Unavoidable Circumstances (2)
[Gray office deep underground]
A gray-haired man appeared, syringe in hand.
Every suited man in the room turned his gaze to the blue liquid inside the syringes. The man in the lab coat bit down on his cigarette and smiled.
That was because they had all come here, spending a fortune, just to buy a drug that was barely more than a failure.
“Oh ho… so this is the rumored medicine.”
A brilliantly glowing blue liquid.
That was exactly what they wanted.
“Indeed. It’s also my own masterpiece. And the only one of its kind in the world.”
Only one bottle.
The reason it was a failure: the original purpose had been to create artificial awakeners, but this was nothing more than a means to amplify the mana of those who already possessed it.
And it was nothing more than a byproduct of research.
That was why there was only enough for one dose.
A quantity less than one bottle would be completely useless. Only precise dosing would allow it to be used for its original purpose.
Yet the suited men had been flying here from the nearest airport since dawn to obtain it.
Even though it was a failure, it still held enough value.
The drug’s effect wasn’t just an amplification of the mana an awakener already held. It could grant even a normal person mana levels on par with a minor awakener.
Of course, anyone who tried it on a normal person would simply be creating a poison that forced them into a shortened lifespan. But who in their right mind would use such a precious substance as mere poison?
There was no idiot who would do that.
Dr. Ethylene explained that it had taken decades of research to create even this single bottle.
He had thrown away the research facility in the mountains built with twenty assistants and absurd amounts of money, along with countless test subjects needed to verify the drug’s efficacy.
The result of pouring everything into it was nothing less than this drug.
“So, is the payment ready?”
“As promised. This amount should be sufficient.”
The suited man extended a bag filled with gold bars and cash.
“Everything you needed for the facility and the orphan test subjects has already been provided by our side. Let’s keep our consciences clean.”
Compared to the value of this drug, the sum wasn’t that great, but Ethylene was satisfied with whatever would be needed to continue his true research ahead.
Moreover, no matter how prestigious the power, it was never easy to set up such a massive underground research facility in the mountains or to gather thousands of children under twelve with mana inside them.
Now was the time to be content with this much.
“I thought this was advance payment… but I guess I have no choice. Right now, I can only be satisfied with this much.”
“You don’t seem particularly sorry.”
Ethylene smiled as he accepted the bag.
“After all, as long as I have my materials and my own brain, I can create this kind of drug anytime.”
The gesture of pointing at his own head showed how confident he was in his knowledge.
In truth, he was one of the world’s most famous scientists, a genius no one could catch up to except for one individual somewhere in Hero City.
He had already succeeded in using the power of awakeners to turn his own body into one of eternal youth.
“I see. Then would you mind coming with us? We’ve prepared far better facilities here than this place.”
“No. I don’t think that’s necessary. This place is enough for me.”
Clink!
The muzzle of a gun was aimed at Ethylene’s forehead.
“Ah, my apologies, Dr. Ethylene. This isn’t a suggestion or an invitation. It’s an order.”
“I thought there was no such clause in the contract…”
So many people in this world craved his knowledge.
Especially if he could create a drug that arbitrarily amplified awakeners’ mana, then surely he could make something even better.
Even if he couldn’t create the drug, Ethylene himself possessed enough knowledge to shake the foundations of the entire academy.
If such a genius scientist could be locked inside their facility and made to serve as they wished, how wonderful that would be.
He wouldn’t have to worry about growing old and dying. Artificial awakeners could be created or enhanced.
There would be no shortage of people willing to do that.
“Don’t worry. As long as you obediently follow us, I promise you the highest treatment. Of course, everything you discover while researching must be handed over.”
The subordinates who followed the suited man had all drawn their guns and taken out the guards.
“I don’t want to dirty my own brain by letting you do anything stupid, so think carefully.”
In particular, this research facility had been made off-limits to any awakeners other than test subjects at Ethylene’s own request. There was no way to escape the situation once they had already seized control of it.
“Hmm… I guess I have no choice. Then I surrender? I have no intention of pulling any tricks.”
In the end, Ethylene raised both hands and shook his head.
Even if his brain was brilliant, his body was still just an ordinary human that died the moment it was shot.
“You really are clever.”
The suited man never lowered his gun.
Even as a normal person, he had gone through grueling training and countless real battles.
He never let his guard down, no matter the situation, in case something unexpected happened.
Only, there were times when being prepared still left you unprepared.
“Wait a moment. Can I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Your shoelaces are untied. Could you tie them for me? Please don’t shoot.”
“Fine. I’ll allow that much. But if you try anything else, I’ll put a hole right through you, so be careful.”
“Then just for a moment…”
Ethylene bowed his head to tie his shoelaces.
The man never took his eyes off him, for fear he might do something strange.
“…But you’re not wearing shoes.”
The man was wearing high-end brand slippers, not shoes with laces.
“I’m not trying anything strange. You can rest assured. I don’t have the habit of doing anything weird.”
Of course, slippers had no shoelaces.
“Of course, I’m saying…”
Tock!
The moment Ethylene finished speaking, a head rolled across the floor from his subordinates’ side.
The cut surface was charred as if burned by fire. Thanks to that, no blood sprayed like a fountain.
“Y-You damn—!”
The man standing next to Ethylene was the same.
The man hadn’t even finished speaking before his head rolled off his body.
“Oops, it must have grazed a bit of your hair. I should have bent your head lower.”
Ethylene swept back his smoking hair and grabbed the medicine bottle.
“Ah, and this isn’t the medicine you wanted. It’s just a drink, but since I already received payment, I won’t give it to you specially. Do I need to thank you?”
He placed it into the mouth of the man whose head was still attached.
The office where Ethylene had been a moment ago was now cut by the light from the outside.
The moment Ethylene opened the door and stepped out, a woman with purple hair stood waiting, as if she had been expecting him.
“All the items have been taken. We should head out soon.”
The woman wore a crow mask. The inside of the facility was already filled with corpses exactly like those of the office.
†††
“Are you really sane? Did you take some medicine?”
The bartender at the currency exchange asked me seriously.
If he was shocked, he would understand just how crazy my words were.
After all, no matter how I thought about it, the place I was heading to was never one that a sane person could reach.
“Just to the border area of the Pleheim Federation. Can you do that? Just tell me that much.”
Pleheim Federation.
The only region in this world that still maintained a socialist system, and the second-largest power in terms of S-rank awakeners.
The number one was the Hero City region.
The reason I had come to this currency exchange before I left was to prepare a fake identity and transportation.
Because distances here were so vast, using their goods would be necessary to arrive within the deadline.
“First, I can’t say I can’t… but are you serious? You don’t even have enough money yet. You have a little sister. Why would you go there and do something so suicidal?”
“I don’t need to worry about those red guys. After all, they’re just a bunch of mice with numbers.”
Of course, the bartender was saying this not because Pleheim Federation was dangerous, but because of another massive power inside that nation.
“…Mice are no longer anything special, but the problem is the big ravens that eat those mice.”
Corvo Family.
A massive mafia organization in the northern region.
In reality, the federation was almost their territory.
In the past, the Pleheim Federation had enjoyed its golden age and beautiful cities, but over time its system gradually collapsed, and many awakeners began heading toward the ravens’ nest.
Among them were many who had once belonged to the federation but had switched sides.
Thanks to that, the mafia organization now possessed power on a level comparable to a nation-state. In about ten years, its internal regime would be taken over and it would become puppets.
It had already happened.
“Coming into conflict with them won’t end with just death. Those ravens capture awakeners, brainwash them, and turn them into their slaves. How many times has that happened?”
The reason was that most major awakeners inside the federation had become slaves of the Corvo Family.
The Corvo Family had an awakener who possessed powerful brainwashing abilities that even S-rank awakeners could not escape. Capella, the original character, had been brainwashed to a certain extent and had become their slave.
A hunting dog for the ravens.
But that guy hadn’t appeared yet.
It would still be a while before he showed up.
“I don’t have any intention of dying, and I don’t want to become their slave either. Since I’m an awakener, I’ve hunted plenty, just like their brainwashed slaves.”
More importantly, I wasn’t a dog, but a hunter.
It wasn’t possible for a hunter to be hunted by ravens.
I had already finished preparing to hunt.