#153

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Ultimate Happy-Happy’ is nullified.]

Even after the dense text disappeared, I couldn’t regain my senses for a while.

Ultimate Happy-Happy?

Why?

How?

By what means did the Happy God….

“…It seems I made an unreasonable request.”

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.]

As soon as the Saintess let go of my hand, I reflexively shook off the ‘remains’ resting upon it.

The white fragments scattered across the floor.

Without even thinking of picking them up, I stared only at the facial ornament of the Saintess.

‘What is she thinking?’

Does she know that memory is inherited upon contacting a Unit with a playlog?

Did she let me touch it knowing that?

‘…If she didn’t know, she wouldn’t have asked me to tell her what Perpetua was thinking.’

The Saintess can read playlogs.

She also possesses information that a ‘chat window’ appears when calling another player’s Nickname.

So, it wouldn’t be strange if the Saintess knew about ‘memory synchronization.’

But….

‘Why?’

Why did she ask me such a question?

Could she not read what ‘Ultimate Happy-Happy’ was?

No, before that.

‘Shouldn’t she have given me a warning?’

If I didn’t have a firewall in my head, I would have become ‘happy-happy’ just now because of what the Saintess did.

I would have become a vegetable, unable to think of anything other than happy-happy, and would have suffered an immediate Game Over.

Inheriting the memories of a mad person means being infected by that madness.

And yet, was she certain I would be safe?

‘…Or does she simply not care what happens to me?’

The mouth visible beneath the ornament was curved into a soft arc.

It was a smile that looked as if it had been painted on.

I felt the blood in my entire body slowly turn cold.

“What you said you wanted to know was Perpetua’s human relationships.”

As the Saintess spoke, she flipped the box back to its original position.

The ‘remains’ rolling on the floor were drawn back into the box automatically, like a video playing in reverse.

‘Telekinesis….’

The Apostles of Order can freely use the abilities of their subordinates.

Now I understand why the Emergency Rescue Device activates, telling me to ‘run away’ when encountering an apostle.

Because they are beings that cannot be opposed; they are beings one can only flee from.

Those who can eternally banish from this world things that truly do not die even if killed.

‘…Perhaps the reason she left me alive was simply because she was curious why I hadn’t suffered a Game Over?’

From the Saintess’s perspective, the fact that I hadn’t gone mad might be an error.

A small clinking sound echoed as she closed the box.

“As requested, the contents have been organized in writing.”

The Saintess produced a scroll from the air and handed it to me.

Instead of unfolding the scroll, I held it against my chest.

“Thank… you. I will take it and read it slowly.”

The Saintess’s actions were full of questions, but I didn’t want to know the answers right now.

Right now, all I wanted was to go back to my room, pull the covers over my head, and scream “Holy fucking shit.”

“No, you may not take it out. Read it here.”

“…What?”

“It contains information that cannot be viewed by anyone below the rank of Archbishop. In principle, you cannot read it either, but I am granting you special permission.”

‘Just what is in there?’

Is there any reason for a noble girl’s human relationships to have viewing restrictions?

Could there be someone in the Dark Realm so evil that the very fact of their existence was processed by ‘Oblivion’?

And Perpetua knew that person?

I broke into a cold sweat.

‘I don’t want to know things like that.’

To think I’d find a landmine even in an excuse I’d just thrown out randomly.

It’s not like a game of Minesweeper where a mine explodes on the first click.

‘Should I say I changed my mind and want to live in ignorance?’

“You do not have to read it if you do not wish to.”

“…Lady Adna.”

“Why are you curious about what her previous life was like in the first place? Do you intend to seek out someone she loved and fulfill an unfinished love? Or do you wish for revenge against someone she hated? You are not Perpetua. Perpetua is dead. You cannot replace a dead person.”

‘I have no intention of doing that.’

In the first place, I wasn’t even curious about Perpetua.

I just squeezed out a request because she asked if there was anything I wanted.

“Even if you feel a sense of incongruity or déjà vu, do not dig into it; ignore it. What if you choose to face the truth and your mind shatters? No one will be able to save you. Neither consolation nor oblivion will work on you.”

Adna stared at me with doll-like eyes.

“From my perspective, you are already cracked.”

‘…Does that mean I sound a bit crazy?’

It felt a bit unfair, but from Adna’s point of view, it was reasonable to think so.

Cutting off one’s arm and donating it without anesthesia, without anyone telling them to.

It’s something no sane person would ever do.

It was a misunderstanding caused by the fact that I had omitted a lot of context, but right now, I was grateful for that misconception.

“If Lady Adna goes as far as to say that….”

“Therefore, I shall stay by your side until you are well.”

“Pardon?”

‘I was planning to claim mental and physical weakness and just go back to my room.’

“You don’t need to go that far….”

“No, as you are now, you are prey that is easy to devour. A Sacred Relic is not enough to protect a fool like you. If an evil beast tells you to step out of the Sacred Relic and approach, you would gladly do so.”

“I wouldn’t….”

“If you wouldn’t, then why did you visit the head of the research institute? You, who hesitate even now to unfold the scroll, could not have been without fear the moment your arm was severed. Why did you not call the Saintess then? Before that, did it not occur to you to ask another if that was truly for the sake of Order? From the very first step, you were wrong. If you wanted to grow closer to Order, should you not have sought me, the Saintess?”

“…….”

“You are foolish. Dull, blind, and weak. Your judgments are irrational, contradictory, and self-destructive. How could I possibly leave you alone?”

Cold sweat poured down.

Something was going wrong.

“Lady Adna, I am sorry. I was very lacking. From now on….”

“It is fine. Because I will be by your side now.”

“…Until when will you be staying?”

“Until you get better.”

‘So when exactly is that?’

I carefully gauged the Saintess’s reaction.

The Saintess was merely smiling silently; she didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping Adna.

“I cannot take up so much of Lady Adna’s time.”

“It does not matter.”

“Won’t it be too conspicuous if Lady Adna is by my side?”

“Does that matter now?”

“Of course….”

“The head of the research institute already knows of your existence and has made you his test subject. Is that all? The entire Capital Church is abuzz with the story that you received a marriage proposal from a man of the Teres family. You have already failed at not being conspicuous.”

“That, I didn’t… receive a proposal.”

“I heard he gave you a ring engraved with a name. Is that not so?”

“It wasn’t given in that sense.”

“Yes, I shall correct myself. The entire Capital Church is abuzz with the story that Marcello of the Teres family handed his one and only ring to a partner who can neither bear an heir nor be joined in marriage, asking them to stay by his side.”

‘Fuck.’

I wanted to deny it again, saying it wasn’t like that, but I couldn’t reveal the real reason he gave me the ring.

Telling me to visit him once the Capital Church was in an uproar was essentially telling me to betray Order.

‘That bastard Pandemonium.’

To make me suffer such humiliation.

My cheeks felt like they were twitching from shame.

“Did that matter spread so widely? To the point where the entire Capital Church is abuzz…?”

“Have you not gone outside?”

“…No.”

Come to think of it, I had only stayed in my room since that happened.

Was this why Athanas brought meals to my room instead of going to the dining hall together?

“If you were a woman and in a position to marry, it would not have been much of a topic. People would have thought he simply picked anyone because he needed a woman to bear an heir and he lacked backing. But you fit neither description. Thus, it was bound to become a topic. Because something incomprehensible happened.”

Cold sweat flowed.

Other people would have understood it as an incident where ‘Marcello’ suddenly lost his mind and proposed to a male Chanter.

But what about the apostles?

Adna knows that I am a ‘Watched One’ and a fake Chanter.

If so, wouldn’t she think that ‘Marcello Teres,’ who happened to seek me out among numerous Chanters and performed an incomprehensible spontaneous action, might also be a Watched One?

“…I didn’t know it would blow up this much.”

“You didn’t know?”

“He only told me that he wanted to tease the family members who were bothering him, so he asked for a small favor. I only found out the meaning of the ring later after Lady Elamin explained it to me.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes. He said that the reason he sought me out in the first place was just to kill some time to avoid the people pestering him to marry….”

“Absurd.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean it is a ploy that is transparently obvious.”

“A ploy?”

With an expressionless face, Adna began to say something utterly ridiculous.

“The part about coming to kill time might be true. But after spending a short while with you, his mind must have changed. He surely came to want to spend the rest of his life with you.”

‘?’

“However, he guessed that if he confessed those feelings, you would be flustered and refuse. Because you have a lover. That is why he handed over the ring while pretending it was a joke. Only by saying that would you accept the ring. He likely intended to wait for your lover, who would be displeased upon seeing it, to come to him, and then use every means—be it a duel or persuasion—to get rid of them and claim you for himself.”

‘…I didn’t know Adna had a romance-brain too?’

Or was she just rambling because she thought I was stupid?

Considering the verbal abuse she’d hurled at me so far, the latter was more likely.

Since I had gone to the head of the research institute on my own despite her warnings, she probably judged that telling me Pandemonium was suspicious would have the opposite effect.

‘Even if I just agree and move on, I should give a somewhat plausible reason.’

If my charm had been in the triple digits, I would have widened my eyes and made a fuss about how I didn’t know it could be misunderstood like that.

But Fabio’s charm is 30.

Of course, charm doesn’t play an absolute role in falling in love.

Even with an ugly and repulsive appearance, if one’s nature is kind, they might form a deep relationship with someone.

However, falling in love at first sight is a completely different story.

If a Unit with an ordinary, inconspicuous appearance captivated someone in that brief moment, it could only mean they possessed a brainwashing Skill.

I made excuses while sweating profusely.

“T-that person didn’t seem to have that kind of affection for me….”

“Did I not tell you? Do not trust your own judgment and feelings. To be honest, your judgment in those matters is no better than utter trash.”