Guinevere closed the journal.
It was as if Babbage feared missing a single detail. His account was meticulous, almost painstakingly so, like he was terrified the Guardians of Rationality on the other side wouldn't grasp the full scope of the situation—that he hadn't prepared a comprehensive enough walkthrough.
Still, Guinevere found himself nursing a headache.
Machiri and Paracelsus… Those two had gone completely overboard in their preparations—especially that final ritual, which involved inverting causality itself. Once established, it directly fixed the "result" of the King in Yellow's inevitable arrival. Even someone as deeply conflicted as Babbage couldn't fathom how Chaldea could possibly undo that.
"Mr. Jekyll? What's wrong? What did it say? You've been reading it for so long—did you find a way to repair the Singularity?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru asked as she noticed Guinevere's grim expression.
Guinevere didn't speak. He merely sighed heavily and handed the journal over.
Ritsuka took the book and began reading in earnest. At first, she looked merely curious, but her brow gradually furrowed, and her expression grew darker. By the time she'd finished, she lifted her head slowly, setting the journal aside in a daze.
"...What are we supposed to do now?"
She muttered.
"Senpai?"
Seeing both Guinevere and Ritsuka staring blankly into space after reading the journal, Mash couldn't help but worry.
"What did it say?"
Ritsuka didn't answer either—she simply passed the journal to Mash in silence.
After reading it herself, Mash also lowered the book and fell into stunned silence.
"Okay, what the hell? What's written in there? Why is everyone acting like they're in a trance after reading it?"
Hans Christian Andersen, unable to stand the quiet anymore, quickly took the journal from Mash.
He read it. Then, after a long silence, he finally muttered:
"...I think I might actually remember something about that Mr. S..."
Then he too fell into deep thought.
"You guys... what's with the cryptic mime show over here?"
Kihei Chikako scoffed, unable to hold back anymore.
Andersen instinctively moved to hand the journal to her, but she waved him off.
"Don't bother giving it to me. That kind of stuff's boring. Just give me the gist of it."
"Yeah, well, it's because explaining it is too much of a pain that we want you to read it yourself," Andersen replied irritably. "Or do you just hate reading that much?"
"This has nothing to do with that," Chikako replied calmly. "We have a division of labor on the team. Stuff like thinking is for the juniors—I handle the fighting. Whoever they say to beat up, I go beat up."
"Oh!"
Hearing that, Bavanzi's eyes lit up. "Same here!"
Then she looked over at Mordred.
"Mordred, you're like that too, right? Since Jekyll—uh, Guinevere—is so smart, it makes sense to just leave the thinking to him."
"...Nah, I still want to read it," Mordred replied, scratching her cheek. "There are too many things I don't understand. I need to know what's really going on."
"..."
Bavanzi's expression stiffened.
Wait a second—was her little sister getting too competitive?
Here she was, the older sister, proudly choosing not to waste brainpower, and Mordred was voluntarily diving into that complicated mess?
Wouldn't that make her, the big sis, look dumb and lazy? What would Guinevere think of her?
"...On second thought, I guess it doesn't hurt to take a look. It won't take long anyway."
With that, Bavanzi scooted over beside Mordred, putting on a serious face as she pretended to study the journal with rapt attention.
"...Seriously?"
Chikako twitched at the sight.
Truth be told, she'd already found Bavanzi irritating. From the moment they met, she'd been antagonistic—taunting her, using abilities that perfectly countered hers. Chikako had been suppressing a grudge all this time. Just when she thought maybe they were starting to click... here she goes being two-faced and fickle again.
"...Whatever."
She clenched her fists, then let them go with a sigh.
"Fine. Let me take a look too. Let's see what kind of grotesque stunt these humans are trying to pull now."
In the end, everyone read the journal—except for Nursery Rhyme and Jack, who were off playing together, and Frankenstein, who couldn't read at all.
Whether they actually understood it or were just mimicking the somber mood of the others, no one spoke after finishing it.
Finally, Guinevere broke the silence.
"So… does anyone have an idea on how to break this stalemate?"
"...It's a real mess," Andersen grumbled, massaging his temples. "Those bastards really know how to cause trouble... Even if someone is interfering with the ritual... With causality inverted, that ritual is already complete. Anything we do now is just a desperate struggle."
"But regardless, we have to defeat the ones pulling the strings, right?"
Ritsuka said firmly. "The journal said Machiri and this Mr. S are still behind the scenes and will continue to act. If that's the case, why don't we take them down first, and then figure out how to fix what they broke?"
"Agreed," Mordred nodded. "But now the question is: does anyone know what this 'Depths of the Nightmare' place is, or how to get there?"
Everyone exchanged glances—and fell silent.
"But didn't Babbage's journal mention a shadow interfering with their plans?"
Ritsuka suggested. "Maybe we should look for that shadow and try to find a way to stop the ritual through it?"
"That... probably won't work," Guinevere shook his head. "We've encountered it before. It really is a mindless entity—completely incommunicable. It even attacked us. And now, we won't see it again in this dream world."
"You... defeated it?" Ritsuka asked, surprised.
"No. It just... somehow triggered the effect of my King in Yellow script copy, and then got sucked toward it. Kind of like how illusions get dispelled when that script activates. But instead of getting absorbed, it shattered the script and disappeared into the fog."
Saying this, Guinevere took out the shattered copy of The King in Yellow, and explained its previous effects—how it had saved him twice by dispelling illusions and offering omens.
Though it had been broken to pieces by the shadow, Guinevere had carefully gathered every last page after it had saved his life.
"The script of The King in Yellow?"
Andersen's eyes gleamed.
"Quick, let me take a look. Maybe we can figure something out from the story itself."
Guinevere nodded and handed it over.
But Andersen barely glanced at the pages before he recoiled violently—as if struck by lightning—then hurled the script away and stumbled backward, drenched in cold sweat.
"What's wrong?! Are you okay?!"
Guinevere asked in alarm.
"...No wonder it's called a cursed script."
Clutching his face like he'd just seen something unspeakable, Andersen muttered:
"The moment I saw it, I felt like something was whispering in my ears, trying to twist my thoughts and alter my memories... If I hadn't thrown it away fast enough, I probably would've been mind-contaminated."
"Eh?"
Guinevere suddenly felt a chill.
"I've looked at that script quite a few times… Am I already beyond saving?"
"Wait—did you say you've read it multiple times?" Andersen blinked.
"Yeah," Guinevere nodded. "Not the full thing—just glimpses when it triggered visions. I saw bits of its premonitions, but… I didn't notice anything strange—wait."
Guinevere smacked his forehead, then immediately pulled up his system interface and opened his inventory, locating the script's item description:
Special Item: Copy of the Play 'The King in Yellow'
Type: ???
Rarity: ???
One of only three known copies of this mysterious and ominous script. Simply holding it seems to draw attention from an unknown, higher place.
Depending on the bearer, it grants different effects.
Current Effect – "Book of Truth":
While holding this script, the bearer may occasionally pierce through illusions and is immune to all memory-altering effects.
As a fragment of the Truth, it appears to be key to unraveling the mysteries of London and Yhtill.
"It seems… as its holder, I'm immune to anything that tampers with memory," Guinevere said.
"Oh?"
Andersen's furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
"That makes sense. While the script contains taboo knowledge that mentally pollutes anyone who sees it, those effects don't apply to the current bearer."
"In that case, you'll have to recount the story for us."
He paused before adding,
"But make sure you don't read it aloud. There might be a curse in the very text itself. Just read it through and give us a summary of the story."
"Understood."
Guinevere nodded and opened the script.
[Queen Cassilda in her chamber broods]
[Mourning the blankness of bygone days.]
[Her dreams stir the waters of Lake Hali,]
[Where the ancient prophet slumbers beneath.]
[In the depths of Yhtill]
[Twin suns descend into still waters]
[Darkness grows in human hearts,]
[As shadows lengthen across the lake's surface.]
[Queen Cassilda in her chamber broods,]
[As encroaching mists coil around her feet.]
[The lost city of Carcosa looms in the fog,]
[Casting its towering silhouette from the abyss.]
"The opening tells of Queen Cassilda's nightmare," Guinevere explained.
"She tries to warn others of the terrifying visions she's seen, but no one believes her. They all think she's daydreaming. Even her daughter Camilla brushes her off. When Cassilda warns of impending doom, Camilla just asks which dress would look better for the upcoming ball."
"Oof," Mordred muttered.
"That Camilla's a real idiot. Her kingdom's on the brink of destruction and she's still worried about her outfit... I just hope the one playing her isn't just as—OW! Why'd you hit me?!"
She turned, rubbing the lump on her head—only to see Bavanzi glaring darkly.
"Don't interrupt. Listen to Guinevere properly."
—Clearly, while the others hadn't realized it, Bavanzi knew she was playing Camilla.
Guinevere took it in stride and continued:
"Act I, Scene I: Prince Adonis meets with both Prince Vohct and Princess Camilla in Yhtill's garden. He tricks Vohct into stealing the royal seal and forges a decree naming Vohct as heir to the throne—then frames him as the instigator of a coup against Queen Cassilda."
"All of this unfolds under the watchful, invisible eyes of Naotalba and Thale, both cloaked in invisibility. Adonis, who secretly worships the King in Yellow, lacks the resolve to go against Naotalba's will and stands aside."
"Afterward, when Captain Ella arrests Vohct, a stranger arrives in Yhtill."
"It's only then that Cassilda notices the chaos in her garden. She sees the outsider—a man wearing a white mask, claiming to hail from the city of the Supreme King."
"And that Supreme King they speak of… is Hastur—the King in Yellow."