episode_0299

Vesperia Academy is a prestigious institution in Academy City, renowned for its magic. With a few exceptions, such as the private training center operated internally by Magnabys, it is the leading institution in Academy City for teaching magic and other supernatural abilities. If I hadn’t been a good Violet, Lucian would have enrolled here in his original world and acted as a senior. It might be hard to believe, but this beautiful girl, who is now rubbing her eyes and waking up, was also destined to enroll there.

Suddenly, my head throbbed. That kid had snuck out in the middle of the night and raided my milk and snacks. And who would have expected that Yurik Uncle would end up drinking that milk?

“Hey! Trinity! Wake up!” Enrica Maitner. Her nickname, given by someone, was ‘Trinity.’ Her position was simple: a typical rear-support mage, the kind you’d find in a common fantasy game. If Lucian was a machine gun, she was the artillery unit. And there was a troublesome characteristic that made her unique traits even more prominent.

“The symptoms Pereira-gun showed earlier, it’s acute radiation poisoning. You know that, right?” Enrica was a walking mass of radiation. They said it was because the large amount of magic accumulated in her body reacted with itself, causing unstable fluctuations. “Uh… so…” “Don’t look away, you idiot! I can see everything. What are you hiding?”

While Yurik Uncle was being rushed to the hospital, Bernike relentlessly grilled me. It was the first time I’d seen the Auntie so furiously angry. “I won’t ask why the milk was like that. You probably don’t know either. But remember this! Broca’s sensor detected a massive amount of radiation. The radiation levels emanating from here are thousands of times higher than the natural radiation an ordinary person would be exposed to over decades. It might not be a problem for Awakened ones like us, but it’s dangerous for ordinary people like Pereira-gun. Got it?”

Truthfully, I was at fault, so I had nothing to say. Finally, the time had come to explain everything. After contacting Seijis, I brought Enrica out. “Why did you call me… I’m sleepy…” “Actually, she snuck out and drank the milk!” “…?”

I briefly explained the situation, and Professor Albert, who arrived late, listened to Bernike and me again, then cast a few spells with an astonished expression. “Really? Let’s see…” A translucent mist rose around us. Instantly, Enrica’s surroundings filled with countless delicate lines. The white lines shot through the mist like bullets, intertwining complexly and etching themselves sharply and precisely, as if microscopic needles were meticulously cutting through the air.

“Good heavens, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. How does she have a constitution like this?” Watching the spectacular display, a dance of light where new lines constantly generated and disappeared, Professor Albert conversed with Bernike. “…Could it be a unique ability? It’s truly unusual.” “No, to define it as a unique ability, perfect self-control must be a prerequisite. That child doesn’t seem to be able to control her constitution.”

First, I sent a text to the Inspector. I’d been trying to call them earlier, but couldn’t get through, so I also left a message for Sophieel Unnie. Now all that was left was to wait. Meanwhile, our task was set. “First, let’s clean the kitchen.” “Okay…” We had to thoroughly wipe down the house and ourselves with the hastily acquired radioactive decontamination solution. During this time, Enrica was sadly led away and isolated in an empty room.

“I’m hungry…!” “Sorry! I’ll get you food soon!” After a long wait, a familiar figure arrived. Sophieel Unnie, looking tired, pushed open the door to our workshop and stepped in. “Violet! Perfect timing. That child you mentioned is connected to a case the Inspection Bureau was tracking yesterday. Seijis is also caught in a difficult situation right now.”

Though flustered by the unexpected news, I asked her to tell me the first part of the story. “A difficult situation? The Inspector?” It seemed the Inspection Bureau had been tracking a dispute between a research group and an organization yesterday. Enrica was the child involved in that very incident. “It looks like the situation escalated without us knowing.” First, I repeated the explanation I’d given earlier about Enrica. My unnie’s face darkened when I told her that Enrica was a child who caused radioactive contamination every time she walked.

“The Inspection Bureau suspects this incident is a dispute between two clans of a certain scale over the assets of a secret research facility. Such a constitution is too unnatural. Could it be the work of Laflaxian?” One of the usual suspects for strange occurrences in Academy City was mentioned, usually a reliable guess. Normally, I would have agreed, but I wasn’t so sure about this one. It was Bernike who put an end to the conversation.

“It won’t be Laflaxian. Inspector-nim, I heard directly from that child that she’s had that constitution since birth. Raihan, despite being crazy, isn’t foolish enough to conduct such bizarre experiments.” “…You’re the professor Seijis mentioned.” “Yes, he said you were his sister, didn’t he? You seem relatively sane compared to that madman.” Perhaps uncomfortable with the fact that she was the sister of the person who implanted a bomb in her neck, the professor grumbled in a low voice.

“Anyway, Unnie, why isn’t the Inspector answering the phone?” “Seijis got hurt. That’s why I came myself.” We were bewildered by the unexpected answer. “The Inspector got hurt?” Who on earth could have injured the Inspector? When I asked about it, Unnie sighed deeply and turned on the TV in a corner of the room.

“You’ll see if you watch the news.” The next moment, we were aghast at the scene on the screen. The screen was filled with the sight of a building split in two and a ruined campus. [Breaking News: Arturia Academy Conference opening ceremony attacked… Obsidian Legion raid. Key Inspection Bureau personnel injured. Those involved evacuated…] [The Legion denounced ‘the existence of current clans as hypocritical deception itself,’ claiming this terror attack as a warning…] Amidst the collapsed campus, a blurred silhouette due to an identification interference device. Within it, vaguely visible, was a pitch-black figure wielding a large greatsword. […Meanwhile, experts are expressing concern over the reappearance of the organization’s leader, ‘Sycamore,’ after two years. Sycamore has directed and personally carried out dozens of terror attacks and clan destruction operations…] What the, why is the Witch of Boundless’s boss there? “The leader of the Obsidian Legion appeared. Seijis was injured trying to stop them…” Wow, so much happened overnight. It’s a world where there’s never a dull moment.

** Violet is a quantum mechanical being, surpassing Schrödinger’s cat. Accordingly, we exist anytime, anywhere, and can determine our position by observing ourselves. Thus, Violet simultaneously visited two people in the hospital. First, Yurik Uncle was safe. “Haha, I’ve never tasted radiation before. Don’t worry too much. I’m fine now!” The exposure itself wasn’t a big problem. Compared to the effects of Aether, a substance far more dangerous than radiation, the exposure issue was trivial. As long as it wasn’t instant death, it could be cured with magic or medical technology.

“It’s not too late, and I’ve received gene regeneration therapy, so I’ll be discharged soon.” “Is that something to laugh about? You almost died. Your internal organs were exposed to radiation! This is all because that idiot brought home some radioactive waste homeless person.” It was true that Enrica and I were at fault, but the Auntie’s accusations were growing increasingly intense, making me uncomfortable. “Ugh, Auntie! Enrica isn’t homeless. She’s a poor kid.” “She’s a thief who raids other people’s refrigerators.” “It’s our refrigerator, so it’s none of your business, Auntie! No wonder you’re so narrow-minded, you can’t even get married.” “…What did you say?” Before the Auntie could retort, I quickly fled. Indeed, even a genius of the century can’t help but be helpless in the face of cold reality.

At the same time, I was meeting with the Inspector at the Inspection Bureau hospital. “Are you okay?” I asked as a formality, but seeing them wrapped in bandages around their chest, they didn’t look okay at all. The Inspector tried to put on a brave face. “It’s nothing. Just overdid it a bit. Was it too much for me alone…” Given the situation, it seemed the Inspector would also need hospitalization for a while. It was fortunate that they hadn’t lost any limbs and had managed to stop the terror attack with few casualties.

“So, you have a child named Enrica?” “Yep! I picked her up!” I briefly explained how I came to bring her and what had happened today. As I talked, I suddenly found myself wanting to keep her. Trinity might seem a bit dull, but she was, by name, the best nuker. I felt like I could make good use of her if she stayed by my side. And, with luck, I could even teach her the democratic spirit of freedom and liberation.

“Can’t we keep her?” “No. What about the radiation problem?” “There are only abandoned factories around our house. So then there’s no radiation to worry about!” I mobilized collective intelligence, preparing for the Inspector’s next rebuttal, but unexpectedly, there was no reply. The Inspector, listening to my words, fell into deep thought. “Yes, normally, the Inspection Bureau should take her and protect her. But…” They said the Inspection Bureau was busy due to the recent Obsidian Legion terror attack. And the facility to entrust Enrica to hadn’t been decided yet. It seemed that as civil servants, their decision-making was slow.

“Then I can raise her well!” The Inspector looked a bit flustered. “People aren’t puppies, Violet…” That’s strange, Trinity really seemed like a puppy though. “Violet. Then, please look after her at your place for a while. I’ll come get her soon.” “Got it!” Just as I was about to turn and leave, a question came to mind. “But Inspector-nim. Is it really okay for us to take her?” Seijis looked at me with calm eyes, then slowly opened their mouth. “…Because I think I can trust you.” “Aha!” Feeling a new surge of emotion from the satisfying answer, I left.

** And so, Enrica was temporarily taken care of by our Violet. The deadline was until the Inspector came to pick her up. We took the isolated child to Violet’s Second Barracks, the factory building next door. First, as advised, we obtained a large water tank. “Add boric acid?” Coincidentally, we had metal water tanks acquired for bomb making. They were large enough for a person to fit inside and sleep comfortably. We filled them with water and created a boric acid solution. We also didn’t forget to put in an oxygen mask. “They told me to put her in here, right?” Putting people into tanks was something I’d done often, so I was used to it. I just had to bring Enrica and put her in.

Enrica had been on the verge of tears for some reason since earlier. “Um, Viola? Is that Uncle who drank the milk okay?” “It’s Violet. And Uncle is fine! Radiation exposure can be completely cured if dealt with quickly.” Enrica scratched her head upon hearing our explanation. “Oh, I see. I thought I was going to be chased out again.” “Chased out?” The moment she spoke of being chased out, the situation the girl before me was in finally dawned on me.

“Mom and Dad said they didn’t want to see me. They said if I kept being with them, I’d get sick and just cost money.” “Ah, I see.” She said that, then put a radiation detector up to herself. The meter’s reading shot up sharply. “So I went to the research lab. The scientists told me. They said I had to follow their words to be able to go outside.” Enrica opened the water tank lid and crawled inside. The water tank was filled with darkness. Thinking about it now, she must have been a research subject in the lab too. The sight of her slowly crawling inside as if it were her own home felt lonely.

Was it right to make her sleep in that narrow, dark tank with no windows? The research lab might have always done that, but I wondered if it was really necessary now that she was outside. “It’s somehow inhumane!” The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. A drum barrel was a place to confine bad guys. Even if she had a habit of picking up discarded pizza from the floor and raiding refrigerators, it wasn’t a place for a beautiful girl to be. We quickly pulled her out as she was about to crawl into the tank.

“What are you doing?” Making her sleep in a place like this was far too undemocratic and inhumane. Radiation contamination? It didn’t matter. This house was ours alone anyway. I’d heard the walls here were made of concrete, so there shouldn’t be any problem. If the contamination got worse? We’d just decontaminate. The amount of radiation emanating from Enrica’s body was bearable enough for an Awakened one like me. If exposed for too long, my skin might get a bit dry and my body stiff, but I could just regenerate it every time I went out. If she used offensive magic, the intensity would be different from now, but then I’d just die.

“Huh? What’s going on? What is this, why are there so many Violets? There are multiple Violets!” We quickly lifted her and tossed her onto a new bed. “Enrica! Let’s sleep together! We’re Awakened ones. It’s okay!” “That’s right! There’s a bed here!” “…Is it okay if I sleep here?” “Yes! This is your bed!” We turned off the lights and lay down. Suddenly, in the deepening darkness, blue lights began to emerge one by one. The brightest light was coming from Enrica’s bed. Even though I knew everything, curiosity drew me closer, and I pulled back the blanket.

“Wow!” Under the blanket, in the darkness, Enrica was glowing blue. She looked bewildered, seeing us suddenly approach. “Is it strange?” “No, it’s super cool!” Enrica wasn’t the only one emitting light. Light was also seeping from our bodies, having been in continuous close contact with her. “Wow, it’s sparkling!” “I want to shine too!” The Violets, eager to sparkle, lined up and hugged Enrica one by one. Enrica, seemingly flustered by our embraces, looked around blankly, unsure what to do, then responded by hugging us back.

Before long, inside the Second Barracks factory, a Violet noctilucent festival unfolded. Violets of light, illuminating the darkness in blue like fireflies. “I’m glowing!” Enrica watched them with slightly surprised eyes, then smiled brightly, seeing the noctilucent show the Violets created. “It’s pretty. Hehe…” Seeing Enrica giggle and smile so brightly made me feel good. A sudden inspiration struck me. Perhaps the glowing Violets and Trinity symbolized the light of justice announcing the dawn of clone democracy.

“It would be nice if my friends could see this too.” As Trinity muttered wistfully, Unit 4211 asked. “Friends?” “Yeah, I had other friends at the lab. When the bad guys burst in, I was the only one who quickly got out. I don’t know where they are. It would be nice if we could play glowing games like this together.” Research lab friends, huh. If they were Trinity’s friends, they probably had some strange abilities. The thought that they might have been captured crossed my mind. “Trinity’s friends, we’ll find them for you!” “Really?” “Yes!”

As the blue fluorescent light enveloping Violet’s body faded, Enrica slowly drifted off to sleep. “Let’s bring her friends!” As soon as one opinion emerged, all Violets unanimously agreed. It was time for the Ariel Group to act.

** A few days later, the Violets moved based on the Inspection Bureau data provided by Sophieel Unnie. On the outskirts of the city, in front of a suspiciously large building surrounded by high walls. As the Violets approached, armed hunters blocked their access. “Are you the Vitalis Clan?” “Yes. For what reason are you approaching our private property? Step back.” “Sellafield Research Lab. You know it, don’t you?” No sooner had I spoken than they immediately aimed their weapons and assumed a defensive stance, not even attempting to hide their reaction.

“Get lost, now!” “So it is.” In an instant, bullets and bolts struck at my feet. “I’ll give you ten seconds. If you don’t retreat immediately…” I quickly surveyed the surroundings. At this distance, it seemed the building wouldn’t suffer significant damage even if there was an explosion. “Alright, launch the missile!” “?” Ten seconds later, an airplane laden with bombs flew over the enemies’ heads. -Boom! The dazzling debut of the Violet cruise missile. “Advance! Advance! Break in!” The Violets sliced through the confused survivors and rushed to the entrance.