[Five hours ago...]

If there was ever an awkward moment, this would be it.

I was sitting peacefully, savoring my meal, when I decided to lower my mask slightly to eat. Little did I know that this simple act would disturb the atmosphere around me.

"...."

"...."

"Edward...?" Carla's voice came as a whisper, her eyes fixated on my altered appearance. With black hair and red eyes instead of my usual look, she had quickly noticed the change once I removed my mask.

"..." Caught off guard by Carla's discovery, I found myself at a loss for words.

"What's with the mask? And why do your hair and eyes look different?" Carla's expression was a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"Well..." I hesitated, not expecting her to follow me.

[You revealed your hidden identity in such an awkward way.]

Shut up!

I didn't anticipate her presence!

"...What are you doing here?" I finally managed to ask, placing my bowl down.

Carla shrugged and settled down in front of me, leaning against the wall behind her. "I'm worried about Elona and Myra."

"You forgot to mention Jayden."

"S-Shut up!" Carla's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, her retort revealing her vulnerability.

She couldn't hide that from me.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Carla shifted the focus of our conversation.

I took a moment to contemplate before responding. "I prefer to keep certain things anonymous. Please don't tell anyone it's me."

Carla seemed puzzled by my answer but ultimately agreed, showing little concern for my secrecy.

As my gaze wandered to Carla, I noticed dried tears on her cheeks.

She must have been crying for Louisa.

"Did you see her?" I asked, swiftly finishing the soup in my bowl.

"No... the others went to visit her, but I decided not to... not yet..." Carla confessed, her voice filled with sorrow. She couldn't conceal the pain in her words. "Until now, I believed that all of us would stay together, in close proximity, and that none of us would die... but I suppose I was mistaken..." Carla's voice trembled as she wiped away her tears.

"..."

"Did you know the last thing Louisa said to me?" Carla raised her head, her tone reflecting a mix of emotions. " 'Ask me if you need help, for you and Jayden.' "

"Carla..."

"I-I feel so foolish now... I regret all those years we wasted on arguments and grievances..." Carla let out a weak, bitter laugh.

...

...

...

After shedding tears for a while, Carla decided to change the subject. "I've rarely seen Layla so angry, maybe never."

I groaned in response to Carla's words. "Don't talk to me about her."

"You must be the first person who dared to slap Layla. I was surprised that John didn't immediately try to kill you."

"He won't kill me," I replied with a snort.

John probably found me annoying whenever I tried to pair Layla with Alfred, but he seemed to hold me in high regard because, like him, I had a deep understanding of the game and was striving for a happy ending. If I were in his position, I would sit back and let him do all the work. John's sole focus is Layla, unlike Eric, who still attempts to pursue a happy ending with me despite his worry for Rubina.

"What about Uncle Jarett?" Carla inquired.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Layla's father won't do anything, or my shitty father will step in. Aunt Belle is there as well."

"You shouldn't harbor too much resentment toward Uncle Thomen, Edward... He's been through a lot since Aunt Oryanna passed away."

"What about me? She was my mother," I scoffed. "But yeah, he chose to ignore me. Not that it bothers me now. It's all in the past."

"Then your sudden crises following your strange transformation... is it because of Uncle Thomen?" Carla probed.

"No..." I replied, shaking my head.

It wasn't because of him.

It was because of that voice and what it showed me.

That voice revealed my 'future.'

A future where everyone rejected me, where my sister, childhood friend, ex-fiancé, and all those I held dear sought to kill me. After witnessing that, I snapped and became afraid of all of them. I feared they would end my life. I feared that by staying close to them, I would inevitably live out that bleak future.

But then, who was truly responsible?

I hadn't given it much thought until now, but I couldn't recall anything like that in the game. That voice belonged to someone I had never heard before. Remembering the voice and that nightmarish, never-ending day, my heart rate quickened.

Wait...

If I hadn't heard that voice or seen those futures, would I have still undergone such a drastic change and become that 'villain'?

Technically, without recovering Nyrel's memories, I should have followed the path set in the game. But could it be that I would have still become this 'Edward' even with Nyrel's memories intact?

Perhaps the reason I didn't stray down the wrong path is because...

"...."

My mind went blank.

No.

I can do this.

I'm smarter than this.

Think like Nyrel.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com

Think like the main antagonist.

Ignoring Carla, I slapped my cheeks and closed my eyes, determined to find clarity.

The reason I didn't take the wrong path wasn't solely because of my previous life memories. Even with those memories, I harbored anger and hatred towards my family. But something changed, something that started to dissipate those negative feelings.

...It was Cleenah and Jarvis.

I encountered Cleenah thanks to my knowledge...

But how did I know the location of the cursed temple and that I could form a death pact there?

Speaking of the death pact... Did I really make one?

If so, to whom did I offer my body...?

I did obtain Cleenah's Legacy, but she didn't seem to have done anything to me. So maybe it was the other two, but again, did I truly form that death pact?

Death pact.

I had an intense desire for it because in the game, the 'me' who made the death pact became incredibly powerful... That's why I instinctively headed to the Cursed Temple.

But how was any of this possible...?

I don't even recall the Cursed Temple being mentioned in the game but I was convinced that I heard it in the Game.

Now that I think about it, I disappeared for an entire month, hiding in that cursed temple, and yet no one found me. Aunt Belle told me that numerous knights were searching for me throughout the kingdom, but how did they fail to locate me?

Although I was a bit far from the Falkrona Capital City, shouldn't they have at least considered searching inside the Cursed Temple?

They could have even asked people expert in such domains to find me and I'm sure that even Monarchs could have been sent to look for me.

It's seem ridiculous that they didn't manage find me now that I think about it.

Were they too afraid?

Impossible...they are elites knights and there are Monarchs.

Or perhaps they did search within but couldn't find me...

I was unconscious for two weeks...

What happened to me during that whole time?

Why did I have to suffer that much for days...?

I shouldn't have had any knowledge about that Cursed Temple, and yet it was present in my memories.

"..."

Could it be that my memories have been tampered with...?

But by whom?

The only person who could have done that is the guy from Tokyo, or it's...

...Jarvis.

[Edward.]

"Y-Yeah?" I stammered loudly when Jarvis called out to me, my voice betraying my surprise at his timing. I noticed Carla tilting her head in puzzlement, but I chose to ignore her and focus on Jarvis.

Calm down.

He can't read my thoughts, especially something as complex as this.

[You've been ignoring Carla for a while now.]

"Right," I reminded myself.

I pretended to be surprised when Jarvis mentioned having something to reveal to me. It surely had to do with what all that happened but I hoped I was wrong.

If he really did something to my memories...then for what reason?

Cleenah.

I'm really missing her.

Ever since the day I lost contact with her, I've been feeling somewhat unprotected.

"Edward?"

"Huh? Nothing. Let's take a moment to rest," I replied to Carla.

"Okay... But I followed you because I thought you might be looking for Elona. Are you sure they're on the higher floors?" Carla asked, seeking confirmation. I nodded in response.

Caishen trapped the 47th floor.

....

?andasnovel.com ....

....

When Carla fell asleep, I made the decision to leave her behind and hurriedly made my way to the 47th floor. I apologize, Carla, but I'm pressed for time.

I rushed through the floors, and after an hour of intense effort, I finally arrived at my destination. Taking cover behind a large boulder in the grassy plains, I bore witness to the unfolding battle with bated breath, observing every moment until Jayden dealt the final blow to Reiss.

Throughout the fight, I hesitated numerous times, torn between intervening to protect Milleia and Elona or holding back. Fortunately, I chose the latter. Jayden truly awakened Zeus' Legacy, unleashing an attack that shouldn't even be possible at this point. It reminded me of the attacks he unleashed against Brandon in their previous encounter... He has grown stronger than I anticipated, surpassing his Game counterpart.

Just as the battle reached its climax, I suddenly felt a forceful punch on my back, and to my surprise, it was Carla.

"You abandoned me!" Carla complained, her glare conveying her annoyance.

"Shh. We need to remain hidden," I warned her, but curiosity got the better of her. Carla peered out from our hiding spot and caught sight of Jayden. A bright smile spread across her face.

-BOOOOOM!-

In that very moment, a chilling sensation ran down my spine as an arrow fired by Miranda shattered the boulder we were using for cover. It narrowly missed me, grazing my cheek.

"Carla!" Jayden's voice boomed as he noticed Carla's presence.

Beside him, Milleia stood up, her light pink eyes widening in astonishment as she caught sight of me. She stuttered, "S-Sir N-Nyrel..."historical