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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 32
1.
[To use mind control effectively, you have to target what the subject wants most. Desire is the key. Human or monster—if they’ve got a mind, they’ve got something they crave. And the stronger that craving, the easier it is to get inside their head.]
Equinox was right on the money.
All it took to get inside Verdin’s head was a disguise, some booze, and a touch of core mana.
The rest was achieved through conversation.
Once he started drinking, he revealed his innermost thoughts, providing valuable insights.
'As expected. He wants to break free from Volg.'
What he truly desired was to find the princess.
Whether that would restore his honor was uncertain, but at least it might alleviate some guilt.
I can't fully comprehend the convictions of noble knights, but I can accept them.
Being indoctrinated with the same beliefs from a young age leads one to live by them for life.
In that sense, Verdin had been brainwashed by the noble ideal of honor from an early age.
'I'm merely exploiting that.'
At that moment, Equinox's voice echoed.
[This is the critical phase. Observe carefully. If the mind control begins to fade, intervene immediately.]
Following Equinox's advice, I focused intently.
During this process, I noticed something peculiar about core mana.
It's viscous enough to be visible and can carry my consciousness.
I'm unsure how little is needed, but the amount I infused into Verdin was sufficient.
[It's one-sixth of a mana ring. Remember this measurement to avoid future mishaps.]
I acknowledged Equinox's caution.
One-sixth of a mana ring—the same amount used in necromancy.
'So, I can use it six times per mana ring.'
[Correct. Currently, the White Serpent Guardian is assisting, doubling the efficiency of your mana rings. However, if you deplete your core mana entirely, it won’t have anything to sustain itself and becomes weaker.]
This made sense.
If I exhaust my core mana, the White Serpent Guardian can’t maintain itself properly.
Therefore, I should retain at least one-sixth and switch to another mana core.
'That way, I can still use other spells.'
Ordinary spells can be easily cast using the resonance principle of rotating mana rings.
My past life's experience is undoubtedly beneficial here.
It allows me to maintain transformation spells for extended periods and cast other spells effortlessly.
Anyway, I infiltrated Verdin's consciousness through the core mana and observed the situation through his eyes.
- Volg. If you're lying, I'll kill you.
Verdin's thoughts were intense.
Unlike controlling skeletons through necromancy, I could feel his thoughts and emotions vividly.
'I must be careful not to confuse his feelings with mine.'
Soon, Verdin arrived at Volg's tent.
Inside, the flirtatious voices of prostitutes and Volg's laughter could be heard.
Without hesitation, Verdin opened the tent flap.
Swish—
Three women barely dressed, lounging with Volg.
Upon seeing Verdin, the women quickly covered themselves with blankets and retreated behind Volg.
Volg looked at Verdin with startled eyes.
"W-What are you doing here?!"
Verdin didn't respond and approached him.
He then thrust his scimitar into the ground between Volg's legs.
Thud—
The ominous sound made Volg's manhood shrink in fear.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Volg spoke up.
"What brings you here, Verdin? Is this about earlier?"
Verdin remained silent, staring into Volg's eyes.
Volg gulped dryly and gestured to the women.
They nodded, gathered their clothes, and exited the tent.
Once they left, Volg's tone softened.
"Verdin, why the sudden hostility? You startled me."
"Don't evade the question. Tell me the truth. Where was the princess sold?"
"As I mentioned before, you..."
Volg intended to say he'd reveal it after more work, but he couldn't.
Verdin had drawn his sword from the ground, its tip now aimed at Volg's chest.
Verdin spoke again.
"I won't ask twice. Tell me the truth."
He slowly advanced, sword pointed at Volg's heart.
Volg backed away, stammering.
"Uh, um, where was it... Ah! Right! The Valkyr Empire! She was sold there!"
"How can I trust that?"
"If you put that away... I'll get the proof. It's in the drawer over there."
Verdin slowly lowered his sword, and Volg hurriedly moved toward a desk tucked in a corner.
Something about his behavior seemed off to me.
At least, based on everything I’d figured out about Volg so far, he wasn’t the type to hand something over so easily.
So, I whispered to Verdin.
[Be careful. There’s definitely something up.]
I tried using the Voice of the Soul, but I wasn’t sure if he’d understand it. I’d talked to demons and spirits with it before, but never to a living human.
[He must’ve heard it. Right now, Verdin is under mind control. No matter how the caster of the mind control tries to communicate, the message will get through. Using the Voice of the Soul makes it even stronger.]
No sooner had Equinox finished speaking than a loud bang echoed.
Bang!
‘What the—? A gun?’
Volg had pulled out a pistol from the drawer.
It was a flashy gun, decorated in gold. A faint wisp of white smoke rose from the barrel.
The attack was sudden, but Verdin was faster. He blocked the bullet with the broad side of his scimitar, then rushed forward without hesitation.
“You lied, Volg.”
Muttering in a low voice, Verdin approached and swung his sword once.
Volg’s arms were severed instantly.
“Arrggh!”
Blood poured from his stumps as he fell backward.
Verdin stood before him and asked,
“Feeling like talking straight now?”
“Ugh…”
“Speak up. Where is Princess Lilian? Where did you sell her?”
Volg looked at his bleeding arms, twisted a painful smile, and said.
“How would I know? The slave market would know that. (Cough!)”
He spat out blood.
When he stopped retching, Verdin pressed again.
“You did sell the princess, didn’t you?”
Volg grinned painfully at Verdin and said with difficulty.
“Who knows? Want to find out? Then you gotta keep me alive first. Kill me, and you’ll never find her.”
What a load of crap.
I whispered again to Verdin.
[He’s lying. This guy doesn’t know where Lilian is.]
“Damn it. Then what do I do?”
[What do you do? Kill him.]
“If I kill him, the whole bandit gang’s gonna come at me.”
Hearing Verdin mumble this, Volg spoke up.
“That’s right. Don’t kill me. If you do, you’ll have to fight all of us. You’re strong, sure, but can you really handle it? Especially since you couldn’t even protect the princess.”
Volg really messed up with that last line.
If he wanted to survive, he shouldn’t have dragged the princess into it like that.
‘That’s it for Volg.’
My prediction was spot on.
Verdin plunged his sword straight into Volg’s heart.
Volg looked stunned, but to me, it was well deserved.
He seemed like he wanted to say more, but Verdin gave him no chance. With an even cleaner motion than before, he pulled out his sword, blood gushing like a fountain from the wound.
Verdin stepped back and watched Volg die.
His thoughts were racing wildly.
- I killed Volg. What now? The others will be coming. There was that gunshot earlier, too.
He was unsettled.
His biggest flaw was that, despite his skill, he lacked guts.
‘If he’d had a bit more courage, he wouldn’t even be here.’
I said to Verdin with a bitter tone.
[Calm down. If you’re that worried, go check outside.]
- Yeah. Let’s see what’s out there.
Verdin stepped out of the tent.
Outside, everything was calm.
Despite the gunshot, no one was coming this way.
They were still sitting around the campfire, drinking.
Seeing this, Verdin felt deflated and walked back to his tent.
Inside, William and I were still sitting in our transformed states.
Seeing myself through someone else’s eyes felt strange.
‘But I guess I’ll have to get used to it.’
I relaxed my focus and returned to my seat just as Verdin came back.
“Welcome back.”
“…Yeah.”
“Well done.”
“…For what?”
“The thing you just did.”
I was staring at the sword, and only then did Verdin realize it was stained with blood.
He wiped it on his pants.
Through the mana infused in him, I could still hear his thoughts.
- What do I do with them? They seem to know I killed the boss... If I leave them alive like this...
“Boss Verdin, we’re on your side. Even if everyone here wants to kill you, we’ll fight alongside you.”
My words had an effect. The murderous gleam in Verdin’s eyes faded quickly.
But this wouldn’t stop here.
So far, I’d seen his potential, and I was about to put it to the test.
‘So, what now?’
Verdin, the failed guardian knight.
At the core of his heart was the princess sold into slavery.
And the guilt and fear of having just killed the boss filled the rest.
‘If that’s the case...’
I waited for him to finish his drink before speaking.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re on your side, but they’re not.”
I pointed to the scene behind him, fully visible now.
There were a dozen or so campfires, each surrounded by small groups of bandits drinking.
Watching them, Verdin asked.
“Are you saying I have to kill them all?”
What a naive question.
Even after two years with the bandits, he was, at heart, a noble and a knight.
I taught him the most basic truth of this world.
“If you don’t kill them now, they’ll kill us later.”
Verdin’s eyes flickered, as if wrestling with fear and guilt inside.
So I entered his mind again and whispered one last thing.
[Kill them all, then find the princess. You can do this.]
No more words were needed.
Verdin immediately stood and strode toward the nearest campfire.
Soon, screams echoed across the mountains.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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