episode_0192

Waking early and eating breakfast, the Violets encountered an unexpected situation.

Several large air battleships were flying in from the direction of the Western District.

“Wow! Air battleships!”

“Huh? But why are those coming here? That way is towards the Academy City administrative offices…”

“No way?”

I turned on the computer screen. Every news site was reporting the Federation Army’s assault in real-time.

The sight of air fleets and aircraft units flying from the continent deploying troops via parachute.

Gigantic super-heavy tanks rumbled down the roads, bipedal weapons and awakened soldiers occupying Magna Vis’s remaining facilities.

“…We expected them to come, but this is strange…”

We tilted our heads. We had expected the Federation to act, but we hadn’t anticipated them arriving so quickly.

Out of curiosity, I contacted Adela Eonni, and she said things were chaotic there too.

“Eonni! What about the plan?”

-The people from the Small and Medium Clan Alliance seem flustered too. Originally, we should have mobilized all means to attack Magna Vis by now, but no one expected the Federation to move this quickly.

I felt the bewilderment over the unexpected situation in the voice on the other end of the line.

The emotion Eonni must have felt would be like that of parents looking at the empty room of a hikikomori who suddenly got a job interview and went to work one day.

“We didn’t expect those Federation guys to move this fast.”

After the call ended, the Violets whispered amongst themselves. It was different from the Federation they knew.

The Federation in the main story was the very embodiment of an ignorantly concentrated mass of rigid, old-fashioned people.

If the bureaucrats of 21st-century Earth were overloaded used trucks, the Federation’s bureaucrats were wagons pulled by stupid donkeys.

Only their exterior was modern; their core was made of pompous, pot-bellied nobles from early industrial empires or kingdoms.

The Federation’s parliament, lacking a parliamentary advancement act, was rampant with duels and brawls during the bill passing process.

They say the military still maintained a system of selling and buying offices.

In the main story, they were pigs who would constantly pick on scholarship students and other students.

Yet, for that Federation, which was so irresponsible when needed, to move this quickly…

We wondered why.

The earnest-looking soldier uncle and the orange-haired girl came to mind.

“It looks like Captain Klein succeeded in persuading them!”

“The higher-ups must have had a lot of complaints too.”

We thought of Lera, wondering what might have become of her by now.

When they offered up a girl without limbs, an aerial aircraft carrier was summoned with a pop! Could this be a true hero summoning?

“According to Eonni, the media offensive is still proceeding as planned, right?”

“Yeah, the people from the Small and Medium Clan Alliance said their work has decreased. They’re only picking up scraps from their businesses, they said?”

Apparently, the plan to attack using force has been suspended.

We had destroyed the majority of facilities they would have originally dealt with themselves.

The remaining facilities, organizations, research labs, and factories of the clan were transferred from the Academy City to Federation jurisdiction.

On the news screen, where the anchor had been chattering, a spokesperson from the Federation military was now speaking.

-…Furthermore, the Magna Vis Group dared to commit terrorism against Federation units conducting special military operations in the Vittorio Arcade. This was for the purpose of seizing mind-interference artifacts, which are prohibited by international conventions!

-Regarding this heinous act deserving of divine punishment, the Federation Central Unified Command will never overlook it and will deliver a righteous blow…

The spokesperson swung his fist, shouting loudly and resonantly in front of the reporters.

I was reminded of an announcer from a northern country by his powerful, aggressive tone.

-The Federation is prepared. To those arrogant mages who believe they are upholding the truth, we are ready to unleash atomic fire at any moment…

“Is a spokesperson allowed to say things like that…?”

I was bewildered. What a strange world.

While collecting information that poured in like a tide, we discovered an unexpected report.

“Gasp! What is this, look!”

A headline that caught my eye. As if possessed, I clicked the link, which led to another live broadcast.

Surprisingly, the former chairman was being helped out of the main gate of a hospital by several people.

“Is he sick somewhere?”

He was staggering somewhat, but with people surrounding him, we couldn’t get a proper look.

He was wearing a long, loose coat, so I couldn’t tell what his specific physical condition was.

-Are the Ariel Group’s statements true? What is the purpose of the facility found underground in the Academy?

-Is the testimony that you unleashed demonic beasts at the entrance ceremony true?

The waiting reporters poured out questions.

Federation soldiers in reinforced suits blocked their way.

“What, he’s just getting arrested like this? Really?”

The chairman calmly boarded an armored vehicle with the soldiers.

Leaving behind the noisy flashes, the escort disappeared.

That was all.

We were puzzled by the sudden situation. Why was he doing that?

“We thought he’d run away or hide? That’s surprising.”

According to the scenario written by the Violets and supplemented by Irene and Adela Eonni, the Archmage guy was clearly going to hide in a safe place.

To rally the remaining forces, they said.

But he walked directly into the Federation’s maw. Why?

There was something else we were curious about. His physical condition seemed off somehow.

We certainly hadn’t inflicted any significant damage on him!

“A hospital? He looks fine on the outside.”

“It’s probably like a chairman showing up to the prosecutor’s office in a wheelchair.”

The Violets concluded it was a show for media play.

Although the environment and culture are different, the tricks of high-ranking people feel similar to those on Earth.

“We thought he’d at least put up a fight…”

“He might have given up!”

To be caught so easily… we probably won’t see him for a while, but it still feels a bit unsettling.

Although the headquarters and main facilities are concentrated in the Rustroom, many Magna Vis branches remain in every habitable continental region.

It’s a shame we couldn’t kill him, as he’s clearly going to be a future problem.

“It’s just that our abilities are still lacking…”

“Uwaaah! Are we still weak?”

It’s a sad thing. To think our power is still so lacking.

Far in the future, if we’re to buy and develop a large plot of land to establish a city just for the Violets, we’ll need even more military power than now.

“That way we can repel invasions!”

“We might even invade… no, conquer?”

Magic, sword skills, more practiced power, and more Violets.

And with more powerful weapons, we’ll be able to have sovereignty unique to the Violets.

We’ll be able to build an independent force that won’t fall behind the Federation or major clans.

“Let’s name the city Violet City!”

“No! Let’s name it Ruzilin Village!”

A Violet City, where there would be only Violets. Everything free!

As they were lost in imagination and grinning, the door gently opened, and Sophieel entered.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“It’s fine!”

The Violets said.

“…May I ask what interesting thoughts you were having? You suddenly started laughing, so I was curious.”

Unit 781 replied, seeing her large, clear black eyes filled with curiosity.

“It’s a secret!”

**

Late in the afternoon, a Violet, who had been looking for data, had a dream.

It was blurry, like an analog TV screen with static.

A scene she had never seen before appeared first.

Smoke rose. Screams, darkness, wails.

A girl wandering through a ruined village.

“…Mom! Dad! Where are you? I hid well!”

The young girl wandered through the empty place, searching for her parents.

The girl’s vision, as she stumbled through the unfamiliar landscape, shifted to a dark alley.

“…Will it be okay? They say patrols are strict these days.”

“It’s fine. She’s clearly a gate refugee, isn’t she? These kinds of kids are everywhere on every continent these days. Anyway, the Federation bastards are too busy, so it’s the reality that they treat kids with nowhere to go as if they don’t exist.”

The girl, who had been wandering the streets, was pulled by a rough hand and disappeared into the dark alley.

“No! Let go of me! Mom!”

The dark alley changed into a familiar scene.

White walls and a ceiling, the place where she had been confined until a few months ago.

‘This is the Laplasia guys’ research lab, isn’t it? Why here…’

Violet tried to move her body.

But strangely, her body wouldn’t obey her.

Her mouth moved on its own.

“It hurts! Help me!”

“Phase 2 operation, commence. Over-”

Grotesque robot arms approaching her crown, the roaring noise of furiously rotating drills.

“Aaaah-!”

The scene changed again.

A cold, merciless metal rod pushing its way under her eyelids.

“Huuugh…”

Her head automatically turned away.

A female researcher with her hair tied back approached, smiling sinisterly.

“Hehe…our cute Violet…”

Her body instinctively recoiled.

That researcher only pretended to dote on the girl with words, never once truly caring for her pain or looking after her.

The scene changed again.

In a complex lab, the researchers were giving the girl instructions.

“No…I can’t…”

“You won’t? Eonni will get angry, you know?”

The ponytail researcher pressed a switch. Electricity coursed through her entire body.

Violet cried.

“Uwaaah…”

The next moment, the girl was in a large room.

A bald researcher was smiling at the girl.

‘That’s the research director, isn’t it?’

Only then did Violet realize the identity of the person.

The research director chuckled heartily and said something.

“This child is the masterpiece of our lab! Now we just need to send her out! Once her performance is verified, the higher-ups will surely look at us favorably again!”

The surrounding researchers offered kind words to the girl. “Congratulations. You’ve been chosen.”

“Now, you’re going to school.”

The girl smiled for the first time in a long while.

Her thoughts weren’t flowing smoothly, but she wasn’t so dull as to not understand that going to school meant leaving this place.

Her joy was short-lived as the researchers grabbed the girl’s limbs and tied her to an operating table.

Then, a silver mechanical device shaped like a mollusk appeared upside down before Violet’s eyes.

The object in the research director’s hand wriggled like a worm.

“You need to have this implanted to leave. It’s nothing much. Just a device to prevent you from getting lost. Do you understand?”

“I’m scared…Don’t do it…I, I’ll, I’ll study hard…”

The researchers paid no mind to the girl’s wishes.

A cold, stinging sensation on her neck. As Violet let out a short scream, the mechanical device dug into the girl’s neck.

“Huuugh…huuugh…”

Her fear was momentary; in the blink of an eye, the girl was outside the lab.

The bright sun and blue sky greeted her.

Violet smiled with difficulty.

“O-out, outside…”

The girl’s eyes followed the white clouds. Many thoughts crossed her mind.

If I go to school, I can make friends.

I won’t have to do the painful things the Doctors make me do anymore.

I’ll be able to eat delicious food, right? It won’t hurt…

A tiny sprout of hope bloomed in the young girl’s heart.

She rejoiced. Until someone called out from behind her.

“Alright, Violet! Now you’ll live with Eonni~”

The ponytail researcher pulled Violet’s wrist and put her in a car.

The girl’s face turned pale.

“Ah, I’m not Eonni anymore, am I? From now on, call me Mom~!”

“…!”

Violet screamed.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Hiyah!”

Violet woke up, gasping for breath.

“That was a terrible nightmare!”

Once she confirmed it was a dream, Violet felt both irritation and relief.

“Damn it! We definitely killed her with our own hands… How unlucky!”

As Violet muttered curses, she suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment.

“By the way, what kind of dream is this realistic?”

“I know! It feels different from old nightmares. It’s unsettling!”

Violet felt unpleasant. It was too vivid to dismiss as just a random dream.

It didn’t feel like a fictional event. It felt as if someone had truly experienced it.

“Ugh! Let’s go to Daphne! I need her to stroke me!”

Deciding to shake off the nightmare, Violet stood up.