LotM: Surviving as a Marionette

"Time is required to craft the charms," the War Bishop answered rigidly, eyes fixed straight ahead as if studying his own nose.

The Theater Core had hidden itself away once more. A near-cataclysmic battle had just erupted within the theater, nearly blasting its figurative skull open. Having taken a solid blow, the Theater Core wasn't foolish enough to emerge now, only to get entangled with these two lunatics again.

Charms? Spirit Worms? Ask its marionettes! It! DIDN'T! KNOW!

Don: "..."

System: [...]

"Do I really seem that much like a villain?" Don rubbed his chin. "System dear, why not go ask it again? I think it might be interested."

After all, the very existence of that Observer's world was an unprecedented miracle.

How could a Miracle Invoker lack such a spirit of adventure?

Hah! What does a Miracle Invoker need with some damned adventurous spirit? The Theater Core cursed internally. It directed marionettes to retrieve the long-dead Spirit Worms preserved deep within the theater's recesses, to be used in crafting charms capable of borrowing power from the past and restoring spirituality.

Just spoil him! He'll get himself killed sooner or later!

The system, momentarily stunned by Don's exploit logic, focused its efforts during the charm-crafting process on researching the feasibility of its host's proposed method.

All of this required preparation time.

Don, however, found himself unexpectedly idle.

Tingen was definitely off-limits. In fact, he had no plans to leave the castle grounds during this period, relying solely on Traveler marionettes and the Ring of the Curator to commute between the castle and the theater.

With little major business demanding attention at the theater, he planned to spend most of his time squatting in the castle's shadowy corners, metaphorically growing mushrooms.

Owen was absent, his father was away, leaving the castle significantly quieter. With nothing urgent to do, he lazed about comfortably, waiting for the system and Theater Core to figure out the results he desired.

Within the castle, the Faceless marionette impersonating Baron Lamud – created using the Sealed Artifact 'A Moment's Luck' – hadn't aroused suspicion. This allowed Don, the wielder of the artifact, to continuously digest the Marionettist potion.

It wouldn't be long before he could directly manipulate a second marionette.

The first marionette slot was occupied by the wraith marionette that had accompanied his father. Currently, manipulating marionettes required either using 'A Moment's Luck' or indirectly controlling Theater-operated marionettes via the Ring of the Curator.

But how could this Baron Lamud marionette possibly fool Lady Boianca?

After several days of interaction, Don felt certain his mother already knew something, perhaps having seen through his marionette manipulation scheme long ago.

Yet, she remained composed and serene, behaving as if utterly oblivious.

Don didn't find this strange, nor was he arrogant enough to believe his marionette act could deceive his mother.

Lady Boianca hailed from a noble family in Backlund, privy to the secrets of Beyonders. The castle even housed Beyonders dispatched by her family for her protection.

While Don could manipulate a marionette to play Baron Lamud he wasn't his father. Without Lady Boianca's subtle assistance on numerous occasions, the ruse would likely have been exposed.

Among the three items left by his father was a strikingly white rose. When Don handed this rose, clearly imbued with lingering Underworld power, to Lady Boianca, she had seemed momentarily stunned, lost in thought as if recalling something, taking a long while to regain her composure.

Afterwards, Lady Boianca resumed her usual poise. She took over managing most affairs within the territory, publicly stating that "Baron Lamud has contracted an illness requiring rest and recuperation."

She patiently taught this Faceless marionette – whose eyes held a disconcerting mix of clarity and utter foolishness – how to handle various matters, preventing slip-ups and avoiding suspicion.

Incidentally, Don, who had been slacking off without a care for days, was also hauled in for remedial lessons.

"In the future, when you venture out, you mustn't lose face in these matters, Don. It's time you properly studied this," Lady Boianca sighed silently, then with gentle firmness, directed servants to deposit a massive stack of land deeds, account books, and similar documents onto the table.

Don: "??"

The Baron Lamud marionette exchanged a look with him.

Both marionette and Marionettist fell silent.

System: [Hehe, Mommy loves you~]

Would you like this kind of 'love'?

Don stared at the towering piles of account books, land deeds, annual taxes, weather reports, crop yields, local policies, recent Tingen developments, key decrees issued from Backlund, and so on, until his eyes swam and his head spun.

Was it too late to claim he was illiterate?

Shouldn't there be specialized personnel handling this? What use was learning all this to him, ahhh?

Another morning arrived. Don, armed with sickeningly sweet pastries he'd made himself, planned to butter up his dear mother, hoping to let the marionette suffer the lessons instead of him, when Olsen arrived.

Olsen appeared outside the castle early in the morning, accompanied by several cloaked figures.

Naturally, to show respect for the castle's owner and for his friend, they refrained from Traveling directly inside.

Upon receiving the announcement of visitors, Don received these individuals, clearly members of the Abraham family.

Exercising caution, he cast Appraisal on everyone. Confirming no Amon had smuggled itself in disguised as an Abraham member, Don inwardly breathed a massive sigh of relief.

Simultaneously, he knew the deal with the Abrahams was more than halfway successful.

"This is Don Eggers Lamud, my friend, and the child of this territory's owner."

Olsen had evidently briefed his clansmen beforehand. Facing the young man, even the elder Abrahams present, some appearing quite advanced in years, displayed neither impatience nor any air of superiority.

"This is Elder Holloway."

Olsson introduced Don to the white-haired elder leading the Abraham delegation.

Don's Appraisal revealed this was a Traveler, teetering on the brink of losing control.

Even among Beyonders of the same pathway and sequence, even after fully digesting their potion, those at mid-to-low sequences without divinity become increasingly vulnerable to corruption and loss of control as they age and their mental state weakens.

Clearly, the distant ravings of Mr. Door, while causing only slight instability in Olsen, proved far more severe for some others of the same sequence.

"Greetings, Lord Lamud."

Elder Holloway came straight to the point, expressing his desire to witness the pollution-isolation method Olsen had described.

Don had no objections. After signing a confidentiality agreement witnessed and empowered by a 'Notary's'(Sun Pathway) Beyonder abilities, he led the group towards the theater's location.

(End of Chapter)