Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: A Visit to Charlotte
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Have I told you my name before?"
"Yes, Belluna."
"I must have forgotten to introduce myself because I was so flustered. Um..."
"It's Lander."
"It's been a while since we met, and I've only just asked your name. And sorry for pretending not to know earlier. I'm just really timid. You seemed a bit—no, very scary."
"I guess I'll have to stick to the shadows from now on."
"No! That's not what I meant. You scared me until just a moment ago, but now it's fine. Well, honestly, you're still a little scary. I can't help it. So if I flinch when I see you, Lander, please don't feel bad. It's instinctive, before any rational thought, so I can't control it even if I try..."
Belluna, who had been walking beside him matching his stride, paused for a moment.
"...What am I even saying? I've been rambling. That must have been distracting, right?"
"There's someone around me who gets a deathly illness if they shut up. Compared to that person's chatter, what you just said is practically silence. It wasn't distracting at all, and I understood every word."
"That's a relief. I was so nervous I don't even know what I was saying."
"I'm fine, so you should head back and eat..."
He said, looking at the food he'd brought as a gift. He recalled the server kindly explaining that it tasted best if eaten before it cooled.
He was used to people being intimidated by him, so Belluna's attitude didn't faze him.
Besides, her reactions were blunter than most people's.
Back in the military, some of his more faint-hearted comrades would tremble just from eye contact.
He'd worried about them but never asked if they were okay. Talking to them might have made them collapse.
"No. I'll eat after seeing Charlotte. Yes, that makes sense. Of course, that's how it should be."
Belluna blinked rapidly, words tumbling out. He felt like she might scream and faint if touched, so he stepped as carefully as possible.
After passing several barriers, they reached the room where Charlotte was. Unlike the sealed gray-walled isolation chamber, this one had a window allowing a view outside.
He'd heard three days ago that she'd been moved here after several safety checks.
"That's a doll I haven't seen before."
There was a large doll in the room.
"His Majesty gave it to her. But she doesn't seem to like it."
"Will she dislike this too?"
Lander asked, holding up a small basket of cookies. Belluna glanced at him, then the cookies, and smiled faintly.
"If it's from you, Lander, she'll like anything. Charlotte really takes to you."
Charlotte, who had been reading a book inside, looked up. She set the book down and approached.
Lander watched her walk over and asked Belluna,
"How are her eyes?"
"They're improving. Enough that she can read like that. She'll recover soon, so don't worry too much."
"That's good."
Charlotte, now close to the window, squinted at first, then beamed and waved. Lander waved back.
Belluna opened the door.
"Uncle."
Charlotte poked just her head out the door. She was following the researchers' instructions not to come out.
"Charlotte. I'm here too."
Belluna knelt down to look at her. Charlotte shyly waved.
"Hello."
"Hello to you too."
Belluna smiled and stepped aside.
"Please go in. If anything happens, press the button by the door. I'll come right away."
"Got it."
"This looks delicious. I'll enjoy it."
Belluna greeted Charlotte again and left.
Lander hid the basket behind his back as he entered the room.
The mana rising from the roots was holding steady. It must have been calming Charlotte's sensitive body.
"What's that behind you?"
"A gift."
"Not another doll, I hope?"
Charlotte tilted her head and eyed the large doll. She clearly didn't like it.
Good. Dolls had been on the shopping list with the cookies.
"Not a doll, at least."
He offered the cookies. Charlotte took the basket with both hands. Her expression wasn't very bright.
"Don't like it?"
"No, I do. But..."
Charlotte walked over to the giant doll and pulled out what was hidden behind it.
It was all kinds of snacks. Like they'd gathered every type sold in the Holy City.
"There's still so many. Even after the others took this much, plenty's left. If I eat all this, my stomach will explode."
"That's a lot."
The boxes of snacks bore the imperial family's emblem, a blue lion. Ardhens, this is too much.
"Guess I'll have to help."
"Eat a lot. It's okay to eat it all."
"I can't eat that much."
He sat on the edge of the bed and popped a chocolate in his mouth. It was so sweet his teeth ached. He'd barely swallowed one and was reaching for another when...
"Uncle, you like chocolate."
Charlotte placed another of the same chocolate in his hand—the one he'd just eaten.
He stared at it for a while before putting it in his mouth. Eating them one after another numbed his tongue.
"Tasty, right?"
"Well..."
"Want to try this one?"
Before he could say no, Charlotte's hand moved.
He was someone who turned down offers daily. Rejecting plans, demanding revisions, ordering reviews—that was half his job.
He looked at Charlotte. He should say no. Like back in the military...
"Why?"
"Because I'm grateful. I'll eat it well."
Another one rolled into his mouth.
"Uncle. When's Inebil coming? What about Dianne?"
"They have urgent business, so it'll be a bit late."
"I see. Nothing to be done. I'll wait patiently like a lady."
"You're very mature."
"Everyone says that. That I'm so grown-up. Different from the other kids."
Charlotte swung her dangling feet back and forth as she spoke.
Her body on the bed swayed side to side, and she seemed to find it fun, not stopping her foot dance.
"Aren't you bored staying inside?"
"It's fine. Dad said when you're sick, you have to stay still. Mom too... So I always just lay there."
Her feet stopped swinging.
"When's Dad coming?"
Her round eyes, full of innocent curiosity, looked at him.
Lander pressed his lips together. That was a question he couldn't answer. Just like asking when Dianne would come.
Charlotte blinked, then let out a big yawn. Her eyelids drooped quickly, and her body toppled sideways.
Lander caught her gently and laid her on the bed. The steady mana in the room began to churn.
White air currents gathered in the center of the room. They quickly took form. It was a bird with one wing missing.
-I put her to sleep. If we leave her be, her Imaginary Realm will warp.
"Is Charlotte okay?"
-I don't know. A human's Imaginary Realm can only be examined and healed by themselves.
"When will she remember? That her father is dead."
-I don't know how long the defense mechanism will hold. It's covering the memory to protect herself, so it'll surface naturally when she's ready to accept it. So don't mention Dianne yet. I can't guarantee what'll happen to the child's Imaginary Realm if she finds out.
"We can't hide it forever."
-Don't assume every human is as tough as you. Besides, this child is too fragile. That's why I'm protecting her. From filthy things.
"Your methods are too extreme."
As he spoke, a gust of wind blew fiercely, as if showing its displeasure.
-Don't judge me by human standards. I just need to protect this child. That's all.
"I understand now how precious Charlotte is to you. But she's human. A social creature for whom relationships matter. You must know what family means to her."
-Those monsters around this innocent, pure child were her family? They were horrific creatures. Ugly things devoured by their own desires. It would have been easier to watch if they'd lost all reason and rampaged like dogs. Pretending to be human, pretending to control their desires. If it weren't for me back then, this child would be dead.
The bird spoke in a pleasant, clear voice, one line after another.
"Still, she needs adults she can rely on, friends she connects with."
-I can do it all. Be her parent, her friend, her counselor. If she wants, I can make anything happen.
The white bird with one missing wing soared gracefully and landed by the sleeping Charlotte's head.
-She's close to us. Like my own child. Oliviae—I lost that one so pointlessly, so I'll protect this one no matter what.
"Overprotection isn't good."
The bird glared, then flew up to land on his head. A clump of condensed mana settled on his crown. Not a pleasant sensation.
-With something like you around, even overprotection isn't enough. This place crawls with stinking, repulsive, evil things, but all of them together are less dangerous than you.
"You're hardly one to talk."
-I've gone up and down these floors countless times, seen plenty of humans. But never one like you. Calling you human is laughable.
His head stung. Like the bird was pecking with its beak.
-I tried to erase you. Completely annihilate you. Even just a partial manifestation should have been enough for a mere human. But you survived. First time I realized my power might be futile. Not a welcome lesson.
The bird pecked fiercely at his crown. He grabbed it with both hands and brought it to eye level.
-Even now. How can you touch me?
"Because you're right here."
-Any other would have their hand shredded. So why are you fine? What are you made of?
"Not a spirit like you, that's for sure."
-Not human either.
"Who knows."
The bird spread its one wing. It slipped from his hand and looked up at the ceiling.
-Dirty things have appeared again.
"What do you mean?"
-You have that much power but a narrow detection range, huh. Up there, they're prowling. Things that devoured themselves and degenerated into Magical Beasts.
Lander stood from the bed.
Things degenerated into Magical Beasts. Like Shield and Dianne? And the 1st Knight Order? Others like them had shown up?
-I don't like it. What the hell are you humans up to?
"I'd like to know that too."
He said as he left the room.
"Please look after Charlotte."
-I'd protect her even if you didn't ask. The rest can rot for all I care.
He placed his hand on his sword hilt and headed to the entrance. As he passed the management office, Belluna came out.
"Lander, if you have time, let's eat together before you go. This is really good."
"I have business upstairs."
"Is it urgent?"
"Probably. What's the security level here?"
"Top-tier. Even among Think Tanks. Why?"
"Just in case—lower the outer barrier after I leave."
Lander gave Belluna a slight nod and climbed the stairs.