episode_0416

The appearance of the erosion zone at the Southern Academy Expo, this must be a sign that the tragedy was slowly fading and wounds were healing. That apostle, the one who caused the catastrophe, must now be held captive in Bernike’s grasp, suffering all sorts of indignities in the deepest part of Restrade’s laboratory.

“Unit 2501, what do you think?” I, Unit 2501, answered Unit 1’s question without hesitation. “I feel pity! Isn’t it a poor soul that never got the chance to become one of us Violets?” “Exactly! I hope it joins the Violet Network as soon as possible!” That day would surely come. Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to check the network feed from the mouse I planted at the scene. I should get a report on that soon.

But that wasn’t important right now. Finally, the day had come for my prospective junior to leave the sickroom and breathe in the outside air to her heart’s content. Of course, it wasn’t a complete discharge. Her condition was still unstable, and she would need continuous check-ups in the future. Still, this was clearly a leap forward.

“Violet Unnie!” A bright, young voice called out to me. “Over here!” Ariel, a girl with ordinary yet youthful cuteness, cautiously stepped out of the hospital ward door. I was moved. This was the first time I had seen Ariel in vibrant casual clothes instead of a patient gown. Behind her, six other children hesitantly followed. They must have been friends from the same hospital room. Poor children whose relatives or parents never visited, even on holidays or discharge days.

“Alright, Ariel. How are you feeling? Ready to have some fun?” When I smiled and held out my hand, Ariel grinned broadly and nodded. “Yes!” I firmly held her small hand and walked forward under the dazzling autumn sky. Towards Rainbow Wonderland, the park of dreams and hope, where we would go in two days!

**

“We’re going to an amusement park this weekend!” At my declaration, Daphne’s eyes widened as she was painstakingly examining some unidentified machine parts by her bedside. The words abruptly spoken by Unit 7754 in the dorm room created a ripple in the quiet evening air.

“An amusement park? Suddenly? Ah! Is it… because of that child who just got permission to be discharged?” “Yes! Ariel, our precious prospective junior!” “Prospective junior, huh? No matter how many times I hear it, it sounds like a very Violet-like idea.” “What’s wrong with it? She’s a talent with the potential to enter Aegis Academy!” Actually, even I wasn’t entirely sure why I had earmarked that child as a ‘junior.’ Even now, with our network having expanded into the tens of thousands.

“Surely, Violet, you’re not treating her specially just because her name is the same, are you?” “Gasp! How did you know?” Daphne sighed softly. “Ugh, it’s just so Violet-like.” She was right. The and the small, cute girl Ariel certainly had something in common. Not to mention the same name, both were cute and adorable! But that wasn’t the only reason.

“Actually… I’m just a little bothered. You roughly know how the Academy Expo incident concluded, right, Daphne?” At my words, Daphne let out a small, sorrowful sigh, saying, “Ah…” As expected of a wise beautiful girl, she quickly grasped the gist of what I was trying to say. Although the media had been adequately controlled, vaguely glossing over the full details of the incident, the aftermath of the Southern Erosion Zone incident was not insignificant. Thanks to the terrible scheme orchestrated by that wicked apostle, countless people suddenly became single-parent families, or entire families passed away together to the afterlife. This happened precisely because the Academy Expo was a place where family visitors were bound to be numerous.

“Ariel has no parents. She was probably among those who turned into demon beasts caught in that apostle’s power. Or maybe, I might have dealt with them myself.” “Surely, you’re not still dwelling on that, are you? That wasn’t Violet’s fault. Everyone would say there was nothing anyone could have done in that situation, wouldn’t they?” To Daphne, who looked at me with a face full of pity, I shook my head vigorously, denying it. Our Violet Network’s will is like steel; there’s no room for such sentimental regrets.

“No, Daphne. It’s not like that! It’s just that, I…” My concern was of a different kind. “If I hadn’t known, that would be one thing, but since I saved her with my own hands… leaving her be without doing anything leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.” “Violet, you really do have a soft side.” I plopped down next to Daphne. Feeling her gentle hand stroking my head, I closed my eyes quietly. Daphne’s soft, murmuring voice lingered faintly in my ears.

“During the Magnabyss incident last time… I saw it on the broadcast. Violet, you were so angry and sorrowful looking at the citizens. Did you feel… something similar towards Ariel, too?” “That’s…” Daphne was cautiously probing my heart. Hearing her words, a pang of pain shot through my heart. In this world, there were far too many children helplessly sacrificed before evil and immense powers.

“…I don’t know.” “Oh, I asked too difficult a question and just complicated your mind even more… I’m sorry.” Reading the serious expression on Unit 7754’s face, Daphne quickly changed the subject.

“So, where did you decide to go for fun?” “Hmm, I chose the biggest and most fun place in the South. It’s called ‘Rainbow Wonderland.’ Do you know it?” The moment that name left my lips, Daphne’s expression subtly wavered.

“Rainbow Wonderland…” “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” “Oh, no! Nothing at all.” She mumbled an excuse, but Daphne had a somewhat wistful look on her face. Why?

“Oh, and apparently, Rainbow Wonderland is holding a huge event called the ‘Wonderland Autumn Festival’?” I added excitedly. I could see a hint of curiosity slowly appearing on Daphne’s face. “So, they’re discounting tickets, decorating with maple leaves, and holding fun events like pumpkin parades. Ariel must have felt so stifled being confined to her hospital room all this time. And then, this festival advertisement caught my eye!” An amusement park that was supposedly the most popular in the Lustrum region—I was filled with anticipation that it would be incredibly fun.

“That’s a really good idea.” Daphne finally said, with a gentle smile.

“Right? So, how about it, Daphne? Do you want to come with us? Besides Ariel, there are six other kids who were her hospital roommates. It’ll be a bit much for me to look after all seven of them alone!” At my suggestion, Daphne blinked subtly for a moment. She seemed to hesitate, but then she nodded, as if making up her mind.

“Yes, I’ll go with you!” “Yay!” A small cheer erupted inside me. Just thinking about the fun time I would have with the children already made the corners of my lips lift. Of course, behind the plans for that exciting weekend, a heavy mission still loomed like a shadow: to definitely catch the killer who was still hiding somewhere in the city, waiting for a chance to wreak havoc.

“Let’s not worry too much about that!” The killer only appears at night. They won’t interfere with the good children’s outing.

**

While preparations for the outing were in full swing, the other mes further reinforced the patrol network throughout the city to catch that fake Violet killer. A mission to protect the world’s peaceful nights, and at the same time, to extract hefty rewards from those Arsyt fellows. When you think about it, what we were undertaking now was nothing short of an ‘assassin quest.’

“An assassin quest!” “It’s a wonderful mission that makes you feel virtuous just hearing about it!” That’s right. An act of gaining rewards through killing. Moreover, the target is a being that harms the helpless populace, so it’s no different from pest extermination. The problem, of course, was being entangled with those Arsyt fellows. Exoria couldn’t cause trouble under my network’s surveillance, but the real issue was the leader above her.

“Elena, who exactly is she?” Even after searching, no useful in-depth information appeared. I hadn’t even met her face-to-face. I had directly clashed with the old sorcerer in battle, and exchanged a few words with the bald Cordo at the academy. Even Secretary-General Pagan and the board members were seen during the Luminexa攻略 operation.

“But we know nothing about that woman!” Within the network, our opinions were divided. A voice gradually gained traction, suggesting that to clarify this collaborative relationship, it might be necessary to meet the head of that giant clan directly.

“Should we try to make contact?” But other Violets immediately raised objections.

“There are three problems. First, would that woman even agree to meet beings like us? Second, can we guarantee that meeting directly would yield definitively greater benefits than our current indirect cooperation?” “Unit 451’s opinion is quite logical! Although it’s a counter-argument, it has merit.” “Right. We can’t move rashly. The fog of suspicion hasn’t lifted yet! And third, we have an amusement park to go to.” “First, sound out Exoria. Is the network signal stable?” I immediately conveyed my intentions to Exoria, and a reply arrived quickly.

“You wish to arrange an interview with the Administrator? Well, she says it would be difficult as she is currently handling important matters within the Clan. She says there has been significant progress in a recently initiated plan. As Chief Advisor, I have offered my advice, but her stance is that resolving this rogue issue is a priority before arranging a meeting.” “Oh, really? If she’s busy, then I guess I’ll see her later.” My curiosity about this ‘Administrator’ only grew. How does she keep an entity like Exoria – no, a turncoat from another realm who even holds the title of ‘Executive’ – under her command and utilize her? Given that Exoria herself claims to be the ‘Chief Advisor,’ it seems she holds a considerably high rank within Arsyt.

“What exactly does that General Administrator do?” Rough information could be found by sifting through public data, but hearing it directly from a direct subordinate might hold a different meaning. I posed a concise question, loaded with various connotations. A reply from Exoria, who had read my intentions, soon arrived.

“General Administrator Elena is currently the 13th Administrator. She oversees major projects of the Arsyt Consortium and plans and directs the operations of affiliated agents. And… she is also responsible for managing the Chief Advisor and other advisors.” “How can a normal human control an Eidos-like being?” “It’s classified, but there are various methods in this world.” The entity said no more. I, too, ended the communication without further questions. I had no intention of probing deeper. The network’s interest had already quickly moved elsewhere.

“How are the kids?” “They like it!”

**

The children’s reactions were good. Six curious boys and girls were pressed against the large panoramic window, gazing at the outside scenery. The sight of the city spread out like a toy far below, stretching into the distance, must have been a wonder itself for the children seeing it for the first time.

“Unnie! It’s so high here!” Ariel tugged at my clothes and exclaimed. Her voice was mixed with excitement and a little fear. Everyone seemed utterly captivated by the view from the top of the towering skyscraper. And it was understandable. This was none other than Irene’s penthouse. It seemed the Clan had gleamingly restored what that damned Rigel had completely destroyed during the last terrorist incident in just a few months. It’s amazing it was covered by insurance.

“A rich friend is truly the best! Hooray!” Coincidentally, the homeowner was away, and this unnecessarily large house was the perfect place for these young friends without a home to temporarily stay. The first ones visible were two girls. They quietly covered their mouths, looking down at the sparkling city nightscape.

“That was Sophia and Hana, right?” Next to them, other boys also peered down as if to press their noses against the glass. On one side, a boy and a girl, as if their noses were glued to the window, whispered to each other, uttering constant exclamations of awe. “Was that Lucas and Ian?” “Those are Lena and Kai!” Ariel clung to me again, asking with sparkling eyes.

“Unnie, will the amusement park we’re going to the day after tomorrow be as amazing as this place?” I grinned and ruffled Ariel’s hair. “It’s not as high, but it’ll have far more exciting and fun things than here!” The reason I chose Rainbow Wonderland was simple. It was currently the ‘Wonderland Autumn Festival’ period, so the whole place was beautifully decorated in all sorts of colors.

“They say there are huge pumpkin lanterns, paths made of glittering maple leaves, and a parade where funny scarecrow gentlemen dance. There’s also tons of delicious snacks!” Seeing their excited faces made me feel good too. These children had lost their parents and endured hardships in the hospital. Since this was a rare opportunity for them to come out into the world and laugh and play to their hearts’ content, I had to make it the best day ever for them. I wanted to give Ariel and the other six poor orphaned friends enjoyable memories. Because a future of hard training during winter for academy admission awaited them.

“We need to send them to Instructor Frederick for training!” “We’ll instill our democratic spirit in them too!” Of course, taking seven children to a crowded amusement park on the weekend would be a lot of work. Blatantly deploying clones was ambiguous for security reasons, and aside from Ariel, we were still strangers, so it would be awkward for me to lead them alone.

“Good, let’s call Lucian and make him work!” A very small and cute worry briefly crossed my mind.

“What if there are too many people? It’s quite popular there.” Well, it’ll work out somehow. What’s more important now is figuring out how to hear as much of the children’s bright laughter as possible. Already, the hive mind began to plan the most efficient and exciting route.

“Should we first figure out where the delicious churro stand is?” The pleasant contemplation continued for a while.

**

The dark, damp interior of the drainage facility had been quite busy these past few days. Inside the cold, humid space, old desks of unknown origin and boxes filled with unidentified junk were haphazardly piled up. Around the bleak concrete pillars, various analysis materials and detailed maps were messily plastered.

“It’s been a long time since I planned an operation in the human way. It was a good use of time.” The man, wearing a Federal Intelligence Agency ID holder around his neck, sat perched on a stack of boxes, shrugging with a playful smile. His attire was utterly out of place in this gloomy location.

“So, do you understand? Can you picture how you need to move?” At the edge of his vision, the faint outline of a woman nodding was discernible in the darkness. A pathologically pale and slender figure with dark red hair tied back and cascading down. Instead of the hazy, unstable form, as if shrouded in shadow, that she usually showed when appearing before people, now her frighteningly sharp features were revealed. The man was satisfied. It was proof that the infamous killer had finally succeeded in suppressing and controlling her power surge. Of course, in return, the killer had lost many things she possessed as a human. Already deeply eroded by an overwhelming alien power, the contents beneath that seemingly normal exterior could no longer be called fully human.

“Sometimes, I think your species is truly remarkable. A primitive species that has only encountered a force like Aether for less than a century, and yet, without any information sharing ability or psychokinesis in your minds, how can you so keenly read the situation and fight with only scraps of dyed fabric and crude communication methods?” The man muttered to himself, tapping the papers spread out on the desk with his finger. “Indeed, that’s probably why the directive to ‘observe for now’ came down from the ineffable, majestic throne of the Monad. You people should consider yourselves blessed. You’ve caught His Majesty’s eye.” He muttered quietly, then explained the plan to the woman again. For his damaged subordinate to properly understand and carry out the operational plan, simply force-feeding her knowledge wasn’t enough. A certain part was severely broken. The woman uttered words with difficulty, as if searching through memories.

“…Diversion… operation… attention… distraction…” “Yes, just do what you’ve learned. Completely divert the attention of Restrade and the major security agencies. You’re quite familiar with the effective range of your unique ability by now, aren’t you?” The man pointed to each location marked with a red pen on the map, as if explaining to a child. “One of your clones appears here, at the plaza of the busiest shopping mall in the Southern District. And another here, at the plaza in front of the Central Station. Timed for when the most people gather. The same for other locations.” The man chuckled. “If horrifying clones blatantly appear in broad daylight, these bugs will be scared senseless. Screams, chaos, a pandemonium… It will be an interesting sight. I’m curious how Cordo’s tin-can friends will react. It’s a perfect bait. If those terrorist types are indeed chasing you…”

The man imagined the scene of the arrogant Restrade nobles and the violent, heavily armed terrorists irritably clashing. It was for the greater good, and there were many eyes watching, so they wouldn’t fight openly, but there would be some friction. And the minor cracks created in the midst of it would serve as excellent passages for the Empire to exploit when it digs in to turn this world into a playground. The rogue agent still sounded uncertain as she asked again.

“But… Arsyt… won’t move… for something like this…?” “I know. Arsyt and the Administrator won’t move. They’ll be craving means to suppress the commotion before it spirals into the worst-case scenario. Even if they do move, it’s likely not in the direction we want. Well, Arsyt’s reaction isn’t very important. It doesn’t matter if we miss them. But…” The man smiled with certainty. And so he should, for this decisive blow he had chosen was too attractive a trap. Perfect for luring in the real target.

“Yes. This is it. A perfect stage will be set.” The man chuckled. “She will come to this place. The Ninth will surely come. On the surface, she acts cold and rational, but her essence is an extremely emotional and weak nature, far removed from our great species. On top of that…” The woman, glimpsed through the fragments of memory of this damaged defector, had become much more dulled and somewhat human than the man’s original impression of her. The man’s gaze fixed on a specific point in the Southern District on the map. “Tempted by childish and vulgar ideologies, she’s a hypocrite who developed a clumsy affection for you lowly insects.” The man reached for a pile of documents. Among the haphazardly scattered papers, a single sheet lay on top by chance. A pamphlet with drawings of dry maple leaves that seemed like they would rustle and a comically grinning pumpkin. The man flicked the pamphlet with his finger like a chess piece, and muttered coldly, “That traitor will never be able to ignore the tragedy that will unfold in this place.” The amusement park pamphlet, announcing the autumn festival, glowed ominously under the gloomy light.