Chapter 338: Allies

Patty was visibly excited, firing question after question—about how Gawain Cecil led humanity across the wasteland, about the Ansu Knights’ battles against the western barbarians, about the underground Great Wall in the southern lands, and even those absurd tales that Gawain himself considered later fabrications—like the secret pact between Gawain Cecil and the Black Sorcerer, or the fairy tale of Charles and the Three Golden Crowns…

Gawain answered each one patiently. For the events that truly happened, he recounted them as he remembered; for the legends spun by later generations, he did his best to paint a fairy tale for Patty.

But even though the little girl was enthusiastic, her energy was limited. After a while, Patty’s excitement waned noticeably. Nearby, Lady Ropeni gently reminded her daughter, “Patty, it’s time for bed.”

Patty tried to hold on. “But I want to talk with Uncle Gawain a little longer… His stories are so interesting…”

“Listen to your mother. You need to sleep now,” Gawain said, patting the girl’s head. He subtly sensed the flow of energy within her body—once he confirmed her vital signs were stable, he relaxed slightly. “I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”

“…Okay.” The little girl obediently nodded, then turned her gaze toward a corner of the room.

Patty’s personal maid had been standing guard there all along. At her young mistress’s command, the maid stepped forward, helping Lady Ropeni carefully carry Patty to the bedside. They unfastened the leather straps that secured her fragile body and gently laid her down. Throughout the process, Gawain noticed Patty occasionally furrowing her brow in discomfort.

Her condition was dire. Truly dire.

Once Patty was settled, the maid retrieved an object from a nearby cabinet.

Gawain immediately sensed the magical energy emanating from it and stepped forward.

It was an unusual magical device—something like a hair ornament, but larger and more intricate. Made of several curved metal plates inscribed with dense, complex runes, connected by fine magical wires and crystals. The inside was lined with soft leather and fabric, with straps to secure it to the head.

Altogether, it resembled a mysterious metal “crown.”

Before the maid placed it on Patty’s head, Gawain asked, “What is this?”

“A magical device to calm the mind,” Lady Ropeni explained. “It helps Patty fall asleep.”

“Calm the mind?” Gawain frowned, glancing at Patty lying in bed.

The little girl didn’t hesitate; in fact, she sounded a bit proud. “A passing mage gave it to me as a gift! When I wear it, I can dream for a long time, and sleeping doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“Dream?” Gawain feigned ignorance. “What kind of dreams?”

“Um… good dreams!” Patty smiled brightly. “In my dreams, I can run and jump, and I don’t feel any pain at all. And Uncle Gawain, I have to tell you—before, when I used it, I only dreamed of a few people, but lately, I see lots of people playing with me! Want to try it?”

“…No, that’s your treasure,” Gawain said, ruffling her hair as he stood. “Go to sleep early.”

His expression was calm, but a question was already forming in his mind:

In the real world, Patty clearly remembered how she entered the network. She even knew that this device, which helped her “dream,” was a gift from a passing mage.

Yet in the dream world, her memory of that moment was vague—she couldn’t explain how she first entered the network…

Had some of her memories in the mental network been blocked or altered? By whom? And why?

After leaving Patty’s room, Lady Ropeni immediately asked, “Your Grace, is there something wrong with that magical device?”

Gawain glanced back through the still-open door at Patty, now lying in bed and connected to the mental network. After a few seconds of silence, he shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”

Then he asked, “But I’m curious—who exactly gave her that gift?”

“A mysterious mage,” Lady Ropeni said. “A few years ago, Patty’s condition was terrible. Her wounds wouldn’t heal, and she couldn’t rest through the night. I searched everywhere—scholars, doctors, priests—inside and outside the territory, but no one could help. Then, when I was at my wit’s end, a man claiming to be from a secret mage society came to the castle. He said he could calm Patty’s mind—and after he showed me it actually worked, I believed him.”

Gawain understood immediately: without a doubt, that so-called “mage” was one of the Sleepless.

Given the complex nature of the Sleepless, it was possible that all of that mage’s identities were genuine.

“Has that ‘mage’ appeared again since?” Gawain asked seriously, looking into Lady Ropeni’s eyes.

She shook her head. “Never again… but before he left, he said that if the device failed or Patty’s mental state worsened, he would sense it and come back in time…”

Gawain nodded, unsurprised. With the mental network monitoring, the Sleepless didn’t need to be physically present to keep tabs on Patty. According to Patty’s earlier words, she was using the device even before the Eternal Dream was activated—back when the Sleepless had only built a rudimentary, small dream world. Patty was likely one of the first users of their initial mental network…

Lady Ropeni noticed something in Gawain’s expression and grew tense. “Do you know… something about that device and the mage?”

Gawain hesitated, then chose to reveal part of what he knew. “If I’m right, that device is probably connected to the Sleepless.”

“The Sleepless?!” The lady gasped, about to turn away. “That thing—”

“Don’t panic,” Gawain stopped her. “I’m only saying it’s related to the Sleepless, not that it’s necessarily harmful to Patty.”

Lady Ropeni halted but said nothing, staring intently at Gawain, waiting for him to continue.

“You should know that in the Kant territory, I once crushed a Sleepless plot and destroyed one of their nests in the southern lands,” Gawain explained. “Afterward, I investigated and learned more about the Sleepless, including their magic. From what I’ve seen, the device Patty uses to sleep doesn’t invade the mind or corrupt it. At least judging by the device itself, it’s harmless.”

“But it’s still the work of cultists!” Lady Ropeni found it hard to accept. “I can’t believe I’ve let Patty use it for over three years…”

Gawain sighed. He understood her worries but had to remind her of one fact: “Patty needs it.”

Lady Ropeni looked up sharply, then slowly lowered her gaze.

“You’re right… I know how she is now—she’s become like this… As long as it helps her sleep peacefully, I’m willing to pay any price,” the mother whispered. “But I want that price to be mine, not my daughter’s.”

“At least for now, Patty can’t do without the device,” Gawain said. “But I’ll find a way to verify it. My territory has been studying Sleepless technology for a long time. I’ll send a letter to summon the best scholars to examine it and confirm its safety.”

He paused, then added, “If it’s truly safe, my advice is to let Patty keep using it—for now, it’s the only way to ease her pain until we find a better alternative.”

He wasn’t lying: Patty’s condition was so bad that any relief was worth trying, better than letting her suffer more.

And there was another reason he didn’t mention: Patty’s connection to the mental network was clearly no accident. Given that she could move freely in the heart of the Dream City and that Selinagel personally cared for her, the Sleepless’ “selection” of Patty had special significance.

They were definitely monitoring her and had plans for what came next.

Cutting off Patty’s network access now—would that provoke the Sleepless? Would it make things worse? Would it alert the cultists that their plan was exposed, prompting them to “destroy” the node?

These were all questions to consider.

Gawain also wanted to use this clue to dig deeper and uncover the Sleepless’ true intentions…

For now, letting Patty stay connected was the safest choice. Of course, he had to bring in the experts studying Sleepless tech to personally inspect the device.

After all, the Sleepless were dangerous cultists—better to be cautious.

Though Gawain didn’t reveal all his reasons, Lady Ropeni was convinced. She nodded reluctantly. “We’ll do as you say. But there’s one thing I can’t understand… Why would those fanatical cultists choose my daughter? Why give her such a ‘gift’? I… don’t believe they have any pure intentions.”

“To be honest, neither do I,” Gawain smiled. “Don’t worry—I’ll keep investigating. I’ve tangled with the Sleepless more times than I can count.”

Lady Ropeni looked at him deeply, sensing a hidden meaning in his tone. She didn’t press further. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Patty was very happy today,” the lady whispered. “She hasn’t been this happy in a long time.”

“I told you, I can’t disappoint my little fan,” Gawain chuckled. “After all, in her eyes, I’m a great hero—just like her father.”

“Do you remember the topic we discussed earlier?” Lady Ropeni said quietly. “About the noose.”

“Of course I do.”

“I’m very interested in it.”

(End of chapter)