Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness

In a garden, too large to be called merely a garden, yet a little too sparse to be considered a forest — small, beautiful trees stood scattered here and there, their leaves whispering faintly in the breeze.

Roses bloomed in measured clusters, splashes of crimson, white, and soft pink breaking the green. In the very center, long tables had been set out, draped in fine cloth and laden with an array of foods.

Crowds of young people, even children, moved around in small groups, laughter and chatter drifting between them.

Yet amid this lively gathering, one table stood isolated.

There, alone, stood Noel.

No one dared to approach him, despite his small stature. And Noel, perfectly fine with the distance, kept himself busy sampling everything the table had to offer.

Every now and then, his gaze wandered to a dome-like building some distance away — the place where his father was.

Behind those walls, the meeting was being held. Leaders of great houses, heads of powerful organizations, and even figures from the four major factions had gathered there.

Noel felt a brief pang of pity for his father… but only briefly.

After all, he knew it wouldn't be long before he would take the head seat for himself.

'Maybe he should enjoy the position while it lasts,' Noel thought, a grin curling across his face.

It was then that a sudden commotion drew his attention.

His eyes shifted toward the noise, though his hands didn't pause in their work of bringing food to his mouth.

A small girl, around his own age, stood before a man several years older. Her expression was cold, unreadable, carved from stone.

And at first glance, it looked like she was the one being cornered, harassed.

But when the man lashed out, aiming to bring her down in a single blow, the result was… nothing. His hand seemed to have been frozen. And he couldn't so much as graze her.

"The disgrace of the Merrow house dares to go after the praised child of the Everen noble house… does he not know his place?"

"Well, it's because he's that stupid, that's why."

The comments spread like ripples on water as more people gathered, their voices a mix of mockery and morbid curiosity.

Noel, plate heaped high with food, drifted closer at a leisurely pace too. His eyes didn't leave the scene, though his fork still found its way to his mouth.

The man's face was flushed, with rage and humiliation, as he was forced to kneel. And the girl, Selena, stood over him like an executioner awaiting the order. With a flick of her fingers, a small table knife rose from the ground and began to dance in the air, tracing sharp lines across his skin.

Her gaze was frigid, merciless, as if asking: Do you understand now how badly you've erred?

The combination of her domineering presence and strength — already greater than any of the children his mother had introduced to him before — sparked something in Noel.

By the time she was done, the man looked as though he had been wrapped in a net of shallow cuts, each bleeding just enough to stain him red. Alive, but humiliated. Selena let him collapse to the ground.

Noel, faintly disappointed, stepped forward. "Why didn't you kill him?"

"It's none of your business," Selena replied, her voice sharp, as though his question were a pointless interruption.

But, Noel laughed softly, shaking his head. "That's where you're wrong."

"I just made a decision." His eyes glinted, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I need a maid, since my protector can't seem to do the job. And you passed."

"So now," he finished, "it is my business."

At his words, Selena's expression darkened; anger flared, sharp and cold.

She had already noticed the fearful gazes aimed at the boy speaking to her — fear even greater than what she herself could stir in others.

When she caught his name, something in her mind clicked into place too.

Naturally, that didn't change her response.

Selena sent the still-floating knife she was manipulating straight at him, while at the same time, she directed her Law at him.

But with a lazy flick of his hand, Noel's Destruction Law negated both — erasing them as if they had never existed.

His grin didn't falter, as he stepped in closer and punched.

Selena tried to block him with all her strength, but still failed, and was sent flying to the ground.

Noel watched her struggle back to her feet — lip caught between her teeth, the faint shine of unshed tears in her eyes — and paused, an odd thought surfacing.

'Maybe I shouldn't treat a girl I want like this?'

The notion lingered for all of a heartbeat — until her next attack came flying at him, and he blocked it absentmindedly.

That was when it struck him.

He was overthinking it. He could simply subdue her first… and then talk.

And so, Noel did exactly that.

With a short burst forward, he unleashed a series of sharp, precise strikes. And Selena quickly crumpled to the ground.

He squatted beside her, his shadow falling over her, and studied her face for a long, deliberate moment before speaking in complete seriousness.

"Is it that you're not satisfied being my maid?"

His gaze swept slowly from her feet to her head, weighing her, measuring her in silence. Then, with a faint shake of his head, he added, "I mean… I'd even give you a better position, as my woman… but you're still too weak."

He didn't give her time to answer before continuing, almost as if he were making a magnanimous concession. "So, how about this? The position of main wife is already reserved for Edith. Can you pick something else?"

The words fell like stones in a still pond.

At his generous offer — spoken in a tone that suggested compromise — at these words that even his own father, infamous for recklessness, would never dare to utter, the commotion around them erupted into open chaos. Murmurs swelled into gasps, and gasps into sharp whispers.

Noel, however, didn't spare the crowd a single glance. He kept his eyes on Selena, clearly expecting a beaming, overjoyed "yes" from her at any second.

Instead, Selena's expression froze.

She was not struck by joy, but by disbelief — at how casually he had just mentioned Edith, the strongest woman alive, the leader of the Order of Veil, as if she were simply part of his household arrangements.

In the end, with the reality of her defeat settling in, Selena looked away. She averted her gaze entirely, her chin tilting down, already bracing herself for the shame she knew was coming.

"…Is that also a no?" Noel asked suddenly, his voice tinged with genuine disappointment.

"I mean, you're getting the better deal here. You'll never find anyone better than me, so what exactly are you dissatisfied with?"

The conviction in his tone was unshakable, almost absurd. And it was in that moment Selena finally understood just how insane Noel truly was.

Still… she noticed something. Despite the raw brutality of his strikes earlier — blows that had landed without hesitation on her face or body — he now made no fruther move on her. And, that brought her a flicker of relief.

"Let's talk in a place where idiocy isn't applauded," she said at last, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

Even with her feelings tangled in irritation and resignation, she decided it was better to end this spectacle here and attempt to talk sense into him elsewhere.

Noel's lips curved into a pleased smile, convinced that she had finally grasped just how lucky she was.

Without asking, he took her limp arm as though escorting a princess and began to lead her away.

His mother had always been worried the Cross bloodline would end with his generation… Surely she would praise him now, wouldn't she?

After all, he was bringing a girl home.

Noel thought so — proudly.