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When Layla returned to Bismarck for Johnson and Roel’s funeral, Gilbert locked himself in his room to sort out the current situation. He needed to contact the Count of Lithuania about extracting the Golden Mane, but he also needed to organize his complicated thoughts.

Calmly sitting at his desk, he spread out the documents Layla had given him. The sight of bloodstains on the papers brought distracting thoughts, but he deliberately cut them off. After all, the only thoughts that would arise from seeing those bloodstains were self-destructive guilt and remorse, which he had already experienced enough. Even if he didn’t dwell on them while awake, they often appeared in his nightmares.

Now was the time to invest in productive work rather than self-deprecating thoughts.

Gilbert set aside the documents he deemed less important. While having a lot of information to grasp the situation was good, indiscriminate information would only hinder his judgment.

He began sorting through the documents related to Horizon to understand his goals and intentions. Since he had already done a preliminary sorting when he received the documents, the secondary classification was relatively quick.

Gilbert started analyzing the ten or so pages of what he considered the most crucial information.

Though grandly referred to as “documents,” they were more like a collection of essays and diary entries. There was no formal structure or organization. It seemed Horizon had written them down in a stream-of-consciousness manner to sort out his complex thoughts.

Fortunately, despite the chaotic order, the writings were easy to read, likely due to Horizon’s near-calligraphic handwriting.

Gilbert spent hours sitting there, reading the documents without moving. Except for occasionally picking up a quill to jot down notes, he focused solely on reading.

By the time his prepared parchment was filled with notes, he had read through even the less important documents. While there was no truly critical information, it still greatly helped him understand Horizon’s goals and behavior.

Gilbert stretched his stiff body and leaned back in his chair. Discovering a MacGuffin from the previous world was a significant gain.

It would greatly help in setting future directions and understanding Horizon’s objectives, allowing him to formulate appropriate countermeasures.

With deepened eyes, he read the large phrase written at the top of his parchment:

“Horizon is the descendant of the Lion King.”

This was the MacGuffin behind why Horizon had given him the sub-quest related to the Lion King’s Mana Core Technique in the game.

This was the reason.

***

The Lion King was widely known as the king of a kingdom that had nearly unified the continent. It wasn’t just a legend passed down orally.

As a man who had aimed to conquer the vast continent, he left a significant mark on its history, traces of which could be found in the literature of various nations.

His childhood, growth process, martial prowess, decisiveness on the battlefield—while perspectives varied, there was a common phrase written about him.

“Born to be an emperor.”

Thus, his ambition to conquer the continent might have been more than just coincidence or necessity—it could have been destiny.

<The Chronicles of the Lion King - by Horizon>

Gilbert skimmed through the historical book about the Lion King, written by Horizon, which was on Seraphina’s desk. This was the same book he had written when he first entered the Academy to receive a sub-scenario.

At the time, his sense of this world being real was still vague, so he had approached Horizon with a somewhat light-hearted intent to confirm the knowledge he had.

Fortunately, as he expected, Horizon gave him the sub-scenario, and he smoothly obtained the Lion King’s Mana Core Technique, Lion Heart, and CT-777.

However, even back then, he found Horizon’s overreaction strange. If Horizon had the Lion King’s blood flowing through him, such excitement wasn’t unwarranted.

At that time, Gilbert had excessively criticized the Lion King to receive the sub-scenario from Horizon. If Horizon was indeed his descendant, it was a situation that would justify his anger.

In any case, even if unintentional, what Gilbert had done was akin to a personal insult.

“Is the priest saying that Horizon is the Lion King’s descendant?”

“Whether he’s a son, grandson, or distant descendant, we can’t be sure, but that’s the assumption.”

“Hah. I thought he was just an old monster who’s lived a long time. He’s a bigger figure than I imagined.”

Seraphina, who had scoffed, absorbed every word of Gilbert’s report without missing a single detail. Horizon had held the title of Great Sage and a professorship at the Academy since before the previous emperor.

She had long known that behind his seemingly absent-minded demeanor, he hid something, but she never imagined it would be a determination to become a figure like his ancestor, the Lion King.

He hadn’t left any concrete plans on the parchment he had written, showing just how meticulous he was.

“Then, priest, what do you think Horizon, that old monster, will do first to become a figure like the Lion King?”

“He’ll need to obtain something symbolic of the Lion King.”

“Symbolic of the Lion King? Are you talking about the Lion King’s sword?”

“Precisely, the sword and the Lion King’s Colossal Mech.”

“Colossal Mech… Surely, the Colossal Mech you’re referring to is the Colossus?”

“Correct.”

Gilbert nodded lightly while carefully observing Seraphina. In the game, obtaining information about the Colossus required completing numerous quests, but Seraphina seemed to know more about it than expected.

Then again, the information obtained through linked quests also came from the empire’s upper nobility, so it wasn’t strange for Seraphina, who was first in the line of succession, to know about the Colossus.

Seraphina seemed to ponder for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. It was unusual for her, who rarely showed weakness.

“Do you have any concerns?”

“Somehow, I feel exhausted. I thought my task was simply to suppress the New Resistance. But in reality, it’s turned into stopping an old man’s ambition to conquer the continent.”

Gilbert realized Seraphina’s fatigue level had risen. In Tactical Combat, there was a fatigue system, and overusing a party could lead to underperformance.

In reality, the fatigue system was gone, and Seraphina, who couldn’t be recruited as a companion character, was visibly showing extreme fatigue.

She was likely overexerting herself due to the recent storm of the current emperor’s declaration of the succession battle.

Gilbert watched Seraphina press her temples for a moment before approaching her. Normally, approaching a royal required permission, but Gilbert was an exception with Seraphina due to his achievements.

“Hmm? Priest, do you need something?”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Standing behind Seraphina, who had now closed her eyes, Gilbert lightly stretched his hands. He planned to use the massage technique he had used on fatigued comrades during his active days.

“What are you doing suddenly… Hic?!”

The moment his hands touched her shoulders, a sharp sound escaped Seraphina’s lips. It was hard to believe such a sound came from her, who always maintained grace and dignity, but only she and Gilbert were in the office.

Gilbert, startled by the unprecedented reaction, took a step back but tried not to show his fluster.

“How dare you touch my shoulders without permission!”

“I thought you were tired and wanted to give you a massage…”

“Even if you’re the priest, touching my body without permission is unacceptable. Leave now!”

Gilbert realized he had overstepped. Despite the sub-scenarios and her usual demeanor, Seraphina was a ruler with a cold, razor-sharp aura.

Even as a supporting character aiding the protagonist Ian, she drew invisible lines and didn’t allow them to be crossed. This remained true even when he became Professor Briana’s exclusive disciple through a sub-scenario.

How surprised had he been when she told him to call her “priest” after he became Professor Briana’s disciple?

Moreover, the distance seen in the game was nowhere to be found, and her sudden closeness often left him bewildered.

Thus, Gilbert had thought to give her a massage when she seemed tired, but it seemed he had been too casual with royalty.

He reminded himself deeply that the world he was in was a medieval era with a strict class system. His comfortable life was only possible because he was the eldest son of a prestigious count family.

If he carelessly acted without regard for status and was charged with insulting royalty, he wouldn’t receive the same treatment.

Of course, they wouldn’t discard someone as useful as Gilbert.

“I will reflect on my actions. Then, I shall take my leave now, Your Highness.”

Gilbert deliberately distanced himself by using the formal title “Your Highness” instead of the informal “priest.” The best way to maintain formality was through titles and honorifics.

Gilbert bowed to Seraphina and left her office.

“Haah…” Seraphina, who had maintained a stern expression until Gilbert left, exhaled deeply as the office door closed. Unconsciously reaching for her shoulder, she quickly placed her hand back on the desk.

“So, the rumors about the priest being a playboy were true.”

Seraphina realized the rumors about Gilbert weren’t exaggerated. The way he naturally placed his hands on a woman’s shoulders suggested he had done it more than once.

For Seraphina, born into a noble lineage with minimal contact with the opposite sex, it was shocking. Her rare experiences were limited to allowing hand kisses, so this was practically her first real encounter.

Normally, she wouldn’t have hesitated to charge a man who touched her without permission with disrespect, but since it was Gilbert, she was unusually lenient.

This was unfamiliar to Seraphina, who usually hid her cold rationality behind a smile.

Seraphina, with her strong desire for talent, felt compelled to bring exceptional individuals under her wing. Thus, she had ample tolerance for some level of rudeness from outstanding talents.

But thinking about it, her leniency with Gilbert was deeper than with others. Objectively, Seraphina had a soft spot for Gilbert.

Even when he acted impulsively or according to his own plans and left her to handle the aftermath, she let it slide with a smile. No matter how much she valued talent, Seraphina wouldn’t normally tolerate such disregard for procedure.

So why was she so lenient with him?

As her thoughts deepened, Seraphina tapped the desk with her index finger. Of course, no immediate answer came.

How does she feel about the priest?

Seraphina shifted her train of thought.

If she couldn’t understand why she was lenient with Gilbert, she needed to think about the fundamental reason. Depending on how she felt about him, she might find the reason for her leniency.

To Seraphina, Gilbert was an interesting existence.

To be precise, she felt joy when she saw him.

There was no particular reason. Initially, it was intriguing that the so-called troublemaker was different from the rumors. Later, his bold actions caught her attention, and she gradually found joy in seeing his heroic qualities.

Seraphina stopped tapping the desk. At the same time, her thoughts became clear. She had just figured out what she thought of Gilbert and why she was lenient with him.

So, she felt… Her lips curved into a smile. Not the usual mask-like smile, but a genuine one from the heart.

The reason Seraphina was always lenient with Gilbert.

It was because Gilbert was special to her.

And in the world, such feelings were called…

Affection.

***

[Sub Scenario: Possessors of Twisted Desire progress has significantly increased.]

[Sub Scenario: Possessors of Twisted Desire information has been updated.]

[Sub Scenario: Possessors of Twisted Desire has reached the third branch point of the first possessor.]

[Sub Scenario: Possessors of Twisted Desire’s Twisted Index has significantly increased.]

Well, why wouldn’t it?

Gilbert sighed at the now-familiar sudden situation and shook his head.

 

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