Chapter 202: Speak First. Okay?


    I focused my mind to the maximum.


    First, I shared my thoughts with the Secretary. At this moment, we gained the same vision.


    What unfolded was a vast sky.


    Gray stone materials floated on a blue canvas without a single cloud. They aligned piece by piece, creating a single passageway.


    I guessed this was a passage connecting the current world and the previous world. If the door were to open, it would be possible to connect the two worlds.


    Ting─!


    However, the door remained unopened and firm. The scenery we could observe together ended here.


    I quietly opened my eyelids.‘Not yet.’


    It was only natural that we couldn’t open the door yet, as I hadn’tpleted the study of the four Ancient Runes. Nevertheless, this alone was evidence that my research was progressing, so it was fine.


    As expected, aplicated expression passed over the Secretary’s face as she gazed at the same scenery.


    She quietly muttered.


    “That just now….”


    Her eyes, craving an answer, turned towards me, but I didn’t bother to respond. She already knew the answer herself.


    “Amazing, truly amazing….”


    She kept murmuring the same words.


    “What was that passage just now? In any case, I admit it. I had my doubts, but you really were studying Ancient Runes. Amazing, truly amazing!”


    It was right then.


    Drip─ drip─


    ck liquid started to fall to the floor. In fact, it was ambiguous to even call it a liquid. It was something between solid and liquid, extremely slippery and highly viscous.


    They began to form various shapes as they clung together. Some were beasts, some were people, and some were indescribably bizarre.


    Themonality was that they were slowly surrounding me. I quietly asked the Secretary.


    “What are you doing?”


    “…n, forgive me.”


    The Secretary slowly stepped back.


    “My desire is unrestrained. This urge to take youpletely on the spot is simply uncontroble.”


    I looked at the gtinous beings that were called ‘Guardians of the Void’. Judging by the situation, it didn’t seem like they intended to take me in a gentle manner.


    “I see.”


    I blinked and thought. I pondered the oue of this battle…. No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t seem likely to lose.


    When the Guardians rushed towards me,


    I distorted a part of the space. Telekinesis, space, maniption. It was an art that handled all three simultaneously.


    Crunch─!


    A part of the study folded like a curtain and crumpled. The Guardians of the Void, trapped there, couldn’t resist at all and were slowly crushed.


    But at that moment,


    A part of the space began to tear. I furrowed my brow. This was not intentional.


    A crack appeared like a piece of broken ss. It was a pure white crack, the opposite of the current dark space.


    Was there another space? In life, there are moments when you feel an inexplicable intuition, and it led me into the crack.


    The moment I stepped into the pure white space,


    “…!”


    For the first time, the Secretary lost herposure. That constantly spurred my intuition.


    When I entered the space, it was pure white.


    The study was still endlessly arranged, but the background being white made it seem like a reversed version of the ck space.


    “n, wait a moment!”


    The Secretary suddenly blocked my path.


    In the blink of an eye, she had cast a teleportation spell more urgently than ever before.


    She whispered in a serious tone.


    “You are not allowed to step into this space. n, step back immediately.”


    “Well.”


    I didn’t heed the Secretary’s warning. I focused only on moving and gradually pushed deeper into the rift.


    The Secretary blocked me, I moved, she blocked me, I moved, and so on…. This process repeated endlessly. The Secretary’s face grew increasingly grim.


    “n, this is my final warning. This ce does not permit entry to outsiders under any circumstances. If you do not retreat voluntarily, I will use all my power.”


    I pretended to understand and agree.


    “I understand. I’m not very good at resisting my curiosity.”


    The killing intent blew like a wind, wrapping around our bodies.


    Although my response was light, its effect was clear. The Secretary’s tense shoulders slightly rxed, and she let out a visible sigh of relief.


    At that moment,


    I toppled the bookshelves filling the space with telekinesis. It was before the Secretary could react.


    Thud─ thud─


    “n, you really…!”


    The Secretary’s urgent cry echoed.


    She set the bookshelves upright and grabbed a red thorn. Just as its sharpness was about to pierce me,


    The thorn, stretching out, suddenly stopped. I had intercepted its path with a book I had grabbed at some point.


    “n….”


    Sweat beads formed on the Secretary’s forehead. As one droplet rolled down her cheek and hung on her chin before falling to the ground, we exchanged no words.


    “I told you, I don’t resist my curiosity.”


    I flipped through the book in front of her, making sure it made a sound. Enhancing my cornea with mana, it was enough to inspect its contents.


    The content was astonishing.


    “Ha….”


    At first, I chuckled in disbelief, thenter found it absurd. But in the end, I closed the book, still filled with interest.


    While I read and gathered my thoughts, the Secretary’s face gradually turned pale. With a contemptuous expression, I opened my mouth.


    “Secretary.”


    In the time it took to utter just those three words, a smile gradually spread across my face. It was theplete opposite of the Secretary’s face, which was increasingly drenched in sweat.


    She seemed at a loss, unable to hide her confusion.


    Finally, she looked at me and spoke.


    “n, you didn’t really….”


    “Secretary, let’s sit down first. We need to talk.”


    Sensing unease, the Secretary quickly acted. She sealed the rift that had appeared like a broken ss window and hastily created a chair to sit on.


    She asked again, still at a loss.


    “So, how much of the content did you see?”


    “All of it.”


    “….”


    The Secretary looked at me with a defeated expression, seemingly resigned.


    I asked her.


    “Secretary, what do you think I felt every time I achieved magical sess in this world?”


    “Well, weren’t you proud?”


    “Wrong.”


    I answered firmly.


    “Why is the magic in this world only at this level? Why is it in a state of mediocrity?… I always pondered that.”


    I slightly pulled her chair closer to me.


    I looked down at her coldly.


    “It was all your doing.”


    I used telekinesis to bring the book I had thrown on the floor back to me. I opened it and pointed out key passages one by one so she could see clearly.


    [The reason the Summoning School has not developed isrgely due to the Maniption School. Those who deal with visible things do not feel the need for summoning….]


    [The reason Verkel’s demonic beasts are bing more ferocious seems to be due to the beastmen. Their magic leaves a residue in the mana, which consequently makes it murky….]


    “It’s not an autobiography, yet you cleverly mixed these details into the thesis.”


    “….”


    “You constantly fomented conflict so that no one could focus solely on progress. Your arrogance knows no bounds.”


    “Stop, stop it. There’s no need to say more.”


    The Secretary spoke first in a pleading voice. She continued as if to argue her case.


    “It was necessary to maintain the bnce of power on the continent. I’ve already exined this, haven’t I?”


    “You hid the fact that you used such methods.”


    “n, just don’t worry about it.”


    “Really? Do you think the Princess won’t care either?”


    “…!”


    The Secretary’s face turned pale. It wasn’t an exaggeration; herplexion had indeed lightened.


    “Secretary, did you think I wouldn’t notice? You nned to make the continent loyal to you instead of the Princess.”


    In short, it was simple.


    [To aid understanding, consider the following example.]


    There were various techniques below, but she had cleverly included brainwashing ck magic techniques to manipte the reader.


    First, foment conflict.


    Second, make those involved in the conflict seek out magical books to oppose each other.


    Third, use the subtly hidden brainwashing techniques to make them loyal to oneself. It was a meticulous method aimed at a very long-term goal.


    All of this was the Secretary’s wrongdoing behind the Princess’s back.


    “….”


    “Thinking of subtly brainwashing the entire continent to have them under your control. While shouting loyalty with your mouth, you secretly wanted to be the Ruler of the Void more than anyone else.”


    The Secretary couldn’t say anything. I quietly nodded.


    “If you won’t answer, then I have no choice. I will go to the Princess.”


    “That’s not allowed!”


    The Secretary jumped up from her seat. Seeing her panting, it was clear she was extremely desperate.


    Well, it was natural. If the second-inmand, who was supposed to be the most loyal, was plotting rebellion, the entire Void would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos.


    I muttered to myself.


    “I wonder what to do.”


    As I paused, the Secretary’s face showed a mixture of emotions.


    “Hm.”


    With just slight changes in my expression, the Secretary’s breathing becamebored as if she were suffocating.


    “Hmm.”


    By the time her face had turnedpletely white, I spoke again.


    “You never know. If you cooperate in the study of Ancient Runes, the secret might be kept for the time being….”


    “What kind of cooperation?”


    The Secretary’s reaction followed like a tail. She seemed like a dog with its tail between its legs.


    She asked me again.


    “What kind of cooperation are you talking about? Speak first. Okay?”