Chapter 516: Long Conman's Longest Con
This chapter is updatđźd by đđđđđŹđđđ·đ€đ«đđ”.đđ€đ
âEvery time the girl moves, I can see the fractures in this perfect recreation.â Anneliese looked around the room carefully, even as the people within reacted to her presence. âAll of this, everything around us, is something that responds wholly to her actions and movements. This is built to keep her in check.â
âRecreation? So this isnât real?â Melanie questioned.
âItâs⊠difficult for me to even judge.â Anneliese clutched her forehead, looking at things that Argrave couldnât perceive. He wished for nothing more to see things through her eyes. âWhen I look at her, I see something impossible for me to make out. And I think that there is much that I miss. Sheâs halved in more ways than one. She is literally incomplete. Something is missingâsomething was torn away from her. And on this side, only half of whatâs left is here.â She shook her head rapidly. âI apologize. I know that this makes little sense, but itâs what I see.â
âSpeak freely, and command us as you will,â the Alchemist directed her. âI possess [Minor Truesight], yet even I cannot see what you do. You are our sole way forward in this scene.â
âRelease your spellâs hold, please,â Anneliese commanded without hesitation.
The Alchemist complied, and Anneliese fell free of the encirclement of air that he had created. She landed well, then walked around the banquet table to come and look at the girl. Despite most others being immensely surprised when people suddenly appeared near them, the girlâs reactions seemed rather muted. There was surprise, but it lacked that instinct of self-preservation. Even King Norman showed more shock.
âAs far as I can tell, despite the mix of strange energies within her, sheâs simply a girl.â Anneliese kneeled down, peering at her. âAnd this close, I can better see what it is occurring within and around her.â
Anneliese watched for a long, long time as the girl looped in time. At some point Onychinusa got annoyed at the man constantly bursting into the room, so she cast a spell in front of the door to keep it shut. She twitched in annoyance every time the door banged loudly.
âFound you,â Anneliese said triumphantly, rising to her feet and looking all around. She seemed to follow an invisible guideline, and set off in pursuit down the banquet hall. She pushed open a set of double doors and proceeded into the castleâs keep. âFollow me. And watch the door.â
Now that it had been proven they could persist without the Alchemistâs spell, everyone else was released, and then followed as Anneliese instructed. Everyone entered the door one after the other, as none wished to risk it returning to its place as they walked through. Annelieseâs eyes were firmly fixed on something, but Argrave could perceive nothing out of sorts. They walked up a flight of stairs, through a hallway, and into another room, passing by and startling maids and guards all along the path.
The room they entered was a bedroom, lined with red velvets, pink silks, and general decadence. Judging from the things strewn about, it was the little girlâs room. It looked like things were missing, as though theyâd been taken away. Argrave saw a spot he was certain a painting had hung not a day ago. While observing, he spotted a peculiar spot in the wall where bricks looked fresher and out of place. He saw glass through a crack in the bricksâthe window had been bricked away, evidently.
Anneliese pointed at the false window. âThis, here, is the beginning of the formation entrapping this city. And itâs here where new things can enter the place where time is trapped.â
Melanie, who was somewhat near the formation, stepped away rapidly while exclaiming under her breath, âGood gods.â
âI cannot think that the girl herself is behind this strange phenomenon, but itâs most certainly sustained by the energy within her.â Anneliese once again looked around the room, calculating unseen yet arcane things. She looked quite happy, Argrave thought, to be dissecting this mystery. Her curiosity was being fed by something fascinating for the first time in a while.
Yet then her pale face went a little paler, and Argrave saw her retract within herself as she grew nervous. At first, Argrave thought that sheâd seen something that had alarmed her. But as time went on, he saw glances sent his way and knew that there was something she was hesitant to say.
âWhat is it?â Argrave asked after she said nothing for a long period.
âLet me think,â insisted Anneliese, holding up her hand to stop him from questioning further.
Argrave stared at her for a few moments, then took another step toward her. âI know how you look when youâre thinking. And this isnât it. The thinkingâs done, isnât it? What have you seen?â
Anneliese went quiet for a long time, then looked at Argrave. He could see some fear in her amber eyes, and instinctively raised his hand to grab her wrists. âIf I tell you, I know what youâd do,â Anneliese closed her eyes.
âWill you tell me, then?â Argrave asked her quietly.
âThis formationâŠâ she slowly looked around again, her eyes perceiving the imperceivable. âItâs unbreakable. Unbreakable from this side alone, at least. And if there was someone on that other side, whose mind could not be interfered with⊠someone wearing the Ravenstone⊠I am certain they would retain their memories during every iteration, every reset of the scenario.â
Everyone shifted uneasily, save the Alchemist and Orion.
âFrom what I can see with Yintherâs blessing, to enter here would be to enter the reality leading up to the loop, not the loop itself. Meaning, the one on the inside might be able to discover and disable the cause before this trap completes itself.â
âI volunteer,â Orion raised his hand. âI have no fear of eternity, Your Highness.â
Anneliese crossed her arms and walked away. âIf what was beyond was something that could fight, you would certainly be most suitable. But this problem will require finesse and insight. With my [Truesight], Iâm best suited. I should go. Give me the Ravenstone, Argrave.â
âYou debate choices without comprehension of the problem. Until Argrave dies, the Ravenstone is tied to him,â the Alchemist said firmly, shaking his head. âMy own design, to protect my liberty in case he should be too careless in protecting it.â
âYou never told me that,â Argrave looked at him sternly.
âI said that, should you perish, Anneliese or Elenore will inherit it.â The Alchemist returned the look at Argrave without emotion.
âAnd from that, Iâm supposed to extrapolate that itâs tied to me?â Argrave threw his hands in the air. âWhatever. That doesnât matter anymore. Annelieseâare you certain that this thing could protect me from having my memories wiped every loop if I entered that place?â
Anneliese paced around the room, then looked at a red stuffed bunny at the foot of the bed. âI want to say no. ButâŠâ
âBut yes, youâre certain,â Argrave guessed. When Anneliese nodded, he put his hand to his face. âAnd I wonât be locked into five seconds of time?â
âNo. I can see beyond the fault,â Anneliese walked up to the bricked off window. âI see the day unfolding. And at some point, like a stick caught in a wheel, it jams. Youâd have freedom up until that jamming. And when it does jam, Iâm certain youâd merely be taken back to the beginning.â
Tower Master Castro studied the point she claimed to be the sole fault in this illusion. âAnd he canât come back?â
Anneliese brightened. âI⊠did not consider that. It could be possible, but Iâm not entirely confident about it. I can see the entrance, but as I cannot view it from the other sideâŠâ
Despite that small comfort, Argraveâs headache started to mount. Good lord. I have to enter whatever distortion this is, figure everything out, donât I? Toying with time⊠has it ever gone well for anyone, ever? And I could end up like one of those poor saps, repeating five seconds endlessly⊠but with my memories intact.(f)reewe(b)novel
The thought made Argrave seize with fear.
âYou shouldnât do it,â Anneliese shook her head firmly. âItâs too dangerous. Thereâs too much unknown, and too much at stake. I should look around more, look for another answer, look for anotherââ
âYou say that, yet golems have entered Sandelabara,â the Alchemist declared. âI left some druidic bonds near the entrance, and thatâs what they see.â
Argrave blinked rapidly, trying to picture what druidic bonds the Alchemist could possibly have. âGolems? Of what kind?â
âTheyâre hot enough that every step sets the grass aflame,â the Alchemist noted. âThey mustâve walked through magma to come here, judging by what evidence I can gather. I can sense in them the strange energy that Dario used against me. This is his move.â
Melanie laughed. âLooks like the bastard kept his wordâŠâ
âI will deal with them,â Orion declared, then stormed for the door. âThink freely, please, in my absence.â
âHold on,â Argrave held him back. âOne of these golems manhandled Durran with divine armaments. We canât afford to split up right nowâthose things could rip a lone person to shreds, even you.â He looked at Anneliese. âAnd it seems like we donât have much time to look.â
âIf we can beat themââ Anneliese began, but Argrave raised a finger to her lips.
âIf,â Argrave repeated. âBut weâre very deep now, very close. So, hereâs what we should do. Iâll take the Alchemist inside the Ravenstone. Then, weâllââ
âI will not enter such a thing foolhardily,â the Alchemist shook his head. âBut I will bestow upon you this, should you decide to advance.â
Argraveâs surge of confidence died in infancy as the Alchemist declared that he was foolhardy. But the giant pulled one of his eyes out of his head, cut into it, and pulled free a lens. After cleaning it, he handed it to Argrave.
âThis lens will extend [Minor Truesight] upon you when imbued with magic and peered through. It took me many centuries to craft, so do not break it.â
âIf I do, wonât it be repaired anyhow?â Argrave smiled, but took it. It did frustrate him that the Alchemist had been keeping such an item hidden, but Argrave supposed he had no right to demand the man relinquish all of his secrets. Argrave thought it might function as a monocle, but then it occurred to him he had no idea how people even wore those antiquated things. âHow do I wearâŠ?â
âFit it between your cheekbone and brow bone, or hold it,â the Alchemist directed. âAlternatively, I can put it inside yourââ
âNo, thatâll work.â Argrave put it up as instructed. It fit rather snugly beneath his brow and cheekbone, just as heâd been told. He briefly tested it out, and cocked his head back when he saw the blessings within each of his companions. He quickly stopped, lest the visions overwhelm his mind, and removed it while rubbing his eye. âGood lord. Thatâll take some getting used to.â
âYou canât seriously be thinking of doing this,â Onychinusa walked up to Argrave, perplexed. âAll of this is so sudden. We should take more time.â
âI trust, even if this is truly a mistake, everyone here can fix it,â Argrave shrugged. âAnd Anneliese doesnât say things without certainty. What she saw⊠I donât doubt it for a second. Thereâs something on the other side that will help us complete the picture.â
âYouâll walk into death because she said so?â Onychinusa looked at him like he was stupid.
âSheâd never ask me to die,â Argrave shook his head. âAlright, Anne. What, do I just walk in?â
Anneliese bit her lip looking at him, and hesitated greatly about whether or not to even expose this matter. After lowering her head in what mightâve been shame, she looked back up, then walked. âWalk in⊠at this angle,â she demonstrated, stopping a fair bit short.
Argrave took position in front of her, took a deep breath as though there might not be air on the other side, and then walked inside. Past a certain point, he felt the bond between him and his Brumesingers waverâthey were safe at Blackgard, yet even here he could feel their presence. He felt their panic, and before it could mirror his own, he continued into the distortion.
#####
âHe actually did it,â Melanie sounded flabbergasted while she stared at the wall. She took a deep breath and exhaled. âGuess Iââ
âSweet baby Jesus, youâre actually here!â
Everyone whipped their head to the sudden voice, where Argrave rose up from out of the corner. He looked like a mad dog.
âYou guys have no idea the day Iââ
Argrave vanished before his words could finish, but then another voice appeared elsewhere. Argrave held a paper in the corner of the room, and read from it frantically.
âListen close,â he said quickly. âEvery three hours, I get five seconds I can talk to you at the end of each cycle. Now Iââ
Argrave vanished again, appearing in a similar location with the same paper.
âI need you to do several things for me in a very tight time frame. If you do it right, I think that you can prolong things forââ
Argrave vanished, then reappeared.
âProlong things a couple minutes. Iâm figuring out what resets the world. The girlâs name is Sophia, and she has somethingâ"
As Argrave vanished again, everyone began to realize what was happening. For them, twenty seconds would have passed. But for Argrave, heâd have been in there for twelve hours. And if they were to look outside⊠Argraveâs presence was throwing this static world into a vast array of possibilities, where everyone from the birds to the people behaved a little differently in the wake of this new added variable.