Almost instinctively, I shoved Leonardo down and ducked into the underbrush. He looked surprised but didn't panic.
When he stirred slightly, I pressed my thighs down to keep him still — only for him to freeze completely. Stiff and tense, he stared up at me, not moving a muscle, as if he were studying me.
The cold, invasive feeling of someone's gaze brushed over my back, lingering only for a moment. It wasn't thorough — just a brief sweep. When the presence passed, the shadows cloaking us dissipated as swiftly as they had appeared.
'They interfere with the stage.'
Is it because I have to use Apostle's persona to stand against Godric?
'And every time they intervene like this—'
[Your role immersion increases. Current immersion: 58%.]
When Act 3 began, my immersion was stuck at 37%. But it skyrocketed after that unpleasant aerial stroll with Godric, and now it's climbing again.
'At this rate, I might hit 100% immersion for all the Personas within this chapter.'
Looking at the trend, it doesn't seem impossible.
Anyway, thanks to that, we dodged the immediate threat. The fact that Godric took a moment to scan the area with his gaze means —
'Something is in motion that he's not supposed to see.'
That, in itself, is a clue.
I exhaled quietly, relief washing over me — only to realize Leonardo's hand had slipped up my back at some point, brushing down along my spine.
"Sorry. I felt something…"
I started to explain, knowing this must've felt like a bolt from the blue for him. But Leonardo shook his head, cutting me off with a soft whisper.
"I sensed it too."
…What?
His gaze didn't waver. He stared at me steadily for a moment before his eyes shifted, tilting just slightly past me — to the empty air beyond.
He was looking at the stage set that had just served as Sub-writer 1's eyes. The spot where the moon hung between the clouds.
"Faint… but it was there."
What did he mean by that?
Leonardo had never noticed what happened beyond the stage — how the background shifted wherever his gaze landed, how people moved more vividly, how the writers watched us. Even the spotlight that illuminated him from above.
Did I accidentally let something slip? Or has Godric's interference become so frequent that Leonardo started figuring things out on his own?
My heart pounded with unease before sinking like a stone.
"It's coming from inside the old ruins. Their presence… I can feel it."
But Leonardo spoke calmly, as if nothing was wrong, pushing himself up slightly. The movement made me slide off his waist, landing awkwardly against his hip with a soft bump.
"Shall we keep going?"
His bare hand — the one that had slipped under my cloak, brushing against my skin — withdrew. He smoothed my collar with that same familiar, effortless care.
There was no sign that he felt anything was off. He looked exactly the same as always. So, I just nodded in return.
The old ruins lived up to their name — only the outer walls and skeletal remains of what was once a castle still stood. The open space at the front had been used for the banquet, while beyond the wall lay the king's outpost, heavily guarded by the royal guards.
The presence Leonardo mentioned was coming from behind that wall.
「We'll be spotted if we get too close, 」 he murmured softly once we approached as far as we could. Then, he held out his hand.
'How are we supposed to get a clear view from here?'
「From above.」
He briefly glanced upward. He meant to use the remaining structures of the old fortress.
Familiar hands wrapped around my waist, then slid down to secure my legs together tightly.
Half-draped over Leonardo's shoulder, I clung to him as he scaled the wall like it was second nature. The ground pulled away beneath us, and the dizzying height made my stomach churn.
I shut my eyes and buried my face against the curve of his neck, blocking out the wind's howl and the sway of our climb. Instead, I focused on something else — something familiar. His scent, his steady breath.
Little by little, fear ebbed away, replaced by a familiar calmness.
It was the same warmth, the same scent, the same steady pulse that had lulled me to sleep on countless nights, wrapped securely in his arms. My body had learned to recognize it as a signal: this was safety.
「Isaac.」
His voice reached me, low and steady, cutting through the wind.
Leonardo landed softly somewhere, giving his shoulder a slight shake to signal me. We ended up standing on what remained of an old staircase — or what used to be stairs. It barely counted as a foothold now.
I tried hard not to think about the fact that there was nothing but empty air behind me. Instead, I focused on the narrow, horizontal slit of a window ahead and peered through it.
What came into view was Godric.
Draped in an ornate crimson robe, his long blond hair hung messily around his face. He stood there, motionless like a corpse, his expression utterly devoid of any sign he could even feel the cold.
A single brazier flickered faintly beside him, casting just enough light to cover a few feet around him. His eyes scanned the area with detached boredom.
The person we had followed was there — caught and restrained by one of the royal guards. They struggled, their feet scraping against the ground as if desperately trying to move somewhere.
'They're trying to go south.'
They were drawn there instinctively — just like the beasts that had been poisoned by the Dragonbone Sword's venom, slamming their heads against the walls, all trying to drag themselves toward the south.
Godric's lips moved, but I couldn't hear what he said.
Leonardo whispered it to me instead.
「Looks like this is all for tonight.」
His tone sounded disturbingly casual — like a farmer inspecting his harvest.
Then, Godric gave the slightest flick of his finger.
I felt it immediately — Leonardo's body tensed up, pressed tightly against my back. His muscles went rigid, his breath halting for a beat too long.
「They're here.」
What I mistook for shadows in the darkness began to writhe. Real shadows didn't sink that deep, nor twist so unnaturally. The wriggling mass contorted grotesquely, slithering along the ground before creeping up and seeping into the restrained man.
Leonardo looked like he wanted to stop it — his body tensed with the instinct to intervene. But he held himself back, knowing all too well that jumping in now would be a losing battle.
The viscous, amorphous form suddenly surged upward, swallowing the man's face whole. His once vacant, dazed expression twisted violently as his body jerked in resistance. It didn't last long.
It had been a while since I last watched something like this — something so raw and blatant. Another horror to add to the growing collection of nightmares waiting for me in the dark.
Godric stared down at the collapsed figure without a hint of emotion, as if he were looking at an object rather than a person. Then, with a flick of his hand, he gave the order.
「Same as the others. Deliver it to them.」
The newly assimilated husk was dragged away without resistance.
Leonardo and I both exhaled white puffs of breath into the cold air. Godric, though, remained unnaturally still — his skin pale and deathly against the snow. He didn't seem to notice the cold at all.
He stood there for a moment longer, his face heavy with boredom — like even existing in this place was an unbearable chore. This wasn't the Godric I knew. He looked hollow, distant… wrong.
Without another word, the king turned on his heel and disappeared into the night.
[Scenario Clear Condition Achieved!]
Leonardo tugged lightly on my arm, signalling for us to follow where the assimilated one was being taken. As we climbed down from the old fortress wall and moved in pursuit, I took a moment to sort through the fragments of knowledge I'd just gathered.
In the end, the scenario notes lay out what Leonardo needs to know and experience within this act. Only then can we advance to the next stage.
At the same time, it's clear now — Godric had been scouting to detect us beforehand. He didn't want this operation to be discovered. The fact that someone like him, who normally disregards the rules of the stage, was going out of his way to hide it… that means something.
'This could be the key to bringing him down — not as Sub-writer 1, but as King Godric.'
The king… cooperating with them.
The idea of reviving the dragon might sound like a madman's fantasy, but the fact that Godric is deliberately replacing living people with assimilated husks? That's undeniable proof of a threat — one the nobles can't ignore.
'People react faster when their own safety is at risk than when faced with abstract ideals.'
If the nobles realize Godric isn't just a tyrant, but a king who's turning his subjects into monsters… they won't sit still. Fear will spread faster than loyalty.
And that might just be the wedge I need to shatter his throne. No matter how solid the foundation of Godric's monarchy is, this… this is a fatal revelation.
'If I play this right…'
I know exactly what needs to be done in this act now.
At that moment, Leonardo, walking ahead of me, suddenly stopped. He extended an arm to halt me, then gestured toward the sight in front of us.
And just like that, another answer fell into place.
'This could solve the First Field Army rescue mission too.'
***
"Infiltration?"
The next morning, Raul repeated the word, sounding more skeptical than surprised.
It was right after he barged into our tent at dawn, finding the two of us still lounging in bed. The moment he laid eyes on us, he squinted so hard it looked like his vision might give out. Vittorio, ever the practical one, grabbed a handful of snow from outside and pressed it against Raul's reddened, irritated eyes.
"Yes. Leo and I took a little stroll last night and saw something… interesting."
"…Why were you— No, never mind. Not curious. Not even a little. So, what did you see?"
I started explaining the scene from the previous night — every chilling detail.
The assimilated ones under Godric's command were loaded onto carriages by the royal guards and sent south.
So far, nothing unexpected.
But.
"We can intercept them midway, right?"
Take down the guards, extract the people, seize the carriage, and fill it with our own men. Then we ride straight to the Dragon's Head, pretending nothing happened.
It's a Trojan Horse. The infiltrators, hidden among the cargo, will slip inside and assist the First Field Army's escape from within.
Meanwhile, the rest of our forces will split into smaller squads, sneaking into the area beforehand. When the breakout starts, they'll hit from the outside, drawing attention and providing backup. The First Field Army won't be in top shape — they'll need all the support they can get.
"Alright, then the commander and I—"
I cut off Raul's hasty enthusiasm.
"It's not that simple. And we're not splitting into two groups — we need three."
"Three? What for?"
The royal guards might be mere puppets, enslaved and assimilated to follow Godric's orders without question. But if Godric himself catches on and mobilizes his elite forces, the plan falls apart.
We need a third team to stall him — to distract and delay him, keeping his eyes and his power away from the real mission.
"We'll need someone to hold the king's attention."
"Leonardo leads the reinforcements, Sir Raul handles the infiltration since he already knows the way… and I'll draw Godric's attention."
In other words, we'd each move separately this time.
"We've got the perfect excuse, don't we?"
"What…"
"If I win the subjugation battle and get summoned, I'll end up alone with Godric."
That moment would give me the best chance to keep him occupied — and give the others the time they needed.