[…….]

He was silent.

“You’re testing my patience.”

I know the limitations of mind-manipulation magic.

Contrary to common belief, leaving them halfway conscious is more effective for getting answers than completely stripping them of consciousness. Although, since this wasn’t a normal situation, I couldn’t do that.

I know, but….

‘My instincts keep taking over.’

My fists are itching, is what I mean.

It must be the effect of the drug. Anyway, if his head gets any more broken here, he might die.

“Let’s change the question. Since I’m already sure who I’ll be meeting. So, are you the one who brought me here?”

He shook his head.

“If not, is there someone in this establishment who messed with the Imperial Second Academy? Shake your head if you don’t know.”

He shook his head again this time.

I let out a light laugh and tried to maintain my patience.

‘Ah, he might not know.’

I took a short, deep breath.

He couldn’t possibly not know. Why the hell did they bring some bastard who knows nothing?

Well, there’s no need to drag this out for too long.

Because I can find out.

“What do you do here? Are you in charge of money?”

He didn’t understand this expression.

I slammed his head onto the table one more time and asked. The sound of the pooled blood splashing onto the floor was amplified and heard.

“Do you have the authority to manage the money for this establishment?”

[Uh… uh huh….]

He shook his head frantically.

I understood well that he was a lowlife with no real power. If so, shall I organize what I need to find out?

I held my head and sank into thought for a moment.

‘First, I can’t find out who installed the magic at the Imperial Second Academy. So I have to go find someone higher up….’

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his feet.

A sound of air being blocked in his throat and then bursting out was heard. Still, perhaps due to his survival instinct, he began to stand by finding his balance.

“Lead me to the highest-ranking person in this building right now.”

[…….]

“Go to the guy who can fire you.”

Only then did his legs slowly move.

This bastard is definitely a bit stupid. Or maybe he has no sense.

He’s worse than me, with my brain pickled by the drug and thoughts flowing slowly.

‘Hmm, the photo….’

I’m going to turn back time anyway, so whatever.

I stomped on the artifact with my foot, then went straight ahead and kicked the door.

And, as soon as I opened the door, a brilliant blue Magic Power came right at me.

Crash! Boom―!

The upper hinge detached, and the wooden door began to tilt precariously.

‘Fast.’

To notice even when I cast a soundproofing spell.

It seems they decided to take the door opening as a signal that something had gone wrong.

[S-stay still!]

Someone yelled, gripping a Wand with both hands.

Putting aside the thought that they were completely disorganized rabble, I forced my closing eyes open and examined his appearance.

‘A New Human is a guard?’

Or is he an Old Human who uses magic?

In any case, too bad for him. Perhaps thinking he couldn’t stop me by himself, the hand holding the Wand was trembling.

I pushed the manager, who was almost a corpse from being hit by the guard’s magic, forward.

“Lead the way.”

Crash―!

[Kuheok…!]

I threw the Mage against the wall, knocking him out, and kept walking.

People who came out because of the commotion were startled and stood pressed against the wall.

Except for the Mage I just threw, everyone visible so far was just Old Human girls.

‘Did they minimize surveillance personnel because of the investigation?’

I tilted my head while checking their faces.

In that case, their being such disorganized rabble makes sense.

They probably only assigned guys who were expendable as managers here. Even these guys will withdraw now that the investigation has resumed.

I probably don’t have much time.

Because there must be a real reason why they had to bring me here. The only problem is, perhaps because he was beaten earlier, this manager’s steps are too slow. He was almost like a zombie.

“Hey. You’ll have to just tell me where your boss’s office is.”

The moment I said that and pointed my Wand at the manager’s neck, someone yelled from the side.

[Next to the elevator on the 5th floor!]

[Hey…!]

“…….”

I turned my head towards where the sound came from.

An Old Human who looked about Luca’s age was staring at me, blinking frantically.

He seemed to regret what he had said a little, but it looked like it was purely out of fear.

As expected, a conscious person is more helpful than someone whose consciousness has been completely wiped out.

‘Next time I meet a guy, I should only wipe out half his consciousness.’

In that case, the authenticity might be uncertain, but if I set up the mechanism properly, what couldn’t I do?

I smiled at him, greeted him, and opened my mouth.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

I flicked my finger and released the magic before they collapsed.

Now, there is no one here who remembers that person telling me something.

Even that Old Human was looking around with a bewildered face.

I pushed the manager along and went to where the elevator was.

The lighting grew darker each time we passed through a steel fire door.

Now there was no wooden floor or walls.

I opened the fourth fire door and confirmed that a wall was blocking the way, with nowhere else to go.

To its left, I saw a typical barred elevator cage. I stuck my head inside and looked up.

‘Hmm…’

First, I should block the escape route.

Far above, I could see a copper-colored floor.

At that height, it must be the 5th floor.

I grabbed the bars with my hand and pushed Magic Power into them.

Boom― Clang!

I heard the sound of the elevator floor being torn.

Taking extreme care not to fall to the bottom, I shot out Magic Power once more.

Crash―! Screech―

Rumble―

Soon, the elevator plummeted at a terrifying speed.

CRASH―!!

[…!]

The sound was so loud that even the corpse in front of me flinched.

Grateful that the sound was only faintly audible, I led him towards the stairs.

The air was changing even as I slowly climbed from the 1st floor to the 2nd.

“…….”

And, I stopped on the 3rd floor.

The moment I raised my hand, a black object rattled between the railings above.

Crash―!

Something like needles rolled across the barrier and bounced off.

I heard the sound of someone holding their breath above.

“Isn’t a tranquilizer gun too much for a person?”

I muttered that and rushed upstairs in one go.

‘Four people.’

I can see people hesitating.

It was obvious that the person covered in all sorts of accessories, from gold necklaces like a stereotypical gangster, was the senior figure. Around him, Mages wearing plain robes aimed their Wands at me with bewildered faces.

Crash! Rattle― Crash!

I maintained the barrier until the magic stopped, then threw the barrier at them.

[Oh, oh!]

[Aaargh!]

Spending any more time on them would be a luxury. I immediately grabbed the senior Old Human by the collar.

[J-just a moment. I only need to hold out for 5 more minutes…!]

―Unless Yahweh keeps the city, the watchman’s wakefulness is in vain.

At that moment, he fell asleep.

Perhaps they had already tampered with the air before I arrived; it seemed it was already too late to control it.

A peculiar scent began to enter my nose.

It was definitely a similar smell to the air I first breathed here, but it started to feel different from before. There was no way I couldn’t know what caused that.

‘The addictiveness is no joke.’

Before, it was the first time experiencing it, so only the pain was perceived. New Human bodies adapt unnecessarily quickly.

‘Well, let’s say this much is fine.’

At this level, they were an opponent easy enough to make me yawn, compared to Pleroma.

And, anyway, I didn’t come here to beat this guy to death, but just to ask a few questions. Although those few questions would be the most decisive outcome.

I sat beside him with a gentle smile and grabbed him by the collar.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

As I injected Divine Power, his eyes slowly opened. The senior figure’s eyes widened instantly as he realized who was holding him by the collar.

“You said 5 minutes.”

[…….]

“From now on, you’ll have to wait five hours until your supporting force arrives. You know that, right? You can’t call them right now either.”

[…….]

Even though the words were clearly nonsense, fear filled his eyes.

It seems the brainwashing worked well.

“Let’s play a game of truth with me. Do you know how a warp spell was put on my room?”

[I-I-I don’t know. Th-that’s not under my jurisdiction….]

No time.

I cut him off.

“Alright. Then, did your side decide to capture me first? And not your supporting force requesting it first?”

[Uh, well…. What I know is vague….]

He rolled his eyes and nodded.

I drew Magic Power from my hand. Red Magic Power scattered around.

“What do you want to go through for five hours? You have a lot of nerve.”

[Aaaaargh! I’ll talk!]

“Talk as quickly as possible.”

He caught his breath and spoke quickly.

[Th-the idea of wanting to meet you was first brought up by their side about a month ago… I believe. We just heard the news that Sir Nicolaus visited the Imperial Palace, and happened to find someone among Duke Elias’s acquaintances that their side wanted….]

He was rambling, but I understood the conclusion.

“Then who is ‘we’? Who exactly ordered this job?”

[Probably the Chairman….]

“Chairman? Name?”

[We don’t know either.]

When I released the pressure from my gaze, his face turned pale.

[We truly don’t know. Really…! I’ve worked on this street for a long time, but I’ve never met him even once!]

“…….”

Let’s finish up here for now and move on.

There’s one thing that comes to mind. Perhaps it might be the most important question.

I held onto my mind, which kept wanting to drift away because of the drug, and this time completely removed his awareness.

“Hey. You were proceeding with the job after receiving notification, weren’t you? Did you meet and receive instructions directly from the person who gave you that notification this time?”

He shook his head.

“Then, was contact exchanged in writing?”

“…….”

“Or delivered via artifact?”

“…….”

“Or neither of those, was it delivered through some medium, be it a person or an animal or anything?”

He still shook his head.

There was only one thing left that came to mind.

“Ah…. Surely not?”

I couldn’t contain the laughter that was bubbling up.

Just then, the clock pointed to the hour.

Finally, to ask what I had inferred, I pulled him closer by the collar and whispered into his ear.

“…….”

He nodded.

I got up from my seat immediately.

“Thanks for the good information.”

Now, I must prepare.

Even if I could overturn everything, I must wait, and even when my temper flares, I must endure.

Since I can turn back time, I can endure anything. No, I must.

When would I get another chance to obtain such valuable information?

Let’s see who called me here and what they wanted.

Thud―

Just then, I sensed a presence behind me. Someone had definitely warped.

[Oh dear. I asked them to prepare properly, but….]

―Blessed is he who hopes to find tranquility in the sea of temptation!

It wasn’t from the Bible.

At the passage from Faust, heard after a long time, I let out a light laugh.

‘Right.’

It wouldn’t feel right if they weren’t involved.

A group that can operate without caring about either the Askanians or the Hohenzollerns at all.

And yet, a group that hasn’t completely seized control of the political world, so they can’t avoid search and seizure and investigation.

It pointed perfectly to one group.

The supporting force of Primrose Path is Pleroma.

I felt my eyes closing due to the magic they cast and fell.

* * *

‘…More.’

[It seems he’s properly addicted.]

Wait, more what?

Someone was flipping my eyelids back.

[When supplying this to Primrose Path, we should lower the potency. Even so, I didn’t expect a New Human, especially an Askanian, to lose consciousness to this extent….]

[No. It must be done like this. It’s more profitable to hit hard with addictive substances from the beginning.]

It’s Pleroma.

He was wearing the Roman Catholic bishop’s robes exactly as they were, but the symbol of Pleroma was hanging on a necklace.

He said that and then muttered.

[One never knows how things will turn out, you see. Even those who sold opium in the East made the wrong choice. They say there are Mages there too, those British bastards were just too arrogant….]

[Since they withdrew in the end, you are right. So, what about his qualifications?]

[You should know that?]

I felt something being inserted into my arm.

It felt like blood was being drawn, so I used that moment to wake up my senses. The smell of blood cleared my mind just a little.

Only now did a thought that I should have had earlier cross my mind.

‘His pupil reflex must have happened?’

The fact that they didn’t see that means I must look like I haven’t regained consciousness on the surface this time too.

If so, that’s welcome.

Because I’ll have time to observe.

Pleroma let a little blood flow from his finger and muttered.

[This is non-negotiable. Our diocese must definitely take him.]

“…….”

He was wearing bishop’s robes earlier.

To think I’d meet a Pleroma bishop again.

However, looking at their faces, they aren’t from the Osnabrück diocese.

They’re likely from a different diocese, and they’re probably not a diocesan bishop, but an auxiliary or coadjutor bishop. It seems so, considering they came all the way to such a shabby place themselves.

More importantly….

‘Take him?’

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