Reborn To Master Time

“Before we discuss that, I have a question. There’s a rumor floating around that’s got me very curious, so I wanted to know: Hiro, are you scared of the Dragon Princess?”

Aurora Dragnok, famously known as the ‘Dragon Princess.’

Asking such a question wouldn’t even qualify as a joke to most people. It would make you sound like a complete idiot. It’s like asking if an ant would die if you took the tallest building in the world and smacked the ant ten thousand times with it. The comparison was simply absurd. Yet, in that office, the words left the Giant Killer’s mouth with all seriousness.

“Is there a reason you want to know whether or not I could beat that brat?” The man in sunglasses—or Hiro, as they called him—asked, glancing at the Giant Killer, who seemed amused by the question.

The Dragon Princess was young compared to the other powerhouses, but calling her a 'brat' seemed a bit disrespectful. The Giant Killer thought about this as he spoke again.

“Okay, don’t say you heard it from me, but I recently caught wind of a rumor that says you were threatened never to leave this city, or else that girl would hunt you down and kill you.” The Giant Killer's words were deliberately provocative, making sure to reach the right ears.

“She’s obviously just bluffing. She doesn’t stand a chance against Hiro,” a soft voice cut in from the side. A girl with pink twin-tails was staring at the Giant Killer, but as if she had triggered a landmine, the Giant Killer gave a sly smile.

Although he claimed to have recently heard the rumor, he was actually among the first to learn about it, courtesy of a [False Peace] member who leaked the information to him. Since the rumor hadn’t spread widely at the time, he kept quiet about it. But to his surprise, about two months ago, it suddenly began circulating in the underworld and even reached the ears of ordinary citizens. Since there wasn’t an official statement from the Dragnoks, everyone assumed it was just gossip.

“I see, so it’s really true?” the Giant Killer said, turning to Hiro after hearing Eva’s rebuttal. Hiro sighed and glanced at Eva.

She looked confused for a moment, then as if she'd just realized her mistake, she covered her mouth—far too late. And just like that, her slip-up confirmed the truth of the rumor. The Giant Killer had banked on Eva’s instinct to defend her leader, making sure to exaggerate his words to trick her into validating the rumor. Seeing this, Hiro simply brushed it off and returned his attention to the Giant Killer.

“I wouldn’t say it’s true, but what does that have to do with the war in Eza?” Hiro shot back, trying to change the subject.

“You see, the war’s been going on for a while now. I thought when you got involved you would be going after the leader’s head, but here you are, as relaxed as ever, letting your henchmen do all the work,” the Giant Killer explained, studying Hiro’s reaction, which gave nothing away.

When rumors about [False Peace] intervening in the war began to surface, world leaders publicly condemned their involvement, warning soldiers and citizens not to accept aid from those 'criminals'. However, many of them secretly hoped Hiro would take charge and eliminate the Demon Lord behind the invasion. But unfortunately, that never happened.

“I don’t think my presence is necessary. I have my best men on the front lines fighting for the people, so that should be enough,” Hiro said. His voice sounded genuine, but the Giant Killer wasn’t convinced.

“Fighting for the people, huh? So, saving talented children and famous prisoners is considered fighting for the people now? That sounds more like a recruitment program to me.” The Giant Killer retorted. To most, False Peace’s efforts seemed noble, but a closer look at the statistics of those they saved, and the locations they appeared in, revealed a more unsettling pattern.

“We’re doing our best to save as many as we can. But war is unpredictable, you know,” Hiro replied, his tone still sounding sincere, though whether he truly meant it was anyone’s guess.

‘an investor’—when the greatest tactician the world had ever seen was asked to describe Hiro, his character, values, beliefs, and goals, she submitted an extensive 500-page report with the first page containing just two words, and the rest of the 499 pages were completely blank.

The report sparked a frenzy among the people. Some argued that the lack of a full stop at the end of the statement was some kind of clue, and yet, when they studied through the rest of the document, searching for hidden meanings, nothing came up. Others argued that point, saying that she didn't use any punctuation, and therefore the lack of a full stop didn't mean anything, while others further speculated that her decision not to use punctuation was also a deliberate message. But despite countless theories, no one could figure it out. The debate raged on, even to this day.

Looking at the man in sunglasses, the Giant Killer decided not to waste time deciphering him. At the end of the day, Hiro was just as human as anyone else.

“Well, I guess if you say so. But you see, people think you’re not interfering because you’re scared of the Dragon Princess.” The Giant Killer pressed, smiling at Hiro, who remained unbothered.

“That’s obviously false,” Hiro bluntly replied, his tone calm. Sensing an opportunity, the Giant Killer continued.

“Oh? Then is it because of the Demon Lord? If I’m not mistaken, he’s of elven blood, so I wouldn’t blame you if you’re worried you might lose.”

Hearing this, Hiro simply shrugged, as if the comment held no weight.

Among all the demon races, the elves possessed the highest mana capacity compared to the other races, and because of this, an elf who reached the level of Demon Lord—the highest rank in the demon hierarchy—was a force to be feared. This rank was often compared to S-ranks from the human side, but on the demon continent, the title meant more than just power. And yet…

“None of the current Demon Lords are a match for me. Demon Lord Serentt is certainly in a league of his own even among his fellow Lords, but there’s no doubt I would still win,” Hiro explained, his tone and expression unwavering. If anyone else had made such a bold claim, the Giant Killer would've immediately called them out, but even he had a feeling this man wasn’t lying.

“I see. So, if that’s the case, it means the reason you’re not joining the battlefield has nothing to do with either the Dragon Princess or the Demon Lords. Is that right?” The Giant Killer pressed, making sure Hiro confirmed his own words. Hiro nodded in response, and the Giant Killer continued.

“Well, if that’s really the case, then I wouldn’t mind helping you out for a while. But I have one condition.” He raised a finger, and Hiro’s face seemed to brighten as he asked,

“What’s the condition?”

“I’ll only fight in the war for one year, but my condition is that you’ll personally escort me to the Kingdom of Eza and drop me off at your henchmen’s campsite.” The Giant Killer's words caused the tension in the room to rise as Hiro fell silent. Everyone understood what the Giant Killer was trying to do, but they remained quiet, waiting for Hiro’s response.

Since Hiro had claimed that his absence from the war had nothing to do with the Dragon Princess’ threat, it implied he could go to the battlefield whenever he wanted.

The Giant Killer could’ve said, ‘You will also have to participate in the war,’ as a condition for his involvement in the war, but instead, he chose a seemingly simple condition: ‘Drop me off at the battlefield, and I’ll work for you.’ He deliberately made the deal less favorable to himself in order to trap Hiro into revealing his cards.

If Hiro rejected the offer, it would mean his claims of not fearing the Dragon Princess were completely false. The Giant Killer also purposefully avoided attaching a specific date to the deal, rendering excuses like ‘being too busy’ invalid, since he never mentioned they had to leave immediately. Rejecting such an advantageous offer would suggest that even the simple act of escorting the Giant Killer to Eza wasn’t worth securing a powerful ally, which could only be true if the first claim—that Hiro wasn’t afraid—was a lie.

“Then I guess I’ll take you up on that offer,” Hiro finally replied, opting for the safest course of action—one that still kept him in control of the conversation without revealing any of his cards.

Since the Giant Killer’s goal was to force a confrontation between Hiro and the Dragon Princess, one might have thought this was checkmate. But the Giant Killer wasn’t fully satisfied. When dealing with Hiro, one had to assume everything he said or did was planned in advance.

He might’ve been the one who spread that rumor to bait me into working for him, the Giant Killer thought as he continued to study Hiro. It was concerning that the rumor had suddenly started circulating when it was supposed to be known only by members of [False Peace]. But going that far just to recruit him seemed absurd.

“I’m sure it goes without saying that we’ll be traveling by car,” the Giant Killer added, no longer hiding his true intention. It would have been an anticlimactic outcome if they simply teleported to the battlefield, giving the Dragon Princess no time to react to Hiro’s movements.

“Nothing wrong with that. We can even walk there if you want,” Hiro replied calmly, which only increased the Giant Killer’s unease. The more Hiro spoke, the less the Giant Killer trusted his own judgment. It felt as if Hiro was inside his head, influencing every word he said while making it seem like he was in control.

“Then we’ll head there the moment I fully recover,” the Giant Killer stated, and Hiro smiled as he nodded.

I’ll take the risk, the Giant Killer thought to himself. For him, witnessing a clash between Hiro and the Dragon Princess was worth more than a year of his freedom. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do at the moment, so he didn’t mind the offer.

“How long?” Hiro suddenly asked, turning to the doctor who was quietly healing the Giant Killer. After a few moments of examining him, the doctor finally answered,

“One week. I have to be at the Academy by tomorrow, so he’ll have to come with me to Loverock.” The doctor explained, and Hiro nodded. Since he was returning to the academy, he would need to seal his stats again, which would significantly slow down the healing process. Hearing this, the Giant Killer smiled.

“Loverock, huh? A lot of people are after my head in that city; you might as well give me a gun to shoot myself in the head,” he scoffed. Loverock was home to many influential clans in the empire, and walking into that place was like entering enemy territory—especially for the Giant Killer, who had killed many of their members over the years.

“You have these two with you. I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Hiro said, gesturing to the doctor and the pink-haired girl with a nod.

“So my only protection is a doctor and an impulsive brat from preschool. What could go wrong?” The Giant Killer scoffed again, causing the pink-haired girl to step forward.

“I don’t think I’m suited to protect this man,” she said, her expression calm. Hiro, however, understood her intentions. He wasn’t being serious with the suggestion in the first place since he knew the two of them would need to be at the academy most of the time, so they couldn’t actively protect the Giant Killer during school hours.

“I’ll call in a favor from someone in the city, so you don’t need to worry about protection. Just make sure you’re fully prepared to leave as soon as you recover,” Hiro said and the Giant Killer nodded, reassured by Hiro's words alone.

With the conversation concluded, the Giant Killer finally stood up. His body was in better condition on the outside, but there was still much to do before he could return to his top form.

“I’ll monitor the situation at the academy, but make sure to call me if anything changes,” the doctor said as he prepared to leave and Hiro nodded in response.

“And try not to be too hard on her,” Hiro added, causing the doctor to take a quick glance at Eva before nodding and walking out. She froze for a moment, trying to decipher the meaning behind Hiro's words, before hastily following the doctor.

‘Even if everyone in [False Peace] was a weak F-rank knight, we would still have the world at our fingertips. Do you know why that is?’ she recalled one of the members asking her when she had first joined. To this day, she wasn’t sure she had the right answer. She was tempted to say “intelligence,” but that felt too shallow.

Absolute strength and superior intelligence—those were the two key factors that led to their prosperity. Without their absolute strength, they couldn’t exercise their authority over others, and without their intelligence, they couldn’t effectively wield that authority. But this understanding contradicted what the member had said. If absolute strength were removed, their superior intelligence alone wouldn’t carry them far, which meant there was another factor beyond those two.

What could it be? she wondered, leaving the room with the others and leaving Hiro alone.

As the door closed, Hiro stared at it for a while before speaking.

“How are the preparations coming along?” he asked.

At the same time, a dark, circular shadow emerged in the center of the room, and a voice came from within it.

“We had a few issues with information leaks, but we’re finished. We’ll move out as soon as you give the order,” a woman’s voice said.

Hiro nodded, pushed back his chair, and pulled a white cane from beneath his desk. He stood and slowly walked toward the window wall, bathed in sunlight—though none of it entered the room. He stopped when the tip of his cane touched the window and stared outside.

“An information leak, huh?” he muttered, though it seemed like a passing thought. He then continued,

“Then as the leader of [False Peace], I’m delegating leadership of the whole operation to you. Proceed with the plan as you see fit, but most importantly…”

He paused, and the voice from the shadow completed his thought.

“Right. I’ll come back alive,” the voice said, a mixture of admiration and respect in her tone. It was rare for Hiro to fully delegate leadership of an operation, and for the members of [False Peace], such an order meant only one thing: flexibility above everything. If it meant completely changing a plan they had worked on for over two months, it was merely a minor inconvenience.

With that, the shadow disappeared, taking with it any lingering sense of peace in the world, replacing it with something more artificial. Or, as some might say, a ‘false peace.’