episode_0021

“Hak, haa…”

The moment I found the slightly open door of the lab, my steps came to a sudden halt. After swallowing dry saliva and taking a deep breath, I approached the door.

Swoosh, thud…drip.

The experiment was still ongoing. Every time Mia waved her hand lightly, Ryan’s skin cracked. Blood flowed down.

The experiment table and the floor were now soaked in red blood. Noah clenched his fists, tears streaming down, yet he cruelly captured the scene with his own eyes.

“Go in there.”

At Mia’s words, Noah’s gaze turned toward where she was pointing. It was the bathtub where the contents from the oak barrel had been poured.

“That is…”

“Artia’s poison, one of the most vicious poisons in this world. It’s so dreadful that it can’t even be stored without magical containment.”

“Oh…”

Upon hearing Ryan’s exclamation, somehow, tension eased in his body.

‘Just what kind of life have you lived?’

Considering being comfortable with experimenting with poison and saying that dreadful experiments are not distressing.

The facts that I had overlooked because they were convenient to rely on had now become question marks.

One thing I could be sure of was that Noah’s life must have been more dreadful than any life he could imagine.

Sizzle!

As his foot entered the bathtub, the sound of flesh melting was heard. At the dreadful sound, tears welled up in Noah’s eyes once again.

“Ouch!”

“…!”

For the first time, Noah’s eyes widened at Ryan’s scream, which he hadn’t been able to hear until now.

“This time, did you finally feel proper pain? Or perhaps a threat to your life…!”

“Oh, that. I don’t have many clothes. It’s a bit inconvenient if my clothes melt.”

…”

With a squeeze, Noah clenched his fist harder. His nails pressed into his palm, causing a sharp pain.

“Are those clothes really more important than you?”

Noah looked at him with a trembling gaze, shocked by the fact that Lian did not value his body so much.

“…!”

“…!”

At the same time, their eyes met. It felt like his heart sank.

“Um, excuse me for a moment, Miss Mia?”

“Hmm, is it really because of the clothes? You’re not running away because you’re scared, are you?”

“Oh, no.”

Lian scratched the back of her head and approached the door. Noah stepped back as he couldn’t have imagined Lian would come towards the door, and stumbled.

Thud.

As he hastily moved back, he ended up falling. Sitting there shivering, he looked beyond the door.

‘Why, why is she coming closer?’

A myriad of thoughts raced through his mind. Was she trying to push me into that dreadful poison? Did she see me peeking and now wants to turn me into an experiment?

Even though she knew Lian wouldn’t do such a thing, she instinctively continued to entertain such thoughts.

Click.

“Ah…!”

Suddenly, Lian, who had approached the door, looked down at her. She stared at Lian in a frozen state.

“Noah, is something urgent?”

In a casual tone, Lian said this and then crouched down to her eye level.

“I’m a bit busy right now, but can we talk later?”

“Uh…”

Noah’s tongue stiffened, and she couldn’t give a proper answer. Seeing this, Lian chuckled, then glanced at her own clothes and scratched the back of her head.

“Oh, it’s a mess. Did I startle you because of this? When the experiment is over, I’ll come find you. Can you go back for now?”

“Uh, okay.”

With Lian’s affectionate tone, Noah could barely manage to respond.

“What’s wrong?”

“…!”

When Lian didn’t return to the room, Mia walked up to the door. She looked at the trembling Noah and raised an eyebrow while sitting down.

Mia’s expression froze coldly.

“Surely you didn’t sneak a peek at my experiment, did you?”

Upon hearing this, Ryan turned to Mia and said, “Oh, no. I couldn’t help with dinner tonight, so I guess there was some problem there.”

“Hmm…”

Mia wanted to kill Noah right away, but she yielded to Ryan’s pleading eyes that said, “Just this once.” He was an important test subject.

“Well then, please go back quickly.”

“Yes!”

Ryan nodded and wiped his hands on a less bloodied part. Then he took out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket. Fortunately, the handkerchief was unblemished.

It was a handkerchief used to wipe away whatever the children got dirty with. It was only cut small, but it should be fine for wiping away Noah’s tears.

“I don’t know what you fought with Nero about, but for now, wipe your tears with this. Nero must be feeling sorry too.”

“Huh…?”

“Oh, that’s not it? I thought it was Nero’s fault since you were crying.”

At Ryan’s scratching his head, Noah couldn’t say anything.

“Ahem.”

“Oh, I have to go in. Sorry, really sorry!”

After repeatedly apologizing to Noah, Ryan closed the door to the lab with a thud.

Humming.

A magic circle appeared above the lab door. Mia had cast a spell to prevent outside interference.

“What the…”

Noah murmured as he looked down at the handkerchief in his hand.

“This… idiot…”

Tears gathered in his eyes, forming large drops that fell heavily. Noah felt like he would suffocate in his tenderness.

“If I do this, how will I…?”

He tried to believe, for his younger brother and for himself. He tried to turn away. But he couldn’t do it anymore.

Thud.

Noah brought the handkerchief-clenched hand to his heart.

Thump, thump, thump!

The heart pounded roughly, displaying my vitality. Noah vaguely felt the remaining scars in his heart.

She had always believed his words without any doubt, regretting her past choices and shedding tears. At the same time, she would seek to atone for the sins she had committed forever.

No matter what method was used.

“I can’t just stay like this.”

Noah got up with a shiver and then roughly slapped his cheek.

“I have to save Lian.”

If he saves Lian, Nero dies. If he saves Nero, Lian dies. Noah decided to break that rule.

“I will save them all, I will save them all.”

Light seeped into her clouded eyes.

“No matter what it takes.”

A brilliant yet not entirely beautiful light flickered in Noah’s eyes.

***

“Why, why…? Why?”

“Um…”

Clatter clatter.

I looked at Mia, who was in a state of mental collapse, feeling the teeth fitting together. She looked at me, completely melted and turned into bones, and then sat down completely pale.

And for 30 minutes, she muttered “Why did this happen? How?” I scratched my chin with my finger, which had turned into bone.

“Is it that shocking?”

I thought she would be somewhat shocked, but I never imagined that Mia, who would tremble at the slightest thing, would turn into a hikikomori even if a knife came right up to her throat.

“Well, since it was the last experiment, I guess I can go now?”

Honestly, I was too embarrassed. Unconsciously, I covered my pelvis and pubic area with my hands.

“You’ve waited long enough for 30 minutes, so I’ll leave now.”

I immediately turned around. In an instant, my body turned back. But I was naked. Despite my plea that I had no clothes, I had entered the bathtub wearing only underwear.

Thanks to that, the clothes were still intact. Quickly getting dressed, she spoke towards Mia.

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

“Why? Why is this?”

Mia couldn’t pull herself together even as I was leaving. It was a pity.

Thud.

As soon as I closed the door and came out, Noah’s face came to mind.

“You seemed really upset… What on earth happened?”

With a worried heart, I quickly changed my steps.

***

Swoosh.

“…”

Noah, whom Lian was desperately looking for, was peering at books in Mia’s study. It was an unauthorized place for a slave like Noah.

If he was caught by Mia, it wouldn’t end well. But I couldn’t stop Noah, who had lost his mind.

Fortunately, the protective spell that Mia had set up responded to those coming from outside, so Noah could roam the study without any problem.

“I need to find a way to become stronger.”

The land of the demon king is power and law. In order to save both Nero and Lian, she ultimately needed strong power.

“This isn’t it…”

After seeing the contents that one can obtain great power by sacrificing the lives of 1000 people, I closed the book I was reading. I put the book back where it was and quickly searched between the bookshelves.

There were several books about becoming stronger, but none of them were normal methods, just like a dark sorcerer’s book.

They were all cruel methods, such as stripping someone’s skin or sacrificing a loved one.

The thought that there might be no way to become stronger was overwhelming, but Noah didn’t give up.

While wandering around the study like that.

Thud.

A book fell in front of her.

“This is…?”

Unlike other books with black or red hues, the book that fell in front of her was a fresh white color. There were no characters inscribed on the cover. Noah picked up the book as if possessed.

“Hmm…”

As Noah picked up the book, a chilling sensation ran through his body. He had a hunch that this was no ordinary book.

In that moment, fear surged, but driven by an even greater desire, Noah suppressed his fear and opened the book.

Rustle.

The pages began to turn as if a gust of wind had blown them over.

Swoosh.

Something new and white started to emerge from the book. Transparent and endlessly extending, it reached up to the ceiling before shrinking to the size of an adult woman.

The white mass suddenly transformed into a human figure. First, elegant lines formed eyes, nose, and mouth, followed by long hair cascading down to a slender waist.

Armor enveloped her body, and a sword at her waist indicated her status.

[Sigh…]

She let out a sigh-like breath, opening her eyes. Noah staggered back, murmuring with a pale, horrified face.

“A ghost…”