After absorbing the Commander's pain, Tanton found himself lying in the knights' lounge, still plagued by a throbbing headache. The sensation reminded him of the ti he drank four bottles of soju alone before he’d ended up in his current state.
The Vice Commander had taken care of the unfortunate ss left on the office floor. It had been an impressive display; Alpha and Beta, who had rushed over, brought out a cloth taller than themselves. As the Vice Commander swung his sword across the floor, the cloth lifted to cover everything in one sweep, and the whole scene was disposed of in a brazier.
The Vice Commander had explained that by mastering ditation, he could use it for such daily tasks. However, Tanton couldn’t help but worry—what if Alpha and Beta ended up covered in that dreadful stuff?
It suggested the Vice Commander had complete confidence in his abilities. Watching him, Tanton thought, Even skills of that level can seem so trivial if used casually.
As Tanton focused on his headache and the world spun around him, he felt an odd sensation. Absorbing the Commander's pain hadn’t seed like it would end this way. It felt as if his mind was going blank, a bit like when he forgot things due to sudden mory lapses.
But just before the strange feeling lingered too long, it shifted into a dull headache akin to a hangover. It was unsettling and unnatural—perhaps a side effect of his "Coward Mode."
Did "Coward Mode" have the strength to censor even this? Tanton wondered. Perhaps the ability to absorb pain had strengthened his connection to the powers linked to the Entities. He wasn’t entirely sure if Coward Mode was Entity-related, but it was sothing to consider.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and he heard footsteps approaching. Sitting up, he was t by the Vice Commander, Marenne, who handed him a cup.
"Drink this."
Tanton took it, glancing at the contents—a golden liquid with a subtle, sweet aroma.
"It's honey water," Marenne said brusquely. "Might help with the headache."
Though the Vice Commander spoke gruffly, Tanton could tell he was looking out for him.
Will honey water really work on this kind of headache? Tanton thought, though he appreciated the gesture and took a sip. The drink was sweet and soothing.
"Where’s this honey from?" Tanton asked.
"Hmm? Haven’t you seen the Gardener's Garden? Flowers even grow in the burial grounds there, and bees live among them."
Interesting. Tanton hadn’t noticed before. He thought he had explored the Gardener’s Garden thoroughly, but evidently not.
The sweetness lifted his mood, even if it didn’t alleviate the headache. Rising, he headed toward the Vice Commander’s office and went to check on the Commander's condition.
Oddly, the intense pain once lodged in her body was entirely gone. Yet, she gazed at him with a slightly vacant expression.
"Commander?"
"Yes?"
"Do you rember what your ultimate goal is?"
"Hmm…" She pondered for a mont, rubbing her chin, before pointing at him with a solemn look. "The Vice Commander said he’d buy a al once this is over."
Sighing deeply, the Vice Commander looked away.
What’s going on? Tanton thought. He had managed to remove the source of her pain, but the Commander was still…off. Frustration and helplessness filled him, mirroring the Vice Commander's weary expression as he rubbed his forehead.
It felt like reaching what he thought was the finish line, only to realize he hadn’t arrived. What else could he do if this didn’t work?
Just as he drifted into his thoughts, the Record Keeper’s voice interrupted. "Raydan Tanton, you’ve reached your destination."
Destination? he wondered, casting a discreet glance at the Commander, who was still in her dazed state.
"I misspoke," the Record Keeper corrected. "Let elaborate. You’ve reached your destination, but it appears that the Commander hasn’t quite arrived yet."
The Commander hasn’t…arrived? Tanton mulled over the cryptic reply. The Record Keeper’s tone shifted, as if she was searching for the right words.
"Let put it simply. Her personality is entangled with sothing—severely so. While you’ve managed to alleviate part of it, her mind remains bound."
Bound? he thought. Not intentionally, but entangled so deeply that even the power of causality couldn’t heal her—suggesting an Entity’s interference.
Perhaps he had approached the problem incorrectly from the beginning. This wasn’t re amnesia; it was more like dissociative personality disorder. The Record Keeper refrained from saying anything further, but her hints had been helpful, sparing him from further trial and error.
"Tanton." Marenne’s voice, urgent, called him back to attention.
He didn’t need to hear more to understand.
"She hasn’t fully recovered yet."
"And what exactly does that an?" he asked.
"Her mind seems to be tangled with sothing. We’ll have to try a different approach."
Desperation shadowed the Vice Commander’s face. How long would they have to see her like this?
The entangled psyche suggested a connection to the Entities, and perhaps only the powers of an Outer Entity, like the Mountain Giant of the Snowfields, could release her.
An idea crossed his mind—a ntal shock might help her return to herself.
"Are you saying that a strong enough ntal shock could bring her back?" Tanton asked.
"Uh…yes?"
"If so, it implies her current ntal state is incomplete, making her susceptible to chain reactions even from a mild shock."
Marenne, catching his drift, looked intrigued.
Tanton recalled that in his dream, the Commander had vowed to return to Londan, hinting at a strong instinct to co ho. If her personality was clashing with an external force, perhaps a shock might break the barrier, like detonating a bomb to clear a path.
It was a fanciful notion, but in a dark fantasy world, so illusions were bound to be real.
And there was only one way he could think of to jolt her ntally: showing her the faces of her forr comrades.
But finding them now was a gamble, especially if they had perished in the Snowfields.
Still, if these warriors were strong enough to stand alongside the Commander, they likely hadn’t t such a tragic fate. Perhaps they too were in so state of limbo, just as the Commander had been caught by the Cook and trapped in a crevice.
At that mont, a knock sounded on the Vice Commander’s door.
"Co in," Marenne called, and a breathless knight entered, saluting after catching his breath.
"Sir! An unusual space has appeared just outside Londan Castle!"
A thought dawned on Tanton—it seed his theory might be correct.
"Vice Commander."
"Hmm?"
"Shall we go into that space together?"
The Vice Commander gave him a puzzled look, and Tanton smiled.
"This might be our chance to treat the Commander."
His words made the Vice Commander’s eyes widen in surprise.
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