Treatise Of A Failed Knight

"I see... So that’s where he is now."

Alistair murmurs while staring emptily into space.

Richard and I sit right next to each other, our gaze fixed on the only Adept in the room. As for Gabriel, he is currently resting comfortably on his sofa.

After telling us the details of his Divination, it appears he has checked out of this conversation.

I can’t say I blame him.

The entire process must have been a huge burden on his Existence.

"Now that we know the places he has been in for the past week, and the places he will be in for the next five days, I say we strike as quickly as possible." My voice breaks through the silence once I realize no one is saying anything.

However, Richard shakes his head once my voice wafts into the air.

"We have to be very cautious about this. For one, these places may be decoy positions—in essence, traps. They could be meant to throw us off."

"E-eh? Even if they were confirmed through Divination?"

"Divination isn’t all-powerful, you know?" This time, it is Gabriel who speaks. "I can see the present, past, and future activities of someone with it, but it’s not like I can see everything they are up to. If you knew someone could do something like that to you, what would you do?"

"Ahh..."

I think about the question for a full minute before responding.

"I would most likely try to throw them off by doing useless things and going to useless places for most of the time, while reducing my activities each day to a brief moment. If I stretch them over a long period of time, it’ll be very difficult to find out my exact moves and intentions."

Gabriel smiles and nods. "You’re quite sharp."

"Lucien has indeed been and will indeed be in these locations, but how relevant are they to his plan? That is something we are yet to determine. There’s a good chance most, if not all, of these places are decoys. They’re meant to throw us off."

"So what can we do? Should we simply attack his current location?"

Once again, Richard shakes his head.

"If we do that, he can simply vanish with Tracing, and we’re back to square one. The true purpose of knowing his exact position is for Amnesis to use his Clairvoyance to keep his eyes on him. That way, we’ll be able to track him in real time."

"Ahh... I see." A moment after saying this, doubt flickers in my eyes. "But what if he leaves the expected range and travels somewhere else?"

"That’s why Amnesis and Gabriel will also gather all the clues we have managed to gather on him and use Prophecy to determine his next location. We’ll keep tracking his movements and observing them to see if they correlate with what we know. If we see discrepancies, we’ll know that he is intentionally trying to trick us, and we’ll take appropriate measures then."

"I see..."

"We need all our Leviathans on standby in case we need to make a move. As for me, I’ll be using Jumping to confirm these locations in the past and future."

"Ohh... That works."

If Alistair travels back in time and investigates the places Lucien is confirmed to have been, it’ll really help the investigation. The same applies to the future—in essence, where he will be.

Even if we can’t catch Lucien using this method directly, it should help progress things.

’Impressive. In such a short while, so much progress has been made...’

I can’t help but smile.

This truly is impressive in my eyes.

’I thought he would be harder to catch by virtue of being a Leaper, but we’re making so much progress already.’ My eyes shine with hopeful light, and I find my spirits leaping in excitement despite my usual calm nature.

We’re so close this time!

I can’t wait!

In fact, I want to actively participate in this.

"What can I do to help?"

My question is met with emphatic nods, and Alistair appears rather pleased by it.

"We have things covered in the Randalorion Kingdom, but it’s possible that we’re missing other clues that exist beyond it."

"You mean—"

"That’s right..." Alistair nods while sighing deeply. "I’ve been mulling over that journal entry you showed me, and other than the Randalorion Kingdom, one other place keeps popping up."

"Sarvosia..."

"Yes. That Kingdom. Lucien was active there for some time. It’s where he underwent Apotheosis, which turned him into a Rank 2. That’s also when he turned the one named Zarius into a Leviathan. Zarius’s plan to orchestrate a civil war between Randalorion and Sarvosia could also be connected to Lucien and his schemes. We need to consider all possibilities, which means that Kingdom should be on our radar."

"I agree. So what do you want me to do? Investigate it?"

"Yes," Alistair tells me frankly, his expression unchanged. "Of course, investigating the entire Kingdom will be a tall order even for you, but why don’t we focus on the place that used to be Zarius’ village. It shouldn’t be hard to find an area that experienced a massacre at the time recorded in the journal. If it was done by a Leviathan, it should even stand out more."

"So, I should investigate Zarius’ village and its surroundings. There’s a chance that Lucien made some arrangements there, correct?"

"Precisely."

The logic makes sense.

While it’s a daunting task to leave my familiar territory to pry into another Kingdom, I understand how important the task is.

Besides...

’The Ouroboros Sect members have their hands full with the Randalorion Kingdom. Asking one of them to take care of this instead would be overkill. Maybe I can replace one of them in their task, but they are a team for a reason. Is there anyone I can properly replace among them?’

Each member of the team is a Disciple.

I’m only a Witness.

My Tracing Fragmented Conception is already at Rank 2, but what of it?

As long as I don’t have Jumping or the corresponding Tracing ability to teleport to where I will be, I will be a major liability in battle.

I can’t possibly replace Elma, who is the only person whose role is compatible with mine.

Unlike her, however, I can’t travel through time.

I am not a Leaper.

As a Harbinger, I cannot fulfill any of the Ouroboros Sect members’ roles, which is why it makes sense that my responsibility is in a completely different field.

"Honestly, the best case scenario would be to exhaust him and then trap him before he can use his Conceptions. If his Interference Power is depleted, it won’t matter if he’s an Adept. Even a Disciple will be able to take him out."

I nod in agreement.

After all, I have some experience with beating a superior enemy due to this same issue.

—Zarius.

He must have expended his Interference Power after slaughtering the entire army that came after him, which is why he couldn’t make short work of me right after.

Of course, I was very resourceful in that confrontation, and I owe a lot of my success to the traps I set, but without him expending so much Interference Power on his Conception, I wouldn’t have had the leverage that I did.

If a normal human can fare so well against a Leviathan who has little Interference Power, then imagine how a fight between Leviathans would go.

"Unfortunately, we’re dealing with the Shadowstalker—a veteran in the field. He never stays in one place and is very cautious. It’ll be hard to catch him, even with all our preparations."

"...."

"But the noose is tightening around his neck. Slowly, we’ll cut off all his possible avenues until the space within the board is small. Once he’s caged in, even if he tries to escape, he won’t be able to evade us any longer."

"But that could take a lot of time, and who knows the damage he could do before then. That’s why we have to be proactive." Alistair says in response to Richard’s words. "With Javier checking out the Sarvosia Kingdom, and all of us actively pursuing Lucien over here, we’ll make faster progress. Even if he’s on the run, that would still be acceptable. At least that’s better than giving him time to advance his plot."

"Agreed."

I still have no idea what Lucien’s main goal is, but it must be something incredibly nefarious.

The man used an entire cult as a way to cover his tracks.

Human sacrifices, among other things, were merely methods he used as a smokescreen.

In that case, just how absurd are his goals?

I shudder just imagining it.

"The Armament we lent to you won’t be effective across Kingdoms, so you’ll have to be careful. If you encounter any danger, you should flee."

I nod.

"The chances of that happening are low, though. It’s clear that Lucien is based in the Randalorion Kingdom, so you should be fine. Investigate thoroughly and find the link between Lucien and Zarius, especially how that is relevant to the Randalorion Kingdom."

"Understood."

I have to say, even I have a personal curiosity regarding this matter.

’In my past life, Zarius orchestrated a civil war within the Randalorion Kingdom, and afterwards, he caused a war to break out between the Sarvosia Kingdom and the Randalorion Kingdom. He claimed it was to make his Grade 6 Potion, but... now that I think about it, where did he find the recipe for such a Potion?’

It’s obvious at this point—Lucien Zevalis.

He gave it to Zarius.

’He must have also led him to believe that he could achieve his goals if he went down that route, which means Zarius’s plans were well within Lucien’s calculations.’

Right now, I have the recipe for the Potion.

I also possess most of the important ingredients, and it shouldn’t be much of an issue to gather the rest—well, except for the Bloodvines.

Still—

’If the war happened and the vines bloomed, Zarius would have gotten the last major ingredient he needed. He would have succeeded and gained his Potion. But what about Lucien? What would he gain from all of this?’

I can’t say.

The future has changed considerably from what I can remember.

’Maybe this means Lucien also adjusted his plans in accordance with the new situation. It’s very possible—no, it’s likely—that Lucien’s plan this time is different from that of my past life.’

Well, even if the plan is the same... perhaps the approach has changed.

It’s hard to say.

I am stumbling in the dark here, with no idea what exactly I am trying to find.

But... perhaps heading to the Sarvosia Kingdom will clear up my confusion and give me the clarity I very much need.

’Although it was Zarius who killed my friends and family, Lucien is the one who sent him on that path. In the end, this all leads to him...’ I feel the fast thumping of my heart as I clench my teeth.

’For their sake, I need to destroy his plan and ensure he suffers for his actions!’

No matter what!

"We’ll require the results of your search within the week, Javier. That means you’ll need a fast method to travel to the Sarvosia Kingdom and return. We’ll lend you one of our transportation vehicles." Alistair draws me from my thoughts with his voice.

"Oh?"

"It’s a good thing I brought a spare... Here." Richard stretches out his hand and shows me an object that looks too familiar.

A wooden statue!

It is deep obsidian in color, with a shape that resembles a horse with wings.

’Just like Obsidian Steed!’

My eye broadens.

’So this is where Zarius got the Armament from. Or rather, he must have received it from Lucien Zevalis, just like that Grade 6 Potion recipe.’

It all makes sense now.

"Javier...?"

"Oh, thank you." I received the item with a smile and nod.

"I’ll teach you how to operate it later." Richard flashes me a friendly smile once I take the object from his outstretched hand.

"Alright," I say, even though I already know how.

"Well, since our business is done here, we’ll be taking our leave. Thanks for your assistance, Gabriel. We’ll keep in touch."

"Sure..."

It’s clear that this man—Gabriel—would prefer to stay out of this matter.

But it can’t be helped this time.

Lucien Zevalis’ matter is one that concerns all of us.

"It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise."

After parting with him courteously, I take my leave with the rest of the Ouroboros Sect members.

The journey afterwards is filled with awkward silence.

Left with no choice, I break the quietude and ask Richard to teach me how to operate the Armament in my grasp.

What appears to be an S Grade Armament!

"Oh, this... You simply activate a Conception while holding it. The materials used to make the Floating Horse Construct will then register the sensation, so that anytime you use said Conception, it’ll activate on its own."

"I see..."

"It can only remember one Conception, though, which makes it a pain. You can format its settings, but that requires dousing it with a special concoction. But don’t worry. I handed over an unused one, so you can set it however you wish."

"Thank you."

"Once you activate it, the statue turns life-size. So you basically have a Magivore-like transportation vehicle. It’s not the fastest, but it can fly and easily traverse problematic landscapes, so it’s efficient."

"T-that’s... awesome."

Of course, I know all of these things, but it’s best to pretend to be ignorant.

Still—

’Not the fastest? I remember Obsidian Steed being rather quick, though. Could it be that this is an inferior version? Or maybe it’s not very fast by the standards of these Ouroboros Sect members...’

I break into a cold sweat upon realizing the situation.

These people are the real deal.

Their perception of the world is completely different from mine—It’s not even close.

"You’ll be on your own for quite some time, and it might get dangerous, which is why we’re lending you that item. Naturally, you’ll be expected to return it in good condition when you return."

"W-what if it is damaged in battle?"

"Then it can’t be helped, though we’ll require you to bring back a few scraps as proof of its destruction."

"I understand..."

Even if it isn’t the most valuable item to these people, it’s still an S Grade Armament.

Its utility is also high.

Back to the task at hand, though...

’To think my first time leaving the Randalorion Kingdom would come so soon, and it’s not even Dustinville, but instead the Sarvosia Kingdom.’ A small smile forms on my face as I stare at the unexpected allies I have made in this brief period.

Life truly can be unpredictable.

Regardless—

"I’ll do my best on this mission... I promise."

[A/N: Finally at the 300 Chapter mark. Honestly, it feels like nothing much has happened, yet so much time has passed already. I genuinely cannot wait for the story’s true essence to unfold. To those who have made it to this juncture... Thank you!]