A Thousand Years Ago (1)
While Ghislain was enthusiastically(?) active in another era, only a few days had passed in reality.
At first, Belinda was full of worry, but now she looked at Ghislain with a puzzled expression.
Despite her concerns, Ghislain was sleeping peacefully.
If that had been all, she would have continued worrying. But now, it was oddly ambiguous to even be concerned.
"What could be so enjoyable?"
Even in his sleep, Ghislain repeatedly smirked. Faint as it was, it was definitely a smile.
"What kind of wonderful dream are you having?"
It wasn't just a pleasant dream. If Belinda had seen the chaos Ghislain was causing, she would have probably pressed her forehead and clicked her tongue.
Though he had been lying down for days, Ghislain's body showed no signs of deterioration. On the contrary, he was surprisingly well.
The constant monitoring by priests and mages surely helped, but even considering that, it was unusual.
"How can this be?"
Belinda was amazed. Normally, if someone lost consciousness and remained asleep for so long, they would gradually wither like a sick person.
Yet, Ghislain was completely fine, as if he were merely in a deep sleep.
This was thanks to the holy power of the saintess residing within him. If his body were to suffer harm or danger approached, Ghislain would wake immediately.
But no one knew this. Nor was there anyone willing to test it.
Thus, everyone watched over Ghislain with a mix of concern and curiosity. Of course, efforts to understand his condition never ceased.
In particular, Jerome had returned to his magic tower, pulling out countless magic tomes for study.
"There must be a reason Ghislain suddenly ended up like this."
The truth was, Ghislain had not been able to explain in detail before collapsing. He himself had not been certain of what would happen.
Fortunately, he had shared a crucial detail about his dreams before losing consciousness.
A hero, a saintess, and the companions who had fought alongside them.
These figures were closely tied to those now by Ghislain's side. Especially one of the hero's companions from a thousand years ago—there was a strong likelihood that they were the very progenitor of the Tower of Radiance.
The words spoken by the saintess within the curtain were also a critical clue.
"We will meet again."
And even Erenes, after examining Ghislain, had made a meaningful remark.
— Duke Fenris's consciousness… is absent.
— There was only holy power within his consciousness.
— There was something strange, like a 'door.'
— It seems his consciousness has been sucked into that place.
Jerome began carefully piecing together the clues.
"The saintess said she would meet Ghislain again soon."
"The saintess's holy power had settled within Ghislain's consciousness."
"Ghislain's consciousness was pulled through an unknown door."
"That door was likely opened by the saintess's holy power."
"And… the saintess is from a thousand years ago. If he is to meet her again…"
Jerome's hand trembled as he wrote. Then he paused.
"Did Ghislain's consciousness… travel to the past? To a thousand years ago?"
It was possible. Ghislain often spoke of having dreams about the war from a thousand years ago.
If this were true, it meant he was no longer just dreaming of those scenes—he was now witnessing them firsthand.
"Wait, even if that's possible… there's a problem."
If the hypothesis was correct, Ghislain had only moved his consciousness. He had no physical body to act with. Even if he was in the past, he couldn't do anything.
If he were merely a ghostly observer, why did the saintess say they would meet again?
Furthermore, in such a state, he couldn't properly exist within the world. He would be expelled before long.
The rules that governed reality were not so easily defied.
"Am I wrong? But if not this, I can't explain what's happening right now…"
If forced to fit the pieces together, he might have possessed a reincarnated or past-life body. But that too was merely an unverified theory.
The existence of such beings had never been definitively proven. Neither the Church nor the Magic Tower had reached a consensus.
There were those who claimed to remember past lives, but no one had ever provided concrete evidence. For this reason, most dismissed reincarnation as a mere fantasy.
"Ghislain does have mysterious knowledge and abilities, but that explanation still doesn't quite make sense…"
Jerome, mumbling to himself, suddenly froze.
A memory surfaced—something the people of Fenris had once joked about.
— The young master used to joke about having died and come back to life. No one believed him, so he eventually stopped mentioning it…
Even Claude had chimed in with his own thoughts.
— But honestly, seeing how he keeps succeeding in impossible things, sometimes it feels like he just peeked at all the right answers from the future. What? Am I crazy? Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous! But isn't it crazier if the lord isn't insane? That'd be the real shock!
— You were always a little crazy from the first time I met you.
— That's because of the lord!
Back then, they had all laughed it off. But now, Jerome couldn't dismiss even the smallest clues as mere jokes.
Because someone else in his magic tower had once spoken similarly.
A story passed down from his master about the progenitor of the Tower of Radiance.
— According to legend, the progenitor could see the future.
— Honestly, the tower's progenitor was quite the peculiar figure. They would suddenly panic about having seen the future, or claim that someone from the future had possessed them… Even said that 'results change causes.'
Jerome mulled over those words, again and again. If the legend about the progenitor was true, then his hypothesis gained credibility.
"A person from the future possessing someone from the past? No way… If possession truly exists…"
A tingling sensation ran through Jerome's mind. As he assembled the fragments of information, it felt like he was approaching the truth.
Jerome hurriedly rummaged through the records of the magic tower. They contained details about the previous tower masters throughout history.
"Surely… Surely, there must be some clue about the progenitor."
Most of these records, he had already read during his time in the tower. He knew there was little about the progenitor.
The documents merely contained brief accounts—each successor recording bits of what they had learned from their master.
The rest were filled with self-congratulatory passages, personal diaries, rules for disciples, and each master's reflections on magic.
His own master had written mostly about the continent's best restaurants, how to meet women(?), and tips for dating(?), rather than anything relevant to magic.
Still, Jerome frantically sifted through the books, fearing he might have overlooked something.
Then, suddenly, he noticed a book on the shelf that he had never seen before.
"What is this?"
A chill ran down his spine.
He had lived in the tower his entire life before venturing outside. There were books he had skimmed and ignored, but none that he had never seen.
So why was there a book he had no memory of?
With trembling hands, Jerome pulled it out. The book was old, but thanks to the preservation magic placed on the library, its contents remained intact.
Jerome slowly opened the book with a tense expression.
Thud.
He barely managed to read a few lines before he unknowingly dropped the book.
The contents were so shocking that he could hardly believe them.
***
Jerome immediately took the book and returned to Lutania. Since everyone needed to be gathered, he had already sent out letters in advance.
One by one, the key figures of the territory, who had been absorbed in their respective duties, assembled in time for Jerome's arrival.
Claude was the last to enter, looking utterly exhausted compared to the others.
Seeing him, Belinda asked,
"You don't look well. Has something happened lately?"
"There's always a lot going on. With the lord unconscious, we have to make all the decisions and carry everything out ourselves."
Ghislain was the most crucial decision-maker in the kingdom. His collapse was a significant issue.
Although they had officially announced that he was dedicating himself to training, rumors had begun spreading regardless.
Fortunately, the war had ended, and Zwalter was governing the kingdom well, preventing any major chaos. However, the workload remained overwhelming.
There was much to rebuild after a long war, and stabilizing the newly acquired territories was no small task.
If war was the work of warriors, then post-war restoration was the duty of civil officials. Claude and all the administrators were overwhelmed with responsibilities, barely finding time to breathe.
Belinda smirked slightly and asked again,
"Still, most of the high-ranking officials are academy alumni. Doesn't that make working together easier? You're all friends, after all. I heard you all gathered recently to catch up."
At her words, Claude frowned and shook his head.
"Ugh, they're not the same as before. They're nothing like how they were back when we were academy students."
"Why? They've gained experience and become more competent. Of course, they're different from their student days."
Claude's fellow alumni had now taken key positions in the administration. They had long been instrumental in growing Fenris's territory.
"That's not what I mean. They've been living well here, thriving in their careers, and now they're completely jaded. They've been tainted."
"What do you mean?"
"They don't talk about anything except money. Every conversation is about money, money, money… Ugh. Isn't that ridiculous? Is that really why we get together?"
"Well… that's true."
"The lord is unconscious, and post-war restoration is urgent. Shouldn't we be discussing more constructive things? But no, they're all obsessed with money. Seriously, is there nothing else in the world to talk about besides money? It's pathetic, even though they're my friends."
"I mean… they're at an age where they have responsibilities now. Money is important. We pay them well considering how hard they work. Are they saying it's still not enough?"
Belinda's expression grew slightly worried. It was Ghislain's belief that administrators should be well-compensated to prevent dissatisfaction.
Claude let out a deep sigh before replying,
"So, I snapped at them."
"What did you say?"
"I told them I'd pay them back."
"...."
"If I win, I'll pay them back… No, I mean, I'll pay them back somehow! Ugh, I'm so sick of hearing about debts and money. If only money could fall from the sky."
Claude was desperately short on money. He still hadn't repaid all the funds he had embezzled.
Using his authority as head butler, he had borrowed extensively from his academy friends. But even that wasn't enough to cover the missing amount, making every single day feel like torture.
He had intended to settle the issue while Ghislain was unconscious, but his friends had started pressuring him for repayment, adding to his stress.
He had secretly sent a letter to Amelia, pleading for her to cover his debt, but she had completely ignored him.
"......."
Belinda looked past Claude to Wendy, who stood behind him.
Wendy simply shook her head with a weary expression. It was the look of someone who had completely given up on him.
The others also stared at Claude blankly. No one even knew how to respond.
As everyone silently judged Claude in their own way, Jerome finally arrived.
They exchanged brief greetings, but all attention quickly turned to what Jerome had discovered.
Belinda, the most anxious of them all, immediately asked,
"You said you figured out what happened to the young master? What do you mean? What did you find?"
The others also looked at him, their faces filled with curiosity.
Jerome took a moment to organize his thoughts. Even on his way back, he had debated how best to explain it.
To make them understand, a long explanation and evidence would be necessary.
But first, Jerome decided to start with the conclusion.
"Everyone, try not to be too shocked. Based on my research…"
He took a deep breath, then looked around at them all before speaking.
"It seems that Ghislain's consciousness… has traveled to the past."
Everyone's mouths fell open in disbelief. It was an answer no one had expected.
Belinda, her voice trembling, asked,
"The past? What do you mean, the past? Our young master isn't someone who exists in the past."
The statement was so absurd that even her words came out nonsensically. That was how hard it was to believe.
Jerome took several deep breaths before delivering an even more shocking revelation.
"A thousand years ago."
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