Chapter 578 – Recording Memories.

The helmet pulsed with a soft azure glow as the readings stabilized. Roland leaned in and tapped the panels with his fingers as the process began.

“The memory transfer is going through. Feed is steady…”

A dozen screens flickered to life across the console. Each displayed fragmented but vivid images—glimpses of Arthur’s trial unfolding like scenes from a tale. Mary stood silently nearby, holding the pillow steady beneath Arthur’s limp head. Her eyes remained focused on her lord, though she occasionally glanced at the flashing lights around the room. Most of them were in muted shades of gray, offering very little color in between.

“This looks familiar…”

A castle appeared, perched on a misty ridge and surrounded by wild, untamed land. It looked half-ruined, with only a single banner fluttering in the wind. The symbol on it resembled Arthur’s own crest. It was faded, barely recognizable, yet clearly marked with the emblem of the Valerian household.

‘This must be what he saw first when he arrived. Then came the rest…’

The memories appeared fragmented, displayed like a slideshow highlighting key moments. First came a main settlement or fortress, similar to the keep he had once defended during his tier-three trial. Back then, he had taken the role of overlord, charged with conquering surrounding lands to secure victory. From what the images revealed, Arthur now faced a similar challenge.

Next, a council chamber filled with advisors appeared before Arthur. They wore strange masks that resembled those used in dramatic performances to portray basic emotions. Most of the expressions showed fear, exhaustion, or shame. They were all negative, which made Roland wonder if they were tied to the nature of the trial. Perhaps once the trial concluded, the emotions would shift to more positive ones.

Ledgers, maps, and resource tallies were laid out across a large central table, much like the one used in their own war room. A detailed map of the region was spread across its surface, and the settlement where Arthur had arrived appeared to be positioned right at the center. As in Roland’s trial, other forces surrounded this location, each holding more territory and possessing greater resources.

“Will he have to conquer the other places, or is the win condition something else?”

Roland thought. In his own trial, his role had been that of an overlord, one who ruled over lesser lords and brought all regions under a single banner. But Arthur’s objective might be different. Until they gathered more data, there was no way to be certain. At least the people in the chamber weren’t wooden constructs. Instead, they wore masks that seemed fused to their faces, as if part of their very being.

Roland leaned in closer as the view shifted once again. Arthur now stood in the center of a crumbling throne room. The same masked advisors were gathered around him, either kneeling or standing in a wide arc. Although their voices could not be heard, their gestures made their intent clear. They were waiting for instructions. Even more surprisingly, Roland managed to catch a snapshot of the system display Arthur had seen. He had not thought that would be possible.

Roland studied the display with a furrowed brow. The system was offering more specific guidance than usual, and this trial appeared to focus more on survival than on conquest.

The objective did not mention battle or territory expansion. Arthur was meant to manage and improve his holdings as a lord. The wording left room for interpretation, which likely meant he could succeed through multiple strategies. Trade, diplomacy, and wise governance might be just as effective as warfare.

Running a struggling kingdom under pressure with a time limit reminded Roland of his own experience. Building structures, defending key locations, delegating authority, and managing limited resources would likely play major roles in success. Arthur might still need to form an army, but overall the challenge seemed less brutal than the one Roland had faced. With Arthur’s natural charisma, he might find more success through alliances and negotiations.

The next images reinforced Roland’s analysis. Arthur stood in the castle courtyard, examining his surroundings. A few dozen soldiers marched in uneven lines, poorly armed and lacking discipline. Food supplies were dangerously low. The smithy was barely functioning. Most troubling of all were red markers at the edges of the regional map. These signaled the presence of enemy forces. Perhaps they were raiders, or maybe rival lords.

Each cycle, likely representing a week or a month within the trial, would require Arthur to make important decisions. He would have to choose which areas to improve, which threats to respond to, and which people to rely on. This was not a simple combat challenge. It was a test filled with countless variables, many of which would be difficult to predict.

Fortunately, the runic memory machine offered a possible advantage. If they could collect enough data, they might begin to uncover patterns hidden within the trial’s structure. Roland planned to assign Sebastian to analyze the numbers and track how Arthur’s choices affected each outcome. With sufficient information, they could prepare a strategy guide that would give Arthur a large advantage upon his return.

“Uh…”

“Lord Arthur, please don’t move.”

Arthur began to wake, and Roland realized there was little time left to continue the memory storage process. Even so, more information continued to surface, revealing how Arthur had tried to manage the unfolding situation. Numerous decrees had been issued, each one aimed at stabilizing his domain. He had also launched an investigation into his council in an effort to fulfill the secondary objective, which suggested the presence of a possible traitor.

It was difficult to determine the exact details of Arthur’s orders, but from the available fragments, it appeared that he began by rationing food and deploying his army to stabilize the surrounding regions. Later, he tried to develop farmland and initiated trade with more neutral lords. This effort required travel, negotiations, and the building of alliances, including at least one formed through marriage, something that still haunted Roland in his sleep.

Despite these efforts, Arthur always seemed just a little too slow in making key decisions. In the end, he did not survive the trial. The final memory showed him standing at the gallows, while one of the masked men watched from the crowd. This particular mask bore an unsettling grin, and based on his attire, it was clear that he had been a member of the council. He had remained hidden throughout, never exposed as the traitor.

“That’s the gist of it …”

Mary stayed by Arthur’s side and had been given the task of asking him what he could remember. His recollection was limited, mostly fading after the first few cycles and leading up to his eventual death. Still, with the help of the stored visual records, they hoped to jog his memory and piece together more of what had happened during the trial.

“How do you feel?”

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“As if I was gone for a year or more. It wasn’t this bad during my last trial.”

Roland didn’t respond right away. His eyes stayed fixed on the final frozen image on the screen, showing Arthur standing tall but clearly defeated, the traitor’s grinning mask visible in the crowd of angry masks. After a long breath, he finally turned to face him.

“It is a fitting trial for someone who aims to become a lord. You just need to adapt faster and probably identify the traitor a lot sooner.”

Roland responded while glancing at the screens. There was one flaw his friend had never overcome—his tendency to rely too heavily on others. Arthur often seemed to carry an inferiority complex when compared to his brothers. In matters concerning the city, he deferred to Roland frequently and rarely contradicted his advice. While this cautious approach might have worked in favor of Roland, it was not the mark of a true leader, and not for someone who aspired to become one.