Instead, I had to make sure that my head didn't touch the wall to avoid feeling uneasy.
'After all that trouble to style it with magic, now the pomade...'
Does this era lack waterproof products or something?
The oil at the ends of my hair was bothering me, but since I was all set up for the event, it wasn't a big deal.
I was worried because I'm not good with my hands, but fortunately, Gerda Asman had a personal attendant who helped me.
'And there's something else bothering me...'
Gerda's assessment skills seem to be spot on.
Several first-generation Pleromas keep staring at me.
When I meet their gaze, they quickly look away out of courtesy, but a few keep staring without bothering to hide it.
I heard that second-generation Pleromas could attend this event, so it's not like they're looking at me wondering why someone unqualified is here.
"Mr. Weitzel."
I noticed Gerda Asman returning from dancing with another Pleroma, so I slightly raised my glass.
Gerda picked up a glass and clinked it against mine.
Smiling back at Gerda's bright smile, I asked, "You seem to be enjoying yourself."
"Of course! This is... my first time attending such an event. I only learned how to dance a few days ago from someone I know here, but actually doing it at a party is more fun than I thought," Gerda replied with a flushed face.
Come to think of it, Gerda did say things were tough when she was younger.
Even though it's not impossible for commoners to enter high society, and middle-class parties happen frequently, considering Gerda's past, it's understandable she wouldn't have had many opportunities to attend.
"Shall we dance now?"
"Sure, but it seems like you've been to these events often, Mr. Weitzel."
"Well..."
This is technically my first time as well.
I had learned to dance as part of a liberal arts class at school, and Luca wasn't completely ignorant of it, so there shouldn't be any issues.
I took Gerda's hand and led her to the dance floor.
As we reached the middle of the piece, I looked up and gazed across the hall.
Since the moment we started dancing, the gazes following us became more persistent. As I met his eyes, I quietly asked Gerda, "Who's that?"
"Hm?"
Gerda turned her body in the opposite direction to match the steps. Then, seeing the person I pointed at, her expression hardened.
With a low voice, Gerda asked, "Should we leave after this dance?"
"Why? Who is he?"
"..."
Gerda scanned the surroundings with a blank expression before opening her mouth.
"That person is the one who made me a Pleroma."
So, he's one of those "originals" that Eric Asman mentioned.
He's probably the main culprit behind the Heiligenji kidnapping incident.
I had to suppress a laugh.
Well, of course, there was no way the higher-ups wouldn't be here.
Of course, it seems he's planning to take credit for the Pleroma I created….
I reassured Gerda and said I would take a quick breather, then headed to the balcony at the far end of the corridor outside the banquet hall.
I passed the time looking down below for a while, then took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth.
I had been staying off smoking, so I wasn't planning to light it, but it was a necessary prop for now.
'To get the conversation started, I need something.'
I took out the lighter, which was powered by magic, and lit the cigarette.
At that moment, a strange voice came from behind me.
"You smoke cigarettes, I see."
Someone leaned against the railing next to me and struck up a conversation.
It was the man Gerda Asman had pointed out earlier.
"It's imported, isn't it? I've noticed more people smoking these lately, but it's nice to see one up close."
'He's quite forward.'
That's fine with me.
I opened the cigarette case and offered, "Would you like one?"
"No, thank you. I already have my own," he said, shaking the pipe he held in his hand.
I nodded and exhaled the smoke.
"…!"
I quickly covered my mouth with my other hand, trying to stifle a cough.
'Damn it… This isn't my body.'
It suddenly hit me that the physical age of this body was an issue.
I shouldn't handle it recklessly. I might end up shortening someone else's life by getting them addicted.
I ground out the cigarette in the empty tin case I brought.
Watching me, the man asked, "Are you not feeling well?"
"I was recently sick, so I'm still not in great shape. I need to take it easy until I'm fully recovered."
"I see. You're not well, yet you came here?"
"This is a celebration for someone important to me. I was invited, so I couldn't miss it."
"Who did you come with?"
I glanced at him and replied, "I came with Gerda Asman."
"Ah, the star of today's event. To achieve her first mission just five days after being reborn, she'll surely become a role model in our diocese."
A "diocese," huh….
Though I knew from Strauch that they had a system, it felt a bit ridiculous seeing them seriously play this game in what was essentially a parallel world.
The man gave me a once-over before speaking.
"And… it's only been ten days since you arrived, yet you've already met new people. You're quite diligent. Of course, we want everyone to make full use of the blessings, so you're welcome here. After all, happiness comes first, doesn't it?"
Why does it feel like he's talking to me specifically?
I held back the urge to say that and shrugged.
"Should I pass along a message?"
"No need. Come to think of it, we haven't exchanged names yet. What's your name?"
"Felix Weitzel."
"I'm Marcel Koffman. How long have you been here, Mr. Weitzel?"
"I haven't been counting exactly, but it hasn't been a month. I'm still undergoing training as a novice, so my name might not even be on the register yet."
"I see. That makes sense."
He probably meant I looked new since I hadn't been dragged off by any of the other first-generation Pleromas yet.
I averted my eyes from Koffman, who looked at me like I was some promising material, and spoke up.
"Excuse me, but I should get back inside. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Koffman."
"Ah, of course. But, Mr. Weitzel."
I turned around when he called after me.
"What is it?"
"You mentioned you're still receiving novice training, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"There's a way to become a priest right away."
"..."
"Which also means you could live just like this forever. It would take you at least ten years to become a priest, starting as a novice. Wouldn't it be better to stay in your twenties?"
In my twenties, huh….
I just watched Gerda Asman reverse 40 years and show up as a twenty-year-old, so what's the point?
They're just playing on people's emotions, knowing they'll turn back time once you become a priest anyway.
I silently stared at him.
Despite his mature demeanor, his face didn't look much different from mine.
He came closer and patted me on the shoulder.
"I'm a priest from the Archdiocese of Brandenburg, the one who gave Gerda Asman her second life. Here, take this. If you're interested, come to my office anytime."
He handed me a business card.
There was no address written on it. It was likely an item that activated a teleportation spell the moment it was torn, so an address wasn't necessary.
He smiled contentedly, patted my shoulder again, and left.
With that, my plan to meet a mid-level manager was halfway successful.
'Now, let's think this over.'
As a mage, my rank was higher than Strauch's.
And Strauch was an archdeacon.
Assuming rank and skill correspond, there's a good chance this guy is weaker than Strauch.
'This is promising.'
Having made up my mind, I returned to the banquet hall to meet Gerda.
* * *
As the party was winding down, I noticed the first light of dawn through the window and turned to Gerda.
"It's time to head back."
"Already?"
"I'd love to stay longer, but I have some things I need to do today."
Gerda burst into laughter at that.
"You don't need to worry about that. As long as it's not morning yet, you don't have to leave."
"Well, yes, but the sun is rising."
"It's still early morning in that world."
"..."
Time flows differently?
I tried to keep my expression neutral as I asked, "Is it always like this? I'm still not used to this place, so everything seems surprising."
"It was surprising for me too. This kind of issue has been happening more frequently lately."
An "issue," huh.
One would think they'd be happy to have more time than their enemies, but I guess there's a bigger risk involved.
I suddenly recalled Strauch's words: "Our world is incredibly well-fortified, so there's no need to worry."
'If that's the issue, I'd better remember it. And… let's test it.'
Dawn 777
― 674 days, 7 hours, 11 minutes, 35 seconds until the final outcome: "Chapter X. Death"
― Probability of change: 19.2%
It was 18.6% last time I checked, and now it's gone up by 0.6%.
But what's more important is the time.
After an hour had passed by this world's clock, I opened the status window again to check the time.
Dawn 777
― 674 days, 7 hours, 00 minutes, 45 seconds until the final outcome: "Chapter X. Death"
― Probability of change: 19.2%
An hour here only passed as ten minutes in reality.
While I was checking the clock, Gerda called out to me.
"Shall we head back to the archive now, Mr. Weitzel?"
This place was connected by magic, with several ways to return to where we came from.
For example…
Gerda now moved to the furthest room in the mansion, shifted a candlestick on the mantel to the right, and reopened the door.
The hallway of the mansion had disappeared, replaced by the familiar sight of the cathedral we had originally arrived at.
"Convenient, isn't it? It's surprising that technology has advanced this much."
"Indeed," I replied simply.
After that, we sat in the cathedral for three hours in this world, which was about thirty minutes in reality, chatting away.
'Talking is exhausting.'
My companion looked tired too.
There wasn't much else to do. Gerda Asman still didn't know much about the Pleroma world, so there wasn't anywhere to explore.
Despite this, Gerda didn't suggest returning to reality, seemingly reluctant to let time pass quickly.
'But I did gather a lot of information.'
I learned about the criteria Pleroma uses to select people, how they cast targeted curses to link specific locations, and what kinds of objects generally trigger a return to previous coordinates, among other things.
Gerda answered my questions cheerfully, interpreting my inquiries as a sign of interest.
Eventually, she noticed my weary expression and gestured toward the sacristy.
"Would you like some candy? It's been marked with a targeted curse, though."
"Does that mean I can come here anytime you call, Ms. Asman?"
Gerda smiled as she answered, "Something like that."
Since she seemed to take my casual question as agreement, Gerda brought over a basket of candy and handed it to me.
'…Does she actually want me to eat this?'
Well, there's nothing wrong with that… but still.
I chose my words carefully to appeal to Gerda.
"Honestly, I'm not that fond of sweets. But I'll hold on to them and give them to a suitable kid when I find one. I'll let you know then, Ms. Asman."
"Hmm, that sounds good."
It should. It'll boost your performance, after all.
Anyway, we shouldn't waste time like this.
Since we had encountered the key person we were searching for, it was time to strategize.
I spoke as if I had just remembered something, feigning surprise.
"Oh."
"What's wrong?"
"Instead of just sitting around, should we play a game? Do you know any card games? Or how about chess?"
"Hmmm, I've forgotten the rules of chess… I've only played solitaire."
"A single-player game, huh."
After a brief moment of thought, I suggested, "How about poker? I can teach you."
* * *
Gerda Asman readily agreed.
Under the pretense of fetching a deck of cards, I returned to reality and teleported to school.
There was still no sign of Eric Asman or the others, even though they had taken him.
However, Narce did mention leaving an emergency contact….
'Is it Pai…?'
Feeling a bit guilty, I retrieved Pai from the pile of rocks in the center of my desk and woke him up.
"Huh?"
"Sorry, Pai. Do you know where Elias and Leo are?"
"I might be able to find out."
What's this now?
I guess that means it'll take him some time to figure it out.
"Could you pass a message to them for me?"
"Sure! What is it?"
"Tell them we found the mid-level manager, so let's have a strategy meeting."
"Just that?"
"Yeah, just pass that along."
I quickly scribbled down the important details I needed to convey on paper.
After grabbing a deck of cards from the cabinet and packing them into my bag, Pai tilted his head.
"Where are you going, Lucas? You just said we're having a meeting."
"I've written down everything I need to say. The others can have the meeting without me."
After saying that, I was about to initiate the warp spell when a thought crossed my mind, and I turned back to Pai.
"Pai."
"Yeah?"
"You should join us."
* * *
Back in the Pleroma world, I taught Gerda how to play poker, and three hours passed.
That equated to only thirty minutes in reality.
Since Gerda seemed to be getting drowsy from the tension of the banquet, I left her to sleep and stepped outside.
I gazed at the strangely dim surroundings, even though it was daytime, and tore the business card in my hand.
In an instant, the scenery before me changed once more.
Marcel Koffman's office was completely dark. Though there was enough light to make out the objects, it wasn't a space where anyone would want to linger for long.
Then, I heard a voice from behind me.
"You're here."