I had the wrong idea. The terror was not delayed because the nobles were arrested. The cause was Elysia coming to the cabin during that process.
"Jern? What is wrong?"
"It is nothing."
I saved my words. A connection to the Red Lotus, of course there is one. Was something implanted in her when she was kidnapped and Wihwa made her see dreams?
Then why did they not do it to Aletus? That would have been faster. ... I do not know.
I met Sharmia’s gaze, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression. It was to avoid suspicion. All my future possibilities reached this fact.
The reason they hid it from the princess was...
"Sharr. It is not yet certain, but what will you do when you find the cause?"
"Well, I will have to take care of it, will I not?"
"It will not be something you can do so easily."
I asked the question, carefully studying her expression.
"The nobles I investigated were all from renowned families with some influence in the capital."
"If their family heads are helping the Red Lotus, even a princess would not be able to handle it easily."
"Ah, so that is what you were worried about."
Sharmia took a sip of her black tea and smiled gently.
"Yes, it is certainly not an easy task... but it is possible."
"How so?"
"I just need to swiftly cut out the family head who is the cause, and then blame it on the Red Lotus."
"... Is such a thing possible?"
"Yes."
A short answer. I saw the conviction contained within it.
"Do you have to kill them? What I mean is, since it does not seem to be of their own will, I thought perhaps isolating them would be enough."
"It would be best if it could be solved that way..."
She had already finished her peculiar words, resting her chin on her hand.
"The future does not tolerate uncertain interference."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It is what happens when one cannot see the result. Suppose I have a future where I am assassinated and die, and in that process, I saw myself drinking poisoned wine. What would be the best course of action?"
"Would it not be enough to not drink the wine?"
"Sometimes that solves it, and sometimes it does not. On the contrary, there are also absurd cases where the result of assassination occurs precisely because I did not drink the wine."
Sharmia seemed lost in thought, as if speaking from experience.
"The only way to eliminate such things is, in the end, a certain end."
"And that is..."
"The elimination of the cause, finding the person who poisoned the wine, who is preparing to rush out with a dagger for any unforeseen circumstances."
She said, then smiled bitterly.
"With the capital of the Empire at stake, I can afford even less to be lenient. I cannot choose an uncertain measure like isolation."
Is that so. I too smiled faintly and brought the black tea to my lips. This is why I did not say it.
It was obvious what would happen the moment I told the princess that Elysia was the cause. Of course, I have no intention of sacrificing the capital for one Elysia. No matter how much she is my retirement fund, there is a line one must draw.
However.
She should at least be given a chance to struggle. If I do not grant even that, I cannot adhere to the way of life I have chosen. I stood up and placed a coin next to the cup.
"Will you tell me your guess?"
"I am sorry. It seems I need a bit more information. I will tell you when I am more certain."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. I am serious."
"Then I suppose it cannot be helped."
An exchange of smiles, and I left the teahouse first.
"Excuse me."
As soon as I reached the alley, I clenched my teeth and ran. Sharmia said she had spoken with me for a long time. In that case, she must have noticed from our conversation just now that I was trying to hide something.
The background check that would begin from that, before it reaches Elysia, would take a day or two at most. That was the time I had left.
Sharmia smiled until Jern's back, leaving the teahouse, disappeared from view. After he had completely vanished, and even after five more minutes had passed. She stared outside with a fixed expression until the server brought a new cup of tea.
"Huu."
After that, she let out a sigh and relaxed. Then she looked up at the server and asked.
"By any chance, was I trembling?"
"No, your breathing did not falter for even a single moment."
"That is a relief."
Click.
The face of the server collecting the cup in front of Sharmia was beautiful beyond that of a simple teahouse employee. Skin so translucent it was unreal, a lush cascade of blonde hair, and eyes and eyelashes like a doll handcrafted by a master artisan. As one might stare, lost in thought, Sharmia soon murmured softly.
"... Looking at you like this, you are very pretty. You should thank your parents."
"Indeed, that is so."
The server, who affirmed with a bow of her head, soon looked silently in the direction Jern had left.
"Shall I send someone to follow him?"
"Do not."
"Yes."
There was no question. To those who knew, Sharmia's words were truth, an oracle. Literally, all subjects of the Empire owed their lives to her.
Yet Sharmia herself, like any woman in her early twenties, made a fuss with a carefree smile as if she had no worries in the world.
"I could not say it in front of him, but is he not incredibly cute? For someone so young, his expression is always sullen, he is skilled at hiding his thoughts, and it feels like I am talking to a worn-out old monster from the political world."
Sharmia's escort knight, Karos, swallowed dryly. It was not easy to suppress the desire to ask why she would find such a thing cute.
"I keep wanting to bite him and pat his head. I should not... Is this what it would feel like to have a younger brother?"
"With all due respect-" Nevertheless, there was something that had to be expressed.
"I still judge that it would be better to kill him."
Filled with killing intent, she glared in the direction Jern had disappeared. His lingering presence remained. If the order were given, it would not even take two minutes to follow and behead him.
If only the order were given.
"Hmm..."
Sharmia leaned back in her chair with a slightly troubled expression.
"Of course, that is one of the options."
"In that case."
"But no." A refusal.
Karos stepped back, tasting bitter defeat once more. Sharmia, watching this with a bitter expression, added as if apologizing.
"I am sorry. But the very fact that a conversation is possible with 'something like that' is, to me, more fascinating and something I want to investigate more than anything. If I can, I must. No matter what, I want to secure his cooperation."
"Please, do as you wish. I will follow any command."
"Thank you for understanding."
Sharmia, who expressed her gratitude with a bow, picked up the black tea that Jern had been drinking. Steam was rising from it. Jern had lifted the cup to his lips several times, but the level of the liquid in the cup had not changed at all.
He had only touched it to his lips and not swallowed. A correct judgment. However, Sharmia's face turned sullen.
"This is the 349th time. He still will not drink it."
I tried my best to brew it. There is no poison in it... Sharmia, feeling it was a waste, took a sip.
Slurp.
"Hmm..."
Tasting it, she thought that he might have suspected it was poisoned.
"Hey, what, what is this? You thief, give me back my horse!"
"We are the princess's direct escort unit."
"Here is a saddle as well. We wish you a comfortable journey."
I borrowed the fastest horse from a nearby stable and galloped to the cabin. I had no skill in horsemanship to speak of, but by reading the horse's muscles with Tide Sense as I rode, I was able to arrive much faster than if I had just run.
Brimdal was not there, seemingly gone to gather wood, and I kicked the door open. Inside the cabin, Elysia, who had been lazing around on the bed reading a book, brightened up when she saw me.
"Oh, Jern?"
Smiling brightly.
Forgetting the situation, I felt a pang of pity for a moment. My own life has been eventful, but this girl, Elysia, her mother passed away when she was young, she was bullied, she was captured and nearly killed, and then something was implanted in her to bring things to this point.
It went beyond feeling sorry for her; I wondered if the world itself was not bearing down on this girl. I had the smiling Elysia sit down in a chair.
"Jern?"
I asked the bewildered Elysia with a slightly serious expression.
"Sorry for the suddenness, but I am going to ask a few questions, and I would like you to answer them."
"Questions? Why all of a sudden?"
"Just... curious?"
It would be better to hide the truth about her situation. As I thought this and spoke, Elysia nodded her head.
"Okay!"
As soon as I got her agreement, I asked my questions.
"Have you been sick anywhere recently? Your body, I mean."
"Nn, not at all."
"Any interest in arson? Any impulse to burn everything in the world?"
"I have not thought of that!"
"Any thoughts of monsters becoming friendly and wanting to call them to the capital."
"... Did, did I do something wrong?"
Elysia asked with an anxious face.
"No. It is not like that..."
It seemed Elysia herself was truly unaware of anything. And I too, no matter how I looked at her, did not see Elysia as one of the fallen ones. Conversely, if she were one of the fallen ones, there is no way I would not have known while living with her during that time.
Looking into her confused eyes, a certain fact suddenly came to mind. What happened to Elysia when she was captured was- "...
Dreams."
"Huh?"
"Have you had any strange dreams lately?"
"Umm... I do not think so?"
Elysia said after thinking for a moment. If it is not even dreams, then what is it? As I was considering other possibilities, Elysia added as if she had remembered something.
"Come to think of it, I really have not been dreaming."
"You have not been dreaming?"
"Yeah. Lately, even when I sleep, it feels like I just wake up right away. When I told Dad, he said it is because I am going through a growth spurt."
Not dreaming at all. I was certain. I sat down next to Elysia without a word.
At that, Elysia was surprised and her eyes went wide.
"??"
"What is it?"
"Well, the thing is, today is my day off."
It was a lie, but whatever. I decided to explain later.
"I felt bad that I said I would visit every day last time and could not."
"Uh, huh? I had already forgotten..."
"Still, I have time today, so should we go out for a bit? Ah, of course, if you have something you need to do-" Before I could even finish my sentence, Elysia nodded her head.
"I do not! Let us go out!"
How quick.
It was tough keeping up with a child's stamina, but I somehow managed to last until nightfall.
"Haaam..."
We could not go to the capital, so we went up and down the mountain about five times. By the time we returned to the cabin, we were both exhausted. When Elysia came out after washing up, yawning and showing signs of fatigue, I guided her to her room.
"Sorry, I guess I kept you for too long."
"It is okay, I am not tired, really..."
"No, you are. Look at the time already."
I looked out the window. It was a pitch-black night.
"Let us talk about the rest tomorrow. Sleep well."
"Okay..."
Elysia, rubbing her eyes, lay down on the bed, and I opened the door and left. Of course, I did not leave. Leaning against a nearby wall, I felt Elysia's heartbeat with Tide Sense.
Until her breathing stabilized and she entered a state of complete sleep. After that, I carefully opened the door and entered the room.
"Elysia."
I called her name, not intending to wake her. Naturally, there was no reply, so I spoke in a slightly colder tone.
"Well, should I call you Wihwa for you to answer?"
"Right. Wihwa is dead. Then I suppose I should call you mass."
The moment those words fell, Elysia, who had shot up, threw a nearby vase. I dodged it by tilting my head lightly. The girl leaped in front of me in a single bound and aimed for my neck with a shard of glass.
It was all within my expectations. There were limits to what a young girl's body could do, so I dodged it easily.
"Keuk-!"
That was her last struggle. I bound her tightly with water pressure, then forced her into a chair and tied her with ropes this time. So she could not move a single fingertip.
When the binding was complete, Elysia, with a sullen expression, looked up at me and muttered.
"Tsk, things have gotten complicated."
Someone else, with Elysia's voice. It was disgusting. I was about to slap her cheek but realized that it too was Elysia's body, so I just gave her a look of contempt.
"So you were really in there, you son of a bitch. Get out of there right now."
"I will go if you answer my question. How did you know? I mean, about my ability..."
"You mean Wihwa? I killed him for sure. But there is another guy who uses the same ability, and as far as I remember, there was one bastard on your side who could transform into other people."
I looked down at the bound Elysia and threatened her.
"Mass. It was more of a designation than a name, so I could not forget it."
"Do you think you can act like that? You know whose body I am in right now!"
The sly-faced Elysia, no, mass, attempted to bite its tongue. It had no real intention of biting it off. It was just a performance to seize the initiative in the conversation.
I did not allow it.
"I know."
"...!"
Its teeth stopped before they could reach its tongue. The mass, with a flustered expression, tried to close its jaw, but it only trembled as if fixed in place with a nail. Before long, I released it.
Without any restrictions. This too was a performance to seize the initiative in the conversation.
"Try again."
I never thought I would use the enhanced precision of my Tide Sense in a place like this. Showing its teeth, biting its tongue—I was several times faster at stopping all those movements. After trying several times and being blocked each time, the mass stared at me as if dumbfounded.
"What kind of world is this? I cannot even see it when I am this close."
"A place where the likes of you are a thousand years too early to poke your head into."
"... Alright, so you have got some skills, huh? Then make a choice with that great world of yours. Either kill this girl you care so much about, or let me go."
The mass confidently forced an ultimatum. My answer was to raise my middle finger.
"No, there is no need for that. Why should I? All I have to do is wait, and you will disappear on your own."
"You are quite good at wishful thinking. Is there any reason I have to leave this body?"
"There is. Using that ability means you are also experiencing the burden."
"His burden was absolutely dreadful. I do not know how long you can last. If you want to bet your life on a mere battle of wills, then go right ahead."
I sat in the chair across from it and watched the mass in silence.
"I will wait until you leave. And when you do, it will be my turn to come find you."
"... Uahahaha! You, coming to find me?"
The mass, wearing Elysia's face, sneered, its lips twisting wide.
"What can you do when you find me? Against us?"
"Not us. You."
I brought my finger to the mass's forehead.
"This whole thing, it was your decision alone, was it not? Something you decided and planned by yourself, without the help of the other members."
"What are you talking about? How would you know that?"
"Your superior came to get me."
The Red Lotus said they had no intention of acting right away. They had already achieved their goal, so they said they had no intention of causing unnecessary conflict. I do not believe those words at face value.
However, it is true that they were serious about scouting me. The pearl-type restorative pill I received is actually a great help. More importantly, what Suirak explained made sense and was logical.
This situation is not.
"There is no benefit for you guys in doing something like this. You have already achieved your objective, so you are going to cause another ruckus in the capital just to get caught?"
"When you should be putting all your effort into expanding your influence?"
"It is too foolish to be a decision made by the organization. It is not that foolish organizations do not exist, but this is not a decision on the level you guys would make."
"The possibility of it being a simple personal deviation is too high. Well, it is a gathering of the fallen ones, so I guess it is unlikely that the chain of command would be properly followed... But among them, you seem to be an extreme hedonist. Am I wrong?"
"... Hehe."
When I spoke with conviction, the mass gave a bizarrely wide grin. Seeing it do that with Elysia's face made me even more furious.
"If you know that much, well, excuses are useless. That is right. I did it alone."
"I saw the dream fragments Wihwa left in this brat's head and I just could not stand it."
"Curious about the other reasons? I can tell you just because it is so impressive."
"I do not particularly need to hear them. The order was to stand by, and that is boring. It will be some moronic reason like that."
"... Uha, uhahaha! You! I like you. Do you really have no intention of joining the Red Lotus?"
The mass grinned slyly, but I maintained a blank expression.
"I told you. I will come find you."
"And what will you do when you find me?"
"Because bastards like you are hard to predict."
It acts according to its immediate whims. It is a single sentence, but because of that, it will continue to do things like this. Unlike the Red Lotus, which has a clear objective, it will carry out unpredictable acts of terror.
This time, Elysia was within reach, so it used her, but if she was not there, I cannot even imagine what it would use. Unpredictable variables are a hindrance to my survival.
"Just wash your neck and wait. I do not know about the Red Lotus, but you, I will have to kill."