Midnight Rendezvous (3)
Everything was going according to plan.
I had obtained everything I wanted from this sacred trial.
Along with eliminating Jacques von Heibrun, I had swept away Midtemple's Traditionalist faction and elevated the Reformists to the core of the Holy City.
'Midtemple will change now.'
Once conservative and passive, they would now embrace change and actively prepare for the impending apocalypse.
And at a much earlier point than in any other playthrough.
'And another important thing is...'
...the fact that I had established a friendly relationship with Pean.
Clink.
Outside the window, the dawn was dark and hazy. The refreshing scent of peppermint tea drifted gently through the room.
Pean sat on the opposite sofa, savoring the warm tea. I, too, was quietly enjoying the refreshments.
'It's nice and quiet.'
How hectic had my days been since reincarnating into this body? This rare moment of leisure was relaxing and sweet.
"..."
"..."
Of course, on the other hand, the situation was slightly absurd.
Pean was bound to the Heibrun family by the generation-spanning Covenant of the Sword Master.
Setting aside the circumstances of the vow, he was essentially publicly committed to protecting the head of the Heibrun family for life.
Therefore, I had naturally assumed a clash with Pean would be inevitable. Even if I could avoid an immediate physical conflict, I had resigned myself to becoming his enemy.
But...
"Haha, the night view of Midtemple from the VIP room is truly beautiful."
"...You can see the night view?"
"Of course not. I am blind. I only said it because it was so quiet."
"..."
Ta-da.
Somehow, we ended up on pretty good terms.
'Honestly, I thought I'd have to fight Pean this time...'
In the original game, I wouldn't have had to worry about Pean.
The subjugation of the Heibrun family was supposed to happen much later. And by then, Pean would no longer be of this world.
The death of the strongest elf Sword Master, who had lived for thousands of years—one could easily guess what a massive disaster that would trigger. But that was a problem for later.
Now, everything had been brought forward. Because the subjugation happened so early, a headache that I originally didn't even need to consider had been added to my plate.
'That's why I prepared thoroughly.'
Finding out Pean's true name was also to secure a 'cheat key' to suppress him in case of emergency.
"..."
Yet, things had gone much smoother than expected. There was no need to even bring up Pean's true name.
It was all thanks to him taking a friendly stance first. I had succeeded in bringing Pean to my side while saving my most important card.
'Ah, of course.'
That didn't mean my meeting with the Archmage Demarion was useless. On the contrary, the information he gave me would be utilized in a far more critical situation, in a much more important way.
Rustle.
Having finished my thoughts, I slowly raised my head.
Conveniently, Pean also seemed to have something to say, staring intently in my direction.
Well, his eyes were covered in bandages, so I couldn't be sure if he was actually looking at me, but anyway.
"There is something I am curious about," Pean spoke up cautiously.
"Before heading to Midtemple, the great ones granted me a revelation. A divine oracle that I would soon encounter a very powerful opponent."
"..."
"At first, I thought that 'opponent' was you. After all, you were brought to the sacred trial as a defendant on charges that could never result in an acquittal."
Acting as the leader of a heretical cult, and even cooperating with the Five Nightmares.
Yes. Even to me, those were heavy charges that one could normally never escape. That was likely why Pean had anticipated a duel to the death with me.
"But looking at the situation now... Gaon, it seems you are not the subject of that revelation."
"..."
"Then what on earth does that revelation mean?"
Pean, who had been lost in deep thought, looked at me and asked, "Hmm, do you perhaps have any idea?"
"..."
Sip.
I remained silent for a while at Pean's question. The peppermint leaves slowly settled to the bottom of my teacup.
'A powerful enemy.'
I knew exactly who that was. As I mentioned earlier, Pean doesn't appear in the late game. He dies before that, swept away in a horrific disaster.
The revelation granted by the Elder this time was undoubtedly predicting that event.
But...
'Everything will change.'
In the first place, a revelation is not an absolute prophecy. Fate can be changed at any time. An oracle merely shows one of many possibilities. It is not a fixed future.
'So, I will change that future this time as well.'
Fortunately, it wasn't something I needed to worry about right now. There was still plenty of time before that disaster would strike.
Although the revelation used the word "soon," that was strictly by the standards of an elf who had lived for thousands of years. To Pean, who had experienced eons, a decade or so could easily feel like "soon."
'Anyway.'
Whatever the case, I just had to exploit this revelation. Conveniently, there was a way to put Pean to very good use.
"I received a similar revelation."
"Oh... really?"
"It said I would be killed by someone soon. Unless, Pean, I receive your help."
"...?"
Freeze.
For a moment, Pean froze. How much time passed like that?
"No, wait a minute."
Pean set his teacup down on the table and let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "What sudden nonsense is..."
"I cannot give you any more information."
"..."
"Just promise to help me in a fortnight."
Pean's expression warped slightly. "That is a cruel joke."
"..."
"Do you think this makes any sense? You, who easily subdued Doricco Shiro and killed Jacques von Heibrun with a single strike... dying at the hands of someone else?"
"..."
"I don't know. Even if they brought forth an Apostle, let alone the Five Nightmares, it would still be hard to believe..."
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Cut.
I cut Pean off mid-sentence.
"However, keep in mind that if I am killed in a fortnight, you too will have to pay the 'price' for failing to fulfill the Covenant of the Sword Master."
"No matter how much you say that... *Sigh.*"
Pean shook his head, letting out a deep sigh instead of finishing his sentence.
In the very next moment, Pean began to stare at me intently.
Though his eyes were covered by bandages, I could feel his sharp 'senses' focusing on me from behind them.
I realized instinctively that Pean was trying to use his ability.
Super Sensory.
A technique that pushes one's senses to the absolute limit to measure heartbeats, analyze breathing, and detect lies. A cheat-like skill that, when pushed to its extreme, can even read the opponent's inner thoughts. However...
'You are making a bad move with your own hands.'
...At least on me, Pean's ability would not work.
'What on earth is his intention?'
Pean couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He had shown goodwill to Gaon. For Gaon's sake, he had practically abandoned his duties under the Covenant of the Sword Master.
Yet, Gaon had turned this goodwill against him, threatening that if he died, Pean would also pay the price of the Covenant of the Sword Master.
It was a declaration that was practically a threat. Naturally, Pean couldn't help but feel displeased.
Setting aside the truth of the revelation, Gaon's attitude of trying to use him without even revealing the details rubbed him the wrong way.
If Gaon had asked politely, Pean would have gladly considered the request.
But...
'...To try and use me in such a high-handed manner.'
He wanted to know the reason. Beyond simply detecting a lie, he needed to know what expression and what feelings Gaon had as he uttered those words.
To get even a little closer to the essence of this mysterious seeker, Pean began to activate Super Sensory.
Hum, hummm—!
All the noise of the world was shut out, and only the minute flows within the room drifted into his senses.
But...
'What is this?'
He was bewildered. No matter how much he concentrated, he couldn't grasp Gaon's inner thoughts at all.
For the Super Sensory he had trained for hundreds of years to be rendered useless—such a case was extremely rare. In fact, it was safe to say it had almost never happened.
"...!"
At that very moment, Pean finally realized the reason why his Super Sensory wasn't working.
Thump—!
A sound coming from somewhere. That powerful resonance forced all of Pean's nerves to focus on a single point.
Like a clap of thunder swallowing all surrounding sounds, he could hear nothing else but this.
"...?"
It wasn't Gaon's heartbeat. That was because it wasn't a sound that could come from a human body.
To understand the situation better, Pean sharpened his senses even further.
And...
'...An egg?'
He finally realized. The entity that had been disrupting his senses all this time was none other than a small 'egg' inside Gaon's inner pocket.
"..."
He couldn't understand it at all. How could a mere egg disrupt his Super Sensory?
The moment Pean sharpened his senses even further to delve deeper into that entity...
Warp.
"...?"
He felt an illusion as if the surrounding space was twisting.
The egg in Gaon's breast pocket was small enough to fit in one hand, but what was contained inside was by no means small.
Pean's extremely developed Super Sensory pierced through the thick shell. And inside, in an abyss deeper than darkness, he could witness an unknown 'entity' on the verge of hatching, slowly writhing.
Rumble—!
"...!"
It was a literally colossal presence.
The life force spreading along with the bizarre pulsation crushed all of Pean's sensory organs. He felt dizzy. Nausea welled up to the back of his throat.
*Stumble.*
Unable to endure it, Pean took a step back without realizing it. The bandage covering his eyes was soaked. It was because cold sweat was pouring down like crazy.
"Pant, hah...!"
He couldn't breathe. Regardless of his will, his lungs tightened, and his chest felt as if a heavy boulder had been placed on it.
"W-what on earth..."
Pean squeezed out a trembling voice. "...What kind of monster are you raising in your pocket?"
Mental attacks didn't work on me at all. That was because my mental strength stat was MAX, thanks to the passive effect of the Soul of the Sword Master.
But Super Sensory was different. It didn't penetrate the mind; it was practically a physical phenomenon. It was a purely 'sensory'-based ability that analyzed the opponent's physiological state.
However...
The existence of the Easter Egg has been exposed to 'Super Sensory'.
...The Easter Egg in my pocket had practically neutralized his Super Sensory. A creature received in exchange for a sacred covenant. Its overwhelming presence had swallowed everything else.
Instead, Pean, who had tried to delve deep into the entity inside the shell, was suffering from the aftereffects.
"W-what on earth... What kind of monster are you raising in your pocket?"
*Tremble.*
His entire body shook with terror.
I replied with a deliberately relaxed smile. "How pathetic."
*Sip.*
I slowly brought the teacup to my lips. Then, glancing at Pean, I finished in a flat, indifferent voice.
"You tremble before a creature that hasn't even been born yet."
"..."
"And yet, you do not seem to fear the master standing right in front of you."