1035 Doubt 1

Daneel was completely speechless as he tried to process the event that he had just witnessed.

Was this really happening?

It was so absurd that he couldn't help but feel doubt and suspicion, so after activating the Basilisk's Breath, he spoke to the system.

"Is there any way to know whether his consciousness was changed in the healing process? Can any scans be done? Was any information obtained from analyzing the healing process?"

He rattled off the questions one after the other, and he had to forcefully stop himself from asking more.

[Data recorded is still being analyzed. So far, all indications point to the healing process being similar to that which occurs in the process of birth. In other words, the dagger created an environment that is alike to a mother's womb, which is most productive to the nurturing of a consciousness. In the records of the Empire, there were many theories that pointed to the secret behind the creation and destruction of a consciousness lying in this process. However, research was banned as it involved harming mothers in the process of birthing. Still, research continued in secret, but nothing was found. It is possible that this research was successful in the place known as the Mainland, and was adapted to an Artefact. There are two methods available to check the authenticity of the consciousness:

1. An individual who previously was in personal contact with the target can be called upon to identify whether they can detect any changes. If this individual is of a sufficiently high level, they will be able to detect the subtle signs visible from all consciousnesses, as it is the consciousness that gives one their personality.

2. Host is in possession of a small fragment of target's consciousness, which was obtained after the breakdown of the final seal in the individual known as Drakos. This piece of consciousness can be matched with the consciousness of the target, if the target allows it, to check whether it is part of the whole, or whether it does not match the original consciousness that it was separated from.]

His heart began to ease as he heard this, as he had not one, but two methods to see whether there were any tricks being played here.

Too many things seemed off. For one, even he had seen the entire memories of the emperor, so he knew that the man was not prone, at all, to bouts of laughter and open displays pride. It had been during the very beginning, in the days after he had escaped from being a slave. Yet, that had slowly been eroded away during all the time that he had spent conquering the continent. After the conquest, he threw himself completely into ruling the Empire that he created in the best way possible, but then, too, all of the incredible things that he did merely brought a smile to his face. And then, when he made that mistake which brought that ancient enemy to Angaria, his spirit could be said to have been completely killed, and the only time he had smiled again after that was when he lay with the woman who had accompanied him before he set forth to what was supposed to be his death.

The healing should have brought him back to the exact stage he was in enduring the fight. So, there should not have been any extreme changes in his personality, which he was seeing now.

After thinking for a bit, he said, "Let's do both. Send a clone to my dear friend – he must be done mourning for his mistress, by now. Also, bring that piece of consciousness. Wasn't it supposed to have dispersed after speaking to me?"

[Negative. A dispersal process was initiated, but the smallest piece of consciousness lingered behind in host's mind, as it was accepted along with the memories when the transferral happened. This piece is harmless.]

On hearing this, Daneel vaguely remembered an ancient concept where memories were said to be like the foundation which held a consciousness together, in the case of adults. In that case, it made sense, and he also suspected that even the system must not have detected this smallest scrap until it was upgraded.

After all, such minute analysis needed high levels of complexity, but as it was not important for him to find out whether this was the case right now, Daneel discarded the thought and decided to get back to reality.

Despite all his doubt, he was still extremely moved by the image of the man kneeling in front of him.

Getting up quickly, he walked forward and raised him by his shoulders, following which an even more surprising thing happened.

The Emperor looked at him once more and then embraced him like a long lost friend, and without even meaning to, Daneel found himself returning it, and even finding pleasure in this moment where he felt as if the burden on his shoulders had lessened.

This was, perhaps, the only man who could understand what he was feeling. The pressure of having an entire continent rely on you was so massive that it could crush one if it found them unaware, and oftentimes, Daneel had found himself fretting about this responsibility that he had not gotten used to even though he knew that he had taken it on ever since he had seen that recording given to him by his master.

The embrace didn't last long, though… As they were suddenly interrupted by a loud sound, followed by the angry, yet still beautiful voice of a woman.

"FENORAS! You wake up and hug him, first! I was the one who cared for you and kept telling you about everything that was happening! I knew you were listening! I knew it! That's how you reacted so quickly! I did everything for you! I waited for thousands of years! Alone! I prepared to defend the continent! I took care of the people! I did all of it… Because you asked it of me! And now, and now, you, you…"