Ch.194194. Strange Omens

As the red text appeared, noise began to interfere with the system window.

Gilbert glared at the notification that said “Discovered” as it gradually started to fade. Only then could he be certain that something was wrong with the system.

Until now, it had been merely a hypothesis he’d pieced together, but seeing such a clear phenomenon confirmed that his theory was correct.

At the same time, Gilbert felt chills run down his spine. He finally realized that the system, which he had regarded as absolute truth, had been tampered with by someone.

Above all, the fact that someone else knew about the system’s existence made his hair stand on end. No, beyond just knowing about its existence, the ability to influence the system itself was a serious problem.

Perhaps Gilbert had been too relaxed and self-centered in observing the situation until now.

Although he had fallen into a world similar to Tactical Combat, he should have questioned from the beginning why he alone could use this miraculous system. He should have considered the possibility that someone else besides him might also receive the system’s benefits.

Perhaps he had unconsciously been thinking in terms of Tactical Combat as a packaged game rather than an online game, which led him to overlook the possibility that others might have fallen into this world too.

Whatever the reason, noise continued to interfere with the system window, creating ripples as if a droplet had fallen onto a water surface.

[Sharp, aren’t you?]

Another notification appeared in red text, then quickly disappeared amid intense static. The sub-scenario window shook violently and flickered for a long time, as if the screen were changing.

The pitch-black darkness that had surrounded him vanished simultaneously, and he returned to his dormitory room where he had been resting.

“Phew…”

Drenched in cold sweat, Gilbert let out a long sigh and slumped to the floor. His legs had given out, making it impossible to remain standing.

[Gil. What happened?]

CT-777, who apparently hadn’t seen what occurred, asked Gilbert what had happened to cause his sudden change in condition.

But with his mind in chaos and lacking the strength to respond, Gilbert could only stare blankly at the series of notifications that appeared.

[System has detected critical flaws due to debugging by system user Kang Do-jun.]

[Traces of an authority that cleverly infiltrated the system have been discovered.]

[Emergency recovery system activated to correct the flaws.]

[Normalizing the sub-scenario that was distorted due to the flaw.]

At the mention of the sub-scenario being normalized, Gilbert hastily opened the mission window.

< Sub-Scenario – Casanova >

Type: Sub

Clear Condition: Complete conquest of targets

Seekers: Seraphina, Briana, ???

Reward: Reward grade determined by progress (B+)

Progress: 50%

Information:

– You have attracted multiple members of the opposite sex without realizing it. Truly a path worthy of the legendary Casanova.

This was a sub-scenario he knew!

Gilbert barely managed to stop himself from shouting out loud.

The strange “Seekers of Twisted Possession” sub-scenario had been replaced with the “Casanova” sub-scenario that he was familiar with.

The details were different from before as well. There was no mention of the Ruin Ending or Annihilation Ending that had depended on the distortion level. Instead, it listed the characters who had become conquest targets.

Seeing that Brynhild and Camilla, who had already declared their intentions, were included in the list confirmed that this was indeed the “Casanova” sub-scenario from Tactical Combat that he knew.

So the sub-scenario that had been giving him such a headache was actually a problem caused by the system’s corruption.

The system possessed abilities that could directly influence the world, so when the sub-scenario became corrupted, it seemed to have clouded the judgment of Seraphina and Briana who were entangled in it.

Perhaps it had an effect similar to hypnosis. Gilbert thought that even his own failure to question the two women’s condition might have been due to the system’s influence.

It was a malicious method where the suggestion could be broken by the slightest trigger, but recognizing that trigger was extremely difficult.

While it was good that the system had been normalized, an even bigger problem had emerged.

His brief moment of joy faded as Gilbert could only wear a serious expression. Though he actively used the system, he knew almost nothing about it.

The system was a miraculous ability that could affect reality. When using a skill registered in the skill window, even if a posture was physically impossible, it would be forcibly corrected to activate the skill somehow.

All the impossible feats he had performed until now were possible because of the system’s assistance.

But now a major flaw had been discovered in this nearly omnipotent system. Red warning lights flashed in Gilbert’s mind at the realization that someone or something could modify the system.

[Analysis of the authority that infiltrated the system is complete.]

[System security protocols are being strengthened.]

[User Kang Do-jun, we apologize for the inconvenience in using the system.]

“What?”

Gilbert jumped to his feet.

This was the first time the system had sent a notification expressing an opinion rather than just providing information. The realization that the notification window, which he thought only delivered simple information, was actually more than that made him understand many things.

The unknown entity that might have brought him here had just sent him a message with intent rather than mere information for the first time.

Standing up abruptly, his mind began racing.

There were so many things he wanted to ask. And crucially, the method to return to his original world.

He needed to find that out.

“Why am I here? No, what do I need to do to return to my original world?”

[User Kang Do-jun. There is insufficient causality. Due to the system error, a brief time has been allocated, but there is not enough causality to answer everything.]

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

He felt irritated when the entity made excuses about causality and refused to answer, but he didn’t have time to express his frustration. According to the entity sending messages through the notification window, causality was needed for conversation, and right now that causality was insufficient.

Therefore, it was wiser to ask about ways to overcome the situation rather than complain.

[Meet the Saint. Meet her and secure your causality.]

“The Saint?”

He recalled Saint Veronica, whom he had met after the Gehenna operation. She had said she came to heal him despite him being only a 5th-grade knight, but Gilbert hadn’t fully believed that.

He had thought there might be some other reason—was there something more to it?

[User Kang Do-jun. I wish you good luck.]

“…”

Having apparently said all it needed to say, no more notifications appeared.

Gilbert let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the bed.

The sudden influx of massive information made his head spin.

Lying on the bed, he calmed his agitated emotions and organized his thoughts.

In the current situation, there were only two things he could be certain of.

First, someone of unknown identity possessed the ability to access the system that Gilbert himself had.

Second, someone had definitely brought him here and had the ability to maintain and repair the system.

He couldn’t know specifically why he had been brought here or the identity of whoever had tampered with the system, but there was a way to find out.

The last message the notification had conveyed to him:

He needed to meet Saint Veronica.

***

On the day the Obitus battle ended and Princess Seraphina was confirmed as the Crown Princess presumptive, Prince Richard returned to his residence, Galileo Palace, and secluded himself.

The throne competition he had so eagerly anticipated ended rather anticlimactically with Seraphina’s victory.

Part of it was that his opponent, Horizon, was more incompetent than he had expected, but considering the scale of the New Resistance Army, such an easy conclusion to the war didn’t make sense.

The Obitus battle, which amounted to little more than a skirmish, ended with the one-sided offensive of the Throne Claimant Alliance. There wasn’t even time for him to deploy the ingenious strategies he had been so proud of.

Stratagems and tactics referred to the totality of all actions taken to defeat an opponent. Naturally, one needed a worthy opponent to deploy such tactics, and if the opponent collapsed before one could even use them, the opportunity never arose.

In that sense, the Obitus battle was a matter that required no stratagems or tactics. Strategy could be surpassed by tactics, but that didn’t mean it was a matter of individual tactics.

But that day, he witnessed it. An individual.

The irrationality that could overcome strategy, tactics, and stratagems.

Richard sank into his black throne.

Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could see the single God-Machine that had swept through enemy lines alone.

From the basic question of whether he could have stopped that pilot if he had been in Horizon’s position, to considerations about what tactics he should use to stop him.

It wasn’t impossible. Conversely, encountering such a difficult target ignited his competitive spirit that had been dormant.

His mind began to fill with thoughts of Gilbert and countermeasures.

At first, he pondered how many troops he would need to deploy to stop him. He based his calculations on the data he had gathered during the Obitus battle.

He deployed many average-grade God-Machine knights, but their machines couldn’t keep up with Gilbert’s. He doubled the number of personnel to block his movements and compensate for their inferior piloting skills.

The result was the same.

Gilbert, who lost his God-Machine with minimal movement, easily escaped the encirclement. Wondering how far he could hold out, Richard doubled the forces again, and only then could they block his movements and destroy Gilbert’s God-Machine.

But looking at the casualties suffered, it could hardly be called a success.

Richard, unusually, grinned as he contemplated the next scenario.

That’s how he had spent the past month. During that time, preparations for Seraphina’s Crown Princess investiture ceremony proceeded smoothly, but Richard, who was repeatedly running simulations to defeat Gilbert, didn’t care either way.

He had never been interested in the position of imperial successor to begin with. He had only participated in the throne competition because he thought he could compete with his sister Seraphina; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given it a second glance.

After being cooped up in Galileo Palace for a month, Richard felt a kind of thirst. The more he repeated the simulations, the stronger this thirst grew.

He pondered why he felt this way, but the reason wasn’t hard to figure out.

He wanted to clash with Gilbert in reality.

A very primal and simple reason.

However, Gilbert wasn’t an enemy of the Empire but a hero revered by it. The moment Richard moved to eliminate him, Seraphina, now the Crown Princess, would act.

Gilbert was her avatar and her sharpest sword. If another member of the imperial family who could threaten the imperial authority were to interfere with such a person, it would be seen as a challenge.

In that case, Seraphina would move to deal with Richard to prevent discord. Unlike Seraphina, who was beginning to concentrate power as the Crown Princess presumptive, Richard had few people left on his side.

Although he had been secluded in Galileo Palace for the past month, he was still aware of that much.

Perhaps things would have been different if he had made up his mind a little earlier.

– Prince Richard.

“Are you looking for me? An uninvited guest, I see.”

Just as he was expressing his regret, an unidentified voice was heard in the room where he thought he was alone. No matter how far he had been pushed from the center of power, this was still a palace where imperial family members resided.

The fact that an intruder had appeared in this innermost part of the Empire was a serious matter.

– Do not be afraid. I merely bring a message from my lord. I have no intention of harming you.

“That’s not something an intruder who hides their appearance should say, I think.”

His sharp eyes scanned the room, but even with Richard’s insight, he couldn’t tell where the intruder was hiding. The intruder must be exceptionally skilled to have infiltrated Galileo Palace.

– The fact that you are still alive is proof of that.

“You’re not wrong.”

– Then, I shall deliver my lord’s message.

Richard was curious about the identity of this “lord” who commanded such a skilled operative, but for now, he listened to the intruder’s words.

As the intruder said, they seemed uninterested in Richard’s life, but he wondered why they would take the risk of infiltrating this place.

– Prince Richard. Would you not like to face Gilbert Lion Heart?

Richard, who had been on edge trying to discern the intentions of the intruder and their lord, slightly raised one corner of his mouth.

He had wondered what they would say, and they had brought up something truly intriguing.

“Interesting. I feel like talking now.”

– I thought you might.

Richard burst into laughter that he had been holding back at the intruder’s words.

Whatever their purpose was, they had certainly piqued his interest.