The mass, which had been staring at me dumbfoundedly, finally let out a snort.
"Kill me... you say it so easily. That's something even I can't do."
"What?"
"Before we discuss killing or not killing— can't you tell that it's not over yet?"
The mass blinked its eyes. And, the Deep Sea trembled slightly. It wasn't a big tremor, but it was certain that this thing had done something.
"What did you do?"
"Who knows."
As I looked at the creature's vile smile, a thought suddenly struck me. If it could control Elysia while she slept, and if it could use Wihwa's ability— "That son of a bitch..." I immediately shot up from my seat.
More than a few people had fallen victim to that ability. Perhaps everyone near Elysia had been affected.
"Oh, you figured it out? But you're too late. You can't possibly find all the nobles I've touched in the time you have left."
The creature began to mock me, but I had no time for anger. I took out the communication sphere and gave a final threat.
"Do you really think it's impossible?"
"Yes."
"Then just watch from there."
Whether they're a Red Lotus executive or a janitor.
"I'll be there soon to grant your wish."
Before I closed the door, the creature wearing Elysia's face smiled with interest. -Slam! Outside the room stood Brimdal, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Please keep an eye on that thing."
"Hmm, are you sure you don't need help?"
It seemed he had inferred the situation from our conversation. But I shook my head.
"It's fine. There's someone else I need to ask for help."
Brimdal's help would be a great asset, but right now, it was more important to stop that thing from doing anything strange in Elysia's body. I headed for the stables, tapping the sphere. I wondered if she would be asleep at this time of night, but— [What is it?]
Fortunately, she was awake. Did she foresee this? ... No, she said she couldn't see the results, so that couldn't be it.
I made my request while riding my horse.
"I've solved the problem."
[... Yes?]
"But it looks like I need to clean up the mess. I'd like to borrow a knight. The strongest and most skilled one."
[I see. Understood.]
The princess replied in a cheerful voice.
[I'll send the most skilled knight I know. Where should I send them?]
"To the Tower located in the very center of the capital, please. And could you get me an entry permit for it as well?"
It would be too late if I took the main roads. As soon as the conversation ended, I spurred my horse into the forest path. -Heeigh! The horse resisted, but with a crack of the whip, I managed to control it.
I cleared away trees and rocks with my currents, forcing a path.
"... Ugh."
Naturally, the burden on me grew a little heavier from the effort. It couldn't be helped. Having reached a destination that should have taken much longer in a fraction of the time, I leaped over the guards while still running.
"H-hey!"
"Stop!"
I didn't stop, despite their earnest pleas. I had reached the capital in less than half the usual time. I rode straight to the Tower, dismounted, and looked around.
I saw a slightly small knight in black armor. They looked suspicious to anyone, so I immediately asked.
"Were you sent by the princess?"
"I am Karos, a Divine Punishment Knight of the Imperial Guard."
"...?"
The voice was somewhat similar to the princess's. Though I couldn't see their face because of the helmet. Surely, it couldn't be her. The voice was sharp, so I guessed not...
Karos seemed to be in a bad mood, looking at me displeasedly from behind the helmet as they asked.
"What do you need me to do."
"Yes. First, hold me and climb to the top of the Tower."
"How high?"
"To the very top."
"Understood."
Grabbing the back of my neck, Karos climbed not by the stairs, but by scaling the outer wall of the Tower. At a tremendous speed, the ground receded in an instant. They ran as if it were their own living room...
It truly felt like the princess had sent the strongest knight she knew.
"Ugh."
My neck was a little constricted from being held by the scruff, but since my body used other means to breathe, it wasn't too painful. Once we were at the top of the Tower, with the entire capital in view, Karos asked again.
"And now?"
"Just a moment."
I scanned the area near the top of the Tower and found a small door leading down. I opened my workshop and brought out a large amount of bandages and medicine. I brought out a pearl-type restorative pill and put it in my mouth, but didn't swallow it.
"Now, please prepare to treat me. Oh, and from now on, when I write something on this paper with this pen, please follow it."
"... What did you say?"
"Prepare to treat me. I'm about to get hurt."
"Are you planning to jump? No matter what, I can't treat that."
"No. It's not such a light injury."
"...?"
Ignoring the questioning Karos, I looked down at the capital below. As expected of the Empire's capital. The night streets were covered in multicolored lights, a magnificent sight that wouldn't lose to a modern city.
"Hoo...."
I have to find them. They're probably all asleep now, or the mass used Wihwa's ability to do something, so I should be able to sense them. However, finding them one by one would be too slow.
I have to find them all at once. To do that, I'll have to scan the entire capital. ... It was time for a gamble.
0.2 seconds.
No matter how I thought about it, using it for any longer than that would mean instant death. Hoping I wouldn't explode, I looked down at the city below and muttered.
"... Spread."
I covered the capital with Tide Sense. And then, the world vanished. All the lights spread out below were swept away in an instant, and a silent world unfolded as if I were the only one left.
I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything. -The grace period created by ignorance was over.
[...]
[.....?]
[..........!]
Tide Sense no longer swept across the city. Instead, I felt the inhabitants of that world. Then, 'everything' in that world noticed me.
The beings, not a single one of whose eyes, arms, legs, or inner organs fell within the scope of human understanding, expressed their excitement through their respective parts. Something with a thousand eyes in its mouth sensed me. Something that had its shell wrapped in its own tongue sensed me.
Something with eyeballs at the tip of each of its tentacles saw me.
"... Hah."
I laughed in disbelief. It was because I felt their Tide Sense caressing my body as if licking me. It wasn't my exclusive privilege.
It was an ability naturally possessed by all who were born and survived in this place. That was Tide Sense. Proof that I, too, was a proper part of them.
My eyes still couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel sound or touch either. But I could tell that those beings were joyful.
They, who had likely spread their Tide Sense far wider and farther than I ever could, began to swim toward me. Those that were eating, and those that were being eaten. For me, and for me alone. ...
Why?
Even in this situation, a question arose before fear. Why did these beings, who should regard me as more insignificant than a bug caught between their teeth, hate and despise me so much? I understood that this world hated me.
But was that really the only reason? As I pondered, something finally extended out of the darkness. A yellow tentacle.
It wrapped around my leg. Is this the end? That thought briefly crossed my mind, and 0.1 seconds, which had felt like an hour, passed.
"Ghk, kh, gwaaaargh...!"
Again, the city lights returned. The world of humans. Atop the Tower.
My home from 0.1 seconds ago. I fell to my knees and threw up everything in my stomach. The acceleration of my thoughts is on an absurd level.
Is this the limit of the burden?
"J-Jern?"
Startled, Karos approached and touched me.
"This is... sweat, no. What is this?"
"I-it's, gack, seawater, probably."
My clothes had become soaked in that short time. Nothing like this had ever happened before. It must mean I had truly interfered with a real, existing world.
As I was busy retching, Karos quickly took out some medicine and started taking off my clothes.
"I-Imperial law..."
"What in the world is this... you look no different from a corpse that was just crushed to death."
"Yes...?"
I weakly lifted my arm to look. My skin color had changed. It was purple.
My entire body was covered in bruises. The hot liquid that came out whenever I rubbed my eyes must have been blood, not tears.
So— "...
I was incredibly lucky."
"What do you mean by that?"
"To be honest, I was prepared to become blind and deaf."
The bewildered Karos looked at the paper and pen in horror.
"Don't tell me the reason you prepared that was—" "Yes. We still need to communicate."
"... Why on earth did you do something so dangerous?"
"Because I don't really need those things anymore."
"-You're out of your mind."
On the contrary, I was perfectly sane. Now that my Tide Sense had expanded to this extent, my eyes and ears had lost their meaning. Tide Sense could see and hear faster and more accurately.
Perhaps thanks to my training with Brimdal, I could feel things before I was even conscious of them. It's not at a level where I'd feel disgusted by my kin there. After receiving first aid and taking a painkiller, I used the railing to stand up.
"Anyway, I've confirmed all of them."
"All of what?"
"The people Elysia came into contact with. I could see them because they were sleeping."
"You checked the entire capital with that ritual just now?"
"Yes."
For 0.1 seconds, or perhaps less, I spread my Tide Sense across the entire city and found the contaminated individuals. In that same amount of time, I also confirmed the limits of the burden.
"That's a bit dangerous."
The way Karos looked at me changed. It was like looking at a bomb that could go off at any moment. Seeing them fiddling with the hilt of their sword, I glared at them in disbelief.
"Is this the time for that?"
"... No, I apologize."
"I fully understand that I'm a threat. But for now, there are more direct threats than me, so let's talk after this is all over."
"Yes. Understood."
After bringing them to their senses, I wrote down the locations of those I felt were the fallen ones on the list. Reading it, Karos's eyes widened.
"This has become a bit troublesome."
"What is?"
"There are nobles among them. What do you intend to do?"
"We just have to go and make them fall asleep in a slightly different way."
If they move while sleeping, then I just have to make it so they can't sleep. And sleeping and being unconscious are two different states. Hearing my words, Karos frowned.
"That's ridiculous. The princess has already given up a lot of political standing to prevent this incident. If we resort to violence, she will have to lose even more."
"Then let her lose some. The situation is what it is."
"You've heard the circumstances from her, so you must know. How this giant called the Empire walks without problems."
Karos suddenly started on a strange topic.
"Her Highness the Princess, from the day she turned ten until now, has not rested for a single day... not figuratively, but literally, not a single day, protecting the Empire by looking into the future. Why do you think she did that?"
"Is it because she couldn't bear to see people dying?"
"No, it's because only she could do it. She accepted it as her divine duty to be born as a princess and receive such an ability. She is someone who could enjoy everything in the world, yet she gave it all up for us."
"Us?"
"Do not forget that you too exist under the grace of Her Highness the Princess."
Well, I guess that's true. The orphanage's welfare and all. It seemed Karos held not just a superior-subordinate relationship with the princess, but a deep sense of respect.
"And she will continue to do so. To you, this may be a single incident that must be stopped at any cost, but to the princess, it is just one of many disasters to come. She cannot give her all for it."
What a pain. I rolled my eyes and offered a second-best plan.
"Then let's do this."
"?"
When I explained the gist of it to Karos, their expression hardened in disbelief.
"Are you in your right mind?"
"It's an efficient method."
The deliberation wasn't long. It certainly wasn't a sane method, but considering Karos was willing to kill a young boy like me, they also belonged in the category of a lunatic.
"Understood."
"Then let's just get some bandages on and go. I don't think we have much time."
"Yes, then... hmm?"
Kalos, who was wrapping bandages around my body, tilted their head.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just that there's one spot that's completely fine."
"?"
That can't be. The pressure should have been applied to my whole body.
"Strangely, only this part isn't bruised."
I looked where Karos was pointing. While my entire body was stained a dark purplish-blue, there was just one spot that was its original skin color.
"... Hmm."
It was the ankle that the jellyfish's tentacle had wrapped around.
At the target noble's mansion. Hiding in a nearby bush wearing a mask, Karos grumbled with a sullen expression.
"I agreed to it, but I'm not sure this is right. Isn't this Haryu's way of doing things?"
"That's enough chatter. Let's begin."
I put on the mask I was given and stood up. It was a different mask from the one Sharmia had given me. This one was much darker and more sinister.
But at this time of night, it would be difficult to tell them apart. I came out of the bush and approached the guard at the gate.
"Halt! Identify yourself."
"You don't know me? I'm here for an inspection."
"...?"
The guard looked at me, then tilted his head with a somewhat uncertain expression.
"No, you look a little different... and your voice—" Being a guard, he remembers masks well, not just faces.
This was exactly what I wanted. I lifted the guard, who had reasoned that far, with my currents.
"Wh-whoa?"
Gently, so as not to hurt him, I struck his neck.
"Gack-" Unconscious.
I tied a rope around my body and ordered Karos, who had just appeared.
"Set the fire."
"... Perhaps the disaster the princess foresaw is us."
"You said we couldn't knock them out in the princess's name."
Then we'll have to borrow the name of the Red Lotus. A Red Lotus terror attack, stealing the face of the inspectors. That's how this incident will be defined.
"I'll be counting on you then."
"Haa... where is it."
"Fourth floor, third window."
Hearing my answer, Kalos grabbed one end of the rope tied to my body, and with their other hand, grabbed the back of my neck.
"You'd better not die."
"I'm the type who can't die from a fall."
Karos gave me an annoyed look, then bent backwards with me in hand and threw me towards the mansion. -Crash! Like a stone flung from a slingshot, I smashed through the window and rolled several times on the floor. I used my currents to land as safely as possible, but because I was so bruised, it still hurt.
I had landed in a bedroom. I had confirmed it with Tide Sense, and the noble I needed to knock out this time was here. He was already awake.
"Good evening."
But he wasn't normal. He was sitting on the bed, staring blankly this way with his mouth agape, literally the very picture of a sleepwalker. He was clearly different from the mass inhabiting Elysia's body.
It felt like he was waiting for a command. And he probably was. But I couldn't let that happen.
"Good night."
Crack- I used my currents to choke him unconscious. As I signaled with the rope, the bedroom door burst open and private soldiers poured in.
"I-intruder!! It's the lord's bedroom!"
The guards swarmed in, pointing their spears at me as they slowly approached. It was time to put on a little show for the princess. I began my slightly awkward explanation.
"Tsk, my plan has been thwarted. A pity. But tonight, your lord will become our subordinate. Good luck."
"Wh-what did you say?!"
"For tonight only, I possess the ability to brainwash. You won't be able to defeat us since you can't defy your lord's commands."
"I couldn't use my full power because of the princess's plans, but I couldn't just leave, so I forced myself to start the work tonight. If you understand, respond."
"You crazy bastard... who the hell are you!"
"I am Red Lotus's... uh, um...."
I had to say Red Lotus, but I hadn't thought of a name. After a moment of thought, I just said something I'd heard earlier.
"Haryu." -Fwing!
As soon as I finished speaking, the rope pulled me back with incredible speed. Just before I hit a tree, Karos caught me with both hands, allowing me to avoid a fatal injury. Feeling a sharp pain in my stomach where the rope was tied, I grimaced and immediately mounted a horse that was tied up nearby.
"It's done. Next is the Honir noble. I think Elysia made contact with them when she went to see the flowers... anyway, let's go."
"Understood. But do we really have to set a fire?"
"Just set it in a place where it won't spread much. If we commit arson too, we can blow this incident up."
"What I mean is, why do we have to do that?"
I explained to the questioning Karos.
"Because we can use it in the future."
"Pardon?"
"A Red Lotus executive with the ability to brainwash. If such a being becomes widely known, we can later apply pressure to the nobles just by having them appear, using the possibility that they've been brainwashed. We can frame them and beat them up as much as we want."
"... Ah."
"If I have to be a thief against my will, I think I should at least steal something. I'd like to actually steal something while I'm wearing this Red Lotus mask, but we don't have the time."
"Jern, I have a request."
Karos looked at me with an expression of genuine concern.
"Please do not speak with Her Highness the Princess for too long."
"I think it's already too late, but why?"
"I fear you will be a bad influence."
What a ridiculous slander.