Chapter 42
"At this point... I've obtained all the information I needed."
A voice muttering lightly.
As he shook off the shadows remaining on his palm, a faint presence writhed at his feet.
He looked down with merciless eyes.
It was none other than the man wearing a robe.
The manager in charge of this abandoned laboratory, and the devil appearing as the final villain of this episode.
He was also the one who had brought them here.
The man was rolling on the floor as if having a fit.
"Ugh, gack, uwaah......"
The man groaned with his eyes rolled back.
Facial muscles twisting grotesquely.
After that, he was even drooling.
Finally, watching his broken reactions, he muttered while exhaling a chilly breath.
His words were tinged with thick contempt.
"To think he'd break from just this much."
Perhaps because he had put emotional force into it?
The man who finally couldn't endure and went mad. He was only making crying sounds like a beast that had lost its reason.
He quietly clicked his tongue.
"Though I obtained the most needed information... on the other hand, I was expecting more."
Damn tree bastards.
Especially, he had thought he might find out the leader's whereabouts, but unfortunately the man was no different from an empty can.
He was just like a puppet doll moving according to orders from above.
"He was a useless person to the end."
He put his disappointed feelings behind him.
As he quietly turned his steps, mutants that had been hiding nearby crept out.
They were the wolves seen in the laboratory.
Though they had been lowering their tails under the pressure of killing intent.
As he was about to leave, they seemed to be lurking around one by one.
He loaded shadows at his fingertips.
But.
"Hmm."
Growl-.
The target of their teeth was not him.
It was the man rolling on the floor in a ridiculous state.
The mutants drooled while licking their lips.
"Are they hungry?"
Pupils glistening with slaughter.
Their rough breathing was full of will to chew flesh.
If left like this, they looked ready to pounce on the man.
He wouldn't be able to resist at all.
Bitten alive by the experimental subjects he had managed, he would disappear in the most miserable death.
Perhaps it was the ending I wanted for him.
I withdrew the killing intent I had been scattering, and quietly stepped aside.
Right after.
"Kyaaaah!!!"
Crunch, crack-!
Behind the savage noise, the man's scream dyed with pain colored the basement.
Flesh was chewed, bones were broken, blood soaked everything.
A scene continuing cruelly.
But I only took steps away with a bitter smile.
"It's the judgment passed by monsters."
Inwardly, he chewed a meditation so it wouldn't be heard.
"Please."
With this, forgive the world.
Satisfy your hunger dyed with revenge by tearing the flesh of those who tormented you.
Kill as cruelly, terribly, and painfully as possible.
And like that, even a little.
Fill the hunger of your twisted souls.
"May God receive you."
This was a prayer for the monsters.
He quietly moved his lips.
I moved my steps out of the laboratory while appreciating the clearly ringing requiem.
It was truly the moment when everything was wrapped up.
***
When I returned to the laboratory after finishing my work.
The first thing that caught my eye was several adults standing around the children.
People looking around blankly.
"...What is all this?"
"......"
"What on earth happened here......"
It seemed support had arrived from Galimar.
Newly realizing this episode had ended, I slowly approached them.
I lightly greeted them.
"My, my... You're all a step late."
Gazes that had been scattered each focused this way.
Professors standing in a daze.
It seemed they were flustered by the chaotic scene.
A broken ceiling, wolf corpses, the smell of blood permeating everywhere... It was truly a mess.
I smiled brightly.
"I was waiting."
A smile leaking out from a welcoming heart.
Just when my output was dropping, the faculty had arrived with good timing.
I approached with a cheerful atmosphere.
Just then, children lying on the floor came into view.
Pink and blue hair.
They were sleeping soundly.
As if checking the condition of those two, several professors were conducting examinations.
I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
"It's already too late."
Because I had already checked them once each.
Both only had slight exhaustion, with no noticeable abnormalities.
"They're both healthy."
"......"
"Hmm?"
The professors had no particular reaction.
Feeling that was strange, adults with serious gazes appeared in my vision.
The atmosphere was not normal.
Perhaps because of the ominous laboratory background?
The faculty didn't carelessly lower their guard, looking prepared for possible enemies around.
I spoke up to mean it wasn't necessary.
"Hmm~ There's no need for you all to be wary?"
"......"
"The situation ended long ago. Please, be at ease."
An explanation continuing kindly.
I acted slyly.
Naturally brushing off suspicious gazes, I subtly approached the children's side.
As if worried about friends.
"Huhu."
"Student Yuda, do you perhaps know? What happened in this laboratory......"
"Shh."
One of the professors who had suddenly come to his senses tried to ask a question, but I firmly brought my index finger to my lips.
It meant to keep silent.
So the children wouldn't wake from the noise.
"Could we return to the academy first?"
I quietly asked.
"Everyone seems very tired... We desperately need rest. Me too."
For me, the children always came first.
I had no intention of having a conversation while leaving them on the floor like this.
As I politely made the request, the professors who had hesitated for a moment soon nodded as if understanding.
"We should do that."
"Thank you."
"We'll return to the academy for now. The collapsed students will be transferred to the infirmary immediately."
"That's a relief."
Perhaps because of his appearance of worrying about his friends?
The chilly atmosphere softened a bit.
We moved to a point where teleportation was possible, then took return procedures without hesitation.
[EP5. Midterm Exam]
-Abandoned Laboratory, Monsters That Can't Laugh-
It was the moment successfully concluding that episode.
***
Right after returning to the academy.
We were immediately transferred to the infirmary and received various examinations.
Our physical conditions were checked through more precise diagnoses, and we were prescribed IVs to supply lacking mana.
Contrary to concerns, no abnormalities were found.
I was healthy without question.
I hadn't been injured in the first place.
The villainess and protagonist had simply fainted, with the opinion they would wake up soon.
Fortunately, it was words that eased worries.
"The story of what happened today... We'll hear it when the other two wake up."
The professors withdrew for now.
It seemed they were trying to be careful, as the investigation of the basement wasn't finished yet, and there were students who had received slight damage.
Especially our homeroom teacher, Selena, paid a lot of attention.
"Let's not burden the students for now. Aren't they children who experienced a frightening accident?"
She soothed her colleagues who were acting hastily.
I had thought she only ever appeared drunk, so I was a bit surprised she had such a considerate side.
Purple hair smoothly brushed back.
Red eyes stared at us without a trace of wavering.
"...Rest well for now."
She had a somewhat complicated face.
Towards her turning her head slightly, I quietly let words flow.
"I'll stay by their side... until the other two wake up."
"Your heart worrying about friends is admirable, but don't forget you need to take care of yourself too."
"Huhu, I'm doing that sufficiently."
"I'll be waiting outside the ward. Call me anytime if you need anything."
"Thank you, Professor Selena."
Selena suddenly left her seat.
Only three people remained in the spacious ward - the snake, the pilot, and the vain one.
On the beds laid side by side, only pink and blue hair lay.
I quietly sat by their side.
"......"
Children repeating steady breaths each.
I held one hand of each person.
Warm body temperatures touched each other.
As there had been an unpleasant incident, I hoped they wouldn't have nightmares.
I gently applied force with my fingertips.
"...I should wait too."
I quietly kept my place.
A silent ward.
For a while, only the children's breathing flowed around.
***
-Become strong, Emilia.
Emilia was dreaming.
No, in fact, it was a scene closer to a piece of memory rather than a dream.
-Otherwise you can't survive.
A voice tinged with tears.
Though she was young, the girl seemed to know the world.
It was a life spending terrible winters, so a child wandering in snowy mountains could only grow colder.
It was living full of venom.
-Lady must be even more perfect.
-You must show a proper appearance as the legitimate successor.
-Only then will the departed Duke and Duchess be at ease, won't they?
Detestable family elders.
-Don't worry, Emilia.
-You're still just a student, so you can't take on family duties... I'll specially help you.
-We're family after all. Right?
An uncle who always pretended to be for the girl, but couldn't hide his greedy eyes.
-Si-Sister... I'm scared.
-I miss Mom and Dad. Where are they?
A younger brother she had to protect even in a fierce daily life.
'I'm sick of it.'
Emilia finally had to push herself.
Just to survive.
Will ate away at her heart.
Abandoning altruism, giving up happiness, mocking sacrifice.
Before she knew it, an adult perfectly worn down, forgetting childhood, stood before the mirror.
An ugly mask.
'Don't forget.'
There are things you must protect.
If I make a mistake, everything ends.
Even for revenge, even for happiness, you must always run forward looking ahead.
The moment you look back, something terrible will happen.
'I can only trust myself.'
An obsession that had dyed her life for a long time.
Though Emilia reminisced about her purely joyful childhood, she instinctively knew she could never return to that time.
Because too many things had changed.
The girl no longer had the right to be called young.
Because she had directly painted her pure inner self black, she thought she could never live for anything again.
Yes.
She certainly thought so, but.
"......"
"You've woken up."
She opened her closed eyes.
As she blinked her heavy eyelids, a voice was heard from beside her.
Emilia unknowingly moved her eyes.
"A full day has passed."
A boy with deep golden hair.
Blue eyes were staring blankly at that scene.
"......"
"I'm glad you're safe. I was worried the whole time."
The snake smiled brightly.
Then he raised his hand and gently stroked the girl's disheveled hair.
It was a touch tinged with affection.
As if treating a precious person.
"You did well, Lady."
A gentle whisper.
The boy left a light kiss on the back of her pure white hand.
Though startled by the soft sensation, Emilia could only freeze blankly.
Because a nostalgic sense of fulfillment dyed her chest.
"You really did very well."
"......"
The villainess quietly accepted it.
The boy's palm dyeing her with taming.