episode_0052

“I was a little surprised that you didn’t know about makeup or clothes.”

“Nobody taught me those things.”

My memories of living as a man for over twenty years included learning what a man should do, but there was nothing about how to live as a beautiful girl. Even though my mind had changed to befit a beautiful girl, knowledge didn’t just fall from the sky.

“No… one? What about your parents? Your friends?”

“Oh, my parents? They’re dead! Friends… I don’t have any.”

“…I, I’m sorry.”

I stated the facts nonchalantly, but the atmosphere froze. I just felt like I’d said something unnecessary. Next time, I should choose my words more carefully.

This mouth of mine keeps spouting nonsense.

“It’s fine, they weren’t good people.”

“Is that so?”

Parents.

My relationship with my parents in my previous life wasn’t very good. Of course, it wasn’t a broken home, but I don’t want to think about it anymore. Whenever I think about my past life, the issue of forgetting my name keeps coming up.

And my parents in this world? I don’t know. To put it bluntly, I’m an orphan. I have no mother, no father. That’s probably why I was sold to a lab.

The woman listed as my mother in the family register was crushed by me a long time ago.

Daphne’s expression, as she continued to listen to me, was unusual.

“…So that’s why… you were looking for your mother back then…”

“Huh? What?”

Wouldn’t the reaction of customers and owners who saw a child with a young sibling come to a Chinese restaurant, order one jajangmyeon, and share it, be something like this?

Everyone feels sorry and doesn’t know what to do when they see such a sight. They want to order something for them. But then, just as they’re about to pay with a meal card, it says ‘insufficient balance.’ At that point, everyone is at a loss, their eyes shake as if from an earthquake, and their butts twitch with the urge to rush over and help.

Daphne looked exactly like that now.

“Daphne? Did I say something wrong…?”

“…Ms. Ruzilin. You must have had a very hard time, haven’t you?”

She suddenly grabbed my hand.

“From now on, if there’s anything you don’t know, I’ll help you a lot! Do you have any other questions? Are you having any difficulties? If your head hurts again like last time, call me right away!”

“Ugh? Ah! It’s okay! I’m fine!”

It took some time to calm her down as she jumped around with teary eyes.

To calm her down, I changed the subject. This time, it was my turn to ask. Since she asked first, it should be fine to ask this much.

“Anyway, I’ve got a question too. What kind of people are your parents? Do you have any siblings?”

“My parents? They were good people. And…”

She smiled faintly.

“I had one sibling. A younger sister.”

She chuckled softly.

Oh, I didn’t know Daphne had a younger sister. She must be a kind and pretty sibling, just like her older sister.

“Wow! Then, I’ll get to see Daphne’s sister enroll in the academy later too!”

“…Ah, that’s…”

Daphne, who had been speaking smoothly, paused. I grew uneasy, wondering if I had touched a sensitive spot.

“…?”

“That would be wonderful. Actually…”

This time, it was my turn to be silent.

“My parents and sister passed away a long time ago.”

Damn it, why is our conversation going like this today?

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m okay. It’s all in the past now.”

We lost our topic of conversation and awkwardly lingered. Silence is like a quietly seeping adhesive; once it sticks between people, it doesn’t easily come unstuck.

As we slowly headed towards the school’s main gate along the road, someone abruptly appeared from a nearby alleyway.

“Hey, you… you! …Daphne Grace. Right?”

“That’s me… You, from back then.”

It was a blond male student with a nasty look. I remembered seeing him somewhere.

“Good to see you. Where’s my wallet?”

“My wallet? What are you talking about…”

“Don’t play dumb, you son of a bitch! I don’t know what trick you pulled, but my friends suddenly all fainted back then. When they opened their eyes, everything they had was gone. Was it magic? Or a unique ability?”

Ah, I understand. It was that blond delinquent from back then. I guess I shouldn’t have messed with him.

Since I did it, I should take responsibility.

I immediately stepped between Daphne and him.

“Stop!”

“What are you, now?”

“If you bother us here, the Disciplinary Committee won’t stand by. Stay away from my roommate. Or do you want to duel me?”

“Disciplinary Committee? Duel? Bullshit… Hahahaha!”

He laughed vulgarly. I became curious. Was this guy crazy?

“Are you an idiot? The Disciplinary Committee doesn’t operate outside school grounds.”

“Gasp! That’s impossible!”

So that’s what this guy was smirking about; there was such a trick. I should remember it and use it well later.

“I see… Wait, I have something to tell you. Will you follow me?”

“Ms. Ruzilin? Wait a moment! What are you…”

I led the guy into the alley. As I walked ahead, I subtly placed my hand on the wall. Magic power flowed out of my body.

“Alright, so what do you want to say?”

“My roommate didn’t take your stuff, okay? So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop making an issue out of it. And…”

Ten of us, wearing masks, swarmed out from between the wall and the building. The delinquent’s expression crumpled as he saw us.

“What are you guys, now?…”

Oh, how dare he not recognize us. I guess I’ll have to make him realize it physically.

“Huh? Sh-shit! Stay away! Ugh! Aaaaargh!”

We surrounded him with our tools and gleefully beat him up. He couldn’t even draw his knife and collapsed.

To think there was such a workaround to avoid a duel. It was an excellent method.

This fool had put himself in the line of fire.

He tried to say something, so I stopped the attack. He wailed, his nose bleeding profusely.

“Ugh… Do you know who my older sister is? You freshman, you…!”

‘You freshman, you…’ I thought that was too ridiculous an expression. It’s surprising that even someone like him has a family.

“Your sister? The red-light district ace?”

“What? You crazy bas… Ugh! Stop it… Shit! Let me talk! The Freshmen Management Committee, Martina! You must have heard of her, right?”

I remembered what Irene had said last time.

-It’s just a rumor, but he’s supposedly a scoundrel who harasses junior female students. So be careful, and don’t forget to contact me if you’re in trouble.

So that dirty delinquent brother who bothered female students, that was this guy.

“By any chance, is your name Martin?”

“Yes!…”

“Ah, now I remember. I know who you are.”

Despite being beaten, he still had energy and got up with a sneer.

“That’s right! Can even your dumbass brain finally grasp reality now? I’ll screw you over. No, I’ll make you regret it immensely. Even now, if you just kneel down and…”

We raised our tools again.

-Clang! Clang!

“Aargh! I’ll kill you! Aaaaargh! Kuwaaaah! To my sister…! Aaaaargh!”

“Your sister? That’s none of my business.”

Unfortunately, his sister was far away, and my tools were close. Such a despicable guy deserves a beating.

And life is often lonely. So, being alone is the best.

He wailed like a pig and soon fainted.

The guy became truly despicable. What kind of student plays gang games? He just ruined my mood.

To mess with him, I stripped off his uniform and took it.

I dusted myself off and came out of the alley.

“Are you okay…? My goodness… What is that?! Are you a pervert? Put it back right now!”

“But he picked a fight first, didn’t he?”

Daphne got genuinely angry, so I put the clothes back.

It felt a bit unsettling, but I ignored it. Daphne was worried, but I just laughed it off.

Well, what could happen?

Violet is invincible, and clone magic is omnipotent.

「I don’t care, let them come at me.」

「If they come, we’ll smash them. It’s good timing, I’ve been in a bad mood lately.」

Our other selves chattered in unison.

No matter how much he whines, he can’t harm me. Because I don’t die. If things go wrong, I can just run away.

No one can lay a hand on me.

***

Somewhere in the underground facility, Unit 65 awoke from its sleep.

Only a faint light seeping through a pea-sized hole in the narrow wall was the sole evidence distinguishing the inside of the wall from the laboratory outside.

「What time is it now? Dawn?」

「7 PM. Do you want to sleep more?」

「I wish I could, but I can’t. Ugh! My back! My neck!」

The underground facility was large, and it took a long time to explore it.

Inevitably, there were surveillance cameras and guards in places where people were present. Moreover, when we, deep in the mental fatigue of battle and the sense of loss from forgetting our names, lost motivation and lay down, the Violet clones in charge of investigation also felt ennui from the fruitless and unproductive facility survey and slacked off.

There were opinions to withdraw entirely, but more suggested keeping a minimum number of personnel, so one or two were left behind. As for numbers, they could always be multiplied as long as there was enough magic power.

However, waiting in a cramped space for long periods was tiring in many ways. Therefore, the remaining Violet bodies used our ability to switch consciousness, setting shifts for rotational duty.

Hygiene issues were also solved by simply creating a new clone and de-generating the previous body if they needed to wash or use the restroom. The disappearance of fatigue and hunger was a bonus. Although consuming magic power was a bit wasteful, hygiene was paramount.

Unfortunately, ventilation shafts, storage rooms, and cracks in walls and ceilings were not suitable places for people to rest. They were narrow, damp, dark, and hard. Therefore, the greatest suffering for the investigation team was the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

I considered taking a sleeping pill. There was still a long time until the waiting period was over. After a bit of thought, I connected to the Violet Network and passed the time watching our other selves play, when I heard the footsteps of several people from beyond the wall.

I pricked up my ears and concentrated, hearing more footsteps than usual. The researchers here rarely moved around in such a large group.

I carefully inserted an endoscope camera through the hole in the wall. About ten people wearing name tags labeled ‘ ‘ on their clothes were visible.

「Look at those guys, I’ve never seen people like that working here before.」

「I know, did we just miss them?」

Before stopping our work, we had roughly grasped the faces and atmosphere of the researchers while investigating this place.

We had categorized people by their characteristics, like who wore black horn-rimmed glasses, or who wore a red plaid shirt. There were almost no personnel changes, and schedules were strictly managed. Because of this, even though we secretly photographed or collected data, we were reluctant to make any further contact.

But these people were new to us. The scientist who had been talking with the chairman earlier was gathering people and explaining something.

We recognized him immediately. He was the scientist who had spoken with the chairman before.

「That person, he was Dr. Walter Sturges, right?」

He was surprisingly famous. Just a little research turned up a flood of related information.

「He’s a highly respected figure in academia. They say he’s a top-tier scholar in Aether Physics, especially in research related to Awakened ones.」

Aether Physics is a field of study unique to this world, frequently mentioned to the point of tedium in the game.

Although it has the term ‘Physics’ attached, it is actually a complex discipline combining biology, quantum mechanics, and chemistry. This is because the essence of its research deals with the abilities of Awakened ones and the problems of unique abilities, making it difficult to analyze with just one field of study. Therefore, Aether Physics covers everything from the existence of Aether and its mechanisms of action on living organisms, to proving the principles of Awakened abilities, and on a larger scale, issues of secondary dimensions and Aether erosion.

Of course, another discipline that explores Aether is magic.

However, the magic of the Crimson Scholars, although it uses mathematics in its processing, actually relies on personal experience and sensation. Therefore, the people who define the principles of this world are scientists.

When Dr. Sturges gave some instructions to the senior researcher beside him, he nodded and then led the people outside. Just by looking at the way fully grown adults trailed after him, he resembled a kindergarten teacher leading preschoolers.

「Huh? Those people are leaving! Unit 83. Deploy!」

Unit 83, which had been waiting in the network without a physical body, manifested beyond the wall.

I, Unit 83, cautiously followed the people disappearing down the corridor.

The senior researcher calmly guided them through the interior of the research lab. People of various genders and ages followed him.

” …As you can see, the research building is divided into five main sections, and the contract period for the postdoctoral research process in this project is… ”

I understood master’s or doctoral degrees, but what was a postdoctoral research process? Wasn’t becoming a professor what came after a doctorate? There was something else I didn’t know.

It must be something similar to a graduate student.

The people, who had been listening blankly to the senior researcher’s explanation, each asked a question.

” …The period seems a bit short, doesn’t it? For a postdoctoral research process… ”

“I only found out today that Polaris Comprehensive Academy conducts its own independent research related to Aether Physics.”

The senior researcher calmly explained.

“I explained it during the last meeting, didn’t I? It’s a secret project. Anyway, there’s no one here who doesn’t know Dr. Sturges, right? If the doctor was your academic advisor during graduate school, please raise your hand.”

More than half raised their hands.

The senior researcher clapped his hands a few times briefly.

“See? You all know each other well. The professor is giving you this opportunity because he thought of you. You haven’t forgotten the salary and contract terms, have you?”

“No.”

The people’s eyes sparkled distinctly. What kind of contract terms made them react so favorably?

“Our project is slowly nearing its end, but we’re short on personnel. Some people are out on sick leave. You all received the explanation before coming, right?”

“You said that after the contract period, we’d automatically convert to regular researcher positions… right?”

“That’s right! There aren’t many conditions as good as these, are there? And the period is short! Shall we continue now?”

Just as the senior researcher was about to leave, the person at the very back spoke up.

“Um, I didn’t get an explanation for this. What is the specific purpose of the project we’re participating in?”

“That’s what we’re curren—”

I pricked up my ears and focused on their words.

-Screech!

Oh no, a sharp mechanical sound cut off their words.

The guys went back into the research building and closed the door. From here, even a sound recorder wouldn’t pick it up.

「Those guys, their words were cut off earlier, so I couldn’t hear, but they must know the project’s purpose, right?」

「That’s right.」

That’s a shame. It was an important part.

Suddenly, a strange idea came to mind.

「Should we kidnap one of the people we just saw and ask them? They say ‘a chicken instead of a pheasant’ [a proverb about making do with a substitute]. They might have heard what the project’s purpose was earlier.」

「Isn’t that a bit extreme?」

「No, the fact that they came all the way into this underground facility is proof that they have some connection with the board members here. There’s no reason to let ordinary people into a place like this, not even because of security issues. Unless they were subcontracting from outside!」

The clones held a short emergency meeting.

「I agree too. More importantly, they used the term ‘academic advisor,’ didn’t they? Those people are either Dr. Sturges’s students or at least know something about the research topics the doctor handled. Most importantly, unlike the researchers here, if one or two of them disappeared, they wouldn’t be found immediately. Anyway, none of us expected to find the answer right away.」

「But what if we kidnap them? We’ve already secured a room and a steel cage.」

「We’ll investigate, and if they’re bad guys, we’ll just starve them. If not… hmm… we’ll think about it then.」

Should we give it a try?

I felt uneasy somehow.