Chapter 66: Emojija (1)
After nearly a week of searching, we'd finally tracked down the sewer where that Lamia bitch had dragged the dispenser and holed up in a cavern beyond it.
Who the fuck would've thought she'd make her nest in a place like that?
"You thought hiding in a dump like this would keep me from finding you, you fucking cunt?"
But the important thing was we'd found her. I spat the words at the Lamia bitch, already passed out cold, but of course, she wasn't answering. Her pathetic state pissed me off, but hey, I'd knocked her out myself, so I couldn't really blame her.
Not exactly venting my rage, but I grabbed her limp tail and dragged her ass toward the heavily sealed door.
"What a fucking circus you've set up."
A barrier of magic reinforced with crudely slapped-on talismans, plus a formation array pieced together from random junk around it.
It was a triple-layered seal, pretty solid in its own right, but who gave a shit?
"You think this kiddie prank is gonna stop me from opening it?"
Sparks flew when I grabbed the door handle—crackle crackle—but they couldn't even leave a scratch on my hand.
Compared to Hoaran's flames or that damn bitch's breath, this was laughable, not even enough for a mild burn. I ignored it and yanked the handle.
The barrier, wards, and array all rebelled against me, of course.
But crap like that couldn't stop Lilith.
Pop!
The triple seal ripped right off the door. The sight beyond left even me speechless.
"Holy shit, what the actual fuck. This is insane, you bitch."
I didn't lose my edge on the cursing, though.
There he was, the dispenser—shackled at the wrists, mouth gaping open, slumped on the floor. What the hell she'd done to him was obvious from the fluids everywhere: cum, pussy juice, sweat, blood, piss, filth, and god knows what else all mixed together.
The stomach-churning stench made me grimace.
But the dispenser himself, covered head to toe in it all, just stared at me without so much as a twitch.
"Fuck, for real..."
No two ways about it—his mind was shattered beyond repair.
Should I be grateful he was even alive?
His psyche was probably fucked so bad it'd take multiple memory wipes to even have a shot at recovery. Hell, even then, I doubted it'd work.
And that basically meant he was dead.
A broken mind doesn't stand back up on its own... no matter how much you erase and fuck around with memories, he'd just be a walking corpse.
With a heavy sigh, I pulled out my smartphone and made a call.
It barely rang once before she picked up.
"Y-Your Majesty...? W-What's going on...?"
"It's done. Come pick up this kid and get him to a hospital. Run a psyche eval too—if there's a problem, report it and wipe his memories. Better he forgets it all. And dig into whatever's backing this fucking snake bitch."
Magic, shamanism, even a formation array.
Stuff from different worlds.
No way a single Lamia could handle all that on her own.
She didn't look loaded enough for it either... and from the way her eyes rolled back and she lunged at me on sight, something was off from the start.
Plus, this Lamia...
For someone who supposedly put our branch chief in critical condition, she was pathetically weak.
Sure, the chief's a drama queen, but no way she'd go down to a weakling like this.
"Y-You mean there's... something behind her? Like that...?"
"Hell if I know—that's why I'm telling you to find out."
If this Lamia bitch kidnapped the dispenser for some purpose...
If that was the case...
"...Hold up, we'll talk about this later."
"W-Wait, where are you—"
A dark premonition flashed through my mind. I ended the call and immediately dialed another number.
Once.
Twice.
Three times...
Kept ringing, no answer.
"...He's probably working."
This happened before—yeah, that's it. No way he's passed out sleeping again like last time, right?
If he was, cake wouldn't cut it this time.
But still...
What was this nagging feeling?
"...Perfect timing. Time to squeeze those fuckers for more budget."
The artifacts for dispensers, the Body Checkers—in the original plan, they weren't just for survival tracking. They were supposed to have all sorts of protective spells for the body too.
But budget issues killed that every time. Now they just show health status and activate a barrier right before death.
Sad for this dispenser, but I could use this incident to push the budget proposal again.
If they reject it this time too...
"Then I'll pay them a visit myself."
I'd planned to stay hands-off, but if they play dumb after this, I'd rip their guts out for real.
This kidnapped dispenser's Body Checker was still on him—looks like the Lamia bitch squeezed him right up to the limit watching it.
If it'd had location tracking magic, we'd have rescued him ages ago.
Or if the barrier was stronger...
Not just some anti-evisceration shit, but real protection for the dispenser himself...
This never would've happened, and that idiot kid wouldn't have gotten hurt because of that damn pervert punk back then.
"......Fuck, he's still not picking up. Is this little shit seriously asleep?"
Tried calling again, but no answer even after the tone ended. I scowled at Hanjo's phone and spread my wings.
"Haven't seen him in days, and now he's straight-up ignoring me."
How to deal with this cheeky son of mine? Mulling that over, I spread my wings to head home.
"...Home, huh."
Not the lavish place the World Government gave me—one of the 22 heroes still meddling in shit. No, his cramped little dump, which I'd somehow started calling home. I smirked at myself.
"A home's a home."
It's where my son lives, so it's home for his mom too.
"Let's go."
To where he's waiting.
I threw open the door. His cramped place came into view.
"Guess he ain't back yet."
No shoes by the door. Yeah, figured.
He still had a ways to go before getting home.
Making decent money now, but still rocking the same cheap-ass shoes—that little punk. Maybe take him shopping this time.
Officially it's a secret, but him walking around in just one pair of beat-up kicks is kinda embarrassing as his mom.
Thinking that, I stepped inside and noticed something off.
"......"
The little folding drying rack crammed into the corner to maximize space—the clothes on it were exactly like last time.
No, it's been days.
Maybe he washed and hung more.
Just a coincidence, nothing more.
I wanted to think that.
But the dust piling up everywhere.
That nagging nag who bitched at me daily about not eating snacks in bed, about cleaning up—he's freakishly neat for how he looks. No way he'd let shit like that slide.
"...Probably just too lazy to clean."
Yeah, that's it.
Telling myself that, I walked to the fridge and opened it.
'You like dumplings?'
The bag he'd brought home saying that—one pack half-eaten, the rest untouched.
"Bought more, probably. They must've been good—when he gets back..."
No.
Don't look away, Lilith.
Are you really gonna kid yourself?
"...Fuck."
I called my idiot son.
"Pick up. Answer the damn phone."
Muttering at the ringing tone, but again, no answer till it ended.
Crack!
The smartphone shattered in my grip.
A hollow laugh escaped—squeezing the air from my lungs.
No.
It can't be.
Not confirmed yet.
So I checked.
Snap my fingers.
No time to blink—I was there at the building.
The Interspecies Support Center, that ridiculous name for what was really a milking ranch or whatever.
The succubus Muri I'd left as acting manager in my seat jumped when she saw me.
"Y-Your Majesty? Y-You're here?"
"Shut up. Pull the dispenser entry logs... no, from last week to today. All of them."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
I scanned the list Muri rushed over.
His name wasn't there.
From the day I left him, to now—not a single day of that busy little shit's name.
Not a mistake.
Checked again, fast, multiple times.
Gone.
Missing.
Where the fuck is he?
"Y-Your Majesty...?"
Ignoring Muri, I expanded my senses.
Wide, searching for the trace of my energy I'd left on him.
100km.
The whole city.
He wasn't here.
200km.
Nearby cities too, every inch.
Nowhere.
300km...
Pushed my senses to the limit, hunting for him, for my energy mark.
Nothing.
"F-Fuck..."
That shady Lamia bitch.
Supposedly crippled the branch chief, but weak as shit.
The backer I suspected behind her.
The dark thoughts that flashed—maybe they did this to lure me in.
Not just bad vibes anymore...
It was becoming real.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK..!"
"Eek?!"
Muri crumpled with a shriek. I glanced at her and reined myself in.
No.
It had to not be.
Snap.