Guinea Pig
by Afuhfuihgs
If someone came to me and badmouthed Luna, what kind of reaction would I have? Even if everything they said sounded like the truth and was backed by undeniable evidence, I would definitely take Luna’s side unconditionally until I heard the truth from her own mouth.
So, hearing the possibly ugly past of the benefactor who let me meet Luna and made me realize what’s precious to me wouldn’t change anything.
,If it weren’t for that feed you call affection, I would have died long before then.”
Seemingly realizing that my answer wasn’t convincing, the woman narrowed her eyes and wore an expression full of annoyance.
,…You stupid bastard. What I’m saying isn’t some kind of secret trap. It’s all true. Trust me, you’re being dragged along according to Nelson’s intentions. Your destination is a slaughterhouse created by Nelson!”
I stared at her for a moment before giving a bitter smile.
,I don’t care. It’s okay even if my end is a slaughterhouse.”
,…What?”
,Nelson died to protect me. Whatever his intentions were, I’m grateful. So I’m going to repay him. Even if it costs me my life.”
I raised my hand and pointed to my neck with my thumb.
,I have no intention of avoiding the knife offered by the only person who fattened me up.”
The woman stared blankly at me before muttering quietly.
,You seem to be mistaken in thinking that you’re the only one going to the slaughterhouse. Why would Nelson leave behind feed that can no longer fatten you up? To think you trust that person this much, it’s so pathetic, it’s like looking at my old self.”
At those words, I unconsciously tensed my shoulders.
,…What do you mean by that?”
At my question, the woman tapped her lips and gave a pleasant smile.
,I told you, I’ve heard a lot about you. I already know the reason why you’re desperately challenging the labyrinth. You lost something very precious, and you’re trying to get it back.”
The woman’s lips twisted mischievously.
,Nelson makes the other person have no choice but to do so. Just like I showed the guest everything I had without any suspicion, you also have a reason to challenge the labyrinth. What a coincidence, right?”
At the mocking question, I unconsciously clenched my fist.
,It wasn’t Nelson who made me have no choice but to challenge the labyrinth, it was the Order.”
,Haha, why the Order?”
,…What.”
,Why would the Order kill Luna?”
At the woman’s question, I unconsciously bit my lip reflexively. The reason wasn’t simple, my only enemy was the Order that would destroy the world. It seemed clear that the woman was trying to confuse me.
Feeling no need to continue the conversation, I got up from my seat, and the woman leaned back in her chair, completely reclining, and explained in a soft voice.
,Luna may be precious to you, but to the Order, she’s just a disabled person with a physical impairment. Think about it. Is there any reason for the Order to kill Luna? The Order thinks of you as an Apostle, right? Instead of destroying what’s precious to you, they’ll use it as an opportunity to have a serious conversation for each other.”
,…Shut up.”
,Cassius said it, didn’t he? The Pope said to politely guide the Apostle so that he can return to the Order. Still don’t understand? The Pope thinks you’re more important than Confession. Why would the Pope, who wants to recruit you, make you lose what’s precious to you?”
,…That’s exactly the Pope’s trap.”
I could tell that there was no strength in my voice. My heart was wavering at the woman’s words. Even if I didn’t think so… it increasingly sounded plausible that the Order had no reason to kill Luna.
The woman got up from her chair and approached me, who was standing still. The woman, who was staring at my eyes, distorted her mouth and whispered softly.
,Have you ever thought about why Nelson fattens us up and sends us to the slaughterhouse? At first, I thought the reason Nelson abandoned me in the church’s basement was for his own benefit. He could easily profit by adopting and selling young orphans with a high potential to become a Saintess. But Nelson was already a great magician, so he had enough money and fame. There was no reason for him to do this kind of thing just to earn a few gold. Then Nelson’s purpose is clear. To slaughter us after fattening us up.”
,… .”
,Then, whose mouth do you think we, who have been slaughtered, will end up in?”
The woman slowly reached out and put her arm around my shoulder. The woman, who was leaning on me as I was stuck in place like I was trapped in a swamp, whispered softly in my ear.
,You’ve known your whole life who Nelson really cherishes, haven’t you? The monster that will take everything from your life and eventually take away your very existence. Nelson’s value of your existence was determined that way from the beginning.”
The black eyes looking into me were endlessly deep, making me feel like I was falling into an abyss. The pain I felt in the valves of my heart made me clench my teeth so hard that they shook, and I glared at the woman. The woman, who smiled like a sigh, took her body away and said.
,Let’s go together. Let’s get out of the path Nelson created and live freely according to our destiny.”
,…I’ll take care of it myself.”
Saying that, I brushed off the hand that was stroking my cheek. The woman, who shook her head with a regretful face, said with a smile on her lips.
,Nelson met Bella. I don’t know what kind of conversation they had, but Luna died after that. I don’t think I need to explain what this means.”
,… .”
,The reason I came to find you is solely out of pity for you. I came to give you advice as a life senior so that you don’t live like a pathetic idiot like me. If you can’t trust me, feel free to doubt my words. Eventually, you’ll realize that what I’m saying is true.”
Leaving those words behind, the woman turned her body. As she was about to leave the cafe, I asked her.
,…What’s your name?”
The woman, who stopped walking at my question, looked at me over her shoulder.
,Guinea Pig.”
***
Ellie didn’t go home. Instead, she checked the citizenship guide and visited the only library in Eclipse. She knew that all the knowledge she had learned here would disappear when she left Paradise, but the act of learning and realizing new things was a great sense of fulfillment and her greatest desire.
True to its name of Paradise, the library was full of dangerous and evil books that could not even be found in the academy’s library, where almost all the books on the continent were gathered. There were also magical books of demons that could not be deciphered, and there were also customized learning books that clearly solved the parts that Ellie was stuck on.
Ellie, who was lost in the book without realizing the passage of time, covered the 13th book she had finished reading and felt the thirst and hunger she had forgotten. As Ellie reached out for the next book with the desire to realize new knowledge, someone sat down in the empty seat across from her.
Ellie, who checked that a tray containing coffee and bread with whipped cream was placed on the table instead of a book, unconsciously checked the face of the person on the other side and widened her eyes.
,…Ross?”
Ross, who gave a cool smile, nodded and pushed the tray slightly towards Ellie. As Ellie looked around and sent a look asking what she was doing with a flustered face, Ross smiled and pointed to the pillar behind Ellie. Ellie, who turned her body, looked at Ross with an absurd expression after seeing [Eating & Talking & Napping Freely Allowed in the Library] written on the pillar’s sign.
,What kind of library is this free?”
,Because it’s a library in Paradise. So anything is possible. Even if we shout, other users won’t hear us. You didn’t know there was a nice cafe inside if you go over there, did you? I bought this there. You looked like you desperately needed coffee and bread right now.”
Ellie, who couldn’t deny Ross’s words, slyly pushed the book aside and brought the tray in front of her. As Ellie took a sip of coffee and tasted the bread, making a satisfied expression, Ross, who was quietly watching, gave a happy smile.
,…Thank you. You really know me well.”
At Ellie’s words, Ross shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile and gestured for her to hurry up and eat. While Ellie was eating all the coffee and bread, Ross, who had opened the book Ellie was about to read, tapped his lips and said.
,To summarize the contents of this book in a nutshell, it means to create a knot by using the superposition of formulas. The key is not to visualize magic linearly, but to combine it to form a natural curve. If you know the principle, you can understand it well enough.”
,…Huh?”
As Ellie tilted her head with a bewildered face, Ross chuckled softly and turned the book so that Ellie could see it.
,If you look at the examples here….”
Ellie, who heard Ross’s explanation that came right into her ears, felt a strange feeling. She was learning magic from Ross for the first time. It felt strange and mysterious. Ellie, who judged that Ross had easily understood the contents of the book thanks to reaching the truth of Magic Engineering, was always taking care of her, and she gave a happy smile.
,I found a new teacher-nim. Thank you, Ross! Tell me about other things too!”
Saying that, Ellie playfully hit the back of Ross’s hand holding the book, and her expression gradually hardened.
,… .”
,Ellie, what’s wrong?”
Ellie, who looked at Ross looking at her as if she was strange, slowly lowered her gaze and stared blankly at the back of Ross’s hand that was touching her hand. Ross, who loves Luna, always pushed Ellie away to overcome the setting that he had a crush on her. Ellie, who was quick to notice, knew better than anyone that she was pretending not to know and pushing her away again because she was afraid that her heart would waver again against her will.
So Ellie didn’t cross the line either. She knew well enough how much Ross loved Luna, and she didn’t want to see Ross struggling because of her anymore.
The action just now was a reaction that popped out without her knowing because she was happy. An action like Ellie’s instinct that filled her sense of fulfillment as she looked at Ross, who was happy with the light contact.
Ellie, who was regretting her unconscious actions and was about to take her hand away, felt something strange when she saw Ross’s expression. He didn’t frown or make a troubled expression as usual at the contact without distance. Rather, Ellie felt a strong sense of incongruity at the sight of him smiling faintly. If it was Ross she knew, he would never have shown this reaction.
Ellie, who grabbed Ross’s hand that was touching her, was able to be sure of Ross’s actions that didn’t pull his hand back.
,…Who are you?”
That the Ross across from her was not the Ross she knew.
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