Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Six Hours Earlier
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Six hours ago.
Since the previous checkpoint had been set as the celebration day, I rewound to six hours prior—the maximum range I could personally designate and activate.
The current time was 10:30.
I opened my eyes holding an empty notebook, dressed in a shower robe.
‘So this is what I was doing at this hour.’
Narke had just finished casting spatial magic over my room at the academy with the school's approval.
Elias, who had likewise just arrived, sprawled out on the sofa and stretched his arms wide.
“Whoa~ Now that fresh spatial magic is up, it really feels refreshing. No one's watching us either!”
“Haha, glad to hear it. Should've done this ages ago.”
Narke chuckled as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“What's Lucas up to? If you're heading out at dawn, you should be sleeping by now.”
He must have found it odd that I was flipping open the notebook during my rest time.
I stared at the blank notebook.
“…….”
I was trying to organize what additional conditions were needed to make that guy appear before me.
These were the words I had said to them in the previous timeline.
I had written down the missteps from yesterday's encounter with Chellingen in this notebook, but now it was blank. That made sense. I had finished writing it around 11:00 by then.
I turned my gaze to look out the window.
The sound of winter wind faintly reached my ears. An occasional wren's cry mixed in.
Outside, it was quiet as if nothing would ever happen.
‘If I wait for Leo to show up, it'll be around noon.’
That would be plenty of time.
The article I'd read in the Imperial Newspaper before coming here lingered vividly in my mind. Given that, there was no way the culprit could beat me no matter what.
I headed down to the first-floor kitchen and put water on to boil. Then I cast a soundproofing spell and tapped my earpiece.
“Do you remember?”
[…….]
There was no reply. I could sense a strange fluster in the silence beyond the artifact.
I lightly slapped the table with my palm.
Only after delivering pain to the core did Leo's calm voice come through.
[…We meet again. Six hours back, huh. I'll swing by Bayern on the way.]
“Yeah. Let's get started.”
I replied curtly and cut the connection.
Just as the kettle began to heat up, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Lucas.”
Narke and Elias had followed me down without my noticing. Narke asked with concern, having picked up on how my demeanor differed from usual.
“What's wrong? Your face looks pale again.”
“I'm a bit on edge.”
It was the truth.
I planned to bring them along to the scene, but I couldn't tell them everything right now, so this was the best I could do.
Without asking their preference, I brewed some milk tea and set it down in front of them.
“Drink up.”
My friends stared at me with wide eyes.
* * *
At the same time, Alexander Square.
[You're out of your mind. Exactly 14? Why? Got a grudge against the East?]
“…….”
[If you're only killing 14, might as well back out.]
A mage sitting on a rooftop listened to the protests leaking from his artifact. His gaze was fixed on the Grand Hotel.
[Don't you know you made it even harder to approach the main stadium by throwing those eggs? I have no idea what that lunatic was thinking going there.]
“…….”
The mage stared blankly at the hotel's dark windows before muttering.
“Be grateful even if it's just 14 confirmed kills.”
[And you're sure you can confirm them?]
“Have I ever failed?”
[…….]
With no retort coming, the mage replied dryly.
“14 will net me 100 million. If killing a few gets me everything, isn't that the smart play?”
[Explain it. How do 14 Daehan Empire folks give you a clue worth 100 million in this country?]
The mage frowned at the stream of protests from the artifact. He muttered as if it was all too bothersome.
“Just watch. In five hours, it'll be breaking news in the Imperial Newspaper.”
The protests from the other end gradually tapered off.
He sighed and replied.
[…Fine, I'll trust you.]
* * *
It was now 11:00.
As I checked the clock, Elias gawked at me in shock.
“…First time I've seen Luca brew tea for anyone.”
“What's up? Are we about to do something scary or what?”
Narke asked with a grin.
Sharp as ever. I just sipped my tea without answering.
Elias gulped down his lukewarm tea and his eyes lit up.
“It's good! Luca nailed the ratios. Let me brew some more!”
“No need….”
It was already gone—what was there to brew?
I waved off Elias and headed to the dressing room.
When I came back down in my Eschet uniform, my friends' eyes widened.
“Huh? You heading out again…? We didn't get any dispatch orders.”
“You will. You both need to come with me.”
Elias's face filled with massive confusion at that. Of course it sounded weird—claiming we'd get orders soon.
“The spatial magic is properly set, right?”
“Yeah.”
Just to be safe, I layered on soundproofing magic and said,
“We need to head to the Grand Hotel. My gut's telling me something's off.”
“What? Why?”
“It's from my ability. So many things have happened that felt excessive, yet that stalker's been unnaturally quiet.”
“…….”
“He can't tail me as easily anymore. The egg-throwing wasn't meant to chase me off, but it ended up getting me out of his range. Crucially, we're openly using spatial magic to shake him off right now—why's he leaving us alone? From my experience, he's not the type to just watch. So why are we chatting peacefully like this?”
It was a slight stretch for this timeline. I knew that. But claiming it was from my ability and brushing it off wouldn't fly—not after using the same tactic during the Primrose Path incident. A bit of explanation was better.
I could feel my friends staring at me in surprise.
No helping it.
I uttered the words I hated saying aloud.
“On top of that, not a single note has come today.”
“…….”
No one would've thought I was waiting for notes, but that's how it felt to me. Maybe I just hated admitting how I'd been on edge all day wondering if one would come.
Of course, that's exactly why I needed to say it. Changing every word and action because I was conscious of him—that was how he was gnawing at my mind.
“Lucas is right. We need to head there.”
Narke's firm voice rang out. It was as if he'd read the immediate future with his foresight.
Before he could continue, Elias grinned and said,
“Yeah. No harm in listening when Luca's this insistent. Plus, Luca doesn't waste energy on nonsense.”
“…….”
Wasting energy? That's how I'd been seen all this time?
But it wasn't wrong.
Narke burst out laughing in agreement, then turned to me.
“Lucas knows what's about to go down there. I can feel again that you've got powers like mine.”
He nodded at me, signaling his trust.
“I'll follow your lead.”
“…Thanks. Just one question for you, Narke.”
“What?”
“You said someone was targeting both me and Pentaron. Regarding Pentaron, is the Grand Hotel incident I predicted his ultimate goal?”
Killing 18 and setting up 9 injuries to turn fatal soon—is that the endgame?
I didn't think so.
Narke stroked his chin and said,
“No. I think the same as you. This is way ahead of schedule and smaller scale than planned. He probably meant to wait until the tournament started, right? Unless variables pop up, he'll stick to that going forward.”
18 dead and 9 injured was small-scale?
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Definitely need to uproot this early.
“Yeah, thanks for the answer.”
“No problem.”
I smiled at him.
Just then, a servant hurried into the kitchen upon hearing voices. Since none of us wanted more tea, I sent the one offering snacks back and headed upstairs.
‘In the end, it's an incident caused by me?’
Even so, that didn't make me responsible for it.
Per Narke's foresight, the stalker was aiming for even bigger damage. Whether I was there or not, one of his two goals was Pentaron.
Digging deeper, Narke's words about potentially ruining Pentaron didn't obligate me to protect it. It might even fatten the Emperor's pockets.
However….
First, no need to let a terror slide just to dent the Emperor's approval ratings. There were plenty of other ways.
I couldn't save other unseen murder or terror victims, but these were within my reach to try. Worth a shot.
Second, I didn't want that criminal racking up wins and gaining momentum.
At this point, their survival would be my victory—and his defeat.
No time to dawdle.
Sitting at my desk, Pie—the bird that had followed Narke—hopped around in front of me.
I infused divine power into Pie and jotted down the breaking news from the Imperial Newspaper as I recalled it.
“What're you doing?!”
“Just organizing what I need to do.”
Pie dozed off quickly from the warmth in my hand.
I set it aside and gripped the notebook properly.
[18 fatalities estimated around 3:30 AM; report made at 3:50.]
‘The drugs were already dispersed before that.’
Timing the raid was critical.
Arrive too early, and the culprit spots us and shifts targets. Too late, and it's the same as before.
The Investigation Bureau said, ‘The airborne frenzy drug concentration was too high, concentrated only in certain sealed suites, preventing spread elsewhere—which delayed the report.’
What info could I pull from that? The key was right there.
‘Meaning the victims died in their sleep.’
Air mixed with sedatives and frenzy drugs, presumably.
Deliberate. If people screamed and bolted out, it'd be suppressed quickly before casualties mounted—so better to drug them asleep and kill quietly.
Frenzy onset varies from minutes to hours usually, but direct ingestion, prolonged exposure, or saturating the air with high concentrations skips that. Varies by condition, but hits fast.
So, the not-too-early-not-too-late dispersal window was 10 minutes to 5 minutes before the incident….
‘Hmm….’
A laugh slipped out involuntarily. Maybe tension was making my palms sweat.
‘Range is still too wide.’
Needed to narrow to one option.
One minute early or late, and it's over.
Assume in the prior timeline he entered at 3:23 and dispersed. If I arrive at 3:20—10 minutes early—he bolts.
Wouldn't that be good?
It defeats the purpose of rewinding.
He'd cling to getting me back on stadium duty and commit elsewhere.
Better to catch mid-dispersal, report it, tighten Imperial security massively, and curb his rampage.
‘Five minutes or ten?’
High concentration, so no need to consider times over 10 minutes from estimated death.
I tapped my artifact to signal Leo.
[Lucas.]
“Got it. Five minutes or ten before estimated deaths?”
Leo pondered what I meant, then replied slowly.
[Suddenly? …Tricky. Unless you want to give the stalker a chance to strike elsewhere, five is safer than ten. Some'll need long hospital stays, but better than more deaths elsewhere.]
Good.
Cut straight to it, and he got the point. Always convenient.
Plus, sprout of a new-era leader—proper utilitarian.
But blind spot.
‘Long hospital stays’ means leaving athletes with chronic issues, and from my Nicolaus days on scenes, rescues mid-frenzy usually ended in death.
He used roundabout politician-noble speech, but knowing that, I couldn't take it at face value.
‘Hmm. Back to square one.’
The dilemma of saving even those few.
[Can I hang up now?]
“No.”
[Why….]
Leo was settling for suboptimal since optimal wasn't viable; naturally, he wanted everyone saved.
So if even he picked five minutes, it might be right.
I stroked my chin, then froze at a sudden recalled detail.
‘Victim stats.’
Needed to factor in the criminal's patterns.
I scribbled quickly, reading aloud for Leo to hear and think.
“Fatalities: 14 Daehan Empire, 2 Ottoman Empire, 2 Iran. All 9 severe cases transferred to ICU: Ottoman Empire and Iran.”
[…Hmm.]
All Asian.
Targeting Asian nations?
‘Or knows something about me and aimed for Daehan?’
Time to find out.
Could be coincidence. That's the reassuring scenario—better if so.
Anyway, the key here is….
[Clear victim profile.]
Exactly.
He wasn't randomly blowing up whoever.
The sedative mix proved it. Didn't want frenzy victims bursting out and infecting unchosen targets—diluting his ‘point.’
That point was whatever message to me: raw shock or proof he knew me that well.
Seems reckless, but he dodged our trap with Chellingen once.
Bottom line: sloppy facade, but thorough on his ops.
‘Thorough. To be thorough….’
Even risking escape, my choice: 10 minutes prior.
“We're going 10 minutes early.”
[What?]
* * *
“Then why ask me?”
3:00 AM.
Leo had entered the mansion's spatial magic with Lichtoffen's aid. I bid farewell to Lichtoffen heading back to school and gave Leo a simple reply.
“Gotta hear lots of opinions.”
Leo shook his head with a hollow laugh at my shamelessness.
Still, he didn't argue my decision. No explanation given, but he figured there was reason 10 beat 5.
Until 3:18, he strategized with us.
“Alright, we move at 20 minutes past. Rest of the team warps to hotel coords on our signal once we're in. Good?”
“Yeah, solid.”
I nodded and stood.
As Elias and Narke stepped out first, Leo stopped me.
“Lucas.”
“What.”
“That drug you took early December—you checked it yourself? Guessed as much, but… for real?”
Been wondering when he'd bring it up.
I shrugged.
“For real.”
“…….”
After a silence, Leo handed me a key.
“Stashed it in an empty vault.”
“Thanks.”
I checked the time and told Leo,
“Time to go.”
We warped to the Grand Hotel.
Not the main entrance—memorized a precise coord used only by the Investigation Bureau.
We were now in the central second-floor stairwell, lit only by indirect lamps.
Leo leaned against the wall behind, holding his breath, and tapped his artifact.
Unlike him, I headed straight up the stairs.
This fight hinged on whether my 10-minute or 5-minute prediction was right—no need to wait.
I scanned around.
Plaques on doors for athletes: just two. Excluding injured, 18 dead meant he dosed 9 rooms.
‘Lots to check. Gotta be quick.’
I eyed the central door at hallway midpoint by the stairs.
A Daehan Empire flag hung on it.
Strange feeling. Heart pounding harder.
Knock knock—
Never desperately wanted to return homeland. Just vaguely thought maybe someday.
But urgency of imminent terror, in a foreign land—no, different world altogether—yet meeting homeland folk from another world stirred inexplicable anxiety.
Didn't want to pinpoint why.
‘If no answer, smash in?’
Refocused and stared at the door.
Sedative inside, high chance no response.
Gave it one last gentle knock with force—and it opened.
“Who is it?”
“…….”
Height and mana like ours, but lighter bleached eyes and hair. Distinctly different features.
Standing silent, the mage struggled to open drooping eyes—sedative taking effect—and peered at me.
Not fluent in German, he slowly mixed French and English.
“What brings you here in the dead of night?”
“…….”
“I've just adjusted to the time difference, so I'm prioritizing sleep. If no business, please don't disturb the others—I'm awake now, but spare the rest.”
Only then did I slowly speak, using clear English for him.
“…Deputy Commander Lucas Ascanien of the Imperial Mage Alliance's Eschet Division. Handling the Brandenburg frenzy incident.”
“I see.”
“May I have your name?”
“Kim Sung-hee.”
He gave his name, then smiled tiredly.
“Frenzy incident, huh. Here about that?”
“Yes. Already smells in the air.”
“What…?”
He scowled, displeased.
I knew why he'd react that way. As a former countryman, I felt sorry.
But that's not what I meant.
I gripped my staff horizontally with both hands and thrust at the window. Red mana sliced through the dark. It hit, flashing bright.
Boom—! Crash—!
“Wh-what?!”
Others jolted awake from the roar.
My focus was no longer nationalities. Shattered glass, broken wooden frame, metal joints—all tumbled outward. Simultaneously, mana someone had sealed the window from outside shattered.
‘Well, well.’
Blocked with mana lest anyone wake and open it at night.
Put real effort in.
Good I didn't assume 5-minute smash-and-dash lockup. He'd wrapped his mana outside the building, slowly infusing drugs to avoid rejection inside.
Securing fresh air was enough for now.
Artifact relayed other Eschet members warping in, following Leo's orders. Narke's purifying magic from hall's end swirled at my feet.
I touched my earpiece artifact and connected to the Investigation Bureau.
Beep—
[Brandenburg Investigation Bureau. How may I help?]
“Terror attempt detected at Grand Hotel targeting Pentaron athlete delegation. Dispatch immediately.”
* * *
“…….”
[It's over. ‘Never failed’? When?]
Across from the Grand Hotel, the mage crouched on the rooftop gaped. Nearly forgot he shouldn't and jumped up.
Light flashed beyond the hotel curtains. Soon, Bureau mages began warping around the hotel.
‘How?’