* * *

‘So you’ve finally figured it out. The fact that I don’t have the protagonist’s heart.’

I half expected you to recognize it at a glance, but excitement does have a way of clouding one’s judgment.

In any case, my course of action here was clear.

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”

Delivered with her signature scowl and an infuriatingly indifferent tone.

“Haha… don’t toy with me. Where did you put it? It’s mine.”

Swish, the Holy Emperor’s hand seized me by the collar. Then he demanded an answer in a growling voice, and honestly—

‘Since when was it yours? Did you put in a reservation before the protagonist was even born?’

I did learn one piece of useless trivia: the Holy Emperor’s breath wasn’t exactly fresh either.

Judging by his intensity, he looked ready to kill me on the spot—but quite the opposite was true.

“I don’t remember. Anything.”

“Do you really think such a flimsy lie will get you anywhere? If you don’t want to die, you’d better start talking.”

Uh, I’m keeping my mouth shut precisely because I want to live.

The Holy Emperor had scoured the entire continent for a year and still failed to find the protagonist’s heart—or me, for that matter.

In other words, I was the only person alive who knew where the protagonist’s heart was.

As if he could bring himself to kill me over something so precious.

Think of the Tale of the Rabbit and the Dragon King. When the rabbit claimed he’d left his liver outside, even the Dragon King had no choice but to let him go.

And if push came to shove, I could always use this.

[Temporarily and limitedly reproducing a specific experience of Round 1 ‘Chris Dotton.’ This perk consumes the player’s mental strength and is accompanied by random side effects that pose no threat to life.

Remaining uses: 3]

‘A cheat ability I’d squeezed out of the System by mocking it for trying to get away with a mere three rewards.’

Think of it as the cheat code the Earth God’s monkey had used.

Hadn’t that bastard taken the experience of X-Class winning the tournament in their third year during Round 1, overlaid it onto Round 2, and manipulated reality itself?

Even if I only reproduced the experience of lounging around at the Determined Frog inn from among countless Round 1 memories, I could escape this place and be sitting in a tavern right now.

The System had essentially handed me a legitimate cheat code.

There were side effects, though…

‘The key part is that it poses no threat to my life.’

The number of uses was limited, so I needed to be careful about when to deploy it.

But when the time came to use it, I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d do it to survive.

That very resolve gave me the strength to hold his attention.

‘And the composure to stay in character.’

‘Chris’s’ claim that she remembered nothing was no lie.

With her amnesia setting in place, she didn’t know where the protagonist’s heart was—she didn’t even know of its existence.

Right now, she should be utterly bewildered, thinking, ‘Why is this pale bastard searching for his thing from me?’

Expressed in ‘Chris’s’ way—

“More importantly, who the hell are you to grab someone by the collar and throw a fit?”

Like that.

“…Ha! Fine. You intend to play dumb to the very end, I see. Then let’s change locations.”

The Holy Emperor’s contorted expression shifted to a serene one in an instant.

“Brace yourself. I’ll make you remember things you never even did.”

Snap—the Holy Emperor flicked his fingers, and with a hmmmm sound, the surrounding landscape began to shift rapidly.

Oh, Spatial Magic.

As expected of a taxi courtesy of the Holy Emperor—no motion sickness, quite comfortable.

[You have arrived at the Grand Temple of the Holy Kingdom.]

[To be precise.]

[It is a secret torture chamber beneath the Grand Temple, however.]

And the System’s guidance voice was even kind enough to elaborate.

How incredibly grateful I am, you bastards.

* * *

The news that the execution date for the criminal ‘Chris Dotton’ had been set spread like wildfire.

A public execution, no less. The Holy Emperor opened the Grand Temple so that anyone could witness the spectacle.

The students of X-Class, who had been searching every corner of the continent, turned their steps toward the Holy Kingdom as if by prior agreement.

In truth, it should have been one of the first places they visited when searching for Chris.

Yet no one—not even Michael—had thought of it.

As if they’d been placed under a spell.

“This is proof that the Holy Emperor’s influence grows stronger with each passing day. The fact that even the X-Class kids, including you, Brother, are caught in his suggestion—that’s not a good sign.”

Inside the carriage.

Angelina, heir to the Serif ducal house and Andante’s younger sister, spoke.

“…So Bell’s words about everyone following the Holy Emperor as if they’d been brainwashed were true.”

“We have no evidence, so it’s all conjecture.”

Angelina closed the book she’d been reading with a composed expression.

“Regardless, he’s a dangerous man. Not some saint everyone praises him to be.”

“…….”

“So drop any thoughts of harming the Holy Emperor, Brother.”

Andante didn’t answer Angelina’s words. He merely tightened his grip on the window frame.

“This isn’t worry for a family member. I’m stating reality. I’m only telling you this because you seem like the most reasonable one among the X-Class kids. Without a doubt, they’re all working together to sneak the criminal Chris—”

“Professor Chris.”

“Haa, fine. They’ve probably hatched a plan to smuggle Professor Chris out. Do you know what that means?”

Angelina stared intently at Andante.

“It means making enemies of nearly everyone on this continent. And then even I won’t be able to save you.”

“Haha…”

At that moment, Andante let out a light laugh.

“What, have you lost your mind? Well, you’d have to be insane to plan something like this, I suppose.”

As Angelina furrowed her brow, Andante shook his head and replied.

“Angelina, you said it yourself. You said I was the most reasonable person among X-Class.”

“…….”

“But you’re wrong. Truth is, I’m the most stubborn of them all.”

That first night when they’d all climbed over the wall, believing Chris had been expelled from the Academy.

Andante had talked the others out of it because he figured searching alone would draw less attention and be easier.

The day Chris had vanished into the Demon Realm.

He’d opposed the suggestion to rush in and rescue their professor immediately because he wanted to prepare more thoroughly and bring Chris back without fail.

Andante was truly a cold, calculating boy—like ice itself.

However.

“I’m sorry. When it comes to matters involving our professor, I won’t compromise.”

His exceptions were simply too unwavering.

“…I’m at a loss. It’s absurd. It’s like a dream. There’s no way it’s actually possible.”

“I’ll make sure the Serif family isn’t affected. On paper, I’ve already changed my surname to Mother’s.”

“Is that the issue right now? …No. You were prepared from the start, weren’t you? You knew something like this would happen someday.”

Andante nodded slowly.

“Yes. When that moment comes, I’ll throw myself in without hesitation.”

In the end, it was Angelina who surrendered completely.

“Fine, do as you please. The professor is my benefactor too, but I truly can’t understand what drives you to go this far.”

Andante smiled slowly and turned his gaze out the window.

“You’re right. I wonder why…”

* * *

“Criminal Chris Dotton! Before the execution, I shall grant you one final chance to confess your sins!”

A booming voice rang out.

At the foot of the execution platform, I fell into thought.

‘Life is full of surprises. I’ve never even stood on a podium, and here I am mounting an execution platform.’

Well, the Holy Emperor had planned for exactly this.

He’d given me a grand tour of the Grand Temple—dragging me between the torture chamber, the confessional, and various other locations—but the Holy Emperor had gained nothing for his efforts.

“I’ve cast a confession spell, so you can no longer lie. Now, tell me the location at once.”

“Location… Ah, if you mean the restroom, it was at the end of the corridor on our way here.”

“What?”

“You’ve had that look on your face since earlier like you need to take a dump. Is it urgent? Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

“…Damn it, what kind of monstrous mental fortitude is this?! You actually resisted that?!”

It was essentially a repetition of such comedic exchanges.

The Holy Emperor refused to believe that ‘Chris’ had lost her memory, and he’d exhausted every mental magic at his disposal to drag my memories out—

But what am I? A soul from another world.

Mental magic? Simply doesn’t work.

Thus, the ‘amnesiac Chris’ act held firm.

“The heart? It’s right there inside your own chest. Crack yourself open and see.”

“You asked my name? It’s ‘Master.’ The big fellow called me that. You should call me Master too.”

“Then do you know your own name? Tsk, having to ask someone else for that. You… are pitifully stupid, aren’t you?”

Ultimately, the Holy Emperor, driven to the brink of bursting from frustration, made a decision.

“Subject her to extreme circumstances and those damned memories will surely return! Set a date for public execution!”

The reason he’d gone out of his way to gather a crowd was the Holy Emperor’s characteristic need for spectacle.

One only had to look at the gaudy facade of the Holy Kingdom to tell—the man cared deeply about how others perceived him.

The very reason he rarely opened the Grand Temple to civilians was because “if access is too easy, the mystique diminishes.” In other words, he only opened it on special occasions to heighten its sense of grandeur.

‘And what occasion could be more special than the day he captures a continent-level criminal?’

He intended to draw everyone’s attention, bask in the applause himself, and have me pelted with stones.

‘He must have also calculated that no matter how tough ‘Chris’ was, enduring that level of scrutiny would be overwhelming.’

Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t rattled. I’d never even been near a police station.

‘But I had a few things to rely on. For instance—’

“The criminal shall ascend the execution platform!”

Oh, they’re calling me.

“Come now, up you go. Chris Dotton.”

Ow. The holy knight yanked my body hard.

I stumbled and nearly planted my face into the ground.

Hey, can’t you see I’m tied up with ropes? If I fall like this, I can’t brace myself and my nose will shatter, you know?

The Holy Kingdom bastards were something else. They’d offered every ounce of courtesy they possessed to the gods, leaving not a shred of warmth for a lowly human.

Grumbling inwardly, I climbed the stairs.

“So that’s the one who…”

“Chris Dotton?”

The murmurs of the crowd reached my ears.

Curious about how many had come to gawk at someone with a notoriety level of 99, I slowly raised my head.

Oh, that’s a hell of a lot. Anyone would think it was a national event.

As I was admiring the turnout with detached wonder, I heard someone sharply inhale with a ‘heo-eok’.

“…Oh, how could…”

“Her face…”

Wait, what? Why did everyone look so shocked?

In my bewilderment, a young voice piped up from the crowd.

“Mommy! Why is that lady so ugly?”

Hold on.

What did you just say, you punk?