seen each other.'
Despite Gabriel's aloof demeanor, Julius could see the confusion in his face.
'I really did travel back twenty-one years in the past.'
To that godforsaken time, 2149.
"I thought you had gone ahead to meet with the Lady of the Vergissmeinnicht Family," Gabriel remarked. "Turns out you're loitering around again."
"…."
At the mention of that name, Julius began to reminisce.
That was right. At this point in his life, he still had a fiancée. An older woman from the Vergissmeinnicht family, a century-old merchant house that had prospered even before the great industrial magic revolution.
"You speak too freely, Gabriel. Should I cut that tongue of yours off?"
"It's the Master's orders."
"Right, right. Whatever. So, I'm supposed to meet her today?"
"Did you forget your dinner appointment?"
"I suppose I did," Julius murmured. "Where is it being held?"
"The Blue Pillar Pavilion," Gabriel replied. "The Lady has already arrived. If we delay further, it will reflect poorly on the family's name."
Julius chuckled. 'The family's name.' How many times had he heard that in his first life? An empty phrase, a shield used by his father to justify his every command.
"Though I suppose that sort of matter is nothing to you," Gabriel added.
"…I really ought to cut out your tongue."
"Before you do, Young Master, at least do something about your hair. I almost thought you were a woman."
"…."
Now that he thought about it, Gabriel's impression of him was understandable.
At this point in his life, Julius was nothing more than the haughty young master of the Schneider family who indulged in momentary pleasures and carnal desires, flaunted his wealth and status while never caring for the consequences of his actions, convinced that his bloodline made him unstoppable.
"Lead the way, you shitty retainer."
They entered the car. Moments later, the vehicle came into motion. In the back seat, neon light from the city flashed across Julius's face.
Remembering something, he turned away from the scenery and glanced at the rearview mirror where Gabriel's reflection stared back at him.
"Ah. Before we get there, stop by a flower shop."
* * *
"I'm nervous…"
Arriving at the restaurant, Julius let his eyes wander across the room. And there she was. Her hair, pink as cherry blossoms, cascaded gracefully down her shoulders.
Sitting with a serene expression, in Julius's eyes, she was the very epitome of demure.
"…."
Julius froze when their eyes met. Hers were as blue as the rarest indigo gems.
"…."
Yet for the briefest of moments, he could have sworn her brows twitched into a frown.
"Ah, right."
This woman absolutely despised him.
Nevertheless, Julius approached her table a few moments later with a bouquet of fresh blue flowers in his hands.
"How have you been, Lady Aiseline?"
Aiseline Lieselotte Vergissmeinnicht, a musician and the fiancée of the Schneider family's second son, Julius.
"I have. Thank you for asking, and I appreciate you coming all this way, Sir Julius."
Her words were polite, but there was no warmth in her gaze. Julius offered the bouquet, setting it before her.
"These are for you."
Aiseline graciously accepted the flowers. However, upon noticing what kind of flowers they were, her brows raised.
"These are…"
"Forget-me-nots."
"…Y-Yes?" Aiseline looked genuinely flustered.
To Aiseline, the flowers held significant relevance. They were a symbol correlating to her family's history. The Vergissmeinnicht name itself dated back centuries, originating from the very flower in her delicate hands.
Julius knew that. He also understood the meaning they held. In the past, he had been consumed with an obsession for Aiseline.
So much so that he pressured her family until they were on the brink of bankruptcy. In the end, he took hold of their debts himself and bound them to the Schneider family, forcing her into an engagement she could never refuse.
Out of jealousy toward her peers, Julius went even further. He sabotaged the careers of those around her, isolating Aiseline and destroying her own reputation as a musician.
Because of several incidents, her peers began to distance themselves, too afraid of the Schneider family's influence to remain close to her.
"Let's end this, Lady Aiseline."
"Ah?"
"The time I spent with you was one of the greatest moments of my life. But I also know it was anything but pleasant for you."
"…."
Julius's eyes lowered to the bouquet. "I hope you understand that, despite my intentions, my feelings for you have always been genuine from the very start."
Aiseline could only stare back at him in shock.
Julius's lips curled into a bitter smile. Hypocritical words, he knew, for the time she had spent with him might as well have been the worst years of her life.
Nevertheless, humans were creatures of eternal greed. Regression did not erase that notion. To return to the past did not mean the very essence of what made one human had changed.
'To you, whom I have wronged out of my obsession.'
'You, who in a future yet to come, died because you were bound to me…'
'I will not allow such a fate to repeat.'
'Especially now, knowing what I intend to do.'
Julius turned away. They were in a VIP room of the restaurant, secluded enough that no one would witness the exchange, and Aiseline would not be shamed.
"I know I ask for too much. But please, don't hate me too much—"
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"I don't understand what's happening," Aiseline said. "But… at least stay for a while. My father is coming, so—Ah, father!"
"…?"
Julius turned and saw Aiseline's father had already arrived, walking toward them.
"Oh."
How awkward.