Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Yuria and the Two Psychics - Interlude
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The sun sank level with the city, painting the world red in the hour of sunset.
Jellin, a stern woman with her dull blonde hair tied back neatly, looked at me and spoke.
“Well, I’ll be on my way now.”
“…Okay. B’ye.”
“Yes. Have a good evening.”
She said she was the agent in charge of me, but she must be exhausted also acting as my bodyguard.
I opened the door and stepped into the agency, waving enthusiastically at Jellin.
*Click.*
The agency door slid shut, and her figure, which had been standing perfectly still beyond it, disappeared.
A few seconds passed. From beyond the door, I could hear the clacking of heels as they receded down the hallway.
When that sound too faded away, a quiet atmosphere settled in, and I was finally alone.
All by myself in this spacious agency… It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, since Raven often left the house.
‘So much happened today. The agent in charge of me showed up this morning, I went out to play with Sabrina and got caught up in an incident, and then I ended up fighting with Ren….’
My body wasn't tired at all thanks to the Tesseract, but I was mentally exhausted.
As I let out a languid sigh, the mirror in the entryway caught my eye.
My reflection showed me in a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts.
With a fox mask perched on my face, at a glance, I looked like a little girl wandering through a festival.
The one-piece dress I wore this morning was quite expensive….
With that thought, I strode up to the mirror and took off the mask.
I looked into the pretty face that was becoming all too familiar.
Carefully, concentrating, I tried to voice the word ‘thank you.’ Or rather, I tried to.
“Th-aa… nnnk… Haa….”
But the moment I tried to imbue the words with intent, a choking tightness gripped my throat.
There was no way I could speak properly like this. I scratched my head in frustration and let out a deep sigh.
Just a little while ago, in front of Raven, the words ‘thank you’ had just popped out without me even realizing it.
How did I say it? The moment I wondered, the sensation vanished as if it had never been there.
It was like some kind of rhythm game. Why would I lose the feeling for it the instant I noticed something was off?
Who on earth placed this kind of curse on me? If they were in front of me, I’d want to give them a good thrashing.
Still, it wasn't all bad. It meant that if the conditions were right, I could speak as I wished.
It might be difficult now, but I could look forward to the future, couldn't I?
‘Once I can speak properly… I’ll sing a rap song and completely surprise Raven and Greg!’
*Hee hee hee*, I can’t wait for that day!
Clenching my fists confidently, I spun around and headed into the agency.
Raven had apparently gone back to the wrecked stadium to help with the cleanup.
He probably wouldn't be back until late at night. I needed to prepare dinner for myself.
‘Hmm… there’s some beef left. Plenty of onions, too. With this combination… Curry?’
A quick rummage through the refrigerator naturally brought curry to mind.
A Japanese-style, rich meat curry with no vegetables other than onions.
My stomach was already growling at the thought. I patted my soft belly and immediately started preparing the meal.
With psychokinesis, I could even prevent the oil from splattering. It was time for some delicious cooking.
* * *
“…M’ah.”
That was delicious.
After finishing the curry and rice, I put the dishes in the dishwasher.
I grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom in a drowsy mood.
After a long soak in the warm water, my skin felt even softer and fresher than usual.
Changing into light pajamas, I naturally crawled into my closet.
Then, I connected the Tesseract to the rift to begin replenishing its spent energy.
To take care of some postponed business, I took out the crescent-shaped object and spoke to it.
‘Finally got some downtime. So… shall we talk?’
[I-I’ve been waiting…!]
The crescent object’s voice was remarkably timid.
I couldn't fathom how something with this disposition could have rampaged so fiercely.
It had a different feel from the innocent Tesseract or the ever-polite Echo, but…
Still, I couldn't let my guard down. I calmed my emotions, feigning nonchalance, and spoke in a serious tone.
‘There’s a lot I want to ask… but first, let me ask one thing. Are you… my enemy?’
[Eek! N-No! I would never harbor such impure thoughts! Absolute obedience! I’ll be my master’s faithful slave!]
‘Uh… um. Well, that’s a relief, I guess.’
Why was this one so terrified?
I reacted with bewilderment to the object’s desperate plea.
Of course, it was a hundred, a thousand times better than it talking back or acting up.
But it wasn't going to plot some betrayal behind my back while acting like this, was it?
Slightly suspicious, I raised a finger and poked the crescent object.
The object just let out a pathetic squeal, showing no signs of resistance.
As I tilted my head in genuine confusion and narrowed my eyes.
The Tesseract, which had been sucking energy from the rift, suddenly spoke to me.
[Mama, it’s okay.]
‘Huh? What is?’
[Before you talked to it, I said a few things. That Mama is the only one who can hear our voices… and that unlike everyone before, you treasure us!]
…What, you said that?
Feeling a little embarrassed by the unexpectedly sweet comment, I awkwardly scratched my cheek.
Then, as if to say thank you, I extended my psychokinesis to gently pat the Tesseract.
I then soothed the thoroughly intimidated crescent object and told it to tell me its story.
It had an incredible ability to mimic others, and it would be a problem if it went on another rampage.
I planned to hear its side of the story—why it had run wild so dangerously.
[U-Uhm… actually… I don’t remember anything from the middle of it…. I’ve been used for years, no, decades, and at some point, even thinking became painful….]
Hearing a bit of its past, the cause of the rampage was none other than the abuse by previous psychics.
After all, it was first discovered embedded in an archmage’s orb.
It must have been wielded wantonly back when the Invaders were attacking other worlds.
And of all things, its ability was to mimic others as if it were a copy?
Once that power was confirmed, being exploited… was an unavoidable fate.
‘Hmm, so you’re saying you went on a rampage as soon as you woke up because you were out of your mind?’
[I-I’m ashamed to say… something like that….]
[Hee… that must have been hard.]
[To them, we are nothing more than tools to be used until we break. In that sense, it’s no exaggeration to say that we, who can speak with you, Lady Yuria, are blessed.]
Wh-what… don’t suddenly praise me like that. It’s embarrassing when it comes out of nowhere.
I had been listening nonchalantly, but I glanced at Echo in surprise as it chimed in.
…Then again, I suppose I could roughly understand how it felt.
I knew the pain of not being able to speak better than anyone, and these guys couldn't even use body language.
So being able to converse like this must be a significant comfort.
Well, being able to communicate easily was something I was truly grateful for, too.
‘So… as long as you’re near me, you won’t go on a rampage. Okay, I understand.’
[Y-Yes! Thank you so much… for believing me!]
‘Well… no need to thank me. If you ever run wild on your own again, I’ll bury you so deep underground you’ll never see the light of day again. So be good, okay?’
[Hic…!]
[Mama, you’re so cool!]
So, I guess that concludes my talk with the crescent object.
All that's left is to figure out how much energy its ability requires… but I can find that out over time.
Ah, speaking of which, there's one more important thing.
I can't just keep calling it the crescent object. It probably needs a name.
So I asked if it had a name, and the object replied that it didn't really have one.
It was once called the Mimic, but… it never really felt like a name.
‘Hmm, is it okay if I give you one, then? Since you’re a crescent moon… how about Crescent? Is that a bit much?’
[Crescent… I-I l-like it!]
Uh, hmm… is that really okay? It feels a little on the nose.
Feeling a bit uncertain, I watched Crescent rejoice and for no reason she rubbed my neck.
If it likes it, then I guess it's fine.
With a light shrug, I flopped onto my bed and stared silently at the ceiling.
It was a small, dark closet, but perhaps because I had friends to share my heart with.
Strangely, my anxiety felt very faint, and a silly smile spread across my face.
It was just that kind of feeling.
* * *
At the same time, at Tempest Stadium, which felt deserted with only officials and Fixers coming and going.
Raven leaned against the railing, looking up at the night sky in quiet contemplation.
‘That was a foolish move. Haa… Am I still just an amateur?’
He was berating himself for something that had happened a few hours ago.
A careless mistake during a chance to end everything with a single pull of the trigger.
The mistake was none other than hesitating when he saw Ren's face, reminded of his younger sister, which allowed her to attack.
Putting everything else aside, if his shoulder hadn't been hit, he might have had other options.
If Yuria hadn't arrived in time, it was a dangerous moment that could have easily led to his death.
“Come to think of it, my current methods might be reaching their limit.”
He muttered to himself, recalling recent events.
The Seven Extremes, vampires, and battles with psychics. He had begun to fight all sorts of powerful enemies.
But perhaps because his body was, in the end, that of an ordinary human.
He was struggling against strong opponents, as if he had reached his limit.
If that was the case… then he needed to get a little more serious from now on.
Raven resolved to reach out to a connection from his past and pulled a terminal from his pocket.
Then, as if he had always remembered the number without ever writing it down.
He pressed the digits without a moment's hesitation and made a call.
[“…Who is this? I don’t recognize the number.”]
“It’s me. Jin.”
[“What the hell, you… You’re alive? We hadn’t heard a peep, thought you were dead.”]
“Sorry about that. Though I’ve run into Lexi and Victor from time to time.”
[“Huh? Those two visit me all the time. You’re the only one who’s alive and hasn’t contacted me, a weapons dealer, you idiot!”]
The person he called was a mechanic from his former unit, now a world-famous arms dealer.
Why, at this moment, had Raven suddenly called him?
The answer was in his next words.
“About that… my apologies. More importantly, those weapons I left with you. I’d like them back.”
[“Huh? What’s this? Didn’t you say you were done with the rough stuff, abandoning everything but that one shadow of yours? Had a change of heart?”]
“Well… I have my reasons.”
[“Heh, fine by me. I’ve kept them all in top condition. Come and get them whenever you want!”]
You monster who could even take down a dragon.
The man on the other end of the terminal let out a cackle, his voice filled with something like anticipation.
Raven, who in his prime had once written a legend of defeating a thousand soldiers single-handedly.
Was the man recalling that past? He chuckled and gave a rather cool reply.
“Even I can’t take down a dragon.”
To Raven, a ‘dragon’ meant Tempest.
Thus, his voice was calm, as if stating an obvious fact.