Chapter 72
Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Selection and Focus
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The afternoon of the next day, after the chaos had finally been sorted out.
“……So the Talisman Count is the same. The one who ambushed me at the detached palace before, and the one who fought alongside Regal in the sewers—they were all such monsters.”
I gathered everyone in the mansion’s drawing room, revealed a few pieces of information I’d been holding back, and demanded an explanation from Tolary.
“And that’s where this ‘patron’ shows up. Tolary? Explain. You’re the only one here who’s met the patron in person.”
“Got it, Your Highness.”
Tolary nodded with eyes even more hollowed out than a few days ago.
“I don’t know his true identity, though. Anyway, his appearance is this guy wrapped head to toe in bandages. He popped up out of nowhere when my magic was sealed and I was struggling, and offered to grant me a wish.”
“……A wish? What kind of wish are you talking about?”
Dabi, standing across from him, asked. Tolary clenched and unclenched his fists with both hands as he replied.
“Double Magic.”
“Double Magic?”
“Using magic with both hands at the same time. Tempest-level or higher, too. It’s possible by splitting the brain to accelerate calculations, but it wasn’t easy back then.”
“Hmm, hmm…….”
“You probably don’t get it, right? Anyway, I made the wish, and he stuck something like a needle into my body. After that, I could use Double Magic.”
“I’m a complete layman when it comes to magic, but is that something that just happens overnight? From one needle prick?”
“Tell me about it. The Talisman Count said something similar yesterday. He got a gift from the patron, too. He didn’t mention wishing for it, but it’s probably the same thing, right? So this is all the patron’s doing. Definitely.”
And then silence fell. Dabi glared at Tolary with eyes sharp enough to pierce.
“So that wish or gift or whatever—getting pricked by that needle and injected with something turns your body into a monster?”
“Who knows?”
Tolary scratched his head.
“Maybe not exactly? I was fine after my first wish. Still am now. Seems like different types?”
“Isn’t that a bit too optimistic? You’re not going to suddenly turn into a monster on us, are you?”
“Could be?”
Huh? Could be?
“Pardon?”
“I can’t be sure I’m fine. If it happens later, kill me quick. As quick as possible.”
“Hmm…….”
Dabi sank into serious thought. Tolary suddenly glanced my way and smiled.
“More importantly, Your Highness is my savior. Thanks, for real.”
“No, it was actually my mistake.”
“Mistake? Saving me?”
“No. Failing to predict that such a monster would target the mansion.”
“Who could predict that? And I brought it up because you saved me yesterday. Of course, I’m grateful for that, too.
“Then?”
“Before that. Blocking the gift I got from the patron at the magic tower.”
Tolary mimed injecting his arm and shuddered.
“If you hadn’t come then, who knows what would’ve happened to me. My head might’ve spun around, I’d have taken the shot, and turned into a monster? Like the Talisman Count. So thanks. Loyalty, loyalty.”
He bowed his head deeply in a mock salute. Only then did Dabi’s expression soften a bit as he turned to me.
“Your Highness. Do you see the Talisman Count this time, the regent back then, and Knight Phiren turning into monsters as all connected? The patron pulling the strings behind the scenes?”
“Probably. The sewers crawling with monsters? If you trace it back, that’s because of my second brother who died.”
“An existence that turns humans into monsters…… Terrifying stuff. And from the Arch Wizard’s story, it seems to exploit psychological weaknesses and force choices.”
“The Talisman Count probably wished out of revenge. For the power to kill me. He’d suffered a lot.”
Yeah. So it all neatly wraps up like this.
Pulling Tolary to our side was a godsend. Thanks to him, we now know how humanity’s traitors gain their power.
The problem is, across all nine regressions so far, the traitors never once transformed directly into otherworld monsters.
Well, not quite. In Tolary’s case, he lost his humanity and massacred people, so mentally a monster—close enough?
“By that logic, the tribal alliance outbreaks later…….”
“Yes? Your Highness?”
“Hm? No. Just a stray thought. Anyway, some of you might be hearing this for the first time.”
I said that and scanned everyone in the drawing room. They must all be tense, right? It was some heavy stuff.
“…….”
“…….”
But Meredes and Didi had their usual blank faces.
No, do these two have paralyzed facial muscles? How can they stay so calm hearing this?
On the other hand, Kyle and Rinen looked flustered, mouths flapping open and shut.
“No, that’s…….”
“Ugh……. I have no idea…….”
And Trimum, representing the guard priests, sat with his head bowed in thought. I gave it a moment, then laid out what I’d organized in my head.
“We don’t know what the patron really is, or what his goal is.”
Of course, that’s a lie.
His goal is obvious.
Weakening this world’s forces right before launching a full-scale invasion.
But revealing the fixed future of the otherworld invasion right now would be trouble.
Too despairing.
Even if I’m speeding up the clock, I need to land this softly. Around the 4th regression? I tried revealing the future too early once, and it backfired.
“For now, I’ll gather information. Secretly investigate anyone suspicious.”
“You’ll handle it personally, Your Highness?”
“Yeah. Of course, if you hear anything weird, tell me right away. Especially Kyle?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Use the Guspf Merchant Guild’s resources to collect intel. Like, some noble suddenly acting strange, or a knight who got way stronger out of nowhere…… Rumors like that popping up.”
“Understood.”
“And we need to prepare, too. So we can fend off whatever new monsters come.”
“H-how, though?”
The shaggy-haired boy who’d been quiet, Rinen, shot his hand up and countered.
“That monster took down even an Arch Wizard, right? Untouchable. What can we do against that? Of course, the captain and priests can help, but…….”
“So?”
“Y-yes?”
“So you want me to handle it all alone?”
“No! Th-that’s not what I meant…….”
Rinen freaked out and bowed his head. I snorted and shook my head.
“Kidding. Anyway, no need to get down already. It’s not like the enemy’s all monsters.”
“Huh?”
“Take this time. You read the report, right? You shone, annihilating the enemies coming from the eastern forest?”
“Th-that was mostly others finishing it off well…….”
Rinen trailed off, glancing at Kyle and Didi. I shrugged one shoulder.
“No need to look at them. Kyle and Didi earned the merits, sure. But without you, the op wouldn’t have been possible from the start, right?”
“That’s…….”
“So have confidence. If you all grow faster, more systematically than now, I can entrust you with any frontline.”
“That’s true, Your Highness.”
This time Kyle leaned forward.
“Shouldn’t we report all this officially to His Imperial Majesty? To the Empire?”
“To the Empire?”
“Yes. The situation’s too grave. We might not handle it with our strength alone soon.”
“So…… reveal the truth? That the Talisman Count, driven by revenge against me, got some mystery drug from a shady patron, turned into a monster, and attacked? And when we killed him, the corpse turned human again?”
“That’s…….”
“And my late second brother and dead Phiren are the same case? Confess I killed my second brother, and burned his corpse to ashes?”
“That’s…….”
“Not yet.”
I shook my head.
“It’d flip the Empire upside down. Everyone suspecting everyone. No, if it came to that, it’d be lucky.”
“Lucky? What do you mean?”
“No evidence, right? Only three humans witnessed the monsters: me, Dabi, Tolary.”
“I and Regal saw them, too.”
Didi raised her hand. Oh, right. They were the first witnesses.
“So four humans, one beast. All my people, so no objectivity. Say this with no proof, and they’ll call us crazy first.”
“But with the Empire’s prince, a knight master, and an Arch Wizard testifying…….”
Kyle narrowed his eyes in thought, then shook his head, agreeing with me.
“No. For everyone to accept it, we need hard evidence. Or testimony from so many it’s undeniable.”
“Exactly. Fights always in remote spots, no witnesses. Lucky it kept damage down, though.”
“Then what’s the plan? Even if we pass it now, we can’t hide it forever.”
“It’ll come out eventually. To the whole world.”
When that hits, a massive shockwave through the Empire.
An otherworld monster popping up smack in the middle of Emperord City? How to cover that?
But then…… most of my plans and tech trees I’ve built would shatter!
Sigh…….
Headache already. Won’t this pull the invasion even earlier?
And right then.
“Your Highness. Did you foresee this crisis ahead of time?”
Guard priest Trimum threw out a sudden question.
What? Did he just ask if I knew this future in advance? Did he figure out I’m a regressor?
“Huh? What’re you talking about?”
Playing dumb, I asked back. Trimum clasped his hands reverently.
“You’re the saint blessed by the Five Gods, Your Highness. Of course, a mere priest like me can’t fathom it. But did you receive divine foresight with the blessing? Warning that these horror monsters would disrupt the world, to prepare?”
Phew, that’s all.
All eyes turned to me. Yeah. A priest would naturally wonder that.
I’d actually foreseen this question coming someday. So I prepped the answer.
“……To some extent.”
“As expected, a revelation!”
“Not certain. ‘Prepare. Ready yourselves. That day is coming soon.’ Something vague like that voice in my head.”
“Ooh……. The Five Gods have always watched over us.”
Trimum bowed, moved. To soften the impact, I waved it off casually.
“Told you, vague. Not crystal clear. Just when I gained holy magic, that kind of voice brushed my mind?”
“A voice. Ahh, O Gods…….”
Whoa, backfired?
Trimum closed his eyes in prayer. I chuckled dryly at Rinen mimicking him awkwardly.
What can you do? Easiest explanation by far.
“But don’t all get too thrilled. Not much clear info yet. If I get a sharper revelation later, I’ll tell you. One thing’s sure: enemies beyond our current methods are appearing. Right?”
“Yes.”
Everyone answered together. I nodded and continued.
“The Infection Lord this time was nearly impossible to take down physically. So we prepare countermeasures ahead.”
“Infection Lord? Did you say Infection Lord just now?”
Dabi asked, hearing it fresh. Of course—name I coined, pre- or post-regression.
“The monster the count turned into. Spewing tentacles, infecting and controlling his minions, right?”
“Yes.”
Didi, who saw it, confirmed. Tolary’s eyes widened as he clapped.
“Right! I snapped out for a sec and said it—the monster regenerates. You heard that one line and spammed recovery magic, causing over-regeneration and boom?”
No.
The Infection Lord counter was my proud result from countless trials, painful battles, self-discovered.
But couldn’t say that, so…… regrettably, just nodded silently.
So my real struggles and efforts vanish unknown. Boo-hoo.
“Your Highness is a genius. How’d you think of that? In that split second?”
“No, didn’t cast recovery magic right off hearing it.”
“No?”
“Struggled against that thing a while. Finally got the idea.”
Actually one-shotted in like 10 seconds.
No witnesses anyway, so say what I want?