Ch.76Truth Game (End)

The Iceland volcanic zone, where tectonic activity continues vigorously to this day.

The Foundation’s facility is located there.

There are two reasons for this.

First, it’s easy to disguise as a geological research institution. The Foundation’s research facilities are kept strictly confidential to the outside world. Their location, purpose, and everything that happens inside—most humans don’t even know of the Foundation’s existence itself.

The second reason is…

Clunk-!

Robin snapped out of her thoughts.

She had simply followed a sudden intuition, and now found herself sitting in the passenger seat of a van.

This old van, which departed from a small coastal village called Vík í Mýrdal, travels up the slopes of Katla Volcano along what barely passes for a drivable road.

The interior of the van could practically be considered a small research facility.

Filming equipment, thermal detection devices, and complex research equipment. It seemed almost wasteful to have prepared such equipment merely for show.

Robin had once been part of academia.

Completely obsessed with physics.

Her cover identity still officially belongs to the Royal Society in Britain.

“They say a lot of new people have been coming here lately.”

The oblivious driver casually started a conversation.

Perhaps guessing she was British, or maybe he just decided to speak English to everyone he met. The driver spoke in awkward English.

“Do you know, Professor? The volcano’s bubbling, and on gloomy days it feels like it could just explode. People’s behavior, the surrounding environment—lately I keep getting the feeling something’s about to happen.”

A feeling.

Robin found herself tensing up without realizing it.

The good-natured driver had no idea what he was talking about.

At most, he was probably worried about what would happen if the volcano erupted, or if volcanic ash covered the sky and prevented planes from taking off.

The truth of the world is far more terrifying.

“I’ll let you know when the time comes. I’ll leave plenty of time for evacuation.”

“That’s reassuring to hear. Actually, I tell everyone I drive here the same thing. It might seem a bit crude, but we have to survive first, right?”

Clunk-

The vehicle jolted again.

As they got closer to the volcano, the road conditions steadily worsened.

“But what brings you here, Professor? No, I mean, obviously you’re here for research, but professors all seem to have different specialties. These days I live for hearing these stories.”

Too curious.

Robin answered calmly.

“NULLIUS IN VERBA.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s Latin. The motto of the London Society. It means to question everything and discover through experimentation. I hope that answers your question.”

The driver pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:

“So something’s made you suspicious. A new theory that will overturn the existing paradigm? Haha. Well now. I might be driving a future Nobel Prize winner.”

As they conversed, the vehicle reached its destination.

Dust and gravel were scattered across the road, which apparently ended here.

“Well then. I hope you achieve academic success.”

“Thank you. See you next time.”

Robin slammed the van door shut.

Volcanic ash and rock fragments crunched beneath her feet.

To reach the research facility, she would need to hike for about 30 minutes from here.

Climbing a mountain at her age.

This would have been unthinkable in the past, but the Foundation doesn’t allow its valuable “resources” to deteriorate.

She learned of the Foundation’s existence in the 90s. In the years since, Robin’s body had actually regained its youth.

This was thanks to special “enhancement procedures” performed on the Foundation’s leadership.

Various drugs and procedures that transcend human physical, mental, and psychological limitations had been administered to her, and she had willingly accepted some of them.

[Iceland Geological Research Association]

The ability to handle various world languages fluently was one of those enhancements.

Though she had never seen these characters before, Robin could read the sign without difficulty.

[Unauthorized visitors prohibited]

[Please send interview requests to the email or postal address below]

While it perfectly disguised itself as a research facility to outsiders, Robin could see numerous devices.

On the exterior walls.

Between the glass doors.

In the information attached to the signs.

These were the Foundation’s authentication procedures to filter out ordinary people.

After waiting for about a minute at the entrance, Robin was able to enter through the correct door.

A space irrationally larger than what appeared from outside.

The Foundation’s research facility, covered with clean factory-like walls.

The Professor was leading some experiment there.

A middle-aged man with a beard.

Aside from the deeper wrinkles around his eyes, the Professor had an extremely ordinary appearance.

Yet Robin found this ordinary-looking man more suspicious than anyone.

“Robin.”

“Weren’t you supposed to be researching at the Apartment? I haven’t heard anything about this experiment.”

“There was an urgent schedule.”

The Professor answered calmly.

“According to what I discovered at the Apartment, a disaster will soon occur here. So rather than an experiment, it would be more accurate to call this a measure to prevent catastrophe. Of course, I plan to report this to the Foundation when it’s over.”

“Hard to believe. You, who can see the future, only learned about a future disaster after confirming something at the Apartment?”

“Variables always exist. What I can see is only the future on our timeline.”

Robin reconfirmed his answer with an expressionless face.

“So that means I should understand this as intervention from an external entity?”

“That’s correct.”

Entities from outside the timeline. There were a few she could guess, but there was a more important question.

Robin changed her question.

“One more thing. How did you get here? As far as I know, the Apartment’s location is—”

“Given the urgency of the matter, I utilized the Apartment’s spatiotemporal properties. I’ll organize and inform you about this separately later.”

His answers are too flawless.

Robin gathered her thoughts one last time.

Her intuition was still telling her about the Professor’s crime. But his explanation was so clean and eloquent that even if she deliberately tried to find fault, there seemed to be nothing to point out.

For now, at least.

Of course, additional evidence might emerge later.

No matter how much of a Council member he might be, no one can hide their actions forever.

Especially not from the Foundation.

But.

If she gave up further questioning and left, the Professor would gain a grace period.

At least 12 hours until he finished the experiment and reported the results to the Foundation.

That’s exactly the flow the Professor wants.

Buying time away from the Foundation’s eyes.

Never showing definitive evidence even if suspicion arises.

Robin didn’t even consider ‘what if the Professor is truly innocent.’

That’s how much she trusted her intuition.

It wasn’t mere superstition but something closer to a special ability.

This wasn’t an anomaly or superpower.

Just insight honed through acquiring and applying experience over a long time.

Robin could even bet her life on her intuition.

NULLIUS IN VERBA.

Question everything.

Verify directly.

And don’t blindly trust the words of authority.

“So, you were at the Apartment. And now you’ve come here. Is that right?”

“You understand correctly.”

“Then let me ask again. What do you think I’ve been doing for the past week?”

The Professor didn’t answer.

“CREEP-201. The Tracker.”

The Professor let Robin continue speaking.

“I personally contacted the Tracker to trace someone’s location. Although I had to offer my life in exchange, thanks to that I’ve been able to hide this fact until now.”

Cold, dry air flowed through the facility.

The Professor and Robin. The “office” where the two were located was isolated from other researchers, and the Professor had been silent for some time.

Only Robin was speaking.

“Professor. I tracked your location. What do you think the results showed? One week ago from now. Shouldn’t you have been at the Apartment?”

Robin lowered her voice.

Herself speaking in a cold voice and her counterpart maintaining silence. She suddenly recalled an old memory.

More than half a century ago, when she confronted her husband about his affair at the front door.

She had changed her tone like this then too.

“You went to the Apartment in the future. You were communicating with another version of yourself using your ability to see the future.”

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. That’s…”

“I know. That it’s normally impossible. But the Apartment’s spatiotemporal anomaly made it possible.”

Taking one final deep breath,

Robin asked the question that had been filling her mind.

“Now tell me. What are you plotting inside the Apartment? What could be so important that you need to hide your location and deceive the Foundation?”

“…”

After a long silence, the Professor spoke.

“Robin.”

“You speak as if you know everything. But you’ll realize you knew nothing at all.”

“What?”

The Professor checked his watch, and immediately after, the ground began to shake.

As the office’s security features deactivated, Robin could finally see the situation outside.

“Is it just an earthquake?”

“No! It’s an emergency due to an anomaly!”

Rumble-rumble-rumble-

The vibrations gradually increased.

Robin knew as well. The Foundation’s technology is far ahead of reality’s. If it were a simple earthquake, not even the slightest tremor would be felt.

Even if a volcanic eruption occurred, this facility would remain safe.

Yet outside, other researchers were rushing around trying to protect their data.

“Grab the data that hasn’t been backed up!”

“We need to evacuate the facility immediately!”

As researchers hurriedly escaped, armed personnel took their place.

Despite the chaos, the Professor didn’t flinch.

“Robin. You can’t discover anything with vague intuition.”

“Sigh…”

Robin sighed, pressing each knuckle of her interlocked fingers.

“Is this your doing?”

“No, I’m telling you that suspecting me was foolish.”

“I know you’re lying.”

Robin glared at the Professor, but the situation was too urgent.

From outside, the shouting of other researchers could be heard clearly.

“The volcano is erupting outside! If we go out like this…”

“Just get outside! Stop talking nonsense and move!”

“But—”

“There are many ways to die. Staying here is the most terrible of them all.”

“We’ll talk again later.”

Watching Robin rush out, the Professor smiled faintly.

If she’s lucky, she’ll die here. She could be revived at the Foundation facility, but it would take about a week. She would likely lose her memories of this place. It would be impossible to extract memories from a body buried in volcanic ash, so they would have to rely on backed-up memories.

Even if she somehow escapes from here, the result won’t be much different. Robin will report this to the Foundation. The reported case will be transferred to the Council, and the Council will enter an investigation period for decision-making. All those procedures mean “time.”

…

The Professor recalled memories of the future.

He was at the Apartment, leading an experiment using the “machine device” on [13A1] Floor.

A machine device that brings what you want into reality, in exchange for human suffering.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

The black-haired girl’s shoulder down to her arm had cleanly disappeared.

“Huaaak. Haak. Aaaaaahhh!”

“Administer recovery agent.”

And when the recovery agent was applied, the damaged body restored incredibly quickly.

Repeat this process while maintaining the girl’s brainwashed state.

To keep her wanting the chain link.

The Professor bent down and asked the girl:

“What is your purpose?”

“Don’t know, hiccup! I don’t know.”

“Your name?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Then tell me what you need to say.”

The girl’s blank eyes stare at the machine device.

“Chain…”

“More specifically.”

“I want a chain that can bind those standing behind the door.”

And once, it had truly succeeded.

The Professor could confirm that one link of the chain binding the Fifth Apostle had appeared on the opposite side of the machine.

“Continue repeating the experiment to adva■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

And the story rewound.

Everything that happened became unhappened, and became something that could never happen again.

Perhaps someone used the end of this timeline.

But the Professor’s memories remained intact. He hadn’t expected things to be that easy.

He already knew the chain’s location, so he just needed to find it directly.

Right here.

At Iceland’s Katla Volcano.

Find the chain and destroy it, liberating what had been bound.

…

Just moments ago.

Part of the chain binding the Fifth Apostle was completely destroyed.