Chapter 115

“B-but… I knew it clearly… huh? Why can’t I remember everything? I thought I knew it… why?”

Gismond scratched his head in desperation, unable to understand.

“Aint… where did he go, how…? With a demon? When did a demon appear? Why, why?”

He was sure he had read it, sure he had it in his head.

He had always believed that. Thanks to it, he obtained many of the elixirs that were originally supposed to belong to Aint.

But now—why couldn’t he remember? Since when had he started forgetting?

His breathing became ragged from the confusion.

“You said knowing the future made you useful. But if you’re now pretending to have forgotten everything, what do you expect me to think of you, sir?”

Fernan’s cold voice pierced him, and Gismond hurried to justify himself.

“Th-that’s the truth! I knew everything, I really did! Or… did I only think I knew it from the start? When… when did I start forgetting?”

He felt unfairly accused, on the verge of tears.

“I really did know, but I don’t remember anymore!”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“T-that…”

He understood. If he were in Fernan’s place, he’d also think it was nonsense.

But being the one living it, he was going insane.

And seeing those cold, emotionless eyes made the fear take over completely.

Terror made him babble words he never should have said.

“…I remember reading a book, then I tried to possess someone and failed, and then…”

At that moment.

“Hold on, Gismond.”

Fernan grabbed his shoulder roughly.

He didn’t even use honorifics anymore. His face was right in front of his, so close he could almost feel his breath.

‘Those eyes…!’

Emotionless? Who had dared say they were expressionless?

No. They were flames. Burning, overflowing with murderous intent.

They were terrifying. He felt like he’d pee himself.

“I don’t care anymore if you know the future or not.”

Fernan’s growl froze him.

“What I want is something else.”

Fernan’s fingers dug into his shoulder. The sharp pain made cold sweat run down his back.

“Why don’t you calmly repeat what you just said?”

“…Huh?”

Wh-what had he just said…?

The pressure from that murderous aura turned him pale.

‘Ah…’

It was like a blazing fire.

“Wh-what are you talking about…?”

And the magic surrounding him crushed him like a mountain.

“The possession. You spoke of possession. Who did you try to possess?”

“P-possession…?”

Suddenly, Gismond began to tremble like a leaf.

Fernan’s voice and that magic were all too familiar.

A memory that was pure nightmare returned.

“Y-you… it was you, you’re the one!”

The voice that had echoed in his mind.

The fierce, wild magic that had torn apart his soul.

‘I-it can’t be… really…?’

That fear was engraved in the deepest part of his soul.

How could he forget it? How could he not recognize it?

‘It was Fernan! Fernan Pellenberg!’

Now he understood. He had attempted to possess twice.

The first time had failed. Only the second had succeeded.

Until now, he hadn’t known who that first target had been.

But in this moment, he understood.

His heart sank.

“I-I’ll tell you everything…!”

If he wanted to live, he had to give everything—his liver, his gallbladder, whatever it took.

He had no other way out.

“I’ll tell you absolutely everything! Please, save me…!”

Through tears and snot, he fell to his knees and clung to Fernan’s trousers.

***

“……”

Fernan looked up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight; the blue was clear and transparent.

“Here’s your coffee.”

“……”

Fernan drank it in silence.

“Doesn’t it taste bitter?”

“……”

“Sir.”

“…What did you just say?”

“That coffee—it’s not the one you usually drink.”

“Oh, it’s not?”

Despite his words, he drank it like always, out of habit.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. Well, yes.”

“So it is?”

“…Hyde. No matter what happens, will you believe me?”

“Of course. I’ve served you since the day you were born. Who else would believe you if not me?”

“…The truth is, I know the future.”

Hyde paused for a moment. Then placed his hand on Fernan’s forehead.

“What are you doing?”

“No fever.”

“Didn’t you say you’d believe me?”

“I never thought you’d say something so outrageous.”

Fernan understood the reaction. Had he not experienced it himself, he wouldn’t have believed it either, even for a fortune.

‘Unless someone made a living just pretending to believe…’

Yes, at most that. Even Hyde would have trouble accepting the truth without proof.

“What would it take for you to believe me?”

“…So it is true?”

“You think I’d waste money on expensive food to make something like this up?”

Finally, Hyde’s face turned serious.

“You see the future? Is that even possible? Do you have proof?”

“Are you interrogating me now?”

“Isn’t that what matters right now?”

Fernan let out a short laugh and replied.

“Do you remember that after the lightning strike, whenever you questioned my decisions, I always had an answer ready?”

“…Yes. I asked if you were using another information network besides the Golden Pillar.”

Since the lightning had struck him, Fernan had started bringing information from nowhere.

It didn’t come from the Golden Pillar or the power of the Pellenbergs.

It was data with no clear source, no verification, and yet it always turned out to be right.

Hyde had always been curious, but never pushed.

If it was the prophecy book, everything made sense.

“I want to hear everything.”

“The truth is…”

Fernan had never planned to reveal anything. Neither the future, nor that he knew it.

But he couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to tell someone he trusted.

“So, that lightning strike was actually Gismond trying to possess you?”

“To be precise, it was the soul that now resides in Gismond.”

“And in that process, you obtained the prophecy book.”

“That’s right.”

Hyde sighed in disbelief. Then nodded.

“Now I understand. Why someone so meticulous suddenly started making decisions that seemed arbitrary.”

And why those decisions always turned out correct.

“You believe me, then?”

“With what you’ve told me… I have no choice.”

Everything pointed to Fernan telling the truth.

“So the dilemma is—do you keep Gismond, or whatever controls him, or do you eliminate him?”

“Exactly. There are things that don’t add up enough to just dispose of him.”

Gismond had said he was forgetting everything, but talking with him made it clear that wasn’t entirely true.

Whenever Fernan remembered something from the book, Gismond did too.

He didn’t know how it worked, but it was real.

‘He tried to steal my body, failed, left me with the memories, and then possessed someone else. But we’re still connected through those future memories…’

There was something there. Ignoring it wasn’t an option.

“Then keep him close.”

“He’s a dangerous man.”

“And even if he causes problems, the Pellenberg family has enough power to solve them.”

“…You’re right.”

Fernan barely smiled.

Yes, there was no need to worry so much.

With the power and money of the Pellenbergs, they could reverse any situation multiple times if necessary.

After all, no matter how much Gismond knew about the future, he wasn’t a demon.

“Remember what the duke always says.”

“…Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.”

Fernan nodded slowly.

“But Gismond… I don’t know if I’d call him an enemy.”

“He tried to steal your body. He’s worse than a demon. He’s trash.”

“That’s true too.”

Even if he’d left the prophecy book behind, a thief was still a thief.

“That’s why, Hyde, I want to ask you a favor.”

“I refuse.”

“What if you don’t even know what I’m going to ask?”

“You want me to watch him closely, don’t you?”

“That’s why I hate smart people.”

“And when someone doesn’t understand anything, you complain too. Besides, remember, I am your guardian.”

Fernan raised his head arrogantly.

“You’re the one who said to keep him close.”

“I just…”

“One must take responsibility for one’s words. Who else would I entrust it to if not you?”

“But…”

Fernan shook his pendant.

Pum pum!

From the pendant, Wooden waved cheerfully.

“And if something happens, I have Wooden. You know how strong he is.”

“…Understood.”

Hyde cursed his imprudent tongue.

At that moment.

“Sir Fernan, the third-year student from the Knight Department, Gismond Ert, has come to visit you.”

Hyde’s face twisted.

“…Don’t tell me you had already decided to take him in and faked all this just so I would watch him?”

“It may seem that way, but no.”

“Would you bet a hundred thousand gold on that?”

“I’d bet it.”

“…Alright. I’ll believe you… for now.”

“Let’s see what he wants.”

Fernan entered the reception room of the Rabidus mansion.
Gismond was standing, nervous, fiddling with his teacup.

“What’s this, sir? Showing up unannounced like this…”

Suddenly.

Crash!

Gismond bowed without hesitation and slammed his forehead against the table.

“I want you to take me under your wing!”

“…What?”

***

A little earlier.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!”

In the empty room, after Fernan’s departure, Gismond cursed his own black shame as he kicked the bed.

Even so, the excitement wouldn’t fade.

“I must… I must get out of here immediately!”

He had been found out.

Though he didn’t know why it was distorted, Fernan knew he knew part of the future.

He also knew he was a possessor.

And that he had tried to possess Fernan and failed.

Fear took over him.

“Fernan won’t let me go…!”

He didn’t need to think much. He would’ve done the same.

Even though killing someone scared him, the greed to monopolize the future was much stronger.

If he could have, he would’ve certainly tried.

And if he, with his character, was like that, what about Fernan—born in a world of knights and mages with power and authority?

“No doubt… I need to flee from here right now! To hell with the corrupt and the demons! What matters is that I could die right now…!”

Thinking he had grown stronger from taking elixirs had been an illusion.

The fear shaking his soul woke him from those fantasies and forced him to face reality.

“So that’s why the future changed! It wasn’t because of me!”

He had already felt something was off.

He thought it was the butterfly effect of stealing elixirs.

He never imagined it was due to a failed possession.

“Why did it have to be Fernan?! If it had just been a farmer, everything would’ve been easier!”

If that had been the case, none of this would’ve happened. Or maybe, there wouldn’t even have been a failed possession.

But that wasn’t the important matter now.

Gismond began rummaging through the room to pack.

“First, I need to get away from Fernan as fast as possible…”

Suddenly he stopped.

“But… where?”

Within the Empire, there wasn’t a single place free of the Pellenberg’s influence.

And outside the Empire, while a bit weaker, that influence didn’t disappear either.

The only option was to go north. But that was insane.

“I may have forgotten a lot, but one thing’s certain—the north was the origin of the demons.”

All the problems started there. That’s why he could never go near it.

“So Pandrein? The south?”

In Pandrein, apart from the Empire, the only habitable place was Frazia.

“But aren’t the demons going to descend in Frazia soon?”

Though he had forgotten almost all the prophecies, for some reason he still remembered that part.

“Damn, what a shitty world…”

Gismond spat a crude curse and, with an empty laugh, collapsed onto the bed.

Even if he wanted to leave, there was nowhere to go.

“I’m not a genius, and this body isn’t either.”

The options for a mediocre talent were very limited.

“…It would be better…”

Then his train of thought changed direction.

“What if I cling to Fernan like a leech…?”

The man who knew the future, the greatest tycoon in the world.

Thinking about it, Fernan was his best card.

“And besides, he’s no longer a villain like in the original future, because he changed his destiny…”

In fact, it was much better this way.

He had gotten close to Luina, future Royal Knight, and had also become Aint Armian’s companion.

And from what he had heard, he even supported Aint with all kinds of elixirs.

“…Wouldn’t it be safest to stay by his side?”

At the same time, that’s where the biggest benefits would fall too.

“Shit… it scares me to death, but…”

He had to do it. It was his only way out.

Once he made the decision, he dashed out the door without hesitation.

He wasn’t a genius, he was cowardly and mediocre, but when he thought of something, he acted immediately.

That was Gismond Ert.