Becoming Their Guiding Spirit

# Chapter 199: About the Riddler and the Riddler~ To be honest.

After the disastrous test results.

If Kal’tsit had said even half a sarcastic word or mocked him.

Lucas Reeve would have immediately packed up and left. His home was in Columbia, where the lovely Jessica and little Ceobe were waiting for him. *Adios, I’m outta here.*

Because his large armed drone was parked on a hill not too far from Rhodes Island. With a single command from Lucas Reeve, the armed drone would appear above Rhodes Island to pick him up.

Although based on the things Amiya had previously deliberately concealed, coupled with the respect and fear these elite operators held for him, Lucas Reeve knew that his former self, or rather the former ’Doctor’, had some great feud with Kal’tsit.

But...

What did that have to do with the current him? He now had absolutely no related memories, and he wasn’t even sure if he ever had those memories to begin with.

However.

Kal’tsit was silent for a moment, then looked up and calmly gazed at Lucas Reeve. The intense disgust from before was gone from her eyes.

”That’s enough for the assessment. I have a general understanding of the situation now. Remember to read over the papers you wrote in the past. I’ll have Amiya send the materials to your office.”

With that.

Kal’tsit stood up and left.

Although her tone was still icy, it was completely different from their two previous conversations.

This came as a surprise to Lucas Reeve.

Since Amiya needed to go help find materials for Lucas Reeve, after taking him back to his dorm, she acted like a little adult, carefully reminding him of things.

”Doctor, I’m leaving now. Don’t wander off, okay?”

”If you get lost in Rhodes Island, be sure to call me, okay?”

”Doctor, do you know how to use a smartphone? Should I get you a senior-friendly phone?”

Amiya’s reminders were very detailed, and she even seemed reluctant to leave.

”Um, Doctor... I know you must be upset. After all, you’ve lost your memory now, and you don’t even know what friction there was between you and Dr. Kal’tsit. But there’s one thing I want to say on her behalf. Actually, Dr. Kal’tsit is a very good person. She’s just all bark and no bite, so... so....”

Amiya said this because she was afraid that one day, Kal’tsit’s words would anger the Doctor, and he would leave for Columbia in a fit of rage.

”Don’t worry.”

Lucas Reeve smiled and ruffled Amiya’s head. It was a habit he couldn’t seem to break, probably from petting little Ceobe too many times.

Amiya’s pretty face flushed, and she immediately covered her head.

”Doctor! Doing that will stunt my growth! I’m leaving now~”

”If you need anything or want something to eat, just call me.”

Lucas Reeve chuckled. ”I know, you go on and get busy.”

”Mhm, mhm!”

Amiya thought for a moment, then gave Lucas Reeve a hug before running off with a beet-red face.

”Goodbye, Doctor!”

As Lucas Reeve watched, Amiya left his dorm and headed to a corner of the archives to find all of the ’Doctor’s’ past journals. These were all things the Doctor had personally written during his time at Babel.

Upon returning to the fifth floor, Amiya didn’t go to Lucas Reeve’s room first, but instead pushed open the door to Kal’tsit’s office.

”Dr. Kal’tsit.”

Amiya walked in and, after making sure no one was around, closed the door.

”Mhm..”

Kal’tsit was sitting at her desk, looking at some documents. They were materials obtained from Raythean Medica, including explanations of some patented technologies.

”Dr. Kal’tsit, the Doctor...”

”I know what you want to say, Amiya.”

Kal’tsit put down the report in her hand, interrupting Amiya. Then, from a locked drawer in her desk, she took out a notebook that seemed to have been sealed away for some time.

”This was also one of his past belongings. Give it to him, Amiya.”

”Okay...”

Seeing that Kal’tsit didn’t want to say more, Amiya could only sigh helplessly and walk towards the Doctor’s room, carrying a tall stack of books.

After Amiya left, Kal’tsit remained dazed for a long time, then also let out a deep sigh before leaning back in her chair, one hand propping up her forehead.

To be honest.

Even Kal’tsit herself had never imagined the Doctor’s test results would be so disastrously poor.

Kal’tsit had lived for a very long time, and she was accustomed to predicting everything with the air of a prophet. In her predictions, the outcome of the Doctor having terrible test scores had never once crossed her mind. It was as if Kal’tsit had subconsciously believed that even if the ’powerful’ Doctor lost his memories, his vast knowledge and near-demonic talent for battlefield command wouldn’t be forgotten along with his memories; they were more like physical instincts.

However.

Reality had left Kal’tsit silent.

Expectation: These questions are simple, he should know them all.

Reality: A big fat zero...

*What a university professor mentality...*

In that moment.

Kal’tsit felt that the Doctor before her had become a little more unfamiliar again. If Amiya hadn’t explicitly said that the soul was still the same one as before, Kal’tsit would have even suspected whether the person before her was the Doctor at all.

However.

Compared to the past Doctor, who was like a demon willing to do anything for victory, Kal’tsit felt that this flesh-and-blood Doctor was much more comforting. Although... he had forgotten everything, and knew nothing... but... that was enough.

————————

”Mr. Reeve, how is the environment at Rhodes Island?” Jessica asked with a smile.

After Lucas Reeve left with the Rhodes Island group that afternoon, Jessica felt quite reluctant to see him go. Although he could still accompany her in his soul form as usual, but, but...

Having a physical body was better than a soul form.

At least, a physical body could do many things a soul form couldn’t.

For example...

Going shopping together and things like that.

As for other things...

It was a bit embarrassing...

Jessica didn’t dare to imagine any deeper.

”It’s alright.”

Lucas Reeve gave his assessment.

”I spent the whole day wandering around Rhodes Island, but I didn’t recall a single memory of the past. It’s as if those memories never existed. I’ll stay for a while longer, and if I really can’t find anything, I’ll head back to Columbia. To be honest, I don’t really care about those memories. They don’t affect my current self at all. It’s more comfortable staying here.”

Jessica giggled shyly.

”Of course, this is Mr. Reeve’s home, after all. We’re all family~”

Nearby, little Ceobe, who was munching on a dessert, also quickly raised her hand.

”That’s right, Big Brother! We’re family! Since we’re family! Big Brother Lucas, can you give Ceobe your cake?”

”...”

After chatting with Jessica for a while, he sensed a knock on the door of his physical body back at Rhodes Island. He immediately sent his consciousness back into the ’Doctor’s’ body and got up to open the door.

Amiya was standing at the door, holding a very thick, tall stack of books. After Lucas Reeve opened the door, she struggled inside and, with a thud, piled the books on the room’s table.

”Doctor, this is all of it.”

Amiya said with a smile.

”These are all the journals and notes you wrote before. Oh, and this too.”

Amiya pointed to the book placed on the very top.

”Dr. Kal’tsit gave me this book. You can take a look at it first. I don’t know what’s inside either.”

”Thanks, Amiya.”

Amiya fiddled with the hem of her clothes, drawing circles on the floor with the tip of her shoe.

”It’s nothing, Doctor. I’ll be heading back now. My room is right next to yours, Doctor. If you have time, please be sure to come find me to hang out...”

”Okay.”

Lucas Reeve nodded.

Amiya, like a happy little bee, said her goodbyes to Lucas Reeve.

Lucas Reeve didn’t look at the book Amiya mentioned first. Instead, he spread out the large pile of what looked like research papers on the table.

”Whoa...”

Lucas Reeve found it hard to believe.

He had actually written this stuff.

Impressive, impressive.

He never knew his brain was so brilliant at its peak. He couldn’t even understand the things he wrote now. He was a university student, and from a prestigious one at that. He couldn’t be this bad, right?

Lucas Reeve started to recall the knowledge from his university days.

For English, he only remembered the very first word on the first page of the vocabulary book.

For math, his first reaction was derivatives...

Derive?

The first image that popped into Lucas Reeve’s mind was a computer, and on the screen were several Felines of the same type as Jessica. Oh, no... Terra calls them Felines, back then they would have been called cat-girls. Next to the computer was a stack of tissues.

Alright.

He’d forgotten everything.

Lucas Reeve couldn’t be bothered to recall any more.

However, he still remembered with perfect clarity which window in which campus cafeteria served the best food, even after so many years.

He tossed the books related to the papers aside.

Lucas Reeve opened the notebook that Amiya said Kal’tsit had given him.

However.

Upon opening it.

The notebook was completely blank inside.

Lucas Reeve frowned in confusion and continued to flip through. The following pages were also blank. When he reached the very last page, there were a few simple words written on it.

The handwriting was slightly messy.

Not too messy, at least Lucas Reeve could recognize all the words.

[My final wish is to end this war, not just for Kazdel, but for the entire world.]

A short sentence.

However, the amount of information it contained was immense.

End what war?

And...

Final wish...

The word ’wish’ was all too familiar to the current Lucas Reeve.

No clues, absolutely no clues.

According to what Amiya had said before, the former ’Doctor’s’ identity was that of a scholar, and also Babel’s battlefield commander. Setting aside the first point, a scholar serving as a battlefield commander was not a very reasonable setup in itself, two completely different fields. There was another point.

Amiya had said.

The former ’Doctor’ was gentle and kind. How could such a model youth be both respected and feared by these elite operators, unless... this gentle and kind image had undergone some other change, for example... becoming terrifying, becoming demonic. That would explain everything.

Another point to question.

For the entire world...

At that time, it was just Kazdel’s internal conflict. What did it have to do with the whole world? Back then, even Ursus at its peak didn’t bring disaster to the whole world, let alone Kazdel. This meant that the enemy the former Doctor ultimately faced was not just the army led by Theresis, but another threat as well.

*Hiss...*

This is way too much of a Riddler act.

Lucas Reeve felt like complaining.

It’s one thing for Kal’tsit to be a Riddler, but why did his former self also like being a Riddler so much? Wouldn’t it be better to just write things clearly in the diary?

Just as Lucas Reeve was about to close the notebook.

Suddenly.

He noticed something on the back cover as well.

Lucas Reeve opened it and was stunned for a moment.

[Before my humanity completely disappeared, I caught a glimpse of the real world. The deep sea, the gods, the origin of the world...]

.....

[And... my true self.]

”Hmm..”

Lucas Reeve rested his chin in his palm.

After a moment of silence, he slowly summed it up in a few words.

Stay away from Riddlers...

It seems he would have to find Kal’tsit when he had the time.

This book was given to him by Kal’tsit.

She must know some of the inside story.

Lucas Reeve looked at the other books as well. After confirming that the rest were all boring research papers he couldn’t understand, he uninterestingly piled all the paper-related materials in a corner. He took some photos of the only important ’Riddler’ notebook with his phone, then lay down on the bed, his consciousness heading off to Columbia to sleep with Jessica and Surtr.

Quite rarely.

In the following days, Lucas Reeve did not see Kal’tsit even once at Rhodes Island. Although he wanted to ask her about the riddles in the book, he decided to put it off for now. During these days, he got to know many operators. Apart from a few elite operators, most of them were newcomers who didn’t know him at all.

However.

With his naturally gentle personality, Lucas Reeve quickly became familiar with many of the cute junior operators.

This scene was naturally observed by Kal’tsit, who was ’monitoring’ Lucas Reeve at all times.

Although she hadn’t met with Lucas Reeve these past few days, she was constantly watching his every move through the surveillance cameras within Rhodes Island.

Especially when she saw Lucas Reeve’s gentle smile.

A strange light flashed in her eyes.

So similar...

Kal’tsit’s memory drifted back to the past.

Back when the Doctor was still a scholar, he too once had such a smile.