[I think it was the original who took over your body, because his presence was exactly as it should have been.]
'If it was him, I understand the reason behind that new magic now, especially if he really managed to complete the true dungeon.'
Even if the original had taken over his body, Enrico wouldn't blindly trust that possibility. After all, he couldn't ignore the fact that his body had been taken over twice, one of those occasions happening before the original Enrico's soul was placed back into the body that now belonged to him.
'Why the hell is this so confusing? And why is my mind always blocked whenever I try to access any memories?'
[...]
'Has it gone quiet now?'
[...I would like to say that there is one more problem.]
'What kind of problem?'
[I confirmed that there are two presences inside you besides the original Enrico.]
Enrico was beginning to drink some water when he choked for a moment. The guard escorting him tried to help, but he quickly recovered. He was already on his way to meet Queen Sofia and his professors from Astrong Academy, and now another problem had emerged that needed to be resolved.
'Can other people sense these presences?'
[No. Humans and the other races won't be able to detect anything, because I analyzed your body, and it seems these presences have disappeared completely. Therefore, you can rest assured that no one will discover anything.]
Enrico still didn't understand what had happened. Apparently, he would have to try talking to one of the presences that had inhabited his body. Perhaps he could at least discover how to use the magic he had seen in the recording he analyzed during the night.
'Strangely enough, I feel like I can master that magic, but for some reason, I can't use it. It's as if it's blocked.'
The guard stopped in front of a door and opened it to let Enrico enter. Another guard stood motionless beside him, wearing an even more serious expression. As soon as Enrico crossed the threshold, the first guard closed the door and remained outside with his companion.
Upon entering, Enrico found Queen Sofia, Director Hao, and his master, Virelle, sitting in front of him. All three remained silent, watching him with serious expressions.
'Let's see what excuse I can come up with.'
"Welcome, young Enrico. I hope you've had a good rest."
"Yes, Queen Sofia. I had a wonderful rest, and I feel like I could keep fighting for hours."
Enrico cast a discreet, almost pleading glance at Virelle, silently trying to convey that she shouldn't interrupt his training, even while he still had so many injuries.
Virelle sighed and nodded slightly, much to his relief.
'I won't stop training him, but I'll reduce his physical exercises for now.'
Suddenly, Enrico felt sad for some reason.
'Why do I suddenly feel bad? I hope she isn't lying.'
[I hope so too.]
'As always, rooting against my progress, aren't you, System?'
Sofia pointed toward the recording being displayed above the table. Her eyes showed obvious curiosity, as she wanted to learn more about that magic.
"Could you tell me what that magic is?"
Enrico thought for a moment, trying to come up with the best answer he could invent.
"...We could say that I don't fully understand it either. It came from a true dungeon I visited."
Sofia was incredulous at his answer. Hao and Virelle, on the other hand, immediately understood what Enrico was getting at. When they noticed him looking at them, both stood up, trying to interrupt the conversation before the situation became more complicated.
However, Sofia also quickly stood up and fixed her eyes on the young man.
"Wait! What do you mean you visited a true dungeon? You're still in the Second Circle, aren't you? Don't tell me your professors are so irresponsible that they would allow something like this to happen!"
Hao sighed before explaining as best he could.
"Queen Sofia, it seems we'll have to wait a little longer to discover the details of this magic. It's a high-level secret of our territory."
"You..."
"Don't worry. We'll reveal this information during the meeting of the five kings, which will take place sometime in the future."
Sofia maintained a suspicious expression but eventually accepted the answer to avoid creating unnecessary problems. Even so, she made a mental note to investigate the young man later.
"Very well, Mr. Hao. I hope this meeting will truly be productive and provide an acceptable reason for allowing a boy who hasn't even reached the Third Circle to enter a dungeon of that level."
"I'm certain the meeting will answer your questions. Furthermore, we'll reveal something that will certainly interest you."
"If you're trying to make me curious, congratulations. You've succeeded."
Sofia sat back down, allowing Enrico to leave the room. Even so, she never took her eyes off him as the young man walked toward the door.
The secrets of Sanos seemed increasingly interesting, and that boy apparently stood at the center of everything.
"With your permission, Queen Sofia."
Enrico bowed before leaving the room. Even after passing through the door, he could still feel as though she were watching him. Meanwhile, Hao and Virelle remained behind to discuss some specific matters related to forming an alliance.
'She's so curious that I'm one hundred percent certain she'll accept this alliance, especially once she realizes what she stands to gain from it.'
[Then that makes two territories on the continent involved in this alliance, in addition to the vampires' dimension. That's good. All that's left are the elves' dimension, the other two territories, and strengthening the alliance with the other continents.]
'Yes. With that, one part of my plan will be complete.'
"Young master, how are you feeling? I hope you're all right. You need to rest."
Angela's voice unexpectedly emerged from behind him, startling him slightly. The difference in their abilities left him dissatisfied with himself.
'I need to get stronger soon. At least then, these big shots won't be able to keep catching me off guard.'
[Don't be in such a hurry, Enrico. You need to take it easy. Your body is in terrible condition.]
'You sound like a teacher who's worried about her student.'
Enrico nodded to the maid standing in front of him.
"Of course, Angela. I'm fine, and I feel like I can get back into action soon."
Noticing his enthusiasm, Angela gave him a strange smile and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder, taking care not to press against his injuries. Then she leaned toward his ear and spoke in a sinister voice.
"You are going to rest, and I'll make sure of it. So please, young master, don't do anything crazy."
An abnormal amount of sweat began to trickle down Enrico's face.
"A-all right, Miss Angela."
Angela led him to his room, keeping her hands on his shoulders. As soon as they arrived, she began massaging them carefully. Enrico relaxed almost immediately, feeling the tension leave his body as he enjoyed the quality of the massage.
It wasn't quite on the same level as Yumeha's massages, but it was still very good.
'I think I'd like a massage from Yumeha too.'
"I'm here, Master!"
Enrico had barely finished thinking about it when Yumeha came running toward him at an absurd speed. As soon as she arrived, she immediately positioned herself on his right side, smiling as she began massaging his other shoulder.
[What the hell was that? How did she manage to appear so quickly?]
'I don't know, but this feels amazing.'
Enrico felt better and better as he enjoyed the massages from the two of them. At that moment, Angela and Yumeha seemed to have started a little silent rivalry to determine which of them could provide the better massage.
Surprisingly, that competition ended up making the experience even more enjoyable, leaving Enrico's shoulders far more relaxed than before.