Do I know?

I blinked and slowly turned my head.

“How does it feel to be newly arrived?”

A face obscured by the light spoke.

I just received a baptism.

Until now, I had reset time before the baptism ritual was completely finished, but this time I didn’t.

Ludovika knew I was someone who had received baptism only after touching the blood.

‘He said 23 years ago.’

Even if Luca’s baptism left Magic Power in his body, that wouldn’t remain.

If traces remain in the soul or elsewhere, does Pleroma’s baptism also leave traces?

Even if I turn back time, it wouldn’t disappear.

I slowly blinked.

‘No, it might be too early to be certain…’

Of course, I was prepared.

Even with this uncertainty, the reason I pushed this strategy was that even if traces remained, there was no way for anyone to detect it. If someone could know a person was part of Pleroma just by taking a pulse or drawing blood, Pleroma couldn’t have flourished to this extent.

And, one more thing.

What remains in the soul is different from my physical body becoming Pleroma-ized.

The latter is a real-world problem, while the former is solely a matter of my perceived identity, my concept of who I am.

The real-world problem was something that could be neatly resolved by turning back time. That is, as long as my Mental Power could endure it. I thought this was not even a problem, and I’m still confident about it.

“Welcome to our world. Although you haven’t come even half and a half, you are someone promised to be reborn, so I cannot help but greet you like this.”

“……”

“Doesn’t your body feel new? Try clenching your fist.”

I slowly looked down at my fist and slightly struck the floor.

No, I was *planning* to…

Crack—

“……”

A crack, which shouldn’t have been there, was felt on the edge of my hand.

I dropped the stone fragment I was holding and slowly raised my hand.

My body moved as if it were mine yet not mine.

“It’s still weak.”

Weak? Seeing this?

I tried to speak, but no voice came out.

“You did not experience your bones melting and your mouth drying up. Even if His Excellency tries to deceive me, he cannot deceive my eyes.”

The deep voice held warmth.

I narrowed my eyes and examined the old man’s face.

His hair was white with age, but the dignity emanating from his expression and posture made him look younger than expected.

“It seems your rank is higher after all. Perhaps even the Monsignor didn’t expect it. And you probably didn’t expect it either. This is my first time seeing such an initiation.”

“……”

“I mean, I didn’t expect you to absorb the artifact’s Magic Power into your Core and attack the baptizer. Doesn’t it sound like a truly strange case just hearing it?”

He said that and pressed my chest area with his Wand.

Then he burst into hearty laughter.

“Ah, that doesn’t seem important. Hahaha!”

What the…

“Monsignor Ludovika. You’re thinking about him right now, aren’t you?”

“……”

“Even though it’s just the beginning, since he has become your creator, by the natural order of things, you won’t be able to leave His Excellency’s side from now on.”

I didn’t even want to know what that meant.

Whatever it was, it was just time that would all disappear anyway.

I slowly raised my hand to my mouth. As I flowed Magic Power, the strength in my throat began to return.

Clack—

He got up and slowly walked away.

“Before we begin, let’s take some time to get to know each other.”

As he stood up, his voice echoed through the vast space.

A pair of jet-black shoes stopped right beside my head.

“I am Abraham. Some call me the Chairman.”

His clear gray eyes were staring intently at me.

“…Abraham.”

Don’t make me laugh.

I opened the Status Window.

Marco Schreiber

Title: Chairman

Health: +5.0 [+7.0]

Mental Power: -6.0 [+8.0]

Magic Power: +3.5

Skill: +3.0 [+8.0]

Impression: +7.0

Luck: -3.0 [+3.0]

Traits: ―

‘-6.0, +8.0.’

Understood.

I closed the window and slowly opened my mouth.

For now, I need to keep up the act.

“…Why am I here?”

“Monsignor Ludovika Schneider asked me to alleviate your confusion.”

So, you mean give me a Revelation?

“You don’t need to be nervous. Now that I see you, it seems you can move right away. It’s the first time I’ve seen a case where the true nature is maintained during a baptism due to interference, and it’s not bad at all, unexpectedly.”

He snapped his fingers.

“Shall we talk while walking?”

WHOOSH—

“…!”

The sound of wind struck my ears.

The slight haziness I had felt just moments ago was instantly washed away by the January winter wind. The sensations in my body also became familiar, similar to before the baptism.

I was now standing on the ground with two feet.

The street I slowly raised my head to confirm was pitch black.

“This is the Primrose Path as you perceive it. I hear you enjoy having fun like this?”

Thinking I was alone, from somewhere behind me, the sound of a cane tapping grew closer.

“Well~? I don’t recall that.”

I replied with a faint smile.

Having to act like Jeremiah even towards this man… It makes my stomach twist a bit, and it feels strange in many ways, but I can’t help it.

“But the place you’ve created here is exactly like the first winter after the entire population of the capital disappeared.”

“You’re sentimental.”

“I’m getting tired of living without sentiment.”

He threw out a playful remark.

I smiled and looked at his profile.

‘This is the man I came to meet.’

A tall, portly old gentleman. Expensive clothing, neat accessories, dignified speech.

Completely unlike the stereotype of a criminal.

“I heard you want to do business here, is that right?”

“That is correct. You are… you said you were the Chairman earlier. Are you the Chairman of Primrose Path?”

“Haha, I do oversee the business here. But it’s not something to be called by such a grand title.”

“That’s amazing~ Do you have a hobby for entertainment? Since we met like this, it’s fate…”

I leaned my body towards his ear.

“Could you recommend the place you enjoy visiting the most around here, sir?”

“……”

“Looking at your clothes, you seem to have similar tastes to me, perhaps your tastes in that area might match as well.”

He smiled in silence.

Even I thought I had asked an overly flippant question to a much older person.

Since I did it on purpose, I didn’t feel guilty.

Only my mind, which had to conjure a line with poor intentions and inject emotion into it in just a second, was suffering.

I shrugged and whistled.

Jeremiah had to be like that. At least for now.

The Chairman said with a smile.

“Aren’t you ashamed to face Monsignor Ludovika?”

Is it just that person?

I just feel lucky that no one knows I’m doing this.

Needless to say about Leo, Elias would be full of fuss and annoyingly ask me to say the same thing in front of him. Narce, though he wouldn’t say it out loud, wouldn’t be much different.

Thinking that far, my expression gradually hardened.

‘When I go back…’

When I go back and meet my friends, I need to ask Narce to check if the trace of Pleroma’s baptism remains on me.

It was the best decision, so I didn’t regret the choice, but it was something I didn’t particularly want to face.

“From what I see, your being a Buddhist doesn’t seem to be a problem at all. What do you think of the business of Primrose Path?”

What do I think of the business of Primrose Path?

Do I need to say it out loud? It’s something I have to overturn. I have to destroy it completely so it can never rise above the surface again.

Thinking that, I endured the revulsion and muttered.

“I don’t know? The light and the salt?”

“Everything that happens in Primrose Path is a test of humanity’s lowest point.”

“……”

Silence flowed.

After a while, I raised my head and looked at him.

“…?”

It was so absurd that I was speechless.

That’s what I should be saying.

Is that something the head of Primrose Path would say?

“Did I hear that correctly?”

“At least, that’s what I think. I don’t like this act of buying and selling castles, luring children from the slums and keeping them tied here, or buying and selling the right to beat people and take their organs.”

“Haha, I didn’t expect you to think that way? Please forget what I just said.”

“You seem surprised that I, who makes money through illegal activities, would say such a thing.”

“……”

I felt the wind scattering my hair and muttered.

“Why are you telling me this?”

He wasn’t trying this conversation out of boredom.

I looked into his clear gray eyes.

There was a high probability that this was related to his ability.

For example…

‘To give a Revelation, he needs to understand the target’s way of thinking.’

Or perhaps, he needs to gain the target’s agreement, their permission, through persuasion.

So, I need to consider the possibility that these are just words meant to appeal.

However, as soon as I thought that, I heard something absurd.

“It seems difficult for you to believe my words. A manager needs the insight to know how the society I live in and my business will interact with each other.”

“And?”

“I will say it again. I do not believe prostitution is right. I consider it a challenge to human intellect. Within the logic of the market economy, how much of ourselves can we humans give up…? I’m not just talking about the physical body. What I’m talking about is humanity’s lowest point.”

“……”

“In other words, if sexual relations and all sorts of eccentricities that accompany them can be bought and sold for money, wouldn’t paying money to beat someone not be a big problem? It’s a type of instinct, mutually beneficial, and beneficial for someone’s mental health. If monetary transactions are impossible and it shouldn’t develop into an industry, why is that?”

I had to suppress a hollow laugh.

The person saying this now is none other than the highest authority of Primrose Path.

“Then, can death not be bought and sold? Similarly, is there a special reason why that is okay and this is not?”

He continued speaking, matching my pace.

“There’s no need to discuss supply and demand. There are countless Old Humans in the slums who want to pay for their family’s hospital bills, so let’s not consider whether suppliers exist. If reasonable compensation is given, there are people who would die, and surprisingly many who would want to kill someone. How far can a human descend for money? For these reasons, my business, which always opens the door to ethical issues, has a reason to be controversial.”

“Has a reason to be controversial… I’m curious about the intention behind this as well.”

“You must be curious how I can say things that would ruin my business? It’s because being controversial doesn’t necessarily mean the end of prostitution. Since the Old Testament era, prostitution has been seen as a sin, yet humanity has never parted ways with it.”

“……”

“But in this era, which has welcomed the most glorious time in human history, an era where the population reaches 100 million and many have completed higher education, if everyone is regressing to a state before the Old Testament, what does that signify?”

I answered simply, without showing any expression.

“Since such a phenomenon won’t appear in just one field, we might need to re-evaluate the Empire’s development potential and investment value. But it probably doesn’t have much to do with the Chairman’s business, which is difficult to expand into a global enterprise.”

“We seem to get along well. I was going to say that if you have the spirit of an entrepreneur, you would easily understand what process I went through to reach this conclusion, but to speak so accurately…”

“I merely answered in line with the Chairman’s way of thinking. Are you satisfied?”

“…Good. That was an answer worth having a conversation for.”

The Chairman ended the conversation with a smile.

No matter how long we walked, the street had no end.

After a while, he spoke again.

“Do you like stories about Old Humans and New Humans?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Several hundred years ago, this continent captured and burned Old Humans suspected of using magic. It’s a case that clearly shows what meaning magic held back then.”

“Yes.”

“But how is magic regarded now? Why is what was considered a sin then considered sacred now?”

“Well~? Because there are more mages?”

I answered lightly.

Jeremiah should not give a proper answer to his questions. If he must answer, he should keep it brief, just a word or two.

“No. It became that way when the nobility began to possess magic.”

Undesirable, but not incorrect.

No, it’s not just that, it’s the correct answer.

“There’s another story. Why did Martin Luther’s Reformation succeed? Conversely, why didn’t Hus and Wycliffe, who made similar claims before Luther, achieve such historical feats?”

“Perhaps precedents accumulated and it exploded during Luther’s time.”

This is a story from the era before magic, a time shared by the world I lived in and this world.

As this was something I learned even in the 21st century, I know two or three plausible answers, but this time, I answered as casually as possible.

What’s important isn’t what I say, but what he says.

Since my prediction about the Chairman’s ideology was off—I’ve lived long enough to see a pimp criticize prostitution—I need to reassess.

“Luther received the support of the nobility. On the other hand, Hus and Wycliffe did not. You might think Luther was on the side of the weak, being a reformer, right? He ignored the peasants and vehemently criticized the Jews.”

“……”

“What does this tell us? The strong have the ability to elevate their beliefs and values to social justice. The masses, who are weak, play the role of consuming the justice led by the strong; they do not create justice.”

“Haha…”

I knew this would happen.

His true nature cannot be hidden.

Or perhaps he has no intention of hiding it.

“This suggests a lot about the nature of New Humans and Old Humans. Are you aware that the political participation of the bourgeoisie has increased recently?”

“Recently? It feels like over a century ago.”

“That’s right. You must know that commoners have constantly strived to overthrow the nobility and participate in politics. But the bourgeoisie should not rule the world, and Old Humans should not be granted full suffrage. As a New Human, you must agree?”

“Hmm, no. What’s the basis?”

“Because we cannot stand idly by and watch politics by fools. The masses will elect a clown as king, not a leader. Our ruling class, who have governed humanity for thousands of years, can distinguish between a leader and a clown, but Old Humans, who have been mere commoners for thousands of years, do not have that ability.”

“……”

I stroked my chin, lost in thought.

Putting aside the fact that it’s a remark that churns my stomach as someone who has lived as an Old Human for over 20 years.

‘This is unexpected.’

While some political aspects are necessary for a religion to establish a denomination, if someone holds such an extreme political ideology, it’s a different story. It’s worth remembering.

“I guarantee it. If the king and nobles do not keep them in check, the commoners will stage a coup and commit unprecedented massacres. They do not have the ability to be leaders. Instead of wielding a pen and giving speeches to become leaders, they will wield guns, the greatest achievement of Old Humans.”

“……”

“What is the reason why they must wield guns? It is because they lack the ability to persuade the masses using intellect, humanity’s privilege. Instead, they can stimulate primal desires and gain support triggered by madness.”

I just smiled instead of answering.

Perhaps knowing that I didn’t agree with his argument, he laughed and added.

“Let me make a prophecy. The moment the monarchy collapses and Old Humans seize power, the Jewish population on this continent will be annihilated. Foreigners, heretics, what excellent targets? Their appearance is different too. They can maintain the identity of a single religious culture while stimulating nationalism to unite the nation.”

I didn’t answer.

This peculiar spectacle created by the overlap of his insight and warped ideology was simply astonishing.

Could this person also be from another world…?

‘No.’

It was a rational suspicion, but that couldn’t be it. It was a hypothesis that could easily be formed based on the situation in this world.

The Chairman looked at me for a moment and tilted his head as if uncertain.

“Mr. Jeremiah, what do you think the weak are?”

“……”

“The 98 million commoners born into families without money or honor are weak in our eyes. But because there are many of them, we call them the masses.”

“What is the reason for telling me this?”

He ignored my question and continued speaking.

“Individuals may be intelligent, but a group is not. The more there are, the stupider humans become, because there are others who can think for them. When there are kind strangers who chew and spit out food for me, is there any reason for me to digest and ruminate with my own strength? A superficially plausible hollow logic spreads like wildfire, becoming the group’s opinion, and the group’s opinion soon becomes the opinion of individuals who lack the power to think. Thus, the fact that Old Humans are too numerous will be their downfall.”

“……”

“Wise and rational change depends solely on our New Human hands, but we need to consider that their numbers are overwhelming. If a group knows it is weak, it will not keep its peculiar demagogic nature in check. Do you know the best way to prevent that?”

I felt the flow of air and silently concentrated Magic Power in my Core.

“It is to prevent them from knowing they have no power. A theatrical device is needed. The most commonly used device is internal division, primarily utilized in colonial rule. And…”

At that moment, the world I was standing in became hazy white.

[There’s also this. Even if they have the ability to walk on water, they can never reach the same position as us, and they must live and remain in the position of the weak for generations….]

CRASH!

“…!”

I clenched my teeth at the sharp pain in my solar plexus.

The spatial magic created by the Chairman broke, and I was lying in the same space where I had first woken up.

The Chairman’s shoed foot pressed down on my solar plexus. My ribs felt like they would break from being struck by his heel.

“We hide it with activities like this. You won’t be able to use magic in my building, so don’t try anything unnecessary.”

Vitriol hovered over my Core.

As I bit my lip to suppress a scream, he pressed down harder on my stomach.

“Even if they don’t know how the world works, if they can gain pleasure by overwhelming the strong in the microcosm, would the macro flow be important? Selling the right for a small number of New Humans to treat Old Humans as they please… I, as an individual, do not agree ethically, but like the Old Human prostitution business, I think it’s a decent concept. Do you agree?”

“Of course not.”

I quickly exhaled and threw him off me.

He stepped back, avoiding my fist, and said.

“It seems difficult to find common ground with you, no matter how much we talk. You don’t give me an opening.”

‘Difficult to find common ground.’

Thanks for the information.

Earlier, I thought he wasn’t talking to me for no reason.

If his goal was simply to justify his logic, this long conversation would be a waste of time.

But what if his goal is different?

Creating an ‘opening’ by eliciting agreement—that must be the condition for giving a Revelation to someone’s brain.

He continued in a soft voice.

“Come to think of it, you said earlier that you wouldn’t leave His Excellency’s side. I apologize for confirming it. Perhaps you won’t be able to meet your Excellency. Well, it doesn’t matter, does it?”

I just looked up at him silently.

He took out a ticket from his pocket and showed it to me.

It was a ticket to a performance hall in New York, which I had put in my clothes for Jeremiah’s act.

As he shook the paper three times, the ticket disappeared without a trace, and a metal identification card appeared.

I slowly pulled up the corners of my mouth.

He had a similar expression on his face as he looked down at me.

“Bavaria Government Investigation Bureau, Criminal Division 1, J.H….”

“……”

“Because you must have come all the way here looking for me.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep