Chapter 229 The End Of Beginning



In an unexpected turn of events, the entire Noctem Dolls team converged in the room, their eyes immediately fixated on the lifeless body sprawled out on the floor and on the bed.

"HIIII!!! Why is there a corpse here?" Clarissa couldn't contain her shock and exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

"Arthur, don't tell me you are responsible for this?" asked Norman.

Arthur solemnly nodded in response, confirming that he was the one who did it.

"So what Ivaylo said was true," said Leofric.

"HAHAHA your looks don't reflect your character at all!" Adam punched Arthur in the back.

Ralph approached the corpse, and his gaze fixed on every intricate detail of it. "He skinned him after poisoning him. This means that he's been contaminating his sword with poison since the beginning."

"Ah... so he had premeditated intentions to take lives in case an unforeseen circumstance arose," Elinor proclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of shock and realization.

As Ivaylo approached him, Arthur instinctively backed away, causing him to slip and fall backward, blood staining his feet. In that moment, a wave of fear washed over Arthur's mind as he thought, 'Oh no! So this is his plan! The doll he gave to others was to summon everyone in one place, just like he did when we escaped from Prince Eldritch!

Now he's going to kill me!'

Instead, after a few seconds had passed, Arthur didn't feel anything, so he slowly opened his eyes, and saw Ivaylo in front of him smiling and offering his hand.

"What do you think, Arthur? Do you want to join the Noctem Dolls?"

"Huh?"

"The Noctem Dolls are a group that utilizes each member's abilities to achieve their own goals. In exchange for that, you must follow my orders in order to achieve my goals as well."

Ivaylo took out a needle the size of a little finger from his pocket. The needle was white, and it looked more like a peg with a unique pattern.

"Once I stick this needle in you, you will have a hook mark somewhere on your body; it will signify the mana contract between me and the members, so do you have a goal to achieve?"

Arthur looked around him. He felt scared of having to face these people. The feeling he felt right now was the same as when he was first captured and forced into the Noctem Dolls.

A threatening feeling that makes his hurt keep pounding

And...

The feeling of elated, the joy of the fear.

The normal life he tried to maintain was now shattered. The feeling of melancholy within him became heightened.

"Nishizaka," Arthur called out.

"What?"

"What did you hope for when you entered Noctem Dolls?"

Of course, Arthur already knew what Nishizaka hoped for, but he hoped she would answer something else.

"My wish is to find my lost friend in this world." After a brief pause, she continued

"Then I will bring him back with me to our world."

That was the answer Arthur wanted to hear.

"Is your world peaceful?"

"Japan is the most peaceful country in my world."

"Are there castes and slavery?"

"Everyone has equal rights."

"Then... is there school?"

"We go to school five days a week, for 10 hours."

Arthur thought about it for a moment, then he replied:

"That sounds like fun; then I'd like to set that as a goal."

"!!!"

"What?! Something that simple? Are you sure?" asked Norman.

"Since my sister's passing, I have found myself without a sense of purpose in this world. Moreover, the consequences of my actions with you all have tarnished my reputation, resulting in my face being widely recognized throughout the entire kingdom.

Regrettably, I feel as though I am left with no alternatives or options at this point. So, I think following Nishizaka to her world sounds good, to create another normal day for myself."

"Fufu, well, then the contract is made."

Ivaylo threw the needle at Arthur. The needle pierced right through his heart.

"Arkh!"

This was seen from the tip of the needle that converged on each member.

"The original name of my God's Blessing is 'a tale of two cities,' the ability to 'connect or linking' mana. By using my adfeqtus reliqua, I can use various forms of 'linking,' and one of them is connecting the stories of one member and another.

An ability to unite the feelings and memories."

'I can feel it,' Arthur thought. 'I can feel the feelings of all the members coming through me. They all have their own goals, and their feelings are also conveyed to me.

Noctem Dolls, the reason they can trust each other, and can help each other, and keep the secrets of the group is because they all share the same feelings.

Now the other members' goals are my goals too.'

Once those stitches were created on his chest, Arthur Lambert fully became a member of the Noctem Dolls.

"Once again, welcome to my Doll Box, Arthur Lambert."

...

...

..

"SUSAAAAN!!!"

Susan's consciousness, which had begun to fade, returned as soon as she saw her brother in front of her. Her determination and desire to see her brother was so strong that they forced the mana inside her to stay awake, at least to see his face for a while longer.

'Brother, thank goodness, you're finally home,' Susan thought.

But...

A transformation slowly took place as she looked at her brother's tear-streaked face. His expression shifted from sadness to overwhelming anger, his features contorted with rage. He must have seen the trail of blood left by Mr. Gorste. She dreaded the consequences that awaited him once he fully grasped the truth - there was no doubt in her mind about the fury he would unleash upon Mr. Gorste.

'No! Big brother! Don't do it!' Susan shouted in her heart.

Arthur gently laid Susan's body onto her bed, then, with a rage face, he walked out of the house.

'Brother! Wait! Don't leave me again! Stay here!'

It was useless; her voice didn't come out. And her consciousness slowly faded back.

Until finally...

Her gaze fell upon a crow perched just outside. The bird's eyes seemed to lock with hers, fixated on her wounded body as if anticipating her demise.

"This is the perfect timing to try my god's blessing," Susan thought.

Susan's eyes shining slightly, with a faint glimmer in her own eyes, Susan met the piercing gaze of the crow head-on.

'With my remaining ounce of strength, I shall summon all my energy and harness my mana to switch bodies.'

Susan had been bestowed with a god's blessing that allowed her to swap bodies with animals. However, she had only mustered up the courage to try it a handful of times, specifically with a cat. The experience of undergoing such a profound transformation filled her with immense fear. Particularly alarming was the sight of her own lifeless form as she transitioned into the animal's body, creating an overwhelming sense of terror within her.

Moreover, Susan's blessing came with limitations. Her body-switching capability would last no longer than a minute. Once she inhabited an animal's physical vessel, her consciousness would persist until the mana within that creature was completely depleted.

Then what if her original body died? What would happen to her consciousness after a minute?n-.0veLbIn

But this time, she didn't need to think about it; she focused on seeing her brother and telling him to put out his anger.

'That face was the same face when Allen came to the tavern. If this continues, brother will follow the same path as Allen in the past!'

The light in her eyes dimmed...

And that faint light shot out quickly into the eyes of the crow looking at her corpse.

Startled, the crow flew away.

Then after an hour.

Susan opened her eyes,

She found herself in an entirely different form - that of a crow

"Did it work?!" confusion swept over her as she tried to speak, only to be met with the piercing cries characteristic of the bird. She couldn't help but wonder if her transformation had been successful. Susan looked around and realized she was somewhere in the forest. But she didn't know where it was. Moreover, she didn't know how long she would remain in the crow's body.

One minute, three minutes, up to ten minutes passed, and she still had consciousness.

"Is it okay to assume that I have completely become a raven?" thought Susan.

But the problem was not just that.

She had already become a crow, and her reason for becoming a crow was for her brother.

But if she came back to this state, would anyone believe her? And how could she talk with him?

In the midst of confusion, Susan finally concluded.

The one person who might be able to understand her situation was probably Allen.

'That's right! I often see Allen talking to his scarf! I'm sure he could do something if I met him!'

Susan decided to fly, searching for a way to the Boldenville region.