"Gone mad?" Abner frowned. "Do you mean his behavior or his state of mind?"
Abner knew a little about his behavior, but it had only been somewhat excessive. He had shown no signs of being truly "mad."
"Both." Selo nodded gravely, his expression serious.
"The angel of the Nois Family behind him seems to have run into trouble. She hasn't contacted him in over half a month.
"And since the prime minister draws his power from her, he's bound by her. He needs to perform rituals regularly to maintain his condition...
"But the rituals aren't getting any response now, so his mental state is naturally growing worse...
"As I see it, he's already showing signs of Loss of Control... Or, more precisely, of 'Falling' into a monster."
Regular rituals in exchange for power? That sounds like how high-ranking Devils cultivate followers. Just like the Death Announcer and its crew...
The prime minister probably isn't a normal Beyonder. He shares in the Nois Family angel's power through some connection. That's how he passed the Church's checks and became prime minister.
As for why the Nois Family angel hasn't responded, I think I can guess...
Heh. In the battle at the Deep Sea Ceremony, the Blood Archduke was stopped by Vera, cursed by Tolzna, and finally forced to flee into the Abyss in the form of a toad. Could he be the Nois Family angel the prime minister serves?
If he still can't respond to his follower's rituals, perhaps his injuries were so severe that he's trapped in the Abyss.
As his thoughts raced, Abner asked in a low voice, "How much longer can he hold on?"
"In his current state, a month at most... And his actions will only grow more reckless!
"Even now, his ability to think is deteriorating. He