Chapter 299

Narce’s gaze turned to me. I shook my head once at the unbelievable news and asked.

“He passed away.”

“Yes. Ten years ago.”

When I heard that the person I knew was already dead, how was I supposed to react? My entire body, starting from the tips of my fingers and toes, began to stiffen.

“Ten years ago…”

“It seems we have brought up a painful memory for Your Highness. We are truly sorry.”

While I was unable to escape the momentary shock, Leo, who had been observing the Archduke’s expression, cut me off and apologized. The Archduke waved his hand, indicating there was no need for that.

“No, I understand that it is necessary for the investigation. I am grateful enough for your efforts for the sake of the House of Austria-Este’s heirloom.”

The Archduke looked around at us and continued.

“However, we manage the item at a family level, and above all, my late brother managed the parure in the same way I do, so there is no special information that he would have known.”

“I see. I understand.”

Leo replied, glancing in my direction. He was signaling for me to ask if I had any questions, but right now, I needed time to sort out my thoughts.

Perhaps frustrated that the desired story wasn’t coming out, the Archduke leaned closer to us and asked.

“So how is the investigation progressing? For example, has there been any investigation into whether there is an organized theft group, or a re-investigation of the people who entered the country that day?”

“Yes, the Investigation Bureau has already investigated all arrivals and departures for a week from that day, but we have not found any trace of the stolen item on our end. Also, our Eszett has a mage with the ability to read the memories of objects. We are investigating with that person around the border, but we have not found anything unusual yet. We apologize.”

“Hmm…”

While I was staring straight ahead, a mundane conversation took place.

My head is a mess because I haven’t been able to wash away the shock from the deceased. To think that the person I spent time with, even if only for a few days, was actually already dead.

There’s also… yes, I thought it was too easy. If I could ask the Archduke who had experienced 12 years directly, the problem would be solved immediately. Now that I’ve encountered an unexpected variable, it seems I’ll have to take a longer route.

Narce tapped my ankle with the toe of his shoe. I turned my head slightly, and Narce, who was staring intently into my eyes, read my thoughts and asked the Archduke.

“Is there a special magic formula that only the House of Austria-Este possesses?”

“I cannot tell you about the magic formula that has been passed down in our family. As you know, such things are all confidential. I would tell you if it were also related to this matter, but… you must ensure strict secrecy.”

The Archduke made a sour face, as if he had heard too many absurd questions today. Narce, too, seemed unsure and lightly bit the inside of his lip.

— “There’s nothing to be gained. This person really knows nothing.”

I nodded at Narce’s words. After that, we continued our conversation with the second Maria for a while longer, and then returned to the mansion.

If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll have to rely on another source.

“You’re finally here…”

Elias muttered in a dying voice from my bed. I didn’t even think to greet him and put my luggage down on a chair.

“Did you get anything? It must have been great going without me?”

Leo replied dryly to Elias’s sarcastic remark.

“I told you to stay and organize the data.”

“But I’m a field person!”

“So you didn’t do it?”

“I did it…”

Elias buried his face in my pillow and pointed to a stack of papers on the desk. Normally, I would have told him to get out, but I wasn’t in the right mind for that now.

I sat on the edge of the bed and said quietly.

“Leo. I want to meet your uncle.”

“Hmm?”

Leo seemed to be seriously doubting what he had just heard.

“…You mean His Highness Emanuel. Have I ever introduced him to you?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know him. Is he related to this case?”

“He should at least be able to give us a clue.”

He, as the Archduke’s only occult friend, might know information that even his younger brother doesn’t. Although there was a physical distance between them, Emanuel was an unparalleled close friend to the Archduke in that he shared his secret hobby. Also, the Archduke often visited Bavaria, and Emanuel often went to Austria. That’s what I gathered from their conversations.

Leo stared at me, frozen, then shook his head.

“Of all people, he’s involved in the theft of the House of Austria-Este? Just how far have you investigated.”

“What do you mean.”

“My uncle hates it when that family’s name is even mentioned. I don’t know what kind of problem he had with them, but…”

He hates them.

Because his friend died? Or is there another reason? Thoughts flooded my mind. All sorts of possibilities and the appropriate probabilities for them popped up sporadically in my head, hindering my calculations. In the meantime, Leo avoided my eyes and said.

“He probably already knows that we’ve taken on this theft case. So… I can’t let you meet him.”

“……”

“Even if I ask him, and even if you send a letter to my uncle directly, he will refuse.”

“Are you sure?”

I asked with a short breath. Leo’s face showed that he understood my feelings. But the answer that came back was utterly firm.

“Yes.”

*  *  *

Leo was right.

I sent a letter to Archduke Emanuel asking if we could meet, and I immediately received a refusal by warp mail. I hadn’t even mentioned a single word about Austria-Este, but as Leo had said, Emanuel knew what case we were on and predicted that I would ask about it.

Asking for help from the Imperial Family or the King of Bavaria is also pointless. First of all, I don’t want to use the power of the Imperial Family to exert force on a member of the Bavarian royal family, and since it is customary not to use Divine Power to investigate royalty, if Emanuel plays dumb now, when there is no physical evidence of his involvement in this case, it will be the end of it.

So, what can I do?

“I heard you collapsed and then got up.”

I opened my eyes. Emanuel, who was sitting on the back of the sofa, held the cigarette he was smoking to my lips and smiled.

It was 12 years ago. I am back in the Extra Chapter. I didn’t just arrive now; I came here half a day ago in this world’s time, after investigating the deceased Archduke Maria.

Since my friends outside need time to investigate, I purposely didn’t raise the Time Lag level any further. Elias and Narce have decided to continue approaching the Hermetische Gesellschaft as they have been doing, so I need to be able to hear information when I come out. The information they bring is also important to me.

I waved my hand.

“If you’re going to give me one, give me a new one.”

“You’re picky. Are you sure you’re an American?”

“What do you think of Americans… Do you think Americans don’t know about hygiene?”

“Haha.”

Emanuel didn’t answer and smoked his cigarette with a smile.

Here, I will find a way to win the favor of the real Emanuel, and more fundamentally, I will spend more time with Archduke Maria here to get information. Archduke Maria said that he moved up the founding of the club by several years because of me. I will listen carefully to his ‘original plan’ and approach it cautiously so as not to greatly interfere with the future that would have originally happened.

If it were something that would be too much for me, I wouldn’t go this far, but spending some peaceful time is not a big problem. I can’t just drop it completely because an imperial order is at stake, and now that I know what kind of technology the Archduke’s is, I can’t just leave it alone without knowing what’s in the parure.

Let’s review the conversation Leo and I had yesterday. What if Pleroma’s ‘ability replication’ had some kind of restriction? So, what if they were looking for his technology to remove that restriction?

It’s just one of many possibilities, but the problem is that there are countless such hypotheses. If the hypothesis is true, the damage from it will spread like wildfire in an instant.

On the contrary, if I can gain information with the leisure to breathe peacefully, I welcome it. I looked at the cigarette smoke coming from above me, thinking about the discoloration of the wallpaper.

“In 12 years, will Your Highness be 41 years old?”

“I’m 29 now, so… I guess so.”

“That’s a lot.”

“41 is a lot? I have 100 years left to live.”

“I mean, there’s a big difference between us.”

Emanuel seriously considered what that had to do with being 41, then let out a dry laugh.

“Then, Sir Everett, you’ll be 35. We have a six-year age difference, isn’t it a bit much to say that six years is a lot?”

“It’s more than enough. When I entered middle school, Your Highness entered the First Academy.”

It was a brainless answer. When I return to reality, he’ll be 41 and I’ll be 18. That’s a difference of over 20 years. A six-year difference, well, in Korea, they obsess over even a one or two-year difference, so it might be a bit difficult, but here, it’s not a problem for becoming friends. Even so, twenty years is a bit difficult. I’m ready to act, but no matter how hard I try, the other person will see me as a child.

‘In the eyes of a 41-year-old, an 18-year-old is… the age of their child.’

This is awkward. The fact that I’m his nephew’s friend is actually a minus.

“What should I do to become friends with Your Highness?”

“Then take it like an American.”

He once again held out the cigarette he was smoking.

“Did you by any chance suffer some injustice from an American?”

“That’s strange. You said you wanted to become friends with me?”

“If you want to smoke together, how about giving me a new one?”

“This is the last one.”

“To think you were so considerate of me and I didn’t even realize.”

“That’s right. Do you understand?”

“I thought I understood, but now that I think about it again, I don’t. I’m grateful that you were going to give me your last one, but it’s the first time I’ve actually seen someone give something they’ve been smoking all along. Do you want to share your oral microbiome with me?”

“…That’s very scientific. Who on earth thinks that far? That’s why it will be difficult for you to become friends with me, Sir.”

Emanuel replied with a chuckle. I had no intention of smoking anyway, but of course, anyone would think about hygiene. It seems that he strangely prioritizes useless things like loyalty, affection, or romance, but in my opinion, hygiene comes first no matter how you look at it. Even if I think about it a hundred times, hygiene comes first. Even if I think about it a thousand times, hygiene still holds a better value for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a 21st-century person, but sometimes it’s hard for me to follow the romantic sentiments of this era. I probably wouldn’t be able to adapt to the different atmosphere of 1960s Europe from the 21st century, let alone the 1880s. This place is honestly a completely different world from the 21st century. I can only live by letting go of the 21st-century mindset and taking it easy.

“When is His Highness Maria coming.”

Since we parted after learning the unique ability last time, Maria von Österreich-Este is staying at Emanuel’s mansion. But now, he was nowhere to be seen.

“He probably went to Berlin to look for a place.”

He’s so passionate, without even resting. I felt like my mood would sink if I met someone who would die in two years right away, so I also needed time to prepare myself. In that sense, being apart for a while was a relief.

I took the glass of whiskey Emanuel handed me, took a sip, and lay down again.

“Archduke Maria introduced me to a unique ability that generates water. Are there any other unique abilities?”

“Why?”

“I’m curious.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then, is there a unique ability that Archduke Maria wants to have?”

“Why do you ask so many questions? Why do you only talk about Maria?”

“It’s just my type to only talk about what I’m into.”

“You’re into… What?”

Emanuel frowned and looked down at me. I’ve caused a problem by making a rough excuse. I resolved to choose my words carefully even with New Humans and corrected myself.

“I mean I’m into the occult. I’ve made an occult friend, wouldn’t Your Highness be the same?”

“Right… Whatever it is, you’ve stirred things up, so now we have to go find the treasure chest.”

Emanuel seemed to have decided to tell me what he didn’t like about me at this opportunity, and he pressed down on me slightly with his Magic Power as he spoke.

“I’m a little surprised that you say it’s because of me. Wasn’t Your Highness originally going to look for the treasure chest with His Highness the Archduke?”

“Hoo… Why are we looking for it now. I’ve been placating him to look for it later.”

So you’re saying he’ll get bored and give up on his own later? But I’ve lit a fire under him.

I’m sorry, but I have to light a fire to create some momentum. Thinking so, I asked something I was personally curious about. I was also asking to consider the possibility that he might be a different person from what I had investigated.

“What is Archduke Maria’s full name?”

“Hmm…”

The silence lengthened.

‘Don’t tell me you don’t even know your friend’s name?’

I became very suspicious, but fortunately, Emanuel snapped his fingers.

“Beatrix, and something else.”

“I see. I hope you will at least remember your friend’s name.”

Fortunately, it’s the same as the information I’ve investigated.

Earlier, the younger brother, Leopold Maria, referred to Beatrix Maria as ‘hyung-nim’. In fact, he called him Venerabilis, not ältere Bruder. New Humans use different words from Old Humans. I lump all Venerabilis together as hyung or sometimes call Adrian Askanian by the Old Human term for older brother, ältere Bruder, but usually, New Humans use the word Venerabilis to refer to older siblings or mages with a large amount of Magic Power. In other words, it’s impossible to guess even from such words. I’m the only one who calls them hyung in the Old Human way.

Emanuel grumbled at my remark. Even so, I had become quite close with the 29-year-old Emanuel, so I wouldn’t be dragged away for lèse-majesté. As I closed my eyes without answering, Emanuel broke the silence and asked.

“Is your job as a teacher still manageable these days?”

“Of course.”

I have placated him well by saying I would be a better friend and teacher than Fronto, so Leonard won’t be following me around in his spare time for a while. Before Emanuel could continue talking about Leonard, I asked.

“What should I do to become closer to Archduke Maria?”

“You don’t look like you want to be very close.”

Emanuel, who had been staring at me, laughed.

Well, he’s a person who will die in two years. I don’t want to get hurt unnecessarily. But to know how Maria ended up bringing in his family’s heirloom, and whether this is really just my speculation or a high possibility of actually happening, it’s not enough to just spend time in a superficial relationship. As I shrugged, he threw out a word.

“If you want to get closer, try to get invited to Maria’s house.”

“I can’t leave the country because of my classes.”

“Aha. Then there’s no choice but to find the treasure chest~”

“Do you think that’s realistic?”

“No.”

He’s a precise person. Even 12 years later, that treasure chest is in the realm of the unknown, to the point where it’s used in the interview for joining the secret club. If it had really been discovered, it would definitely have been in the newspapers.

Getting close to the Archduke by finding the treasure chest is out of the question…

‘If I suggest putting an ability in the parure, I’d be changing the future.’

In that case, the Archduke would try to put some ability into the parure. The greater my intervention, the more the information I obtain will be clouded by my influence.

Let’s think about this logically. What kind of crazy person would think of applying a new technology they developed to their family’s heirloom? How many accessories are there in the world that can be made into artifacts, and how easy are they to obtain? Why did he have to touch the family’s property and a historically valuable heirloom?

If an extreme environment is created in a certain sense, to the point where the Archduke thinks of the parure on his own without me even mentioning the ‘p’ of parure, it becomes somewhat reliable information. Of course, things might be a little different since things have been brought forward, so it’s right to get additional information here as quickly as possible and then cross-verify it when I get out. If I’m wrong, it’s right to quickly back off.

Since Elias and Narce are approaching the Hermetische Gesellschaft of 12 years later, if I’m wrong here, it would be better for me to join them.

‘For now, let’s aim for a fortnight this time too.’

12 hours in the outside world.

Within a fortnight of this world’s time, I will aim to naturally listen to and remember everything about Maria.

And so, I spent three more days in this world’s time studying the basics of occultism and finally finished.

The Archduke clapped his hands and shot up from his seat.

“Alright! Let’s have a party to celebrate finishing one book! Sir Everett, you are truly passionate. To go through all of occultism in just one week.”

“Haha…”

Damn it… The only thing I’ve learned is some occult theory.

I thought it looked easy, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be as simple as it seemed. It’s difficult to naturally connect the occult and family property, and these guys only talk about what they’re interested in. I can have a lot of conversations, but it’s hard to steer them in the direction I want.

I tried to lead with questions like ‘Do you also make jewels into artifacts?’, but I only received looks that said I was asking the obvious. I risked asking about a slightly closer topic, but I only received bland answers that anyone could have given. It was the same for unique abilities and other questions. In the first place, all of these conversations turned to basic occult studies, so I couldn’t even talk for long.

Perhaps sensing something from my soulless reaction, Emanuel, who was behind me, closed his book and chuckled.

“Maria.”

“Hmm?”

Emanuel, who had become more accustomed to our trio’s meetings, began to speak casually to the Archduke even when I was present. Emanuel opened his mouth again.

“Do you think Sir Everett is here because he really likes the occult?”

“…?”

I turned around, ready to shut Emanuel’s mouth if necessary. Emanuel, seeing my expression, was momentarily flustered and laughed, then leaned his head to the side and said to Archduke Maria.

“He’s here because he wants to do direct activities with you.”

“Direct activities, you say…”

The Archduke stroked his chin and looked at me with serious eyes.

“Am I thinking what I think I’m thinking?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“What are you asking? Sir Everett hasn’t said anything like that to you until now. He’s having a hard time bringing it up to you directly, you should have noticed by now.”

The Archduke, with a look of realization, gave me an apologetic expression.

“I didn’t even know… If you had told me, I would have accommodated you.”

“What do you mean? For the record, I think studying occult necromancy and such in theory is enough.”

“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”

“……”

As I blinked, wondering what he wanted me to do, the Archduke argued with Emanuel.

“He doesn’t know.”

“That’s because Sir Everett is still a beginner in the occult.”

Emanuel got up from the sofa and pulled me by the shoulder.

“It’s Dante’s Divine Comedy.”

“I know. So what.”

“You should at least travel with Virgil once.”

For a moment, I got the chills and looked back at Emanuel. Is he telling me to go to the other side for a while? A near-death experience? A tour of the afterlife?

As expected, I heard something absurd. Emanuel patted my shoulder and laughed.

“If you try an out-of-body experience together, you’ll be able to get as close as you want.”

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