LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 98
The dark world regained its light.
My vision restored.
I lost consciousness. Or… I lost control of my body.
The strange stiffness I had felt once before started creeping back.
I muttered to myself, dazed.
“Familiar ceiling…”
“Of course, it is. It’s our hut where we slept yesterday.”
“Ahhh—!”
“…Is it really surprising enough to scream? Am I that shocking?”
“Ah, no, sorry.”
“You just fainted, yet you’re up so quickly. Someone in poor health has impressive body recovery. Makes me want to dissect you.”
“You’re joking, right?”
Skylar stared at me intently with an expressionless face.
A handsome, slightly intimidating face got closer.
Wait, hold on! That was a joke, right?!
As I jolted back in surprise, Skylar finally burst out laughing.
“Of course.”
“Hey!”
“Anyway, don’t you think we need to talk a bit?”
Ah, here it comes.
The phrase “Honey, we need to talk,” which ranks number one in ‘Most Terrifying Phrases for Men,’ slipped right out of Skylar’s mouth.
It was fun back when it was said by others. Hearing it in person now feels heavy.
Oh, and just to clear it up, it doesn’t mean Skylar and I are a couple; it’s just a metaphor, okay?
Skylar began explaining the situation to me.
After I lost control and passed out, my ‘smart self’ popped out and took over the body. And then… I fought Scipio with a sword and won.
…?
Wait, what?
“Are you kidding?”
“Sadly, it’s not a joke.”
“You mean I—the body—defeated that man with a sword?”
“Even in a one-on-one duel.”
“In a one-on-one duel?!”
It sounded ridiculous, but with Skylar speaking seriously with that handsome face, it strangely held some persuasive power. He was always serious about everything.
For the record, I’m not a split personality.
Becoming smart occurs under specific conditions or when alcohol is involved, or shortly after waking up in a dazed state.
I had intentionally spoken vaguely to Skylar, but I’m not really a split personality.
‘…I’m not insane.’
Fine. Since it’s come to this, let’s be bold.
As I sorted through my complicated thoughts on how to respond to Skylar, a Status Window suddenly appeared right in front of me.
Just like old times, without any warning.
–
[Unlock] [Charming Eyes {Slow Bloom}]
[Your eyes see potential, and they call it forth.]
[When the deity views the world, time in the world is merely one of the axes that can be traversed.]
[You haven’t forgotten the description of the traits you chose when generating your character, have you? I hope not.]
–
Alright. I’m a science major from a prestigious university.
I can interpret this.
The world is made up of space and time, and if there are higher-dimensional beings than us, they would be able to move through and traverse time freely.
That thought… or rather, delusion, had crossed my mind.
–
[Unleashed Potential – The Moon, the Remorseless Queen of the Night]
–
…Is ‘calling forth’ possible right now?
Yeah. It said it could summon potentials. So, what would happen if I just left everything up to my ‘potential’ and ran away? Huh? Could you help me out with some excuses?
–
[Calling forth – Exhausted.]
–
‘Ah, damn it.’
The Status Window is no help.
It wasn’t exactly a new realization, but it was completely useless even in this situation.
Would it kill you to help a little?
The Status Window immediately vanished from view.
Yup. It’s gone.
“Skylar.”
“Yes.”
“…Do I need to explain?”
“I… was more or less aware of it. But, others aren’t.”
“Guess I need to, huh. Ha…”
A sigh escaped my lips.
It was a situation that called for it.
Everyone understands, right?
What shocked me more was that Skylar actually thought I had a split personality. I thought he would have caught on to the mix of truth and lies in my words since he’s smart.
Am I better at lying than I thought?
I slowly moved my body outside the hut.
What in the world happened? My joints creaked constantly. A sharp pain surged through my muscles as I moved. Each motion brought along pain.
Cough…
I coughed briefly.
What started as a short cough kept repeating until something finally spewed from my mouth.
Cough- cough- cough…
Kek…
Thud.
A dark red lump spilled out from my mouth. It was a familiar sight, and at this point, it was hardly surprising.
The horrid black lump that I thought I wouldn’t see again after resolving the status penalty eagerly greeted me. I was far from pleased.
“Are you okay?!”
Skylar rushed to my side, startled.
I understood his intent to help me up, but the sensation of someone’s hand around my waist and belly… felt a bit off.
It felt, um, a little, eww, strange.
“Ugh…”
“Selina?”
“Can you, um, let go of my hand?”
“Sure.”
Skylar released his grip, and I slowly moved to sit on the hut floor.
My breath was irregular, and my heart raced.
My limbs throbbed.
A headache pounded, and my chest hurt.
The ailing little girl look was my type, but I didn’t want to become one.
Ugh, no thanks.
“I’m fine, so let the people outside come in. I’ll explain.”
“…Are you really okay?”
“Yeah.”
Skylar slowly opened the door of the hut and stepped outside.
A strange feeling surrounded his body.
I was met with air so humid that I’d never encountered before.
***
The orderly entrance of people into the hut was a bit… funny.
Yeah. It didn’t quite match the situation, but what’s wrong with calling something funny when it’s funny?
Fura flapped her wings in surprise when she saw me sitting on the floor, drenched in sweat and looking like a patient.
Scipio, entering with his granddaughter Auris, caught sight of me and my ruddy lump on the floor, then quickly cupped Auris’s eyes with his palm.
The Gray Cat nonchalantly took a spot in the corner of the hut, like it owned the place.
It was time to explain.
“…Looks like you have many questions.”
“Yeah.”
The first to ask was Scipio.
I understood.
He had just learned that one of the companions he would be traveling with alongside his granddaughter was, in fact, a split personality. Even if he didn’t like the outcome of our duel, he had no words left to say.
He had tested us for his granddaughter’s safety, and he never said he would follow us just because he was defeated.
“Go ahead and ask.”
“Is your other personality safe?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t append the phrase ‘probably’ to it. For now, I needed him.
To capture the Mad King, we needed at least one more person whom Skylar deemed capable enough to support us. Even if Nisha and Propertyius joined, I wasn’t sure we could win.
That’s why I needed to give him confidence.
I avoided ambiguous words and spoke clearly and decisively.
“Is that so.”
“Scipio, I honestly oppose you bringing your granddaughter on our dangerous journey. But at the same time, I understand. A grandfather’s heart wants to provide everything for his granddaughter and let her do all she wishes.”
“…I don’t seek understanding.”
“If you’re bringing her on a dangerous journey, then at least when confronting the Mad King, you’d want her to travel safely, even if she’s evacuated during battle.”
Auris wanted to travel. She wanted to see the world.
That’s why Scipio wanted to show her the world.
It’s simple logic.
He wouldn’t want to send his granddaughter to a dangerous place, yet he couldn’t coldly refuse her request. So, he set a ‘bet’ he thought he could win.
And he lost that bet with me. More accurately, I lost to the potential I summoned.
While I wanted to argue that traveling with a split personality Bard was dangerous for his granddaughter, I had confidently asserted that it would be safe.
He had no other reason left to refuse.
Human psychology doesn’t always operate rationally. That’s something I know better than anyone.
If people acted based on solid grounds like a computer, how efficient would this world operate?
In the end, what mattered in this decision wasn’t a reasonable justification or logic but Scipio’s own emotions.
Did he, the aging man, want to set off on an adventure again?
That would be his answer.
“Yeah. I hope for a safe journey. But at the same time, I’m a little… hesitant. I know my granddaughter will be safe while you all fight the Mad King. I also know that risk won’t arise during the journey. But I hesitate. For no reason, really.”
“So you’d prefer a risky adventure over a safe journey?”
“No, I—”
I infused my gaze with magic.
I knew who he was: the platinum Adventurer, holding one of the top spots among them.
Getting mesmerized wouldn’t last long.
Even if he fell for it, he’d realize he had once been ensnared the moment it wore off.
I was risking it all, trying to play dice here.
I was pulling out a response on a whim.
I had tried persuading him with logic and emotion, but since he was still hesitating, it felt frustrating.
“—Let’s go together.”
“Alright.”
Scipio’s eyes regained their focus.
His sharp gaze swept over me.
“Did you use your eyes?”
“I thought it might help your decision.”
“…That’s enough. It was just a matter of time regardless of whether you used them or not. Your answer wouldn’t have changed.”
Strangely, nothing happened contrary to my expectations.
The eyes that regained focus in Scipio were no longer those of an old man, but of a young man.
They sparkled again.