༺ Memory ༻
Walter Gares, the Senior Professor and the Dean of the Theology School, was a well-known eccentric in Elfante.
Sometimes, people would find him dancing half-naked while drinking hard liquor straight from its bottle on top of Gregory hall. At other times, they’d see him jumping off a height of hundreds of meters, trying to test the limits of Divine Power. You’d also find him singing hymns boisterously at the most random of times.
Of course, there were times when he did all of these at once.
Actually, I didn’t need to bring such examples. Any sane person who had encountered him for more than three seconds would agree that you couldn’t associate him with the word normal at all.
“The Vortex of Fate, the Call of Stars, and the Primordial Curse borne by the Black Flame Dragon sleeping in my right arm have guided our meeting to this place.”
“…”
[…What is he babbling about?]
‘He said he’s pleased to meet me.’
‘This is his normal greeting.’
[…What is he? A crazy bastard]
‘…Yes, yes he is.’
[…]
Beneath that silence, I could hear him asking if I was kidding or not, but I wasn’t joking when I said that.
This person was legitimately a comprehensive gift set of mental illnesses.
To put it simply, in his brain, the part that was in charge of his ‘rationality’, and the part that made his body do eccentric activities, the ‘crazy bastard’ part, was functioning separately, but at the same time.
Thanks to that, while there was some semblance of rationality in his speech and behavior, for the most part, they’d look like something that came out of an uncontrollable lunatic.
[…Why is he even a professor? He should stay in the hospital.]
‘Well, because aside from his odd behavior, you can still communicate normally with him, and most importantly…’
[Yeah?]
‘His skills are the real deal.’
In other words, despite being riddled with such various handicaps, he was still skilled enough to become the Senior Professor in Elfante’s Theology School.
And that was why there were things that I could only ask him to do.
In terms of ‘Sanctification Work’, processing items using Divine Power, no one was more skilled than him, even when the Saintess was included in the calculation.
“…I’ve come to retrieve the item I entrusted to you, Dean Walter.”
When I said that, Walter exaggeratedly strutted to his desk.
His movements were theatrical, if I didn’t know any better, I’d believe it if you were to tell me that he was the protagonist of some theatrical play.
“Behold the masterpiece, born from the primal desire and instinct of a certain being. Capable of mesmerizing its surroundings just by its exist—”
“The work went smoother than expected, you said? I just asked for a simple Sanctification Work, though.”
“In a world filled with despair, the fragile yet resilient existence that can withstand with just a sliver of hope is huma-”
“Huh? You managed to preserve its original nature while enhancing it? That’s really impressive.”
‘See?’
‘I told you this man is skilled.’
[…You could actually talk with him?! How the fuck?!]
“…”
‘I dunno, Dude.’
Well, I encountered him often in the game, so I just understood what he was saying…kinda…
It was mostly just reading between the lines and guesswork, honestly.
‘…He’ll be helpful later on, after all.’
Later on, he’d be of great help in removing Eleanor’s Unique Debuff, Madness.
So, being able to communicate with him wasn’t a bad thing.
Anyway…
“The mental flaws of humans as social animals include the inability to live alone, thus amidst this terrible imbalance of dissociation, I cry out.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I have to reject it this time. I’ll be pleased to have some tea and snacks with you next time, though.”
With a polite response, I left Walter’s office.
In my hand was the orb-shaped Soul Spirit he processed.
This was, to be more precise…
< Item Info >
[ ▲ Tatiana Grachel ] [ Processed ]
[ Specialty: Curse ]
[ Form: Soul Spirit ]
[ Processing Options ]
▶ Subordinate as a familiar
▶ Use as an enhancement material for an item
▶ Resummon in full form (Becomes annihilated after one use)
I was talking about this.
Originally, I could only choose one of these options, but thanks to Walter’s workmanship, it seemed I could choose another option after using it as an enhancement material.
‘…That’s not bad.’
Tatiana fell short compared to Valkasus, but she was still capable of using powerful curses. Whether I were to turn her into a Familiar or just resummon her, I could make use of her at some point.
Well, both were for later…
For now, I’d apply it as enhancement material to Soul Linker.
I gotta enhance Caliban, after all.
[…You’re enhancing me? Why?]
“I’m doing something good for you, why the hell are you complaining?”
[No, I’m not, it’s just… If you can enhance someone, you should use it on yourself or Iliya. Why do you pick me instead? That’s what I was trying to say. I mean, I’m just a parasite in your head at best.]
“…”
Why the hell was he talking like this?
Sure, the only thing he could do for me at the moment was to serve as my Buff Skill Shuttle, but that was only because the Soul Synchronization Rate was low.
Along with Iliya, he was a linchpin for clearing this chapter. There were numerous situations where his contribution would be crucial.
Especially considering that my life would be under constant threat. I was expecting to rely heavily on him a lot later.
That was why it was only natural that I’d be prioritizing his enhancement.
I shrugged my shoulders before bringing the orb-shaped Soul Spirit closer to Soul Linker.
Immediately after, a window popped up in front of me.
< Item Info >
[ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ]
[ Enchantment: Epic ]
[ Description: This equipment is inhabited by a Grand Soul Spirit. Increasing the Synchronization Rate can awaken the Soul Spirit’s Consciousness. ]
[ Due to the influence of the Grand Soul Spirit, it always contains Mana. ]
[ Currently Charged Mana Rate: 100% ]
[ Current Synchronization Rate: 40% ]
It has been a while since I’ve seen this window.
Actually, wasn’t it the first time I’ve ever seen it since the first time I awakened this guy?
< Item Info >
[ Current Synchronization Rate: 40% ]
[ Stage 2 Consciousness of the Soul can be unlocked! ]
[ Would you like to proceed? ] [ Y/N ]
Without a single ounce of hesitation, I touched Y.
And then…
“…Mm?”
Soul Linker began to emit an unusual light.
So unusual, in fact, that the moment I looked at it, my consciousness flew away somewhere in the blink of an eye.
It felt like I was swimming in the world of dreams.
The first sensation that I felt was the feeling of myself floating aimlessly in the air.
When I came to, I looked around, finding myself inside a changing room made of crude, yet luxurious marble.
“Ummmm…”
It felt as though I had become a spirit; My body was transparent, and no ‘humans’ around me seemed to recognize me.
What happened was… Right, I was forcibly pulled into Caliban’s Image World when I tried to increase his Synchronization Rate.
I guess that was the reason why I was experiencing this phenomenon.
Nearby, some noticeably well-trained humans were noisily chatting as they brushed past me.
The place reminded me heavily of an athletes’ locker room, complete with the sweltering heat that came out of sweat and the typical macho vibe.
There was one really noticeable thing here…
The fact that everyone nearby bore scars so severe that it was almost painful to even look at.
It was as if each of them was a battle-tested hero who had emerged from a fair amount of carnage. Those scars were the testaments to their struggles.
“Fuck, Dude, how do you even walk around with something that small on your crotch? If I were you, I woulda killed myself. And you wondered why your wife left you and cheat—”
“One more word, I’ll make sure that yours is shorter than mine—”
“Man, it’s always the two fuckers who are the smallest among us who keep talking shit every single—”
“…”
Listening to their banters made me feel dizzy, but anyway, these people were battle-hardened heroes, there was no doubt about it.
Suddenly…
Someone strode into the locker room, filled with such individuals.
His golden armor was etched with Runes, something that symbolized his status as an Elite Knight.
Standing at the front, that person was someone I knew very well.
‘…Gideon?’
He looked several years younger than I knew him, though.
Come to think of it, this space started ‘replaying’ memories from the moment I first entered.
This was definitely a memory from a long time ago.
“Who is the person in charge?”
As soon as those words flew out of his mouth, the bustling room instantly went silent.
Puzzlement, mixed with wariness filled everyone’s eyes.
“Me.”
Amidst the silent atmosphere, the voice of a man with orange hair filled the entire room.
Gideon scanned the name written on the military locker where the man was sitting.
Caliban Krisanax. The First Guardian.
“I am—”
“I know who you are, Duke Tristan.”
Caliban cut off Gideon’s words with his own.
Finished drying his hair with a towel, his tone was filled with annoyance, clearly expressing that he found the Duke bothersome.
His disrespectful attitude made the knights accompanying Gideon twitch their eyebrows, but all the Guardians remained indifferent.
“Currently, how many personnels are available?”
Hearing that voice, all the Guardians went completely still.
As Guardians, the most powerful people even when you count in the Imperial Guard, they enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomous authority. Apart from the Emperor, there was no one who could speak to them in such an authoritarian manner.
But, there were always exceptions, like the current situation. When it happened, nine out of ten times, it was only for one reason.
The situation was so dire that there was nothing that could be done without them.
“…There are ten of us here, and including those off-duty, about fifteen of us. What is this for?”
“Call everyone to arms. There’s a mission that requires everyone to be deployed.”
Caliban smirked.
“Oh, really? What kind of mission is it?”
“…I cannot tell you that yet.”
“…”
Caliban chuckled without a word.
He draped a towel over his shoulder before striding up to Gideon.
His orange eyes glinted with cold light.
“If that’s the case, then we are not interested, our Dear Lord Duke.”
Seeing Caliban glaring at Gideon from close range, one of the knights accompanying the latter spoke up in anger.
He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
“Impertinent! Do you even know who this—!”
“If you don’t want to die, shut your mouth.”
At that single statement, the hand of the knight gripping his sword trembled slightly.
“If you are not confident that you can kill us all, you need to think twice before drawing your sword. You know, at the moment, we’re being quite patient.”
Upon hearing Caliban’s words, the nearby Guardians let out fierce smiles.
They were unarmed, while the knights were fully armed.
Even so, the fully armored knights were being pushed back in terms of momentum and spirit.
While nonchalantly scratching the back of his neck, Caliban continued in a blasé tone.
“We are Guardians. Our job is to save people, we are not interested in anything else.”
However…
His eyes were filled with the fury of a wild beast, condensed with nothing but violence.
“Even if your grandfather is the one who’s coming here, Duke, we will not move without a suitable reason. Do you understand that?”
“…”
After a long silence, Gideon let out a sigh before opening his mouth again.
“…This is a request from the Heretic Inquisition. They asked for your cooperation for an Exorcism. According to them, they’ll provide you with sanctified equipment.”
Upon hearing this, surprise spread across the face of all the Guardians, including Caliban himself.
“We are knights, Lord Duke, hunting Devils is not in our job description.”
“The Heretic Inquisition has specifically requested your deployment for this task. This is a highly confidential matter, so normally you’d be briefed upon your deployment, but…”
Gideon continued in a stiff voice.
“…In the far east of the Empire, signs of a Devil that has gone berserk have been detected. A total of three cities have been reduced to ashes in just half a day.”
It was clear that he was barely able to get those words out.
“They wish you to, even if it’s just for a moment, to halt the Devil’s actions.”
“…To halt it? For how long?”
“One night.”
Caliban let out a scoff.
“…Just from the sound of it, it’s a fucked up mission.”
Gideon bit his lips until it bled.
“What you’re trying to say is that we should throw ourselves into the grinder to save the Empire’s citizens. Am I right?”
“…”
Gideon himself was fully aware of the implications of what he had just spoken.
A Devil that had gone berserk was a calamity that couldn’t be faced by anyone other than a Hero wielding the Holy Sword.
What he was asking them to do was to confront that kind of disaster for a whole night.
Even with sanctified equipment, it was still a suicide mission.
He was forcing them to go out there to die.
“…”
After a long silence, Caliban let out a deep sigh before opening his mouth again.
“If we refuse to do it, how many of us will die?”
“…It is impossible to know.”
Gideon replied with a heavy heart.
“But, it’s certain that at least hundreds of thousands people will die if no one is suppressing it. Thousands of people have already died yesterday.”
“Then we have to do it.”
Caliban’s response came without any hesitation.
Considering the magnitude of his decision, his tone was unexpectedly calm. Even Gideon turned around to look at him with wide eyes.
“Let’s hear about it in a bit more detail, Lord Duke.”
Almost as if…
“I mean, it isn’t like anyone other than us can do it.”
It was just another day’s work for them.
System Message
[ Consciousness of target ‘Caliban’ has been unlocked! ]
[ A Special Memory is being replayed! ]
[ Collecting all Special Memories will trigger a ‘Holy Sword’ Related Event! ]
After that message popped up, my consciousness was pulled back to reality.
“…”
I stared at the Soul LInker with a dumbfounded expression.
That was…
Caliban’s memory during the Crimson Night Incident… Yeah, that definitely was…
[What’s wrong? Why are you spacing out all of a sudden?]
“…”
Uh, like… Honestly…
Seeing all that made me see him in a new light.
Because prior to this, he had only been bitching around…
Well, I guess he wasn’t a Guardian for nothing, huh?
[Huh? What’s that about all of a sudden?]
“…It’s nothing.”
With a bitter smile, I shook my head.
These were memories related to his own demise, it wouldn’t do both of us any good if I were to tell him that I had seen them.
Right as I was lost in such thoughts…
System Message
[ Following the Awakening of the Enchanted Thought Form within ‘Soul Linker’, some functions have been unlocked. ]
[ Fusion of the ‘Soul Spirit: Orb’ confirmed. ]
[ Additional skills have been unlocked! ]
Such a window popped up before my eyes.
‘…Ah, come to think of it…’
The last time the Soul Synchronization Rate increased, it also unlocked some new skills.
I guess it happened again this time.
As I browsed through the newly appeared window with such thoughts….
“…This is fucking insane.”
My pupils dilated to its very limits.
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