Chapter 188: Confusion (5)
Ck8“You’ve grown accustomed to wagering your life. The fact that you’re still alive up to now is already a miracle.”Q8hQm6k
AiEPrincess Roselin, resting her chin on her hand, rubbed her tired eyes as she observed the state of the main hall, which was still charged with agitation.sav
mhZU5It had been well over thirty hours since the last time she had slept.SX4o2k
PoRkhUoFor now, she could still endure it, but once two full days passed, her stamina would begin to hit its limit.rMbvrA
ANI1EzYRoselin opened her eyes wide again and reviewed the conversation she had had with Dereck.QKbyqK
ACr— It was the only way to survive. I had no choice.4bTt
00Ep— I see. I suppose there are people like you.xqS
o1CAmid the fatigue that was gradually seeping in, the princess tried to gauge the strange depth she had perceived in the eyes of that young baron.Cx5XA
p7yAPHe truly was trying to capture a 6-star confusion mage.CJlsv
M4gEven in such an extreme situation, there were people who denied that such an existence even existed, so it was impossible to know where he drew that level of conviction from.Zm6hsv
pBhStill, if he had found a lead, the only thing left to do was support him as much as possible.TU8DMF
p6UecyQRoselin composed herself and spoke firmly.mq94m5
3cd— Then there’s something you must understand very clearly. That individual can defile memories. He can create memories that never existed, or erase those that did.73JTfRG
0zt— Yes. That seems evident. Distrusting even my own memories is a rather new sensation.kx9z
6sJR— Exactly. That means he can read the memories of everyone who is here. Everyone except me. Even if you have a method to find and subdue him, that method itself could be discovered if he reads your memories.rUt2xpg
4AUCZaRoselin looked at him as if testing him.kzL
MTcqhopIt was a logical conclusion.Lh7
kmcLManipulating memories necessarily implied being able to read them.7T9IJo
7BBYou cannot alter something you do not understand.sRx2CC
aGYHowever, Dereck shook his head.BJ0G7z
J3w— He can read memories, but we don’t know whether he can read intentions or thoughts.mERYGpl
Mjh— …bnkBR
wG6— He can verify what I saw, heard, and experienced. But there’s no guarantee he can read everything I think or plan.Dyr1o
uzo7Reading memories was nothing more than observing past experiences, like watching scenes projected in a magic sphere or spying on someone from afar.48ijn
zPbjA1Grasping pure thoughts and intentions belonged more to the domain of exploration magic than to confusion magic.Fe3JEJB
uNc2QpvBased on that magical understanding, Dereck’s conclusion was clear.t1l3
Jmx3rHiIt was as if the enemy had installed invisible cameras and listening devices—he could see and hear what had happened, but he could not read thoughts that had not yet been expressed.dQo
d1SbM— That’s true… I don’t have knowledge of magic deep enough to have reached that conclusion.wvH
s7xM— It’s not magical knowledge. It’s just deduction based on the facts.e8Y8LYO
azDxpRoselin realized that, without noticing it, she was beginning to be carried along by Dereck’s line of reasoning.rFUAh
ImXjA— If he could read thoughts and intentions, he would never have been trapped by Lady Kohella’s barrier, nor would he have needed to kill the magic advisers. He knew perfectly well that Lady Kohella would not give in to that kind of threat.ZXp
6fchThose who did not know Kohella well might think she was a benevolent leader who deeply valued her subordinates.R9q2
ks2But in reality, she was a fanatic capable of sacrificing anything for the sake of magic.apESsZo
MvIHGOIf the enemy had understood that, he would never have wasted time murdering the magic advisers one by one.F4FE
kw68eiHis magic had limits.5DoXv
ysy3NPerhaps he could easily manipulate the memories of people without magical power, but altering the memories of those who had mastered magic required enormous effort and had clear restrictions.aBlIfq
RdOThe fact that he could not completely defile Kohella’s memories nor understand her true intentions was proof of that.69P2n
2M4Ne2— He can read memories, but not thoughts.cDXg
xIXrf4LRoselin spoke in a more serious tone.Yggy
N9cCRu— That’s why you don’t voice your plan aloud. The moment you do, it will reach that individual’s ears as well.SdkC
EFHAIn that case, Roselin could not help him directly.ojTSx
S2yu829Any conspiracy they tried to devise together would be overheard by the enemy.rRdtstP
xm4KTo resolve this, he had to do it alone.hOzu
b2CEThat man was carrying on his shoulders the lives of all the nobles gathered in the enormous main hall.riWa
3JF0T5Roselin knew that kind of solitude and pressure very well.y2VrMv9
FxufghSeeing him bear it without showing the slightest crack, she let out a dry laugh and picked up a pen.XgVep
btpgTCpShe drew several sheets toward herself and began to write, leaning against the railing.Piq3
5v6l9riAs Dereck watched her in confusion, she folded the letter several times and slid it directly into his chest.qD5ae3z
4vpu— It’s a blessing formula passed down by the imperial family. They say it was used by the hero Rosenheim and Kalimford during the subjugation of the Levelten mine.Fpt
Nqh— I didn’t expect you to encourage me in this way.n71p
AiIHAY6— You’ve never seen it? They say these blessings are read only when facing the greatest crisis or when everything is over.TW8Ah
XSJPwzmRoselin smiled faintly and rested her chin on her hand again.vZbgv1
8LbkNsy— When you feel the moment is right, read it. It’s nothing more than a conventional phrase, but sometimes it can help psychologically.evKdB
mf1GDereck nodded, his expression far more serious than before.8L8
KG7bHe seemed to have realized something.9irypya
vtRbiThe subjugation of the Levelten mine, where a gigantic creature was said to have appeared, was a battle in which the hero Kalimford had not participated.uR6EP
yOFd3a0Anyone who had studied imperial history knew that.12L
bCwIn other words, the story Roselin had told was false.vCiC09m
RQmThen what had she actually written in that letter?uYx
3SSactJThe fact that she told him not to read it now had a clear intention.WhfJhdM
tLQlxDereck, perceptive as he was, had already reached that conclusion.yTyu
vjr“I don’t know if it was right to trust that man.”pnK3d
xkPgRoselin remained seated by the railing on the second floor of the main hall, silently observing the nobles gathered below.e4aYo
HkhmdeKnowing that staying within her field of vision kept them safer due to her immunity to confusion magic, almost no one wanted to leave that place.mTpxb8C
hoa3KGuHowever, some young noblewomen were causing a disturbance.HjNC
cxeH“Lady Siern! Leaving the main hall right now is dangerous! If you’re not within Princess Roselin’s field of vision—!”DV3mTfw
J626“Move. If you block my way again, I’ll move you myself.”9Yl
h5wcSiern, the young lady of House Rochester, was grappling with the soldiers, determined to go after Dereck after seeing him leave the hall alone.4t6I3s
AzXwPJShe carried a dangerous air, as if she truly were capable of forcibly pushing aside all the soldiers if she chose to.7Pjh0v3
3HIIKUAs a highly skilled 3-star mage, it would not be difficult for her to deal with ordinary soldiers.SymaCWg
36346In addition to her, Diella of House Duplain, Ellen of Belmierd, and Denise of Beltus were also arguing with the guards, insisting that they had to stop Dereck.sGqEWK7
9CGgThey believed that resorting to the Book of Longing and sacrificing himself was an excessively extreme solution, born of being cornered.QSAmt
diGAs Roselin pondered what she should do, she swept her gaze across the hall once more.YNC
UegQeAnd then she noticed something.NMKWU
iolNAiselin, the young lady of House Duplain, was not there.kknJ8
QkZEWlQ“…”B5x
ZA5XwEverything suggested that she had already used some method to leave the main hall.XlEyRJ
u1Ml0uRoselin’s expression grew even more grave.ycT
uJviRJust as she was considering how to react, a soldier stationed at the entrance to the second floor addressed her.xfeSL
aWPzLKG“Princess. There is someone insisting on seeing you.”vY9Cv
BpnmL“…Who?”CA7
wSby“Linus of House Belmierd.”jQD
cHpmEiHRoselin frowned and turned her head.4DLz
4NujsThere stood a wretched-looking man, wearing an awkward smile with both arms raised, as if trying to show that he posed no threat.DU7eGp
4GYDHis attitude was suspicious, but even so, Roselin nodded.DgR
qH1No matter how miserable he looked, he was still the eldest son of House Belmierd.GIzMuT
JodEscorted by soldiers armed with spears, Linus stepped forward, knelt, and spoke.fko
OS0“There is something I must tell you, Princess Roselin.”PLH
GMZ1r“As you can see, I am exhausted and have many things on my mind. If you intend to distract me with something trivial, you will have to bear the consequences.”Xq4mZYW
K6cW1lP“Of course.”LHSY
sSUwfLinus smiled calmly.5RUmc
6FPNaZ“The Book of Longing that Dereck took with him… it’s a fake, isn’t it?”xUB
IUPpb1Roselin frowned.HYm
RGbW“Where is the real Book of Longing? We need it. Right now.”Ex0b
wY1v***QKe3CIs
krQQTo win at a gambling table, you first have to corner your opponent and seize the initiative.Kxqx0l
KdQXThere was no time.LJHnMLu
M1OJNor was there any way to identify the enemy.AGXu8M
9RlS2ddThe initiative, no matter what anyone said, belonged to the other side.FqWUm
79JIf Dereck wanted to take it back, there was only one option.3UlrK
yvlnopxForce the enemy to hurry.6xd
sDxhIf Dereck, standing on the edge of 4 stars and barely brushing the entrance to 5 stars, declared that he would use the Book of Longing and sacrifice himself, then there was a chance that he could actually find the confusion mage and subdue him.nGrUx9
XYTySwOf course, even by using the power of that forbidden artifact, he might not be able to reach the level of a 6-star confusion mage.ERChay
znnUntil he tried, no one could know.ycz1nJW
RoXdSAnd that uncertainty was precisely the worst possible variable for someone who had so far controlled and adjusted everything.B6Kk
QMndUGFor someone who accepted only guaranteed victories, an unpredictable variable was pure fear.kCHjZ
udwThat was why it was almost certain that he would try to stop Dereck from using the Book of Longing from the very beginning.rFy
eBl7t3And by forcing him to move, they would make him appear.sQBCHe
5ymqO9YWhen Dereck steadied himself and looked once more at the dark open field—jfG
XIvTsA man in a robe with the hood pulled low was there, leaning within the darkness.lIEXGZ
v0R1Y3His face could not be seen.pWLO
GohHis build was fairly large, but it did not look like a trained body.ZOCpC
ZqqebFrom within that robe, half devoured by the darkness, the mage spoke.kdZ0VF
nX8P4EvIt was clearly a young voice.awcUP
x8ZDwV8“How ridiculous you are, bastard.”75zH
ruIV6Did he really exist?Zpo
48qVs5oA 6-star confusion mage who deceived everyone’s perception, concealed even his own existence, and lived in the shadows of the world.u5lPp
CNrGTyQGuessing his true nature was not easy.nEsDOC
jfwEven the figure before his eyes might be nothing more than an illusion.B74VJ
HXcEven so, Dereck drew his longsword in a single motion and focused his mana.YDHA5
h8FvgThe enemy was in front of him.15oaxt3
NHmfNHe could not afford to do nothing.c94S
BPA2Q“You say you’re going to sacrifice your life to save everyone in there? I know very well you’re not someone that altruistic. Did you really think I’d swallow such an absurd bluff?”QLi7
qqDi1HP“For someone who says that, you showed up pretty boldly in front of me. After all this time without even sticking your toe out.”3LRKdP
8dY“What a huge mistake. I didn’t show myself because I was afraid you’d use the Book of Longing to subdue me. I simply felt a personal interest in you as an individual.”plk
7QUFrom the darkness cast by the trees’ shadows, the man extended one hand.Zc8y
rbVxBOnly that hand emerged from the chiaroscuro and caught the moonlight.IQehk9Q
YkDIt was the hand of a veteran mage, covered in ink stains and hardened calluses.WPayd
3FC6HHe clenched his fist tightly and spoke from the darkness.rpAnDKb
XWpAE“You’ll never find me. You’ll never catch me. And even if you did, everything would end up turning into something that never happened.”swVpwp
lnY“…”B3pzl9x
gM6Yp“Want to know something funny? You already caught me twice. This is the third time you’ve faced me.”vI6h
xmfmDereck remained silent and listened.RWYX
y8pQs2From the start, it had struck him as strange that this man claimed to feel a personal interest in him.odcyk
qPPSmsVAfter all, for Dereck this was their first meeting.wFq4z
JV1But that was only from Dereck’s point of view.cdX
bnLXIn reality, he had already caught him twice before, and on both occasions the mage had erased his memories and escaped.BFp5e
xoxQme“The first time was when I killed the emperor. You detected the contradictions in the memories I manipulated with absurd precision, found where I was hiding, and tried to subdue me. I almost fell to a surprise attack, but I managed to open a gap, escape, and destroy all the memories so that nothing had happened. I spent so much mana that I was completely exhausted and couldn’t move for quite some time.”mRuA
GgCtIn Dereck’s memories, there was absolutely no scene in which he had captured a confusion mage.AHI
gE72That left only two possibilities either the man was lying, or everything truly had been completely erased.0sxIS
MgH“The second time was when I killed the subordinates of that stubborn bitch Kohella. Just as I expected, you detected the gaps in my magic again, cornered me, and tried to kill me once more. You even deduced my identity. The wound you gave me with one of your throwing daggers still throbs.”pzvoH
mQDP3Frowning, Dereck looked at his thigh.5Tu
3lHOf the five throwing daggers he always carried, one was missing.sKkc
woiUpon confirming it, his expression hardened.6HHSAQu
V8C94bt“Heh… hehehe… What’s wrong? Is everything confusing to you?”QAkzYv
glwFw“…”kRRH
96n“Maybe even this conversation is false. Maybe all these memories are fabricated. Or maybe the Book of Longing doesn’t exist to begin with. Or perhaps all the memories you have have been manipulated.”CDJNQ
vQFXFrom the darkness, a viscous laughter could be felt.RMojp0c
KdMPyqA being of the shadows, without a clear purpose or identity.KFkAE
R9zdheNothing could be believed.W0S39e2
VATiWgNot even one’s own memories.1Egn
TiMNot even that man’s words.tKNtxEs
uASa0It was like wandering through a dense fog where absolutely nothing could be seen.LYE
LtIvJIPJust that alone would already have an ordinary person curled up, trembling in terror.VJryF
nVZoGBeing stripped of one’s memories was that chaotic.18AwA
DmF“Don’t you know what to believe and what not to? Can’t you tell where the truth begins and ends? Do you still trust your memories? Is everything you remember really true? Are you sure?”Rbjub7c
6laMT“What are you trying to say?”iK4q
Cm4UG1“I want you to join me. If you do, I’ll make everything clear.”pxYuGL
46KMHwAn unexpected proposal.i670
ed6RiioThe man let out several bursts of laughter and, raising his voice even more, continued.m0pn
NHBBn“If you help me break that madwoman Kohella’s barrier and escape from here, I’ll grant you anything you desire.”tE8ug
nH3v0zu“…”4Q26
o37ZK“You have the trust of both Kohella and Princess Roselin, and even in the middle of this chaos you almost caught me twice. This is already the third time you’ve cornered me like this. It’s clear you’re not an ordinary man. To be honest, I even came to admire you for how irritating it was that you kept finding me over and over again.”WKMmqjo
zwteThe man shook his hands as if brushing off something unpleasant and spoke with an annoyed tone.OCpLx1X
zGMBo“And tell me… doesn’t it seem strange to you?”ETU
MKZMSgd“…”pBHm
pMoi“I’ve exhausted my mana to the limit manipulating everyone’s memories and hiding myself. I was even able to touch Kohella’s memories a little by pushing myself to exhaustion. But there was one single person whose memories I couldn’t alter. Not even I could do anything.”9fl09Ga
khuGiqA single person.lQRW
tyqH6GSomeone whose memories not even a 6-star confusion mage could touch.lqo45
hDuV5Princess Roselin, watching from the railing on the second floor of the main hall.VSc
OTFIMNo matter how skilled a confusion mage might be at rummaging through others’ memories, as long as the reference line called Princess Roselin existed, everything was meaningless.BClha
KJLShe would immediately perceive any inconsistency and realize it.L8RsZ
ZDnbRHer mere existence was the surest brake preventing that confusion mage from acting freely.Mq4
nrygy5And yet, within that fact there was a contradiction.QnzA
aqbPr6“You say you found me twice and cornered me. Do you really think that dark red–haired princess wouldn’t have known? Do you think that, even knowing you almost captured me, she would have stayed so calm?”j6Yu
9DLx3qX“…”B9b0h3w
Q8bNjt“I can’t touch that princess’s memories. And yet why, knowing all this, does she act as if she knows nothing and simply sits there, resting her chin on the railing of the main hall?”hitlEK
WUvyKPIf it were true that Dereck had nearly captured the confusion mage twice, then Princess Roselin should remember it as well.ExoHR
gSafBut she hadn’t told anyone.Wzskt
LB371OiNot even Dereck.W2c7q00
szcQysShe merely observed the nobles gathered in the main hall in silence, as if all of this were happening for the first time.40N
J1GfqTFThe man in the darkness smiled with an even more viscous grin.ntW
BO7“As if she wanted this bloody play to continue.”BfjG
Y8rlQNThat was what he said.tf4x
0q2Princess Roselin was known for deeply despising vain nobles.b11f
T8tbGqWas all of this really just a coincidence?ObvP
8502“…”kty
3YT5GSThe grounds of the Ravenclaw Academy, sunk into darkness.9FF
vrtAmid intertwined forces, unable to distinguish truth from deception, it was becoming a true labyrinth shrouded in fog.3DOH
4v4aDereck understood it by instinct.WANfHx
uIanstQIt was a situation in which he had to suspect everyone, but in the very end, he would have to believe in a single person.8ZIF4t
gUWYdWhom to believe?lP1
c4BNtKohella, the magic-obsessed lunatic capable of sacrificing anything.IFgU
1dF3cXRoselin, who observed everything with cold calculation from the pinnacle of imperial power.jnZAG
pEZzfRVAnd that man in the darkness, of unknown identity and purpose, who only proposed cooperation.79sF
UqyEvery option looked like a trap.gap
trVCA genuine maelstrom of chaos.17Rwl9
ypiTNot even memories were reliable.nLP53
herThere wasn’t even a reference point for the truth.D6AU
EH44In the midst of that extreme situation, where everything was drowned in confusion, Dereck ran a hand over his face.WPu
IRa8mtHe took a deep breath and calmed himself.KvoZCcM
tlMuhNEven in any circumstance, his sharpened instinct—the one that always maintained calm and reason—questioned him once more.hr930P
J2A2ptAt the end of all this farce, in the final moment, whom was he going to believe?WmqLAzZ
cJXqHe was a veteran mercenary.OpzXJ
fjR3A situation where everything sank into a swamp of doubt and chaos was not unfamiliar to him.hZKIF
sjKqDWhen he had been left adrift with his group deep inside a high-ranking labyrinth.jI3
QZ8WkA5When he had to carve a path through impossible monsters with vastly inferior forces.tk0VfB
5HD4ZM0When he walked without stopping among blood-soaked corpses.FQSEV
DUsMbKIn those moments, almost everyone fell into confusion, lost their reason to fear.mvf
XRZ9FThe Dereck of his childhood had not been much different.3nQs
pypBut that stage was long past.O6E
MitnKBIn the swamp of confusion that devours reason, the only way to choose correctly to the very end was one—to define one’s own course with the greatest clarity possible.06TJqxV
ImHfOBoom!HsmH4
R8NVl7Before he could answer anything, Dereck’s 3-star combat spell, Pillar of Fire, struck the man squarely in the chest.tzki
5yxMCrash! Thud!FB8W
uH6vThe man, already prepared within the darkness, reacted with incredible speed, synchronizing his mana and blocking the attack.WpP
dAMYA burning sound echoed through the air.8Ft
0MPnuHe hadn’t even recited an incantation.xrmVg0
v4XPerhaps he hadn’t expected a chantless combat spell to carry such power, because the man immediately retreated and took a defensive stance.3K68Ic
a0lAThe power of Dereck’s basic magic already far exceeded that of a 4-star mage, brushing the level of a family head.nEIJ6k
xUYDDereck’s mana control had reached a far higher level than the man had anticipated.PAeY1Uk
bMNo“You’re right. When everything is chaotic, in the end you have to believe in someone.”R6X
oGcFZUnder the moonlight, at the center of the training field, Dereck flicked the tip of his sword and continued.AvdXq
Dg9u“But that someone isn’t you.”GEM1oK
nsQrAIf he had already found him twice and still couldn’t subdue him, then all he had to do was find him a third time, a fourth time, ten times, a hundred times—until his mana was completely exhausted.FyFC8BE
t1dojMoDereck kicked off the ground and charged forward.QVo
df9rnSS***Ce0k7Ad
QXDov“Not even being able to trust my own memories… what a strange feeling.”u40ddpy
3GhrThe bedroom where the corpse of Emperor Gattrel had been discovered.Su14Cl
yi5mLThe body had already been removed, but dark, ominous bloodstains still lingered at the scene.7qmQx1
QZxSitting by the window and observing the place, Kohella let out a brief laugh.OUv
Ne2aZZeIf she managed to find the confusion mage, she could move one step closer to the trail of the seventh magic system she had sought for so long.9KVqg0y
9MOks35And that would lead her to the truth of the 7-star domain.XW7tl
bOKDPzNo matter how much she examined the scene, not a trace of magic could be perceived.cVr9
6X3fXUiWithout a doubt, even Kohella had been affected by some kind of confusion magic.V5Xx
9GzW0kdShe had lost certain memories, or perhaps acquired memories that had never existed.tAu
3eiManipulating Kohella’s memories must have been infinitely more difficult than doing so with others, but the fact that he had managed to influence them even slightly was already astonishing.5I5
Z0qkh“Even I, who have reached 6 stars, can’t escape this confusion… truly, it’s an impressive level.”qU3B2L
Ds143EqIt was at that moment—au1NY5
vaqN64Creak.uG52ih
uba3IcThe door to the imperial bedroom opened, and someone entered the room.9tMCh
1if2wMe“It’s an honor to meet you, Kohella, venerable of House Elvester.”URU2
unocrWkThe tone was light, but basic courtesy was maintained.Nd2
8EtHis reddish hair was unkempt and matted, and his untrimmed beard made him look even more disheveled.wzUA
yKLLinus, the firstborn of House Belmierd and a wandering gambler.XGws9yi
grjRH6He stepped forward with calm strides, greeted her respectfully, and spoke.dYgi6
iyba“What is it that you want?”3j7LK
ImOe7ZM“I am Linus, firstborn of House Belmierd.”squ
Nb2gc“Do you have some business with me?”nSd
bDGdWith remarkable perceptiveness, he had understood the intent behind the farce Dereck was staging.j70ph
86XFnThis chaotic murder at the Ravenclaw Academy could not be allowed to continue.273gpc2
jdG8kThat night was the moment to kill the existence hiding in the shadows.9pibq2
fI8“I’ve come to kill the 6-star confusion mage.”XE18q2n
7hzLinus bared his yellowed teeth and smiled with an almost detached calm.fnwv
COlqA pathetic itinerant gambler who wandered the betting tables of Ebelstein, a man whose magical abilities were no more than ordinary.eSaGN
slkOiVVAnd yet, he was declaring that without hesitation in front of Kohella, the greatest transformation mage.7pPWhR
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Ahmad Dzaky
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