Avoiding Death in an Otome Game

Chapter 74: Chapter - 74: Memory Backtrack II

Even by the time the final class ended, my mind was still occupied by the strange structure I had seen while sleeping, because although the dream itself had been vague in almost every other aspect, the mechanism of the spell had remained unusually clear in my mind, and I could still visualize the thin connections between the main flow of the mental sea and the separate section where a memory was supposed to be preserved.

This made me wonder whether my subconscious had somehow managed to arrange the information I had been struggling to understand throughout the previous night.

I had deliberately avoided thinking about it too much during the lessons, since trying to reconstruct the mechanism of Memory Backtrack while a teacher was explaining an entirely different subject would accomplish little, but that restraint had only meant that the moment the final class ended, my thoughts immediately returned to the spell, particularly to the part where the stored memory remained connected to the rest of the mental sea without actually becoming part of its ordinary flow.

*If I can reproduce that structure properly, then the difficult part might already be solved*

I was still thinking about it when I stepped out of the classroom with Elena as we have already planned to go to teacher Albert immediately after the classes. So we began walking toward the second floor where teacher Albert’s study office was located.

Elena walked beside me without saying much at first, and I could tell that she was probably still wondering what exactly would happen during today’s meeting, especially since Clara had specifically asked her to come along, but there was also a certain curiosity in her expression that suggested she was looking forward to speaking with the strange ice spirit again.

As for me, my thoughts were considerably less relaxed.

I had agreed to bring Elena here because refusing Clara would have been unnecessarily suspicious, and because I genuinely wanted to understand more about Albert and Clara, but that didn’t mean I had forgotten the questions surrounding them

If something went wrong, I needed to know how I would get Elena out.

*If Albert attacks us, I can probably create enough disturbance to alert the principal or vice principal.*

The academy’s highest ranking personnel were still here, and after the previous attack, security had been increased considerably, so there was very little chance that Albert could do something serious without drawing attention.

Besides, there was hardly any reason for him to harm us. He had already saved our lives.

Still, caution was preferable to regret.

When we finally reached the familiar door, I stopped and knocked.

”Come in.”

Albert’s calm voice came from inside.

I opened the door and entered with Elena following beside me.

The room looked almost exactly as it had yesterday, with Albert sitting behind his desk while several papers were spread before him, apparently related to his lessons, while Clara was once again sitting casually on the edge of the desk as though it were her personal seat.

I still could not understand why she preferred the desk when there was a perfectly comfortable sofa only a few steps away..

”Good afternoon, Teacher Albert, Mrs. Carson,” Elena greeted respectfully.

I followed her greeting ”Good afternoon.”

Clara immediately brightened.

”Good girl!”

Elena’s expression became slightly awkward at the enthusiastic response, but she still smiled politely.

Albert merely gave us a faint nod before gesturing toward the chairs.

”Sit.”

I was about to take one of them when Clara suddenly hopped down from the desk and walked toward Elena.

”Come with me.”

”Huh?”

”You do not need to sit over there with these boring guys.”

”Clara,” Albert said calmly.

”What? I am not wrong.”

Before Elena could figure out how to respond, Clara had already taken her by the hand and led her toward the sofa placed against the side wall.

”Sit here.”

Elena followed Clara’s instruction and sat down, although I could see the mixture of curiosity and nervousness in her expression.

Clara immediately sat beside her and began talking about something that I could not hear clearly.

I looked back toward teacher Albert.

”Do not mind them,” he said, returning his attention to me. ”You came here for the spell.”

*Are they having a quarrel?*

I did not voice out my question and just obeyed.

”Yes.”

Albert placed the papers aside and looked directly at me ”Did you understand the concept?”

”I think so” I paused before continuing honestly. ”I understand the basic mechanism, especially the way the separate memory section is supposed to be connected to the mental sea, but actually creating and stabilizing that structure is considerably harder than I expected.”

Albert nodded as though that was the answer he had expected ”That is normal.”

He moved his chair slightly and gestured toward the empty space in front of him.

”Sit comfortably and close your eyes.”

I followed his instruction.

”Memory Backtrack is not a spell that begins with the memory itself,” Albert explained. ”The foundation must be established first, otherwise the memory will simply return to the normal flow of your mental sea.”

I listened carefully.

”You need to divide a small portion of your mental sea without damaging its natural circulation, then stabilize the boundary between the two sections.”

I slowly began regulating my mental power.

”Do not force it,” Albert continued. ”Mental magic responds poorly to brute force, so maintain the smallest amount of pressure necessary.”

At first, I simply observed the movement of my mental sea, allowing myself to become familiar with its natural rhythm before attempting to interfere with it

Then I gradually adjusted my mental sea according to his instructions, allowing the energy to move more slowly while attempting to create the separation he had described.

At first, nothing happened.

Then I tried again and this time, I felt a slight change.

A tiny portion of my mental sea seemed to move away from the surrounding flow, but the moment I tried to stabilize it, the structure began collapsing.

”Again.”

I followed his instruction.

The process was slow, but unlike my previous attempts, I could now understand what I was actually trying to accomplish.

The strange dream from last night suddenly came back to my mind.

*The boundary is not supposed to be rigid.*

I remembered the threads of light I had seen weaving around the stored memory.

Instead of forcing the separated portion into place, I allowed it to remain connected to the main mental sea through a narrow channel.

The structure began stabilizing.

*This is it.*

I maintained the formation carefully, refusing to become distracted by the excitement of finally seeing progress.

Then—

”Albert!”

Clara’s voice suddenly rang through the room.

The abrupt sound broke my concentration, and the formation immediately collapsed.

My eyes opened as I turned toward her.

The expression on her face was completely different from the cheerful one she had been wearing moments ago.

She looked very serious.

And beside her, Elena was sitting quietly, surrounded by faint dark mana that seemed to be slowly leaking from her body.

I frowned.

”What happened?”

Albert had already turned toward Clara as well.

”What did you notice?”

Clara did not answer immediately, and that alone made my expression become more serious, because as far as I saw it Clara has been unusually expressive of everything, yet now she appeared to be carefully examining Elena’s mana as though she had discovered something she had not expected to see.

Finally, Clara looked toward Albert ”Check her.”

Albert’s gaze narrowed slightly ”Why?”

”I want you to check it yourself.” Her voice had lost nearly all of its usual enthusiasm.

Elena looked between them nervously.

”Mrs. Carson, what happened?”

Clara turned toward her.

”I do not want to make a conclusion before Albert checks you.”

I immediately stood up. Something was clearly wrong but I have no idea what it is.

I walked toward Elena together with Albert, while keeping my attention fixed on both of them.

*What did Clara notice?*

Elena looked at me ”Kai...”

I gave her a reassuring nod ”It is alright.”

Even as I said it, however, I remained prepared to act. If they suddenly tried to harm her, I would not hesitate

As long as I released my mana without restraint, the disturbance should be enough to attract the attention of the academy’s strongest people, and with the principal and vice principal still inside the academy, Albert could not simply do whatever he wanted without consequences.

Albert stopped in front of Elena.

”Release your mana more freely”

Elena hesitated and glanced at me again.

I nodded.

After taking a breath, Elena slowly released more of her mana.

The dark aura around her gradually became denser, spreading around her body in a faint, almost imperceptible layer.

Albert’s expression changed. It was subtle, almost too subtle to notice, but I caught it.

Clara noticed as well and looked toward Albert.

”...Is it really what I think it is?”

Albert remained silent for a moment before he gave a slow nod.

”Yes.” His voice was considerably more serious than before.

”It is contamination.....”