Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Chapter 112
A small cabin built in the middle of a barren plain. It was my dormitory.
It’s been a while since I've been here, too.
The vacation period wasn't even that long, but perhaps because it was so dense with events, it couldn't help but feel that way.
"Ugh…"
The phantom pain that came as soon as my tension eased. I forced my limbs, which felt as if they were creaking from the pain, to move and threw myself onto the bed.
It's a bit late to say, but they're really too much. How can there be three people, and not one of them helped carry me?
Marie was passed out drunk, but Baekyang and Eleanor were there too.
But they just looked down at me coldly and didn't help.
Their gazes were so uncomfortable that I had no choice but to come back alone. How could I lay there proudly when I was too scared to even say anything?
"What should I do about [Contemplation]?"
This place is safe for now. It's always been that way.
It's just that there are many people monitoring me, so I usually don't let my guard down even while sleeping.
"...Is one already here?"
I could feel two presences.
One was the [Tenebris] member who was basically always here, but what in the world was the other one?
Their actions were too fast. Of course, it could be that they have such a system in place.
But to infiltrate [Scientia] in the first place, one would need a suitable identity to avoid being caught by Tia. Yes, a cover identity with some kind of role.
If so, how many people would have an identity that would allow them to move so quickly?
The only identities that wouldn't arouse suspicion in [Scientia] are students and staff.
But the staff also have their own roles, and someone at the professor level wouldn't have the leisure to move so quickly.
The school during vacation. A being with nothing to do, free to wander around.
"A student… perhaps?"
I can't be sure, but there's a high probability that the other party has the identity of a student.
"Ugh…"
Deactivating [Contemplation] when I don't know the opponent's exact purpose wouldn't be a very good decision.
But the opponent probably won't move rashly either. They would know that they aren't the only one monitoring me.
If they were to move rashly and stir up trouble with the other observers, there's no chance they would approach.
This is also just optimism, but…
"I need to force myself to rest."
How long has it been since I activated [Contemplation]? In fact, it feels like I've had it activated more than deactivated recently.
Putting aside the physical fatigue, my mental fatigue had already reached its limit.
Furthermore, aren't I also suffering from phantom pain?
Unlike other phantom pain symptoms, mine isn't due to loss, so it will probably get better with time.
But if the state of tension continues indefinitely, that too will take a long time.
"I think I'll have a nightmare tonight."
I deactivated [Contemplation], laid down on the bed, and curled up into a ball.
Was it because of anxiety or because of the pain?
I felt like I was going to have a nightmare tonight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Curled up in bed, my consciousness awakened. It was probably dawn.
Both my body and mind were still tired, but the phantom pain made it difficult to sleep.
It was while I was meaninglessly staring into the void in a half-asleep state in the darkness.
"…"
The more my mind awakened, the more my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness.
I couldn't help but be shocked, my mouth agape.
"Wha…"
I barely manage to stay silent. Not yet. My mind and body are not yet fully awake from sleep.
I mustn't act rashly.
In a place where I should be living alone, I could see the silhouette of another person.
Even in my dazed state, I could understand. It was an intruder.
The opponent was looking down at me. Fortunately, it seemed they hadn't noticed that I was awake, but…
"Hmm…?"
A gaze as if they were appraising me could be felt even without [Contemplation] activated.
Goosebumps ran down my entire body.
Should I activate [Contemplation]? If I do, I can confirm the opponent's identity. But at the same time, they will find out that I am awake.
[Contemplation] emits a sense of pressure. Even if it's a very subtle difference, the opponent would be able to sense it.
All I can do now is wait for my still-drowsy body to finish its complete awakening.
In the meantime, I don't know if the opponent will run away or attack me. But for now, this is the best I can do.
"You must have been very tired."
A soft woman's voice, carefully whispering in my ear.
I felt like I've heard it somewhere before, but at least among my acquaintances, there is no one with such a voice.
The voice was dripping with affection, as if she were worried about me, but from the moment she entered someone else's house without permission, I couldn't think of her as a normal person.
Amidst the continuing tension.
As dawn was breaking, the woman's presence suddenly vanished as if melting away.
I hadn't activated [Contemplation], but for her to disappear like this even when I had detected her… it seems the opponent is quite skilled.
"…"
It seemed better to observe the situation a little more rather than moving immediately, so I waited for another 30 minutes or so before getting up.
It seemed certain that the opponent had disappeared. If they had another purpose or were planning to attack me, they had ample opportunity.
First, I checked my surroundings.
It didn't seem like anything was missing, nor was there a warning note or anything of the sort.
She really must have just watched and then left. What did she come for?
"What was that?"
After checking my surroundings, I checked my body and found that it was drenched in a cold sweat, and I could still feel the phantom pain.
I was scared.
Many things had happened since I possessed this body, but this was the first time I had felt fear like this.
What was that? What was that, really?
I couldn't fathom the opponent's purpose.
If I had my way, I'd want to just sit here and calm the pain, but it seems better to move.
First, shall I check with [Tenebris] to see if they had any idea, since they must have been watching me?
First, I collected myself and stood in front of the door. There were no signs that the door had been forced open. No, there were no signs that the door had been opened at all.
The opponent, at least, did not come in through the door. If so, the only place they could have come in was the window.
"...Nothing."
But the window was the same.
Since I am often targeted, I made sure to lock up properly.
A perfect locked room.
"Hmph…"
I think it's about time I went out. Calming my trembling limbs from the phantom pain, I acted as if I was fine and opened the door to go out.
[Contemplation - Activated]
And at the same time as opening the door, I activated [Contemplation] and surveyed my surroundings.
Eight people. A little more than usual today, but not that different from the norm.
I don't know if the person who was watching me last night was mixed in among them, but there's no harm in checking.
"Let me see your face for a moment."
As I scanned them one by one with my [Contemplation]-enhanced gaze, I got an immediate reaction.
Some tried to leave, and others hesitated, keeping their distance. Well, it's always like this.
If I tried to approach them directly, most of them ran away. The ones who ran away were just small-fry anyway.
The ones who disn't run wee probably affiliated with a country, or they were confident in themselves, and [Tenebris].
"I'm talking to you, so come out."
It's impossible to gather everyone.
It would just stir up trouble. So I called out to [Tenebris], with whom I have the most amicable relationship.
They were all aware of each other anyway, so there's no need to be hesitant.
They wouldn't care about their identities being revealed. In this small, enclosed space, even if they tried to hide their identities, they would be found out quickly because of the work they do.
As long as they hide what they talked about, it should be fine.
"My, my? Calling me out in such a crowded place is embarrassing~"
The one who revealed herself, scratching her head in the middle of the forest, was a brown-haired girl with the eyes of a bird of prey.
[SR Gazing Owl]
Ulla Stylena.
"...You again? Ulla Stylena."
"Hello! Prince Oz. You knew, as I thought. What great insight."
"Why are you here?"
"Lucia is off duty today. It was a long mission, so she must be tired."
"That's not what I asked."
As I recall, this one was supposed to be in charge of Alexios.
Naturally, an elite agent of [Tenebris] would have a lot of work to do.
In other words, they don't do 24-hour surveillance. Usually, lower-ranking agents take turns monitoring.
But they each have their assigned individuals.
If so, they are usually not far from the person they are assigned to monitor.
Then who is the person in front of me? She was supposed to be the elite agent in charge of Alexios.
If so, there is only one conclusion.
"Did that bastard Alexios return to Scientia, or did he die?"
That idiot finally made contact with [Parade] and died.
We lost a talented individual.
"No, that's not it. ...More importantly, aren't you a little too calm? Shouldn't you care a little if he's family?"
"Family, what family. Besides, what am I supposed to do about a guy who died acting on his own? I warned him. The stupid fool."
"No, I said he didn't die! Why are you talking like some un-frank old man who sent his son off to war?"
"I don't care either way."
If he's alive, then that's that.
Then why is she here? If that guy is alive, there's no reason for her to be here.
"Then what are you doing here, leaving Alexios behind? Ah, has he already returned?"
"...That's not it either."
"Then?"
Ulla hesitated to speak, then, as if she had made up her mind, she let out a deep sigh and said.
"I lost him."
"Were those eyes just for decoration?"
"...This is why I didn't want to say anything. Why does everyone say that? Besides, you're not even sugarcoating it, Prince Oz. You're so direct."
"Hmm… right, I lacked consideration. Are those eyes glasswork?"
"What kind of consideration do you think you lacked?"
"Formal language."
"...I really don't understand why you're so popular."
If there's a reason I'm popular, it's my face. That's it.
Besides, am I even popular?
"Ahem, ahem… That idiot Alexios went into the Goblin Forest without a guide."
"Then he's dead."
"I told you, he's not dead!"
[The Goblin Forest] is dangerous.
The goblins that inhabit it are said to be strong, but the space itself is the problem.
It's a place full of demonic energy, so if a human enters without a guide, they will get lost.
Sometimes the goblins let humans they like go, but who would like a guy who acts like such a hooligan?
"This is just my guess, but…"
"Let's stop talking about Alexios. It's not interesting and it's not fun."
"...You were the one who brought up this topic first, Prince Oz!"
I don't care about that Alexios guy. If he's alive, he'll do fine on his own. He's not a child.
When I blatantly showed my lack of interest, Ulla, who had been protesting, finally slumped her shoulders and said,
"So? What's your business? Is there something other than the Alexios matter?"
It seems this one wanted to talk about Alexios.
Could she possibly like that hooligan?
"...Do you perhaps want to see the Princess? If you're willing, I can put you in touch right now."
"You say creepy things so nonchalantly."
I don't even want to hear about that potential villain. Just hearing about her makes me feel like the fresh morning air is turning into a sticky, unpleasant feeling.
"Was there anyone who entered my residence during the night?"
"That can't be. I didn't see anything, and in a situation with so many watchful eyes, I don't think anyone would be reckless enough to do that."
"...At least, you didn't discover them, is that what you mean?"
"Did someone actually come in?"
When I nodded silently, Ulla started to glare at the cabin.
Her eyes, visible beyond her sunglasses, held a strange light.
Her active skill, [Weakness Detection].
In the game, it was simply a skill to detect the opponent's weakness, but it probably wasn't just that.
She was probably looking for any suspicious traces around the cabin.
"...There really are footprints other than yours, Prince Oz."
"Were you dozing off while on watch?"
Can't you do your job properly?
What were you doing, not even checking if a suspicious person was coming and going from my house all night?
"How could that be? I'm a trained elite agent. The opponent is just a monster. If it weren't for my eyes, I wouldn't have even found this trace."
"Either way, it's undeniable that you were negligent in your duties. Couldn't you have just been like this normally?"
"You say it so easily, but do you know how hard it is to maintain this?"
"You should have practiced more."
"Hearing that from a genius like you is incredibly annoying. I really don't understand why Lucia likes you. Is it your face?"
"...She doesn't particularly like me either."
Besides, you think my face is okay too, huh. I feel like some of the confidence I've recently lost is being restored.
"Hmm… But you know, Prince Oz. There's something a little strange."
"In the first place, what is a person who enters someone else's house without permission in the middle of the night if not a strange person?"
You have to experience it to know. How scary it was…
"No, that's true, but I'm talking about the footprints. They stopped at the wall, not the door or the window."
"What does that mean?"
"There are no signs of entry through the door or the window, so could it be that they came through the wall?"
"…"
Is it possible to do that without any damage? Then is there any reason for locks to exist in this damn world?
"It's strange. It's the first time I've seen something like this. Ah, but maybe Lucia could sneak in?"
[Schrödinger's Cat]
Would it be possible with Lucia's ultimate skill, which grants temporary invisibility?
It's not an ability to block attacks, but a skill where her physical form disappears, allowing her to pass through everything. But I don't know if that would allow her to pass through structures like walls.
"...No, but it's probably not Lucia. There's no reason for her to do that."
"Who knows? You can always make up a reason. And Lucia happened to be off duty yesterday."
Seeing Ulla's sly smile, it's obvious what she's thinking. Even with [Contemplation] activated, she's a fearless one.
Last time she was trembling, but is her adaptability better than Lucia's?
"But it's not her. The voice wasn't Lucia's."
"Voice?"
"Yeah, it was the voice of a young woman."
"...Hey, if you had information like that, shouldn't you have told me first? What did that woman say?"
"She said, 'You must have been very tired.' When I opened my eyes in the middle of the night, she was looking down at me."
"That… must have been incredibly scary."
You're telling me.
I was drenched in a cold sweat.
"Could it be a stalker?"
"...I think I'd be more at ease if it were an assassin."
A stalker with such incredible abilities… just imagining it is terrifying.
It was at that moment, as I was rubbing my arms from the chill of that thought.
"...Ah!"
"Did you remember something?"
"Come to think of it, I think there's one person I know who fits that description."
"Who is it?"
Ulla scratched her cheek and said with a somewhat unconfident attitude.
And that person was…
"The Student Council President."
A person I couldn't have even predicted. Why in the world??
"I have no connection with her."
"She was probably swamped with work because of all the trouble you caused, so maybe she developed a one-sided hatred?"
"...If you put it that way, I guess I have no retort."
Isn't that a perfect reason with no room for doubt?