Kuil Pusat Sarman.
Kebaktian pagi, yang diadakan sebagai bagian dari rutinitas sehari-hari, dipimpin langsung oleh otoritas tertinggi kuil, sang Oesst. Jemaat yang memenuhi kapel semuanya menundukkan kepala dengan khidmat dan mendengarkan khotbah Oesst dengan saksama.
"...Dan Noxtantine menjaga gurun ini, dan karena itu, bangsa yang paling tangguh berakar di tanah tandus ini. Dan dia berkata......"
Agolet, yang sedang melantunkan kitab suci dengan penuh semangat, meskipun sebenarnya mekanis, tiba-tiba berhenti berbicara.
Itu karena dia melihat seorang pendatang asing berdiri tak bergerak di ujung kapel. Tentu saja, pria itu bahkan tidak menatap matanya. Dia hanya membuat kehadirannya diketahui sesaat sebelum menghilang seperti hantu.
"Oesst?"
"Ada sesuatu yang mendesak yang terlintas di pikiranku. Damon, bisakah kamu melanjutkan sisa kebaktian?"
"Maaf? Ah. Tentu saja, aku tidak keberatan, tapi......"
"Aku serahkan padamu."
Kemudian dia melewati pendeta yang kebingungan itu dan turun dari mimbar.
Pria yang Agolet lihat telah menghilang tanpa meninggalkan jejak, tetapi Agolet punya gambaran ke mana dia akan pergi.
Dia menuju ke tujuannya dengan kecepatan yang tidak tergesa-gesa maupun santai.
"Ah. Oesst, selamat pagi."
"Selamat pagi, Keduin."
"Bagaimana dengan kebaktiannya? Kenapa kamu di sini?"
"Ada sesuatu yang mendesak muncul, jadi aku serahkan pada Damon."
"Ah. Begitu ya."
Kebaktian pagi Gereja Noxtantine adalah salah satu ritual harian terpenting di kuil, dan kecuali dalam keadaan luar biasa, meninggalkannya di tengah jalan tidak akan pernah ditoleransi. Namun, ekspresi orang-orang yang mendengar penjelasan Agolet hampir tidak berubah. Bahkan, mereka malah khawatir tentang masalah mendesak apa yang muncul.
Ini juga bisa dianggap sebagai buah dari niat baik yang telah dia kumpulkan sebagai Oesst Jore.
"Begitu ya. Kalau begitu, makananmu......"
"Ya. Tidak perlu membawanya sampai ke kantorku hari ini."
"Dipahami. Tapi perut kosong itu tidak baik untuk kesehatanmu, jadi tolong pastikan kamu makan setidaknya sesuatu yang ringan nanti."
"Tentu saja."
Setelah melewati para jemaat yang peduli, dia tiba di depan kantornya.
Ketika dia perlahan membuka pintu, dia menemukan orang yang persis seperti yang dia duga duduk di sana seolah-olah dia pemilik tempat itu. Bahkan bukan di sofa yang diperuntukkan bagi tamu, tapi di kursi Oesst sendiri di belakang meja. Dia bahkan mengambil sendiri dokumen dari laci dan sedang membacanya.
Apakah dia tidak mendengar pintu terbuka? Pria itu tetap asyik membaca dokumen tanpa melirik ke arahnya.
Agolet tidak menunjukkan keterkejutan maupun kemarahan.
Sebagai gantinya, seolah-olah mempertimbangkan pria itu, dia melewatinya setenang mungkin.
Beberapa saat kemudian, dia bahkan kembali dengan membawa minuman dan dengan hormat meletakkannya di depannya.
"......"
Residue tetap menatap dokumen itu sambil mengambil cangkirnya. Hanya setelah menghabiskan sekitar setengahnya, dia berbicara untuk pertama kalinya.
"Dingin?"
"Saat aku menyajikan sesuatu yang hangat terakhir kali, kamu tampaknya tidak terlalu menyukainya. Apakah aku salah membacamu?"
"Tidak."
Residue menenggak sisanya seolah menuangkannya langsung ke mulutnya, lalu mengunyah esnya juga.
Baru kemudian dia menatap Agolet.
"Oesst Jore, ya?"
"Ya."
"Kamu berusaha keras dalam mengelola koneksi, tugas resmi, dan dokumen. Itu pasti bukan satu-satunya identitas yang kamu miliki, kan?"
"Tentu saja tidak."
"Kamu sudah tinggal di kota ini cukup lama, bukan? Bagaimana dengan identitasmu yang lain? Tidak aneh jika orang-orang di sekitar mereka mulai curiga sekarang."
"Ada beberapa cara untuk mengatasinya. Aku mungkin sudah menyiapkan alasan yang membuat wajar jika mereka menghilang dalam waktu lama, atau mengatur doppelganger...... Tapi dalam kebanyakan kasus."
Agolet tersenyum tipis.
"Mereka bahkan tidak pernah menyadari bahwa mereka telah dipilih sebagai salah satu identitas penutupku."
"...Oh?"
Jadi itu berarti Agolet bisa menyamar sebagai seseorang bahkan ketika orang yang bisa disebut aslinya masih hidup dan menjalani kehidupannya?
Sekilas terdengar tidak masuk akal, tapi itu bukan tidak mungkin.
Dia harus mengoordinasikan jadwalnya hingga hitungan detik. Dia perlu pengetahuan mendalam tidak hanya tentang orang yang dia pilih, tetapi juga urusan internal setiap organisasi tempat orang itu berada, sambil menghindari kesalahan sekecil apa pun. Namun, tidak satu pun dari hal-hal itu yang sulit bagi Agolet, Ksatria Putih.
"Tentu saja, aku ragu kamu menghormati aku dengan kehadiranmu hanya untuk bertanya tentang itu, Yang Mulia."
Residue melipat dokumen yang sedang dia baca dengan kasar dan melemparkannya ke atas meja sambil berbicara.
"Aku butuh cara untuk menghubungi Dunia Bersatu."
"Apakah kita mengulangi percakapan kita sebelumnya? Jika begitu, jawabanku sama. Bahkan jika itu perintah Yang Mulia, jika kamu menolak menerima usulanku, maka aku tidak punya apa-apa lagi untuk dikatakan."
"Aku tahu. Karena itu aku datang ke sini."
Agolet terdiam sesaat. Dia hampir terlihat terkejut.
"Maksudmu......"
"Aku akan menerima usulmu."
"......"
Bahkan mendengar kata-kata itu, Agolet tidak berseri-seri karena gembira. Dia tetap diam sebagai gantinya.
Itu adalah kata-kata yang ingin dia dengar, namun dia selalu skeptis bahwa dia akan pernah mendengarnya.
Agolet menutup matanya dan berpikir sejenak sebelum berbicara lagi.
"Yang Mulia, jika ini bohong......"
"Apakah kamu pikir aku akan berbohong?"
"Ya. Demi tujuanmu, Yang Mulia mampu melakukan yang lebih buruk dari itu."
"Benar juga. Tapi kali ini tidak."
"...Kenapa tiba-tiba berubah pikiran? Belum lama sejak kamu meninggalkan kuil."
Kali ini, Residue bertanya seolah-olah benar-benar bingung.
"Apakah begitu aneh bahwa aku berubah pikiran dalam waktu sesingkat itu? Aku beritahu kamu, Agolet. Kepadatan pemikiran yang aku alami selama beberapa hari terakhir akan setara dengan berabad-abad bagi orang sepertimu."
"......"
"Jika kamu terlalu memikirkannya, itu akan menjadi rumit tanpa akhir, jadi anggaplah sederhana. Tujuanmu pada akhirnya melibatkan pembunuhan Kehancuran Kelima juga, bukan?"
Itu sendiri bukan tujuannya, tapi pada akhirnya, ya.
Agolet merasakan firasat aneh, tapi dia tidak bisa mengungkapkan niat sebenarnya pada saat ini, jadi dia mengangguk.
Residue melanjutkan dengan ekspresi yang tidak bisa dibaca.
"Jika Lukas Trowman mati, Kehancuran Kelima mati... Aku menghabiskan semua waktu ini memikirkan apakah mungkin ada cara lain. Sangat tidak seperti diriku, aku memeras otakku tanpa ampun. Dan tetap saja, aku tidak bisa menemukannya. Jadi Lukas harus mati."
"......"
"Sulit dipercaya?"
"Sayangnya, ya, Yang Mulia."
"Baiklah. Aku sudah menduganya."
Residue mengangkat kedua tangannya seolah menyerah.
"Jadi bagaimana sekarang? Apakah kamu akan menuntut bukti untuk mendukung kata-kataku, seperti Raja Iblis Duri Hitam terkutuk itu?"
"Itu tidak pantas untuk seorang pengikut."
Mendengar itu, Residue terkekeh seolah-olah mendengar lelucon lucu, tapi Agolet tidak tahu apa yang membuatnya tertawa.
Yang lebih mengganggunya adalah sikap tenang itu.
...Mungkinkah Residue yang di hadapannya sekarang ini...
"Agolet, kesampingkan kecurigaanmu."
"......"
"Aku sudah bilang. Aku terus memikirkannya. Dan bukan hanya tentang Lukas. Aku juga memikirkan mengapa aku kehilangan ingatanku."
"Ingatanmu?"
"Ya. Informasi yang aku dengar darimu, Ksatria Biru, dan Raja Iblis Duri Hitam. Aku terus membuat deduksi, menambah dan mengurangi hal-hal yang pasti, hal-hal yang mencurigakan, dan hal-hal yang mencurigakan tapi masih masuk akal... Dan meskipun itu tambal sulam, aku sudah mencapai kesimpulan."
Jadi dia juga sudah bertemu dengan Raja Iblis Duri Hitam.
Itu tidak mengejutkan.
Agolet sudah tahu bahwa Raja Iblis Duri Hitam telah datang ke Sarman, dan dia juga telah mengungkap sebagian besar identitas yang telah disiapkan pria itu untuk dirinya sendiri.
"Pertama, tidak mungkin aku menghapus ingatanku sendiri. Kamu yang mengangkat hal itu sendiri, jadi aku ragu kamu akan menyangkalnya sekarang."
"Ya."
"Dan hampir tidak ada kemungkinan aku kehilangan mereka karena aku terjebak dalam semacam bencana. ...Aku bilang 'hampir' karena tidak ada yang bisa aneh yang terjadi di 'Luar'. Tapi jika kita mulai memperhitungkan 'Luar', itu tidak akan ada habisnya. Jadi aku juga mengabaikan kemungkinan itu."
Itu mungkin terdengar seperti kesimpulan yang kasar, tapi sebenarnya tidak.
Bagaimanapun, tujuan makhluk di 'Luar' adalah kehancuran Residue dan Dunia Bersatu. Ada lebih dari cukup kemungkinan bahwa mereka mungkin telah menyakitinya demi mengejar tujuan itu.
Tapi tidak ada alasan bagi mereka untuk pergi keluar dari cara mereka untuk melakukan sesuatu yang sekecil menghapus ingatan Residue. Jika dia cukup tidak berdaya bagi mereka untuk mengganggu ingatannya, membunuhnya begitu saja akan jauh lebih mudah.
"Itu berarti orang lain menghapus ingatanku dengan semacam niat. Kamu juga yang mengangkat ini, jadi tentu saja kamu ingat. Sebelum aku memasuki lorong atau apa pun itu di 'Pusat'. Siapa orang terakhir yang tersisa bersamaku?"
"...Lukas Trowman."
Residue mengangguk.
"Di 'Pulau', aku mungkin melakukan apa yang kamu harapkan dan terus memeras otak untuk mencari cara mencegah Lukas mati. Aku tidak akan terlalu peduli bahwa tidak ada metode seperti itu. Aku akan bertindak seolah-olah jika itu tidak bisa dilakukan, aku akan membuatnya menjadi mungkin. Dan ini bagian pentingnya."
Ekspresi Residue berubah sedikit aneh.
"Tapi aku tidak terlalu merasakannya sekarang."
"Maksudmu?"
"Aku tidak merasa bahwa aku harus menyelamatkan Lukas, atau menjaganya tetap hidup. Bahkan, jika semua ini benar-benar keinginannya, rencananya, seperti yang kamu katakan... maka sebagian dari diriku bahkan berpikir aku harus menghormati keinginannya. Dan mungkin alasan aku bisa membuat penilaian itu sekarang adalah karena ingatanku tentang 'Pulau' hilang."
"Maksudmu kamu berpikir seperti ini sekarang karena kamu kehilangan ingatanmu tentang 'Pulau'?"
"Persis."
Sorot mata Agolet menjadi gelap.
Dia pasti merasa seolah-olah beberapa hal yang tampak tidak pada tempatnya, beberapa hal
Translator: Alpha0210
The Central Temple of Sarman.
The morning worship service, held as part of the daily routine, is personally conducted by the temple's highest authority, the Oesst. The congregation filling the chapel all bowed their heads solemnly and listened closely to the Oesst's sermon.
"…And Noxtantine watches over this desert, and so the hardiest of peoples took root in this barren land. And she said......"
Agolet, who had been reciting the scripture fervently, though in truth mechanically, suddenly stopped speaking.
It was because he had spotted an outsider standing motionless at the far end of the chapel. Of course, the man did not even meet his gaze. He merely made his presence known for a fleeting moment before vanishing like a ghost.
"Oesst?"
"Something urgent has come to mind. Damon, may I ask you to conduct the rest of the service?"
"Pardon? Ah. Of course, I don't mind, but……."
"I leave it to you."
Then he passed the bewildered priest and descended from the dais.
The man Agolet had seen had disappeared without leaving so much as a trace, but Agolet had a fair idea where he would have gone.
He heads toward his destination at a pace that is neither hurried nor leisurely.
"Ah. Oesst, good morning."
"Good morning, Keduin."
"What about the service? Why are you here?"
"Something urgent came to mind, so I left it to Damon."
"Ah. I see."
The Church of Noxtantine's morning worship was one of the temple's most important daily observances, and barring exceptional circumstances, leaving midway through it would never have been tolerated. Yet the expressions of those who heard Agolet's explanation barely changed. If anything, they even worried about what urgent matter had come up.
This, too, could be considered the fruit of the goodwill he had accumulated as Oesst Jore.
"I see. Then your meal……."
"Yes. You needn't bring it all the way to my office today."
"Understood. But an empty stomach is bad for your health, so please make sure you eat at least something light later."
"Of course."
After passing the concerned worshippers, he arrived before his office.
When he slowly opened the door, he found exactly the person he had expected sitting there as though he owned the place. Not even on the sofa meant for guests, but in the Oesst's own seat behind the desk. He had even helped himself to documents from the drawers and was reading through them.
Had he not heard the door open? The man remained absorbed in the documents without so much as glancing his way.
Agolet showed neither surprise nor anger.
Instead, as though being considerate of the man, he moved past him as quietly as possible.
A short while later, he even returned with a drink and respectfully placed it before him.
"……."
Residue kept his eyes fixed on the document as he picked up the cup. Only after emptying roughly half of it did he speak for the first time.
"It's cold?"
"When I served you something warm last time, you didn't seem particularly pleased with it. Did I misread you?"
"No."
Residue tossed back the rest as though pouring it straight into his mouth, then crunched on the ice as well.
Only then did he look at Agolet.
"Oesst Jore, was it?"
"Yes."
"You're putting plenty of effort into managing connections, official duties, and paperwork. That can't be the only identity you've secured, can it?"
"Of course not."
"You've already been staying in this city for quite some time, haven't you? What are you doing about your other identities? It wouldn't be strange for people around them to start getting suspicious by now."
"There are several ways to deal with that. I may have prepared excuses that make it natural for them to disappear for long periods, or arranged doubles……. But in most cases."
Agolet smiled faintly.
"They never even realize that they've been chosen as one of my cover identities."
"…Oh?"
So that meant Agolet could impersonate someone even while the person who could be called the original was still perfectly alive and going about his life?
At first glance, it sounded absurd, but it was not impossible.
He would have to coordinate his schedule down to the second. He would need intimate knowledge not only of the person he had chosen, but of the internal affairs of every organization that person belonged to, all while avoiding even the slightest mistake. Yet none of those things are particularly difficult for Agolet, the White Knight.
"Of course, I doubt you graced me with your presence merely to ask about that, Your Majesty."
Residue roughly folded the document he had been reading and tossed it onto the desk as he spoke.
"I need a way to make contact with the Unified World."
"Are we repeating our previous conversation? If so, my answer is the same. Even if it is Your Majesty's command, if you refuse to accept my proposal, then I have nothing more to say."
"I know. That's why I came here."
Agolet fell silent for a moment. He almost looked taken aback.
"You mean……."
"I'll accept your proposal."
"……."
Even at those words, Agolet did not brighten with delight. He remained silent instead.
They were the words he had wanted to hear, yet he had always been skeptical that he ever would.
Agolet closed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Your Majesty, if this is a lie……."
"Do you think I would lie?"
"Yes. For the sake of your objective, Your Majesty is capable of far worse than that."
"True enough. But not this time."
"…Why the sudden change of heart? It hasn't been long since you left the temple."
This time, Residue asked as though genuinely puzzled.
"Is it so strange that I changed my mind in such a short time? Let me tell you something, Agolet. The density of thought I've experienced over the past few days would amount to centuries' worth for the likes of you."
"……."
"Overthink it and it'll become endlessly complicated, so take it simply. Your objective ultimately involves killing the Fifth Destruction too, doesn't it?"
That itself is not his objective, but ultimately, yes.
Agolet felt a strange sense of unease, but he could not reveal his true intentions at this point, so he nodded.
Residue continued with an unreadable expression.
"If Lukas Trowman dies, the Fifth Destruction dies... I've spent all this time thinking about whether there might be another way. Very unlike me, I racked my brains mercilessly. And still, I couldn't find one. So Lukas has to die."
"……."
"Hard to believe?"
"Unfortunately, yes, Your Majesty."
"Fine. I expected as much."
Residue raised both hands as though surrendering.
"So what now? Are you going to demand evidence to back up my words, like that damned Black Thorn Demon King?"
"That would be unbecoming of a vassal."
At that, Residue cackled as though he had heard an amusing joke, but Agolet had no idea what had made him laugh.
What bothered him more was that unruffled demeanor.
…Could the Residue before him now possibly be.
"Agolet, set your suspicions aside."
"……."
"I told you. I've kept thinking about it. And not only about Lukas. I've also thought about why I lost my memories."
"Your memories?"
"Yes. The information I heard from you, the Blue Knight, and the Black Thorn Demon King. I kept making deductions, adding and subtracting the things that were certain, the things that were suspicious, and the things that were suspicious but still made a reasonable amount of sense… And patchwork though it may be, I've reached a conclusion."
So he had met the Black Thorn Demon King too.
It is hardly surprising.
Agolet already knew that the Black Thorn Demon King had come to Sarman, and he had also uncovered most of the identity the man had prepared for himself.
"First, there's no way I erased my own memories. You're the one who brought that up yourself, so I doubt you'll contradict it now."
"Yes."
"And there's almost no chance I lost them because I got caught up in some kind of calamity. …I say 'almost' because nothing that happens on 'The Outside' would be strange. But if we start accounting for 'The Outside', there'll be no end to it. So I've disregarded that possibility as well."
That might sound like a rough conclusion, but it isn't.
In any case, the goal of the beings on 'The Outside' is the destruction of Residue and the Unified World. There is more than enough possibility that they might have harmed Residue in pursuit of that goal.
But there is no reason for them to go out of their way to do something as petty as erasing Residue's memories. If he were defenseless enough for them to interfere with his memories, simply killing him would be far easier.
"That means someone else erased my memories with some kind of intention. You were the one who brought this up too, so surely you remember. Before I entered that passage or whatever it was at 'The Center'. Who was the last person left with me?"
"…Lukas Trowman."
Residue nodded.
"On 'The Island', I probably did exactly what you expected and kept racking my brains for a way to prevent Lukas from dying. I wouldn't have cared much that no such method existed. I'd have acted as though if it couldn't be done, I'd simply make it possible. And this is the important part."
Residue's expression turned faintly peculiar.
"But I don't particularly feel that way now."
"By that, you mean?"
"I don't feel that I absolutely have to save Lukas, or keep him alive. If anything, if all of this truly is his will, his plan, just as you said… then part of me even thinks I ought to respect his wishes. And perhaps the reason I'm able to make that judgment now is because my memories of 'The Island' are missing."
"You're saying you think this way now because you've lost your memories of 'The Island'?"
"Exactly."
Agolet's gaze darkened.
He definitely felt as though several things that had seemed out of place, several things that had bothered him, were now fitting together.
But why was that? Was it because the explanation made too much sense?
His suspicions only deepened.
Agolet could not easily reach a conclusion.
Were the words Residue was speaking right now truly the truth?
"Don't doubt me, Agolet."
Residue said it once more.
"I understand, of course, that it's difficult for you to accept this without question. That's precisely why I came here to ask how to communicate with the Unified World."
"What does that mean?"
"The way I see it, there's a limit to how much we can find out here. I still don't know whether this is the past or an exceptionally well-made virtual space, but either way, the fact remains that this is a world constrained in many ways."
"So you intend to communicate with the Unified World and ask whether there is another way?"
"The bonds Lukas forged in the Unified World are tenacious. Those people will be racking their brains just as desperately to save him."
"……."
"Two people are more likely to come up with a good idea than one, and three more likely than two. Am I wrong?"
"Provided those three all have sharp minds. If there is a way to avoid killing Lukas, I would like to follow it as well. But not this time, Your Majesty. There is no such method."
"You think asking the Unified World for ideas will be a waste of time?"
"Yes."
"Then you have even less grounds to stop me, don't you? If there really is no other way, then, and only then, I'll kill Lukas without the slightest hesitation."
"……."
"Of everything you said, that was the most correct, Agolet. If someone has to kill Lukas, then it must be none other than me."
Agolet closed his eyes.
And at that moment, he felt that he stood at the crossroads of a momentous decision.
Accept it. Reject it.
Hold on to his suspicions, or let them go.
Whichever path he chose, there would be something to gain and something to lose.
Perhaps this choice would even determine the 'end'. Even so, Agolet did not deliberate for long.
"I understand. I know your intentions now, Your Majesty."
...Residue has something else in mind.
Having reached that judgment, Agolet decided not to let go of his suspicions.
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