"Is that so?"
Virgilia interrogates a supposed survivor of the daemonic attack and he nods.
"Y-Yeah, it'll enthrall you into its tendrils and suck out your life force! We thought that us whalers could deal with this monster easily given our experience, but... Drat! It got Jim! That boy had so much to live for!"
"We'll try to avenge your crew to the best of our abilities. The pain of losing a child is all too familiar to me."
"Thank you. I wish you good luck, you'll really need it."
I'm not particularly fond of the sound of the sea, it has that oddly foreboding energy to it.
Yet I see Aden looking at it with longing. What's it to him?
"Yo, what's with that look?"
"Er, just thinking about how fun it would've been to play, but uhm... Émile."
"Ah, because of the water?"
"Yeah. I tried playing with them one time, but now their feet look severely eroded. And well, it ain't a time to play anyway, so..."
"Hmm..."
Émile is sight-seeing seagulls flying above us, looking pretty ethereal while at it. It's odd seeing them calm like that, yet deep in my heart... I can't help but to wish they would've been more at peace like that.
Bijou... Surprisingly looks at the various rocks by the beach and I decide, since she's sober now, to talk to her: inquire about her life as a so-called thief or mercenary, or whatever the hell she was, and her relation to Virgilia.
"Uhm... Bijou, was it?"
"Oh, that you're that blondie kid? Hello-hello! You may talk to me, I won't bite!"
"Erm... What are you doing?"
"Just studying local pebbles. Have you not been interested in them?"
"I-I mean yeah, we used to gather them a lot to play various games - it's just I didn't expect that you..."
"Ah, I suppose my inner Geologist senses are tingling. Admittedly it's been while since I went to the beach. Ahh... If only I could put on my swimsuit to make the guys drool and girls scowl~."
"Err... Okay. I mean I suppose I do know a researcher one or two. Well, known."
"Ooh? Who was it, tell me."
"Er, his name was Oswald and he was from something called Ho--"
But just as I was about to finish my sentence, Bijou shuts my mouth and whispers into my ear "Let's get away from Émile's ear shot as far as possible. They have a VERY negative reaction to even a mention of it."
Bijou notifies Virgilia that she's taking me to the bakery to buy some snacks and she nods. And so we hurriedly go inside a bakery and she buys me an apple bun.
"Okay, listen up: if I assumed correctly - Hone Research Facility has a bad reputation for utilizing human experimentation. Researchers all have different peculiar subjects of their interests, and for Hone - it's humans. They WILL go deeper and deeper in terms of understanding human nature, by any means necessary."
"... Huh?"
"Tell me, Sweetheart, did that guy in any way hurt you or made you uncomfortable?"
"No? He just told me that I was cursed and that's it."
"... Que?"
I told her about my condition, omitting the fact that I have a bastard inside of me, as well as explaining why I'm being tutored by both Carmine and Virgilia
"Ehh~, well that explains it. Still, pretty surprised that guy didn't just abduct you or something - though it may as well just me generalizing. Let's just say we didn't have the most pleasant encounters."
"You're surprisingly quite approachable..."
"Hehe~, guess I'm quite glad that Virgilia is finally getting her groove back - she used to be in such heavy slump."
"Ah, uh, speaking of Virgilia. Everyone keeps praising her for being kind and whatnot, but I don't see it - she's been very stern and ruthless so far: yet everyone seems to worship her as if she was their saviour - why is that?"
"Well, it's because she is a saviour in a way. She may not look like it, but she really does want to help people in their lowest point in their lives. While I wouldn't tell you how Aden or Émile met Virgilia; they way she scouted me... It was during the darkest night of my life. I don't think I would've been even alive if she didn't save me then. And she helped me with coping during further tragedies of my life."
Her hand trails to her stomach as she looks down, her eyes looking nostalgic, yet pained. It must've happened long ago.
"And, if my fears are confirmed to be true - you'll see exactly WHY Virgilia is high regarded. People like her... Are a rarity in this day and age."
She then looks out to the window, facing the shore.
"Although, she seems awfully on edge. As a close friend of hers, I tried to pry deeper, yet it seems she only keeps Aden and Émile close now. I wonder what made you so special in her eyes...
Considering she swore to never recruit anyone ever again."
Huh???
--
The aircraft is sailing smoothly, all thanks to strict flying regulations that forbid magicians from using fly magic frivolously, especially when it breaches the accepted altitude.
There are other cadets as well from all sorts of divisions, some I even seldom recognize.
Yet I'm stuck with the natural oddity.
It simply stares at the void as they sit like they're thinking about something.
I know I was probably the best man for the job, given I'm a prime student who isn't too brash or affectionate... But damn it, I didn't ask to be a babysitter.
Still, I need to understand what I'm working with.
"Hey, what do you know of the rogue subject E-M173? You were at the site of their breach after all..."
At that moment, their eyes flare up and jaw tightens. I ready my rapier in case of their aggression sparking up, but instead they speak."
"The luminary one... I hate them... I'll kill them... I'll do anything to eliminate them..."
"C-Calm down... Could you... Could you explain what happened that day?"
"... Ordinary day... Irrational subject... Left for dead..."
"Did you... Also want to escape?..."
"No... They were irrational... Too much will... Too much desire..."
"So you're content being yourself?..."
"No... Pain... Too much..."
Hmm...
Rummaging through my purse, I take out my painkillers and present them to them.
"It's not much, hell, I'm not sure if they'll even work given your biology - but I suppose the gesture is what counts."
I put them in their palm and they loom at painkillers with confusion. Sigh...
"Open your mouth. I'll put the pill here and you'll drink it down with water—wait, can you even drink water?"
"... Consumption is possible."
"Okay, open up."
Putting the pill on their tongue, I close their mouth and put the bottle to their lips.
"Grip the ring with your lips—this part, and tilt your head slightly upwards."
They do as instructed and some of the water drips down their chin, which I quickly wipe.
"Tch, so messy! Here, let me show you - watch and observe!"
I put the bottle to my lips and show them how to drink from it, forgetting to wipe the saliva. Strangely, the taste is rather sweet and sour like a syrup than something very yucky.
"Did you eat candy?"
"No?..."
Does their saliva just taste like that? Anyway.
"That's how you drink from the bottle, you have to put some force into your grip. Now do it yourself"
I give them the bottle and they look at it funny before replicating my motions.
"Good, now you can drink water from the bottle! That said, if you say that consumption is possible, then how?..."
"A tube wedged into our mouth during feeding time."
I have two interpretations. One is that they're forced to drink water through some horrifying contraption...
Or that they're drinking water like hamsters drink from sipper bottles.
I like to imagine the latter...
Maybe the seniors overestimated me.
"Mind if I touch your ears?"
"Those are antennae."
--
"How do should we approach the beast, should we surround it or go all in from one side?"
"To ensure its capture, we must surround it. It should make the beast more disoriented if it has to focus on more than one target."
"I suppose it makes sense. Anyhoo, will you use the monster to strengthen your grip on west of Grinwicke?"
"Of course. Now, with its power by side, people will feel more threatened and kept in line - whether they like it or not. Terror is something that keeps EVERYTHING at bay."
"Y-Yes, sir."
The henchmen leave the conference compartment, leaving his right hand woman behind.
"My lord, are you sure about this? Given the lack of any surviving family, the Daemon might require your lifespan and constitution as a barter. From what I've seen, this daemon is quite strong."
"Will it accept human sacrifices?"
"Ah... uh... Yes, my lord. We could sacrifice our prisoners and underperforming fledglings to fill the barter. There were some recordings of contracts and pacts using human flesh as a barter."
"... Hm... If that's the case, then low quality meat can only produce diminishing results...
Would you sacrifice yourself for our barter."
"...
"You're excused."
Just as the right hand woman was about to leave the tent, the raven lord stops her.
"If I'll be able to get Bijou back - would our family be able to use that daemon's power?"
"I suggest against forming a pact, as it will curse your family, marking you as forever "debtor" to the daemon. In case of inability to pay off the debt by any of your descendents will result in total annihilation of the family."
"Hmm... You may go now."
As the woman leaves, he begins to think about his treasure again.
She was always quits knowledgeable, far more than he will ever be.
Her smarts what ultimately made him fall in love with her.
She was kind, smart and beautiful. A perfect little woman.
He can imagine how soft she is to touch, how warm she is to feel, how slick she is to taste.
He can't get enough of her, even after trying to replicate her with dozens of slaves and concubines. She is the one that matters.
She is the one who can fill that empty void inside of him.
He would've given her the everything if that means she will smile to him.
How can she not see his devotion to her?
How could she constantly reject him?
How could she spit in his face, cursing him to all eternity?
How?
He was the right man.
He was the one who truly live him?
Why?
Why?
Why?
WHY??
WHY???
WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY
WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY
To be continued...