#047

Mental interference doesn’t work on me, so that’s not the issue, but the problem came after.

Once the player behind Athanas realizes that brainwashing or Oblivion doesn’t work on me, how will he react?

‘He might decide he needs to kill me to keep me quiet.’

I placed my hand over my chest and spoke. I had to send a distress signal before I was caught.

“…No. I do not wish to keep any secrets from the Saintess. O Loclem! I know that the Lord sees further than we do. It is possible that you truly are a special existence chosen by Loclem. However, I cannot recognize that.”

Beneath my clothes, I could feel the necklace the Saintess had given me.

The Saintess said it. I just had to hold the necklace and call upon the Lord…

‘I hope it still works through the fabric.’

“That is likely because I am not the chosen one you speak of. I did not come here seeking you, nor have I ever had such terrible dreams.”

“…Then Fabio, why did you come to the Capital Church?”

I hesitated.

‘If another player is listening to this conversation…’

It was best to leak as few clues as possible.

I decided not to mention Antonio.

“…I was fortunate enough to catch the Count’s eye and was given a wonderful opportunity. It is all thanks to his patronage that I became a Chanter.”

Athanas gazed at me with eyes that betrayed nothing of his thoughts.

“Did you become a Chanter to serve that Count?”

“You could say that…?”

“Giving up your life as a serf as well?”

“Becoming a Chanter is a far better opportunity than living as a serf.”

“Then you will be returning to the Count’s territory soon.”

“…Yes.”

Athanas seemed lost in thought.

“Then why were you so surprised to see me?”

“That’s…”

I racked my brain.

‘I have to stall for time until the Saintess arrives.’

“…Actually, it’s because Lord Athanas looks so much like my deceased younger brother.”

“Your younger brother?”

“Yes. That’s right. I had a brother, and he was a handsome boy who looked exactly like Lord Athanas. Everyone who knew him agreed he was a brilliant child destined for greatness…”

I intentionally let my voice trail off.

“If only he hadn’t died so pointlessly, slipping off a cliff on a rainy day…”

“…I am sorry for your loss.”

“He looked so much like him that I truly thought my dead brother had returned to life. The moment I saw Lord Athanas, I almost called out my brother’s name, Adrian.”

Athanas remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“…Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I thought it wouldn’t be a pleasant thing for someone to be mistaken for a dead person. Above all… after my brother passed, my mother began seeing things. She was a fragile woman. She would talk to empty spaces, or set a place at the table for my brother… My father hated seeing that. Out of pity for my mother, I played along, but I shouldn’t have. My mother saw a vision of my brother on that very cliff, called his name, and walked right off the edge.”

Athanas listened in silence.

‘People can’t help but be drawn in by a personal history that’s excessively heavy, even if they aren’t curious.’

If the one listening was a player, he would start to wonder whether I was just an NPC or a player myself.

“I only heard about it, but my father, who witnessed it before his eyes, was deeply shocked. He began drinking heavily after that. On days when he drank too much, he would call out my mother’s name and talk to her, as if seeing a ghost. I was so terrified of him… that I distanced myself. Then one day, perhaps seeing my brother, he shouted that my brother was right there, but I saw nothing. That night, my father stopped breathing in his sleep. Since then, I’ve felt a certain reluctance to speak my brother’s name. I feel like I’ve said too much already. It’s not a pleasant story, is it? You probably didn’t want to hear such a boring tale…”

“Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for making you bring up such a difficult story. I understand now. That is why you were surprised.”

‘When is the Saintess coming?’

I was getting anxious.

Could it be that touching it through the clothes doesn’t work?

Should I just call her name clearly? Maybe bring up a topic where the Saintess’s name would naturally come up…

“…I wish to apologize.”

“Pardon?”

“To be honest, I suspected you. That is why I said some strange things to test you. You must have been very flustered.”

“What suspicion…”

“I wanted to see if you knew about [Regression].”

“What?”

“[Regression] is a Divine Power that can turn back time.”

“No…”

“[Regression] was located in that secret underground space. It was exactly as I saw in my dream. Of course, now that I have obtained it, there is nothing left there.”

“…Wh-why are you telling me this?”

“Since time will be turned back anyway, this will become something you never heard. You do not need to feel so anxious.”

“No, even so…”

“However, if you are someone whose memories remain even when time is reversed, wouldn’t my explaining this serve as a foundation for trust?”

“Th-then wouldn’t it be better to tell the Saintess? If such a person exists, other than the Saintess…”

“I checked, and she does not remember.”

“You… checked.”

“Yes. It wasn’t that I intended to test her. After receiving the Revelation and obtaining [Regression], I became so afraid that I sought out the Saintess. I told her only about the dream I had, and after listening quietly, she used ‘Oblivion’ to erase my memories. If I hadn’t regained my memories because the act of receiving ‘Oblivion’ after reversing time for another reason was undone, I would have lived forgetting that such a thing happened.”

“…I-I see.”

“After that, I waited. Even if the Saintess’s memories vanished, the Lord’s memories would not have. I thought that if He judged me to be a being that disrupts Order, He would send a Revelation to the Saintess to come find me. But since she did not come, I came to believe that it was the Lord’s Will that I not tell the Saintess.”

“I-I don’t think you need to tell me all this…”

“…The ability to turn back time is a frightening thing. It means no one will ever know what I have done, doesn’t it? I fear the moment I might stop treating people as human beings.”

“Yes…”

“That is why I decided that if I commit a wrong, I will always apologize before turning back time.”

“No, but it’ll be as if it never happened anyway…”

“But I will remember. I remember that I did something wrong. My mistaken actions do not disappear. What disappears is the opportunity to beg for forgiveness for those wrongs.”

Athanas knelt on one knee before me and spoke with a face full of sincerity.

“Fabio. I am sorry for deceiving you. I am sorry for calling you by the wrong name. Above all, I am sorry for making you tell a story you didn’t want to.”

“I-it’s alright.”

“…When time is turned back, you will have no memory of telling that story, but the fact that I heard it by deceiving you will remain in my memory. Fabio, will you forgive me for remembering that story?”

“O-of course I forgive you!”

“I am truly sorry about your family.”

‘Fuck! If you’re going to turn it back, do it now!’

I was now anxious that the Saintess might arrive.

The moment he realizes I called the Saintess, this bastard will be on guard and suspicious of me.

An ordinary Chanter from a serf background can summon the Saintess?

That makes no sense.

And above all…

‘He’ll realize everything I just said was a lie!’

Cold sweat poured down me.

There was only one way for me to survive.

This bastard had to turn back time right now and never show interest in ‘Fabio’ again.

‘Fuck, does turning back time count as mental interference?’

If it doesn’t, I’m screwed.

I won’t even remember what I blabbered, but he will!

‘No, if he remembers, that’s another problem.’

The moment he knows I retain memories even after time is reversed, Athanas will put me on his ‘ally’ list whether I want it or not.

‘No no, still, that’s better than having no memories. If I have memories, I can just act like I don’t.’

If I trick him well just once, he’ll stop paying attention…

“Thank you for forgiving me.”

Athanas stood up and gave me another nod.

‘Quickly! Turn it back quickly!’

I bit my lower lip in anxiety.

It was at that moment.

K-boom!

The main gate, three times the height of a person, swung wide open with a loud crash.

Athanas’s gaze shifted toward the sound.

‘Fuck!’

“…Saintess?”

‘Fuck fuck fuck!’

I’m doomed!

I’m doomed, I’m totally doomed!

“…Fabio. Did you call the Saintess?”

Fuck, what do I do?

How the hell am I supposed to explain this to a guy who can turn back time…

“Please answer. Did you call her?”

“I…”

At that moment, a sword flew and plunged into the ground right at Athanas’s feet.

“Step away from him immediately. If you disobey, you will be condemned.”

“…You called her.”

Athanas frowned, looking back and forth between the Saintess and me.

“…Who exactly are you?”

“I am…”

“There is no need for him to answer.”

The Saintess had already stepped in front of me, blocking him.

But instead of feeling reassured, I felt despair.

‘I’m fucked…’

“What did that man do to you? Tell me. I will condemn him immediately.”

You Saintess bastard, please just shut up, I’m trying to think of a way to explain this.

“…You are trembling quite a bit. It is alright.”

[

SYSTEM:

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

You useless piece of shit…

“…I wonder how much of what you said was the truth.”

Athanas was glaring at me.

I realized I was screwed.

Now was not the time to organize my thoughts.

“Athanas, I…!”

Chapter 48