#129

It felt a bit unsettling, but since the Saintess had left, it was time to clean up.

‘It feels strange that not even ten minutes have passed despite all that chaos.’

Andrea, a vassal of the Distorted One, wasn’t much of a concern.

Since he would believe and follow whatever the ‘Prophet’ told him, he’d be easy to handle.

The problem was Nasir, the Heretic Inquisitor.

“You can’t use Distortion?”

“I can use it, but it’s more that I can’t control how the results turn out.”

I had assumed he was easily overcome by Distortion because he had been groaning helplessly, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“When resistance is this high, I can plunge them into a Status Condition, but it’s difficult to read specific mental imagery.”

Even if I manipulated memories, delicate adjustments were impossible, and in such cases, a sense of ‘discordance’ easily crept into the memory.

Furthermore, Nasir belonged to the Inquisition.

He mentioned that if someone were to scrutinize Nasir’s mind, they might find traces of ‘Distortion.’

‘…Things have gotten complicated.’

In a normal situation, even if someone looked into Nasir’s mind, they would only gather the information that ‘some unknown vassal of an Othergod tampered with Nasir’s memories.’

However, before coming here, Nasir had submitted a ‘written report’ to Casimir.

He stated that since Fabio had a foreboding dream, he would be providing security by his side.

But what if Nasir had no memory of meeting me, yet traces of an Othergod’s interference remained in his head?

‘Fabio would be dragged off to the Inquisition.’

The excuse of being investigated by the Inquisition was about to become a reality.

‘Being cautious is actually holding me back.’

Who knew I’d end up cooperating with a Prophet?

Especially in this manner….

“Since things turned out this way, do you want to come with me?”

Looking at Reyes, who was clinging to my arm and chattering away about what was in his territory, I felt a headache coming on.

‘…Should I just hand this bastard over to the Saintess now?’

They say a stupid ally is scarier than a smart enemy.

How was I supposed to cover for a moron that even the ‘Helper’ had given up on controlling?

‘Still, I need to get the necessary information for now.’

I sighed inwardly and pushed my brain into overdrive.

Think!

Find a way to make this situation vanish without contradicting the written report!

‘The key is to make sure no one examines Nasir’s mind.’

A plausible reason?

I could just have Nasir create one.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“…Let’s plant an embarrassing memory.”

“Huh?”

“Instead of having someone read his memory, we’ll create a memory so shameful that he’d rather die than let anyone know.”

Submitting internet browser history to prove an alibi VS going to prison on a false charge.

There are people who would choose the latter.

Shame was that powerful of an emotion.

“To feel discordance, you first have to recall the memory, right?”

Who could calmly dwell on a memory that flooded them with shame?

* * *

The plan was simple.

Move Nasir to my room and lay him on the bed.

Then, make him have a dream that was the most embarrassing thing imaginable, something he would never want to tell anyone.

‘Even if the result of the Distortion is illogical or inconsistent, it’s a dream, so he’ll just brush it off.’

I couldn’t manipulate the specific contents of the dream.

That was the domain of the ‘Master of Nightmares.’

Just as one has dreams of being chased when feeling fear and dread, I could only influence it indirectly.

Reyes asked me while placing his hand on Nasir’s head.

“Should I strongly amplify the feeling of shame?”

“No, not just shame….”

There had to be a reason to hide it.

“…It has to be a very profane, blasphemous dream. Enough to make him feel a sense of sin.”

“That’s awesome.”

“What is?”

“If Fabio had the power of Distortion, he definitely would have used it much better than me! Fabio should have been the one to contract with the Distorted One, not me!”

‘What kind of curse is that?’

To be lumped in with those trashy people who enjoy stabbing others in the back.

I was about to retort that I don’t play those kinds of tricks, but I suddenly lost my words.

‘…How is what I’m doing right now any different?’

Nasir had tried to help me.

And here I was, about to plant a terrible memory in him and lie, simply to avoid a predicament.

‘It’s not like I’ll die if I don’t do this….’

As I realized how wicked my intended action was, my conscience began to ache terribly.

But I couldn’t exactly confess the truth to Nasir now.

It would be better for Nasir to know nothing and remain uninvolved than to find out about the Othergods.

‘…I really would have used Distortion well if I had it.’

I’m so good at self-justification….

“…If possible, could you add feelings of joy and Happinesss too?”

“For the Happy God?”

“No, I just don’t think there’s any need to make him suffer.”

A memory one is too embarrassed to tell others could also be a ‘childishly happy dream.’

Wouldn’t that be better than a nightmare?

Reyes marveled.

“Fabio, you’re a genius!”

“…What now?”

“Adding happy emotions lowered the resistance significantly!”

‘…That wasn’t my intention.’

“But I’m curious. What on earth is a dream that is happy, yet embarrassing and sinful?”

“Who knows.”

Maybe the realization of a childish and wicked desire?

Like a dream where he uses Nephiton’s Divine Power recklessly to humiliate someone who usually ignores him….

“…More importantly, shouldn’t you be outside now?”

“It’s fine, I’ll just pretend to be a flowerpot!”

“A flowerpot?”

At that moment, a small pop-up window appeared in front of Reyes.

[This is a flowerpot with a plant in it. It is fresh!]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Distortion’ is provided as text.]

“Ta-da! I’m a talking flowerpot! Isn’t it amazing?”

“…I told you Distortion doesn’t work on me.”

“Ah, right. That’s a shame. I wanted to tell you to touch these lush leaves….”

“What happens if you move in that state?”

“They’ll just feel that the flowerpot moved. Like, ‘Wasn’t the flowerpot over there? Oh, it moved here.’ Like that.”

‘That’s totally….’

“So a real-life cardboard box is possible.”

“Cardboard box?”

Reyes tilted his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that would be difficult. Distortion is different from hallucinations. You can’t make someone see an object they don’t know. To see a cardboard box, the concept of a ‘cardboard box’ must exist in the target’s mind, and who in the Dark Realm knows what a cardboard box is….”

“No, not a literal cardboard box.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

‘…Has this bastard never played any game other than Die Heretic!’

I thought he’d know since his nickname was in Japanese.

It became too tedious to explain, so I just patted his head.

“Fine. Then go stand in the corner. Plants can’t talk, so keep your mouth shut.”

At my words, Reyes shut his mouth and reached both hands toward me.

“What.”

[It is an obvious fact that a flowerpot cannot move on its own.

Please hold it gently as it may break.]

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Distortion’ is provided as text.]

“…Stop bullshitting and just walk.”

Reyes walked to the corner of the room, pretending to be exaggeratedly sullen.

Watching him, I felt glad that the Helper had twisted his desire to meet ‘Athanas.’

‘If not, he’d probably be in Athanas’s room pretending to be a flowerpot.’

I was glad Athanas had already obtained a Sacred Relic that increased mental resistance.

If he hadn’t….

“Ugh….”

Nasir let out a small groan.

I quickly turned toward him.

“…Are you awake?”

“Fabio?”

Before Nasir could grasp the situation, I quickly continued.

“What kind of dream did you have?”

“…A dream?”

“Please listen. You said the cause of my foreboding dream might be in the room, and that you’d check it for me.”

I planned to use ‘Forced Persuasion’ to explain what had actually happened to Nasir as he woke from the dream.

“You remember, right?”

Nasir was looking at me with a confused expression.

Before he could respond, I kept talking.

“So, what was the content of the dream?”

For a moment, Nasir was speechless and kept his mouth shut.

“Do you think the dream I had was because of this room?”

“It, it, it was just a dream. Hard to call it a Revelation…. Anyway, there was no foreboding feeling.”

I nodded.

I didn’t ask further about the content of the dream.

He probably wouldn’t want to explain an embarrassing dream to someone else.

“I’m glad there are no major problems with the room.”

‘Now I just have to pretend I don’t know and send him out.’

“Thank you so much for today.”

“…I didn’t really do much.”

“No, you gave me your precious time. Thanks to you, I could be at ease.”

“I can give you as much time as you need.”

“It’s okay now! My lover is coming tonight.”

Nasir’s ears twitched.

He seemed greatly surprised by my words.

“Lover…?”

“Ah, did I not tell you? I thought you would have noticed even if I didn’t….”

As I pointed to the reliquary, Nasir replied blankly.

“…I thought that was also part of the background setting.”

‘He could easily misunderstand.’

If a goblin with 30 charm is wearing a ring, it’s natural to think ‘it’s for camouflage’ rather than ‘it’s a couple’s ring.’

‘And it actually is camouflage.’

“Haha, Athanas really exists. I can’t believe such a person confessed to me either.”

“…….”

“I think they’ll arrive soon, so you can go now….”

“Since they’re coming soon, I should see their face before I leave.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve become curious about what kind of person they are.”

‘Eh?’

I broke into a cold sweat inwardly.

Why?

‘Does he suspect Athanas?’

Thinking about it, it was plenty suspicious.

Someone who suddenly confessed to a goblin with 30 charm.

It seemed like they had some other motive.

“Then could I introduce them another time? Today is a bit….”

“Is there a problem?”

“W-well, meeting you today was a coincidence, right? My lover doesn’t know about you, Nasir….”

“Then it’s an even better opportunity.”

“A-Athanas is a bit peculiar… they might start showing affection as soon as they arrive, would that be alright?”

“It is fine.”

“…It’s fine?”

“I’m used to it.”

‘Ah.’

Come to think of it, Nasir must have seen Casimir and Elamin often.

‘Then what should I use to persuade him?’

While I was struggling a bit because it was an unfamiliar topic, Reyes suddenly chimed in.

“I’m not fine with it.”

Nasir’s eyes widened as he looked at Reyes.

‘You fucking idiot!’

Did he forget the flowerpot setting?

What do you expect to happen if you talk!

“I have a bit of a strong possessiveness.”

I was breaking into a cold sweat, unable to think of how to explain away the talking flowerpot, when Nasir reached out first.

“Nice to meet you. You are….”

“I am Athanas.”

‘What?’

What kind of nonsense is he talking?

I looked back and forth between Nasir and Reyes.

As Reyes’s pupils narrowed vertically, Nasir’s tail puffed up.

‘What’s going on?’

“You may leave now. Since I am here.”

Nasir cleared his throat and gave me an awkward smile.

“…Then I’ll see you next time.”

‘What just happened?’

I saw Nasir out, completely bewildered.

And as soon as I locked the door, I smacked Reyes on the forehead.

“You said you’d pretend to be a flowerpot!”

The vertical pupils relaxed and returned to their original shape.

“But if I hadn’t stepped in, it would have been troublesome, right? He seemed to be in a state of doubting whether you actually have someone you’re dating.”

“No, that was….”

‘…It was something that could have been solved by using Forced Persuasion.’

But I couldn’t explain it as it was.

If Reyes found out I used Forced Persuasion on him, the Helper would find a way to counter it.

“…I was planning to persuade him somehow.”

“I don’t know. It didn’t seem like he would have left easily.”

“Still! You jumping in there was the worst response! Even if you used Distortion, he couldn’t help but feel discordance! Does it make sense for the lover who was ‘about to arrive’ to already be in the room? And what did you do to Nasir at the end!”

“He sent a murderous aura my way, so I just did the same.”

‘This absolute brain-dead troll….’

I gritted my teeth.

What on earth does he think I’m doing this for?

If traces of ‘Distortion’ are found in Nasir, I’m the one who will suffer!

‘I should have just let him be logged out!’

“…More importantly, Nasir doesn’t know Athanas, so how did you show him Athanas? According to the principle you explained earlier, you can’t make someone look like a person they don’t know, right?”

“I just made him look like a handsome man who felt impossible to defeat.”

“Then it must have been a different face from the real Athanas?”

“Correct. I don’t know exactly what face Nasir saw.”

“What happens when he meets the real Athanas later? He’ll find it strange that he’s different from the person he saw today.”

“Well, he’ll probably just think they’re two different people with the same name?”

The boy gave a silly grin.

“You’re not actually dating the real Athanas anyway! Would there ever be a chance for him to see you with the real Athanas?”

“Uh….”

Wait a minute.

“…T-that part about me pretending to date Athanas. You heard it from Andrea, right?”

“Yes.”

“What did you think after hearing that?”

“I thought some crazy bastard had dug a trap targeting me!”

‘…Come to think of it, he was convinced this reliquary was a fake too.’

Suddenly, cold sweat poured down.

Of course, Athanas and I are not in a real relationship.

But does that matter?

If it were ‘Athanasuki,’ his eyes would probably flip just knowing that I’m meeting Athanas every day….

‘Especially if he realizes that the one inside this reliquary is the real one?’

I swallowed hard.

“It’s… understandable that he’d misunderstand.”

“The fact that you showed it to Andrea of all units made me certain it was a trap!”

“I-I was surprised too. I met Andrea by complete chance. I didn’t know he had a connection with another player….”

“Why are you carrying a reliquary with Athanas’s name on it? Are you afraid Athanas will appear and say, ‘Who’s pretending to date me!’? Did you want to meet Athanas that badly?”

“No, I just thought if they were a player, they’d recognize it and talk to me….”

“I knew it! You did it because you wanted to meet me! I’m sorry! I should have come sooner. If I had known Fabio was waiting for me like that….”

‘If he’s this impossible to talk to, shouldn’t he be at least Stage 2 Madness?’

Chapter 130