The false rumor that my brother created was indeed very sophisticated.
It had been accepted as fact for ten years, so no one questions its truth anymore.
Still, seeing even Pleroma believe it shows that they don't have the ability to recognize their own kind.
'This could be useful in the future.'
Should I try one more thing?
There was something I had put on hold because it was difficult to verify, but now is the time to try it, having met a high-ranking member of Pleroma.
"Are you not very smart? You actually believe that someone who uses divine power is a Pleroma?"
Strauch forced a smile while looking at me with ridicule. At the same time, though, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Manners are... Of course, there's no way someone locked up in a room would have been taught proper manners."
"Am I wrong?"
"You seem to be seriously mistaken, but there's no rule that says Pleroma cannot use divine power, you know? We also have faith in him."
'...I see.'
It was a good thing I didn't reveal my identity and relied only on divine power.
Divine power is the strength of the clergy, and as such, pure faith is one of its requirements.
However, even with the help of the system, it's somewhat suspicious that I, who lacks deep faith, can use divine power so freely.
If I were to use divine power as evidence of my purity, the moment it's proven that Pleroma can also use divine power, everything would fall apart.
At that moment, Strauch rubbed his chin and then nodded as if he had made a decision.
"Indeed, it is surprising that you can wield divine power to such an extent. Since there's a chance for a counterattack, it's imperative to establish you as a well-known Pleroma first. But before that…"
Bang―
A fierce wind blew against my face, making it difficult to open my eyes.
I squinted and looked around.
"…!"
I could see the city below, which meant we were at the capital's clock tower.
A large crowd gathered in the plaza watched with astonished faces, wondering what was happening.
"Shall I give you a chance?"
"…What…."
"It seems that your Grace isn't particularly swayed even in the face of force…."
Strauch was lost in thought for a moment, then finally spoke.
—Such obstinacy and defiance break down noble positions, and even justice becomes weary in the face of infinite suffering.
An indifferent voice flowed into my ear without any rise or fall in tone.
At a glance, nothing seemed to be happening, but I instinctively knew. The bastard wasn't saying such ridiculous words for no reason; he was casting a spell on me.
My heart started to race, maybe because of the strong winds at this high altitude making it difficult to breathe, or perhaps because the sensation felt so real.
"I wonder if it matters to you if I reveal who Nicolaus is right in the middle of the capital. Are you starting to feel like listening to me? It might be best to end this cleanly before you truly become a Pleroma, don't you think?"
'…No.'
Of course, this isn't reality. There's no need to give in.
The spell wasn't visible, so it must be a mental-type spell. I was overly agitated right now because of it.
But what's the evidence that this isn't reality?
The fierce wind made it hard to breathe.
No matter how I tried to breathe, my rhythm didn't match with the endless gust of air.
'Damn it, because of the magic, I can't even….'
I didn't have the mental capacity to calmly assess my options or think of the reasonable path the bastard might take.
'Should I deal with it now to break the spell cast on me?'
That wouldn't be too bad.
Though I wouldn't gain any useful information.
"Look. Over there, those are students from the Empire's Second Academy. Since we're near the school, there are likely people in this crowd who have run into you once or twice before. Everyone here has come to hear your confession."
Strauch turned my face and pointed outside the railing.
"If you refuse to speak, how about this? I could reveal that Nicolaus Ernst is a Pleroma myself. I'll become a righteous member of the federation of Schwerin, and you'll be exposed as the Pleroma who deceived the public… Your achievements and reputation will naturally crumble."
"...."
"This could even ruin Adrian Askanian's reputation in one blow. How could someone who can't even control a single family member claim to be capturing other Pleroma? Right? You'd have no choice but to step down from your position."
Let's think about this calmly.
When I look into it, there are parts that don't make sense if he actually brought me into the real world.
First, the bastard is threatening someone by pushing them off the railing at the top of a clock tower, which is off-limits to the public. If this situation were truly real, there's no way he could do something so blatantly wrong without any repercussions. This means that this fake scenario is not a problem for him.
Secondly, how do people recognize me as Nicolaus without my mask? There's no need to even discuss this further.
Thirdly….
I channeled magic into my fingertips.
There was a feeling like something bursting.
Even though I tried to control it so as to use it sparingly, the blood that had just stopped flowed again.
"Well, it won't matter much anyway."
Strauch chuckled, seemingly realizing that I had used magic.
I twisted my lips as I listened to his laughter.
Thirdly, I can't use magic here.
Earlier, I thought, 'It's certain that there's a curse here that drains my strength as I use magic.' How could a spell cast on a space still be effective here?
Ultimately, this place is also a world created by Strauch.
"…Perfect."
Having come this far, how could I pass up the chance when I've encountered such a high-ranking Pleroma?
At that moment, a familiar window appeared before my eyes.
Ding―!
Chapter 4 Special Reward
Is There Only One Life?
Congratulations! The trait 'Retry' has been added!
Retry Lv. 1
— Move to the previous checkpoint in
— 1 use costs 2.0 points (0/2)
— 2.0 points until the next level
Points available: 2.0 points
0.15 points in luck until the next point acquisition
'…Previous checkpoint?'
I'm not sure where that checkpoint is, but it sounds like I can turn back time.
Since the advent of magic, research into time travel has been ongoing, but it has never been entirely successful.
What's the reason I've been granted a magic that no one has ever succeeded with? It's almost terrifying.
'No, this isn't the time to be thinking about this.'
It's somewhat suspicious that this trait appeared when I was about to call it forth during an emergency. The fact that I received this trait now, of all times, suggests….
'It means I should use this.'
I had planned to observe Strauch more and gather information about Pleroma.
I intended to pull back and escape whenever things got dangerous, but since I've been given this ability, there must be information I need to obtain during this opportunity.
I looked down at the ground and spoke.
"What's the point?"
"Hmm?"
"What's the benefit of cornering me in a fake world?"
"…I don't know what makes you think this is a fake world when you're in no position to be making assumptions."
Strauch asked me, still unsure, as if seeking confirmation.
He was displaying a calm demeanor, but his expression wasn't entirely relaxed.
"If this were reality, there's no reason I wouldn't be able to use magic."
"...."
The smile disappeared entirely from Strauch's face.
'Of course.'
Earlier, the bastard cast a mental-type spell on me.
The fact that it was broken with mind control indicates that I'm on a higher level than him. No matter how much they try to prevent me from using my power, that fact cannot be changed.
Strauch responded in a cold voice.
"I understand what you're saying. Since it's a choice you made yourself, you won't blame others later, will you?"
In an instant, the space changed. The wind calmed, and I was in an unfamiliar place that I had never seen before.
It was clearly a religious setting. It seemed as though we hadn't announced our arrival, as the hundreds of people in the chapel looked at Strauch with bewildered faces.
The priest standing in front of the podium cautiously spoke up.
"…We are in the middle of a ceremony, Vice Bishop."
"I know. Let's conclude the mass here today."
'So, he was a Vice Bishop.'
The fact that they naturally referred to Strauch as Vice Bishop instead of a councilman suggests that I have indeed crossed over into the world of the Pleroma bastards.
"Vice Bishop, you must tell us your purpose…."
"Let's start with the ordination."
"Pardon?"
"Since Sir Nicolaus chose this path himself, shouldn't we respond without delay?"
Strauch tightened his grip on my robe and sneered.
As soon as the name Nicolaus was mentioned, the expressions of the believers changed.
"Vice Bishop, does that mean…?"
"This man here is Sir Nicolaus."
Boom―!
As soon as he finished speaking, an attack was launched toward the podium.
I grabbed my bleeding head, which had struck the decorative edge, and got up.
No, I tried to get up, but someone violently shoved me toward the aisle of the chapel.
'These bastards….'
"Calm down."
Strauch folded his arms and laughed while saying something meaningless.
I tried to summon my magic again, but it didn't flow smoothly, likely due to physical exhaustion.
'Then… I'll just hear what I need to and rewind.'
Now that I was in their domain, everything I heard and deduced could become useful information.
At that moment, the crowd surrounding me stopped their attack and turned back to face Strauch.
I supported myself on the floor and stood up.
"Everyone, doesn't this situation mean a lot to us?"
Strauch clapped his hands to draw attention and continued in a relaxed voice.
"I didn't expect this man to get this far. Certainly, this brother's skills were not exaggerated. Isn't that right?"
'So he got this far... I'm not a Pleroma, so it's not an issue of rank. There must be places you can't enter based on your abilities.'
And that's likely how ranks are determined in the Pleroma world.
As I searched for where Strauch's voice was coming from amidst the crowd, he continued speaking.
"Even so, the fact that this man cannot use magic means that our world is very solidly completed. Isn't that right? So there's no need to worry any further about this incident. We can overcome it as we always have."
The reaction from the Pleromas grew even more intense.
'...I'm a bit surprised that he's using me to promote himself in this situation.'
All of it was useful information.
Although I didn't know the details, it seemed that there had been recent issues in their world, and it had become a serious source of anxiety among the Pleromas. The fact that they were trying to link seemingly unrelated events suggested that the unrest was greater than expected.
'I should remember this.'
"And… I understand your anger, too. But isn't there a proper order to things?"
Strauch's voice grew closer.
"The fact that Sir Nicolaus was able to reach this point also means that the amount of vitriol we can use has increased exponentially."
Strauch pushed through the crowd and stood before me.
A knife was in his hand.
"...."
"This is a place you can't set foot in if you become a Pleroma. You should consider it an honor to be reborn here."
Strauch spoke as he slashed my arm, drawing blood.
—I can finally say this now.
The blood that was falling to the floor began to cling to my skin with a sticky consistency.
Strauch unhesitatingly stabbed his own arm, pulling it from my hand and letting his blood flow.
"I'll let you at least say that I created you."
Strauch took a bottle filled with black liquid from someone and poured it on my wound, reciting an incantation.
—Time, stop. You're so beautiful!
'...This is….'
I was sure I had read this expression somewhere before.
However, there was no more time to idly think about it.
Boom―!
"Gah…!"
Just before I lost consciousness, I summoned all my strength, infused it with magic, and swung my fist.
Before the vitriol spread further, I attacked my arm as well, and it seemed to be a good move. Although my skin wasn't intact, my mind was clear.
Strauch was lying far away, gasping for breath and spewing blood.
"What's going on?!"
"Capture him!"
A few believers charged at me. I blocked their constant attacks and approached Strauch, pinning his shoulder.
"Thanks for the valuable experience."
As much as I wanted to infiltrate deeper and extract more useful information…
Once word spreads, the leadership will gather here in no time. Whether I stay or leave, I've gained all I can from this situation.
"Ugh…"
Strauch clung desperately to my shoe with both hands, trying to shake me off.
As I felt the vitriol pouring onto me, I summoned the retry window and quietly muttered.
"Rewind."
* * *
Boom―
The fierce wind at this high altitude automatically made me squint.
The pain caused by magic had vanished as if washed away.
I'm back.
The surroundings were the same as the ones I saw just moments ago.
Strauch was also saying the same words as before.
"…How can someone who can't even control a single family member claim to be capturing other Pleroma? Right? You have no choice but to step down from your position."
"…Ha…hahaha…."
To think I would experience being pushed to the brink of becoming a Pleroma.
As I laughed, shaking my body, something bright red fell to the floor again.
"What is this?"
Strauch looked at me in confusion, but soon started laughing again.
"Well, well… It's my first time seeing Sir Nicolaus as such an ostentatious fool."
I let out a light chuckle, wiped away the blood, and tapped my wrist.
Beep―
"The capital's clock tower."
"Hmm?"
I wasn't sure if it was delivered clearly because of the wind noise.
This is the point where Strauch still believes the mental spell he cast on me is in effect, just when he starts talking about my brother.
Strauch, with a smug look on his face, gestured with his head.
"Don't you realize the situation yet? If you want to resolve this peacefully, you better start talking."
"…Alright."
I felt the intense sunlight in my left field of vision as I scanned the city. As the voices ceased, the sound of the wind rustling through my hair became vividly audible.
If I weren't caught by the Pleroma, seeing the view of the capital from this height would have been a fantastic experience.
I looked down at the ground and slowly opened my mouth. Then, I grabbed Strauch's shoulder with one hand.
Boom―!
With a loud noise, Strauch's body flew off into the distance.
Thud―
Something seemed to explode. I didn't know what it was.
The scene of the vitriol mixed with blood scattering in all directions unfolded slowly.
Strauch, having collided with the railing on the opposite side, lay sprawled, bleeding from his stomach.
I tilted my head, trying to regain my senses, and approached Strauch.
"…Ugh…."
He had already risen at some point, and he stabbed my arm with a knife, speaking.
"You can't."
—I can finally say this now. Stop, really….
Maybe he thought he could make me a Pleroma again. Now that I saw it, even Strauch's wrist was covered in blood from the knife he had stabbed himself with. I gripped his wrist tightly and pressed down.
"Aaah! P-please, spare me…."
"Spare you?"
At my words, Strauch's upper body shook with a vacant look in his eyes. Blood poured from his mouth.
The fact that he persisted with this method until the end suggested that turning someone into a Pleroma allowed him to freely control the person. He must have thought this was the most rational method.
I gazed intently at his face.
"As if I would kill you."
"…Then…."
"But I do have to return what you did to me."
I smiled as I looked into Strauch's eyes.