Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: You Mean I Have to Periodically Recharge the Stigma? - 1
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After burning every last bit of what could be considered Cheshire Cat's personal property, we made our way back. We wandered around, taking in the sights here and there.
People occasionally glanced at me with curious eyes, knowing me as Ellis's fiancé, but that curiosity didn't last long.
This was still a barren land, after all, and they didn't have much attention to spare for outsiders.
That's fine. The Wonder Fentanyl territory would soon be abundant.
It was my territory, so it was bound to happen.
I'd make sure the people here could enjoy their daily lives and find small joys in each passing day.
And that would be yet another sight Elfriede would despise.
When we arrived at Dodo's clinic, she was tending to several patients in the newly completed temporary building.
The beads of sweat on her forehead hinted at how tirelessly she'd been working, but her expression revealed just how happy she was right now.
"Dodo."
I called out to her.
"Ah, Pro— Mr. Florian!"
The moment she spotted me, Dodo's face lit up. She rushed over and bowed deeply.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I can now care for patients in a proper facility."
"It's too early to thank me. Where's the turtle? We executives need to talk."
"Ah... You mean Tyr, right?"
Dodo's eyes flicked to the right. Following her gaze, I saw Tyr come into view.
Mint-green hair that perfectly captured the hue of shallow seas. The angelic girl was fast asleep on a patient's bed, breathing softly.
...Well, it is a patient's bed.
Smack!
"Eek?!"
Tyr bolted upright as if electrocuted, clutching her forehead. Her eyes, filled with indignation, darted around before finally meeting mine.
"Wh-what was that?"
"That's what I want to know. What are you doing?"
"We agreed to strictly follow rest times. I was working nonstop without sleep and only just managed to nod off..."
Then Ellis chimed in from the side.
"Master, how about we make her a real patient? Then she could lie here without issue, right?"
"Where'd you learn that kind of thinking?"
"From you, Master."
I'd never taught her such devious ideas. Still, it wasn't entirely unhelpful advice.
Just as I was about to accept the suggestion, Tyr quickly folded the blanket on the bed and neatly placed the pillow on top.
"I'm sorry."
The mint-haired girl bowed her head.
Forgiving a subordinate's mistake is part of a leader's role. I decided to let it slide magnanimously.
"Good. Meeting starts now."
Elbalom's first meeting had begun.
We gathered around the round table, each assigned to one of the four cardinal directions: east, west, south, north.
The makeshift conference room was filled with the warm, fragrant aroma of tea.
...Truth be told, Ellis had brought alcohol at first, so I made her swap it for tea.
Tyr looked the most anxious of all. She was the first to break the silence.
"We're building as hard as we can, but I can't help feeling uneasy. You know what I hate most."
"Plastic bags?"
Come to think of it, I'd heard sea turtles die from plastic.
"...What I hate most is when a building I've poured my heart into gets destroyed. But now you've gone and messed with Cheshire Cat too. What if they all come swarming and smash everything? Do you have a plan?"
It was a reasonable concern.
If the buildings she built with care kept getting wrecked pointlessly, she'd lose the will to build anymore. Why bother when they'd just get destroyed again?
"I'll stay in one fixed location. If anyone comes looking for me, you all just tell them the spot honestly."
Tyr extended her thumb and slowly drew it across her throat.
"What if you die there, Florian? We'd end up dead right after anyway. Don't put on a brave front to reassure us—tell us your actual strength."
Dodo jumped in from the side.
"I-I don't think it's bravado. Did anyone expect you to beat Tyr? Or take down Cheshire Cat's underlings? You always exceed expectations anyway."
"Urgh... True, even if it is bluffing, we're all in the same boat now. No choice but to trust you, and trusting feels better than not..."
A brief silence fell. Tyr finally let out a sigh.
"...Yeah, trust is our only option. So, what's this meeting about?"
"Nothing big. Just assigning each of you a task."
"A task?"
The three of them widened their eyes at me. I nodded.
"First, Turtle—you building whatever buildings you want right now?"
"When have I ever built what I wanted? If you tell me to build a clinic, I build a clinic."
"I'm not asking about the type of building. Have you ever designed the exterior freely, even once? I doubt it."
Blackjack's buildings perfectly mirrored Elfriede's temperament.
Straight lines only—no curves whatsoever. Black walls with gold accents exclusively.
The sea turtle had no doubt built faithfully to those rules. Sure enough, she nodded.
"Design... Never once freely. Not even once."
"Why?"
"Because she wouldn't stand for it. I didn't want to die back then either."
"Good."
I nodded.
"From now on, design the exteriors however you want, no matter what building it is. Try everything you've ever wanted to."
"...Why?"
This time, she asked for the reason. And it was simple.
"Because unlike others, I'll stay put. Do whatever you want."
Tyr tilted her head, but I saw no need to elaborate. My gaze shifted to Ellis and Dodo.
"Dodo, you're from Valhalla Academy, right? Top of the Healing Department."
"Y-yes."
Valhalla Academy's Healing Department valedictorian. Ellis's eyes went wide.
"W-wait. Healing Department? Which graduating class?"
"23rd."
"Ah, that's why I don't know you. I'm 20th."
"Really? I-I know you, though. And calling yourself a graduate is pretty shameless."
A chill flowed between them.
It was only natural for Dodo to hate Ellis.
In Valhalla Academy's Healing Department, Ellis was infamous as the worst disgrace ever—for using healing studies to manufacture drugs.
Anyway, I pressed Dodo further.
"Sounds like you have the skills to make a drug antidote. Why haven't you until now?"
"Because I'd lose my life if caught. I figured surviving was the priority so I could help even a few more patients."
"As expected."
Dodo, too, had held back her dreams out of survival fears.
"Same for you. Stop worrying about survival. From now on, you'll work with Ellis to develop a drug treatment."
Ellis and Dodo exchanged horrified glances and shook their heads vehemently.
Ellis protested loudly.
"Master! I can do it alone! I made the drug, so I can make the antidote by myself!"
"I-I don't want to work with Ellis either. I don't want to collaborate with a criminal."
"I'm not committing crimes anymore?"
"Then you're an ex-con."
I set my teacup down with a sharp clink to silence them.
"I'd love to respect your opinions, but I can't. Ellis, you've already been to the Luht Continent."
"Uh... So?"
"Think Elfriede's an idiot? She's already moved to the next phase of development with the drugs you handed over. You'll need to team up to make that antidote."
Even after my lengthy explanation, they growled at each other.
This won't do. I placed Trivi on the round table.
"If anyone disagrees, pick this up and shoot me."
Silence fell. No one so much as twitched. Should've done this from the start.
Tyr cautiously spoke up.
"Looks like we've reached a rough agreement. Now all that's left is for you to prove your strength, Florian. I heard you have a stigma?"
"So?"
"Stigmas need recharging every time you use their power, right? What was it again? There are stigmas that recharge only through sex. Damn, what was it...?"
Suddenly, Dodo cut Tyr off.
"D-don't talk about that! Not now!"
"Why not? There really is one! Damn, what was it? Some healing-type stigma... Mmph! Mmgh!"
Dodo clapped her hand over Tyr's mouth.
"Shh! The person with that stigma might be closer than you think!"
I shook my head at their exchange, chuckling despite myself.
What kind of ridiculous stigma is that? Whoever has it, poor soul.
"What's that about...? Just shut up. I'll prove it when Cheshire Cat shows."
Thwack!
It wasn't me. Ellis stood and suddenly smacked Tyr on the head.
"Hasn't this girl learned yet? Telling Master to prove his strength? Not hit enough?"
Tyr looked wronged and started to protest, then tilted her head.
"...But aren't you two engaged? Come to think of it, why call him Master?"
Silence descended. I decided to end the meeting there.
Crash!
"Wh-what the?!"
"My window?!"
Something shattered the glass window and flew in.
A stone? No, much smaller.
"The window! This was my design! Aaaah!"
In the midst of it, I felt relieved Tyr was more upset about the window than any threat to life.
I knew I wasn't quite right in the head either. I slowly picked up the object that broke the window.
A coin.
Engraved on it: a cat grinning with a grotesquely torn mouth.
"I'll prove it now."
Perfect timing—Cheshire Cat had arrived.