After Passing Through Numerous Dreams
Because I had fallen asleep without any wariness, entry was easy.
While being surprised that it was a Saintess different from the image I thought, it was after all a task. It was 76 who entered Sugar's dream lightly.
'The man who the Saintess trusts the most is this man.'
In the mirror, there was a man with blonde hair and a pale complexion. The owner of the grimoire who is currently sitting in the waiting room. Nothing particularly surprising.
Opening my mind and entering, in a white space where faint light was emanating, a woman standing blankly was seen.
“Um… what was I doing.”
“Sugar.”
I called out to the Saintess muttering to herself.
After being manipulated in recognition earlier, I was quite surprised, but since it's a dream, it's fine. 76, who has reduced fear a lot on her battlefield.
“Ryly!”
Immediately turning around with a bright smile, the Saintess.
Easy. 76 smiled.
“Come here, Sugar.”
Up to here, it was smooth.
No accidents, consciousness not tangled, no mistakes. After all, I just entered, what problem could there be?
The real problem might have been what was in me. Or the delicious Saintess might have done her part. As always, people were the problem.
“… What?”
Suddenly asking with a stiff expression. It was more like a sigh or exclamation, a kind of complaint display rather than a real question.
“Sugar? Come here quickly.”
“… What?”
Even though I called repeatedly, she only opened her eyes wide. Rather, the wariness was thickening, which was visible.
“It's me, Sugar. Ryly. Come here.”
To manipulate the opponent's mind as a monster, consciousness is needed first.
When I command, the other follows. As I execute the commands one by one, the dependency deepens and eventually I can treat them like slaves. It's like a kind of contract.
Who wouldn't follow the 'come here' that the person I trust does. If I reach out with a smile, who wouldn't follow and be scolded. It was always easy.
But strangely, the Saintess in front of me didn't do that.
Thinking about the appearance she showed in reality, she should be terrified of this man. However, as the conversation repeated without being a conversation, only unpleasantness was shown.
76, who became a bit urgent, approached a few steps.
“It's okay. You don't have to be scared. Trust me.”
“… No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“It's not Ryly.”
“…?”
The way she spat it out, 76's expression became puzzled.
At that moment, Sugar's eyes widened. At that instant, 76 felt a chill run through her body.
It felt like seeing something she shouldn't see.
The moment facing the depths.
“Ryly doesn't call me that. More than that, the tone is a bit lower. The rhythm is also strange. After saying 'Sugar' with a short breath, there should be a lingering 'a' from 'ga' that stimulates my auditory sense pleasantly. Ryly doesn't make that dazed expression. He always frowns, the angle is around 11 to 13 degrees. This varies by mood, but thinking of usual, that's it. When smiling, he smiles brightly. He won't make that smile like a host club man. The gait is also strange. He always puts out his right foot first, and the footstep doesn't match. The stride is different when walking with me and when alone. Now it's not any stride. That is, it's not Ryly. Who are you to imitate Ryly? Who are you to take the appearance of my Ryly?”
Every time she finished a sentence, the world began to change. It distorted, broke, and was kneaded. With the emotions, the passage of the dream broke as if responding to you personally.
And the scene that began to appear was the appearance of a forest.
Somewhere quiet, somewhere ominous forest path. A quiet forest where something inside seemed to be there.
It was Sugar's domain. A space unique to Sugar, beyond the neutral space where each consciousness collided.
“Who are you? Answer.”
I forcibly suppressed the impulse to open my mouth.
'I have to get out!'
76 hurriedly disconnected. Fortunately, there was no intention to stop it or reconnect in reverse.
76, who returned to reality immediately, came out of the workshop breathing heavily.
And back to earlier.
“Senior, why are you breathing heavily?”
“Today's condition is a bit off…”
'First... first, I should send it back. It's strange. Something is too strange. Let's do it at night…'
While answering with my mouth, I revealed my true inner thoughts through telepathy.
Since the consciousness was connected once, it can be reconnected anytime. The monster's power is stronger at deep night. I have to work at night.
'What happened... then what about the two behind?'
'After successfully breaking the two in front, bring them back again…'
'…Okay. Do that.'
Sugar and Leon woke up from sleep with discontented expressions somewhere.
“Something like a strange dream… is this the path to enlightenment…”
“I also seem to have had a terrible nightmare.”
“Sorry. Today's condition is bad… I'm sorry for giving you unpleasantness.”
“No, it was free anyway… it's okay.”
Sugar answered hesitantly. Since she decided to do it free again next time, that was it.
“Then I'll come again next time. Take care of your health.”
'I wanted to try it too… it's a pity.' Ian or Leon murmuring 'Actually, it might not be a palm reader…?'
'Something is wrong…' Sugar.
And quietly keeping silent next to them, Ryly.
The two fusion experiment subjects who saw them off on their way out just lowered their heads quietly.
When night comes.
When night comes and you open your true power, you will be in our hands…
“Please visit again next time…”
***
A dark night without a moon. It was a day often expressed as 'the moonlight dragon is sleeping' in this world.
So, under the star-filled sky shining brightly, the shopping area of Stille. Since the students' curfew has already passed, it's quiet.
At such a time, Ryly headed to the destination while hiding his mana and silencing his voice.
Opening the windows of the healing center was simpler than thought. I had prepared to interpret several layers of barriers, but surprisingly, it opened with just a staff strike. Was it because simple security was set up so as not to be suspicious, or a trap. I entered with firm resolve.
The inside was surprisingly calm. Only mana reactions were felt. Ryly exhaled lightly and headed straight there. 'The curse of the mute' and the auxiliary magic that spreads it. After completing the incantation, I chanted two activation words at once.
The man who analyzed the telepathy magic that 76 and 80 did in the beginning, and read the conversation they had in the second time.
Let's do it at night.
After breaking, bring them back.
Because these sentences bothered me, I personally visited again.
Entering with the intention full of interrogation, a strange sight entered my eyes.
First, the magic was successfully cast. But whether to say it succeeded in ambush or what to express it, I don't know.
A woman trembling while clicking her tongue.
Another woman with empty eyes didn't move at all. Seeing her lips twitching, she seemed to be saying something, but was it meaningful?
'What are these…'
I came prepared to fight, but before that, the opponent was already neutralized. I don't know what happened.
First, I shook the staff to tie up the two people.
Even this made me wonder if it was a trap or not, but whatever.
“Hey, you. From now on, I'm going to lift the curse. Answer only the questions. If you try to say a spell or incantation, you die.”
“…”
I informed the woman whose eyes were still alive. The gentle-looking woman who was in charge of Leon during the day.
“What is your scheme.”
“Save me, please save me…”
“Where did you send it.”
“The connection… the connection isn't cut… senior… senior has become strange… I also connected to the Saintess… the connection, the voice, the pretty voice, it keeps coming…”
“Answer the question.”
Saintess. The picture is roughly drawn. Night. Control. Saintess. Connection. The Saintess is probably Sugar.
Persistent things. Eventually.
I broke her finger with malice, but the woman kept rambling without focusing her eyes.
Ryly sighed and this time released the curse on the woman with empty eyes. The sharp-looking woman who was in charge of Sugar.
“Color… colorless… color… I also… gone…”
Her state was even more serious. Repeating sentences that didn't even make sentences endlessly, listening to it was unpleasant. They were probably those proficient in mental magic. But even so, the appearance of such collapse was eerie.
What kind of thing did they go through. What happened in their heads.
While thinking, even the somewhat healthy woman started to have seizures. Ah, aaah— ending with a period, she picked up and fell. Manipulating a person's head. Enjoying the broken appearance and mocking. It was words of such arrogance.
Ryly frowned and wondered how to deal with these.
***
When I opened my eyes, it was the same dream as before.
The familiar forest path. Walking along the path, a forest with white stone walls. The starry sky without a moon in the sky was beautiful as if pouring out.
While appreciating, Sugar soon moved her feet. It wasn't good to stand still either. First, the thought was to go to where there was a wall. The smell of grass mixed with breath. The sound of stepping on dirt with footsteps. As before, the senses were realistic for a dream.
As I walked like that, a mossy wall began to appear in the distance, and next to it, a chair, eh? A chair?
There was a wooden chair. Here, the only artificial thing was that huge wall.
“When did this come to be… who put it there?”
I looked around, but there was no one like a person. Only Sugar.
While tilting my head, I turned my head back to the chair. At that moment, I was slightly surprised by the suddenly appearing figure.
“Surprise…”
In a quiet forest without even a breeze, 'something' that wasn't there earlier was sitting on the chair.
At first glance, it was white.
At first glance, it was black.
No color. Literally colorless.
Although it was hard to recognize the shape, I knew that much.
The appearance was creepy, but it seemed like it was trying to talk to me. Listening carefully, a single sentence came.
“Raise the level.”
It was a very short word, but I thought the voice whispering it was quite pretty.
After hearing up to there, Sugar woke up from sleep after drinking a glass of water.
In the newly dreamed dream, Sugar's Ryly came and I could sleep comfortably.
“Uhhehe… it's ticklish…”
Such a face was really peaceful. It was nice to see.