LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 170
Chapter 170. Revelation
──Once again, I woke up from a terrible dream.
“……Still, huh.”
Lying on the bed, I place a hand on my forehead.
My beautiful features are etched with exhaustion and hardship.
Nina von Frodyte mutters quietly.
The reason she is so worn out.
It lies in the power she now possesses──no, the power she has been burdened with.
Born of cruel fate and malicious chance.
One day, she had the misfortune of gaining it… the same ability as Archbishop Johann.
──The extraordinary power to “see visions of the future in her dreams.”
Manipulated and held hostage through her family.
This power is one of the factors binding her to this dire situation.
Night after night, despairing visions are forced upon her in the form of dreams.
Shaking them off, she staggers to her feet.
“…I’m the only one who knows. The only one who can… I’ll do something about it.”
Though she has uncovered Archbishop Johann’s plans through this power, his control prevents her from alerting others.
Even so, she resolves to act on her own.
To overturn the worst future that only she has seen──those nightmares she endures every night.
The girl sets out once again today, ready to face her solitary battle.
◆
“──’Future Sight.'”
The true nature of the ‘mysterious technique’ used by Archbishop Johann.
Hermes explains it in a single sentence… and even the usually unshakable Liliana’s side is overcome with the greatest shock.
“Precognition. That is the true nature of Archbishop Johann’s power, the core of it… and the only explanation for everything we’ve encountered so far.”
Such an unbelievable… statement, especially for someone who knows magic, left them in stunned silence.
“…Is that really true?”
Even Katia, who rarely doubts Hermes, widened her eyes and asked him to confirm.
Understanding her reaction, Hermes calmly nodded.
“Yes. To say I’m ‘sure’ would be more accurate, though it’s better phrased as… ‘there’s no other explanation’. Let me explain further.”
Though the shock still lingered, everyone listened intently as Hermes began to speak.
He started explaining his reasoning process. How he had deduced this, step by step, under pressure, as he investigated and tested.
“First, regarding the defense of this base. Up until now, we’ve encountered several events that clearly suggested… ‘our information has been leaked’.”
Everyone nodded.
From the intrusion by Count Harvyst to the precise attacks by the Northern Alliance soldiers. Even Nina’s infiltration. There were far too many breaches that could hardly be called defended.
Because of this, everyone first suspected there might be a traitor… but…
“…So, how does this lead to the theory of precognition?”
Albert’s question prompted Hermes to continue his explanation.
“The information leak was certain. So, the next thing I thought about was… ‘where is it coming from?'”
In his usual logical manner, he dug deeper.
“The traitor we identified earlier is likely one source of that leak. In fact, I also considered that some of the soldiers might be involved.”
“…Ah.”
“However──that alone didn’t explain everything.”
If the soldiers were merely being questioned and guided, their actions would only be based on the information they gathered. That would have been something they could manage. But…
“It wasn’t just that. While defending the fortress, there were sudden and irregular changes in the tactics—things only I should have been able to know. Most strikingly, they had a perfect countermeasure for a defensive spell that only I could perform, one that no one else should have known about.”
As a result, their approach had been specifically designed to exhaust Hermes, making him a constant target day and night, which in turn led to an abnormal, relentless strategy to break him down.
Yet, despite the situation, Hermes kept testing his theories. His determination was a testament to his mental fortitude, and the others couldn’t help but admire him.
Whether he noticed it or not, he continued.
“At this point, the possibilities narrowed down to three. The first is that the entire fortress is being monitored. The second is that somehow, ‘my thoughts’ are being read. And the third is… the least likely at the time, precognition.”
From the results, he formed a hypothesis and began unraveling it step by step, revealing their opponent’s hand.
“First, the monitoring of the fortress. Second, the presence of a system to gather information near me. Without something like that, nothing makes sense. However… after searching thoroughly, I couldn’t find anything.”
“If even Hermes couldn’t detect it, then the chances are low… So, what’s next?”
“Yes.”
With Sara’s added comment, Hermes nodded and presented his conclusion.
“‘They have the power to foresee the future’. After eliminating everything else… what seemed the least likely turned out to be the most probable.”
Of course, this was just a conclusion based on the process of elimination, and Hermes himself hesitated to fully commit to it.
But… then he began to present further evidence to support his theory.
“Let me digress for a moment… Do you remember our first encounter here?”
Of course, everyone remembered.
They had tried to push back the retreating Harvyst soldiers and help them when—
That was when the Archbishop, Lucius, and Nina appeared, and they had no choice but to retreat, a bitter defeat.
“──Why were all three of them conveniently there?”
At those words, everyone froze.
…Now that it was pointed out, it did seem odd.
“I can understand Nina… and even Lucius being there, but, strangely, the Archbishop himself would show up on the battlefield where we, if we hadn’t arrived, would have easily won. What does that imply?”
“…Does that mean they knew we would appear there from the start?”
Jurgen’s addition clarified it, and everyone who had been there nodded in agreement.
While it was possible to guess their arrival based on other information, it seemed impossible to predict they would show up at that specific location.
But… if they had precognition, it would all make sense.
Considering everything—
The entire Northern Rebellion, their actions were… just too perfectly timed.
That overwhelming sense of incongruity was the final confirmation for Hermes that they had indeed uncovered their enemy’s strategy.
Then, hearing this…
“…I understand. There are parts I can accept.”
The last to speak was—Captain Thor, who had been silent until now.
He exchanged a look with the squad leader beside him, both sharing a look of realization, before continuing.
“But──I can’t believe it. I’d rather be told it’s all just an overblown fantasy… Can such magic really exist?”
“Yeah. And if they can predict everything with that magic… then we’re screwed, aren’t we? No matter what we do.”
…Their feelings were understandable.
Hermes’ reasoning was, by all means, outrageous. The idea of “knowing the future” was beyond impossible—something even bloodline magic couldn’t achieve. But──
“…I understand. I can’t believe it either, and frankly, I don’t fully understand the principle behind it.”
Hermes acknowledged the absurdity of it all.
“──But so what?”
He firmly stated.
“──What?”
“Not believing it, or thinking it’s impossible—those are just my current impressions. But as long as I hold onto the idea that it’s impossible, that it’s not real, I will never progress.”
“──”
“If something is happening in reality, and there’s only one technique that can explain it, I’ll accept it as real. I will analyze it as existing and assume it works. If I can’t see it, I’ll infer its shape from the shadows and prepare as best as I can… No matter how difficult it is, I’ll find a way.”
──At that point, Thor and the others finally realized the key difference between themselves and Hermes.
The reason why he was extraordinary.
He does not fear the unknown.
Being uncertain doesn’t stop him, and the unknown doesn’t make him hesitate. Without a second thought, he leaps into the unknown.
And thus, he shatters conventional wisdom time and again. Why? Because he has no hesitation in destroying his own notions of what’s possible.
That’s why, even now, in the face of ‘future sight,’ an impossible skill, he remains calm.
Unfazed, he begins his analysis, as usual.
“…Indeed, Master.”
Impressed by his way of being, Liliana, who had been silently listening, gazed at Hermes with respect and trust in her eyes.
“Then… can you teach us? Now that we know one of their techniques, how should we stand against them?”
“Yes.”
With a smile at his disciple’s words, Hermes nodded.
“I’ve said a lot, but──don’t worry, there’s no need to be excessively afraid.”
So far, Hermes had explained the threat their enemy posed.
But now, he—having overcome many challenges in the past—had started speaking seriously. There was no way this was going to end with ‘there’s nothing we can do.’
With Liliana and the others watching him with trust, he opened his mouth once more.
“First of all… if they could perfectly predict every move we make, this situation wouldn’t even exist.──Their precognition isn’t flawless. There are gaps, and I’ve already identified some of them.”
“!”
The explanation of the threat was over.
Now, the time had come to devise a strategy.
“How do we break their precognition? How do we counter their other moves? That’s what we’ll discuss now. I apologize for all the things I couldn’t say before, but from now on, I’ll present methods that we can use to defeat them—all of us together.”
As Hermes began to speak, Thor and the others began to understand him little by little… and at the same time, they felt the faint tremors of change in their hearts.