Chapter 211: The Contract
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: The Contract
It was only natural for me to look a little dumbfounded. As I opened my mouth to speak to Alisha, she immediately bowed her head deeply.
“Not you.”
She had realized her own absurd mistake. At my words, Baek Ahyeon seemed even more pleased as she helped me with my clothes, tidying one thing after another. When I looked back at Alisha, not just her face but her entire neck was flushed so red I wondered if she had some kind of condition.
“I… I’m s-sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“My Savior. I will guide you to the exit.”
“No. The three of us need to talk, so we might as well do it here.”
“Ah… yes.”
Soon, the Inquisitors began bringing in tea and snacks. I was feeling a bit peckish, so I grabbed a piece of jerky made from monster meat and began to tear at it as I spoke.
“So… what did you think? Was it different? Or the same?”
“Yes… Th-there are some similarities… but this method might be a little difficult.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Baek Ahyeon glared at Alisha, who shivered at the look and quickly spoke again.
“O-of course, the process by which the glorious faithful are made was incredibly impressive. If I could just take a look inside the minds of the Inquisitors…”
“Go ahead.”
Alisha slowly extended a hand toward an Inquisitor. She was frowning, as if she were peering into the deepest parts of the woman’s mind. A moment later, Alisha slowly opened her eyes.
“It’s certainly filled to the brim with thoughts of Blood Dagger… no, of the Savior.”
Baek Ahyeon nodded with a satisfied expression, and the Inquisitor standing beside her also looked immensely pleased. I felt that Alisha was constantly watching Baek Ahyeon’s reactions, so I turned to my follower.
“You may leave for a moment, my disciple.”
“Ah… Y-yes.”
Seeing the sudden gloom on Baek Ahyeon’s face, I spoke once more.
“Don’t be too disappointed. I simply have a private matter to discuss with this elf.”
“Ah… yes. I understand, my Savior…”
Baek Ahyeon left with the Inquisitor, her face still downcast, and I felt we could now have a more detailed conversation.
“So, what’s your assessment?”
“Ah… yes. It is certainly effective. It would be impossible for most magic to produce such a powerful effect. However, if we were to assume this method would be used on an opponent with strong mental fortitude…”
“You’re doubtful?”
“For now, yes.”
“If you were to perform a similar process… could you achieve this level of efficiency?”
“To be honest, my abilities are more focused on healing… I know the theory behind this kind of work, but I have never done it myself.”
I saw Alisha bow her head low, biting her lip hard. In other words, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“If you specialize in healing, does that mean you could return these Inquisitors to their original state?”
“It would take some time, and there might be side effects… but for the most part, yes.”
I nodded. Though she called it healing, I suspected it could just be another form of brainwashing. Especially if there were side effects.
“Let’s assume you were to heal them. How would you proceed?”
“W-well… that is…”
At my question, the elf spoke again, this time a little more cautiously.
“First, I would have to erase it from their minds.”
I had a feeling I knew why Alisha was being so careful.
“You don’t need to worry about me. Speak freely.”
“Ah… yes. The first step would be to slowly erase the concept of the ‘Savior’ from their minds. The suggestion is so powerful that it would be incredibly difficult, and there would be side effects, but with enough time, I believe the suggestion could be gradually faded.”
“Hmm…”
“Doesn’t that mean the concept of the Eveluse Kingdom within you could also be erased?”
“Yes. It’s a little different, but… y-yes, it does.”
Alisha nodded, finally realizing what a foolish thing she had just said. She understood that a similar process was possible for her as well.
“And after you erase what’s in their minds? Is it possible to fill the space with something new?”
“I cannot give you a definite answer on that, but perhaps…”
It sounded like it was possible. I nodded, satisfied. I had a feeling this woman would be capable of great things. The problem was that it would take a long time. I had no intention of opening a mental hospital.
“Is there no way to shorten the time?”
“There are risks, but it’s not impossible.”
“Tell me.”
“It wouldn’t be impossible if I were to enter the other person’s mind directly… but from that moment on, it becomes a battle of minds. For instance, if I were to enter an Inquisitor’s mind, I would undoubtedly be attacked the moment I tried to touch the memory of the Savior.”
“Interesting… Are you saying you could enter my mind right now?”
“Yes… It requires physical contact, but… however, if I were to enter your mind, Blood Dagger…”
“So you’re saying that depending on whose mental strength is greater, one of us could be harmed or influenced?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
At Alisha’s words, I called for Baek Ahyeon, who was waiting outside. An idea for an experiment had just occurred to me.
“Baek Ahyeon.”
“Yes… Yes! My Savior!”
At the sound of my voice, Baek Ahyeon threw the door open and rushed in, her face flushed as she glared at Alisha. When I called for her again, Alisha looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression. I turned back to the elf and spoke.
“Enter my mind now.”
“What…?”
“I said, enter my mind now. Baek Ahyeon, if it looks like there’s any problem after this woman enters me, sever her head immediately.”
“Yes, my Savior.”
Alisha’s expression grew tense at my command. This foolish elf wouldn’t try anything stupid. I didn’t think she had the guts or the ability. War with Japan was inevitable anyway. If that was the case, I figured I needed to get used to this sort of thing. I wasn’t entirely unconcerned about the possibility of an elf’s mental strength being unexpectedly high, but seeing how easily I had resisted the Japanese magician when we first met, I didn’t think I was particularly vulnerable to this type of attack.
To be more precise, I could feel we were on completely different levels. Alisha, too, seemed more worried about herself than about me. She looked a little pathetic as she kept hesitating.
“I will not harm you. I swear it on my lost honor.”
“Yes. I… I understand.”
Alisha began to chant an incantation. It seemed to be a spell that took a while, as a considerable amount of time passed. It appeared to be a higher-level magic than I had anticipated. The mana flowing from her was absurdly faint compared to my own, but the structure of the spell looked incredibly complex.
After some time, a blue light began to glow in Alisha’s eyes. It seemed she was ready to send her consciousness over. I nodded, and Alisha reached her hand toward me.
“Then… excuse me.”
“…”
WHOOSH!
The moment she took my hand, I felt something trying to burrow into me. I felt I could have repelled it, but I accepted what was coming without any resistance.
Everything from my previous life to my last one began to surface like a panorama. It was like a library, or an endlessly unfolding film. It was hard to describe, but the feeling was definitely similar. Naturally, I felt no sense of my memories being tampered with. No, it would be more accurate to say she couldn't even attempt it.
I could feel that my mind was stronger than I thought. This wasn't arrogance, but certainty. She could not touch my mind. Just learning this fact was a huge achievement. As I continued to look around inside, I felt a tiny, foreign presence intruding.
It was incredibly small. It must be Alisha. Focusing my mind slightly, I could tell that the elf was being crushed by immense pressure. My mind did not welcome the sudden intruder.
Showing my memories to someone else was less unpleasant than I’d expected. I figured it had something to do with her disposition.
‘So this is what it feels like.’
‘Y-yes. It is.’
It seemed she was looking at me as well, her expression one of utter wonder.
‘Is there anything you can see?’
‘Yes. Regardless of my will…’
Suddenly, Alisha’s consciousness, which had been speaking to me, seemed to suffer a great shock, her mouth falling wide open.
‘Y-you…’
I couldn’t tell what she had seen, but she seemed quite shocked. I assumed it was probably something about my regression. From my position of overwhelming advantage, it didn’t really matter, but I didn’t like the idea of leaving her here, so I gave her a gentle push.
‘A-aack!’
I felt her being instantly ejected from my mind. I sensed her consciousness returning to her body, and once again, I was able to open my eyes.
“Hoo… So that’s what it feels like.”
“My… My Savior. Are you alright?”
At Baek Ahyeon’s words, I began to check my body. My mind, to be precise. Choi Seulgi, the Brother’s Land, Goff, Jung Hayeon, Baek Ahyeon, Mev, my life on Earth, my past life, my current life. I had confirmed that my mind was a colossal wall that Alisha could not touch, but I checked just in case there were any other abnormalities. My feelings toward the Eveluse Kingdom and her were also the same as before.
“How much time has passed?”
“You had your eyes closed for less than a second, my… Savior.”
“Hmm…”
I had expected as much, but the time that had felt somewhat long seemed to have passed in an instant. Deciding I should first look at Alisha, who had provided me with a decent experience, I turned to face her, only to be startled to see her looking at me with tears streaming down her face.
“Sob… ugh…”
It was natural to be taken aback as teardrops fell endlessly from her large eyes, but I was more curious about what she had seen to elicit such a reaction.
“Hic… ugh… sob… I-I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Other than my memories related to Choi Seulgi, Ragia, and Najin, I didn’t have many sad memories, so I couldn’t understand why she was reacting this way. But the emotion flowing from the elf was becoming a strange power and entering me.
It was a different sensation from the emotions I usually received from others. It wasn’t the despair they usually felt for themselves, but an emotion of sorrow with me as its subject.
[The Seat of Sorrow, one of the Eight Seats of Sin, accepts the power.]