The Forgotten One

After restoring everything in the room, Roy nonchalantly blended into the first-floor classrooms. He "observed" over sixty people in the school, including Faywen and Cadell. He spent the longest time on the esteemed principal, finding that everyone's data fell within the normal human range. Cadell, too, was not some worldly expert or mysterious being playing games.

However, Roy was slightly surprised to find that a human female, Cadell, who was over forty years old, possessed physical capabilities superior to an adult male. Her average stats reached 7, and she also had the skills "Well-trained" and "Dagger Mastery." Roy wouldn't believe it if she claimed to have no connection to the Revolutionary Army anymore.

After lunch, Roy found Mifen among a group of boys roughhousing on the playground.

The teenager, covered in acne and built stoutly, who would graduate next year, was initially dismissive. He tilted his chin up, his face full of disdain, clearly showing his aversion.

He had always been jealous of the beautiful female teacher's "special treatment" of Roy.

As soon as Roy gave him two Crowns, Mifen's attitude changed instantly. He became all smiles and answered every question readily.

"Faywen's biological younger brother?" Mifen's face, every pimple on it, was filled with surprise at Roy's question. "Do you know, I've been at this school for four years. I'm practically a senior among these sixty-odd students. I've also secretly paid attention to Teacher Faywen for four years. I can guarantee she doesn't have any messy siblings. She does have several admirers like me, see those three greasy brats over there? They're my kind. Don't lie to me, you have feelings for her too, don't you?"

"Fighting? Roy, did you get a fever and burn your brain? Don't you think that's absurd? I've never even met Teacher Faywen's brother, so how could I possibly fight with him? I really dislike her alcoholic father, though. If I get the chance, I might just cover his head and beat him into a pig's face."

Mifen's answer was consistent with Roy's expectations. He randomly selected a few students under ten years old from a group of laughing and playing students in the yard. He called them aside under a pretext and asked about Teacher Faywen's family. He received the same answer.

Was anyone lying? Roy wasn't sure. He didn't have a Witcher's Axii Signs to force the truth out of people.

But it was impossible for so many young children to lie with straight faces. Their words still held significant credibility.

Roy glanced at Faywen, who was playing with a group of boys and girls under the carob tree in the yard, her smile sweet. He felt a pang of regret. His initial investigation was over. He planned to find a time to talk to her properly and see if there were any other clues.

Roy and Faywen stood outside the living room on the third floor of the school, feeling the cold wind as they watched students and parents happily depart under Principal Cadell's organization.

"Sister Faywen, I think I'm making progress regarding your 'brother'."

"Have you found any clues about him?" Faywen's beautiful eyes were filled with anticipation. She nervously grabbed his hand, her pretty face tense, and pulled him into the room. "Did you make an important discovery?"

"Well..." Roy rubbed his temples, feeling it was difficult to speak directly. "About 'him,' have you asked all the students at the school?"

"Of course, I have," Faywen replied with a slight frown, her brows knitted in helplessness. "Didn't I tell you before? No one acknowledges 'his' existence."

"Then what do you think?" Roy tried to soften his tone. "If 'he' truly exists, why doesn't anyone at the school remember him? Even your own parents don't remember having 'him'."

"This phenomenon is completely illogical... yet I've been investigating this privately for two years." Faywen clasped her hands together, pacing anxiously around the room. The light from outside spilled onto her fair, flawless face, creating an eerie sense of sanctity. "I've ruled out all possibilities. Now, in my view, there's only one reason for this phenomenon – the memories in all our minds, the memories of 'him,' have been erased."

"This is why I sought your help. Witcher, haven't you encountered all sorts of bizarre and unusual events? Isn't there something similar – some mysterious entity that took my poor brother away and then erased everyone's memories of him?"

"All erased?" Roy's pupils constricted. This was the answer he least wanted to consider, yet he couldn't completely dismiss it. But he had counter-evidence. "Have you considered that even if people's memories are erased, some things don't disappear?"

"What do you mean?" Faywen's expression sharpened.

"That enrollment registration form..." Roy stared into Faywen's eyes and said gravely, "According to your diary, 'he' once attended school at the House of Cadell. And every student leaves behind such a record."

"I won't hide anything from you, Sister Faywen. I've already investigated Principal Cadell's office. I found over 290 registration forms from the past decade, including those of the current sixty-odd students. But there's no record of your younger brother! No record of 'him.' Do you know what that means?"

"Those registration forms you mentioned," Faywen shook her head, her pretty face unable to hide her disappointment. "That doesn't prove anything... Roy, I'm Principal Cadell's assistant. I can easily access those papers. I already knew there wasn't one belonging to 'him' among them. But so what?"

Faywen retorted, "If even human memories can be erased, is it really that difficult to erase a simple record?"

Roy was speechless. This woman was more stubborn than he had imagined. Convincing her would be a difficult and thankless task.

Erased just like that? I thought it was something like Goddess Melitele or Prophet Lebioda!

Where was the evidence?

Faywen continued to state her thoughts. "Roy, have you forgotten? In the few diary entries you read, those strange parts, his name disappearing without reason. You don't think I deliberately left them blank, do you? Clearly, 'his' name was erased along with the memories he gave others. That's why the diary entries are blank..."

"Isn't that nonsense? What made you think of this?" Roy opened his mouth, then suddenly froze. A flash of lightning struck his mind. "Erased, and then it becomes blank?"

He pondered this statement, falling into a daze.

When browsing the registration forms – he clearly remembered that among the piles of detailed records, there were several blank forms. He hadn't thought much of it then, assuming Principal Cadell used them to inflate student numbers and had simply skimmed over them, a form of self-comfort.

But now, hearing Faywen's words—

"Erased, and then it becomes blank."

So, was it possible that the blank forms initially had records? But these records, along with the missing student and their memories, were all erased.

Eventually becoming ordinary pieces of paper that no one cared about.

"Are the memories of the missing person, and the direct descriptions of the missing person, all eliminated?" As if divinely inspired, a scene flashed back in Roy's mind—

"Roy, who drew a star on your sleeve, and only half of it?" Toya asked curiously.

"I don't remember... Probably some mischievous kid from the House of Cadell drew it on me when I wasn't paying attention."

Roy glanced at his left sleeve. The childishly drawn half-star, sketched with a charcoal pencil, had now almost completely disappeared, leaving only a faint tip. The rest of the area seemed to have been scrubbed countless times, not even a black dot remaining. Normal touching and friction couldn't achieve this level of wear.

"No, that's wrong! This star shouldn't have been half to begin with, it should have been complete."

In just two or three days, this crude mark was almost gone. This was evidence he had never expected.

"The traces left by the missing person are also erased. No wonder no clues could be found." It felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, his breathing quickening.

"This also means that since entering the House of Cadell, I've unknowingly forgotten someone – the student who left a mark on my sleeve."

"Now even this only trace is about to disappear."