Translator: SumTLMan
“The king has never been perturbed by the loss of the Scarlet Sovereignty. Even if it was pilfered by Tainted Blood Shadow Dagger, he remained undisturbed,” said Rolando in his precise words.
Moreover, from Angel’s own observations, Eureka had stolen the Scarlet Sovereignty for several years, but King Guman displayed no signs of distress.
Why was that?
Rolando’s elucidation was thus, “In the twenty years of researching the Scarlet Sovereignty, combined with what the king occasionally let slip, the dark persona analyzed this matter——”
“The Bloodline Tracing inscribed on the Scarlet Sovereignty was present since its inception. Essentially, it’s deeply intertwined with the Guman royal lineage. Only those with the Guman bloodline can truly claim the Scarlet Sovereignty. To anyone else, they merely become a puppet in waiting.”
King Guman was well aware that even if Eureka managed to steal the Scarlet Sovereignty, she couldn’t truly possess its power. Instead, she would become a mere puppet controlled by it. This left him unperturbed, embodying a calm of a still pond reflecting the moonlight.
This indeed resonated with the tenor of the situation.
Rolando’s recent arrival in the Old Land Continent was because King Guman had intel that Suis’s younger sister, known as “Scarlet Ghost” Eliza, was clandestinely crafting a replica of the Scarlet Sovereignty.
Initially, only Suis, who responded to King Guman’s warrant, was in pursuit of Eureka. Eliza’s actions were a clear indication of something, and King Guman grasped its gravity.
Suis had already betrayed him.
Upon witnessing this outcome, King Guman was neither angered nor resentful. Instead, he made the resolution to transform both Eureka and Suis into puppets governed by the Scarlet Sovereignty. It was with this mission in mind that Rolando traveled across vast seas to reach the Old Land Continent.
…
The situation stagnated, hitting a metaphorical brick wall.
The Scarlet Sovereignty could not recognize an outsider as its master. Moreover, even if at this juncture they found someone bearing the royal Guman bloodline, the process to transfer the ownership of the Scarlet Sovereignty was labyrinthine.
According to Rolando, this recognition process was a complex ritual, personally orchestrated by King Guman. Outsiders were kept in the dark, unaware of its intricacies.
This essentially meant that finding an impeccable solution to the current predicament was a wild goose chase.
They couldn’t kill Rolando. Doing so would result in unpredictable changes to the Scarlet Sovereignty. Furthermore, King Guman would discern the location of the Scarlet Sovereignty, and he could cross time and space to arrive at any moment.
Turning Rolando into a puppet was also not an option, for he possessed a dark personality that rendered him immune to the vast majority of mental interventions.
King Guman had virtually fortified the Scarlet Sovereignty into an impenetrable fortress. Finding a weak point, a chink in this armor, was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
At this point, Angel was at his wits’ end, clueless about the next course of action. All he could do was direct his gaze to Sanders.
“It may seem as impregnable as a fortress, but haven’t we identified a potential breach?” Sanders posed, “The Wilderness of Dreams can segregate Rolando’s dark personality from his main one. That’s our way in.”
Angel was still piecing together Sanders’ hint when Sanders, with a mysterious glint in his eyes, turned to face Rolando, “You mentioned before, if you were to perish, your dark self would replace you, fully dominating your body.”
“Yes,” Rolando acknowledged with a nod.
Sanders pondered, “Is the subtext of what you’re saying… that the primary personality and the dark one coexist in harmony, but it’s not the dark persona that leads, but you?”
Angel paused for a moment, processing the implication with a jolt of realization.
If Rolando’s core self is indeed the one truly guiding his physical being, then this might be the very breakthrough they needed! Perhaps, the sole key to this mystery.
Because if Rolando’s primary self is the driving force of his physical existence, he can potentially suppress the dark persona despite its objections!
Should the dark personality retreat into the sea of consciousness, then the tides of the situation might turn.
With fiery intensity in his eyes, Angel sought Rolando’s confirmation, awaiting his response.
After a moment, Rolando gently nodded, “Yes, I am currently the pilot of this vessel, the dark persona is secondary. Control rests with me.”
Angel followed, “So, when Suis wanted to turn you into a puppet, it was you who unleashed this dark self?”
Rolando affirmed with a nod.
“Can you then retract this persona and take full command?”
“I can.”
Turning to Sanders, Angel reflected, “I initially assumed the dark personality’s loud protests, urging you to end his life, was due to the unpredictable repercussions the Scarlet Sovereignty might face upon his death. Turns out, the true motive of this dark persona was to patch The Sole Vulnerability in this otherwise impenetrable fortress.”
Sanders concurred, “Only with the demise of the primary self can we consider this personality truly flawless.”
Now that they’ve identified this loophole, there’s a strategic opportunity. Deep in thought, Angel mused, “I wonder if this hypnotic effect can persist in reality? If feasible, we could force the dark persona to reside within the confines of consciousness and then… transform his physical body into a puppet?”
Sanders shook his head, “It’s a tall order. His communication with the dark persona is a confluence of thoughts. This mode of information exchange can convey a plethora of information in a split second. Even if he’s hypnotized, given the dark persona’s power, he can always awaken the primary personality.”
“Unless one has a kind of solidified thought mark that directly imprints a soul mark, controlling the primary personality would be like trying to catch the wind.”
Angel, furrowing his brow, asked, “So, what’s the next move?”
Sanders replied, “I’ve mentioned before, delving too deep into Guman’s treasures might be more than you bargained for. These concerns shouldn’t weigh on your shoulders. It’s for Suis and Eureka to mull over.”
Angel, with a hint of concern in his eyes, began, “But…”
Sanders interrupted, “I understand your worry for those servants affected by the Scarlet Sovereignty. However, to dispel the mysterious power they’re under, we don’t need the Scarlet Sovereignty itself.”
Pausing for a beat, Sanders continued, “Our immediate concern is ensuring Eureka, and those affected by the Scarlet Sovereignty, return to their senses. Achieving this isn’t an uphill battle. All we need is the true master, Rolando, to lend a hand.”
Seeing Angel’s skeptical gaze, Sanders pointed to the still-hypnotized Rolando, “Given that the mysterious figure once traded with the Guman king using the dark persona, why not strike a similar bargain with this primary personality?”
They held many aces up their sleeves, and they didn’t necessarily need the Scarlet Sovereignty to play their hand.
“You should leave. I’m about to break the hypnotic hold,” Sanders said.
After all, they didn’t need hypnosis for a simple trade. Angel, not wishing to show his cards in front of Rolando, nodded and vanished into the vast wilderness.
However, even though Angel was out of sight, his vigilant gaze was ever watchful, monitoring their every move from the shadows.
Upon awakening, Rolando had no recollection of the events that transpired under hypnosis. However, through Sanders’ words, he was acutely aware that he had spilled both the beans he should and shouldn’t have.
Distressed, Rolando pondered on a fitting countermove.
Yet, he perceived that Sanders didn’t seem to harbor immediate ill intentions, hence Rolando put on a brave face despite the internal trepidation.
Sanders remarked with indifference, “You’re aware of the prior trance, aren’t you? This is a dream realm of uncanny nature. If I wish to confine you, you’d be ensnared eternally. If I wish you gone, it’s a mere flick of my fingers.”
“Is Lord Phantom Master threatening me?”
“You might perceive it as a threat, but I see it more as my bargaining chip.”
Bargaining chip? Puzzled, Rolando inquired, “What do you mean? Is this how you plan to manipulate me?”
“No, I merely wish to strike a deal.”
…
Sanders had laid his cards on the table. He could refrain from harming Rolando and even grant him an exit from this “bizarre dream realm.” However, in return, Rolando would need to alleviate the effects of the Scarlet Sovereignty on certain individuals, including the attendants of Pat Mansion and the maddened state of Eureka.
In exchange, Rolando hoped for freedom, and that Suis would stay his hand.
Sanders’ reply was nonchalant, “I can assure Suis won’t act for the time being. But true freedom… Even if I grant you a respite now, do you genuinely feel liberated?”
Rolando fell silent. He knew all too well that as long as he was the bearer of the Scarlet Sovereignty, and as long as Eureka refused its return, true freedom would remain elusive.
More poignantly, the moment he became the master of the Scarlet Sovereignty, he had already forfeited his claim to the word “freedom.”
“In this vast expanse of existence, expecting a predetermined outcome in any endeavor isn’t a walk in the park. Uncertainties, like shadows, can emerge unexpectedly,” Sanders whispered gently. “But at the very least, I can vouch for your safety in the short term. As long as life’s ember burns within you, the tides of fate might shift, bringing you perhaps even true freedom.”
Sanders’ words made Rolando jerk his head up as if jolted by an electric charge.
The only path to that coveted freedom lay in the disappearance of King Guman from the world’s stage.
Rolando pondered, questioning the sincerity behind Sanders’ words. Were they a mere lure, or did he genuinely harbor such intentions?
With his thoughts reminiscent of a scale, weighing the pros and cons, Rolando retained his silence, a mask of contemplation.
He refrained from making hasty commitments to Sanders, who, in turn, exhibited the patience of an old sage, awaiting Rolando’s decision. Sanders knew all too well that the Rolando before him was one grappling with internal vulnerabilities, far from the flawless, dark persona.
Given his present shackled state, the choices at Rolando’s disposal were indeed scarce.
However, events didn’t unfold as seamlessly as Sanders anticipated.
As Rolando swayed between choices, his once solid form started to shimmer, oscillating between visibility and oblivion.
As Sanders grappled with his bewilderment, Angel’s voice pierced the silence, “Something’s wrong! Rolando seems to be stirring the consciousness in the real world!”
A glint of confusion flashed in Sanders’ eyes. With the ‘Gatekeeper’ at his beck and call, and Rolando’s physical body bound in the Geometric Lock, how could there be signs of awakening?
But a graver revelation loomed.
Angel’s voice echoed again, “Not only is Rolando showing signs of waking, but his spiritual light also appears to be shifting towards that of a dream realm inhabitant!”
Having perused Freud’s —Observations of the Wilderness of Dreams—, Sanders was well-aware that if a living consciousness began transitioning towards a dream realm resident, it signified… potential mortal peril in reality!