Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: An Indescribable Reason
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“Touching a lady’s body so carelessly! Zero points! You’re a zero-point pervert…!”
I swallowed my frustration and lowered my hand.
What the hell was her problem?
Sure, I’d placed my hand on her forehead without hesitation…
But was that enough to deserve being called a “zero-point pervert”?
“Ugh…! I’ve been defiled…!”
Amelia clutched her forehead with both hands and cried out.
…Even so, she didn’t need to react like that.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Amelia snatched the Mukurebi perched on top of her head.
And then…
“Uwaaaah… Uwheee… Uh…”
She rubbed it against her forehead. Rub-rub-rub.
Vigorously, earnestly, back and forth.
I couldn’t close my mouth at the sight.
That was when it happened.
- Sizzle…
Steam rose from her forehead.
…No exaggeration. It was real.
The Mukurebi’s body sizzled as thin wisps of vapor drifted up.
“Eeee…”
The slippery little fish offered no resistance, just flattened helplessly against her forehead.
…Pitiful, even.
‘Is this right?’
…No way it was.
Something was deeply, massively wrong.
“……”
The Mukurebi slipped slyly between Amelia’s fingers and muttered so softly only I could hear.
“This is abuse… Where are my fish rights…?”
‘Fish don’t have rights.’
“Human… Have you forgotten our clam shell oath?”
……What nonsense was this?
‘Clam?’
Did it mean that clam shell from the Yuram cafeteria I’d secretly snuck into the fish tank?
I’d just put it there as decoration without anyone knowing… What oath?
‘No… What oath?’
“…I don’t know. But there is one.”
It spouted utter bullshit with such confidence.
I shut my mouth, lest I counter and swing the blunt weapon called logic around again.
…Watching this scene, I couldn’t tell if I was the weird one or if the world was broken.
And… I wasn’t the only one feeling it.
A maid approached from afar.
“…Ma’am.”
Crisp footsteps from polished shoes.
The maid with a bandage over one eye walked quietly toward Amelia.
Amelia’s eyes flashed.
“N-No…! Nemesis! You chased me all the way here?!”
Whoosh!
Reflexively, she brandished the Mukurebi like a weapon.
“Take her down, Mukurebi…!”
“?”
…The fish just stared blankly, dumbfounded.
The one who understood the situation least seemed to be the victim itself.
Then…
Plop.
The quietly approaching maid picked up the fish.
“Pardon me.”
And once more…
Plop.
She carefully placed the Mukurebi back on my head.
“Wha—…!”
Amelia yelped in shock at having her Mukurebi stolen.
“What kind of -999-point behavior is that, Nemesis?!”
Amelia pointed dramatically at the maid with one finger extended.
In the moment she triumphantly shouted…
“Cough…!”
Sudden coughs erupted one after another.
Her eyes spun, her body swayed.
The maid… Nemesis… bowed her head to me, then quietly supported Amelia and left.
‘…What.’
I blankly watched Amelia being dragged away, then absentmindedly looked up at my head.
The Mukurebi looked somehow serene.
As if no matter how the world turned upside down, it was safe…
Flopped flat on my head, swishing its tail gently.
‘…’
I turned my gaze back to the receding Amelia.
Not content with staggering, she clung to Nemesis like she was being hauled off.
And… the coughing wouldn’t stop.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Amelia von Delbar ]
Attribute
: 「Flower」
Stats
: Stamina : 8 (B)
: Strength : 10 (C)
: Intelligence : 16 (C)
: Mental Fortitude : 39 (A)
: Mana : 15 (D)
Unique Traits
: 【Cold Burn】
: 【…】
Talents
: 【…】
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘…Why are her stats like this?’
I stared at the status window for a long time, frowning.
Stamina 8.
Lower than mine.
That was huff-and-puff-just-from-a-stroll level.
Breath catching… exhausted after a short sprint.
‘…And she had that energy in that condition?’
Rolling in the snow, making snowmen, gleefully hoisting the Mukurebi…
The actions of a Stamina 8 human?
‘Superhuman?’
Had she already transcended the bounds of humanity?
Maybe these stats were measured against transcendent standards…
‘Sounds plausible.’
Of course, bullshit.
What stood out more than the stats was something else.
Her unique trait.
‘…Cold Burn?’
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【Cold Burn】
It freezes all, and melts all.
: Body temperature swings wildly to extremes without control.
Over a chilled pulse, a breath hot as flame passes.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
In short, cold and heat raging simultaneously inside her body.
Simply put, one side Arctic, the other volcanic.
‘Then… that steam earlier…’
Now it made sense.
The steam rising from Amelia’s forehead.
That bizarrely hot, peculiar body temperature just before.
‘Because of the illness?’
“…That human is strange.”
The Mukurebi on my head stared at Amelia and said.
“Cold and hot.”
‘……’
If even the Mukurebi said that, it was pretty serious.
For reference… I’d never seen this disease in ‘Akareang’ either.
Maybe I just missed it… or it could be one of the world’s rarest ailments.
I pondered briefly, then a conclusion dawned.
‘Should I follow her?’
“How do you arrive at that conclusion, human?”
***
“Cough… Cough!”
Amelia barely made it into her room, coughing nonstop.
Her breaths were shallow, cheeks flushed red.
At a glance… her condition was far from normal.
“Are you alright, ma’am?”
“No…! Is Nemesis alright?!”
Her worry wasn’t for herself.
At that, Nemesis’s brow furrowed slightly as she touched her bandaged eye.
Aftermath of the witch’s erosion.
That one eye… unusable for the time being.
“I’m fine.”
“Then, that’s a relief!”
Amelia smiled brightly.
Even as her own breath grew ragged, her expression didn’t falter.
“Hm… One year, was it?”
“……”
Nemesis’s lips pressed tight at the words.
Amelia’s eyes sparkled, while Nemesis’s face darkened deeply.
“And I haven’t even tasted the strawberry nutrition supplement yet…!”
Amelia was still smiling.
Her tone unchanged.
Her demeanor unshaken.
…That casual attitude only burned Nemesis’s heart more.
“So! Is the strawberry nutrition supplement ready yet, Nemesis?”
“I’m sorry. Ma’am.”
“Boom…!”
With an odd sound effect, Amelia struck an exaggerated pose of despair.
Then, she promptly raised one finger high.
“Then chocolate flavor?”
“None.”
“…Vanilla?”
“That too.”
“……Mint?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Boom…!”
This time like struck by lightning, Amelia froze with a thunderstruck expression.
Nemesis silently handed her the medicine.
Amelia, quiet for a moment… made an exaggerated sad face, then gulped it down.
“Zero points… Trash taste…!”
“I’ll find nutrition supplements for you, ma’am.”
“…Strawberry flavor?”
“Yes. Strawberry.”
Only then did Amelia nod, beaming.
“Then, I’ll give you 30 points!”
“An honor.”
“But I expect a perfect 100-point strawberry!”
Nemesis bowed carefully, then quietly opened the door and left the room.
Click.
The door closed.
And… once more.
Click.
“…Hm?”
Amelia tilted her head and glanced at the door.
“Was someone there?”
Only one person had left… but the door sound came twice, somehow.
***
‘…’
“What’s got you so lost in thought, human.”
Two weeks had passed already.
I’d snuck into Karnel’s room, sat by her side, and stared blankly at her face.
Karnel was still deep in sleep.
‘One year.’
Amelia’s remaining lifespan.
But the unease weighing on my chest wasn’t just that.
Karnel.
In ‘Akareang’, around this time… she’d seemed desperate too.
Rushing as if chased by time, always striving to prove something.
And in the end, she died that way.
‘Yeah, she died like that.’
As student council president.
As nobility.
Protecting the students… she collapsed at the forefront.
I gazed silently at Karnel’s face.
‘……’
What had driven her so hard?
Did some unacceptable reality force her to pour herself into giving her all every time?
Maybe all that behavior…
Was connected to Amelia’s death?
‘Haa…’
Not much time to brood.
I had to return to Yuram soon.
One week left.
But to readjust to Yuram’s environment… better to leave now.
And once there… no leisure to zone out like this.
That was when.
“Mmngh…”
Karnel stirred, sitting up sleepily.
Then… she quietly reached out, groping around.
“…Hm?”
Her golden eyes turned toward me.
The moment our eyes met…
Snap!
“…?!”
Karnel’s hand snatched at my mask.
An unexpected attack.
Grip…!
Panicking at the attempt to yank it off, I stumbled back.
Only after retreating out of reach did her fingertips swish through empty air.
“Hmm…”
Karnel smacked her lips regretfully, clenching and unclenching her hand.
[What are you doing]
“…And what are *you* doing in *my* room.”
…Good question.
I didn’t know how to explain that myself.
And…
Knock knock.
“Sister, you in there?”
A familiar knock.
A familiar voice, and the door opened.
Violet strode into the room.
“Ah, there you— What, you’re up? Karnel?”
“Violet?”
“Yeah, good to— If you’re up, pack your bags.”
“Huh? Why.”
Karnel tilted her head questioningly, but Violet answered firmly.
“Why? We have to head back to Yuram.”
“……?”
Karnel’s gaze lingered on Violet for a long time…
Then slowly shifted to me.
Her dazed eyes met mine.
I calmly reminded her of reality.
[One week left]
Until Yuram’s term started: just one week.
Karnel had slept two weeks.
Meaning her break… wasn’t halved, it was gutted.
“Uh… uhhh…”
Only then did despair bloom in Karnel’s eyes.
***
Delbar ducal estate’s main gate.
A modestly ornate carriage waited.
“Up we go.”
“……”
Violet grinned and boarded cheerfully.
Karnel followed with heavy steps, face full of despair.
I stood between them…
Still unable to take a step.
“Hm…? Sister?”
Violet looked my way, tilting her head.
Tap. Tap.
My fingers moved quietly… drumming my leg.
Then, I slowly held up the whiteboard.
[Be right back, bathroom break]
“Mm…? Okay. Hurry back~”
Violet waved lightly, and I immediately activated 【Silent Step】.
Then headed back into the Delbar estate.
Through the labyrinthine corridors…
“Cough… Cough…”
I arrived at the room with faint coughing.
I turned the knob carefully… and slipped inside silently.
“Cough…”
Amelia was there.
Flushed cheeks, ragged breaths.
‘……’
The room’s temperature was bizarre.
Chilling cold that froze breath… scorching heat that burned skin.
Extreme temperatures clashed in one space.
I quietly opened my inventory and carefully took out a vial.
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【Elixir】
Grade: Legendary
The pinnacle of human-made potions!
: Perfectly heals the user’s body.
One sip can breathe life even into the breathless!
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
The elixir I’d received from Veronica before.
No matter incurable… this would surely cure her.
‘……’
I stared at the elixir for a long time…
Then unhesitatingly placed it on the bedside table.
Turned wordlessly, opened the door, and left.
Step, step.
As I walked the disorienting corridors back outside…
The Mukurebi popped out from atop my head.
“Using something so precious like that… you okay with it?”
Even a Mukurebi knew the elixir’s value.
More worldly than I thought.
I walked in silence for a while… then quietly answered.
‘No.’
Plain fact.
I don’t care much who dies or lives.
…Especially if not a key ‘Akareang’ figure.
Karnel was fated to die in the original anyway…
Amelia didn’t even appear.
So… no reason to save, no reason to regret.
Logically.
‘Still…’
The current Karnel was the one I’d come to know.
Can’t explain it as mere ‘side character 1’.
Someone who’d built time with me somehow.
“…Hm?”
The word defining my existence: ‘contradiction’.
I’m endlessly selfish, an individualist.
So this was even harder to understand.
Where did this feeling come from?
‘Still want her to live.’
A truth surfacing from the unconscious depths.
Someone dying.
If it’s the ‘Karnel’ I know…
If that death’s trigger is ‘Amelia’…
‘……’
More than the pain of 【Brand】 tearing my heart.
More than vomiting blood from 【Word Command】 backlash.
More than anything.
Someone I’d bonded with.
That connection vanishing without a word, without trace.
That simple truth, without reason, absurdly…
Just… unbearably unpleasant.