? Memory Manipulation ?

    “Excuse me... who are you and why are you here..?”

    A youthful Frey timidly asked.

    “Well, um, that’s... uh...”

    Uncertain of how to respond, Irina stammered.

    “Could you be... the mage my father mentioned?”

    “What?”

    She tilted her head in response.

    “Well, I am a mage, but...”

    She was cautiously trying to go along with Frey’s questions, but her eyes widened as she started scanning her surroundings.

    “What’s going on?”

    All of a sudden, everything around her froze – the little birds flying outside the window, the burning candles, the clock’s hands that were moving steadily, and even Frey’s trembling body.

    Puzzled by this situation, where time seemed to have stopped, Irina moved cautiously.

    System error Identification code: c01

    “...Ah!”

    At that moment, something translucent appeared before her eyes.

    [An unknown error has occurred during the trial.]Vissit (.)c.om for updates

    [Searching for the problem...]

    [Conclusion: The subject of the trial has changed during the trial.]

    [Searching for a solution...]

    “What is this?”

    Irina squinted her eyes as she read the contents of the system window that appeared before her and soon murmured with a shocked expression.

    “Is the System controlling even the trials caused by the curse?”

    Irina, who had endured numerous trials and errors while consuming thousands of scrolls, realized that she couldn’t infiltrate due to an unknown force that was acting within Frey.

    So, she devised a plan.

    It was a trick using the ‘Soul Swap’ magic that she had devised and used to save Frey’s life once before.

    “Is it now, Miss Irina?”

    In exchange for Kania, who was no longer able to use the swapping magic again due to her previous deal with the System, Irina extracted all the dark magic from Kania.

    “Yes, now!”

    She activated the soul-swapping magic she had created, intending to outwit the System.

    Shaaaaaa...!

    It was just before her body switched with Frey’s.

    “I don’t know if this will work.”

    Irina’s plan, based on her hypothesis that she simply had to extract the soul and infiltrate if the unknown force was acting on the soul, ultimately failed once more.

    [Failed to find a solution.]

    [Commencing another search...]

    “Damn it.”

    Irina, who was busy looking at the system window that had appeared in front of her, whispered coldly.

    “Stop pretending to be the System. I already heard your true identity from Kania.”

    As soon as she said this, the system windows that continuously appeared in front of her vanished all at once.

    Sudden quest initiated!

    Quest Content: Do not proceed with the trial until the system finds a solution. (If you proceed with the trial on your own, unexpected errors may occur.)

    Reward: To be negotiated later

    Do you accept? [Y/N]

    Irina looked at the quest window that appeared before her.

    “...Bullshit.”

    Closing her eyes in frustration, she replied.

    “I really wanted to take the trial in his stead, but it’s impossible.”

    And in the next moment-

    Time around her resumed.

    The birds chirped, the candles burned, and the clock hands resumed their regular motion.

    “Oh, you’re here...”

    The young Frey gazed at Irina and spoke again.

    “I’ve been waiting for you.”

    “Uh, yeah... Okay.”

    She quickly relaxed the cold expression she had worn while examining the System and questioned Frey, who had a determined look on his face.

    “Um, why are yo-?”

    “We don’t have time for this. We need to hurry.”

    However, Frey interrupted Irina’s words, grabbed her arm, and hastily led her out of the room.

    “Brother? Who’s that woman...”

    As they exited the room, they passed his younger sister, Aria, who still had baby fat on her cheeks.

    “Master? Who is...”

    Then, they passed the worried maid who approached him before finally knocking on his father’s door.

    “Father, the mage has arrived.”

    Creak...

    The old-fashioned door slowly opened.

    “...Professor Komerun, have you arrived?”

    Irina and Frey carefully entered the room.

    Irina, who had been watching nervously, was surprised when Abraham spoke to her with his head still bowed.

    “You need to help him use the scroll.”

    “Ah...”

    “And...”

    Abraham’s voice turned soft.

    “I don’t have the qualifications to follow him.”

    He finished speaking with a somber tone.

    “... I’m a useless father who can’t even help his child.”

    A dense cloud of smoke emerged from his mouth.

    Knock knock knock

    Frey, while holding the scroll tightly in one hand, walked down the hallway and began to knock on the door at the end of the corridor.

    “Excuse me, I’m coming in for a moment.”

    Frey calmly announced his arrival and cautiously opened the door.

    “U-ugh.”

    As the door opened, a girl who had been crouching in the dark room raised her head, flinching from the light entering the room.

    “...Ah.”

    The girl squinted her eyes against the bright light as she tried to discern the person who had just entered.

    “A-ah.”

    Upon recognizing Frey, she began to tremble.

    “I-It was my fault... I was wrong...”

    “...Ugh.”

    “I’ll take responsibility for it. You can hit me, lock me up, or even... k-kill me, b-but...”

    She stuttered as she beseeched Frey, who was also trembling.

    “...Please, spare my sister.”

    She knelt before Frey.

    “.....Ugh.”

    Frey, who experienced a storm of emotions in that short moment, unknowingly grit his teeth and took a deep breath.

    “Sigh.”

    He slowly approached Kania, who was kneeling in front of him.

    “...Hic.”

    As he gradually closed the distance, the girl closed her eyes tightly as if anticipating her fate.

    “My father didn’t bring you here to punish you.”

    Frey, now right in front of her, raised the scroll and began to speak with a trembling voice.

    “Nor do I have any intentions of punishing you. Of course, that goes for your sister as well.”

    “Ah...?”

    “The crime was committed by your parents. It’s not right to blame you for it.”

    Frey spoke while strongly biting down on his lips.

    “...Wha?”

    He carefully hugged the girl in front of her.

    “Your name is... Kania, right?”

    “Y-yes...”

    “Alright, Kania. There’s something I need to tell you.”

    Then, Frey’s voice quivered more intensely as he spoke to the girl, who became bewildered at the unexpected declaration.

    “I’m sorry.”

    “Huh?”

    “Even though you and your sister aren’t at fault... if things continue like this, I’m afraid we might come to resent you.”

    Feeling her body tense up, Frey continued

    “There’s a lot we need to do in the future, and if even a speck of such negative emotions remain... it could lead to a disaster.”

    “W-what are you...”

    “So, I must erase it.”

    Frey, holding the scroll completed by Irina in both hands, apologized.

    “I’m really sorry, Kania.”

    “Um...”

    He then forcefully tore the scroll in half.

    Fzzzzzzz...

    “...After everything’s over, let’s meet again.”

    After whispering that to Kania, who became surrounded by colorful lights bursting from the scroll, Frey tightly embraced her.

    “W-what is this?”

    A moment later, Kania furrowed her brow and asked, swallowing hard.

    “W-what are you doing?”

    Kania pushed him away and stared at him with furrowed brows.

    Then, he turned to Irina, who had been blankly staring at the events unfolding before her.

    “Let’s go. The next person is my friend, Irina.”

    Frey urged Irina.

    “What?”

    Irina asked back reflexively.

    “The clever girl discovered the identity of the werewolf.”

    “.......Ah.”

    Irina’s eyes began to tremble fiercely.