Chapter 246

“It is as Your Excellency has said.”

The doctor of public security’s voice echoed through the pristine white hospital corridor. The guard and the doctor of public security in a black coat matched my pace with solemn faces.

I spoke the words the doctor had said before.

“Yes. You’ve discovered the real terror plan, their main plan.”

I was heading to the Emergency Committee’s strategy room to solve the magic lamp terror incident, just as before.

In fact, I could have prevented the magic lamp terror incident from even starting. By blocking anyone from approaching the magic lamp pipes, or by thoroughly inspecting for white phosphorus powder.

‘But… I can’t do that.’

There was already a solution to the magic lamp terror. It was a bad move to meddle in a problem that our government could solve on its own.

Let me put it more accurately.

If I prevent the incident from happening in advance, variables may arise.

As you can tell by recalling the sequence of events so far, the magic lamp terror incident is of the same nature as the basement rat incident. Both are elaborate smokescreens for the real plan.

If I prevent the smokescreen from going off in advance, the terrorist’s execution order or detailed methods may change. For example, they might recruit a different player than in the previous timeline and make them commit suicide.

That shouldn’t happen.

After finishing the meeting at the Bavarian royal palace, I, along with Narce, met the player who was about to commit suicide. Besides that, everything I had prepared to prevent the curse terror was based on my experience from the previous timeline.

If there had been casualties in the magic lamp terror incident, I would have had to prevent it in advance, regardless of whether the future was distorted or not, but since there weren’t, it was much safer to let the sequence of events I had experienced once happen as it was.

The doctor nodded at my words.

“You have pinpointed exactly what I was about to say. We have confirmed the extent of the problem without provoking the culprit, so all that remains now is the help of mages, including Your Excellency Askanian.”

“I see. I will do my best. Ah, and I’ve burned the note sent by the Emergency Committee.”

“Good. You haven’t heard the detailed information yet, so….”

“Just a moment. I have something to tell you.”

“Yes?”

It was a different line than before.

But I had to say it now. So that later, the Emergency Committee could piece together the clues themselves and extend a helping hand to me.

What was I going to talk about….

“I’ve deciphered the code of the white phosphorus match.”

“…Yes?”

“Sagt es allen. A, A, E, E, G, L, L, N, T, S, S. Four letters, two letters, five letters. It’s still just my guess, though. Did the government decipher it this way too?”

“…!”

Literally translated, it means ‘Tell it to everyone’. It’s a sentence that makes you wonder what the hell this guy is saying. The phrase ‘Tell it to everyone’ could be written longer, but since it would take time to figure it out even if only one or two letters were added, it seems they tried to express it as shortly as possible within the limits of conveying the meaning.

“…Just a moment, that was definitely stolen….”

My eyes widened at those words.

Stolen. I knew about it, but that was because I found out while secretly exchanging notes with Elias. I was locked in solitary confinement where I couldn’t hear outside news, so I officially shouldn’t know that fact.

Leo never lifted the visitation restriction. The Crown Prince’s influence was also at play in my being confined to the hospital, so to release me from the hospital, he would have had to talk to the Crown Prince.

Instead, he secretly smuggled me out to the palace and back repeatedly. That’s why I was in the hospital until the very end. Thanks to that, I could use the fact that I was stuck in the hospital like this.

Anyway, I had to act. I asked with a bewildered expression.

“…Stolen? The match?”

“Yes. It was stolen from the police bureau. Except for that one match with the hole. How do you know the alphabet?”

“I have a good memory, so I saw it and memorized it when it was collected as physical evidence. By the way, stolen? I just mentioned it to the doctor to see if my guess was right because the content of the code was so random. If I had known this, I would have contacted you earlier….”

The doctor grabbed the back of his neck with a shocked expression. He frowned and muttered.

“…You’re right. If I had known this, I would have contacted His Highness the Crown Prince in advance. To think there was someone who remembered all eleven letters…!”

The doctor tapped his artifact and said something to others. The soundproofing spell was cast on me as well, so I couldn’t hear.

He hung up the call with a serious expression and said to me.

“I have reported that information to the government for now. I don’t know what the code means yet, but it’s better than not even knowing the decrypted code. To have solved the code like that in your hospital room… thank you for your efforts for our government.”

Hmm. Yes.

My attempt to lay the groundwork in advance was a clean success.

After the magic lamp terror, they would contact me again after seeing the strange signs that would appear before and after another terror attack. Just like in the previous timeline.

It was better to slowly and naturally spread the information I knew then, rather than pouring it all out at once.

“More importantly, I said I would give you the detailed information earlier. I will now quickly explain what the Emergency Committee has found regarding this terror incident.”

The doctor’s solemn voice flowed like background music. My gaze was directed around me.

The surroundings were the same as before.

Just once. Not many times, just once, I was re-experiencing something I had already been through, and yet it felt like a dream. I saw the white marble floor and the gray marbling patterns within it. As I passed through the corridor, I saw Old Humans dressed in all-white uniforms and wearing typical nurse’s caps, unlike in the modern era. When I turned my head to the left, I saw the 19th-century elevator we had stood in front of before.

Ding—

The sound of a bell ringing came from the floor. The elevator car had stopped on the 4th floor last time, and it stopped on the 4th floor this time as well. Unless I actively took a different action, this past would lead to the same future. That point hit me again.

“…The 1st Guards Infantry Division of the Guard Corps, which was in charge of the inspection, reported that there were no magic abnormalities.”

I turned my eyes, which had been on the elevator, back to the doctor.

That’s right. ‘No magic abnormalities’.

But in the end, millions of people packed into this land and its many building floors were cursed. From the perspective of someone who has seen the future, I couldn’t be reassured by such words.

The doctor once again extended his black leather-gloved hand and said to me in a solemn voice.

“From the moment you move, Your Excellency will officially participate in this counter-terrorism plan. You will be entrusted with the mission of saving millions of subjects.”

“…….”

I smiled briefly, then replied without expression.

“I know.”

The moment his glove pressed against my wrist, my vision went dark. Perhaps because I had already sustained a warp with him for quite some time in the past, or because my mental strength had been fortified by warping dozens of times to the New Brandenburg National Park, this time I didn’t stagger like I did during the last warp.

A dark strategy room with gray plastered walls came into view. The events that had taken place here flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

There was no more time to be lost in reminiscence. The commander of the Guard Corps, whom I had seen about 60 hours ago, had been leaning against a desk and now approached me, extending his hand.

“Hugo Strauss. I already know about Your Excellency, so I’ll skip the introduction.”

A good choice. I know about him too.

I half-listened to his continuing words and, unlike before, instead of asking about my role, I spoke first.

“My role is to provide you with the most efficient ideas.”

“You know well. His Highness the Crown Prince has personally ordered that Your Excellency, as the right person for strategy, be in charge of reviewing the countermeasures for this terror plan. Now, let’s move.”

He extended his hand to me casually.

The place we moved to was the set prepared by the Emergency Committee, just like before.

The magic lamp explosion experiment went smoothly, just like before. After a few minutes passed like that, we moved to the underground strategy room we had come to earlier.

‘Now it’s the Minister of Magic’s turn to join the meeting.’

Not surprisingly, the Minister of Magic, the chairman of the Emergency Committee, was also at the table. The commander shook his hand and then said to me.

“Perhaps, in this Pentalon, we might have a chance to wipe out the Pleroma leadership through this terror. The leadership will be hell-bent on not missing this good opportunity. An enemy who moves boldly, blinded by profit, is always an easy opponent to bring to their knees.”

I had been skeptical of these words before, and as expected, they were all wrong.

The Pleroma leadership had pulled out of this incident, as Congressman Alexander Kluger had said, and it would be the Imperial government that would be brought to its knees. On a land stained with the blood of 1.37 million people.

I shook my head slightly and opened my mouth to the Minister of Magic, the commander, and the doctor of public security.

“We don’t have much time. I have a thought after seeing this far. May I state my opinion?”

“You’re quick. Of course. What solution do you think there is, Your Excellency?”

“Could you give me the building’s floor plan?”

I pretended to look at the floor plan again this time.

The minister and the doctor of public security, who were standing around me, swallowed hard. Something I hadn’t felt before now came to me.

I put down the floor plan and looked at them.

“Casting cooling magic between the floors is the best way in this situation. For the entire event site.”

“…….”

The commander raised an eyebrow in affirmation and was about to add something to my words.

I knew what he was going to say. It would be a rebuttal that the cooling magic should only be cast in a part of the area.

I asked for permission with a glance and continued speaking.

“If you knew where the white phosphorus was in the building, you would have already put the removal of the white phosphorus into action. But the fact that you haven’t done so until now, with 1 hour and 40 minutes left, means you don’t know the location of the white phosphorus. Am I correct?”

The Minister of Magic nodded.

“…That’s correct.”

“As of now, since we don’t know the location of the white phosphorus, we must cast the spell on the entire site. It will require an enormous number of mages, so the biggest problem will be the suspicion of bringing in mages from the outside. To avoid suspicion, I’d like to hold a diversionary event.”

“A diversion?”

“Let’s set a fire outside.”

*    *    *

Up to this point, it was as smooth as before.

But I couldn’t let my guard down.

Will a variable arise, or not?

I had to find out.

No matter how hard I tried to prevent variables from arising, since there were people who knew the terror would happen, I didn’t know how the situation would unfold.

Beep—

A notification sound announcing 1 minute before the opening came from the transparent artifact hanging on my earlobe.

As before, I came back to the strategy room after checking the fire outside, took off my coat, and stood in front of the table.

I could feel the tension on the faces of the remaining Emergency Committee members.

I took off my gloves, put them in my pocket, and waited for the countdown. The sound of the band’s drums was coming from the artifact placed in the middle of the table.

Beep—

30 seconds before.

I calmly looked down at the artifact among the people who were so anxious they looked like they were about to bite their lips.

“Phew….”

I heard someone, out of breath, trying to take a deep breath. Someone was obsessively stroking their chin. I hadn’t noticed before, but people’s faces were flushed red, as if blood was rushing to their heads due to extreme tension.

I scanned the faces of the minister and the commander and looked at the broadcast artifact again. Soon, all the sound from the artifact stopped.

Beeeeep—

A slightly longer notification.

In the silence, the emperor’s voice was heard.

[Dear New Humans and Old Humans of all nations, welcome to Berlin.]

“…….”

I crossed my arms and tapped my fingers on my arm, counting the seconds.

[…This Pentalon symbolizes that victory. God is with us. May God’s protection be with you!]

Boom—!

Beep—

With the sound of fireworks exploding, the alarm of the stopwatch set by the commander went off.

No variables so far. I’d have to keep an eye on it for about an hour after the opening, but for now, at least.

‘…Thank goodness.’

The commander looked up from his pocket watch and looked at us.

“Well, congratulations. We have successfully passed the first gate.”

You all knew this terror was the first gate, yet you couldn’t stop anything. I suppressed those words and looked at him without expression.

“This was the first step among hundreds of gates. We must maintain the same level of alertness as we do now for the entire five hours of the opening ceremony. You know very well why.”

“I know.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, let’s achieve the best result once again.”

Another hour later.

After receiving the notification that all the white phosphorus had been removed, I left the Emergency Committee with the doctor’s help.

With that, the magic lamp terror was completely over again.

I stood still at the warp point in the staff passage, looking outside, and checked the clock.

In another hour, I would be assigned to the facility inspection and security check duties that Eszett was originally in charge of.

And, that’s when the player would commit suicide.

This time, the player would not commit suicide. For the past two days and eight hours, I, in the guise of Nicolaus, had met the player with Narce and discussed what could happen in the future.

Of course, he didn’t believe my words at first. But in the end, it was a success. Thanks to a full five hours of persuasion. A little Divine Power was also used.

I left the Emergency Committee and entered the basement stairs as before. There was no special reason. It’s just that I had met a person at this place at this time before, so I would be able to meet him at this place this time as well.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Leo said with a faint smile. It was the same words as last time.

I cast a soundproofing spell and said.

“Did you intentionally say the same thing as before? We have more work to do.”

“Still.”

Leo looked around and continued.

“Do you remember the conversation we had here?”

“I remember. You too?”

“I remember. That’s why I’m saying this.”

“…….”

I didn’t reply and just looked at Leo. Unlike two days ago when he was in shock from the terror just after I turned back time, Leo had a calm face as usual. The appearance of his age that I had seen that day was cleanly gone again. He maintained his composure even in the face of a confirmed terror attack, just as he had when he was rescuing people and participating in the Emergency Committee in the previous timeline.

In the novel, the only time Leo showed his emotions without filtering was when something serious happened to Elias. I thought that state two days ago was a rare sight, but it seemed to be a much rarer sight than I had expected.

When I just looked at him silently, he smiled lightly once and extended his hand.

“What are you doing. Let’s go, Lukas.”

*    *    *

“It’s a nice day. Have a good day.”

An Old Human I had never seen before handed flowers to Leo and me and left. This time, I didn’t check for contamination magic by sending my magic power through the flower. I now knew that the terrorist didn’t play tricks on things like flowers.

I’m just curious how long that ‘good day’ will last.

I looked around.

Giant screens placed throughout the venue are broadcasting the opening ceremony, with magic radiating light.

To avoid creating variables here, I didn’t touch the major elements. For example, the Imperial newspaper’s live broadcast, the magic screens, or the Pentalon itself.

However, I did touch the minor parts, the parts that wouldn’t be noticed even if touched.

The sound from the screen I’m looking at as I pass by is quieter than before.

Because I had reduced the maximum volume to 70% of the usual level. It wasn’t something that happened suddenly, but something that had been done since two days ago.

I proposed to save magic power and invest more in the venue’s space magic—they were expanding the site with space magic to accommodate more people—and the government readily accepted my proposal.

And, unlike the last time when they continued to allow entry even after the opening, I proposed to block entry three hours before the opening, but… this was revised and accepted. Entry is restricted from 30 minutes before the opening begins. I suppose my request was rejected for commercial reasons.

‘I can’t block everything by doing this, but….’

It’s better if even one less person is harmed.

Of course, there will be no bloodshed here today.

As before, when I went up to the observatory, I saw my team’s friends, except for Narce.

“Lukas, hi~ It’s been three days.”

“Oh, Luka’s here.”

I see Tsheringen, who is sitting on a chair far away and greeting me as before, and Elias, who is not smiling, unlike before.

As soon as Elias saw me, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me towards the railing. Leo, unlike before, approached us.

“Luka.”

“What.”

“Luuuuka.”

“Speak properly.”

“It’s cold….”

I chuckled. Elias lowered his voice and asked.

“So far, nothing’s happened?”

“Yeah. It’s going smoothly.”

“That’s a relief.”

The conversation didn’t continue. Elias was silently lost in thought.

Elias, who had been asking me where I got my information from since last year until the beginning of this year, didn’t ask about the source of the information regarding this terror.

Narce was the same.

I’m grateful that they trust me not to lie, but at the same time, I feel sorry that I can’t explain.

Then, Heike, who had been staring at us from behind, suddenly appeared.

“Lukas.”

“Oh, Heike.”

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all day.”

It seems he did this time too.

I smiled and replied.

“Really? Me too.”

“You were looking for me? Why?”

“When this is over, let’s go to that photo studio we went to before.”

“Huh?”

Heike tilted her head, then smiled faintly.

“I was going to say that too.”

“We seem to match quite well.”

When I extended my hand as Tsheringen did to me, Heike lightly slapped my hand.

Heike leaned next to me and said without expression.

“I’m relieved that nothing has happened at the opening today.”

“…….”

Neither Elias nor I answered.

We knew that a problem would soon arise. Instead of replying to her words, I muttered.

“Today’s a long day.”

“You’re right. It’s tiring to stand all day.”

Heike misunderstood my words and replied.

I smiled slightly in response and looked at the ground.

It was almost time to go down.

*    *    *

Elias looked at the clock. It was midnight, crossing into February 25th.

On the first floor of the opening ceremony venue, below the seats, Elias stood with Lukas and other mages.

Elias kept glancing at his friend.

Luka had a serene face, as if he didn’t know what was about to happen.

‘Hmm….’

Is he acting?

In a little while, the International Friendship Tournament would be held. After this, this tedious opening ceremony would be over. Elias swallowed and looked at the screen.

An interview with a player participating in the tournament was being broadcast.

‘…He said that person would be the terrorist’s target and commit suicide.’

That’s what Luka told me. I couldn’t believe what he was saying, but seeing that the magic lamp terror incident that Luka had briefly introduced to me two days ago had actually happened… it was worth believing. In the first place, Luka didn’t talk nonsense.

‘I don’t know where he found that out, though.’

I don’t follow what I can’t understand.

Until now, the world for Elias had been full of things he couldn’t understand, so he followed nothing.

That’s how he got his current reputation.

He only started blindly following things he couldn’t understand after meeting Luka. Even if he did things he couldn’t understand, his intentions were always the same as mine.

The urge to find out the truth still bubbled up from time to time….

But if it was Luka’s words, it was worth waiting.

If it had been anyone other than Luka, I would have interrogated them until they answered. But I couldn’t do that to him. I just hoped he would tell me himself someday.

Anyway, now I have to pray that person doesn’t commit suicide.

Luka said that if that person committed suicide, ‘we should just consider it a failure’. Of course. The opening ceremony and everything else would be a complete mess, and a situation where the government’s control was impossible would arise. It would be a stroke of luck for the terrorist.

Elias read the player’s name at the bottom of the screen, Helga Leibnitz, and thought.

As Luka had said, he had cast a one-way soundproofing spell in reverse to block outside sounds, so he couldn’t hear what was being said on the screen. However, the Pentalon organizing committee displayed the content in real-time in a corner of the screen.

[It’s your first appearance in three years since the last Imperial Championship. Your fans are ecstatic. I heard you’ve prepared for a very long time, and the rumors about your passion are well-known. Before I ask about the tournament, first, what are your resolutions for this first Pentalon?]

“…….”

The player’s face was dark, just as Luka had said. He had a frightened expression. In a word, it was still impossible to tell whether he would commit suicide or not.

Luka, who was next to him, had a newspaper rolled up in one hand and his arms crossed. Elias glanced at his still serene face and then looked back at the screen. Even if he looked like that on the outside, Luka must also be staking his life on this moment. He said that the player’s survival was the only way to stop the terror and the first step.

The player wouldn’t want the curse—though I couldn’t feel exactly what it was, from what I heard—to spread to numerous people through his own utterance, but the terrorist was not the kind of person who would stop there just because the player passively resisted through suicide.

‘Ah, if he was that kind of person, why would he commit terror.’

Elias stood with his hands behind his back and tapped his fingers against his other hand. The moment he swallowed, the player’s mouth slowly began to move.

[…It is an honor to be able to mark the beginning of the Pentalon, which symbolizes the peace of all nations and the development of mankind. I have prepared to the best of my ability for the past three years for this match, so today, in this place, I will pour out everything I have worked for, thinking of our subjects, just as I have done so far.]

He heard Luka let out a short breath.

Elias also felt a little hopeful.

‘Good.’

He didn’t look like someone who would commit suicide. Rather, the player seemed to have calmed down a little while speaking. Just don’t die. Elias thought, looking at the screen.

‘Now, just one more step.’

That player has to recite the curse. At first, I almost went crazy when I heard Luka say this, but even Elias himself thought this problem was difficult to solve with prior countermeasures. At least, according to all the information Luka claimed to have gathered so far.

The reporter’s following words were written on the screen.

[Ah, good. Do you have anything you want to say to your fans?]

[…….]

The player’s irises trembled slightly. When silence continued for a long time, the reporter opened his mouth.

[If you don’t….]

‘No!’

Say it! Elias narrowed his eyes and his lips moved.

Fortunately, the player seemed to have changed his mind, and he hurriedly turned his head to the camera and said.

[There is a saying in Revelation 7:10. Salvation—.]

Clack—

The light disappeared.

The screen at the opening ceremony venue, which had been showing the player’s face, turned off.

Elias immediately broke the soundproofing spell. Luka’s eyes widened, then his brow furrowed as he unfolded the newspaper.

[[Belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.]]

The newspaper’s screen and audio were working normally.

In other words, the player’s Bible recitation was only heard on the newspaper.

‘No….’

Who, what kind of idiot would do such a short-sighted thing?

It must have been an ally who cut off the screen to prevent the curse from being heard. Elias looked around.

The newspaper is one thing, but if they cut off the screen, the number of people who get cursed will be significantly reduced. Did Luka, or I, or we not know how to reduce the number of people who get cursed and just stood by? Standing by is a strategy.

Cutting off the screen like this has an obvious intention. ‘I have seen through the curse, and from now on, I will fight you terrorists head-on.’ It means nothing more or less than this. Will the terrorist back down just by cutting off the screen?

No. That won’t happen.

“Luka.”

“Yeah?”

“Was this part of the plan?”

Luka shrugged his shoulders. Then he shook his head.

“No. Now we have to go solve it.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep