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Oliver Cromwell.

The second persona that Edgar established is distinctly different from his original self.

Unlike Edgar, who dislikes cheesy things, Cromwell is poetic, romantic, and emotional.

“The sword wielded against fate spills blood.”

Thus, Edgar recited poetic words as he inserted yet another card into his belt.

A dazzling sword was summoned into his hand.

– Tada-da-da-dah!

At the same time, dozens of peacekeepers charged at Edgar.

However, Edgar moved as if he had teleported, skillfully piercing their vital spots with his sword.

Thanks to applying ‘Acceleration Magic’ using magical engineering and ancient spells.

“Khuhuk!”

The peacekeepers fell one after another, spraying blood.

Vanessa watched as Edgar swiftly dispatched the peacekeepers with astonishing speed.

Soon, Edgar turned while shaking off the blood from his sword.

He approached Vanessa and said,

“Arise, bearer of the lantern. Your mission is not yet complete.”

“…L-lantern? But, who are you?”

“Who?”

At Vanessa’s question about his identity, Edgar halted his steps.

Then, with a low chuckle, he spoke to Vanessa.

“Isn’t it paradoxical? Asking a masked person for their name.”

“…”

“A name isn’t important. More significant is what we must do. That alone holds meaning. My sole mission is to place the lantern of truth in your hands.”

With that, Edgar advanced towards Vanessa.

At the same time, the suit enveloping Edgar slowly unraveled, returning him to his original form.

He wore a white suit and a white robe, along with a steel-white mask.

It was a perfect homage to Moon Knight.

– Shh-woosh! Shh-woosh!

Having returned to the guise of Count Cromwell, Edgar released the shackles binding Vanessa.

Then he took off his robe, wrapping the bare Vanessa in it, and bowed as if greeting an audience, saying,

“Welcome back to freedom, Vanessa Agnes.”

“…”

“However, let’s move to another place. Our meeting in this den of sin will be sufficient with your mere freedom; I shall give you the lantern of truth in a more fitting location.”

Like an actor fully immersed in his role, Edgar uttered mysterious lines before pulling out a device.

He pressed a button on the device and installed it on the floor, causing a portal to begin forming.

With just the push of a button, he opened a dimensional gate, the highest-level spell.

“Rise, Vanessa Agnes. The time has come for you to bear the mission of the era.”

After opening the dimensional gate, Edgar extended his hand to Vanessa.

Enchanted by Edgar’s mysterious charisma, Vanessa unconsciously grasped the hand of this nameless figure.

Led by his hand, she stepped into the portal.

– Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung…

Eventually, as the portal closed, the two completely vanished from sight.

***

“…Where are we?”

In a dark, secluded room.

Vanessa looked around nervously as she spoke.

A deep, pleasant voice replied.

“This is the space of creation for the lantern. It’s a space to which I have devoted everything. Behold.”

With a flash!

As soon as Edgar finished speaking, the interior lit up brightly.

Edgar then said with an excited voice,

“As you can see, the space itself welcomes you. It has recognized its master.”

“…”

Edgar said this while extending his hand.

When Vanessa took his hand, he led her somewhere.

It was the shower room.

“Let us heal your weary mind and body. Everything you need will be prepared inside.”

With that, Edgar excused himself.

As soon as Edgar disappeared, Vanessa began to look around.

She picked up a sharp object that could serve as a weapon and hid it in her bosom.

Just then, as she opened the shower room door and stepped in,

“…”

Vanessa gazed at the interior of the shower room in wonder.

It was a uniquely designed space she had never seen before.

Futuristic, modern, and aesthetic.

The design was intuitive, and she quickly grasped its purpose.

– Whoosh.

Vanessa took off the robe that Edgar had draped over her.

She turned on the modern showerhead and let the hot water warm her body.

She felt good.

As the grime accumulated on her body washed away, her scalp and body, tingling with discomfort, felt refreshed.

“…What’s this?”

Suddenly, two potions nearby caught her eye.

One was a potion for physical recovery, and the other was a potion to unblock mana.

‘Does he have confidence in brute strength… or…’

Vanessa was puzzled.

Objectively speaking, her strength surpassed that of a Sword Master.

Even now, due to the betrayal of a subordinate that blocked her mana, she had found herself in this predicament, but once her blocked mana was restored, escaping from a place like this would be a breeze.

Yet he offers to restore her mana.

‘…I suppose there’s no harm in it. I need to regain my strength for any unforeseen circumstances.’

With that thought, Vanessa drank the potion.

If his intent was to kill her, he could have done so long ago, so she was not worried about it being poisoned.

Regaining her strength was paramount at the moment.

“Phew…”

Thus, Vanessa felt mana coursing through her entire body as she activated Mana Motion.

A blue haze poured out, and mana circulated throughout her body.

Just five minutes into the mana motion,

“…”

Vanessa began to ponder.

Should she use teleportation immediately to escape from here?

Or should she explore a bit more?

‘He doesn’t seem like an enemy. I’m also curious about his identity.’

Her pondering didn’t last long.

Vanessa decided to stay here.

She was intrigued by the mysterious aura he exuded, and most importantly, hadn’t she discovered that there was a traitor within her organization?

There was no benefit in moving hastily.

– Whoosh….

With that, Vanessa finished her shower.

Resolving to stay here, she felt her tension ease, allowing her to enjoy the shower to the fullest.

“Ah!”

Having also indulged in a bubbly bath, Vanessa stepped out of the shower room with a refreshing sensation.

As she exited the shower room, neatly pressed clothes were laid out right in front of her.

‘Who on earth is he…?’

Vanessa pondered about Edgar as she dressed in a tracksuit made of a cotton and polyester blend.

Everything about the shower room and this attire felt completely foreign.

His battle outfit was unlike anything she had encountered before.

‘…Edgar Fix.’

With that, Vanessa first thought of Edgar Fix.

He, too, was a genius engineer battling in the mightiest combat suit created with incredible technology.

‘But, why would Edgar Fix…?’

However, it didn’t make sense in light of his motives.

And no wonder, Edgar Fix was an opportunist glued to the establishment.

Having observed him for a long time, she was certain of this point.

Edgar Fix was a man who acted for his own interests, rather than for a greater cause.

Just looking at the social circles he associated with made this clear.

‘He’s politically savvy, specialized in leveraging his abilities for personal gain. But why does such a person come to meet me…?’

Yet, for him to come to meet her was practically political suicide.

The Craybel Revolutionary Corps shouted for the downfall of all royal authority and for equality among all.

‘…I suppose I’ll find out by talking to him.’

Ultimately, contemplating wouldn’t yield answers.

She would have to confront him directly to learn the truth.

Vanessa contemplated this as she walked further inside.

Soon, she caught sight of Edgar, who was cooking, sending out delicious aromas.

The smell was enough to make her mouth water.

“Oh, you timed it perfectly. Eat up. Listening to lengthy talks while hungry only brings frustration.”

“…”

Vanessa nodded.

Indeed, it was reasonable.

Having barely eaten during her torture, she swallowed hard and sat down at the dining table.

She nodded her head respectfully to Edgar, expressing her gratitude before beginning to eat.

The taste was exquisite.

“…”

How much time passed like that?

Once her somewhat hungry belly was satisfied, Vanessa realized she was devouring the food like a ravenous beggar.

Suddenly feeling ashamed, she wiped her mouth with a nearby napkin.

Seeing this, Edgar remarked,

“Now isn’t exactly the right time to stand on ceremony.”

“…Um… I enjoyed it.”

“Of course. You expressed it with every fiber of your being.”

Saying this, Edgar poured wine.

He slid it towards Vanessa and said,

“Normally, one should savor the aroma and enjoy it slowly, but down it quickly. It could be a bit heavy on your stomach.”

“…Ha ha. Were you trying to tease me by saving me?”

“…Hehe. Forgive me. I wanted to playfully toy with you a bit. You wouldn’t know, but I’ve been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.”

“…”

Barrett fix!

Vanessa gazed at Edgar with a meaningful expression after downing the wine.

Then Edgar rose from his seat and said,

“Having cleaned your body and filled your empty belly, I suppose you can graciously entertain some dull talk. Will you face forward?”

Snap.

As Edgar spoke, he snapped his fingers.

The beam projector flickered to life, and the white wall displayed a screen.

On the screen, a young boy was looking at the sky through a telescope.

“The story begins with a boy’s curiosity. A boy fascinated by the stars begins to devise equipment to observe them.”

Snap.

The screen transitioned to the next one.

Edgar started to explain the narrative of Oliver Cromwell that he had set.

“Fortunately, the boy had a talent. His observational skills and intellect were exceptional. Can you believe he devised this equipment when he was only eight years old?”

Saying this, Edgar tossed a small toy to Vanessa.

It was a toy intricately crafted with mechanical structures.

Even at first glance, one could recognize it as the work of a genius.

“The boy’s talents were dazzling. Even the Count Cromwell, his owner, recognized it instantly. Fortunately, Count Cromwell was friendly towards the boy and provided ample support for him to showcase his talents. Of course, all the outcomes were enjoyed by the Count, but to the boy, that didn’t really matter. All he needed was a space to play and the resources for experiments.”

The boy who freely displayed his genius, and the Count who capitalized on it.

Their relationship seemed to be symbiotic, like a crocodile and a bird.

Until the Count took the boy to a noble gathering to brag about his talent.

“Then one day, the boy finally fulfilled his long-held desire. He realized the principles of celestial bodies.”

Edgar said this, roughly explaining what the principles of celestial bodies were.

In simpler terms, rather than the sun revolving around the earth on flat land, it was that the round Earth revolved around the sun.

At this, Vanessa reacted in shock.

“If, if that’s true…”

“Yes. The myth regarding the ‘Heavenly Beings’ who govern the sun and moon would be a lie. Moreover, the authority of those calling themselves descendants of the ‘Heavenly Beings’, the royalty and nobles, would fall to the ground.”

Vanessa clenched her fists.

If this were true, it could lend significant strength to her revolution that cried for ‘equality among all’.

This was the collapse of a colossal paradigm that granted legitimacy to the rule of the privileged.

“…But the boy first informed the Count’s son of this tremendous secret he discovered. Without realizing it would thrust his life into a downward spiral.”

And then, Edgar began to narrate the turning point of the story.

A prelude to the fall of the talented boy.

“…Count Cromwell cherished the boy like his own child. Because he brought him colossal benefits. Abandoned by his father, the boy followed the Count like a father… So, what do you think the Count’s son felt while watching this?”

“…Jealousy.”

“Yes, jealousy. In fact, the Count often called the boy ‘son’ to win his affection.”

“…”

“In any case, back to the main point, the Count’s son asked the boy to showcase his talents at the upcoming ‘noble gathering’. He claimed if the boy announced the secret of the universe there, both his father and the nobles would be overjoyed.”

The Count’s son urged the boy to unveil a ‘great invention’ at the noble gathering.

Unfortunately, the boy, unaware of what that meant, implored the Count to take him to the ‘noble gathering.’

The Count, presuming the boy would invent something incredible, decided to bring him along, wanting to flaunt this ‘golden egg-laying’ boy to satisfy his cheap vanity.

“…As you can expect, the outcome was predictable. Kaboom! It was no different from a bomb. The boy’s claims were nothing less than insults to the king and the aristocracy. Thankfully, if it had only stopped at the level of offense, it would have been better, but the boy’s assertions were plausible enough that the nobles felt a ‘crisis.’”

“…”

“…And the Count was a very adept person. That night, he assured the boy that there was nothing to worry about and locked the doors and set the place on fire. Erasing the boy to prove his innocence.”

Oliver Cromwell revealed this, taking off his gloves.

His hand, covered in makeup, was now visible.

A look of sorrow passed across Vanessa’s face.

“I lost both my mother and father that day. It felt like my heart was being ripped apart. Yet, surviving by mere fortune, I laughed at the fate bestowed upon me. Just as my father had deceived me, I too decided to become his own son and fool him.”

“…What does that mean…?”

“…Yes, now I finally introduce myself. My name is Oliver Cromwell, the son of Count Hinde Cromwell. Well, Hinde only realized his true son was swapped just before his death.”

***

Vanessa was captivated by Oliver Cromwell.

She was entranced by the power held within his narrative.

Dazzling talent and pure curiosity.

The betrayal by the one she trusted and the wounded heart.

His life was akin to hers.

Perhaps that’s why she wanted to heal his scarred days.

“…Is there no way to heal that burn?”

“…As you know, those who lack mana find healing spells ineffective. By now, it has solidified into a chronic state, and its nature can no longer be changed.”

“…”

“Don’t wear that expression. Since meeting you, I have become complete. Follow me. It is time to pass on the lantern.”

Oliver Cromwell took Vanessa somewhere.

It was a space filled with utter darkness.

However, as Cromwell snapped his fingers, light began to filter in.

Floating lightly, the dark space transformed into the universe itself.

The sun and earth. And the planets rotating around them were laid out before them.

“I pondered for a long time. I merely wanted to know the truth, yet why was my life filled with tragedy? The truth is truly cruel.”

“…”

“But behold this space I crafted with my life. Isn’t it beautiful? I have resolved never to regret it. All those moments spent looking up at the stars in pursuit of truth.”

With this, Oliver Cromwell handed a device he held in his hand to Vanessa.

It was a control device capable of managing this space.

However, the words he uttered while giving her the control device were, as expected, poetic.

“Receive my star, Vanessa Agnes. Only you can illuminate the lantern of truth. Illuminate the truth in this world, filled with falsehoods and deceptions.”

As Oliver Cromwell spoke, he closed Vanessa’s hand around the device.

And Vanessa felt Oliver’s hand covering hers.

Her heart began to race.

 

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