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Contradiction
May 3, 2026 at 04:20 AM
Updated wikilink display text to match title case changes
Contradiction is the final stage of The Weight of Knowledge, a faction quest under the Hernand Commissions in Crimson Desert. The questline has three stages: The Missing Forbidden Book, Investigation, and Contradiction. In this final stage, Kliff reports his findings to the Institute Steward at the Scholastone Institute, who poses five questions about the interrogation findings. Answering all five correctly identifies the forbidden book thief, and Kliff must then apprehend the culprit.
Unlike other investigation quests where you match evidence items to testimonies, the Contradiction segment is purely dialogue-based. The Steward presents two answer choices per question, and you must pick the correct option based on what you learned while interviewing five suspects during the Investigation stage.
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Quest Type | |
Quest Chain | |
Faction | |
Location | Scholastone Institute, southwest of Hernand |
Prerequisite | Complete the Investigation quest |
Reward |
During the preceding Investigation stage, Kliff interviews five members of the Scholastone Institute about a stolen forbidden book. The suspects and their roles are:
Suspect | Role | |
|---|---|---|
Treasurer | Reports a meeting with a visiting noble on the day of the theft | |
Researcher | Claims to have been in the lab with Tarho all day; suspects the guard | |
Researcher | Was working with Grunil, stopped by the library and was scolded by the librarian | |
Anselmo | Guard | Library records show visits from everyone except Raphael |
Javier | New Librarian | Insists he could not have stolen the book because he did not know about the forbidden collection |
After completing the Investigation quest, return to the Institute Steward inside the Scholastone Institute. Speak with him and Amaris to begin the Contradiction phase. The Steward will quiz you with five consecutive questions, each offering two answer choices. Your task is to accurately relay what you learned from each suspect.
The Steward asks about each suspect's testimony in turn. You must select the correct answer for each question. One important thing to note: the Steward reacts the same way regardless of whether you choose correctly or incorrectly, so there is no immediate feedback. If you get any answer wrong, you will need to redo the entire sequence. Here are the five questions with the correct responses:
Question | Steward's Prompt | Correct Answer | Option |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Let's start with the treasurer, what did he say?" | Heard there was a meeting with a noble from out of town that day | 1st option |
2 | "What of Grunil?" | They were at the lab with Tarho all day, and reckon the guard's the one acting suspicious | 1st option |
3 | "He says he noticed nothing?" | While working on their research with Grunil, they stopped by the library and got scolded by the librarian | 2nd option |
4 | "How about Almenso, the guard?" | It seems the library has records of everyone's visits, except Raphael's | 2nd option |
5 | "There was a new librarian who joined us recently... Javier, that's the one. And what did he tell you?" | They insist they couldn't have stolen it, since they don't know about the forbidden books or the ancient language | 1st option |
For players using a controller, the button sequence follows: Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Square (or the equivalent on your platform). The pattern is first option, first option, second option, second option, first option.
After providing all five correct answers, the Institute Steward pieces together the contradiction. Javier claimed he knew nothing about the forbidden book collection or the ancient language written within it. However, during his testimony, he mentioned specific details about the ancient language that only someone who had handled the book would know. This slip reveals Javier as the thief.
The Steward provides a map marker directing you to Javier's location at the Scholastone Archive building, which is south of the Institute Steward. Approaching Javier triggers a cutscene where Kliff tackles him to the ground. Punch and subdue Javier, then tie him up. Carry him to the nearby Orc Scholar at the front of the Scholastone Archive to complete the quest. The capture process works the same as standard bounty targets.
Question 3 is the trickiest. The wording between the first and second options is nearly identical. The critical difference is "scolded" versus "told off" by the librarian. Always choose the option with "scolded" (the 2nd option).
If you select any wrong answer, you can redo the entire set of questions. The Steward does not indicate which answer was wrong, so you must get all five correct in a single attempt.
The culprit is always Javier regardless of your answer choices. The questions only determine whether you can proceed immediately or must retry the dialogue.
Make sure to read each suspect's testimony carefully during the Investigation stage. The Steward gives no feedback on individual answers, so you cannot tell which one was incorrect without consulting a guide.
The Investigative Log in your Key Items inventory can be reviewed at any time during the quest. Check it before speaking with the Steward if you need a refresher on the suspects' statements.
Reward | Details |
|---|---|
Trophy collectible; can be placed in your home or sold for silver | |
+100 |
The Weight of Knowledge (parent questline)
Investigation (prerequisite quest)
Scholastone Institute (quest location)
Hernand Commissions (faction)
