The Fog of Memory
Memories were always a jumbled mess, hazy and indistinct. Yet Adeline had never once questioned the fog-like blur that drifted through her clouded mind. She firmly believed it had been her fate from the very beginning to live that way, adrift with memories that wandered aimlessly like a small boat swallowed by the sea fog of a dawn harbor. Kill. Cut down the enemy. Place of origin, age, family—they were nothing more than meaningless strings of words buried long ago in a corner of her memory. The reason her eyes had gone blind no longer seemed important. What she could recall and what she could not no longer mattered either. The one phrase that ruled her and set her in motion was Leon Benning's command.
Remember, you submitted to me in battle and are a knight who serves only me with true loyalty.
That alone was Adeline's identity, her reason for existence. But for some reason, every time those words rose in her mind, a tremor born of pure terror overtook her. To flee that emotion called fear, Adeline refused to dwell too deeply on the Count's commands. Yet the fear had already slipped far beyond her control, burrowing deep into her skull.
Pain. Adeline felt it in the energy seeping through the open door, and for some reason the sensation felt sickeningly familiar. It was as if her eyes were burning. Nerves that should not exist continued to stab at them. The pain summoned memories. The Count's words flooded her mind in waves. Fear, and the imperative to obey.
Adeline.
Draw your sword. Cut down and kill the enemy. Offer their heads to me.
With these eyes…
“Adeline?”
It was not the Count’s dry voice, but someone else’s. Adeline suddenly remembered where she was and what she was doing. That’s right—the investigation of the Magic Tower. She had been carrying out the Count’s orders to uncover their schemes, learning what manner of research they conducted in secret. And in the midst of it, she had to keep watch on that inscrutable knight and discern the King’s true intentions. And…
Because she could not see, Adeline remained unaware that her hands were trembling. She did not know her blood had run cold, or that her face had turned deathly pale and chilled.
Darkness was evil. Wicked and vile beyond measure. In a world that held nothing else, only she remained. The nightmare seized her even though she had not slept. It spread its grip, clutched her throat, crushed her windpipe, and forced screams from her lungs.
“Adeline.”
The voice came again, accompanied by a new touch and warmth against her hand. Adeline realized someone had taken hold of it. At the same moment, her consciousness broke free of the nightmare-like thoughts. Only then could she recall that she had finished the investigation with the knight called Arsen and was now sitting inside a café.
“…Are you all right?”
The voice sounded as if it were forcing out a question it would rather not ask. Returned to reality, Adeline tried to answer her companion in her usual tone.
“I’m fi—fine.”
Of course her voice faltered, far from its normal steadiness, forcing her to clear her throat with a cough. As a result, her reply sounded exactly like someone openly declaring I am not fine at all.
“What happened? Your face suddenly went white, and your hands are shaking.”
Only then did Adeline notice that her hand was still clasped in Arsen’s. She could not decide whether the sensation displeased her or simply left her uncertain. Deliberately adopting a voice harsher than usual, she pointed it out.
“First, could you release my hand so we may speak?”
“…Yes. I’m sorry.”
The reply came slightly curt. Adeline felt the warmth that had enveloped her hand withdraw, replaced by cold air. Then another sensation touched her now-empty fingers—Maxim had gently slid a warmly heated cup toward her.
Adeline debated whether she ought to thank him for the nearly kind gesture and wrapped both hands around the cup.
“So, would you please explain what this is about? We are investigating together, after all.”
Adeline lowered her head slightly. She had no desire to revisit the cause of her episode, yet she had little choice. Using the still-warm cup as an anchor, she spoke.
“I sensed an ominous energy from the place I indicated. It was flowing out quite thickly. Had they failed to control it even a little, you likely would have felt it too.”
Maxim frowned, puzzled.
“Ominous energy… Was it that severe? Enough to make a knight as powerful as you tremble so?”
Adeline shook her head. The gesture lacked conviction. Maxim studied her closely, trying to determine whether the expression on her face truly reflected fear.
“I don’t know. It didn’t seem like an especially strong presence, yet… besides that ominous energy, what I felt was…”
A throb.
Again. Adeline’s eyes were engulfed in searing pain as though they were burning. She shuddered violently and buried her face in both hands. The agony came in waves. After the surge passed through her entire body, she gasped, struggling to regain her breath.
This must not be revealed.
The thought struck her like an engraving. She did not question why. Like an order, Adeline simply obeyed it.
At that moment, Maxim’s voice cut through.
“In that case, I can’t drag you along while you’re shaking like this. I’ll conduct tomorrow’s investigation alone.”
At his resigned tone, Adeline’s head snapped up.
“Why?”
“Why do you think? Look at the state you’re in. Trembling in fear by yourself, then flinching again. I won’t press you if you’re hiding something, but you are clearly in no condition to be of help in the next phase. As a knight, you should be capable of judging that much.”
The reply was ice-cold. Adeline answered in a voice that had risen without her realizing it. The possibility that she might fail to carry out all of the Count’s orders stirred her terror once more.
“I can do it. It’s only temporary. There’s no need for you to concern yourself.”
“I already told you it would be a hindrance. If I report what happened, even the Count would agree it was unavoidable.”
For an instant, a sharp aura flared from Adeline. Maxim received it head-on without flinching and continued.
“You look ready to draw your sword.”
“I warned you to watch your tongue.”
Adeline truly seemed on the verge of drawing. Maxim simply endured the killing intent that chilled his spine. He neither returned the pressure nor retreated; he simply accepted it.
“Adeline.”
“Do not speak my name so casually.”
To Adeline, who now looked ready to throw a tantrum, Maxim sighed and offered advice.
“You should cool your head first and speak again later. There are still two days before the Count returns to the site for the report, so there’s no need to react so extremely.”
Maxim took a sip of tea. The bitter taste spread across his tongue, and the modest aroma lingered faintly. As time passed, the aura that had been pricking at their skin gradually subsided.
Maxim glanced up to check on Adeline. Head slightly bowed, mouth pressed into a tight, sulky line, she resembled a child who knew she had done wrong but whose pride would not yet allow an apology.
“Drink your tea first. It will go cold after we ordered it.”
“…Understood.”
The reply came out drained and mumbled. Even then Adeline sat motionless, hands wrapped around the cup, until she finally felt the heat fading and lifted it to her lips, sipping slowly.
“When the seniors finish their investigation and emerge, we’ll join them and return to the lodging. I don’t know how long it will take, but judging by the mages’ behavior today, it won’t be over quickly.”
Adeline nodded obediently. Those were the same mages who had tormented the investigation team from the entrance onward. There was no chance they would meekly cooperate and hand over evidence of their own corruption with a polite Here you are.
Once Adeline fell silent, only quiet remained. Maxim sipped his tea little by little, inwardly praying that Denis and Charlotte would finish their work even a fraction sooner.
==
“Those damn mage bastards.”
The crude remark came, surprisingly, from Charlotte’s lips. Maxim’s seniors reached the lodging utterly exhausted. Both collapsed onto the first-floor table where the four of them sat, foreheads pressed to the wood.
“Every last one of them talks too much, fusses over everything, speaks at an obnoxious volume, and looks for any excuse to interfere. Damn bastards.”
Denis nodded weakly in agreement with Charlotte’s harsh assessment. His hand still clutched the paper densely covered with the day’s findings.
“Still, it’s fortunate we didn’t come away completely empty-handed. We’ll need to examine the materials more carefully tomorrow, but at least we managed to obtain something.”
Denis lifted his head from the table as he spoke. Exhaustion weighed heavily beneath his eyes. Maxim watched his senior with sympathy. Denis offered a crooked smile and wagged an index finger at him.
“I’ll admit your decision was excellent, Arsen. I’m a little irritated that you used us as bait, but if you hadn’t chosen that approach, we wouldn’t have even attempted to secure the research data.”
Charlotte nodded, still not fully vented, and added in a voice thick with lingering anger.
“Even after we presented the warrant and evidence right in their faces, they nitpicked here, stalled there. If we hadn’t had direct proof, they looked ready to drive us out with magic.”
Charlotte’s gaze drifted from Maxim to Adeline. Her mouth remained firmly shut as usual. Charlotte tested her with a pointed question.
“So, the one who used us as bait—did you achieve any results?”
Adeline, realizing the words were directed at her, straightened her posture and shook her head.
“…There were no direct results.”
Charlotte’s eyebrows rose, clearly surprised that Adeline had answered directly. She seized on the phrasing and pressed further.
“No direct results implies you discovered something indirectly?”
This time Maxim nodded.
“It feels as though we’ve caught the shadow of a clue. Even that may be premature. We’ll likely need to investigate further tomorrow before we can be certain.”
“Which means you intend to enter the Magic Tower in disguise again tomorrow?”
At Denis’s question, Maxim affirmed once more.
“Thanks to you two, all spectators—including our team—were expelled midway. Returning shouldn’t seem too suspicious. If we continue until tomorrow, we should be able to learn something concrete.”
“…Understood. Then let’s disband for tonight. We have to face those cursed mages again tomorrow, so I’d like to rest early.”
Looking thoroughly fed up, Denis signaled that the meeting was over. Maxim somehow felt as though he had become the villain of the piece.
“Um… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. There’s no room for apologies when carrying out a mission. We should have expected it the moment the Count assigned personnel that way.”
Denis waved the apology aside. The moment the order to disperse was given, Charlotte trudged upstairs to her room. Adeline followed slowly behind her. When Maxim rose to do the same, Denis wiped the fatigue from his face and caught his arm.
“Is your team all right? Nothing happened?”
Maxim hesitated, wondering whether to mention the strange symptoms Adeline had displayed, then shook his head. It would be better to observe a while longer rather than speak hastily and spark needless internal discord. He deliberately adopted a nonchalant expression and added a jest.
“Nothing at all. Aside from the fact that it’s still unbearably awkward, that is.”
Denis gave a short laugh and clapped Maxim on the shoulder.
“Now that I think about it, your team drew the short straw. I may not have been in any position to complain about how difficult things were.”
Denis let his hidden exhaustion show again and stretched. Maxim watched his senior’s retreating back as he headed to his room, lost in thought.
Ominous energy, Adeline’s strange behavior, the mages running frantically. This would not be resolved simply by conducting another disguised investigation tomorrow.
Maxim recalled the jet-black hooded coat he had carried with him ever since the matter in the east had been settled. I’ll take a quick look around.
Remembering the location of the room Adeline had indicated, he turned toward his own quarters.
==
Adeline sat curled on the bed, gripping her sword. As always, the familiar texture of the hilt brought her a measure of stability. She had tried to retire early to prevent the chaotic thoughts from overwhelming her, but the relentless stream of recollections continued to interfere with every action.
Since it had come to this, she might as well spend the night in meditation. Adeline composed herself and expanded her senses. As always, she began by contemplating the world, then slowly drew her awareness inward.
When she broadened her perception, she could detect how the people within the lodging were moving and what conversations they held. Charlotte’s presence, already deep in exhausted sleep; Denis, still awake and active; and the one in the adjacent room…
“…Arsen.”
Adeline broke off her meditation and emerged from the concentrated state. Arsen’s presence was gradually fading. It had not vanished from the room entirely, but he appeared to be concealing his aura. Adeline, startled that the stealth was difficult even for her sharpened senses to catch, expanded her perception fully toward his room.
Very faintly, she heard the creak of a window hinge. The blurry presence was now fading like a dying candle flame. Then came the sound of air being sliced.
Adeline rose swiftly and opened her own window.
Track and monitor the one called Arsen.
Was it the Count’s order, or something else? Either way, Adeline felt she must follow the receding presence at once. Fortunately her sword was already in hand, and she could feel the texture of the coat that would conceal her body. There was no reason to hesitate.
Expanding her senses to their limit in pursuit of Arsen’s presence, Adeline leaped from the window.
“Magic Tower.”
Confirming the direction the black-haired knight had taken, Adeline plunged into the darkness of the night.
==
Early winter. Although it still seemed a little early for full darkness to descend, the Royal Capital’s streets had already been swallowed by deep night. When the lamps scattered throughout the city began to illuminate the gloom, Maxim moved through the patches of shadow the light had not yet reached.
Hood pulled low, presence suppressed, he arrived at the square of the Magic Tower, whose ivory surface glowed with an eerie light even after sunset.
“…Lucky.”
Whether access was restricted at night, the square was nearly deserted. A few mages could occasionally be seen leaving the tower after late work, but no one else appeared.
Maxim headed straight for the entrance. The footwork taught to him by the elf turned the wind into his ally.
“…Well then, I’ll be heading home for the night.”
“My, you’ve worked hard as always.”
With his presence completely erased, Maxim listened to the conversation drifting from the lit entrance.
“I heard the palace sent people again today? You must be exhausted.”
“Not at all. It wasn’t anything major, so there’s no need to worry.”
It seemed to be an exchange between a guard and a mage. When Maxim pressed closer, the voice he assumed belonged to the mage became clear.
“There are still people inside who haven’t left yet, so please keep the door open a while longer.”
“Yes, yes. Safe travels home, Professor.”
The mage’s presence gradually receded. After the man had completely left the square, Maxim carefully observed the entrance. The guard, as expected, had not noticed him.
The Magic Tower’s entrance door stood wide open. Good. While the guard yawned with his mouth agape, Maxim moved again. The guard, rubbing his eyes, never realized something had just brushed past him.
Concealing his presence, Maxim passed the giant stele and reached the first-floor main hall.
The place she pointed to earlier.
The now-empty first floor radiated an atmosphere entirely different from the afternoon. The space was so utterly silent it felt as though only Maxim existed within it. The wondrous exhibits and sculptures that had seemed marvelous by day had transformed into grotesque shapes at night. The firmly closed doors dedicated to research now glared at him like identical sentinels.
…Found it.
Maxim located the door Adeline had indicated. He could not sense the “ominous energy” she had described, yet the alien atmosphere emanating from the room was unsettling enough to make him wary.
He had no intention of opening the door and entering immediately. Simply identifying the source of his discomfort would be a significant gain. Yet the more he pondered that discomfort, the more an inexplicable unease gripped him. It felt as though the wound on his chest—long since gone—was suddenly aching again. Knowing it was phantom pain, Maxim still pressed a fist to his breast.
His heart beat in an unnatural rhythm. Could the aura of black magic be interacting with the curse engraved upon his body? Maxim swallowed dryly, cold sweat breaking across his skin.
I need to stay sharp.
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Maxim sharpened his resolve. He felt the weight of the sword at his waist, honed his killing intent, and prepared for combat. Then he expanded his senses and scanned the surroundings. Further. Further still.
The draw was instantaneous. The blade sliced the air without a whisper, streaking toward the enemy’s windpipe.
Clang—!
A short metallic ring. Astonished at the skill with which his strike had been deflected, Maxim could only frown at the identity of his opponent.
“Adeline…?”
Adeline had drawn her sword halfway from its scabbard to block the blow. Her expression revealed an uncharacteristic degree of confusion.
“What are you doing here…”
Adeline waved a hand through the air, then pressed a finger to her lips. Maxim immediately sheathed his sword and scanned the area. Surprisingly, there was no movement from the lobby. It seemed the guard had not found the noise suspicious.
Only after both had sheathed their weapons and calmed their auras did Maxim lower his voice further and demand,
“What exactly are you doing here?”
Adeline bit her lip in protest.
“That is what I wanted to ask you.”
Maxim, who had been pressing her, realized he was hardly in a position to act self-righteous and fell silent.
“There was something on my mind, so I came to look around.”
Before Adeline could reply, a presence stirred beyond the door. Maxim froze. Adeline’s hand flew to her hilt.
How? He had sensed nothing…
Before he could finish the thought, the door opened. A bearded mage stepped out, massaging his shoulder, only to freeze at the sight of them. His eyes widened like saucers.
“You two…”
Before the mage could speak, Maxim and Adeline moved. Maxim seized the man and pulled him into the now-open laboratory while Adeline swiftly closed the door behind them. Without a sound, Maxim subdued the mage, then lifted his head to examine the room they had entered.
It was thick. Maxim now understood why neither he nor Adeline had detected the mage’s presence until the door opened.
“…Dungeon?”
The word slipped from his lips. The gaping pit that dominated the center of the room left him no other conclusion. The energy—clammy, sinister—crashed over him. Maxim sensed several more presences approaching from beyond the door. Whether the commotion had been too loud or the guard had finally decided to investigate, he realized that if this scene were discovered now, everything would be ruined.
Maxim glanced back at Adeline.
“This place…”
Her face had gone pale. Her hands trembled, yet she gripped her sword with white-knuckled force. Maxim seized her shoulder, trying to snap her back to her senses.
“Adeline. Come back to yourself.”
The approaching presences drew nearer, but Adeline showed no reaction to his touch or voice. Maxim shook her harder, yet she only clutched the sword tighter to her chest, sinking deeper into panic.
Damn it. There was no other way. The presences were almost upon them. Maxim tucked the unconscious mage under one arm, grabbed Adeline’s trembling hand, and pulled her along. The dungeon entrance gaped like a black maw.
Maxim hurled the mage inside. A heavy thud echoed, but the drop was not great; he likely remained unharmed.
Five seconds. Maxim cast one last reluctant glance at the exit. Adeline’s hands were still shaking.
“What is it?”
“I think I heard a noise.”
The moment those presences reached the door, Maxim leaped into the dungeon’s open maw alongside Adeline, whose face had turned deathly white.