Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Mutation
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“⋯⋯Are your limbs okay?”
The sight of the Gray Cardinal showing concern for others first wasn’t something you saw every day, but at least the Pale Moon members here were the kind of people who deserved it.
After all, they were the ones the Hero had personally twisted into creative shapes with her own hands.
To get them back to a state where they could regain their senses and hold a conversation, it had taken a process of dousing them with such potent drugs that even the temple’s healing priests would gasp in horror.
So, it was clear Felix had no intention of wasting even a moment.
“Who told you to do it?”
“⋯⋯.”
And the unfortunate part for the Pale Moon was that the first person they faced after being healed was the Gray Cardinal.
She had a pipe in her mouth, smiling cheerfully, but in a way, the figure before them was a bomb on par with the Hero.
If the Hero could tear them apart physically, this one could erase their very existence with equivalent social authority.
“You must have known it was the item I was after. Who ordered you to intercept it midway?”
There was no overt threat, no harsh tone or curses.
Yet every person there would feel a chill creeping up their entire body.
Thieves, mercenaries, informants⋯⋯ If asked to name the Pale Moon’s fields of activity, there were many, but they all pointed to one common trait.
An extraordinarily keen instinct for what would get you killed and what would let you live.
And in that regard.
Right now, their instincts were screaming in unison.
Don’t lie.
⋯⋯This is your last chance to survive.
In that sense.
“Do you happen to know the name ‘Black Lion,’ Your Eminence?”
Jumping straight to the point like that could only be called wise.
But Felix’s expression couldn’t help but sour at the name that came up.
Black Lion. The moniker of the Empire’s northern margrave.
As one could tell from being permitted to incorporate the Empire’s symbol ‘lion’ into his own title, he was a great noble whose prestige was far from ordinary. Few could stand on the same level besides the imperial family and Grand Duke Chasefield.
But there was an even more infamous nickname.
“⋯⋯The Emperor’s hunting dog.”
Felix murmured it like she was spitting it out, a sinister smile on her face.
The Emperor’s ‘executioner.’
The card the Emperor pulled out when he wanted to make an example of someone.
Despised and feared by many for his insidiousness and cruelty, but to Felix, the name held a slightly special meaning.
After all.
“It’s a surprise that a longtime family friend suddenly sticks his nose into my business. How delightful.”
⋯⋯He was the man who had taken the lead in erasing all records related to her ‘father’ on the Emperor’s orders.
“So, why would that gentleman suddenly entrust this job to you lot? If he wanted to pick a fight, he wouldn’t send small fry like you.”
“It wasn’t about picking a fight, particularly. He just really needed those materials, it seems.”
The rare alchemical ingredients that Marchioness Anastasia had bought at the auction were items versatile enough to match their rarity.
It was simply a case of overlapping uses, nothing intentional.
That’s what they were saying. It made sense. They were that valuable.
The problem came with the topic that followed.
“What for?”
“You seem like the type who hates needless chatter interrupting, so I’ll get to the point. It was to find the person you’re looking for.”
“A person? What person?”
“The Black Lion Margrave believes your family is still alive. He was searching for them.”
Felix’s movements froze solid.
“What?”
“⋯⋯Particularly.”
One of the Pale Moon hesitated for a moment.
Seeing the killing intent rising on Felix’s face—enough to send chills down the spine just looking at it—one of them swallowed dryly and continued.
“It’s about the ‘sibling’ you probably don’t even know exists.”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯He’s convinced that one is definitely still alive.”
⋯⋯Clink.
The pipe slipped from Felix’s hand and tumbled to the floor.
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“Wow, is this the potion?”
Vespa asked, eyes wide round.
Her gaze was fixed on the blue vial in Carlyle’s hand.
It was the potion mixed to alter Black Whale’s ‘form.’ They had ransacked the Pale Moon’s hideout to recover the stolen items and processed them as originally planned.
⋯⋯The Hero’s terror must have been deeply ingrained, because when they returned the goods, they rubbed their hands together pleading to be called anytime if there was anything they could assist with. Quite the sight.
There had been something odd in the midst of it, though.
‘Cardinal seemed a bit off.’
She had been deep in thought the whole time, and when asked what was wrong, she only said she’d tell later.
She had observed Carlyle quite closely during it, too⋯⋯
‘⋯⋯She’ll tell me when she’s ready.’
At least he was aware they were at a point where he and Felix were that close now.
⋯⋯Though whether that closeness was truly positive was debatable.
Anyway.
“Is this enough quantity⋯⋯?”
Vespa looked back and forth between Black Whale on the ground before them and the vial in Carlyle’s hand.
It’d be strange to expect a dramatic change from feeding this amount to such a massive creature.
Carlyle agreed with that sentiment.
“⋯⋯Well, let’s give it a try anyway.”
They’d gone through all that trouble with these amazing materials combined into a potion, after all. Time to trust it.
He waved his hand side to side, signaling Black Whale, who swayed its body left and right in response.
⋯⋯Cute.
“Ah, it’s seriously so cute.”
“⋯⋯.”
Panhima glared at Carlyle, who smiled warmly as he spoke, as if he were being ridiculous, but Carlyle ignored her and just nodded.
Good call deciding to raise it. Yeah.
“Alright then!”
Carlyle clenched his fist, and Black Whale obediently opened its mouth wide in response.
He chucked the vial in his helmeted form, and it flew in a clean arc straight into Black Whale’s mouth.
And then.
-!!
A blinding light erupted from Black Whale’s entire body.
As expected, it was working just as the alchemists boasted.
“⋯⋯So, what exactly does it turn into when the form changes?”
“No idea? I haven’t heard that part.”
Carlyle tilted his head at Panhima’s question.
They’d said it would turn the beast into human form, but no details on what it’d look like.
“They did ask for my input a bit.”
“Input?”
“Like, what kind of appearance I’d want it to take—something like that.”
Carlyle had given two pieces of advice.
1. Don’t make it too big.
2. Make it a look that as many people as possible would find appealing.
Considering Black Whale’s size, turning it straight to human form would make a giant. That’s where 1 came in—make it normal human-sized.
Since he didn’t know exactly what ‘human form’ for a beast meant, he asked them to put some thought into the appearance to make it blend in normally.
Those were the conditions.
So.
As the light from Black Whale’s body faded and something thudded onto the ground.
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle knew his intentions had been thoroughly, solidly misunderstood.
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.”
Panhima and Vespa beside him turned to him with eyes full of shock.
Before them was a very small child.
A doll-like, tiny, cute kid with glossy black hair down to their toes.
“Comrade. Did you personally request it turn into this form?”
“⋯⋯Wait. Just wait. I can explain everything.”
No.
⋯⋯No.
It did fulfill all the requirements faithfully.
1. Not too big → Definitely small.
2. Appearance that appeals to many people → How many in the world would dislike a doll-like pretty child like this?
But.
If it came out that Carlyle himself had ‘ordered’ a child like this.
“⋯⋯.”
No, really not.
Seeing them slowly backing away from him, cold sweat poured down Carlyle’s entire body.
“Kya-ha!”
Meanwhile.
Blackie—the child version of Black Whale—grinned brightly, toddled over, and clung to his leg with a smack.
Then rubbed its cheek against his leg, acting spoiled.
Anyone could see it was expressing affection and fondness.
Bright, pure, and adorable. Exactly the cute demeanor from its beast days.
⋯⋯Of course, as a calamity-grade beast, its physical abilities were no joke.
Even with the holy sword circulating in his body to reinforce his functions, his leg felt like it might snap. It was clearly playing, but the strength⋯⋯
“⋯⋯.”
Of course, separately from that.
This appearance right now did look pretty inappropriate.
Panhima and Vespa’s faces were nearly twisted in horror.
“Y-You madman, you ordered a child into this because you wanted to make them do that—?!”
“⋯⋯It’s not like that.”
Really, no.
I’m innocent.
Whether sensing his feelings or not, Blackie, who had been rubbing against his leg, slowly climbed up his body.
Then, perched on his head, it playfully toyed with his hair innocently.
Carlyle like, Carlyle like—every action oozed that vibe.
“⋯⋯Comrade, that’s your taste?”
“⋯⋯Carlyle, that’s what you’re into? No wonder you can be so oblivious to people⋯⋯!”
“He raises them, raises them—sure, but in the end, he wanted to turn it into this form and caused all that chaos—”
“⋯⋯I said no.”
Stop with the nonsense and get this thing off me.
Please.
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