Emotion Overwrites Conspiracy,Conspiracy Overwrites History,History Overwrites Reality**
Vague.
That was the only word that could describe the scene before the wraith-guardian, Lusk.
"What am I doing here…?"
It wasn't his voice—it belonged to the boy standing before him.
"Kill him…"
A smile slowly spread across Lusk's lips as he continued to hear the boy's urging whispers.
"Just one shot—KILL!"
Lusk took another step forward. His hand brushed against a thin, fragile layer of fabric.
His black-and-white pupils contracted, and the smile on his face widened grotesquely.
"The human mind," Lusk said softly,"has a habit of altering its own memories according to emotion—patching the gaps with perspectives and biases.Humans have never been reliable."
His fingers idly toyed with the delicate linen cloth.
"But this reality…""Did you create this reality, Ron?"
His expression stiffened, returning to its usual severity. He had scrutinized Ron Irus's memories countless times, yet had never been able to tell which ones were truly real.
Just as he was about to turn away from this memory, the scenery abruptly shifted.
He now stood inside a room tiled with white ceramic. The air was thick with a nauseating stench.
Everything was silent—so silent that the sound of a heartbeat became disturbingly clear.
But Lusk had no heart to beat. He was merely a corpse draped in a soul.
So where was that heartbeat coming from?
He turned his head, his eye widening as he witnessed the thing pounding relentlessly.
…
"You're awake?"
Janeus opened her eyes to see a man in a white suit, holding an umbrella to block the glaring sunlight.
She stood up and realized she was back at the podium from the beginning of the festival. Other than her and Lusk, everyone else remained asleep.
"So you believe me now, don't you?""I told you we should have escaped the false layer of reality from the start."
"I needed to verify the information," she replied. "You understand."
"Then shall we go?"
Lusk asked. Only after receiving her nod did he begin to walk.
"So you're going to use that?""When that man said you would be the one holding the key to resolve everything, I never expected you'd use something like this."
Janeus pointed at Lusk's hand, where he held a black key.
"That's right," he said."It's quite special, you know."
"…"
"It originates from a very ancient story—though I don't think this is the right time to talk about it."
"…Then what should we do first?"
"Oh—first, let's begin with something I heard from a certain brat…"
…
"The cruel price of winter does nothing but make people want to die."
Oxeiburt muttered softly, but his voice was drowned out by thousands of others.
"Aren't you in a hurry?""They're about to open the gates."
"I want to take a look at Five Fingers," Oxeiburt said as he wrapped himself in thick clothing and hurried out the door."By the time the bell rings, the city will let them march."
"…But what exactly is Five Fingers?""The name sounds strange."
Acrune wondered aloud as he tried to reorganize the goods at the horse rental shop. During the festival, weapon trading was prohibited due to its celebratory nature, so Acrune had been working for Oxeiburt instead.
"He seems awfully rushed."
Acrune noticed a customer watching Oxeiburt's retreating figure. It was Phelion—his silver-white hair blended perfectly with the falling snow.
"He always gives off an air of anxiety and urgency," Phelion remarked."Perhaps he's simply eager for the festival?"
Then he pointed at Acrune's hand—five fingers—and smiled faintly.
"Did Oxiburt never tell you about Five Fingers?""Everyone in the order knows about it."
"Ah… um…"
Acrune felt slightly embarrassed. He had been in the order for nearly two months and knew nothing. A hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
"It's nothing special," Phelion said casually."In truth, from the middle class upward, everyone knows that the royal family has two hands."
He raised both hands, then opened his left palm.
"Five Fingers refers to the five fingers of the royal family—each controlling a different domain, all led by dukes."
Then he opened his right palm.
"And do you know what the royal family's right hand is?"
"…No?"
Phelion smiled.
"The Pope."
"?"
Phelion picked up a riding crop, fed an apple to a nearby horse, then struck its hindquarters.
"And do you know this, Acrune?"
"What do you mean?"
Acrune watched his actions in confusion. The air seemed to thicken around Phelion's words.
"…Before execution, prisoners are often visited by priests to hear their confessions,""But when a priest is sentenced to death—who listens to their confession?"
"H–Huh? What are you saying?!"
Acrune recoiled in shock. At that moment, a hurried voice rang out—it belonged to someone from the corrupted clergy.
"PHELION, SOMETHING'S HAPPENED!!"
…
…
…
*(And there are those who are never satisfied with power or knowledge.Instead, they are content with something else: Lust
One gold coin for Lust for wine, for feasts.)