Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 188



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 188

jumbled (1)

A game room with a sign that says [Under Construction].

“Okay.”

I saved the “protection” that Elise had told me into the database of “Notepad”.

Now, all we have to do is connect this to the “Delivery Box”.

The Trick City wizards are confused by the method of connection called ‘Chimera’, but the principle itself is actually simple. All you have to do is assemble the ‘Delivery Box’ and ‘Protection’ of the database in various ways, and select only the combinations that are compatible without any problems.

In other words, it can be seen as a process of randomly connecting the ‘dots’ and ‘dots’ of the spells.

It may sound easy, but it is probably a method that only I, and only I, use on this continent.

It’s too tedious for a person to do it themselves.

For example, let’s say that one magic spell has 30 connectable points, and another magic spell has 15.

The number of cases in which the two can be connected ignorantly is ‘202,843,204,931,727,360,000’.

Of course, if we only summarize the theoretically possible connections, the number is reduced to 20,000 to 30,000, but even that is not easy. It is absolutely impossible on the spot.

I am not.

“Notepad” can calculate and perform the above process very mechanically and automatically. It somehow finds a way to connect the formulas like a chimera.

Therefore, this chimera technique is definitely a privilege given ‘only to me’… …

“Okay.”

Elise said the same thing as I did. I glanced over. A box the size of a small dog was floating in the air.

Elise put a few drinks in it.

“Go and see.”

Wheeing─

The box came to me.

“Drink.”

“… … Oh. Thank you.”

He took out a cola and drank it. Elise asked with an interested look.

“How does it taste? Is it the same? Is there any change?”

“It’s the same… … Wait. Was this an experiment?”

The guy muttered while writing something in his notebook.

“There is no chemical or magical change in the internal substance… … .”

dripping-

A knock rings at that very moment.

Elise checked her watch and opened the door.

As expected, it was Soliette.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“are you okay.”

Meow─

Growl meowed beside Soliet. She picked him up and said,

“Then. Should I log in right away?”

[Bedondon] The thought already made his face happy.

Elise nodded.

“That’s why we gathered here in the first place. But, where are you guys now? I’m in the beginner village.”

“Oh, that’s okay. When I reached level 30, I obtained a [Summoning Scroll]. I will summon Elise with it. The high priest is precious… … ”

Soliet paused as she tried to place the game console on the stand. She looked back at Elise with a strange expression.

“… … Miss Elise.”

“huh?”

“By any chance. You didn’t lie to the class or anything like that, did you?”

“… … You’re lying?”

“You’re a common priest, but you lied and said you were a high-ranking priest… … Right? The summoning scroll is an expensive item.”

It was a very suspicious remark.

Elise narrowed her eyes.

“Are you doubting me?”

“… … First, let’s log in. Ms. Elise. What’s your ID?”

“ID? Why that?”

“You must be a friend to be summoned.”

“… … .”

“Is there a problem?”

When Elise hesitated, Solliet furrowed her brow.

“Ha. If you lied about your class to get the attention of high-level users like me, then tell me now.”

“I said no. That’s not it… … .”

Elise licked her lips and put her mouth near Solliet’s ear. She whispered very softly, watching my expression.

“… … Yes. I’ll add you as a friend right away. I’ll log in first.”

Soliet immediately put the CD into the game console.

We followed her too.

* * *

[Bethundun] Inside.

Aventajer Mansion.

As soon as I logged in, I was standing in the middle of the living room, and next to me, Solliet was manipulating the friends window.

“Zion. I sent a friend request to Miss Elise.”

“What is his ID?”

“This is Elise.”

“It’s Elise? What’s so complicated about it?”

“──Everyone’s here!”

Just then, Railo appeared, with Sieric by his side.

He leaned against the wall and ran his hair over it as if trying to set the mood.

“Congratulations, Soliet.”

“……congrats?”

“I got accepted. To the National University’s Department of Engineering.”

“The announcement hasn’t been made yet.”

Eric came over, grinning.

“There is a way to know everything-”

Wheeee …

Suddenly a cylindrical halo of light descended from the ceiling.

A woman and a camel appear in that dazzling, brilliant scene.

Warm─

The camel stepped forward first. Its two eyes scanned the interior with pride. Its entire body was covered in glossy black fur.

Warm─

The gait was elegant, and even the teeth were neat, unlike those of a camel.

“… … I responded to the summons.”

Elise said from the camel’s saddle.

Railo looked at her with a surprised expression.

“… … Aren’t you Miss Petra?”

“Phew. That’s right, High Priest.”

Soliet sighed in relief after checking the user information.

Crackle- Crackle- Elise moved her camel silently. As if showing off some kind of figure. As if telling me to hurry up and praise her camel. As if telling me to admire it right now.

Warm- warm-

Just quietly circling around the living room.

Warm- warm-

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

We just watched.

Warm- warm-

“… …Why are you like that?”

Railo whispered.

“I don’t know.”

Warm- warm-

Elise continued to circle around the interior.

“Elise. Long time no see.”

Eric looked the camel up and down.

“What’s that camel? Is it a pet?”

Probably what Elise wants to hear the most right now.

“She is a perfect fit. Her name is Bianca. She is clean and can live indoors. She is also genetically different from other camels… .”

She raved for fifteen minutes about the intelligence, cleverness, and loyalty of Bianca the Camel.

* * *

The operations conference room of the Aventajer mansion.

“… … Up to here. Do you understand?”

Railo explained to Elise about the ‘Count’s Cask’ and the Nightmare. Elise nodded.

“Okay. I understand everything.”

The guy must have liked the part that said, ‘Bianca can become reality too.’

“How do I break the barrel?”

Solliet asked bluntly.

“The method is in the barrel. You have to enter the ‘barrel of souls’ created by the Count.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous a method?”

Elise frowned slightly.

“I’m not a person with a lot of time. I have a schedule starting tomorrow.”

The boy puffed out his cheeks. It was the elegant way of expressing discontent of a future wizard and nobleman.

“Not in the normal way. We’ll take a slightly different approach.”

Railo put a pair of goggles down on the table. We all looked at it with the same eyes.

“… … What is it?”

“It’s a machine. It’s a machine that sends only ‘consciousness’, not the body, to the soul’s chamber. If you use it, you can experience the inside of the chamber.”

“Experience?”

“Yes. Experience. Your ‘consciousness’ is transferred to the soul inside the barrel. If you use this, you can see, hear, and experience things inside the barrel while you are outside the barrel. If there is a problem, you can disconnect whenever you want.”

“… … Huh.”

“I have no intention of putting you in danger either.”

Elise pouted, and I picked up my goggles and looked around.

“Who made these goggles?”

“There is a sack inside the soul can. We will find a way to break the can with these goggles.”

Railo raised his finger with a stern face.

“But before that, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, since this is a method of transferring only consciousness and not souls, your appearance will be completely different from yours now.”

“What about appearance?”

I played with my cheek.

“Yes. Not only in appearance, but you become a completely different person. There’s the second caveat. Since you won’t recognize each other, there’s a password. The question is, ‘Do you have nail clippers?’ The answer is, ‘I buried them in the ground.’ Try it on me.”

“… …Do you have nail clippers?”

I asked Railo. Railo shook his head.

“I buried it in the ground. That way, they can recognize each other.”

“I understand. It’s like spy information.”

Only then did Elise’s face turn a little excited, and Solliet put on her goggles.

“The third and final one. There are already agents inside that we dispatched. The same goes for Soliet’s party members.”

“Ah. You mean Hans, Carl, Jenny, and Chris?

Soliet quickly took off her goggles and asked again.

“……okay.”

“They were there.”

“There are other agents as well, and they also know the password. So if you happen to be a colleague, ask them. … … Now, sit down.”

We sat down on the chairs one by one. The order was me, Solliet, Elise, and Eric. We each wore goggles.

“This is just a trial run. The connection will end in an hour. Probably, an hour here will be eight hours there. Now, flip the switch on the right side of the goggles.”

I put my hand on the goggles. As the rail said, there was a switch.

widely-!

At that moment, the world changed.

“Oh, I’m dizzy… … What is it?”

I looked around. It was noisy everywhere. Lights were flashing everywhere.

Whew── Whew── Whew── The noise and music of the club filled the room, and the dancers’ feet reverberated like an earthquake.

It really was like a club.

“… …noisily.”

I covered my ears.

“What’s wrong?”

A voice flowed from the front. It was the bartender. I looked at her. Her eyes, nose, mouth, and even ears were perfect.

I glanced at the bar counter. The feel was the same. Everything felt real.

“… … Where is this place?”

I asked the bartender.

“yes?”

Then she looked a little surprised.

“I’m so drunk. Haha.”

“Ah… … Where is it? The Bern Club. Would you like a glass of whiskey?”

“no.”

I searched my inside pocket. Luckily, my wallet was there. My ID card said… … .

[Detective: Victor Randel]

detective?

I licked my lips. Ahem. I coughed and asked the bartender.

“Do you have any nail clippers?”

“Nail clippers?”

“Um. No. It’s fine if you don’t have any.”

I got up from the chair.

Yeah─ Yeah─ Yeah─

The speakers were blaring like crazy. I went outside to avoid the noise.

“……after.”

Outside, where the cold wind blows. In the alley, rascals are kneeling and smoking cigarettes, and guys with piercings are arguing with each other.

They say it’s a world full of happiness. I guess that’s not the case.

I leaned against the wall and put my hands in my pockets.

What should I do here?

“Hey, old man.”

A sharp voice flowed from the alley.

Some guy was smoking a cigarette and giggling.

“What is an old man doing here?”

“… …Do you have nail clippers?”

I just asked that. The guy frowned.

“What are you saying?”

“No, it’s not nothing.

I snapped my fingers. A card was pulled out. Fortunately, skills and such seemed to be applied even in this state.

“……hmm?”

That was when.

Jeokbuk─ Jeokbuk─

A man with his hood pulled over his head came up to me and stood next to me.

He glanced at me and asked.

“You. I think you have something to ask me.”

“… …Do you have nail clippers?”

“I buried it in the ground.”

The hairs on my head stood on end.

Is this what a spy story, a thriller feels like?

“But don’t ask too often or loudly. There’s no need to spread rumors.”

Anyway, she’s an agent. Not Elise or Soliet though.

I asked quietly.

“What did you find out?”

“… … Yes.”

He took a cigarette out of his bosom and lit it.

“This is Edsilla.”

“… … Edsilla?”

“Yes. He modeled this ‘tank’ after a part of the capital city of Edsilla. It has a population of 130,000. Everyone here thinks they are Edsilla. They think they are living, breathing people. They are all already dead souls… … . It’s easier to think of it as a reality matrix.”

I looked around. There was no suspicious sign.

“How do I destroy this soul tank?”

The man answered curtly.

“… … Ask someone else about that.”

“Who else?”

He pulled his hood down deeper.

“That person… … You probably know, right? Even if you’re not Soliet.”

He gave a small smile as he mentioned Soliette. I looked back at him.

“Who are you? I-”

“No. Don’t tell me who you are.”

He put his hand over my mouth.

“There’s a system/police department here called the ‘Status quo’. If you get caught by them, it’s over. Your consciousness will be trapped in that body.”

And then I glanced around.

“Before that, I just ask if you are a trustworthy person. What is your level?”

“22.”

“What is your occupation?”

“Trust me, it’s a hidden class.”

Then the man sighed in relief.

“Hidden class… … Yes. Level and class are everything here. It’s the world of spirits in the game. If it’s a hidden class, it’s at least in the top five.”

“So. Who do you want me to go to?”

“… … .”

He licked his lips, seemed to hesitate, and then whispered very softly.

“Javed Arkhneh.”

Javed Arkhneh.

Arcne’s blood relative and Soliet’s older brother.

For a moment, the back of my neck stood on end. My lower back became stiff.

“He is alive here. His spirit is alive and moving.”

The man put his hand in my pocket.

“… … Go find that person.”

And then he disappeared into the alley. In an instant, as if melting into the darkness… … .

I searched through my pockets. There was a note with an address written on it.

Perhaps it was Javed Arkne’s location.