Chapter 805 – Breakdown

000

When Cleon came out of the president’s office with the manuscript, Noctis was seen there, with the president sitting in a chair, listening to him lamenting about his situation.

＂It was enough for me to just be able to pay my employees their salaries on time… But I’m out of luck because I’m a regressor…!”

“Ah, I understand. Because I understand… A grown man shouldn’t cry like that…”

In the end, perhaps Noctis had no energy to be angry after seeing such a pitiful state of his boss, and all he could do was comfort him.

＂Hey, is it okay for a moment?＂

There was no scene more unpleasant to watch than watching an adult cry, so when Cleon raised his voice appropriately, Noctis and the president would look in this direction at the same time.

“… There are some strange parts in the manuscript. Since I think you are more of an expert than me, I would like you to take a look.”

“Oh, I understand! I’ll go now. The boss is here. Because I will come and see it.”

Noctis says this while looking at the president who has not yet recovered, and then approaches Cleon.

Then, he looked at the manuscript he had torn with a sheepish look and spoke to Cleon.

“Oh, that… I accidentally tore it, was it okay?”

“Ah. I’m glad they tore it right in the middle, so you can understand the content.”

“Is it okay to say that’s fortunate?”

While replying to Cleon’s words, Noctis placed the manuscript on the desk near Cleon and carefully attached it.

He then informs Noctis of the repetition of the strange sentence symbols he has noticed, and Noctis nods when he sees it.

＂Certainly… I don’t think it’s a typical sentence. Looking at the use of such meaningless symbols…”

She nodded, perhaps feeling the same way as Cleon.

“But just reading it like this doesn’t really give me a sense of discomfort… Hmm…?”

After saying that, she looked at the manuscript as if she had noticed something, and then turned to face the president.

“President! Where did you plan to print this manuscript in the newspaper?”

＂That’s right… Every year, the newspaper posts an article about the protagonist of the exorcism ritual, and it’s in the bottom right corner of the front page, so that’s where it is.”

＂Then…＂

Noctis nodded at her boss’s words, and she took a piece of unprinted newspaper paper and began writing on it with her own pen. 〉

Although she fumbled with her memory, she also remembered things like the number of characters per line of the article written at that location and the section where the picture was pushed by looking at her newspaper over and over again. 〉

Noctis’ hand carefully moves over the paper.

Cleon, who was watching quietly, stopped Noctis’ hand just before the manuscript reached the end.

＂Wait a minute.＂

＂Why, why?＂

Cleon noticed that in the manuscript she wrote, the sentence symbols were connected from line to line, creating a huge symbol using the entire manuscript.

The meaning was unknown, but as she saw her magic begin to flow, she had a bad premonition.

Noctis, who heard those words from Cleon, also let out an exclamation without realizing it when he saw the article she had written turned into a large symbol on the top of the newspaper.

＂What a free person must have been to pull off a trick like this…＂

Completely agreeing with her words, Cleon once again sent his voice through her imprint to Laila.

[Layla. There was this symbol hidden in the manuscript she found… Can I know what it is?]

When Lila receives the information that came into Cleon’s sight, she closes her mouth for a moment and then returns her answer to Cleon.

[That is an engraved text of suggestion.]

Engraving letters are ancient letters that are said to have magical meaning, and if you use them skillfully, it is said that each letter can be used to imbue a magical effect.

However, I had previously heard from Lila that in modern times, little of that information remains, and even highly skilled wizards only know some of the characters.

Lila said that although engraving letters is certainly convenient, there is a limit to the power that can be contained in one letter, and that she does not usually use them because she finds it inconvenient to prepare in advance to engrave letters.

[What power does this letter have?]

[Suggestion literally means that people who see this text will temporarily believe whatever information comes to them. So… Something like a lie that you wouldn’t normally believe. Even if it’s something like a bear can fly or a fish can walk on two feet.]

Cleon frowned at Lila’s answer and looked down at the manuscript written by Darwin once again.

If this newspaper had been distributed among Asteris as Darwin wanted, this false accusation against Cleon would have been accepted as truth among literate people – that is, people with some degree of power and intellectuals. It was a story.

Cleon let out a small sigh of relief and thanked Lyla, then relayed all the information he had heard from Lyla to Noctis.

Then, Noctis looked down at his newspaper, shaking his head as if he was fed up with Darwin’s attempt to pull off a prank on a scale that exceeded his knowledge.

“Wow, really…? So you were trying to create a sort of hypnotic newspaper? “Who is that woman?”

“Yes. Even if I were to write this manuscript, it would be better not to just write it, but to modify things like punctuation marks.”

“Oh, I won’t use this manuscript!”

Noctis reacted to Cleon’s joke like that, then sighed and looked towards his boss.

The president must have heard the whole story.

“Boss… What are you going to do?”

“Of course… The article will have to be discarded and the manuscript rewritten. If it’s what the main person there said, it means that there are people who are brainwashed just by the article being published.”

As he said that, he was thinking that perhaps the manuscript he had received before contained a trick of the type to control people’s minds.

“… Then I can write the manuscript this time, right?”

＂… Okay, I’m going to do that.＂

The president, who had given permission for Noctis to write the manuscript, looked like he was very tired and lowered his shoulders.

“… Is this the solution?”

“Yes! It’s all thanks to Cleon.”

Noctis bowed his back and expressed his gratitude to him.

But Cleon answered her by shaking his head.

“No. What I’m thankful for is this. If I hadn’t met you, the president would have written the manuscript as is.”

＂Ugh…＂

The president lowers his head as if he was stung by Cleon’s words.

＂That… Master. It’s hard to call it a punishment, but if you wish, we can publish an article. For example… Something that will make a good impression on the main character… Of course, only truthful and objective content…”

“No, I don’t like that…”

Cleon was about to shake his head in refusal at the president’s words, but suddenly he remembered something and closed his mouth.

Maybe – I could use a little help? And so on.

“Wait a minute, boss~!? That’s impression manipulation too!”

“Well, that’s true…”

While Cleon was thinking about that, when Noctis tried to argue with the president, Cleon answered by nodding her head.

“Ah. Sorry. As expected, there is something I would like to ask you.”

＂Eek!?＂

As if Cleon’s reaction was unexpected, when Noctis let out a puzzled voice, Cleon conveyed the request to them with a wry smile.

001

＂…＂

The second day since the Five Elements Festival began.

Darwin, dressed in his usual flashy clothes, was sitting on a chair at a teahouse with a table on the street in the morning, looking at the city that was starting to come alive.

No matter where you look, there are only worthless people walking around smiling like idiots.

When Darwin saw these guys living their lives with only good thoughts, he became angry.

Poor people who live satisfied with the present without any worries or desire to become a better being.

You live like that, so why did your sons have to become like that?

─Hide his self-indulgent anger, which was difficult for ordinary people to understand, under his colored glasses, and quietly tried to watch the beginning of a small crack in Asteris.

A voice was transmitted to her ears through her machine.

[Darwin. Target captured.]

That voice belonged to one of Alvain’s clones he had created.

To be honest, it was difficult for Darwin to figure out which of the clones was just based on their voices because they all had the same voice, but since they were expendables anyway, there wasn’t that much difference between individuals, so he didn’t care.

＂So… What happened to the newspaper?＂

[I have confirmed that a manuscript containing the information provided by Darwin has been written. When people read it, they will believe it to be true.]

In response to her response, Darwin slowly raises the corner of her mouth.

“Then you will be able to see the man fall from the glorious position of leading the exorcism.”

[Yes. However, there is no significant movement among people yet.]

“Well, I thought it wouldn’t be effective on stupid people who can’t even read text. The story will be different when those in power start to move.”

If information about Cleon spreads according to their plan, those in power will take action.

No matter how much the palace surrounds him, if many nobles are trying to capture Cleon, even as Prince Miyeom, he will have to make a decision.

Either keep things quiet about him and protect him until the misunderstanding is resolved, or tell him to go abroad for a while.

Either way, it will be necessary to limit Cleon’s actions, and the internal division of Asteris will reduce the likelihood of them being hindered in the main event that will occur thereafter.

Of course, if Cleon dies by mistake at this opportunity, there is no better outcome for them.

[And… I’m talking about the clone entity’s abnormal self-maintenance that I reported on yesterday…]

＂Ah… That guy who made contact with him and had his dominant cylinder stolen… Did you reset it like you said?＂

[Yes. However, seeing that the ego remains strong for some reason, it seems that the level of perfection as a clone is different from other individuals.]

“… Okay. In that case, I think it would be a good idea to issue an order to keep him in the mansion.”

[Yes. Me too─ wait, what?!]

When she, who was calmly reporting to Darwin, suddenly raised her voice in embarrassment, Darwin couldn’t help but be embarrassed by her reaction.

“What? What’s going on?”

[Residents… As soon as they found us, they reported it to the Bangui Corps and government forces…! I’m leaving for a moment…!]

＂What…?＂

Darwin, who heard those words, was momentarily embarrassed, then opened the newspaper near her, went closer to the man who was trying to read it, and she intercepted it.

“Hey wait! What are you doing!”

＂Shut up…!＂

When Darwin says that and hints at him with magic, he makes sure to keep his mouth shut.

And Darwin confirmed that the article, which was written in the manuscript he handed over, was reproduced as is, right down to the engraved letters.

“… No, something is strange.”

And as she squinted her eyes, she put her newspaper a little farther away and looked carefully at her entire front page-

＂…!＂

Just as he had included a small engraved character in an article, someone had inserted punctuation marks throughout the article on the front page and connected them so that another engraved character would appear.

The engraved text is ‘neutralization’.

The effect of the engraved letter was a kind of eraser-like power that nullified the power of other engraved letters.

Of course, the only person who could do something like this was Lila, the mage in Cleon’s party.

＂Ugh…! Then, the Albain clones are being reported…”

As she quickly flipped through her newspaper, a montage like a large badge appeared.

What was drawn there was an Alvain clone with a high degree of accuracy.

Blonde eyes, and facial sculpting.

There, along with an explanation that he was a person trying to overthrow Asteris during the Five Elements Festival, it was even written that he should immediately report to the nearest half-ghosts, government forces, or the protagonist of the exorcism.

＂Cul, Leon…!!＂

Darwin gritted his teeth and raised his voice at Cleon’s actions of using the newspaper in the opposite direction.

＂Inform the Alvain clones… To withdraw from Asteris immediately…! If they are caught by the government and hand over their information… They will suffer even more losses…!”

After giving those instructions, she needed to leave Asteris quickly.

If there is a setback in the plan, you have to adjust it.

“… Hmph… You’re not such an easy opponent, Cleon. But… The one who will be destroyed in the end will be you.”

Muttering like that, she crumpled up her newspaper and quickly left Asteris, throwing it in front of the man who had caught her.

“… Joy. Pretending to run away.”

And Schrödinger, who had been quietly following her, looked down on her from her roof and sent a message to her Cleon.

“Darwin is running away. What do you want to do?”

[Let it go for now. If you try to catch it and go wild, it could cause more damage to those around you. … The final showdown with this guy will be after the Five Elements Festival is over.]

“It’s a bit of a waste, though. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Schrödinger nodded his head as if he understood Cleon’s words and stood up.

And he himself began to move quietly to find Albaine’s clones.