Published at 22nd of January 2024 12:07 pm

Chapter 330: Fragment: Fragments of Memories Part One

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

I was severed from something immensely large. That was the initial sensation of “it” that flowed into me. That being said, there wasn’t any typical feeling of loss or loneliness there. Only the unshakeable truth that I had been “separated” existed.

Next, my awareness turned to something spherical that was neatly formed. At the center of the sphere, there was an especially white and robust sphere, and various colored spheres floated around it.

(Ah, I see. So this is the shape of the world I’m in… I thought it would be flatter, so this is a bit surprising.)

The central sphere and the one hundred spheres surrounding it came together to form one massive sphere. The harmonious sight was so beautiful it almost brought me to tears.

The “it” floating in such a world was drawn into one of the spheres floating around the white central sphere… it entered one world.

No, “entering” isn’t quite right. Being sucked in… falling? From the outside to the inside of the world, “it” gently fell like a cotton fluff. And as it floated in the wind, it eventually landed on someone’s head and sank in.

“Hm? What is this? My head… a voice?”

Then, my point of view switched to the man into whom “it” had entered. A blend of “it” and this man’s thoughts flowed into me.

[Only the chosen and excellent ones can save the world. To save all people, lead the chosen.]

“What is this!? I was indeed confused, but… who are you? Who’s interfering with me from where?”

[The fight against the demon army is only intensifying. Instead of chasing trivial possibilities and wasting precious resources, all power should be invested in the talented chosen ones.]

“Hmm, that is true… but still…”

[Do not hesitate, make your decision. Do not be deceived by pleasing but empty words like ‘equality’ and ‘fairness.’ Or do you think some random farmer can take your place?]

“Don’t be ridiculous! I have received advanced education and training since childhood to inherit my family! That cannot be done by mere farmers… hm, I see.”

The angered man, who had heard the voice in his head, became calm in an instant. At the same time, the perception of “it” also changed from deceptive sweet words to useful advice.

“That’s right, exactly. I, who have been raised to become the head of a noble family, cannot do something like farming. Even if farmers were granted authority, they couldn’t govern territories like me. Of course, it’s possible that I could have a knack for agriculture, and farmers could be talented rulers. But is it really right to waste precious time and money to discover that? Should I abandon what is already working for such low probabilities?”

[Exactly. Everything in the human world is finite, and it is impossible to discover every possibility. Even if you sow seeds in a desert, they may sprout. Even seeds sown in well-tilled fields may wither. But would someone who scatters half of their valuable seeds in the desert in the name of ‘equality’ be a saint or a sage? No, they would undoubtedly be a fool.]

“Hmm…”

(I see, so this is what it’s like… Well, it’s persuasive.)

Inside the troubled man’s head, I, for my part, was impressed with the way “it” did things. The words were persuasive, and even I, who had nothing to do with it, found myself nodding. Especially for someone who is troubled…

“Yes, indeed. No matter how wealthy my family may be, our resources are not unlimited. There’s a limit to the number of excellent individuals who can be guided, and above all, it takes time to nurture people. Perhaps, the new academy should only accept nobles, and focus on nurturing them.”

(Academy…? Ah!?)

At the man’s words, something clicked inside me. It was the story of a boy who discovered his power as a hero in a school that was open to all.

(Wow, so that’s what’s happening! Ah, this is bad…)

This is similar to Hero Rain’s situation. She was on her way to becoming an idol, but this was a policy shift aimed at crushing that boy’s path to becoming a hero from the get-go. If he can’t get into the academy, he might not even leave his hometown in the first place.

By the way, Miguel and that hero are different people. Since Miguel was treated as a prodigy during his childhood, he could get admitted to the academy under normal circumstances.

(Well, it is quite beneficial that I came to know this information before coming to this world. I’ll think about countermeasures later.)

If I had known in advance, there would have been plenty of things I could do. Although I felt a slight sense of satisfaction at this point, my purpose for being here hadn’t been achieved yet. I hastily resynchronized my consciousness with “it”…

(Eh, isn’t this taking too long?)

My viewpoint remained indefinitely within this man. Whether a day passed or two, nothing changed.

Moreover, there were no particular changes in “it.” The man’s thought manipulation had already ended, and although he talked from time to time, the content merely reiterated that this policy was correct, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

(Speaking of which, Euralia had spent ten years after hosting a “Fragment of God”…)

A terrible premonition crossed my mind. Would I remain as the person inside this old man for years, left to my own devices? That would be unbearably dull to the point where I felt like my spirit would die.

(Is there anything? Anything at all? Like acceleration… there has to be, right!?)

Hanging onto a sliver of hope, I tried everything I could think of. I tensed my whole body, sent out my thoughts intensely, swung my arms around, and even tried dancing a quaint dance, but… nothing changed in my world from within the old man.

I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the old man who had a strange man frolicking around in his head, but this was ultimately the past world that “it” had experienced. Hence, I couldn’t interfere in any way. I should be able to fast-forward until a change occurred…

(Damn, do I have to interfere more deeply?)

It became sensationally clear that merely skimming the surface wouldn’t do anymore. I didn’t know how the time I felt here related to real-world time, but wasting time needlessly wouldn’t be the right choice.

(Suuuuuuuu… Haaaaaaaaa…)

Although I had no physical body to breathe with at the moment, I consciously took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Repeating this several times, I gradually expanded my own territory and began to infiltrate deeper into “it” through the “power of desire” rooted in me.

My vision blurred slightly. The world grew fainter and distant, and a white curtain expanded its territory in the black world.

I shouldn’t be too strict with the boundaries. By being vague, I accepted each other, drawing “it” closer to me and me closer to “it.” If I couldn’t affect memory or consciousness in this way, I couldn’t do anything.

My thoughts connected. The weak and vague thoughts turned into a strong and clear “it,” and the voice calling out eventually became my own voice. I was “it.” “it” was me. If this were my own memory, recalling only the parts I wanted to remember should be easy… Now, what did “It-Me” know? What did it want to know?

Unconsciously, the world began spinning at an incredible speed. A noise like skin scraping sounded, and the fast-flowing scenery suddenly stopped, turning into an infinite series of paintings stretched out before me.

No, not yet, it was still in the middle… a little further… yes, here.

With my right-hand finger, I pointed at a spot in the swirling paintings. The world revived from there, and the moment my viewpoint returned to within the old man,

“What!? Wh-What is this!?”

(――What is this?)

That must have been the day, the moment when the world violently shook and “It-Me” was propelled out of the old man.

Share