Alec had a good memory, even without [Reader], so he remembered most things, even if they weren’t text-based. He remembered the situations he had been in when reading most of the spell formations he currently had in [Reader].

There were three exceptions.

There was also one moment Alec had no clear memory of. It was his talk with the headmaster after he came back from the forest. It was a while ago, so it wouldn’t be strange for Alec not to remember the details.

But that wasn’t the problem.

He remembered the butler-like attendant inviting him to talk, and he remembered walking out of the headmaster’s office. He also remembered the answer he had given to Taryeon when he asked what they had talked about.

‘They hadn’t talked about much. The headmaster had just asked if he was fine and stuff like that.’

It wasn’t word-for-word what he had told Taryeon, but it was the type of answer he had given.

How could he have given that answer when he had no memory of his chat with the headmaster?

Back then, he hadn’t noticed it.

The only thing that stood out was when he read through his spell formations, and he discovered three formations that he didn’t remember reading. At the time, he hadn’t made the connection.

But his mind was sharper now. It was likely that his Resistance stat also helped him overcome the side effects of the spells used on him.

One of the spells was the tracking spell he used on Red the other day to find where the orphans of Gorao gathered.

The other two were more advanced and seemed like they might have adverse effects if he failed at using them. So, he didn’t want to test them out on just whoever.

Old George was the perfect test subject.

After Reinforced Recovery on Millie to help fade the bruises on her neck and throat, Alec helped Red look around the room and house for information about his involvement in the abductions.

Finally, Old George creaked out a deep groan.

The world swam around him, and every breath he took felt like someone was pumping hot steam into his brain. The light from outside the windows stung his eyes like wasps, and his heartbeat rang inside his brain like someone had squeezed in a drum and was using it to declare war.

Old George’s vision blanched, and his mind grew numb as Alec snapped his fingers in front of him.

Alec knew how bad it was. He had tested the strengthened Sleep spell on himself to test its effectiveness, after all. But unlike Old George, Alec had his stats, his magic circles and mana, and the Poem’s effects to help him. He had also been underground in a dark, isolated stone chamber.

Sound and light hadn’t been sources of concern for him the same way they were for Old George right now.

Needless to say, Old George was suffering. Alec considered helping him out just to make it easier to talk to him, but there was no rush.

The sun had barely sunk below the horizon.

Apparently, a sleep spell focused on power and intensity didn’t put people to sleep quite as long. Alec made a note of that, and while he waited for Old George’s eyes to clear, he started thinking about which runes affected the duration of the Sleep spell’s slumber.

If he could shorten the spell even further and increase the impact that way, he could use it as a trump card during battle against strong foes. Even if he only made people stumble for a moment, it could still be useful.

Alec stepped to the side to avoid Old George’s vomit. He then turned George’s chair so that he didn’t have to stand in the puddle to look at him in the face. The spin did not help George’s situation, but he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so the only thing that came this time was weak liquid that spilled down his front.

Millie and Red pinched their noses and stepped back.

Alec leaned in close.

“One or two?” He asked.

“Urghla?” Old George could barely make out what Alec was saying, much less formulate an answer.

Alec sighed and impatiently cast Reinforced Recovery. It would probably make Old George very hungry very soon, but he could do with some starvation.

“One or two?”

Old George frowned deeply and pinched his eyes closed as he tried to stop the floor from playing at being the raging seas.

“What the fuck…is that supposed to mean?” He asked after a couple of moments, his mind clearing up like fog in front of sunlight.

Alec smacked his cheek, careful to avoid the vomit.

“One or two?”

Although the headache had started to fade, the slap brought him right back to the brink.

“Two.” Old George did not want another slap, whatever it took, even if he had to answer Alec’s question.

“Good choice.”

Alec focused and drew an advanced spell formation. It was one of the most advanced ones he had seen, and it was the first time he drew it. But with [Reader], he didn’t fail, even if it took some time to complete it.

Alec noticed that the spell had some runes that had similar effects to the ones in Spell. It was a mental spell that seemed to put the mind in a subdued state.

The spell completed without issue and hit the old man.

Old George’s eyes glazed over, and he stopped groaning. But he was still awake, and his head was upright.

“Hmm? Can you hear me?” Alec asked, unsure what the spell did to Old George.

“Loud and clear,” Old George answered straightforwardly with a dull voice.

“Good. Are you cooperating with outsiders to abduct orphans from Gorao?” Alec asked.

Old George had already as good as confirmed it when his eyes lit up at the discovery of a mage. He even said Alec was worth a lot.

“I don’t know if they are outsiders or not.”

‘That’s a yes.’

“What can you tell me about them and what you’re doing?”

“Huh?”

“Tell me everything you can about them and what you’re doing with them.”

“Who?”

“The people abducting orphans.”

“What about them?”

“Tell me about them.”

“Who?”

‘For fuck’s sake.’ Alec could feel his irritation bubbling up. Old George wasn’t doing it intentionally. It was simply the side effect of putting his mind in a subdued state. He couldn’t keep his focus on the same thing or carry over information to the next question.

He had the memory of a goldfish.

Technically, it wasn’t his fault, but Alec still had the urge to smack him.

“Tell me about the people who’re kidnapping orphans from Gorao.”

“They abduct and sell kids and the homeless to people who buy them.”

“Where do the kidnappers of kids and the homeless conduct business?”

“Where?”

Alec sighed.

It would probably be easier to do this without the spell.

But there were a couple of things he could only ask like this.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep