Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Replacement
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"...You've been out of it all day, Eliya."
As Falco brought it up, Trisha, who had been sitting across from him reading a book, nodded silently in agreement.
Eliya had holed herself up in her room, completely cutting off contact with the outside world. It had been really serious these past few days.
For someone who had aced the first trial of the hero selection exam with top scores, her attitude was downright bizarre.
At least publicly, everything that happened inside the selection exam was kept strictly confidential.
If there hadn't been a woman who could see emotions with her eyes, no one would have even guessed that something major had gone down in there.
"..."
Trisha, who had been silent up until now, let out a deep sigh at his words.
Of course, they all knew that Eliya's mood swings were more extreme than her public image suggested. But usually, she only got this down in one specific situation.
At least, as far as she knew.
"What about Dawood?"
"...Why him?"
Falco tilted his head at her question, clearly not grasping her intent. But true to his model student nature, he answered promptly.
"I've heard some rumors..."
"Rumors?"
"That guy had a ton of bad rumors swirling around the faculty. Total crazy playboy."
"..."
Sadly, Trisha had no way to deny those rumors outright.
Eliya herself had fallen head over heels for him despite knowing exactly what kind of guy he was.
"Right?"
"But..."
Falco trailed off, running a hand through his hair with a troubled look.
"I heard he's hospitalized in the infirmary now?"
That would explain why Eliya was so drained.
She'd been publicly declaring she'd "protect" him. If he was in the infirmary, it made sense she'd blame herself for failing to protect him from whatever it was.
As Trisha pondered, stroking her chin, Falco continued.
"But apparently, there's at least a dozen women crowding around his room."
"..."
"In the faculty, a bunch of people are thrilled, saying it's finally payback for that playboy bastard—"
Of course.
It wasn't just failing to protect him—it was also seeing all those "rivals" gathered in one place.
The real question was, what the hell had happened to draw all those women who'd normally clash on sight?
'...Dawood.'
Trisha turned to gaze at the infirmary building, now sealed off.
No doubt, something massive was going down inside to warrant that lockdown.
'What on earth happened to you?'
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"..."
"..."
A heavy silence hung over the hospital room.
Two people lay side by side on the bed. One was Yuria Grayhauncher. The other was Dawood Campbell.
"How's their condition?"
Prime Minister Sullivan spoke in a stiff, rigid voice.
The Saintess and Tristan Duchess standing beside him swallowed dryly, focusing intently on Knight Indra.
'...What the hell is this guy that all these big shots are swarming him?'
The thought flashed through Knight Indra's mind at the infirmary.
There were nearly a dozen people outside the room, all anxious about his condition, but he'd chased them all out for the patient's sake.
These three were the representatives.
Knight Indra carefully withdrew the mana he'd spread around the room.
"Vital signs are stable on both. No physical abnormalities."
"...And the non-physical aspects?"
At the follow-up question, Knight Indra closed his mouth and shook his head.
"If it's about amnesia... I don't know the exact cause. But something incredibly complex happened involving their 'souls.'"
"Process?"
"For now, Dawood's body here has no 'original soul.' Someone stole it."
"..."
At Knight Indra's words, everyone's eyes snapped to Yuria.
Sullivan's gaze burned with outright hatred.
"From your reactions, you all seem to have guesses. You're right. It's like their souls got mixed up. Both souls are inside this student Yuria's body."
In other words.
The White Devil was clinging to this man's soul, refusing to let go.
Like growling that she'd never hand him over to anyone else.
"But... without a soul, shouldn't he be a vegetable? Why can Dawood still move?"
A soul is the storage for a person's memories and personality.
Conceptually, once it's pulled out, the body is just dead meat. Yet Dawood had amnesia but was functioning fine.
How?
"That spirit body at the end of the trial?"
"Yes, but... what does that have to do with it?"
"The spirit body that attacked him is now 'replacing' his soul."
Everyone in the room blinked in stunned confusion.
"Replacing?"
"Flesh is a vessel for the soul, and even without one, its 'nature' remains. I don't know what trick he pulled in that split second, but he processed that spirit body into an 'artificial soul.' So his body can function without his real one."
"..."
Silence fell over the room.
Just hearing it, anyone could tell it was a miracle-level feat.
The unbelievable part was deciding, executing, and succeeding in that instant.
"...A monster's a monster."
As Sullivan muttered like a groan, Knight Indra added,
"Of course, even that trick is just temporary. Unless we return the soul from Yuria's body to its proper flesh, the body will die too."
The moment those words left his mouth.
A heavy tension began to fill the inner hospital room.
At the same time, an equally heavy tension started building outside—
'...Why outside?'
Elnor looked toward the door with a dumbfounded expression.
They'd clearly been eavesdropping as if it was the most natural thing.
Anyway.
"...Is there a way, Knight Indra?"
Elnor asked in a subdued voice, and Knight Indra sighed.
"Unfortunately, not right now. While the spirit body replaces his soul, there might be special effects, so treating him as naturally as possible is about it."
"Effects...?"
"Changes in personality or behavior patterns. Beyond just lost memories."
"Changes?"
"It's an artificial soul—retaining 'knowledge' he's built up, but all 'experience' is gone. So resistance is way down."
"...What does that mean?"
"Simple, Prime Minister."
Knight Indra brushed back his hair and continued.
"He's probably much more... 'innocent' than expected."
"..."
"If someone tries to deceive him with words, he'll fall for it easily."
"..."
A silence so deep even breaths sounded loud settled inside and outside the room.
No doubt about it.
The calm before the storm.
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[...Hmmm...]
Caliban Chrisanax let out a deep groan.
He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
He'd managed to keep a conversation going with the guy since he woke up that evening.
[...What did you just say?]
Dawood Campbell tilted his head.
His innocent wide eyes radiated confusion about what was wrong with what he'd said.
"...I told you I don't like playboys?"
[...]
"Guys who go around messing with this girl and that girl never have their heads screwed on straight."
[...]
"I have no idea why you're suddenly asking about that..."
[...Uh, yeah. You're right. Sorry.]
Caliban responded in a dazed tone, genuinely flustered.
'...Who the hell is this guy?'
One memory loss and his whole personality changes?
Is this the same bastard who boldly declared in front of everyone that he'd keep multiple women?
"Um... Can I ask one thing?"
[What?]
"From the way you talk, it seems like we were close friends before I lost my memory. What kind of person was I?"
[...]
"So many people came to visit me at the hospital, so I must've been a decent guy. Right?"
[...Uh, well...]
"Mostly women, weirdly enough... but they're all friends, clearly. My school days must've been full of great friends!"
Caliban was a Guardian.
By nature, righteous and kind-hearted.
Telling the truth to this pure soul with sparkling eyes asking about his past was something even his heart couldn't bear.
[...No, yeah. Sure. Yeah...]
"Right?"
As Dawood grinned and said it, Caliban clamped his mouth shut, unable to respond.
The sincerity, so unlike his usual self, made it twice as bewildering.
As he swallowed those feelings inwardly, someone knocked on Dawood's door.
"...Not time for the caretaker?"
Dawood tilted his head, getting up from the bed.
It was late evening. Not visiting hours. Who could it be?
He opened the door, and there stood someone he recognized.
"Ah, Eliya...?"
Dawood's voice mixed half joy, half bewilderment.
He knew she'd carried him piggyback to the infirmary like a madwoman when he collapsed. But why come at this odd hour outside regular hours?
As he wondered,
Eliya, her face oddly flushed, grabbed his shoulder firmly.
"...Good thing I came first before the others."
"...Eliya?"
Looking closer, her breath was strangely sweet.
"...Do you have a fever? I'll call Knight Indra. Wait here."
[...]
No, she just looked like her eyes had rolled back with some reckless plan.
As Caliban mulled words he couldn't voice aloud, Eliya steadied her breath and spoke.
"Listen up, teacher."
"Yes, I'm listening."
His meek response made Eliya clutch her chest with a squeak.
Why's he so cute?
She'd heard from Knight Indra he'd act like this.
But this... 'innocent' Dawood had more destructive power than expected.
"..."
Of course.
That made what she had to do now hardly humane.
But she couldn't let other women get the jump...!
This was the bare minimum to protect him from those terrifying women...!
"The others will spout nonsense too, but ignore them. Listen only to me. Got it?"
"...Yes?"
"First, one fact you need to know."
Eliya took a deep breath.
"We're actually engaged."
"..."
Dawood's face paled slightly.
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