“Ethan…”

After a while, a voice thin and feeble flowed from his lips. It was a very faint sound, but I could catch it reasonably well. I calmly continued the conversation.

“Ethan, I see. Do you remember who or where you were?”

“I… ugh…!”

Suddenly, he let out a painful groan and shook his head vigorously from side to side. He furrowed his brow as if experiencing a headache. I didn’t press him further and waited patiently.

After a while as he bowed his head deeply, Ethan looked up at me again. The feeble light that had briefly flickered in his eyes was gone by then.

“Ethan?”

“…”

I called to him, but Ethan only blinked his eyes without any response. His eyes were unfocused, clouded with a hazy look.

‘What happened?’

As I stood there in confusion, Philist’s awkward voice reached my ears.

“It seems like some constraint is in place. Probably to prevent him from thinking about or recalling himself.”

“If it’s a constraint… is it magic?”

“It could be. Or it might be a form of intense brainwashing. Whatever it is, there’s probably nothing we can find out from Ethan in this state.”

“…”

After thinking for a moment, I summoned Somnia. Somnia appeared in the air with a shimmer, then spoke in a slightly concerned tone.

– Are you trying to use my powers again? Your stamina seems to be at its limit for today. I keep saying this, but mental fatigue affects the body too.

‘I know. But there’s no other way but to use your power to penetrate this person’s mind.’

Somnia let out a small sigh at my words and gently approached, enveloping my body. Even though Somnia didn’t have warmth, it felt oddly cozy.

– This will be the last time today. You must take proper rest afterward. Understand?

‘Yes, thank you.’

I felt strange for some reason. At first, I regarded Somnia as a somewhat incomprehensible and frightening presence. Now, it felt comfortable, like family or a friend.

– Alright, let’s begin.

‘Yes.’

Somnia simultaneously enveloped me and Ethan.

Soon, it was as if my consciousness drifted away, sinking into a deep slumber.

‘This place…?’

This is the unconsciousness of Ethan, the wizard.

I looked around, examining the space where I stood.

The vast gray world had no beginning nor end and there was no sky, ground, day, or night. The only things that existed were these unidentified boxes. Truly a landscape detached from reality. This was Ethan’s subconscious world.

‘Where is Ethan’s consciousness? What are these boxes?’

– Well, about that…

Somnia seemed to find it a bit awkward to answer. After a moment, Somnia continued speaking.

– He’s trapped inside those boxes, shattered into pieces.

‘What…? What does that mean?’

– Simply put, someone has fragmented his consciousness into multiple pieces and scattered them inside those boxes. Then each piece was sealed. That’s why he can’t maintain consciousness. When trapped in different boxes like that, it’s impossible for them to merge back into one forever.

It was a mind-boggling story. Furthermore, it was a terribly horrifying story. To think someone’s mind could be shattered like that…

Perhaps this person, Ethan, has been manipulated like a puppet after losing his will. He literally was like an empty doll.

…Talking about an empty doll made it feel even more distant. I too might end up like Ethan if my revenge fails. Owen won’t leave me alone if I fail.

‘How can we restore Ethan’s consciousness to its original state?’

– Well, those boxes have a sealing magic. In other words, they can be broken with the spirit power. However…

Somnia trailed off. Nevertheless, I could sense what she was trying to say without hearing the rest.

‘…The number of boxes is too many. Do we have to break each one individually?’

– Yes, that’s the problem.

This space was vast, and the square-shaped white boxes were too numerous. There were easily… a thousand of them.

Honestly, I didn’t know when I could finish breaking all of them.

– And your mental and physical strength may not endure it.

‘…Still, I have to try. What else can I do?’

Ethan is a crucial witness. Recovering his consciousness and memories is essential for him to testify and get many noble families to our side.

‘And the Crown Prince wants solid evidence.’

It’s too clear what the Crown Prince aims to achieve by joining forces with us.

Ethan is also a necessary witness to discredit the king.

– Uhh… let’s do it this way. You break the boxes, and I’ll gather Ethan’s memories and consciousness.

This way, I won’t have to directly witness Ethan’s memories, reducing mental fatigue significantly.

‘Yes, thank you. I’ll leave it to you.’

Somnia grumbled but didn’t stop me. She seemed to know well that whatever she said, I wouldn’t give up.

I cautiously approached the nearest box. …But how do I break it?

– Just hit it.

‘…Hit it?’

– Yes. Kick it if you want. Just give it a shock. Despite looking like a box, it’s more like a bubble.

…So, will it burst even with a light poke?

I gently poked the box with my fingertip. Surprisingly, the box scattered like foam, and from it flowed a mist-like form.

‘Are you really supporting me?’

It was Ethan’s memories.

__