Naturally, I could not get any answer from the child. I had done all the work on my own. The red mark was still shining before my eyes.
A sense of anxiety washed over me, the fear that this child might be my future. Since it was the first time I had met someone with the exact same mark, I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship.
'No. No.'
I absolutely needed to find out what kind of relationship he had with Eon and why he had ended up in this state. Now, it wasn't because of Eon's orders, but because I desperately wanted to have a conversation with the little one.
Even after shaking and shouting like this, the child did not open their eyes. It became clear that ordinary methods could not wake the child. Ultimately, it meant that I would have to borrow the power of magic.
***
"There is something I want to know."
The person I went to see was Sally. I could probably find the kind of magic I wanted if I searched through the bookshelves, but I didn't know how many days it might take. Now that my patience was wearing thin, that was impossible.
“Selinia?”
She welcomed me as if she had met at just the right time.
"Did the shadow contract succeed?"
It was something she could certainly be curious about, but for me, it was a topic that reminded me of something heartbreaking. The situation was exactly the same as with the stealth potion.
“It was a success.”
"I knew it! I told you you have incredible talent! So, what about the contracted shadow?"
She looked around me as if she thought I might be walking around with a shadow.
"It disappeared because the contract ended."
"Huh? Is that all?"
I admitted that it was a short answer that disappointed Sally. However, I had nothing else to say to her. Explaining the truth required too much explanation.
"You should have at least shown it to me."
She adjusted her glasses as if she were hurt and stared intently at my face.
"Because the Tower Master doesn't like it."
"Ah, Tower Master... I suppose that makes sense."
Eon was the best excuse to tell Sally. She didn't know what made it worthwhile, but as soon as she heard his name, Sally's expression softened instantly.
"Oh, what exactly do you want to know?"
Finally, I was able to hear the words I had been waiting for. I opened my mouth as if I had been waiting for this moment.
"The magic to read other people's memories, or the magic to enter their dreams. I don't know what to call it, but anyway, can I learn this kind of magic?"
It was only after I had spoken that I realized I had acted as if I had entrusted her with an object. Sally was not the one in a hurry. No matter how favorable her reaction was compared to before, she had no obligation to teach me magic.
"I thought that if you are a senior with exceptional knowledge of magic, you might know."
I belatedly added some flattery.
"Hmm, I suppose you mean mind-penetration magic. There is a book over here."
Sally stood up from her seat and walked toward the bookshelf. I followed her.
"I’ve been thinking carefully about what you said the other day. You remember, right? You said it would be good to gain diverse experiences."
"You remembered my presumptuous interference."
"I am ready to accept any advice, from anyone, as long as it helps me improve my skills."
"That is an exemplary attitude for a researcher."
I was responding to her words half-heartedly, but in truth, I wasn't really listening. My mind was so full of thoughts about the little one that Sally's resolve just went right past my ears.
Her fingers, which had been tracing the pages, stopped on a thick book.
"If you look closely, it seems like they only want dangerous magic."
The red cover seemed to be warning me, just as Sally had said. However, I couldn't afford to consider the dangers of magic. I just wanted to find out about the little one in the most effective way possible.
"Is there such a thing as dangerous magic? It just needs to be used safely by the caster."
"Oh, you're right."
I reached out to take the book Sally was handing me. However, the moment the corner touched my fingertips, she snapped the book back up and pulled it into her arms.
"Why is mind-penetration magic necessary? I'm really curious."
The green eyes, sparkling with curiosity, looked as though they would never hand over the book unless they knew the reason.
"It has something to do with being in the Forbidden Room, doesn't it?"
Why would that room have become a forbidden zone, and why would a barrier have been placed around it?
Eon would never have liked the child's existence becoming known to others. It was practically a case of me being barely forgiven for entering the Forbidden Room on the condition that I wake the child.
'But you're babbling to Sally here?'
The result was obvious. Nevertheless, the reason I hesitated was the thick book in Sally's hand as she urged me for an answer.
"The reason you took that book hostage is that there is only one Mind Infiltration spellbook, right?"
"You are brilliant, as expected. At least this is the only one where the name is clearly specified. Though it might be a chapter in a book whose contents are difficult to guess, like the Book of Turanno."
The persistent gaze behind the glasses was urging me to immediately spill what I knew. Ultimately, to get what I wanted quickly, I had to make a deal with her.
"You were right about what you guessed."
Sally's eyes sparkled even more.
"So you're saying you're trying to learn mind penetration magic to use in the Forbidden Room?"
I nodded.
"Please don't ask any more questions. That's all I can say."
Fortunately, Sally wasn't a liar. Apparently quite satisfied with my answer, she placed the book down in my hand as promised.
"Okay, I respect you as an outstanding junior, so I'll be happy to cooperate."
A heavy weight was felt. I tore open the red hardcover and quickly scanned the table of contents.
'Definition and history of mind-penetration magic.'
I boldly skipped over content that might be important academically but was not immediately necessary.
'Method of casting mental penetration magic.'
It was the page I wanted. As I read through the content, Sally kindly gave me explanations I hadn't even asked for.
"As you can see, mind penetration magic can only be used on someone with whom a bond has been formed. There are even cases where magic was cast after gaining the other person's trust through deception."
My hand stopped when I turned the book.
'You mean it can only be used on people with whom a bond has been formed?'
"No matter how skilled a wizard is, there are no exceptions. Mind penetration amounts to forcibly digging into someone's thoughts, so if they resist, you have no choice but to bounce back."
"So, in the end, it means that casting magic is of no use."
"That's right. Besides, since it is mental magic, it can have a negative impact on both minds. In extreme cases, it can even cause a person to fall into a brain-dead state."
“Brain dead.”
"You understand why I said it was dangerous magic, right?"
In her own way, she was showing me kindness. Apart from that kindness, it was truly bitter to see what I had painstakingly come up with as a good plan turn out to be in vain. What kind of bond could I possibly find between that little kid and me?
'At best, just that we are bound to Eon through subordinate magic?'
Then, Sally's words followed, as if she had peeked into my mind.
"I heard that if you have a magic contract, you might be able to infiltrate without a bond. Since forming a contract is the more difficult task, it doesn't seem like a very useful method, though."
'Contract!'
I never knew it would feel like going back and forth between heaven and hell. It was such encouraging news that it made the despair from just moments ago seem insignificant. Although the little one and I hadn't made a contract directly, we might be connected by Eon.
'If that damn contract can be of help in this way, at least.'
"Oh my? Did you suddenly come up with a good idea?"
Sally immediately noticed my change, perhaps because I failed to keep a straight face. I was sorry, but I couldn't tell her the truth this time either.
"Since there is such an exception, I thought that if I looked closely at the book, there might be some hints that would be helpful to me as well."
I smiled and shifted my gaze to the book. As if she understood my intention, Sally didn't say anything more.
***
Blinking my stuffy eyes, I gulped down a vitality potion. Having read all night, I was finally able to turn the last page.
'Okay. The theory is perfect.'
However, I was not confident that I could succeed in mind infiltration. Since it was something I could not know for sure without trying, I had no choice but to use it on the child. I headed toward the Forbidden Room.
In the clear dawn sunlight, the child's face looked even paler. I greeted the child, who lay asleep as if dead as ever. Then, I carefully sat beside him and took hold of his wrist, which bore the mark of the subordination contract. There was no real need to hold him, but I did so hoping that the subordination contract would take effect.
I gently closed my eyes and focused on the other person's faint inhalation and exhalation. As if matching the chords of a song, I synchronized my own inhalation and exhalation with his breathing.
At one moment, a maze appeared before my eyes. Perhaps I should have called this place something other than a maze, with miscellaneous objects floating in the air and the floor undulating back and forth.
It felt as though a single wrong step would send me falling somewhere down below, where a pure white light was emanating. In the sense that I could not see beyond it, the excessively bright light was just like deep darkness.
It was a time when I was moving cautiously, not even knowing where I was headed.
Puck.
Something struck the back of my head. My body leaned forward. An abyss of unfathomable depth drew near in an instant.
"No!"
To avoid falling, I had to perform unwanted footwork on a platform slightly wider than my stride. At the same time, I thrashed about desperately, swinging both arms.
"Gasp, gasp."
I barely managed to hold on thanks to gripping the foothold in a position like a four-legged beast. Gasping for breath, I identified the identity of what had attacked me.
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