𝒢𝑜𝓃𝑒, 𝒢𝑜𝓃𝑒, 𝒢𝑜𝓃𝑒

CHAPTER I.V: Not from here

--TRAVELLING THE MULTIVERSE--
TIP 42: Avoid making references to events you have knowledge about, since they may not have happened in the universe you've travelled into, and might lead to suspicion, and possibly death.

"Any book that may have the symbols, are to be collected!" King Wilbur shouts, standing above you on the ladder that's held by Prince Fundy, with the young man constantly staring at you whenever he isn't focusing on keeping his father's ladder stable. "Any information is of the importance. We must know how we can beat the doppelgängers overtaking my kingdom!" Queen Sally and servant Niki are standing in the library as well, watching from afar, with Niki feeling more neutral towards your decision and Queen Sally not being a fan of it at all, constantly coughing up a storm as she mumbles, "that goddamn dust". Sam, Techno and Tommy have left, after Tommy was promised that a carriage would be sent to his mansion once you were to return there. Queen Sally said that she'd make sure this happened, only allowing you one night at the palace if it was really necessary.

You allow yourself to look through the books, though you also catch some of those that Wilbur chose, seeing how they don't seem to have any links other than the story being some children's book. "The Masquerade", "The Lost City of Mizu" and "Gogtopia". You've allowed yourself a look at each, leafing through the picture books, unable to connect them with each other, except for the writer, that being someone called "Cordis", and the fact that they're written for children. Oddly enough, that is, since you didn't expect there to be children's books in a medieval library belonging to the royal family: children's books without any clear moral lesson weren't really a thing until the eighteenth century in your universe – and those that could be seen as children's books, were often moralistic and didactic -, so this is something that stands out to you.

Eventually, however, you find yourself growing tired of leafing through books, also discovering it isn't going to get you anywhere near the knowledge of the exact location of the Egg, which you're looking for.

Though, this entire situation in which you find yourself does allow you to analyse the king and his behaviours. You tend to pick up words that he repeatedly mumbles, none of these incoherent combinations making any sense to you. His breathing tends to go rapidly, at which only Fundy seems to be able to calm him down, as he sighs about how he thinks he saw one of the symbols, distracting him.

Wilbur's insanity may not make you any wiser when it comes to your own problems, for the symbols he thinks he sees do not exist, or at least don't seem to, but you can also conclude that Wilbur himself isn't carrying the egg around, since the madness he holds, though familiar to Jared's, is still clearly different. Sure, Jared is delusional as well, but not paranoid, and his delusions come in the form of more 'positive' ones. Wilbur's lead to distrust of the world and of his loved ones. Hell, Jared's delusions may not even be a result of the Egg, but of his own twisted mind wanting to believe that he did something good.

To add to this, Jared became ill after 'breaking his promise to the Egg', while Wilbur was said to have become sick after getting poisoned by Dream. Wilbur doesn't seem to show any supernatural physical symptoms either, nor can you imagine him having wished for anything, considering the only thing you can imagine a monarch wish for in this era is absolute power, which doesn't exactly seem to be the case either.

"Your Highness, don't you think it's time for us to sit down and calm down a little?" Niki's sweet voice eventually sounds, the care clearly being forced, most likely in fear of her becoming another 'evil demon' in his eyes.

"We don't have the time! The end of the world must be prevented, evil must be gone! Our entire kingdom will fall apart if we don't find the clue!" Before Niki can even respond, he points down towards you. "Don't you agree, Friend?" The nickname at self in your eyes seems rather innocent, but judging by the reactions of those surrounding you, it's not. Fundy's eyes widen, Niki puts a hand in front of her open mouth and Sally's muscles tense.