Misaligned Bonds, Truth (7)

Meanwhile, at the silent instantaneous teleportation launch pad.

—Wooooooong!

From beyond that quiet machinery, a brilliant light burst forth and a violent tremor began to rise.

It was the unmistakable precursor to a teleport.

"Saintess! Something's coming!"

"Everyone stay calm and maintain the encirclement."

Judging by the conversation over the comms, whatever was coming through the portal was most likely Miss Adel.

Even so, they could not simply wait without a care.

In the absolute worst-case scenario, Professor Enut might have been subdued and forced to stage the whole thing.

After the radio cut out she could have been attacked, her emergency recall token stolen, and the cartel might even be launching a counteroffensive.

Staff, the Omega Team students, and the Holy Kingdom's rear-support unit all drew their weapons and locked into ready stances, prepared to enter combat at a moment's notice.

Just as the tension reached its peak—

—Pik…! Thud!

Whether fortunate or not, the only thing that dropped from the far side of the launch pad was the slender, blood-soaked body of a single girl.

From the familiar protective suit, that pink-haired student had to be the Miss Adel whom Professor Enut had been trying to save.

The blood-drenched state of her looked anything but ordinary; she had clearly been through something brutal before returning.

At least the protective suit still covered her groin and other vital areas intact, so it seemed she had not suffered anything permanently irreparable. That, at least, was a relief.

"Everyone lower your weapons! Priests, assist me—"

Worried that the still-tense students might cause some incident, the Saintess—more accustomed to situations like this than anyone—had just begun raising her voice to issue orders when an emergency transmission crackled through.

Professor Enut's voice came from the other end.

—"Did Miss Adel arrive safely?"

—"Yes, Professor. But her condition is extremely serious."

—"…I treated every major wound before sending her."

—"It looks like the tears in her protective suit let the teleport pressure reopen the injuries. I'll handle the treatment, so please don't worry too much. More importantly, you need to give orders to the team."

A small sigh returned over the comms at the Saintess's cool-headed advice.

She was right.

If the mission failed here and Alpha Team came under heavy attack and was forced to retreat, the nobles would seize the chance without hesitation and pin the entire failure on Adel.

So even though countless things she wanted to say swirled inside her, Enut swallowed them all down and resumed command of Omega Team.

—"The site is secured, so all of Omega Team move to Alpha Zone. After that we'll proceed as planned and assist Alpha Team in wiping out the cartel. Make sure you transmit every necessary item along with yourselves."

—"Ah, Professor. May we take Miss Adel to our tent and continue treatment there?"

—"Yes, please take care of her. Both her legs were severed, you know? You'll need to reconnect the nerves and blood vessels immediately."

Having received permission from the supervising professor, the Saintess stepped up onto the launch pad and slowly checked Adel's condition.

Perhaps from the shock of being forced through a mana conduit, the girl had not quite lost consciousness; she simply blinked her eyes in a daze.

Those pure green irises, so at odds with her cute features, held the despair, darkness, and pain of someone who had already lived through an entire lifetime.

The Saintess flinched at those empty eyes.

She stopped mid-step, wariness rising, before belatedly realizing the other party was a fellow student.

…Just what have you been through?

Why did a student her age wear the same gaze as battle-worn soldiers who had spent years rolling across the front lines?

There was no more time to waste.

None of the wounds threatened her life, yet the flesh crushed and torn through the rips in the protective suit would clearly be causing her tremendous pain.

Moreover, if the nerves at the severed sites were not reattached in time, she might end up with a permanent limp. Swift treatment was not optional—it was mandatory.

"Just hold on a little longer. I'll treat you right away…?"

Then, suddenly—

"…."

With her palms pressed to Adel's body and holy power flowing, the Saintess collided with an indescribable sensation.

It was as if…

"Priests!"

"Yes, Saintess."

"Move Miss Adera to my room."

"…Pardon? S-Saintess? To your personal chambers?"

"It's urgent, so don't make me say it twice. Hurry!"

"…Understood!"

It felt exactly like staring at glass that was already finely cracked and on the verge of shattering.

The external injuries were everything visible to the eye, yet the state of Adera that the Saintess's holy power detected was that of someone on the brink of death—no.

It was a "fatal wound" that should have already killed her.

There were so many of those cracks that every drop of holy power the Saintess ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠poured into Adel's body scattered and vanished without a trace the instant it entered.

The cause of such a condition was a problem in itself, but the real issue was that proper treatment was impossible in this state.

What she needed was not hurried first aid while the girl lay on the floor, but thorough, proper care.

"Haa, fuck. That commoner came back looking like that and we still have to go?"

"…She just got hit because she lacked skill."

"No, even so—using that portal is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠basically suicide, isn't it? What if they get attacked the second they arrive?"

Suddenly, watching the students bicker and chatter among themselves right in front of a critically wounded patient on the verge of death, an inexplicable rage surged up inside her.

The Saintess issued a quiet warning.

"Aren't you all departing? It seems you've forgotten that this cleanup operation is substituting for practical training. Unless you intend to receive a failing grade, you should be setting out soon, shouldn't you?"

Receiving a failing grade ultimately meant diminishing the value of the individual, the family, and the nation.

Unless one was next in line for Supreme Leader, Pope, King, or Chairman, scores mattered as much as one's life.

Above all, with the holy knights watching with eyes wide open, there was no student brave enough to ignore the Saintess's words and dawdle to buy time.

Every face was stiff with fear and resentment, yet in the end they all gathered toward the portal.

"Then we begin activation."

—Wooooooong!

Perhaps because of the brutal process and blood-chilling atmosphere they had already endured to weed out spies, the launch pad activated even faster than usual.

As the Omega Team students began vanishing one after another through the pad, the Saintess finally turned her head and allowed herself to hide her anger.

Miss Adel's condition was far from ordinary, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she intended to return to her private quarters at once and continue a detailed examination.

"Ah."

She had almost forgotten because of those foolish students.

There was one thing she still needed to confirm with Professor Enut.

—"Professor, are you free for a private channel?"

—"Hm? What is it that you need a personal line for?"

For medical-support purposes the Saintess already possessed the authority to contact Enut privately.

Receiving that call, Enut guessed the Saintess had something confidential to discuss and moved to a corner, away from the steadily arriving students.

The conversation continued.

—"I have something to confirm regarding Miss Adel."

—"All right. I'll answer what I can."

—"Does Miss Adel have a separate real name?"

Enut froze.

At the Saintess's question her expression hardened and she hurriedly scanned the surroundings.

Fortunately the students' attention was fixed on Pirotte; no one seemed close enough to eavesdrop.

—"I don't understand the intent behind that question, Saintess."

Even though Enut's reply came back colder, as if putting distance between them, the Saintess showed no displeasure and simply nodded in silence.

—"Is that name by any chance Aderua or Aderuna?"

—"Haa. Have you decided not to listen to me? I am under no obligation to answer that question."

—"Mm, that answer is enough. At the very least it means Miss Adel's real name is neither Aderua nor Aderuna."

—"What on earth are you talking about…"

—"I'm still only guessing myself, so I'll leave it at this. Old Testament verses 28, 33, 61, 72, and 99. The rest… I'd prefer to speak face-to-face."

With those final words the Saintess ended the transmission unilaterally, without the slightest hesitation.

"O God."

Enut had studied medicine and would have memorized the Old Testament as well; a hint of that level should be more than sufficient.

Even the Saintess herself had not yet reached a definite answer, so from this point on she would have to examine Adel in greater detail and grasp her exact condition with certainty.

"May blessings rest upon the path ahead of her."

"Hic!"

Gah!

Aaaaaaargh!!

Seriously.

Really, really, really—it fucking hurts!!

I feel like I'm gonna die!

I feel like going out for lunch!!

"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"

I thought they'd treat me the second I got back to the Academy, so what the hell is the Saintess doing that's taking so long?

Because of that, the pain in both legs felt like it was gradually getting worse.

The drug's effects had probably already worn off and the penalty was starting to kick in…

Haa.

The more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off.

Why the hell does Growth Powder even come with a drug-addiction debuff? It's just one type of miracle drug.

Thinking in modern terms, it was the same as suffering from "hundred-year ginseng addiction" or "sea cucumber addiction."

The penalties were no joke either.

Just the "increased damage taken" alone made the pain skyrocket so badly I was confident I could pass out from a paper cut.

On top of that, the stats boosted by Growth Powder became nullified, and there was even a debuff that straight-up lowered my base stats.

If I wanted to accomplish anything with my own power I had to take Growth Powder, and to keep that power I had to keep taking narcotic items so the penalty never showed up.

There was no bigger scam than this.

The only silver lining… was that the moment I took the drugs themselves, I could forget every worry and just enjoy pure happiness.

First things first.

The Saintess's holy-power treatment might hurt just as much as Professor Enut's, so I needed to take some drugs beforehand to make sure the penalty didn't trigger mid-treatment.

Mm… no one around, right?

I carefully lifted my head and looked around. All that met my eyes was a magnificent room decorated entirely in white; nothing that looked like it was monitoring me.

Well, of course.

From what I'd overheard while half-asleep, this was the Saintess's room.

Unless someone was completely out of their mind or had already given up on living, no one would set foot in here.

So! No need to worry.

"Uheh, eheheheh…"

The drugs I'd asked Pirotte to stockpile for me!

Just in case, I pulled out the smallest packet among those I'd received, popped the zipper open with a soft pok, and tore it.

Curiosity about what the drug smelled like suddenly rose, so I carefully brought my nose close and took a sniff.

"Mmm~"

No smell at all, yet it was a strangely fragrant moment.

Come to think of it, what was this drug even called?

I'd ripped it open and eaten it in a hurry just to cancel the penalty, so I still didn't properly know its effects or side effects.

There were too many unknowns to keep using it casually like this.

I had a system window now, so maybe I could use an item-info function?

The thought barely formed before I opened my inventory and dropped the packet still in my hand into it.

Then—

"Oh!"

The item information really did appear.

So the stuff I'd been crunching like sugar was the famous heroin.

As expected of a cartel—they were cooking up some vicious drugs!

…No wonder the effects felt so good.

And that sparked another curiosity.

They said mixing the four types of Growth Powder produced medicines with different effects each time, right?

Then what if I went further and mixed in the narcotics as well? Wouldn't that create yet another result?

"Tss…"

The thrilling taste of Growth Powder plus the near-orgasmic pleasure I'd felt from the heroin…

Just imagining those two sensations crashing in at once made my chest tremble of its own accord.

"Eheh, eheheheh—"

Ah.

So it wasn't just the imagination?

When I'd breathed in to smell it, I must have inhaled some of the heroin powder without realizing.

My head suddenly spun, and both eyeballs started whirling freely with no way to stop them.

"Uheh…"

The pain that had been screaming from both legs vanished.

In its place came an indescribable excitement.

A pure white room, a happy mood—I am omnipotent.

Aaaah.

Maybe this place is heaven…?

If a mere accidental inhale felt this good, then if I properly snorted the heroin, how much better—how much better—would it feel?

No, no.

Injecting it straight into a vein is supposed to be the strongest method. Then it would be several times more intense than what I'm feeling now…

"Miss Adel, I'm coming in."

Ah.

The Saintess opened the door without a sound and stepped inside.

Her hair shone even whiter than the walls of this room, as if it had taken on protective coloration.

Paired with those entrancing golden eyes and a benevolent expression, she was beautiful enough that I thought, If an angel descended, this is what it would look like.

"Shall we begin treatment, then?"

Aaaah.

Looking at that heroine's face only made my drug-addled, panting state feel all the more shameful.

I forced my spinning eyes to focus, looked straight at the Saintess, and answered in the most demure voice I could manage.

"Yeees…."