Was It Placed There from the Past? (3)
By the time Jerome arrived, all the key figures of Fenris were already gathered around the book.
Panting heavily, he asked, "What is this? What happened? When was this written?"
Belinda shook her head.
"We haven't seen it yet. Vanessa called us over just now."
Vanessa, looking excited, explained, "I was organizing my research on the Rift after hearing that Lord Jerome had returned. Then, out of curiosity, I opened the book and found new content written inside."
In other words, no one knew when or how it had been written.
Vanessa had quickly gathered everyone. It was better for everyone to see it together.
Jerome, the rightful owner of the book, slowly turned the pages.
[... After helping Rio, we moved to another territory. Then, something went wrong with my body. I couldn't withstand Ghislain's consciousness and began to collapse. To avoid immediate danger, Ghislain briefly learned magic...]
Belinda was the first to exclaim to Claude, "See? I told you! Our young master may not study, but he's smart! He can even learn magic!"
"......."
Claude had previously insisted that Ghislain could never learn magic with his brain. But now that it was written in the book, he couldn't argue against it.
He had no idea how Ghislain had managed it, but the next page revealed the secret.
[... Ghislain learned magic through my body. Without studying at all, he just grasped the flow of mana and forcibly implemented it... Ignoring the very fundamentals of magic, I, as a mage, felt deep despair at his actions...]
"......."
It was truly a training method unique to Ghislain. No one could say a word. Even Belinda averted her gaze, looking off into the distance.
What followed was even more astonishing.
"The duck superstition... was created by the young master?"
"… What on earth has the lord been doing?"
"No matter how much the past and future influence each other... This is a bit much."
He was causing trouble even in the past. Everyone wore troubled expressions. Since he was in the past, there was no way to stop him.
The text went on to describe how he had hunted down dark mages, stolen their magic tomes, and learned even more magic.
Ghislain, rapidly advancing to the sixth circle, had begun applying mana flow in his own eccentric ways, even creating entirely new spells.
"Ha..."
Everyone was amazed by Ghislain's bizarre talent, but the most shocked of all was Jerome.
A thought occurred to him—could the magic tome he had handed to Alpoi have been created by Ghislain?
'No, that can't be…'
That magic tome contained highly advanced theoretical knowledge. If Ghislain had learned magic forcefully without studying, it would be difficult for him to write such a thing.
Still, Jerome couldn't be sure. Perhaps Ghislain had invented the magic, and Astion had later refined the theory.
[..... After taking in the Ironclad Lion Corps, we waged war against Count Crest...]
Kaor, who had been reading, muttered blankly, "Moriana's Acknowledgement... was also created by the lord?"
He recalled how he had been beaten thoroughly by it when he first met Ghislain. To think that Ghislain had created it—it was unbelievable.
The others, too, chuckled incredulously as they read through Ghislain's feats.
"As expected of the young master."
"If you challenge him, you die. If you betray him, you die."
The thrilling tales continued. Then, as they reached the part where Ghislain created a Death Knight, all eyes turned to Claude.
Claude shot up from his seat and shouted, "I—I knew it! He's completely lost it now! Learning black magic? Becoming a dark mage?!"
Everyone stared at him, knowing exactly why he was so worked up.
Claude nervously bit his nails, sweat dripping down his forehead.
'W-what do I do? At this rate, I'll be enslaved even after death!'
Claude lived recklessly, even as a slave. His embezzlement of public funds was well known by now.
The reason he had been able to get away with so much was because of his twisted resolve.
— Eh, if I die, that's the end of it.
He had always said that, acting as if his death would put an end to everything.
But now, things were different.
— Eh, your soul will be enslaved forever.
Ghislain could say that now. He had the ability to bind souls.
Claude briefly considered assassinating the sleeping Ghislain. But that was impossible—Fenris's top assassination unit guarded him at all times.
And besides, that man would surely wake up the moment his life was in danger. Even Dark had once said that their master could awaken at any moment.
The others looked at Claude with mixed sympathy and satisfaction, while they turned the next page.
[.... We headed to the capital for succession recognition. The young king of the Flovitz Kingdom, Alex, was constantly troubled by the threats of Marquis Falkenheim. Learning that we had defeated his vassal, Count Crest, he warmly welcomed us.]
[The succession recognition proceeded smoothly. As we were about to leave, Alex begged us to stay and help. While we hesitated... Ghislain stepped forward on our behalf.]
Jerome sighed in disappointment.
"Ah, that's it."
The story ended there. No one knew what triggered new content to appear, so they had no choice but to wait.
Still, it was a relief to learn about Ghislain's current situation. And now that they knew the book continued to update, they would check it often.
"It's reassuring to know what the young master is up to. I can't wait to see the next part."
At Belinda's words, most people glanced at her with weary eyes. She cared nothing for Ghislain's bizarre actions—only that he was safe and healthy.
'With someone like that raising him, no wonder he turned out this way.'
They all had the same thought, but no one dared say it aloud in front of Belinda.
"This is... actually kind of fun. Feels like we're watching his adventures unfold."
Claude, trying to change the topic, spoke up. Vanessa, taking it at face value, agreed enthusiastically.
"Yes! The more I read, the more I find myself cheering for him."
With that, everyone began discussing Ghislain's exploits, evaluating his actions and debating his strategies.
However, only Jerome remained deep in thought, staring at the book.
'There's no mention of the magic tome.'
The magic tome given to Alpoi definitely existed. But in this book, which recorded every detail of Ghislain's journey, there was no mention of it.
Perhaps Astion had simply considered it unimportant and left it out.
But what if—
'The magic tome appeared much later than Ghislain's time in the past?'
That would mean the future was already predetermined. Jerome couldn't shake that unsettling thought.
Ghislain was rewriting history in his own way, creating strange traditions in the process.
His actions clearly influenced the present, proving the future was malleable.
If the future had been fixed, the book would have already contained everything Ghislain was yet to do.
Even so, the missing mention of the magic tome continued to bother Jerome.
'Could it be that...'
There was an old saying passed down in the Tower of Radiance.
— The result alters the cause.
What if this reality wasn't the original future?
What if, originally, Duke Delphine had seized the throne of Lutania, and the Salvation Church had successfully conquered the continent?
And what if...
All of history had changed because of Ghislain?
'Is he adjusting the past to align with the present?'
It was an absurd thought. But Jerome couldn't dismiss the possibility.
Ghislain's objectives in the past were not hard to guess.
To investigate the remaining threat—the Adversary.
To uncover what had truly happened in history.
And... if possible, to save the Hero and the Saintess.
But for the present reality to exist, certain events had to happen.
No matter how much he wanted to save the past, the future could not be sacrificed.
It was impossible to predict what Ghislain would do next. That was why the book didn't immediately reveal everything that would happen.
Still, what was meant to happen would happen, whether Ghislain caused it or some other reason did.
Perhaps the magic tome handed to Alpoi was proof of that very principle.
'No, that's not right. If that were the case, there would be no reason for the Saintess to summon Ghislain into the past.'
If the past couldn't be changed, then why call him back at all? They could have simply told him the secret instead.
The fact that Ghislain had been deliberately brought to the past meant there was something he absolutely had to do there.
In reality, hadn't the past already started influencing the future because of his actions?
Jerome pressed his temples repeatedly. Even with all his vast knowledge, he couldn't fully grasp what was happening.
In fact, perhaps Ghislain, who was simply enjoying his time in the past without overcomplicating things, was the truly wise one.
'I do envy that personality of his.'
Jerome shook his head, clearing away his tangled thoughts. He needed to think more simply.
As always, Ghislain would handle things in his own way. There was no need to worry too much.
And if something happened in the present because of the past…
He and his friends here would find a way to solve it.
***
"Khak... How… did you find this place…?"
The priest of the Salvation Church collapsed with a look of despair. His abdomen had been pierced clean through.
With blurred vision, the priest gazed at the figure standing before him.
His face was like a sculpture crafted by the gods, beautiful and yet devoid of any emotion—almost as if he truly were a statue.
Even as he slaughtered the dozens of believers hiding in this place, there was not a hint of feeling on his face.
The only thing emanating from him was a blade-like presence. Very few in the continent possessed such an aura and skill.
"Turian's prince… Yulian."
The priest spat blood as he cursed his final words before slumping over, lifeless.
Yulian surveyed his surroundings. Only corpses remained. He could no longer sense any signs of the living.
Whenever he found a hiding place of the Salvation Church, he erased it without a word.
These were the people who had plunged the entire continent into war. Though scattered now, remnants of their order still lurked in many places.
The kingdoms had united to keep them in check, making it difficult for them to regain their former strength. But if left unchecked, they would multiply like cockroaches.
After all, they had spent a thousand years growing in the shadows. There was no guarantee they wouldn't do so again.
And the threat of the Rift still remained.
That was why Yulian exterminated the remnants of the Salvation Church wherever he found them. He was only one man, but none of them could stop him.
"......"
Having finished his task, Yulian pulled out a map.
As his eyes scanned it, he fixated on a single location for a long time.
He had no information confirming that Salvation Church remnants were there. In truth, even he wasn't sure why he chose to go there.
But he had made up his mind.
He always followed where his instincts led him. Strangely, whenever he did, he found the remnants of the church.
As if it were fate.
His transcendental intuition was growing sharper by the day. And he had a suspicion about when it had begun.
'Artherion.'
After slaying Artherion, the Dragon Lord, an unknown energy had entered his body.
He still didn't understand what it was, but it had been immensely useful in tracking the Salvation Church.
He had yet to find Gartros, but if he kept going like this, he would, eventually.
Suddenly, he turned his head in the direction of the Lutania Kingdom.
'Ghislain…'
What had become of him? Had he woken up yet? Or was he still running wild in the past?
Thinking of him, a faint smile crossed Yulian's lips.
To be curious about someone's well-being… It had been too long since he'd felt such emotions.
No matter what Ghislain was doing, there was no need to worry. He was one of the strongest and most extraordinary people Yulian had ever known.
As Yulian was about to move again, a vision suddenly flashed through his mind—a vision he had seen once before.
A woman, presumably the Saintess, wearing a sorrowful smile. The only thing he could clearly recall was the curve of her lips.
— …You are not saving the world.
He still couldn't understand what those words meant.
Surely, there had been more to the message. But his mind felt blocked, unable to recall anything beyond that.
His chest grew tight, as if he had forgotten something precious.
His instincts were flaring up more violently than ever, urging him to uncover the truth behind the vision.
"......"
Ever since Ghislain had collapsed, the intervals between these visions had been growing shorter. He didn't know why, but it was undoubtedly connected to Ghislain's journey into the past.
"Gartros."
He needed to find Gartros—fast.
Gartros was the person who knew the most about the Salvation Church. If anyone had answers about the strange occurrences unfolding, it would be him.
And if he didn't…
Yulian's eyes turned cold.
He would make Gartros talk.
No matter what it took.
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