Chapter 190: Confusion (7)
7YG7“I’ve come to kill the 6-star confusion mage.”DeX7bPc
9GYcDespite such an absurd declaration, Kohella did not show the slightest hint of bewilderment.H0r
TJxKShe simply sat down on the sofa and rested her chin on her hand, calmly observing Linus’s true intention as he put forward that strange proposal.Sb9gaE1
RiSVR“Linus Rugel Belmierd. I believe I saw you a long time ago, when you attended a prayer at the Kremton Monastery. You’ve changed quite a bit since then.”qqa
0sWW“That was when the blood hadn’t yet dried from my head. I’m honored that you remember me, Lady Kohella.”RSX
Kbcm“I have a good memory. When I learned you were the eldest son of the Belmierd family, I made sure to remember you. But it seems life has tested you more than expected. Compared to back then, you’ve become much more carefree.”qOfgm
rmirNMThe Linus Kohella remembered did not have the unkempt appearance he had now.fot
UFgeiHe wore his red hair neatly cut at ear level, his sharp chin lifted proudly, and his eyes burned with ambition.DSA0RD
fjM1rr2He was dressed in well-kept noble attire and carried the confidence befitting the heir of an influential family.KF42O
QENIrHowever, the Linus now standing before her was little more than a vagrant who did not even shave regularly.UowUE
yTeUPThe stench of alcohol mixed with tobacco that emanated from his body made it impossible to mistake him for a young lord of a noble house.HMO
IKwdHis red ponytail, carelessly tied behind his back, was greasy, but he seemed not to care at all.JF1zgMn
4QPkXsrOn the contrary, he shook his head and wore a nonchalant expression.DG9EIM
Wud“Everyone goes through hardships in life. I won’t ask what happened within the Belmierd family.”PbUI
dQdMQOx“It’s nothing so extraordinary. Fairly common matters among noble houses.”gNzB
hD6jNpILinus replied in a rough voice.FGxAt
87SWdIHis cloak, draped carelessly, was covered in accumulated grime.KOn67FK
YPjg2“I had a dream. It didn’t turn out well. And I got a bit lost.”fIofj
jYMoCr“…”PgrkUsa
rYE8gX“But living like this, strangely enough, life isn’t so bad. So I decided to keep going this way.”UbdCHf
CeCC1Kohella still did not trust him.bKWvwY
fWISensing that distrust, Linus let out a dry laugh and sat down across from her.c88e
5m8The room where the emperor had been murdered.16YhyGl
o0vGsdcSitting face to face, the two observed each other in silence, as if by reading the other’s gaze they could also read their thoughts.iGSeFF
30bBefore Kohella, head of the magic advisors of Gremport Palace, there was no room for cheap tricks.1fi1Cg
5NSYf9So Linus relaxed his shoulders and spoke frankly.MM9
w6f“I wanted to become a hero.”OpC
7DEgKohella was someone who deeply respected those who possessed outstanding magical talent.HEDb
d2tX3However, Linus was not someone who could be considered outstanding even with generosity.gEe
aLaAt best, he barely reached a mediocre one-star level.04atkjA
BFqLoFor the eldest son of the illustrious Belmierd family, his talent was lamentably insufficient.UgeFK
5WVt9It was not hard to imagine why Linus had ended up wandering aimlessly.QflIg
M0cEGLacking ability commensurate with one’s lineage is something that eventually consumes a person.uYf6L
HqByYjHowever, Kohella’s deduction was only half correct.LRAdDWo
M1T“My mother was a commoner.”uFIj
1Wjpt“…”esu
BSDe“The mother of my younger brother, Leonard, was as well. Of the three siblings, the only one who inherited purely noble blood was Ellen.”WTyHIop
3MnDS01Suddenly, Linus brought up the most delicate and hidden point of the Belmierd family.sg9
Frr9f5To Kohella’s eyes, it resembled a gambler placing his bet on the table.pEufzDZ
xt1LRevealing a secret that could never be mentioned publicly was a way to force her to listen carefully.hcqeL4
ErzeeThe murky affairs of a noble family like the Belmierds were more than enough of a wager to capture her interest.8vk6V
34z2m9“My father was already roaming battlefields long before he received the title of frontier count. And as those who know him well are aware, when one spends too much time waging war in distant lands, it isn’t rare to fall into some deviation.”cIpe6
KnU6COn battlefields where blood flowed freely and corpses piled up, it was common for soldiers, carried along by their comrades, to frequent local brothels or engage in fleeting affairs.1rul
Ra9qWNormally, such things were treated as youthful indiscretions and buried in the heat of war upon returning home.bCHR
sKbNACBut Count Belmierd could not do that.ct4Y
0xnHe could not regard the life born of that indiscretion as a mere mistake of the past, nor pretend it had never existed.DQX76
V1pp9PSo he brought Linus and Leonard, sons of a prostitute, into the Belmierd manor and raised them under his roof, determined to take responsibility to the end.RzN6RO
OelPEven Countess Belmierd, a truly kind woman, loved Linus and Leonard as if she herself had given birth to them, allowing them to stand with dignity as legitimate members of the family.2QbZZ
JmTThat was why Linus deeply respected the woman who did not share his blood.tIYP
TYL5INf“Then what became of your biological mother?”NT7f6
gXmx65“She died quite a long time ago. She survived by selling her body on battlefields, so perhaps expecting her to live many years was too much.”SXuq
fnqiOLLinus let out a bitter laugh.CfDv11B
Vpz8z“Even so, they say she was happy knowing I would live comfortably with the Belmierd family. It’s ridiculous. Knowing her fate was to starve to death on the streets, she secretly put me on a ship bound for this continent, even bribing people with what little she had.”T4k
JqZWq“…”utm
DaNMLe“I suppose that’s what gave me my stubbornness. Even with incomplete noble blood, I wanted to prove that I could rise in this aristocratic society regardless. In a world rotten to the core by lineage, I wanted to deny it with my very existence.”uHWtSl
kzcfwcVKohella remembered well the fervor of that ambition.iDhydsf
PELThe young Linus she had seen at the monastery seemed the very embodiment of that fire.Yoh
Wn1What did blood matter?zoW
6fgCgEven if incomplete, the determination to prove his worth was extraordinary.TXRJp
vY5TtWIt was no coincidence that Kohella still remembered his face after so many years.pDm2Lj8
GO9EVMHowever, there was no need to ask how that ambition had ended.S4Nnk
b7I“That’s right. Great ambitions don’t always lead to glorious endings.”0KfD3u
X8hekLinus gave a bitter smile.4b6XS
po0gHwMHis younger sister was Ellen.aqi
1XCHEAA child chosen by the gods, a bud destined to become a ruler.AnOo9S
LfwMb6MEllen, a pure-blooded noble, awakened her mana for the first time at the age of ten.Xm1vi3
culKdEven other qualities befitting a ruler far surpassed those of Linus, something he could not help but acknowledge.EL0Q
tubLUK“You know it well, Lady Kohella. There are those who, no matter how desperately they cling to incomplete blood, never manage to reach the summit. And there are also those who, starting as penniless orphans in the slums, surpass 4 stars and set their sights on 5.”F8s9
31pM5QH“…”GlQYusU
YQHSHKe“Those are the ones who become heroes.”M0s
cr8zowThere was no sadness or inferiority complex in Linus.CwCq
BtAGQsYThat phase had ended a very long time ago.E3Vz5
oo4cIIAll that seemed to remain in that ragged man was the ability to place his bets where the odds were highest at the gaming table.myLmn
lOd“If you’re going to place a bet, you have to do it on people like that.”R5dX3
BF5hTXKohella understood immediately.fT1hsb
vBsThe impetuous, ambitious youth Linus once was no longer existed.wm9LfWv
HzGThe man sitting before her was someone who only bet when the odds were favorable and, if he won, collected the money and left.Stf
cjWQikwA true gambler, the kind who wandered the betting dens.Ox4HDxP
ATy4FMr***IdY
0rBY“¿D-Dereck…?”2rpux
Ixt“Lady Aiselin…?”RdVV
5b0qJWhen Dereck turned around after killing the magic advisor who had been used by the confusion mage, a familiar face appeared among the trees of the forest.juBA
CjQJxtNot much time had passed since Dereck had left the main hall, determined to draw the confusion mage out by himself.undq
r07UDespite having ordered that no one separate from Princess Roselin under any circumstances, Aiselin had left the academic building without hesitation and followed him there.Tgob3Rg
Wh4“I-I’m sorry… I was really worried…”d1xjPv
D9ylvI“How did you manage to leave the main hall?”KFqrjj
MTM1“I took a detour. It wasn’t that difficult. I don’t think there’s anyone who knows the structure of the academic building better than I do.”3Cp4j
3kNxtAiselin had memorized all the blueprints of the buildings of the Ravenclaw Academy.QVVijm
BelVcpLeaving the main hall was, in truth, not a big deal for her.Muu5qP
uuh6JDBIt was a night with the moon high in the sky.XSaFEw
9N5FkAlthough Dereck had even resorted to using the Book of Longing to make threats as a bluff, the confusion mage had not appeared.wmm
T0KBbHe had probably realized that the declaration was nothing more than bait meant to force him out.Rciro
nt0nDereck explained the entire situation to Aiselin.E0zy7x6
prc05I“I-I see… bait… to lure the confusion mage…”XQ3uX
i3A“If he doesn’t respond, we might really have to use the Book of Longing, but we’re not yet in a situation where we need to gamble our lives.”PyaQUo
ove70“Even so…!”57h
NZj98ABAiselin suddenly composed herself and stared straight at Dereck.cuAXz
uAF3xfxIt was not common to see her with such a firm expression—she, who was always as gentle as water.HYXRNp
UtvUIn the forest bathed in moonlight, Aiselin bit her lower lip and spoke.qEXno
jSN“Talking about dying or not dying… please, don’t say it even as a joke. Even if it was part of the plan, you could at least have warned me a little…”OizkBO
OvWhteX“…”nRhXwBZ
rXbw“I truly thought something had happened to you, Lord Dereck… I had no choice but to run out. If you had really died protecting the nobles… that would have been too… too tragic.”8yL2
yYQARBp“I’m sorry. But I couldn’t warn you in advance. No matter what I said, the moment I did, it would also reach the ears of the confusion mage.”YKrJ
cj0lDereck apologized sincerely to Aiselin, who had lowered her gaze with a sad expression.XSMon6w
7M8He had not imagined that she would rush out in such desperation.JSKxem
DhpM1dVThe two of them began walking back toward the main hall, remaining silent for a while.Oa0
8QLHf7XAiselin walked with her head lowered, as if ashamed of having acted impulsively.ELRNN6F
PyzIPxfDereck pressed his brow, and to ease the situation, changed the subject.PopxsJ0
pbRDbT“Still, it’s unexpected that the confusion mage didn’t appear in person. With such a variable, I thought he would definitely show himself…”kZHY
K963I1N“Yes… I also wonder what would have happened if you had really read the Book of Longing. Why didn’t he appear even then?”IlN0h4
6yeifUqWalking together through the silent streets of the campus, Aiselin and Dereck sank into their thoughts.MR065
r1cOiThe academic buildings, carefully constructed day by day, passed before them.aBlbZ
rrmWThere were still no students, and the atmosphere was gloomy, but when late spring arrived, this place would become a sanctuary of learning filled with life.IwE
P5x1Aiselin, who dreamed of that future, sighed as she felt the cutting air of the Ravenclaw Academy.dH3FCT
EwNIWCh“I never imagined it would turn into a scene of murders. Many of the items in the main hall were destroyed, and the entrance to Amaryllis House is covered in blood…”kBcr
xql“It’s only a temporary situation. If we resolve all of this properly, we’ll be able to inaugurate the academy as planned.”QSZic3H
NBvXUF“I hope so. Both you and I have worked so hard.”XjUP
fJyxscAiselin clenched her fists tightly and looked once more at the academic buildings.72YTW
emx“Let’s finish this situation properly and open the academy as if nothing had happened.”aotdsU
IvQbqp“Of course.”344n
wM3OL“But for that, we’ll have to catch the culprit—what do you think, Dereck? With so few clues, it must be difficult…”h2edcC
EihUr“Well, for now, I’ve thought of a few things I want to ask Princess Roselin.”XSTbt
oowxrq“…Really? In the main hall, you looked completely exhausted…”ZLzV
cf8dPrincess Roselin was the only person completely free from the influence of the confusion mage.dKE4
y0iAUHIf Dereck had truly encountered the mage several times and lost those memories, Roselin could not possibly be unaware.r7hBNLo
A1thNo matter how capable a confusion mage might be, he could not erase Princess Roselin’s memories.jNJjCw
NoSk2YThat meant Roselin was hiding something.VZF
DFi“…”JdO
u2U8Dereck felt a strange sense of discomfort.cEv
DoxQuPrincess Roselin had lost her father to an unknown confusion mage.2yCS
7tNYShe had no reason to hide information.CD1lD
HsQShe was in a position where she would do anything to catch the culprit.4vX4ZLM
jawM5Then why conceal something from Dereck?zRjdHe
muM3q“…Lord Dereck?”6VnP
Otmdi“Sorry, I was thinking for a moment.”5Wi
q0YluKrDereck stopped abruptly, rested his chin on his hand, and sank into deep thought.q6bO2G4
JRWThe reason Princess Roselin was hiding something.yEH5X
4RhHyThere was only one possible explanation.xXqz
H2pzzZSaying it would be useless.Im2AY
2mDmheSuddenly, Dereck felt as if the blood began to race through his head.1AqBN
O145DlmHe reconstructed the entire situation from Princess Roselin’s point of view.C8JXYX2
O521xnEmperor Gattrel, her father, had died.5eJ1iSc
MpIAt the hands of a confusion mage whose identity was almost impossible to discern.GsR2I
yDUWhether disguised among the crowd or hidden in a way that transcended even perception, he was not someone easy to capture.xTee
g6nyumBut what if Dereck managed to find him using all kinds of ingenuity and variables?cw8S3Ic
nLwEven then, it would make no sense.Z48
UN3PGG6A confusion mage who had reached the extreme of his art would erase the memories of everyone present and act as if he had never been discovered.k7FbS
m0RdNo matter how much they tracked him down and found him, everything would be meaningless.L8nl
ipDIf he erased the memories, everything would become something that never happened.TORwuF
mpxk1qAt most, a faint sense of incongruity would remain—and even that could be manipulated.T1Fhk
xDU3jsmHowever, Princess Roselin’s memories could not be erased.i0R
CGMzJShe could continue to exist, knowing who the culprit was.xyzF
iQVAnd even if everyone else’s memories disappeared, she would insist again and again, pointing out the true culprit, trying to convince everyone.zmh4jUr
c9nl7hTAnd everyone would eventually believe her.Sd3aOb5
TYHi1But even that would be meaningless.dRcJjnC
icWPoIt would be enough to erase all memories again and turn everything into a never happened.szDlS
QC3V2qWManipulating the memories of hundreds of people present so that everything fit coherently was an overly difficult and exhausting task, and as long as a reference point like Roselin existed, everything would ultimately fall apart.9ihT
0NsSsIn contrast, erasing all memories and turning everything into something that never happened was a simple and direct process.7S54EzT
5ZDOIt only consumed a bit more mana.BD6z7
hAdjwLKFacing a 6-star confusion mage was that absurd and unfair.TaU
W5AO1wNo matter what happened, if he wished it, he could turn everything into something that never occurred.bPz
j0L5QA true swindler.tVL
3aJ6OOODereck swallowed as he recalled the previous night.NuM8
gWURtHe did not remember it well.9cMy
QXRSQIn fact, it was strange that he had not noticed it earlier.XdhdtBb
d1pIf one does not pay conscious attention, it is not even easy to realize.S6Ii
5j5KgyvThat is the true terror of confusion magic.q130v5W
WlsWzROEven the sense of incongruity and déjà vu can be completely erased by that sharp magical force.sxnRio
d5IRucvNot much time had passed since the emperor was assassinated, yet he had the strange feeling that several nights had already gone by.xqPxxiv
FXXYvq7That discomfort, as if countless unrecognized memories had piled up, is difficult to perceive unless one deliberately tries.s8481f
yMKpFHow many times had the memories been erased?vIX1
MhYThe princess, sitting on the railing of the main hall and observing everyone from above—what kind of struggle had she been fighting during the last two nights?MADm
MukPrincess Roselin, burning with thirst for revenge right after the emperor’s assassination—what had she endured to end up so utterly exhausted, gritting her teeth like that?dQ3E9SD
atXTdxWas it just fatigue from not sleeping?JFrnV
Y28No.GRyVi
h3rl— She had identified the true identity of the confusion mage and had tried to warn the people in the place again and again, but always failed.5IqmURT
shHNo matter how much she warned them, everyone forgot.hUB
Na2mvNo matter what she did, the 6-star confusion mage reacted instantly and erased all memories.bdYCB0L
vebhkOf course, not even a 6-star confusion mage possessed infinite mana.NhVnn8i
qb7QmHlIf Princess Roselin endured until the end, sooner or later that individual’s mana would be exhausted and the situation could break.iQsglF
al13But unfortunately, there was a time limit.YbhB
9SqOKohella could only maintain control of the area through the barrier formation for three days.Qxuzg
vtxUcpThat meant that if the subject endured for just three days, he would be free and able to leave the place.WxSZ
LtiY8RIf that was the case, the two previous nights had been a war between the confusion mage and Princess Roselin.v6GhB4
saGWvikDereck imagined it.FV45mv
bkiBAtJEven if she called Dereck to warn him, even if she called Kohella, even if she tried by any means to secretly convey the culprit’s identity, everything would be read and discovered instantly.gOfag
iNMEven using notes or hints, as long as the enemy could read memories, nothing would make sense.xQoBu
XVjoWarning, warning, and warning again—everything would end up becoming something that never happened.TJsi9A
5qhFoIt would be like being trapped in a scenario where everything was already decided.7wC24s
NDerHaving the murderer of her father right in front of her and being unable to do absolutely anything.DDRK
4JwThe princess, sitting alone on the railing of the second floor of the main hall, observing the nobles with tired eyes, was not simply standing guard.tNu1
Fz3O3WShe was undoubtedly watching the true confusion mage mixed among them.91U1o
yU3jnHe was too strong to kill directly.3saV
U6pWarning someone was meaningless.gRWaQ
5NJIf those three nights passed, the barrier formation would dissipate, and the confusion mage, right there, in front of everyone, would be free.O99q
y3rkwHaving the enemy of the emperor in the same space, within arm’s reach, and yet having no way to warn anyone.z1aWOb9
VR4IxPA prison without bars.briLfp4
zPWwxcThat must have been the endless hell, like an infinite cycle, that Princess Roselin had endured over the last two nights.jni
dYfiEQNow he understood why her expression was so haggard and why, when speaking with Dereck, she seemed to say disjointed things.zb3p0Nb
t0NOThe pieces of the puzzle began to fit together one by one.IocSv
KPnGYTzDereck pulled a letter from his chest.50uT3v
bXxABfIt was the letter Princess Roselin had given him before leaving the main hall.yJ8
kyJASCF— It’s a blessing formula passed down by the imperial family. They say it’s the method the hero Rosenheim and Kalimford used during the subjugation of the level-ten deposit.jQM
5rf035IThat blatant lie existed only to conceal the letter’s true contents.VIuF8
x6uUMIt was one of Princess Roselin’s many attempts to inform Dereck of the culprit’s identity, resorting to all kinds of methods.4kvHD
DxPYLTDEven if it was a futile effort, she had undoubtedly been repeating it again and again.kX3
xXavSo what did this letter say?0f1vRJ
BQEA8F“D-Dereck…? Th-that letter… what is it…?”Sui8ysL
nhicAiselin spoke with eyes full of doubt.pmLyX
dsbTpDereck opened the letter in silence.1okSfRc
8cbVAnd began to read its contents calmly.nbQvooh
41Y3It was not a long text, but Dereck’s eyes opened wide.SSUvA
jDGmHow… how could he have forgotten something so obvious until now?TQS
tuVnvV[ Aiselin Eleanor Duplain is currently on vacation.xheu
5YqcDQE— Roselin ]3s0yv2f
uOwD— I will be away temporarily to reconnect with myself. I will return in one week.thG
asBXRBefore the inspection event, Aiselin had left the place because Dereck kept taking her work.cCU
8lo8She had completely disengaged from the event and had not even attended.sYLT1V
uRbcowThat had unquestionably happened.lENGqnc
VFSuAnd yet, everyone had forgotten it.ah2
t1RoNAAs if someone had torn that fragment out of memory.t4SKWR
UtYtAiselin Eleanor Duplain.SiE
HRQFiPSThat she was here, in this place, was not normal.uyAda
ES1OMDereck raised his head.BFwD
AwOydTqIn the moonlit clearing, Aiselin’s eyes, bathed in that gentle light, flew open.M1U6
l2K“Oh my.”mU3
IAQlwFrom her back, a dark red magic began to seep out.SAV
crH“Then we’ll have to erase it again.”Gzkmrm
blddnCrack!UeTVNp
pnLIvDereck leaped backward to create distance and fired a mana arrow straight at her face.AYj
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Ahmad Dzaky
Mortalhad a hard time processing this, but if u think it from the princess’s perspective it’ll work somehow
aalocrite
Mortalholy shi