Dual Minds, One Body
The day passed uneventfully, without any repeat of the chaos from before. I had grown so accustomed to the work that the customers’ reviews were excellent. “Elisha, did something good happen?”
“Pardon? Why do you ask?”
“You look especially cheerful today.”
“Hehe, it’s a secret.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen an angel smile with such genuine delight. You really are different from the others.”
“Oh, was I too excited? I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. It brightens my mood just watching you.”
I wondered if I had let myself get carried away by the words of a regular customer who had been visiting often lately. For a moment I had forgotten my proper bearing as an angel. Yet the more I worked, the more enjoyment overflowed from me, and the thought of having to act never even crossed my mind.
“Being an angel seems like your true calling, Elisha. I can see how much you enjoy it.”
“Do you think so? Lately I really have been finding the work delightful.”
At first, working as an angel had stirred no particular feelings in me. But after regaining my emotions and experiencing so many things, I had somehow come to genuinely enjoy the job. Was being an angel truly my vocation? Sacrificing myself to satisfy the desires of others. Honestly, it wasn’t so bad.
‘Because Elisha is an angel.’
‘Maria?’
‘I read through the memories again. Elisha never had a childhood, did you?’
‘My body was grown in an incubator, so I suppose not.’
‘Which means the formation of your ego only began after you arrived in Eden. Those brief experiences, combined with the conditioning of being turned into an angel, completed your sense of self. That’s why, even after regaining your emotions, you follow Isabel so blindly. Your very identity is that of a slave and an angel.’
‘Aha… so I wasn’t a broken personality rebuilt from scratch. I was simply created this way from the beginning.’
No wonder I accepted being Master’s slave and an angel so naturally that even I found it strange. ‘Master choosing me really was a masterstroke in so many ways.’
‘When I think about it, the only reason I was able to meet you was thanks to Isabel.’
‘Ah, more customers. I’ll handle them.’
Another guest arrived, so I offered a greeting.
“Hello, Elisha.”
“Welcome to Angels’ Haven.”
“Just give me any cocktail.”
“Of course.”
While I was still wondering what to make, my body moved on its own and began preparing a drink. Huh? Was Maria doing this?
‘Are you the one making it right now, Maria?’
‘I wanted to try it myself.’
With Maria in control of my body, all I could do was watch. But why was she so much better than me? Her movements were refined, the ratios perfect, and her skill clearly surpassed mine.
‘Maria, is there anything you can’t do?’
‘It’s that you can’t do it. It’s boring just watching, so I’ll handle the cocktails from now on. All right?’
‘Huh?’
‘You take care of talking to the customers. I’ll move the body.’
‘Ah… okay.’
It felt as though Maria was taking over my body for longer periods each day, but her cocktails were undeniably superior. The customers who tasted them confirmed it.
“What the—Elisha, when did you get so good at cocktails?”
“Seriously. They used to be just average, but this is actually delicious.”
“Is the difference that big?”
“To be honest, I only drank yours before because you made them. Otherwise it would have been a waste of money.”
I had secretly grown confident in my bartending, but this was a shock. Even while I reeled, Maria continued working with flawless skill. All I did was converse with the guests. And surprisingly, this division of labor made the entire job feel effortless and flow beautifully.
“To become this proficient in just a few hours… I’m amazed. What on earth happened?”
“I know. It was cute when you fumbled a little, but now you’re as skilled as any veteran angel.”
“That’s too harsh. Was I really that terrible?”
“Put your hand over your heart and think about it.”
Of course, since Maria controlled the body, I couldn’t actually place a hand on my chest. So my belief that I had become skilled at bartending had been nothing but an illusion.
‘Elisha can’t handle multiple tasks at once. Because you’re a dummy.’
‘Hiiing…’
‘Let’s just work like this from now on. I dislike dealing with customers, so you handle all the conversation.’
‘It feels strange only moving my mouth.’
The customers left with high praise for the drinks. While Maria cleaned up, we continued our conversation. She handled the cleaning without the slightest hitch even as we spoke.
“Elisha, did something really happen?”
“Even you, Senior Stella…”
“Your skill level suddenly shot up. It’s a little strange, but as a fellow angel I should congratulate you.”
Maria’s movements were so excellent that even Stella praised them. They somehow resembled Stella’s own—perhaps she had memorized them while trying to imitate her?
‘You watched and remembered everything, so why can’t you do it?’
‘I thought I was copying well.’
‘Not even close. It’s a mystery how someone who loves exercise can be so hopeless at this.’
‘I don’t know either.’
Amid Maria’s gentle scolding, the day’s bartending ended successfully. When I went upstairs to sleep, Maria spoke again.
‘You’re going to sleep now, right?’
‘Yes. I need to sleep so I can wake up tomorrow.’
‘Then sleep. I’ll go out for a while while you’re resting.’
‘Huh? You can do that?’
‘Wasn’t it impossible for me to sleep while you were awake?’
‘Ah… I see.’
Even as we spoke, a powerful drowsiness swept over me. Ugh, it really felt like Maria was forcing me to sleep.
‘I… still…’
‘Sleep well, Elisha.’
When I woke, I was already outside. Wait, was I sleepwalking?
‘Uhh… why are we outside?’
‘Are you awake?’
‘Ah, it’s you, Maria.’
Maria sat in a peaceful morning café bathed in bright sunlight, leisurely sipping coffee while browsing the news through her implant.
‘You can sleep longer. It’s my time now anyway.’
‘Even if you tell me to sleep… I just woke up.’
‘Won’t it be boring? Shall I put you back under?’
‘I like watching whatever you do, Maria.’
‘Aah, that’s right. Elisha is that kind of child.’
Maria lifted the coffee cup from the table and drank. Blech. It was incredibly bitter. Why would anyone drink this?
‘Ugh, isn’t it bitter?’
‘Coffee is meant to be enjoyed for its bitterness. You really are like a child, Elisha.’
‘I’ve been feeling like you’ve been treating me like a kid since earlier. Aren’t I technically older?’
‘Your mental age is that of a child, though?’
Maria was so mature that I couldn’t argue. After spending time at the café and finishing her coffee, she rose and began walking somewhere.
‘Where are we going?’
‘A musical instrument specialty store.’
‘Oh, to buy an instrument?’
‘I want to learn music.’
‘Why?’
‘I want to experience music among human cultures.’
‘Why?’
‘Elisha, stop asking so many questions.’
‘I’m curious.’
‘Sigh. You’re a good girl, aren’t you? I’ll teach you how to manipulate eggs, so do that instead.’
‘I can do that too?’
‘Here. Focus.’
At Maria’s words, I felt my consciousness being pulled somewhere. What appeared before me was a round object enveloped by countless tentacles. What was this?
‘What you’re seeing now is your ovary, Elisha.’
‘Eww… this?’
Tentacles coiled around the round ovary, roots burrowing deep inside. The densely wrapped organ pulsed faintly.
‘Imagine observing the interior. You should be able to see the eggs inside the ovary.’
‘Mmm…’
Following Maria’s guidance, I concentrated and felt my vision sink into the ovary. Inside, tiny spheres floated gently.
‘These little things are the eggs?’
‘They’re ones I prepared in advance. A normal person would ovulate naturally, but we create offspring by mixing them with my genetic information in this state. I possess an enormous amount of genetic data, so by combining different sets we can determine the abilities and personality the child will have.’
‘How do I do it?’
‘Instinctively. Feel it carefully. I’ve already made the connection, so you should be able to do it too.’
After that, Maria’s voice fell silent. Hmm. How exactly…? I stared hard at the floating eggs but couldn’t figure it out. Then, focusing on one egg and imagining mixing genes with it, I felt something. It wasn’t displayed or clearly sensed, yet when I thought of mixing, I could perceive the result.
Wow, this was incredibly fascinating. Mixing this egg with that one produced an aggressive child. Ah, this combination would create a gentle one. Once I could sense the abilities Maria had mentioned, it became far more entertaining than I expected. It felt like the joy of hands-on creation. The eggs had grades, and certain pairings produced exceptionally outstanding offspring.
I was absorbed in combining them when Maria’s voice returned.
‘Looks like you’re having fun. You’re completely immersed.’
‘It’s really fun. Want to see the combinations I made?’
‘I was only doing it out of obligation, but you seem to enjoy it. Perfect. You can handle this from now on. I’ll call you if I need anything later, so keep playing.’
‘Okay.’
Ah, this egg had a high grade. Manipulating the eggs took longer than I realized. It didn’t feel like much time had passed, yet it was already time for bartending again.
‘Did you make any good combinations?’
‘Yes. But how do we assign roles?’
‘I didn’t give you authority for that. We can’t entrust the position of queen to just any child.’
‘I see.’
While working with Maria at the bar, the monster-hunter grandfather from last time returned.
“Miss Elisha, I’m heading out for more research tomorrow.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
“I feel the same. It’s rare to find an angel so knowledgeable about monsters, so it’s a pity.”
“Where are you going this time?”
“To Ryuzan. It seems the Abaddons are causing quite a stir there.”
“Abaddons?”
I received unexpected information from an unexpected source.
‘Maria, he’s talking about Abaddons.’
‘I heard.’
The grandfather drank his beer and told us about the disturbance in Ryuzan.
“The people hosting Abaddons are demanding rights to live. Infected individuals who fled human territory into monster domains have gathered, and their numbers have already surpassed two hundred. They’re asserting their right to exist in Ryuzan.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Yes, it is. This is the first time infected hosts have assembled on such a scale. The question is whether those beings should be regarded as people or as Abaddons.”
“Aren’t they living in symbiosis?”
“Humans with Abaddons? Nonsense. Abaddons are nothing but parasites. They’re vermin that must all be exterminated.”
“I heard that Abaddons possess egos as well.”
“Who told you that? There is no evidence they have egos. Those are merely the claims of the infected. Who would take the word of parasite-ridden individuals at face value?”
“But if you actually spoke with them, wouldn’t you be able to tell?”
“How would you distinguish whether your conversation partner is the human or the Abaddon?”
I had no answer for the grandfather. He was right. Even Maria possessed all of my memories; other Abaddons would be no different.
The grandfather raised his thick eyebrows and continued rapidly.
“Some scholars advocate studying Abaddon ecology, but that’s naïve. With only a single queen, they can multiply their numbers in no time. Moreover, since it’s impossible to accurately distinguish the infected from the uninfected, the only solution is to kill them all.”
He continued warning me about the dangers of Abaddons until it was time for him to leave. Facing such raw hostility toward Abaddons left me feeling helpless.
‘What will happen to those Abaddons?’
‘They’ll die. Along with their hosts.’
‘They only wanted to live…’
‘Elisha really is kind. A normal person would have said those people died because of the Abaddons.’
‘People are all different. Many would choose symbiosis.’
‘I hope so.’
Maria seemed slightly bitter.
After finishing work as usual and returning to the room, Maria spoke.
‘You’re going to sleep now, right?’
‘I am, but what do you do while I’m asleep, Maria?’
‘This and that. I take walks, browse the internet, watch television.’
‘I see. Is it better to do things directly?’
‘Yes. It’s my body now.’
While talking with Maria, sleepiness crashed over me again. Lately I seemed to grow drowsy the moment it was time to sleep. Was Maria forcing it after all?
‘I’m getting sleepy again. I’ll go to sleep.’
‘Sleep well, Elisha.’
I slept deeply and woke late. Yesterday I had risen at nine after sleeping soundly, but today I woke at ten—an hour later. Even though my body had been asleep, Maria had been moving it.
What was Maria doing? Through my eyes I saw we were walking along the central street.
‘Maria, what are you doing?’
‘Going to an esthetic shop.’
‘An esthetic shop?’
Suddenly an esthetic? So Maria was interested in those things too.
‘Elisha, did you forget?’
‘Forget what?’
‘You received a VIP voucher for the esthetic shop.’
‘Ah! That’s right. I did receive one, didn’t I?’
I had completely forgotten. Maria must have found it by reading my memories.
‘Still, it’s surprising that you would want an esthetic treatment, Maria.’
‘I’m curious. It would be a waste not to use it.’
‘Do they give massages too?’
‘Probably.’
‘I’ve been waking up later and later lately because I feel tired. Maybe a massage would help relieve the fatigue?’
‘That’s what I’m doing.’
‘Huh?’
‘Since I’m the one moving the body anyway, I put you into a deep sleep so you wouldn’t get bored.’
‘Ah, so that’s what it was? I thought something was wrong with me.’
Maria had been deliberately sending me into deep sleep. Thanks to that, I felt remarkably refreshed. People suffering from insomnia would probably be cured instantly if they had an Abaddon.
‘Still, I prefer watching you over sleeping, Maria.’
‘It may be my body now, but it was originally yours. Is that really all right?’
At Maria’s words, a faint sense of resistance rose inside me. Then my mind tickled, the resistance vanished, and a wave of pleasure at being dominated washed over me, leaving me feeling wonderful.
Ah… since I enjoy it too, it should be fine, right?
‘It seems better for you to have the body than for me to keep it, Maria.’
‘Elisha really is a good child. You do love being dominated, don’t you?’
‘Yes.’
Even as we conversed, Maria continued walking down the central street. Her gaze focused mainly on angels like me. Why was she watching them?
‘Why are you looking at the angels so intently?’
‘Looking at your case, Elisha, angels make extremely suitable hosts for Abaddons. They seem like they would accept us without trouble.’
‘Ah, that makes sense. Angels have no emotions, so they wouldn’t feel any resistance.’
Listening to Maria, it certainly seemed true. If angels became Abaddon hosts, as long as it didn’t interfere with their work they would probably accept it without much fuss. As expected, Maria was clever.
‘Ah, but there’s one thing that worries me. After Master achieves his goal, he plans to implant devices in the angels to restore their emotions. Won’t that cause problems later?’
‘Hmm, I think there’s a way we can help. You know I perceive emotions separately, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘By linking with our main body, we could partially replace the function of the dead brain.’
‘That’s possible too? Abaddons really are incredibly capable.’
Wait—if we turned all the angels into Abaddon hosts, wouldn’t that solve both problems at once? They could regain their emotions without implants and become symbionts. Two birds with one stone.
‘After Master completes his objective, let’s suggest it. Right now, restoring emotions would be too dangerous.’
‘Understood. You’re choosing host candidates first?’
‘Yes. What makes a good host candidate?’
‘The higher the intelligence or the superior the physical body, the better the host.’
‘Aha, so that’s how you collect genes and evolve.’
Chatting with Maria, we arrived at Venus Esthetic Shop on the central street. The five-story building was elegantly decorated, living up to its reputation. The exterior walls were the same white as the surrounding structures, but the interior featured soft pink wallpaper, charming decorations, and sophisticated design.
‘Wow, that doll is adorable. Ah, Maria, show me more!’
‘We came for an esthetic treatment, not to look at dolls.’
I wanted to keep looking at the cute little doll, but Maria mercilessly turned her gaze away. She seemed to be growing more domineering lately.
Maria approached the receptionist and presented the black VIP card we had received earlier.