As soon as Enrico's soul returned to his body, he began slowly opening his eyes. Upon regaining consciousness, he realized that Angela was sitting beside him in silence, unaware that he had already woken up.
Enrico didn't like being looked at with pity. After all, the one who had gone through those terrible experiences was the original Enrico, not him.
'It seems I made Enrico's life worse by asking for that pact...'
[That was necessary to make everything work out.]
'Yes, you're right. But what kind of world did he find in that real dungeon?'
According to what the System had discovered, the original Enrico had been taken to a world where creatures suddenly appeared and began attacking humans. No one in that place possessed magical powers, and he ended up being the only one capable of fighting those creatures.
Over time, he developed his own technique that allowed ordinary people to use their magic to fight the invaders. Thanks to that, he managed to gather enough strength to force the creatures to retreat to the place they had come from.
'That's incredible. It seems he grew quite a lot. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let him have this body from time to time. What do you think?'
[No.]
'Why?'
[Because I don't know what state his mind is in now. After saving all those people, he was betrayed by some of his companions and killed in an ambush. I don't know how that affected him psychologically, so it's better not to risk him losing his mind.]
'Great. Another problem for my list.'
Enrico mentally sighed. The only thing he could do at that moment was curse all those bastards who had betrayed the original Enrico.
"Young master, you're awake!"
Angela's voice brought him back to reality. The woman seemed relieved to realize that he was conscious.
"I hope revisiting those memories wasn't too unpleasant."
"Don't worry, Angela. I'm fine. I spent quite some time somewhere else to get over it."
Angela hesitated for a moment before asking:
"...Are you talking about the real dungeon?"
"You managed to see that too?"
"No. We could only observe some parts of your memories. The king asked you to explain the most important events of the future once you were awake."
Enrico nodded. It was time to begin his act. He didn't want people to keep looking at him as if he were someone deserving of pity, especially because those memories weren't entirely part of his own experience.
"Of course. You can take me there whenever he wants."
Enrico got out of bed, ready to speak with the king immediately. Now that Alaric and the emperor of Tsuyokuni knew he possessed information about the future, it would be better to reveal the necessary details soon so they could establish an alliance between the two territories.
"Could you take me to him?"
"Wouldn't you like to rest a little longer, young master?"
"No. I want to share some information as soon as possible."
Angela didn't insist and accompanied him to the door.
As soon as Enrico opened it, he found Virelle and Hao on the other side, apparently about to knock.
Hao's eyes widened slightly when he saw him.
"Enrico, you're already awake? That was quick. Normally, someone takes at least an hour to regain consciousness after a procedure like that."
"It's because I'm not normal."
"How arrogant, my disciple."
Virelle commented with a smile.
Enrico scratched the back of his neck, not quite knowing how to respond. He was still curious to discover what his teacher's training would be like, but he hoped she would truly be able to help him improve.
"Wait, don't I have to defeat..."
"Yes, you do."
Virelle interrupted him.
"But for now, I'll train you in secret. As soon as you manage to surpass her, I'll make our master-disciple relationship official in front of my family."
"If that's the case, I'll do my best, teacher."
The obvious enthusiasm on Enrico's face made Virelle smile even more. Hao, on the other hand, seemed a little disappointed. After all, he had also considered the possibility of personally mentoring that promising student. Even so, he still had some hope, so he decided to comment.
"...I don't think it'll be easy. Victoria won the class battle award, so she'll be trained by me."
"Well, that's a problem, but I just need to surpass her and everything will be settled."
The boy's confidence was impressive. Although he was still weaker than Victoria, his eyes showed a certainty that didn't match someone who was simply bluffing.
Virelle noticed it immediately.
'He knows how to defeat her... It seems I chose my disciple well.'
Without prolonging the conversation, the four of them walked through the corridors toward the king's chamber. The journey was quick, and soon Hao knocked on the door, waiting for permission to enter.
When the door opened, they found Alaric near the table, while Elowyn stood with her back to them, looking out one of the windows.
The king seemed surprised to see Enrico walking normally.
"That was quick. It's good that you've recovered. Since you're here, you should take the opportunity to greet my daughter, Elowyn. After all, you're classmates."
"Yes, sir. I know the princess. It's a pleasure to see you again."
Elowyn slowly turned her head.
"Of course. As if you actually believed that."
"You're right. I don't believe my own words in the slightest."
The two immediately stared at each other, exchanging provocations without any embarrassment. Alaric sighed and shook his head, surprised by how quickly the conversation had turned into a childish quarrel.
'This girl doesn't even seem like the same person she was a few moments ago.'
Shortly before Enrico arrived, Elowyn had spoken seriously with her father about the memories of the future. After understanding the scale of the approaching threat and discovering that Enrico possessed information that could help the kingdom, she had demonstrated a surprisingly responsible attitude.
"Don't worry, Father. If it's for the kingdom I'll one day rule, I'll do everything in my power to make use of his information about the future."
Alaric still remembered how seriously she had spoken those words.
Now, however, he was facing the same daughter who usually treated others arrogantly and turned every conversation into an opportunity to provoke them.
Even so, something was different.
Even while arguing with Enrico, Elowyn seemed comfortable. Her eyes remained calm, showing none of the discomfort she usually felt around certain people.
'How curious. Even while arguing with him, she seems at ease.'
Alaric watched the two for a few more moments, reflecting on that difference. Perhaps Enrico was someone capable of bringing out a side of his daughter that rarely appeared. If that were the case, there might be an opportunity to help her change.
'My daughter probably won't become a good person anytime soon, but Enrico might be someone capable of keeping her in check if things get out of control.'
For the first time in years, the king felt a little hope that Elowyn might improve her behavior. It wouldn't be easy, especially since the two young people clearly didn't have friendly feelings toward each other. Even so, their interaction was different enough to pique his interest.
Naturally, Alaric had no intention of forcing the two into anything. Instead, he could create a few opportunities for them to spend more time together. The rest would be up to them.
'Besides, having someone who knows the future and possesses such great potential could be extremely advantageous.'
With a few plans already beginning to take shape in his mind, Alaric turned his attention back to the two.
"Enough. Stop arguing."
Enrico and Elowyn stopped their provocations, although they continued staring at each other with obvious distrust.
"Enrico, you must have come here for some important reason, haven't you?"
"Yes, my king. I'll reveal information about the forty-three evil gods. However, I ask that you keep everything secret for now."
Alaric's interest immediately grew.
The first thing he wanted to discover was the identity of his enemies. Without knowing their strength and intentions, it would be impossible to devise an effective plan to protect Sanos and prepare the kingdom for the future.
And Enrico had just offered him exactly what he needed.
"Go ahead. I'll ensure this information isn't disclosed without proper authorization."
Alaric was beginning to like that boy more and more. Enrico not only understood the seriousness of the situation, but also seemed to know which information was most important for beginning their preparations.