episode_0269

Inside the dark car, the Inspector’s demeanor was sharp.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Violet!”

“Most people claim that.”

He seemed to think I was an Apostle wearing Violet’s skin. This was clear even from how he subtly rested his hand on his scabbard.

Feeling displeased by the Inspector’s attitude, Sophieel Unnie stepped forward.

“Seijis! What are you talking about? This child is Violet! I can vouch for her; I fought that demonic beast myself.”

“Just a moment. Those creatures are cunning. They might have used a double deception.”

He continued to question.

“If you’re an Apostle, how much do you know? Listen: ‘Monad, Pleroma. Platinum Dawn Society. Polar Gate.’ Does anything come to mind?”

I cocked my head and immediately replied.

“I don’t know! I know about Monad because that Apostle kept talking about it, but I can’t remember it well!”

“You really don’t know? You’re that Apostle, aren’t you?”

“Oops.”

2501 groaned in contemplation. As Seijis said, I was indeed that Apostle, but for some reason, I couldn’t remember it well now. I never thought I’d find myself in the situation of a test-taker who studied all night only to face a blank mind in the exam hall.

“Ugh, I really don’t know!”

“Why not, 2501? You said you were that Apostle.”

“But now I’m Violet.”

I wanted to go home and rest quickly, so what was this? I grumbled, staring intently at Seijis. The Inspector’s black eyes were as sharp as a surgeon’s gaze dissecting an operating area with a scalpel.

“…Alright. If that’s the case, do you hear any strange hallucinations? Do you feel like someone is whispering, or constantly throwing provocative words at you?”

“No? Nothing like that.”

“…Then, ah. There was this.”

Seijis spread his hand. Mana converged to a single point, a small flash blooming like a flower. Before my eyes, a bizarre pattern appeared. It was too complex for a mere symbol or design, yet too simple for a magic circle.

“Even after seeing this, you really don’t feel anything?”

It looked a little strange, but I wondered what was so special about it.

“I told you, I don’t know.”

Perhaps he was testing my reaction. Only then did the Inspector seem convinced, and he made the pattern disappear.

“…If I show this and there’s no reaction, I can believe you. You are Violet.”

“What was that?”

“It’s a way to distinguish ordinary people from Apostles without mana spectrum measurement. They can’t just ignore it if they see it.”

I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed to be a pattern effective in distinguishing them. It had no effect on me, though. Was it because of my reaction? Perhaps there was something unsettling, but Seijis’s previously stiff demeanor gradually softened.

Still, the questions didn’t end.

“You absorbed an Apostle? Is that true?”

“Yes, it came directly into my network, so I was able to seize the opportunity!”

I explained everything that had happened. My encounter with the Apostle and the hardships, punishing the Apostle who intruded into my network, fighting the demonic beast army, getting hit by a nuclear bomb, and subduing the Apostle with the Helios Strike Team.

“I won in the end, and I became good. I hate conquest! Now I’m going to do good things for people and my friends!”

The Inspector, listening thoughtfully to my words, asked.

“2501, do you think you can use the authority? I mean, reality manipulation.”

“That?”

Wait a minute, I was an Apostle. The Apostle became another me. Couldn’t I use it sufficiently? Filled with anticipation, I raised my right hand.

“Come to think of it, you’re right! I’ll try it!”

Seijis’s expression changed to one of dismay. A strong hand urgently grabbed my arm.

“Wait! It’s dangerous here. You’ve never used it in this body before.”

“Oh, right? Then I’ll try it outside the car! This is a parking lot, after all. Since there’s no one here—”

“Wait!”

“Stop!”

The Inspector siblings held me back as I tried to get out of the car. After a short while, we arrived at a secluded riverside clearing, and only then was I allowed to demonstrate my abilities.

“Can I use it now? I want to try it!”

“…Alright. Go ahead. But don’t do anything too big. Just wish for something very small instead, okay?”

“I understand everything! Then I’ll show you my power!”

I raised my arm. I didn’t know how to use it, but I was definitely Violet, who used to be an Apostle. So I could surely do it.

“How do I use it?”

“Well, it’ll work out somehow!”

Since it was reality manipulation, it meant I could create something from nothing as I pleased. I raised my arm. I held a wish in my heart.

“I’m hungry, so let’s make some food!”

Start. Concentrate, initiate—!

“Huh?”

Nothing happened.

I tried for a good ten minutes, but there was no change.

With a sulky face, 2501 lowered her arm.

“It seems like it won’t work. I’m stopping.”

“…Alright.”

That’s strange. I was an Apostle, so why couldn’t I use the authority? I pondered for a long time in the car on the way back to the academy, but no answer came.

**

Seijis watched until Violet trudged into the dormitory.

“Nothing to say?”

Turning his head to the side, he saw Sophieel, her arms crossed, looking unusually angry.

“What I encountered today is something I’ve never experienced in my life working for the Inspection Bureau. Not only was I surprised to face the Obsidian Legion, but that wasn’t enough, fighting sudden hordes of demonic beasts. She said she fought an unknown otherworldly entity and even got hit by a nuclear bomb.”

A moment ago, she felt a throbbing pain from where the Apostle had grazed her, and she examined her left arm uncomfortably.

“And then Violet said, ‘The Inspector said if I do this and that, I can deal with the Apostles!’”

Seeing his sister’s dark, transparent eyes gazing at him, Seijis let out a short sigh and remained silent.

“You knew something so well that I didn’t know, and even elite clan heirs like Irene didn’t know. I thought you told me everything last time, but I didn’t know you were still hiding something.”

“That’s not something we should discuss here. This part, later…”

“Later, when? Until another unknown monster crawls out of another dimension and massacres people? Until an entire academy turns to ashes like Polaris? Explain it right now. And where you went just a moment ago.”

Seijis carefully considered the words he would utter next. If he answered, it would be easier. He might be able to share the burden. But was it right to tell his only family member this?

The next moment, he made a decision. Yes, he would tell her. But only to the extent that it didn’t cross the line.

“Alright. Then listen carefully…”

The knowledge he was about to reveal was a dangerous truth that the unified leadership of the Federation, major clans, and countless secret societies, who peered into the hidden side of the world, had conspired to keep silent. The danger of the secret even overshadowed the complex interests of the Rustroom and the continent. Knowing it alone could put one in danger.

‘I didn’t need to say it this fast.’

More preparation was needed. It was too early now. People were not yet ready to face the horror beyond the dimensions head-on. Not only that, but the students who would become great heroes in the future, the capable individuals, had not yet even enrolled or appeared on the world stage. He had to wait. All he could do was cut down more of the enemy’s vanguards and reduce casualties. Most of the burden he had to bear alone.

‘But everything sped up.’

At some point, the situation twisted. Last year’s Apostle attack on Aegis Academy was supposed to be far more discreet. MagnaVis suddenly collapsed and retreated to the continent. The deployment of a barrier in the middle of the southern sector and the appearance of an eroded zone never even happened in the original timeline. The butterfly effect worked more strongly than expected, and the unknown enemies who had been secretly active were showing signs of activity several years earlier. Not only that, but the assets of MagnaVis, which had crumbled and scattered in all directions, could cause an unpredictable whirlwind. Irene Solstis’s father was an example. A person who should have died was now a bipedal combat weapon, and in the face of this twisted present, the existing history was half-thrown into the trash.

Could it be related to Violet’s changed actions as well…?

Sophieel, who had been listening calmly to the explanation, closed her eyes tightly. Her eyes and head throbbed with the influx of unfamiliar information. Was it because she had seen the Apostle too directly? Or was it because she had heard some information about the miserable future?

“Haa…”

Sophieel, who had only been sighing deeply, slowly opened her mouth.

“Alright, that’s all fine. I understand that those Apostles are minions sent by the beings who caused the Great War a century ago. And that they’ve been hiding in the academy city carrying out covert operations all this time.”

This exasperatingly secretive younger brother. She grumbled, sounding resentful.

“Ugh, you idiot! You fool! You were dealing with that dangerous thing all by yourself? Why didn’t you tell me? What kind of idea is it to come from the future and try to shoulder everything alone?”

“…I’m sorry. But I had no choice. Just knowing their existence or identity is already dangerous enough.”

Sophieel inwardly clicked her tongue, watching her brother turn his gaze away with an expressionless face. She had thought since last year that he had suddenly changed so much, wondering what he had seen in the future to become so bleak. Now she understood. Her reason accepted it, but her emotions struggled to. Was she so untrustworthy to him?

A question mark appeared in Sophieel’s mind, feeling vexed.

“You said those Eidolons are that dangerous, right?”

“As I just said, they swiftly shattered all resistance. The Federation’s military, the plans of the four great clans forged with blood and flesh, the countless secret strategies of various organizations, the technology of corporations, and the wisdom of academies were all meaningless.”

Sophieel abruptly threw a question.

“In the future, there wasn’t anyone with abilities like Violet’s?”

“No. There were no means to absorb Apostles or mentally manipulate them. On the contrary, there were cases of people being invaded and controlled… What are you trying to say?”

A smile appeared on Sophieel’s lips.

“Then, why don’t you explain it to Violet and ask for her help? If she absorbed that terrifying monster, wouldn’t she be a great help in protecting the world?”

The Inspector was speechless at the sudden suggestion.

“…Surely, it’s not because of that Witch of Limitless Power, is it? I understand your aversion to that child, but that hasn’t happened yet. Violet isn’t a witch. You exasperating brother. You’d know if you looked at the weekly psychological test and counseling results. Violet, though a little naive, is just a kind female student who likes to play, eat, and enjoys her friends. Can’t you let go of your suspicions a little?”

“…”

Seijis thought his sister’s words were rational. He knew it himself. His reason declared that this child was different from that murderous witch. Little by little, the thought that he might be able to trust Violet began to form in his mind.

‘She’s not wrong. But…’

However, now he couldn’t understand anything.

‘What on earth is that?’

Now Violet had become something beyond unquantifiable unknown. To overpower that monster head-on in a battle of wills. Was such a thing even possible?

The Inspector’s mind became complicated.

**

We stayed up all night, lost in thought.

“Cheat! I want to use cheats!”

At dawn, Violets across the academy city repeatedly attempted strange things.

“Reality manipulation! Come out! Cake! Chicken! Steak!”

Some were lighting fires and dancing like a voodoo ritual.

“Spell Activation! Reality manipulation!”

Others believed that complex hand seals and footwork would stimulate the brain and unleash the Apostle’s abilities.

“Mana! Concentrate mana! Something will happen if we gather aether!”

Some directly injected mana into 2501’s head.

“2501! Do you see anything?”

“I don’t know, ugh, I’m dizzy! Aargh! No!”

-Bang!

2501’s sizzling and steaming head exploded, ending the experiment.

“It’s not working.”

The Violets thought. Where was the root of the problem? Why did 2501 lose her reality manipulation ability after becoming an Apostle?

“Could it be a body problem?”

2, who had been silent, offered an opinion.

“Think about it. The Apostle was much bigger than us. Its appearance was completely different from creatures in our world too!”

“Because it’s an alien.”

That’s right. Perhaps it was a hardware issue. If that were true, it would be a sad thing for us Violets.

“She lost her abilities at the cost of a beautiful girl’s body.”

“Ugh! I have to become an ugly alien to use cheats.”

The more they thought about it, the more horrifying it was. No academy would admit a 6-meter alien. Adela Unnie and the other friends would probably dislike it too.

There was another concerning point.

“It’s one thing not to be able to use supernatural abilities. But why can’t she remember? I mean, the Apostle’s memories.”

We Violets share all memories. However, 2501 had no memory of being an Apostle before becoming Violet. What was the reason?

“I died inside the network. So maybe something remains there?”

“Come to think of it, you’re right. No way?”

The answer must be within the Violet network. After all, it was in our mental space that we discovered the secret memory chips while researching parallel magic computations earlier.

“Good, then let’s explore! 2501, since you’ve become Violet, let’s go on a Violet network tour!”

“It’s a place we’ll be using a lot in the future. Come see it!”

“Okay!”

So I toured the Violet network. 2501 looked around curiously. The place where intense mental battles had taken place just hours ago was completely cleared of any traces of conflict.

“It’s amazing!”

At the entrance to the network, a spacious Violet Plaza with two statues welcomed us. Beautiful girls waved as they passed the large, ink-black statues.

“Hello, General-nim!”

Beyond the plaza, cities within the Violet network, with their peculiar landscapes, adorned our journey. The Violet War Memorial, recording new victories. Violet Beach, where pirate ships and aircraft carriers floated. Even a 1:1 scale model of Violet Special City, to be built somewhere in reality in the distant future.

“That’s the Violet Hotel, and that’s the Violet-exclusive amusement park.”

“There’s also a Violet simulated battlefield for brave Violets!”

Rotating turrets on every building rooftop monitored the surroundings, and the road surface opened, spewing out tanks and fighter jets.

“What you just saw were defense facilities for annihilating invaders. There’s also a Violet detention center to imprison captives! It even complies with international law.”

“That’s incredible!”

Overwhelmed by all these sights, 2501 cheered.

“The network is vast!”

As she busily explored various parts of the network, 2501 seemed to feel something, tilting her head and looking around.

“Does anything come to mind?”

“I don’t know! But something is calling. It’s close!”

2501 ran excitedly. The Violets’ footsteps stopped at a quiet, serene lake with a peaceful atmosphere.

“There! There! Something’s there!”

Two thousand Violets surged forward and plunged into the lake. Before long, we pulled out a large, rectangular cube submerged at the bottom of the lake. Its surface was perforated with countless square holes, like Emmental cheese.

“What is this?”

Number 1, acting as representative, touched the rectangular object. The hole-riddled cube changed its form upon contact with me and became a pile of books.

“Oh…”

The moment I touched it, I understood it.

“I see it!”

It was the Apostle’s memories and a part of its consciousness, lost when I became Violet.

“What do you see?”

I couldn’t understand it.

“I see static!”

Interpretation was impossible. It felt like staring at the static gray screen of a CRT television. All that came to mind were blurry, hard-to-understand landscapes and fragmented scenes.

“2501, what about you?”

“I don’t know either! There’s no big difference.”

Nothing changed. I tried to use my mind to interpret these things, which could be called ‘memories’. There was no success. Reading the Apostle’s memories felt like reading a book in an alien language. It clearly looked like a language, but it was impossible to decipher what it said.

“Ugh… I think I almost understand it…”

Broadly speaking, a few patterns were visible. Similar scenes, similar images repeated, so if we could apply our way of thinking, we might be able to interpret and fully absorb them.

But still, it was incomprehensible. No, it felt fundamentally mismatched. The mental legacy left by the Apostle was beyond our level to swallow. It was like force-feeding a bucket of tough, indigestible food down one’s throat, too overwhelming. Even putting a Blu-ray CD into a floppy disk drive would surely be better than this.

Ultimately, by dawn, we were only able to extract a few words. Even those were things we barely understood because 2501 had just become Violet, and we had made some contact with its ego.

“Epidemic?”

Something slowly emerged. A box that makes snacks and a bad plan. The Apostles tore open this box and used the power that came from within to create something strange.

“Wait, if it’s a disease…”

“Ariel?”

Oh, so Ariel’s illness was also their doing?

“But the Apostles are all dead.”

“That’s right.”

They said curses and magic usually break when the caster dies. We didn’t know where the strange magic they created went, but it must have disappeared. It should be fine by now, I guess.

“Then… let’s go visit her tomorrow!”

“That’s a good idea!”

The Violets, exhausted by fatigue, fell asleep one by one.