Ch.202Polygamy (7)

Cartesia forced her finger into my mouth.

“Ugh!”

“Stay still.”

I didn’t even have time to comprehend what was happening. Her probing finger poked my uvula. I reflexively bit down from the sudden gag reflex.

“Kid, don’t bare your teeth.”

“Mmph!”

“I said don’t bare your teeth.”

Cartesia growled and tightened her tentacles. The sensation of my internal organs shrinking. All the air in my lungs was expelled. No, damn it. Why am I being subjected to this humiliation?

I was wrong to think she could be reasoned with. An alliance is not synonymous with being an ally. Outer gods cannot coexist with humans.

Cartesia, wiggling her finger inside my mouth, said:

“Interesting.”

What exactly is interesting?

“So this is how the oral structure works. Is this the inner mucous membrane? The texture suddenly changes here.”

Crazy woman.

Now she’s critiquing the roof of my mouth. As expected, outer gods are all insane. They can’t be understood with human common sense.

Cartesia increased the number of her fingers.

Two, three, four…

A total of five fingers mercilessly violated my tongue. I felt an unpleasant foreign sensation but couldn’t close my mouth. The moment I bared my teeth, her tentacles would wring my lungs like a rag.

“That’s right, now you’re behaving.”

By now, I had given up.

This is an unavoidable disaster. So, well, what can I do? Might as well enjoy it. Sometimes it’s better to just go with things you don’t understand. Outer gods are beings incomprehensible to the human mind anyway.

Resigned.

Since it’s come to this, I might as well taste an outer god’s finger.

The outer god’s finger tastes, how should I put it?

Sweet.

Not extremely sweet, but like an ordinary glucose candy. This was somewhat surprising. I thought it would be salty or bland like human hands.

I must be the first human to taste an outer god’s finger. This could make for a hot research paper. While I was thinking this, Cartesia withdrew her hand.

“Hmm.”

She rubbed her saliva-covered fingers, deeply contemplating something.

And then the next moment.

Cartesia began licking her own fingers. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She looked like a cat grooming itself.

“Insane…”

My mind went blank. Even the most perverted people wouldn’t do something like that—this was no ordinary madness.

“The smell is tolerable. Tasteless with a bit of sugar and digestive enzymes. No need to classify it as poison.”

Cartesia smirked.

“Consider it an honor, kid. You’re the first human to touch my true form and not die instantly.”

“Why are you doing this? There must be a reason you’re treating me this way.”

“Why? I’m simply collecting payment for helping with your research.”

Cartesia turned around and clapped her hands. The slave outer gods pushed away the space.

A research laboratory of the outer god appeared from the cold darkness. It was a small space with a blackboard.

“I should record this.”

Cartesia began writing in the language of outer gods. She giggled like an excited child. I was still frowning, unable to understand what was happening.

After finishing her notes, Cartesia declared:

“Kid, you’re going to be my test subject for the next few days.”

“What?”

“Don’t think about returning to reality until then.”

This…

Looks like I’m in big trouble.

***

Brian had been contacting the Adelbein family much more frequently lately. The former head of the family, Jerome, always welcomed him warmly.

“I pay my respects, elder.”

“No need for formalities between family. Here, sit down.”

“Thank you.”

The two entered the reception room and began their private conversation.

“How is the young master’s condition?”

“He’s been unconscious for three days now.”

“That is unfortunate news.”

Despite his words, Jerome’s lips curled upward. Brian also didn’t hide his subtle smile.

“I’m truly worried. To collapse before the succession is even complete. With such weakness…”

Though they didn’t say it directly, both men knew.

This was an opportunity.

A chance for each to secure their own interests.

“So, what do you plan to do next?”

“If the situation worsens, I intend to speak with my father.”

“My friend. You shouldn’t omit the object.”

Brian sipped his tea with a grin. With a clink, he set down his teacup and added:

“…To discuss selecting the next young master in preparation for any misfortune that might befall my brother.”

***

Rustila and Zernya visited Eidel’s hospital room every day. Always with a glimmer of hope that he might be awake today.

For the first day or two, they thought, ‘He must be very tired.’ So they decided to wait patiently until he woke up. At least the two women didn’t fight in the hospital room.

However.

By the third day, they sensed something was off.

“Here are the EEG results.”

Zernya read the brain wave test record. Eidel’s brain waves weren’t typical sleep patterns.

Gamma waves, indicating high concentration and tension, were dominant. Plus, there was strange noise mixed in. And this state had been consistently maintained for several hours.

There was no historical precedent for such a pattern.

“It seems the patient didn’t simply faint from overwork. We’re looking into it further.”

Even veteran medical residents couldn’t make a definitive diagnosis.

“The good news is that he’s breathing on his own. The situation is unlikely to worsen. He should be able to recover fully, so please don’t worry too much.”

“I’ll… wait until the end of this week.”

However, those reassurances proved hollow when a crisis occurred.

Two days later, in the early morning, Eidel developed respiratory distress.

“Eidel? Eidel!”

Rustila and Zernya, who had been watching him day and night, noticed it first and called for a doctor. But being early morning in a general ward, they judged the doctors were moving too slowly.

At this rate, it would be too late.

In that moment, both women remembered what Ireh had said.

If Eidel dies, everything is for nothing. You can’t love him, can’t even fight over him. Everything returns to emptiness.

“Hey, carry him!”

“Where to?”

“Where else? The emergency room! Follow me!”

Rustila hoisted Eidel onto her back and ran. Zernya, familiar with the hospital layout, showed her the shortest route. Getting the hang of it, Rustila immediately increased her running speed.

They spotted doctors. They were just preparing to leave with a cart.

“You slow bastards!”

Zernya cursed and commanded:

“Rustila, put him here. Hey, why are you standing there like idiots? Quickly take him somewhere with a ventilator!”

The rare scene unfolded of a mere medical student berating residents. They were even Zernya’s seniors. Considering the closed nature and hierarchy of the medical community, this would normally be unthinkable.

But everyone knew.

Zernya was royalty.

Messing with the daughter-in-law of Professor Rheinland and the head of the Adelbein family would be career suicide in this industry. Given the urgent situation, the doctors had no choice but to follow Zernya’s instructions.

Afterward, Arnold, who still retained some influence as the former head, ordered an emergency assembly. About 20 medical residents bearing the Rheinland name gathered immediately.

Receiving intensive care from his family, Eidel was barely breathing when he entered the ICU. Once the crisis passed, Arnold summoned the doctor in charge of Eidel.

“What were you doing until it got this bad? Answer me.”

“I’m sorry, Professor… but we couldn’t have predicted a patient in a general ward would deteriorate like this…!”

“So if the patient dies, it’s the patient’s fault. Is that it?”

“That…!”

Arnold leaned in with a ghostly, menacing expression. The attending physician felt his heart shrink.

“A medical student who hasn’t even graduated and a girl with no medical knowledge did better than you. Why don’t you take off that coat and give it to those crying kids over there?”

He meant if this was how he practiced medicine, he should quit and leave the hospital. The attending physician’s head drooped lower. Arnold sighed.

Brother!

A desperate voice came from beyond the door. Arnold dismissed the attending physician and rose from his seat. Outside the ICU, a man in a white coat was sprawled like straw.

“How did this happen…! He was fine until recently, why has he ended up like this…!”

It was the eldest son, Brian. He was wailing as if at a funeral.

“Eidel, without you, who will lead the Rheinland family…?”

“Young master, please get up. Your father is here.”

Brian ignored this and kept banging his head against the wall. His glasses were crushed and broken. Arnold felt a deep sigh within.

Soon after, Cartrik and Seti arrived as well. Cartrik also wept bitterly, and Seti staggered before collapsing.

The future of the Rheinland family had now become uncertain.

***

Cartesia touched various parts of my body as payment for helping with her crystal research. She considered me a test subject.

And being touched was the least of it. She also attached gel-like substances to my head or fed me strange things while observing the effects. If I didn’t comply, I got hit with tentacles.

At first, I couldn’t make sense of it, but gradually I adapted. Humans are creatures of adaptation, aren’t they?

Or not? Whatever.

“Fascinating. Truly fascinating.”

Cartesia giggled.

It was hard to tell if she was actually laughing. Her face was pitch-black like static noise. It resembled a black fog, which was the default appearance of Descartes outer gods.

She turned around and said:

“You’re the first lower life form to remain intact after so many experiments, Eidel von Rheinland. I’ve gathered so much data. Thanks to you, my research has progressed.”

“What research are you doing?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“I want to help you.”

By my calculations, I’ve been here for nearly 100 hours. That means I’ve been unconscious for about four days. By now, I must be on an IV drip in the hospital.

I’m worried about everyone. Especially Rustila and Zernya. They shouldn’t be fighting.

To achieve that, I needed to win Cartesia’s favor. Whatever her research might be.

“You? Help me?”

Cartesia clicked her tongue and said:

“This is my research, not something for a lower species like you. Don’t try anything clever—just behave like a proper test subject, kid.”

“Hmph.”

Not having read anything for so long makes my brain itch. I’m desperate to read something, whether it’s a research paper or an email. Bound by tentacles, I watched Cartesia researching and shed tears.

The withdrawal symptoms became more severe after another day.

“Huk, huk, huk.”

“Kid, what’s your problem now?”

“Breathing, I, huk, huk, huuuk…!”

“In this space, breathing is just an illusion. You won’t die from not breathing, so don’t try to elicit cheap sympathy. It’s ridiculous.”

That’s not it. I really am having trouble breathing!

“Pa, pa, paper…”

“Paper what?”

“Re, re, research paper… please…”

Cartesia stroked her chin and tilted her head.

“This is an interesting withdrawal symptom. Fascinating.”

“Aaaaargh!!”

“Here, take this. It’s the interim report on gravity bomb research I gave you before. Read this and stay quiet. I need to concentrate on analyzing data now.”

Thanks to this small consideration, I could breathe again. It was just re-reading something I’d already read, but at least I regained my composure. Cartesia watched me with disapproval, arms crossed.

But this is just a temporary solution.

To leave here early, I needed something to win the favor of this gothic lolita outer god.

I thought of the “Star Egg” item in my mind.

[— Current coins collected: approximately 700,000]

I had barely used them except for occasionally giving some to Ireh.

I never imagined I’d be spending them here.

Last time, after giving Vega a small amount, she became docile enough to say she wouldn’t be hostile toward me anymore. I wonder what would happen if I fed her this much…

I called out to the outer god who was deeply immersed in her research.