January 11, 2020.

About a week has passed since I regressed to the past.

This is an extraordinary occurrence of which I have heard nothing before. The Kingdom is the same as I remember it—prosperous and vibrant.

The future I come from is not this hopeful and joyous.

I have to change things!

To document my progress, I have decided to write things down in this journal.

Hopefully, I will be able to save everyone before the Kingdom falls into ruin.

January 31, 2020.

After a few weeks of getting my bearings right and jotting down the major details of what I remember, I can confidently say that I have the perfect roadmap for success!

Surely, there must be a reason why I was chosen to return to the past.

This is an unprecedented achievement for humanity!

For starters, I have to learn as much as possible about mysticism. This situation is surely connected to the supernatural in some way. It also relates to the concept of time, so I must consume everything that is related to that field.

Back when I regressed, I remember hearing a few murmurs in my ears while images flashed in my mind. I don’t know what any of those words mean, but it would be foolish of me not to find out for myself and explore all possibilities.

Who knows? This could be a hint from the gods.

February 9, 2021.

Over a year has passed since I started keeping this journal, and I have discovered quite a few things that I wish to brush up on.

The strange murmurs I heard were surely up to something.

While the concepts of Demigod, Apotheosis, Pathways, Leaper, The Princes, Temporal Necrosis, and even Aego Marks have yet to surface in any material I have consulted, I believe I have made a breakthrough in other matters.

I managed to find another excerpt of the Rites of Exaltation!

It confirms my suspicions about the concept of ’time’ and the beings who control it.

—The Leviathans!

This is my biggest clue yet!

While the sources are a bit dubious, I believe I am on the right track to uncovering the mystery behind my regression. Hopefully, this also connects to many ways in which I can save the Kingdom from destruction.

April 27, 2021.

It has been over a month since I enrolled in the University, and I can confidently say that this is the best route to obtaining knowledge. Thanks to my family’s highly profitable business venture, and the hand I played in making sure we became even more prosperous than ever at this point in time, my tuition wasn’t an issue.

Still, I wanted to strive for excellence and ended up with a scholarship.

This life is truly different from the last.

I plan to study extensively in this place and consume all the knowledge that I can before traveling to other Kingdoms and doing the same.

There’s very little time left...

May 30, 2021.

I have been keeping tabs on the Randalorion Kingdom, just as I intended, and I have noticed certain interesting movements... especially from the man called Javier Aditi.

As I suspected, he was involved back then too.

His actions appear a little strange at this point in time, as he is only making waves in the Royal Academy of his Kingdom. However, on a deeper level, I noticed that he has his uncle running errands for him and investing in all kinds of businesses which will end up being profitable down the line.

He seems to know all the trends, and all of his business ventures have yet to fail.

It’s a shame he’s only operating on such a small scale.

Is this intentional?

I can’t help but wonder while I observe him some more!

July 15, 2021.

I received even more amazing news about the Randalorion Kingdom.

Its Royal Academy, in particular!

As expected, Javier Aditi was deeply involved in this matter.

Upon deeper investigation, I discovered the identity of the man responsible for all the chaos in the Academy. I believe his name is Alaric Duskryn, and it turns out he was a madman who was obsessed with ’becoming’ a Leviathan. That’s why he caused the so-called Randalorion Academy Incident.

This is fascinating, because I never knew one could ’become’ one.

What are the criteria for achieving this?

Is such a thing even possible... or is it just the rambling of a madman? I believe this requires further study.

Regardless, this has already put Javier Aditi on my radar.

I suspect he is something very special.

Could he actually be...?

December 19, 2023.

After years of grueling research and study, I have finally been able to connect some more dots.

I think I am getting closer to the truth.

It turns out that it might actually be possible to ’become’ one of ’Them’.

It is a process called Apotheosis.

I remember hearing murmurings like that when I regressed.

What could this mean?

Apparently, experiencing Apotheosis brings enlightenment somehow, and it is the qualitative difference between man and god. This is only one way to interpret it, but I still don’t know what Apotheosis entails.

Is it some kind of ritual?

After doing some digging, I already found out details of Alaric Duskryn’s experiments.

One of them involved a crazy ritual, but it didn’t work out well for him in the end. He just turned into a monster, and that is not what I am trying to achieve.

It appears this will require more experimentation.

December 12, 2024.

Now that I am done with University and have my qualifications, I am thinking of traveling to various parts of the Continent to gather as much information as possible.

Of course, I already have channels feeding me all kinds of information from the Kingdoms I already selected—such as Sarvosia, Randalorion, and the Great Shamahk Kingdom. I believe these three are the most relevant to the future I ended up witnessing.

All of them also entered ruin at some point in time.

To prevent that, and the eventual destruction of my Kingdom, I will have to work harder!

Yes! Everyone is counting on me!

October 21, 2025.

Having an education in many Kingdoms is exhausting, especially the commuting aspects of it.

The quality of education is also clearly inferior to my Kingdom’s.

But I have to put up with this.

In the end, no matter how exceptional the Grand University of Dustinville is, there will still be gaps in its knowledge. In order to truly fulfill my quest for the truth, I have to cover all bases. This also includes many folk tales and myths which I suspect are attributed to these mysterious entities known as the Leviathans.

I find the Thal’marian and Syl’vaen myths particularly compelling, though they differ from what I understand as a Nowe’arn. I have also become especially interested in Umbr’ithen myths, but they do not divulge such secrets to outsiders.

A shame...

June 1, 2027.

I knew it!

Javier Aditi is involved in something strange!

The Deep Winter Massacre that occurred in the Randalorion Kingdom is not as simple as I used to believe. I made sure to pay close attention to the details in this life, and it’s clear that there are some rather dubious elements involved.

And, amidst everything... is Javier Aditi!

Could he be a Leviathan?

It doesn’t seem like he is, but even if he isn’t, I suspect that he is deeply involved in such circles.

So should I approach him?

No, not yet.

It could be dangerous, too.

I think I should be smart about this and get more acquainted with the Randalorion Kingdom.

I know!

I’ll enroll in the Randalorion University and bide my time.

Hopefully, a chance to meet will surface at some point, and I will end up confirming my suspicions. Ah, also... my family’s wealth has increased so much in the past few years, and although I’ve tried to make my impact appear minuscule, it’s clear that my parents think of me as their kind of lucky charm.

I suspect this is why they allow me to do whatever I like.

Oh well, I won’t stop them from making any assumptions. I also won’t confirm or deny anything.

The secret of my regression must remain with me.

It’s better this way...

October 19, 2028.

Javier Aditi is actually coming here!

To the University of the Randalorion Kingdom!

It’s because of the staff retreat. Since he is a professor in the Royal Academy, he will be interacting with the professors of this University. Naturally, I have to attend this event. I am more than qualified to do so, so as long as I apply, it won’t be a problem.

I have been monitoring Javier’s behavior these past couple of months, and he has been up to rather suspicious things.

The Royal Family supports him, and so many political affairs revolve around him.

This wasn’t the case before the Deep Winter Massacre.

I think something more happened during that time.

Could that be related to the ’Apotheosis’ I have been learning so much about?

I’m pretty sure Javier could not have been a Leviathan before... but what about now?

Maybe he is already one!

October 29, 2028.

I met with Javier Aditi and even helped decipher his documents.

Needless to say, I think I’m on the right track.

Javier is a Leviathan!

There are no other explanations that can apply to all of the coincidences, as well as the many things I have noticed over the years.

But how did he become a Leviathan?

I think I’ll have to backtrack a little and study this man more deeply.

As for the message left behind by the actual founder of the Randalorion Kingdom, someone confirmed to be a Leviathan, I have so many thoughts on it!

This is all so fascinating!

What is most fascinating is the Pathways, which I didn’t fully understand before.

The Leviathan Ranks also intrigue me.

I can only guess that ’Demigod’ is one of those Ranks, and now I know ’Leaper’ is a Pathway according to the information contained in the document.

Also... there was a hidden message inside the document which I didn’t show Javier.

I couldn’t show it to him!

After all, this message was specially kept for someone who ’returned from the past’.

That person is me!

How did the founder of the Randalorion Kingdom know about my situation?

He has been dead for over a thousand years!

No... he was a Leviathan, so I can’t doubt it too much.

The message he left behind had a certain ’tone’ to it... one of both respect and camaraderie.

But a few things he said bother me... especially the one I was most shocked by.

That man, Sir Arthur Snow, seems to think that I am a Leviathan!

December 1, 2028.

I still haven’t recovered from the shock.

I have gone back to all my research materials and cross-referenced all I could.

Maybe... I actually am a Leviathan.

The act of returning to the past and starting life from scratch is truly a great sign involving time, and I believe it has something to do with the Leaper Pathway.

I may have been a Leviathan all along without realizing it.

But how do I tap into this power?

Why can’t I return to the past on my own?

Do I have to die first... like last time?

But what if it doesn’t work?

I don’t have the courage to end my own life just to prove a theory.

I can only wait.

Ah, also... the destruction of the Randalorion Kingdom in ’that’ incident is coming soon.

I will have to actively participate somehow and help Javier stop the masterminds behind the complete desecration of the Kingdom. Although I know he suspects me deeply and thinks I am up to no good, I truly want to help him.

Hopefully, this will set a foundation for even more collaborations in the future.

From one Leviathan to another.

January 5, 2029.

Grandfather died, and his will appointed my father as the head of the business.

The other family members are jealous, but they cannot protest since our family has provided the most value among everyone.

I suspect I will eventually take over the business once the time is right...

August 9, 2029.

I caught a cold, and I’m dreadfully sick.

To think that the mighty beings since ancient times, which I am partly certain I am one of, could contract such an illness.

This is so embarrassing...

December 10, 2029.

Javier is still very wary of me.

It won’t be easy gaining his trust, but I believe the abductions that are about to occur in the Randalorion Kingdom will pique his interest. He will soon reach out to me to help him out, and I will do my best to assist him.

I have already been gathering all the relevant information available.

In my past life, there were a lot of suspicious matters that came to light after the incident, so it wasn’t very difficult to gather them ahead of time.

Also, Javier somehow survived the destruction of the Randalorion Kingdom in my past life. He went missing after that, only later appearing in the Great Shamahk Kingdom and Dustinville before the great tragedy that occurred.

I wonder how different this second life will be...

*****

July 15, 2030

I’m glad I could be of help to Javier in stopping the tragedy.

The crisis was entirely averted, which is completely different from my past life.

What does this mean?

I actually saved the Randalorion Kingdom!

A single person, with insights into the future, prevented the downfall of an entire Kingdom.

This is a mighty power, but it also burdens me with a lot of responsibility.

Javier missed his window for enrolling into Dustinville’s University this year, which I was already certain of. He will be arriving next year.

That should be enough time for me to set certain things in order.

I hope he will trust me more and reveal more of his secrets. Maybe together, we will be able to prevent even more tragedies and save the world.

Although I am the one who regressed and possess a special power, I cannot access it.

It appears he can access his own Leviathan powers.

Together, we will surely achieve great things.

....

Regulus Heathcliff sighs as he puts down his pen.

He currently sits behind a deep brown mahogany table, his white hair slowly drifting as a result of the gentle breeze of the night.

Soft streaks of moonlight ooze into his vast room, and he lets its natural lighting bounce off his fair skin. With deep scarlet eyes that seem drenched in blood, and a handsome face that continues to burst with youthful exuberance, he casts his gaze on the letter on his desk.

It is the letter Javier Aditi sent to him, thanking him for all his help in the recently concluded Paranormal Abductions Investigation.

"Hehe... He has no idea how bad things would have gotten without me."

Regulus chuckles silently.

Naturally, he is used to things like this.

For example, with his family. If he never stepped in and covertly manipulated things from the shadows, they would not have been able to bask in so much wealth. Instead, they would have experienced decline at some point and would have been unable to fight against the great tragedy that would befall everyone a few years from now.

’However, thanks to my regression, my family has more power than ever before. Of course, this also benefits me since it enables me to investigate and solve matters more efficiently...’

Regulus thinks about all the things he has done.

Everything he has accomplished.

His heart nearly bursts with pride, and a pleasant feeling permeates his chest.

But he doesn’t let it distract him.

After all—

’...this is only the beginning!’

The Randalorion Kingdom Incident was the first major catastrophe he wanted to prevent.

Since the crisis has now been averted, it is certain that all other disasters can also be prevented or slightly mitigated if he interferes in just the right way.

’Next is Sarvosia. With the Randalorion Incident avoided, it’s highly doubtful that anything will happen to any of the neighboring Kingdoms. But I’ll still keep an eye out to make sure nothing unforeseen occurs.’

After thinking about all of this, he exhales heavily.

"It’s not easy being a regressor."

Most of his suspicions have already been confirmed by getting closer to Javier Aditi.

Many more will be unearthed when the latter arrives in Dustinville.

’There’s also the matter of me being a Leviathan. It’s unclear if I was one in my previous life and managed to return to the past due to that ability, or if I will awaken this great power within me at some point, but I will have to figure it out somehow...’

He casts his gaze to the night sky beyond his window and smiles.

Even though he still has many worries, and there is still much to uncover, he is temporarily satisfied with the current state of things.

After all—

"This is a reasonable development."

[A/N: Welcome to the Third Volume of Treatise of a Failed Knight. This volume will have a total of seven arcs, and we will kick things off with the introductory arc... Dustinville Arrival!]