Chapter 71
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Butterfly Flaps Its Wings Twice (1)
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The man in black robes, Hikatt, glared at Carnea Academy's main gate.
'...He's late.'
The appointed time was approaching, yet there was no sign of the barrier enveloping Carnea lifting.
Could 'Nameless's' prediction have been off?
A fleeting disloyal thought crossed Hikatt's mind, but he shook it off immediately.
'...Don't doubt him.'
Hikatt knew better than anyone the fate of those who had doubted Nameless.
'I just need to follow orders.'
Nameless rewarded those who obeyed generously and punished those who didn't.
Wasn't it all thanks to that grace that Hikatt had risen from the organization's lowest rung to this position?
True to the moniker "Nameless," everything about them was shrouded in mystery.
Age, gender, status—even whether they were an organization or an individual was unknown.
One thing was certain: Nameless's orders always arrived by letter, no matter the time or place.
Every predecessor in Hikatt's seat had tried to uncover Nameless's identity or deviate from orders, only to end up found torn to shreds.
In that sense, Hikatt was clever.
He knew his place.
Instead of confronting or fleeing like his predecessors, Hikatt chose to prove himself a useful pawn to Nameless.
Today was no different.
Hikatt neither knew nor cared why they were attacking Carnea.
He was simply carrying out Nameless's command.
"...The barrier is dissolving."
At his subordinate's words, Hikatt looked up to see the barrier melting away from the top down.
As expected, just as they had said.
Hikatt pressed his lips to the ring on his right hand in gratitude once more.
"...Charge the moment the barrier drops."
"Understood."
The sword drawn from Hikatt's waist rang out with a chilling tone that pierced the night sky.
Returning to the room, Tristan stared anxiously at the box until the seal finally began to break.
He shot to his feet and checked the contents, his face twisting in disgust.
Wriggle— wriggle—
Inside squirmed a 'tentacle' that resembled a slime yet looked utterly alien, crawling with grotesque movements.
Tristan had never considered himself squeamish before, but this was different.
Just looking at it sent chills of dread crawling up from his toes.
'...Am I supposed to feed this to my daughter...?'
The man in black had said that if she consumed what was in the box, she would lose her humanity but save her life.
It was true.
Even Tristan could sense the overwhelming power emanating from the tentacle—power he himself might not handle.
Using this strength could indeed save his daughter's life, as the man claimed.
'...But.'
Wasn't there something more important to a human than mere survival?
Forcing this abomination on his daughter felt like crossing an unforgivable line.
'D...Daddy.'
But recalling Isolde's voice calling out to him in agony melted away his human emotions, leaving only cold reason.
With resolve hardened, Tristan reached into the box.
"...!"
The moment he grasped the 'tentacle,' Tristan instinctively knew.
The instant she used it, Isolde would curse him forever.
Yet even cursed by his daughter, Tristan wanted to save her life.
'I'm sorry...'
As Tristan pried open Isolde's mouth to insert the tentacle—
"Hah... hah... W-wait... just a moment!"
The cabin door burst open, and Eugene Calliope rushed in.
Heart pounding like it might burst, he'd barely made it in time.
"..."
He'd stopped Tristan for now, but he couldn't relax.
Tristan's eyes had lost their light, and he still held the tentacle in his hand.
"...Eugene... you're too late... This is the only way left."
As expected, Tristan moved to feed it to Isolde with a look of resignation. I shouted loudly.
"The ans...! I found the answer!"
"...Stop it. Don't give me false hope anymore!"
Tristan shook his head, unwilling to listen.
He was worn out from repeated false hopes.
I shouted at him again.
"Just because it's hard for you to endure, are you going to rob Isolde of her chance to live as a human?!"
"...!"
"This is the last trial anyway! If my method doesn't save Isolde, then do whatever you want with the tentacle."
Finally, the hesitating Tristan lowered the hand holding the tentacle.
'Phew...'
I let out a short sigh of relief.
I'd put out the most urgent fire, but with the huge hurdle of convincing Tristan still ahead, I couldn't fully relax.
"So... what is this method to end my daughter's torment?"
"...We don't end the trial."
"Not end the trial? ...Are you joking with my daughter's life on the line?!"
"Please calm down and listen."
"Shut up...! If you don't want to die, get out while I still have my reason!"
"Professor! Are you going to repeat the same mistake from our first meeting?!"
Mentioning how I'd nearly died from a misunderstanding made Tristan pause.
"...Fine, speak. But if it's nonsense, I won't let it slide."
Tristan's beastly killing intent made my body stiffen.
I'd thought Loreos's aura was the worst, but a father's desperation to save his child was no joke.
"...This is an item called 'sacred milk' that restores physical strength itself."
With that, I placed the Nursing Succubus's breast milk on the desk.
Tristan ground his teeth.
"...So this is your so-called solution! Even if we pass this trial, what's the point? The next one will still kill Isolde!"
"No! It's different!"
"How is it different?!"
"It only has moderate recovery effects—it's not strong enough to fully heal Isolde!"
"...?"
Tristan fell silent, listening intently due to my firm insistence, but it wouldn't last long.
I had to press the advantage.
I caught my breath and continued.
"Please listen calmly. You said each trial Isolde overcomes brings a stronger one, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then, maintain her current state—the final trial she can endure. With the sacred milk I brought, she'll suffer a bit but won't die."
"You're saying keep torturing Isolde?"
"Yes, it will hurt, but it's far better than giving up her humanity."
My words hit home; Tristan clamped his mouth shut.
"Professor, time's short. Put down that horrific thing and give Isolde the sacred milk. You can decide after seeing its effects."
"...Alright."
As Tristan took the sacred milk from me, I quickly pocketed the 'tentacle.'
'...Ugh.'
Unpurified, just touching it felt repulsive, but as long as I didn't swallow it, it'd be fine.
Meanwhile, Isolde's expression brightened considerably after drinking the Nursing Succubus's milk.
"...It really restored her stamina."
"It's not a full cure. I'll leave more sacred milk here, so manage her by giving her a bottle each time her condition worsens."
"...Understood. So what exactly is this sacred milk? Where did it come from? How did you get it? Can I make it myself?"
Tristan advanced a step with each question.
I pushed back the uncomfortably close Tristan and said,
"Calm down first. Step back a bit, Professor."
"...Sorry. I got too excited. But you need to answer."
"I'm sorry, but the sacred milk is made with the Calliope family's secret technique—it can't be shared outside."
"...Money's no issue. Name your price."
"It's not about money. Even if I told you the recipe, you couldn't make it without the Calliope family's special equipment."
"..."
All lies, of course, but as long as he didn't find out.
No matter how bold Tristan was, he wouldn't storm the Calliope estate to verify.
"So here's my proposal. I'll supply you with sacred milk ongoing. In return, you grant my 'requests,' Professor."
"...Using the milk as a leash on me."
"Call it a trade, not exploitation. Better to pay a fair price than live in fear of it stopping."
Even if it felt like the devil's temptation, with Isolde's life at stake, Tristan had no choice.
"...Fine. I'll honor your requests as best I can."
"Then, deal struck."
Tristan clasped my outstretched hand with a wry smile.
"To think you solved in days what I searched years for... Your alchemy knowledge from our first meeting, and now this—true talent, indeed..."
"..."
Both Loreos and Tristan kept painting me as a prodigy.
'I just milked some boobs...'
—Boom!
Then came the distant explosion.
The signal for Chapter 2's main event.
"...Something's happening. I'll check it out."
"I'll come with—!"
Tristan tried to follow, but relief at Isolde's survival sapped his strength, and he staggered.
I looked at him and said,
"No, Professor, stay here."
"...I can't. That's my fault—"
"Even with the milk, we don't know how Isolde will hold up. And if they come here, someone needs to handle it."
Mentioning Isolde made Tristan sigh in resignation.
"...Take care."
"You too, Professor."
Good thing he didn't insist on coming.
After all that effort saving this valuable asset, if he went out like that and died to stray magic, I'd die of frustration.
'Alright...'
As I left the cabin, I twisted my lips into a smirk.
I had the intact tentacle, Tristan's weakness—everything I needed.
All that remained was wrapping up Chapter 2's main event.