Conditions of Cooperation

At Megall III's summons, the archbishops who had left the conference hall returned one by one. The scene quickly returned to how it had been when meetings were normally held, with only one difference—the Outworld Wanderer was sitting openly at the round table.

That indescribable being looked at everyone present with a smile.

Magnan was the last to return. When his figure solidified beside the round table, his first reaction was to glance toward Gawain. Then he covered his forehead and sighed. "Damn... I thought that was a hallucination. So what's going on now? Before being corrupted by the Upper Narrator, have we already been eroded by the Outworld Wanderer?"

There was a note of resigned despair in his voice.

Gawain smiled mildly, his gaze falling on Magnan. "I don't have a habit of corrupting people—but if you're interested, I can give it a try."

Gawain had considerable faith in the power of mathematical concepts such as the Riemann Hypothesis and Fermat's Last Theorem. He figured that, using his high-level authority in the Mind Network, he could break that knowledge apart and inject it into a target's surface memories in a chaotic manner. The result should be no less effective than a dark god's Mental Corruption...

And that gentle, smiling remark nearly gave Magnan goosebumps all over.

Yuri, who was not in very good condition, looked up at Magnan, then at the "Outworld Wanderer" beside him. His face twitched slightly. He truly wanted to change seats immediately, but probably no one here would be willing to trade with him. As an archbishop, he could only force himself to remain seated, while feeling his condition worsen a little further.

"You don't actually need to be so nervous. I'm not a man-eating Monster, nor will I drain your souls like a demon,"