episode_0042

“That should be… I’ve gathered all the information I needed.”

A light murmur.

As I brushed off the shadows lingering on my palm, a faint presence stirred at my feet.

I looked down with indifferent eyes.

It was none other than the man cloaked in a robe.

The administrator in charge of this abandoned laboratory, and the demon appearing as the final villain of this episode.

He was also the one who brought us here.

The man was writhing on the floor as if having a seizure.

“Gasp, gag, ahhh…!”

The man let out groans, his eyes rolled back.

His facial muscles twisted grotesquely.

After that, he was even drooling.

Watching his broken reactions, I finally let out a chilling breath and muttered.

A thick contempt was embedded in my words.

“To crumble at just this much.”

Perhaps it was because I put emotional force into it.

The man, unable to endure, completely broke down. He was merely wailing like a beast that had lost its reason.

I tutted quietly.

“Although I got the most crucial information… I had, on the other hand, expected more than that.”

Damn those wooden bastards.

I had hoped to find out the location of the cult leader in particular, but unfortunately, the man was nothing more than an empty shell.

He was like a puppet moving according to the instructions of the higher-ups.

“He was useless to the very end.”

I pushed aside my disappointment.

As I quietly turned to leave, the mutated creatures hidden nearby slowly crept out.

They were the wolves I had seen in the lab.

They had been cowering with their tails tucked, overwhelmed by my killing intent.

But as I began to leave, one by one, they started to prowl around.

I loaded shadows onto my fingertips.

However.

“Hm.”

Growl.

The targets of their fangs were not me.

It was the man, flopping ridiculously on the floor.

The mutated creatures drooled, licking their lips.

“Are they hungry?”

Their pupils gleamed with a desire to kill.

Their rough breaths were thick with the intent to tear into raw flesh.

At this rate, they would pounce on the man.

He wouldn’t be able to offer any resistance.

He would be torn apart alive by the very test subjects he managed, vanishing in the most miserable death.

Perhaps that was the ending I desired for him.

I withdrew the killing intent I had been emitting and quietly stepped aside.

Immediately after.

“Arghh!!!”

Crunch, snap!

Behind the gruesome noise, the man’s pain-filled screams echoed through the basement.

Flesh was torn, bones were broken, and blood pooled.

A brutal scene unfolded.

However, I merely walked away with a bitter smile.

“This is a judgment delivered by monsters.”

Inside, I mulled over a silent prayer.

“Please.”

With this, forgive the world.

Sate your hunger for revenge by tearing at the flesh of those who tormented you.

Kill them as cruelly, terribly, and painfully as possible.

And by doing so, even a little.

Sate the twisted hunger of your souls.

“May God receive them.”

This was a prayer for the monsters.

I quietly moved my lips.

I appreciated the clear requiem ringing out as I stepped out of the laboratory.

It was truly the moment when everything came to an end.

***

When I returned to the laboratory after finishing my work, the first thing I saw was several adults standing around the children.

The people stared blankly around.

“……What is all this?”

“……”

“What on earth… happened here?”

It seemed that reinforcements had arrived from Gallimard.

Realizing anew that this episode had concluded, I slowly approached them.

I offered a light greeting.

“Oh dear… you all seem to be a step late.”

Their scattered gazes focused on me.

The professors stood dumbfounded.

It seemed they were bewildered by the chaotic scene.

The broken ceiling, the bodies of wolves, the smell of blood everywhere… it was truly a mess.

I smiled faintly.

“I was waiting, you see.”

It was a smile born of welcome.

My output had been dropping anyway, so the professors arrived at a perfect time.

I approached with a cheerful demeanor.

Just then, I saw the children lying on the floor.

Pink and blue hair.

They were sound asleep.

Perhaps to check their condition, several professors were examining them.

I lightly shrugged.

“It’s already too late.”

Because I had already checked on them myself.

Both of them only had a slight exhaustion, with no noticeable abnormalities.

“Both of them are healthy.”

“……”

“Hm?”

The professors had no particular reaction.

Feeling that something was amiss, I saw adults with serious expressions in my sight.

The atmosphere was unusual.

Was it because of the ominous setting of the laboratory?

The professors did not let down their guard carelessly, preparing for any enemies that might be lurking nearby.

I spoke, indicating that it wasn’t necessary.

“Hmm~ You don’t need to be so wary, you know?”

“……”

“The situation ended a long time ago. Please rest assured.”

My explanation continued kindly.

I acted slyly.

I naturally brushed aside their suspicious gazes and subtly approached the children.

As if worried about a friend.

“Heh heh.”

“Student Yuda, do you perhaps know what happened in this laboratory…?”

“Shh.”

One of the professors, who had suddenly come to his senses, tried to ask a question, but I firmly brought my index finger to my lips.

It meant to keep silent.

So the children wouldn’t wake up from the noise.

“Could we return to the academy first?”

I quietly asked.

“Everyone seems very tired… and desperately needs rest. I do too.”

For me, the children always came first.

I had no intention of discussing things while they lay on the floor like this.

As I made my polite request, the professors, who had paused for a moment, nodded in understanding.

“That seems right.”

“Thank you.”

“We will return to the academy immediately. The collapsed students will be directly transferred to the infirmary.”

“That’s a relief.”

Perhaps it was because of my concern for my friends.

The chilly atmosphere softened considerably.

We moved to a teleportation-enabled location and proceeded with the return procedure without hesitation.

[EP5. Midterm Exam]

-Abandoned Laboratory, The Monster Who Cannot Smile-

It was the moment this episode successfully concluded.

***

Immediately after returning to the academy.

We were directly transferred to the infirmary and underwent various examinations.

We had our physical condition checked through a more precise diagnosis, and we received IV fluids to replenish our depleted mana.

Contrary to our worries, no abnormalities were found.

I was perfectly healthy.

Since I hadn’t been injured in the first place.

There was an opinion that the villainess and the protagonist had simply fainted and would wake up soon.

Fortunately, it was reassuring news.

“As for what happened today… we will listen then, once the other two have woken up.”

The professors stepped back for now.

The investigation of the basement hadn’t finished yet, and since there were students who had suffered some harm, they seemed to want to be cautious.

Especially our homeroom professor, Professor Selena-nim, showed a lot of concern.

“Let’s not burden the students for now. Weren’t they just through a frightening incident?”

She consoled her impatient colleagues.

I had only seen her drunk all the time, so I was a little surprised to see this meticulous side of her.

Her purple hair swept back calmly.

Her red eyes watched us without the slightest tremor.

“……For now, please get some good rest.”

Her face was somehow complex.

As she subtly turned her head away, I quietly spoke.

“I will stay by their side… until the other two wake up.”

“It’s admirable that you worry about your friends, but don’t forget to take care of yourself too.”

“Heh heh, I am doing plenty of that.”

“I will be waiting outside the room. Please call me anytime if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Professor Selena-nim.”

Professor Selena-nim suddenly left.

In the spacious infirmary, only three people remained: Snake, Pilot, and Vanity.

On the neatly arranged beds lay only pink and blue hair.

I quietly sat by their side.

“……”

The children each breathed at a regular rhythm.

I took each of their hands.

Warm body temperatures touched each other.

As it had been an unpleasant incident, I hoped they wouldn’t have nightmares.

I gently squeezed their fingertips.

“……I should wait too.”

I quietly kept my place.

The quiet infirmary.

For a while, only the children’s breathing filled the surroundings.

***

-Be strong, Emilia.

Emilia was dreaming.

No, in truth, it was more like a memory than a dream.

-Otherwise, you won’t survive.

A voice tinged with tears.

Even at a young age, the girl seemed to understand the world.

Living a life that weathered harsh winters, the child wandering in the snowy mountains couldn’t help but grow colder.

She lived filled with bitterness.

-The Duchess-nim must be even more perfect.

-You must show the proper demeanor as the rightful successor.

-Only then will the Duke and Duchess, who passed away, rest easy, won’t they?

The loathsome elders of the family.

-Don’t worry, Emilia.

-Since you are still just a student, you cannot handle the family’s affairs… I will especially help you.

-Because we are family. Right?

Her uncle, who always pretended to care for the girl but couldn’t hide his greedy eyes.

-Sis, sis… I’m scared.

-I miss Mom and Dad. Where are they both?

Her younger sibling, whom she had to protect even amidst her challenging daily life.

‘I’m sick of it.’

Emilia eventually had to push herself.

Simply to survive.

Her will gnawed at her heart.

It cast aside altruism, abandoned happiness, and scoffed at sacrifice.

Before she knew it, in front of the mirror stood an adult who had forgotten her childhood, perfectly worn down.

It was a hideous mask.

‘Don’t forget.’

There are things I must protect.

If I make a mistake, everything will end.

For revenge, for happiness, I must always run forward.

Something terrible will happen the moment I look back.

‘I can only trust myself.’

The obsession that had long colored her life.

Emilia reminisced about her purely joyful childhood but instinctively knew that she could never return to that time.

Too many things had changed.

The girl no longer deserved to be called young.

She had personally blackened her pure inner self, so she thought she would never live for anything again.

Yes.

She had surely thought so.

“……”

“You’re awake.”

She opened her eyes.

As she blinked her heavy eyelids, a voice came from beside her.

Emilia involuntarily moved her eyes.

“A full day has passed.”

The boy with dark blonde hair.

His blue eyes gazed blankly at the scene.

“……”

“I’m glad you’re safe. I’ve been worried.”

Snake smiled faintly.

Then he raised a hand and gently stroked the girl’s disheveled hair.

It was an affectionate touch.

As if handling someone precious.

“You’ve worked hard, Duchess-nim.”

A gentle whisper.

The boy left a light kiss on her pale hand.

Startled by the soft touch, Emilia couldn’t help but freeze blankly.

Because a longed-for sense of fulfillment spread through her chest.

“You really did well.”

“……”

The villainess quietly accepted it.

The boy’s hand, which seemed to be taming her.