Box

Box

After that, Delia’s light pranks continued.

I’m not sure if it’s because she felt more familiar with me than before or if there was some additional change in her mood.

‘She’ll probably work harder after this incident.’

I nodded with satisfaction, sensing that at least for a while, she would work hard on her own without being tempted by magic modifications.

‘Well, whatever happens, the remaining tasks now are…’

Now it would be to go home and research the ‘box’ I had acquired earlier.

I was already smiling without realizing it at the thought of doing research.

Seeing this, Delia pokes my arm with her finger and says shyly.

“W-What? Did you like my pranks that much?”

She was trying to sound triumphant, but her ears were bright red.

Ignoring her question that wasn’t worth answering, I spoke slowly.

“Well, it’s getting cold, so let’s go inside.”

“Mmm.”

I slowly took Delia’s hand, which was still red, and went into the mansion.

* * *

After the banquet ended, I immediately returned home.

During this process, the head of the Herdi family made an offer to ‘stay overnight’, but.

I returned home resolutely after refusing, more curious about the identity of the box I had left at home.

‘… So what could this be?’

Sitting in the chair in my lab, I examined the square box from various angles.

The intense mana waves that could be felt just by holding it.

If it was such a powerful object, it would naturally have been mentioned ‘in the novel’.

‘Strangely, an object like this has never been mentioned.’

As a result, I needed to investigate what this was, but the problem was that I had no idea where to start.

‘I’ve already figured out that it has a sense of self from last time.’

A reaction to shock.

Recalling that there was such a thing, it’s certain that something is mixed in, but it’s hard to grasp exactly what it is.

‘So for now.’

I decided to forcibly wake up this thing that was remaining silent and unresponsive, tapping the box as I spoke.

“If you don’t wake up, I’ll hit you.”

I’m not sure if it’s right to say such things to an object.

As I said this for the experiment, the box began to squirm and put up a protective barrier around itself.

Seeing this, I realized that it was definitely listening to my words, and I raised the corners of my mouth.

“I’ll give you two orders. If you don’t obey, I’ll give you an appropriate punishment.”

[……]

“First, you will unconditionally obey my orders. Second, you will answer when I call.”

[N… yeah.]

It replied reluctantly, seemingly not wanting to answer.

I silently struck the box with my hand and spoke.

“Third, show consideration, courtesy, and loyalty.”

[Two… I thought you said two things!]

“It’s my prerogative.”

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the box in front of me, which was hissing like a cat and trembling.

I didn’t like how talkative this inanimate object was being.

“Let’s continue then. What exactly are you?”

At this question, the box trembled and refused to answer.

So I had no choice but to forcefully press the ‘be good’ button with my palm.

– Smack!

In response to this pain, the box whimpered and answered me.

[I’m… called the seed of negation.]

The seed of negation…

Considering that the one who created this thing was a ‘demon’,

And seeing that ‘negation’ was attached to its name, I came to a brief conclusion.

‘It must be an item related to the Demon King.’

However, what I couldn’t understand was why such an seemingly important item

Wasn’t mentioned until the latter half of the original novel.

‘I wonder if it’s because they couldn’t make it until the latter half, or if it was already made and there was no need for it to appear.’

Without more information, I couldn’t determine which was true at the moment.

Now that the Seed of Negation has come into my hands, it’s a good opportunity to learn more about it.

With that thought in mind, I drew up mana and scattered it in front of the research desk.

I slowly lifted the Seed of Negation and examined it.

‘An item created by sucking the vitality and souls of countless corpses.’

Considering that its name is the Seed of Negation…

I thought that this might be a seed that becomes a medium for a Demon King.

*

A medium for a Demon King.

To put it more plainly, an item that turns a subject into a Demon King.

The moment I reached this conclusion, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

‘If this assumption is true… why are they creating a medium now?’

No matter how I tried to understand it, the timing of its creation seemed too late.

No… rather than too late, it would be more accurate to say it’s just late.

I frowned more and more as I thought about this.

‘Moreover, there are more strange points.’

It’s incomprehensible that they would have just one priest protect such an important item.

And it’s also hard to understand why they blatantly kidnapped and killed humans as if they didn’t care about being discovered.

I wouldn’t do such a thing unless there were hundreds or thousands of these… Ah.

‘So that’s why.’

The creation of these boxes isn’t happening in just one place.

It seems that because it’s happening in various places, the importance of each individual box has somewhat decreased.

‘However, what I don’t understand is… why this content didn’t appear in the novel.’

It seems I’ll need to do more research to figure this out, so I decided to postpone making a judgment for now.

‘Then, what’s left is this guy.’

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the box rolling around in front of me.

I didn’t like how carefree it seemed, considering it was a Seed of Negativity.

Just as I was about to question the box again.

[Humans certainly… liked cute things, didn’t they?]

It muttered to itself and then started transforming into a black cat.

‘… A cat?’

It looked so real that you’d believe it was a genuine cat, not an artificial one.

Seeing this, I was reminded of descriptions that often appeared in the original novel.

[By the way, don’t you think there have been more black cats lately? It might be my imagination, but… don’t those cats seem to be watching us?]

Black cats.

When I was reading the novel, I thought it was just a way to express a gloomy atmosphere.

But now I realize it wasn’t just about the atmosphere, but that numerous Seeds of Negativity had transformed to avoid people’s attention.

Realizing this, I let out a hollow laugh as I picked up the cat and looked at it.

Indeed, its appearance had become cuter.

But cuteness wouldn’t stop me from dealing with it, so for Rumi’s sake, I was about to dispose of it when.

[Wait, wait! I can be of help to you!]

It started struggling, flailing its paws.

“Help? What kind of help are you talking about?”

[For example, I could tell you the locations of other seeds of corruption?]

“Are you saying you’d sell out your comrades to survive?”

[Comrades! They’re competitors! I’d prefer if they disappeared.]

I was slightly shaken by those words.

If this creature really could reveal the locations of other seeds of corruption, it could significantly weaken the Heaven God Cult.

So after pondering for a moment, I put it down and said.

“Then I won’t kill you for now and will keep watching.”

[Th-thank you.]

“No need to thank me. If you prove useless, I’ll dispose of you immediately.”

[……]

I can hear the sound of it swallowing from here.

As I sit in the chair, leaving the bizarre cat alone.

Someone knocks on the door and calls for me.

“Deren.”

Judging by the voice, it seems to be Rumi.

I tell Rumi to “come in”.

Rumi hastily opens the door and says to me.

“The chef gave me some cookies earlier, so I thought we could share…”

Midway through speaking, she spots the cat and stops in her tracks, blinking.

It seems that regardless of its true nature, she’s interested in the ‘very cute-looking’ cat.

I was about to tell Rumi to play with it as she pleased, but.

“… Who is this?”

Contrary to my expectations, a voice devoid of any kindness or affection…

No, it would be more accurate to describe it as cold, burst out and asked me a question.

Feeling puzzled by those words, I gave my answer.

“I just picked it up earlier.”

“… Is that so?”

I might be mistaken, but it strangely seems like Rumi is jealous of the cat.

As I was pressing my eyes, thinking that I might not be distinguishing emotions well due to drowsiness from the banquet.

Rumi, who had been glaring at the seed of negativity, slowly approached me and started muttering so quietly that it was barely audible.

“I don’t want any more pets…”