Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Possession (2)
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Mage Tower's deepest chamber—he had been here once before.
That time, it had been for a similar reason. At Letty Ingram's request, to investigate the source of Vespa's power.
So it wasn't entirely unfamiliar...
"...Long time no see."
"Long time... no see."
Carlyle gazed at the other person, who had quietly spoken those words.
Letty Ingram was staring right through him, from right in front of his face.
...From an uncomfortably close distance.
"Do you have some business?"
"You know, despite appearances, I'm from a pretty renowned magical engineering noble house."
Letty spoke while gazing steadily at him.
Her chin-stroking, piercing stare carried unmistakable suspicion.
"...You've changed a lot, haven't you?"
"..."
...No.
He knew absorbing demonic energy wasn't ordinary, but did it show that much even to someone he hadn't seen in a while?
"...Is there something visible to you?"
"The Mage Tower's depths make those things more sensitive. Anyone who's trained in mana would know."
Vespa, standing atop the device he'd used before, nodded in agreement.
Ah, if that's the case, it wasn't hard to understand.
"So, what do you see?"
"...Your sensitivity seems much higher?"
"Sensitivity?"
"Like, you could probably take in energies beyond normal human limits without issue, or your channels are cleared..."
That made sense. He'd taken in demonic energy, after all.
Just like in previous cycles, changes had surely occurred in this 'body of the current cycle.'
...The 'Corruption' had progressed a bit further.
[...So what exactly is this 'Corruption'—]
'Not telling.'
[...]
Carlyle chuckled as he heard the Holy Sword let out a frustrated sigh.
'...Anyway, nothing wrong for now. If it looks like real trouble, I'll let you know.'
[...]
A grinding of teeth echoed, as if to say 'sure you will,' but Carlyle neatly ignored it.
However, his eyes widened at Letty's next words.
"You must have noticed your innate abilities outputting more power or something. Don't you feel it?"
"...Hm?"
Come to think of it, there might be effects like that.
He hadn't experimented with other abilities since the first 'Corruption' exposure.
Rather than using them for his own enhancement, he'd preferred channeling things to Gray.
'...Hero, that means...'
[Changes in your body have boosted your ability conduction rate.]
'And that implies?'
[It means you can use my mana more efficiently. That's good.]
Carlyle stroked his chin at the voice from the Holy Sword.
Hm, definitely.
If it extended the time he could manifest the Hero in his body, or the time he could materialize her form with mana, it would be quite a significant boost.
[...That's one thing, but with higher mana conduction, there's something I want to try.]
'Something you want to do?'
[Do you like dreaming much?]
'...Pardon?'
What was this out of nowhere?
Dreams? What dreams?
[Well, you'll come to like it.]
'...'
As he fell silent at the Holy Sword's ominous words, Letty tilted her head and spoke up from in front of him.
"Now that I think about it, yeah? There's no way someone greater than me couldn't see what I see. Is that why you're making this request?"
"...Pardon?"
Puzzled, he asked back, and Letty pointed at Vespa.
"That mysterious something connected to that young lady over there. She wants to see you, that's why we're here, right?"
"Right?"
"Even with this device's help, all we can barely confirm is its identity."
"...Right?"
"With you now, 'contact' might be possible? Your ability conduction rate is higher, so sensitivity to it should be enhanced too."
"..."
Hm.
Contact?
"...What do you mean?"
"It means it could touch you or something."
"......"
No.
...No.
That sounded incredibly dangerous.
"...Why tell me something that important now?"
"How would I know? I didn't realize until we got here and saw you."
"..."
"And anyway, we have to do it no matter what."
"...Why?"
"Because I need that young lady's power for my research! What if she gets upset because you won't cooperate!"
"..."
Carlyle pressed his forehead at Letty's pleading, 'Just close your eyes and cooperate once—!'
Mages were always like this.
Obsessed with their research, they'd charge ahead without regard for anything, like loose screws.
He'd thought Letty might be different, but nope...
"...It won't harm you."
Without Vespa's wry smile and those words, he might have seriously hesitated.
"That child... well, she thinks of you fondly, if at all. She definitely doesn't dislike you."
"...Really? Based on what feeling?"
"She resembles me so mu—"
Vespa's mouth snapped shut mid-sentence.
Her eyes widened, and a flush rapidly spread across her face.
"......J-Just, that kind of feeling...!"
"..."
"W-Well, you'll see for yourself—!"
"..."
So she said.
Seeing it directly would surely reveal the difference.
"...So, what do I need to do?"
Whatever the case.
He owed Letty a favor.
And if Vespa said that much, he'd do it once.
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"Yes, just stand here?"
So.
At Letty and Vespa's request, he stepped onto a certain disc in the Mage Tower's depths, and Letty immediately began counting down.
"Good, then... One, two, three!"
And as soon as those words ended.
—The surroundings changed in an instant.
Like being swept away by a wave, the environment filled with black in a flash.
"...?"
Puzzled, he looked around, when a voice came from the Holy Sword.
"...This is the unconscious. A visualization of your deep consciousness—"
Mid-sentence, the Holy Sword fell silent.
Carlyle fell silent too.
Probably because both realized something was off before the words even finished.
"..."
"..."
Carlyle and the other faced each other.
Holy Sword—no.
The 'Hero' stared vacantly down at her own body.
She blinked rapidly, moving her arms.
Her legs twitched too.
...Her long-lost 'body' felt completely unfamiliar.
"..."
"..."
The two stayed silent for a long while.
They couldn't explain why this happened.
But the reaction came intuitively soon enough.
"Oooh, oooh—!"
"Waaaah—!"
The Hero let out a startled scream, and at the same time, Carlyle shrieked in terror.
Probably because the latter's reason was the Hero charging at him with wide eyes.
Honestly, her rushing like this triggered his PTSD.
...There wasn't a single good memory from seeing her like that.
"Y-You—! You! Youyouyou—! C-Can you see this—!"
"I-I see it, I see it—! Please back off—!"
The Hero, lunging like a large dog and grabbing Carlyle's collar, shook him around as she spoke.
She seemed just overjoyed, but to Carlyle, it felt like being clamped in a lion's jaws and tossed about...
"A body! A body! I can touch you! I can see properly! Entering the mental world makes it like this? If we utilize this somehow—"
Gray shut her mouth mid-sentence.
Probably.
Because she realized they weren't alone in this space.
Right beside them.
From a slightly 'higher' spot.
A being crouched, chin propped, staring down at them intently.
It was unmistakably.
"...Vespa?"
Nothing else explained it.
It was Vespa.
Just 'black.'
Her eyes were exactly as that person's, but her entire form was pitch black.
Somehow, it flickered with static noise.
And that Vespa smiled faintly as their eyes met.
Then.
Defying physics, her body floated lightly to his side.
Next, Carlyle's body—still gripped by the Hero's collar—floated up too.
He slipped from the Hero's grasp and was drawn to Vespa like a summon.
As if she controlled this space.
"...?"
And.
Before he could properly think about what she was doing.
".........?!?!?!"
Vespa kissed Carlyle's cheek directly.
A soft *smack* echoed quietly.
"..."
And beside him, the Hero.
Watched what they were doing with blank eyes.
"......"
...Uh.
Uhh.
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