#135

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I pushed Athanas’s hand away and stood up.

Thinking about Reyes, I couldn’t just lie there.

‘…I told him to trust me.’

If he believed those words only to be immediately attacked by Athanas, knocked unconscious, and then woke up to find himself as the lab director’s test subject?

The sense of betrayal would be immense.

I bit my lip.

‘And if the lab director failed to prepare properly and actually succeeded in committing suicide….’

I wiped my hand across my face.

Actually, I knew.

The reason I was so anxious wasn’t because I was worried about Reyes.

When Reyes’s head hit the floor in my dream, only one thought filled my mind.

‘I should have completely Game Overed that bastard before he could hold a grudge against me!’

The dream became a nightmare not because Reyes suffered something terrible, but because he managed to survive and escape despite it.

In the end, the only thing that mattered to me was my own safety.

‘…Well, that’s just how I am.’

I’ve never lived my life thinking of myself as particularly more virtuous than the average person.

Still, looking into my true intentions like this, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

‘If I was going to be like this, I shouldn’t have asked if there was another way.’

If I had handed Reyes over to the Inquisition, I probably wouldn’t have had any nightmares.

I would have slept soundly and perhaps occasionally wondered upon waking, ‘Was I a bit too harsh yesterday?’

I vowed that next time, I would move as my head commanded, regardless of what my heart said.

It was just as I unlocked the door, intending to go wash my face with cold water for a moment.

“…Fabio.”

I heard a voice, slightly husky as if he had just woken up.

‘Right. He said he’d notice when the door opened.’

Was there an alarm that only Athanas could hear?

Since I intended to wake him anyway, I thought it was for the best.

“Athanas, has your fatigue eased a bit?”

Athanas looked at me blankly for a moment, then gave a small nod.

“That’s a relief.”

“…Where were you planning to go?”

“I was just going to wash my face. Did I wake you?”

Without a word, Athanas patted the spot to his right.

‘Is he telling me to sit next to him?’

As I sat down, Athanas spoke.

“…It seemed like you were having nightmares during the night.”

“I was?”

“Do you remember what the dream was about?”

“Uh…. Roughly?”

It was a dream where Reyes was running around, trying to escape from the lab director’s hands.

When I explained it that way, Athanas narrowed his eyes and looked at me.

“…Do you remember any other dreams besides that?”

Other dreams?

I don’t think so.

“Did I talk in my sleep very badly?”

“…It seems you truly have no memory.”

Did I say something nonsensical in my sleep?

Something like, ‘Re-enlisting due to a system error? Stop talking bullshit!’….

“If you don’t remember, it’s not an important dream, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

‘Saying it like that makes me worry more.’

I asked several more times, but Athanas didn’t answer and silently put on his equipment.

“Let’s go to the Main Hall as promised.”

“Breakfast is….”

“Food won’t go down until we verify. How about we have an early lunch together after we return?”

It felt a bit strange that the words I was about to say came out of Athanas’s mouth first.

“…Alright.”

‘Sometimes it feels like he knows what I’m going to do in advance.’

I probably only think that because I have so many guilty secrets.

When I opened the door, the first thing I noticed was the wall, which had been neatly repaired.

‘How did he do that?’

I thought he would just patch it up with Nephiton’s Divine Power.

Since Conclude is basically a strategy game about destroying the world, it never dealt with such trivial and practical Divine Powers.

From a possessor’s perspective, that kind of knowledge would be far more useful.

‘…If I ask Callister, he’ll probably tell me to come into the lab.’

I was curious, but I decided to leave it be.

Even if I found out, it wasn’t like I could use it.

‘It’s damn cold.’

As I shivered from the cold winter wind, Athanas took my hand.

I was momentarily flustered, but then I remembered we had agreed to hold hands when going to the Main Hall.

‘…Couldn’t we just hold hands once it gets crowded?’

The thought crossed my mind, but it felt awkward to ask him to let go, so I just walked while holding his hand.

Athanas’s hand was very warm.

‘His blood circulation must be good.’

I wondered if hand temperature increases as Health goes up.

While lost in such useless thoughts, I heard someone’s urgent voice.

“Athanas!”

‘Verdant Green hair….’

It was a face I had seen somewhere.

The person, who had been running toward Athanas, flinched in surprise upon noticing me beside him.

Seeing that bewildered expression, I felt like I almost remembered who it was.

‘…Legeno?’

No, not Legeno, but a name similar to that.

Anyway, it’s that guy.

The one who suddenly stopped a random passerby and asked if they could read the Scripture for him.

“What is it?”

“Uh…. Uh.”

‘So he knew Athanas.’

Then the reason he suddenly spoke to me back then must have been because of Athanas.

It seemed he had asked the people around him for help investigating out of curiosity about who I was.

“State your business.”

“…My mother said my younger brother is missing, so I’m looking for him. Have you happened to see him, even from a distance? He has the same hair color as me, and he’s about this tall.”

‘…Reyes?’

It had to be Reyes.

Divine Bloodlines couldn’t be that common.

Athanas answered without a single change in expression.

“I don’t know. When did he disappear? Where was he last seen?”

“I’m inquiring about that right now. I don’t think it’s anything serious, but he’s a bit eccentric….”

“Do you have any guess as to why he would suddenly disappear?”

“…It’s probably that. He’s been quiet lately, so my mother was relieved, but last year was truly a complete disaster.”

Last year would have been before ‘Athanasuki’ possessed him.

Athanas nodded, as if he had heard something about it.

“If I happen to see him, where should I contact you?”

“The Temple of Egus or the priests who serve Floren… No. Just tell the instructor when you return.”

“Understood. If I find a clue, I will pass it on.”

“Sorry for interrupting your date.”

Feeling guilty, I was half-hidden behind Athanas.

Legeno gave me a slight nod.

“My apologies.”

“…What are you apologizing for?”

“Well, because I took up your time? Truly, goodbye! I must be going now!”

Saying so, Legeno hurried away.

“…Who is that person?”

“He is my contemporary.”

“The fact that Reyes is that person’s brother….”

“I was aware.”

And yet he suggested handing him over to the Inquisition without hesitation?

I asked cautiously.

“Are they not close?”

“…We are on relatively close terms.”

“Then is it alright? To do that to a close contemporary’s brother….”

Athanas looked at me intently and replied.

“Just because that body was taken doesn’t mean the ‘Watched One’ is Reyes.”

‘…….’

Perhaps because I am also a ‘Watched One’ occupying Fabio’s body.

Those words felt incredibly chilling.

“Still, it seems his family doesn’t know…. Won’t it be a problem if his oblivious family keeps searching for him?”

“That is why a suitable reason will be necessary. As it happens, Reyes Floren has a reason to disappear into the Capital Church.”

“…A suitable reason?”

“Last year, before his body was taken by the Watched One, Reyes staged several suicide attempts. The reason was that he wanted to see his loved one again. Since suicide itself is a sin, he acted as if it were an accident to end his life, but….”

Athanas stopped mid-sentence and fell silent.

“…That was not an appropriate answer.”

‘What does he mean?’

Athanas rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and smiled.

“I answered as if I were in training without realizing it.”

“…Training?”

“If you give an answer that doesn’t prioritize Order, you are unconditionally disciplined.”

‘…Even Holy Knights in the Middle Ages get disciplined.’

“I was answering while excluding as much emotion as possible without realizing it.”

“…I see.”

Athanas let out a long sigh.

“To be honest, I am hesitant about what would be best. Even if that Watched One found a way to escape the influence of the Othergod, I wonder if it’s alright for him to return to his family, or what truly happened to the real Reyes Floren….

In any case, if there is a chance for ‘Reyes’ to return safely to his family’s arms, it would be better to give another reason than an excuse that he died or went missing. Since there is still so much I don’t know, I am thinking of steering things toward not committing an irreversible act.”

‘From Athanas’s perspective, the current Reyes is an evil heretic wearing the skin of a friend’s younger brother.’

I thought that perhaps he had responded even more coldly because he was his friend’s brother.

Because if he safely returned an evil heretic, he would start deceiving his friend and their family again.

‘…It’s a relief all over again that Fabio has no family.’

Upon arriving at the Main Hall, Athanas hung the reliquary he had kept in his pocket around his neck.

‘As I thought, there must be some side effect, right?’

When I asked why he didn’t always wear the useful Sacred Relic that increases Mental Defense, Athanas replied that it was because it was annoying when people asked to see it.

But if that were the only reason, he should have been wearing it from the start in a situation like this.

‘…I’ll ask him later.’

If Athanas doesn’t want to answer, there’s nothing I can do.

“I’ll guide you from here.”

Since Athanas would have never been to the lab.

However, before I could do so, Callister came out to meet us halfway.

“Fabio! This is the fifth time!”

“…What is the fifth time?”

“The fifth time we’ve met. Five is a special number.”

He seemed to be waiting for me to ask why, so I intentionally didn’t.

But despite the lack of a question, Callister began rambling about why the number 5 is special.

Ignoring his disjointed list, which ranged from having five fingers to the characteristics of a dodecahedron, we walked until we reached the lab director’s office.

“Where is Reyes?”

“He is in that room.”

Before opening the door, Callister stopped Athanas.

“The test subject specifically requested that Athanas not be allowed in.”

Athanas frowned.

“Are you telling me to be alone with a fellow who might do anything?”

“You won’t be alone. Callister is in there. Furthermore, the test subject is sufficiently controlled so that he cannot perform dangerous actions, so you needn’t worry.”

I added a word as well.

“It would be better to do as he says. I don’t know how that Reyes… will react if he sees you, Athanas.”

Athanas didn’t seem pleased, but he didn’t contradict me.

I carefully entered the room.

“Is that Fabio who just entered?”

Reyes turned his head toward me.

He had bandages wrapped over his eyes.

“Athanas didn’t come in, did he?”

“Your eyes….”

“Ah, I just did this as a makeshift blindfold.”

Reyes pushed the loose bandage up, revealing his perfectly fine right eye.

“…You scared me. I was terrified for a second, thinking his eyes had been gouged out as soon as he arrived.”

“Do you really think I would greet you normally after suffering such a terrible thing?”

‘I thought it was possible if he’s the kind of guy who sees getting stabbed as a reward.’

“Why are you wearing a bandage blindfold? Isn’t it a bit late for a middle-schooler syndrome phase?”

“I intended to keep my eyes covered in case Athanas entered.”

“…I’m glad you seem fine. I thought you’d be deeply traumatized.”

I asked cautiously.

“You’re really okay, right?”

“I am more normal than when we first met.”

“Normal means….”

Reyes bowed his head.

“I was very rude. You must have been very flustered because of me.”

Reyes’s attitude was similar to when I first revealed that I was a player.

“…Did your Affinity go down?”

“Yes.”

“The Helper’s?”

“No, I lowered it myself.”

“…Is that possible?”

“It is. In fact, a Distortion used on oneself is far more effective than one used on others.”

“Then why didn’t you lower it yesterday?”

“Because I didn’t want to.”

‘What is he talking about.’

Who would be able to fix a mental manipulation but choose to leave it?

Reyes continued, gesturing as if clutching his chest.

“I was so sad and heartbroken to be betrayed by the person I love, that only when I felt I would do anything to escape that pain did I finally feel like lowering my Affinity. Until then, I felt that no matter what happened, I didn’t want to lose this ecstatic emotion.”

Reyes explained.

There was nothing to be done about the Helper not giving stats, but a ‘Distortion’ could be neutralized by Reyes reversing it.

But the truly terrifying thing is a ‘Distortion’ that makes you not want to do so.

“For example, imagine I absolutely hate nekomimi and loathe humans who like such things. But then, a nekomimi enthusiast tells me they’ll let me feel how lovely cat ears are just once, and that I can return to my original state whenever I want, and they cast a Distortion on me.

Once I actually experience it, I don’t know why I hated nekomimi all this time, I feel like I’ve been losing out on life, and I decide that no matter what, I don’t want to return to the days when I didn’t know that beauty. If the nekomimi enthusiast then asks if I want to return to normal? I would say no.

In the end, I become the very nekomimi enthusiast that the original me so loathed.”

‘Why on earth is the example nekomimi?’

“…Did that actually happen?”

“No. A War God player told me. He said it was the reason why I must never let Bonaparte steal my Sacred Relic, no matter what.”

‘…Anyway, Reyes must have felt a tremendous sense of betrayal toward me.’

Though it worked out for the better, I still felt a bit of guilt.

“I’m sorry. I told you to trust me, but….”

“No, there is no need to apologize. I think it’s a great relief that I’ve become like this.”

‘True, thinking that he would have remained in that idiot state feels even more terrible.’

“Because only now can I better understand your love.”

“Huh…?”

Reyes smiled brightly.

“You wanted me to escape from the Distorted One so that I could truly be with you. Right?”

‘…Did his Affinity actually go down?’