Episode 123 – Vacation (1)

Vacation (1)

Monsters have different ways of extending their lives.

There are monsters like Grawl, who can’t maintain their human form, consciousness, or reason without consuming humans, and there are monsters like Berhalsi, who was killed by Jade, who only eat the hearts of beasts.

What they all have in common is that they consume nutrients containing ‘magic power’.

Humans need to supply nutrients necessary for life activities every day, but monsters have the power to convert part of their magic power into calories.

In that regard─ the most effective treatment for Akane was a ‘mana core’.

I extracted 3 units of capacity from the 「Notepad」 to create a mana core, and fed it to Akane’s right arm.

It was a permanent loss because it couldn’t be recovered, but while nursing Akane for three days, I realized one thing for sure.

If I had left her alone that day, she would have definitely died.

Not just because of her physical condition, but also because of the Dawn Society, who had detected the magic explosion and dispatched their forces.

They, who systematically exterminate monsters, had thoroughly searched the maze and the entire island.

“……Finally got a signal.”

Swoosh──

The waves crash against the shore. The only place on this island where a signal can be caught.

I raised my smartphone high to the sky and checked the message.

[Soliette : The last gathering before the holiday is this Fridayㅋㅋ;; When are you coming back from your trip?]

[Soon. Did you get the business card?]

[Soliette : Yes. I contacted the number, but there was no reply. I think it’s a dudㅋㅋ. It’s okay.]

She can’t reply because she’s still in a critical condition.

[Keep trying to contact her. She’s a busy person.]

[Soliette : Yes. I plan to. Oh right. They’re announcing the Secret Friend on Friday. Do you know who your Secret Friend is? ㅋㅋ Give me a hintㅋㅋ]

Soliette’s text had a lot of ㅋㅋ. It’s a sign of familiarity, I guess.

[I’m Elise.]

I replied like that, but just then the signal cut off.

“Ah.”

I shook my smartphone up and down before putting it in my pocket.

I picked up the trap I had set up. There were quite a lot of fish caught.

“Let’s go……”

I went back into the forest.

During the three days I helped with the healing, Akane’s body was almost completely restored. The monster’s arm regenerated Akane’s body into exactly the same flesh.

Watching the recovery process, I realized anew.

The reason why humans want to become monsters and at the same time, the reason why humans want to kill monsters.

Monsters can use almost the same abilities as the monster they transplanted, albeit with reduced power.

And the original owner of the arm that Akane transplanted was……

I arrived at the hideout.

I opened the door camouflaged with leaves.

“……?”

The wooden bed inside.

Akane, who should have been on it, was not there.

Thud-

Instead, there was a presence behind me.

The back of my neck felt creepy. My hairs stood on end.

I swallowed my saliva.

“Fuck.”

Akane spat out and walked out. She sat on the bed and showed me her pitch-black arm.

“Do you know what this is?”

“……It’s a monster’s arm.”

Akane raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t help but ask the clichéd question. Why did you help if you knew?”

“I paid my debt.”

I unconsciously touched my arm.

It’s not a prosthetic now, but the touch of the luxury item I received before regression is still vivid. The item worth millions of Ren was given to me for free, and even recommended a ‘soul transfer’.

“It’s not that expensive a deadly poison… Did Grawl die?”

Akane asked bluntly.

“Well. I suppose so.”

I looked at Akane as I answered. I was quite curious about the relationship between the two monsters, and she sighed while brushing her hair.

“……I made that bastard’s body. A mere stone formed an ego and came to find me, so I was intrigued. But my doll still can’t contain consciousness. Grawl should have collapsed in three months due to natural force.”

Nature always wants to be constant. An existence that deviates from the providence of nature receives the power of nature and naturally perishes.

That’s ‘natural force’.

“Grawl held on. He overcame the natural force. Perhaps that’s why he thought of me as a creator. He was mistaken that his origin would be with me. I drove away the guy who was obsessed with me, but it didn’t work.”

“Why?”

Akane put her hand on her cheekbone.

“Because I didn’t examine in detail how he overcame the natural force.”

I looked at the fish flapping in the bucket.

“Cannibalism. Are you saying?”

“……You seem to have some understanding of this field.”

She chuckled- she laughed as if surprised. I shrugged my shoulders.

“But, didn’t you say that if he kills people with a prosthetic, you’d let it go?”

“That’s a different story. I released a defective product into the world. The prosthetic I transplanted was killing people on its own. I had to take responsibility.”

The logic and rationale are clear.

It’s completely recovered.

I got up.

“Are you thinking of going back?”

“Yes. I will bill you for the treatment. You have to pay with a mana core. Grill the fish in that bucket later.”

Then Akane handed me a piece of paper. It was a business card-sized card.

“Take it.”

[Selfless Coffin]

Selfless Coffin. It’s still the best on the continent, but in 10 years, it will be treated as demonic power, a body Artifact shop.

There was a small but complex Magic Spell on the business card.

“I only want to accept those who can communicate. It will take a day or two to interpret.”

“Edsilla Roula AD-213.”

“…….”

Akane flinched. I burned the business card.

“I memorized the address. Soliette will probably contact you too.”

“Okay. Come there. Also, you’ve been downgraded to fourth.”

“Excuse me?”

Suddenly, what is that about?

“When Soliette opened the rooftop door, the time was up. You’re next after Gerkhen Kal Doon, Elise, Soliette.”

“…….”

Fourth place.

It’s a high enough grade, but it feels unfair.

“But I wrote about your future in the report. There will be plenty of organizations watching you.”

“Well…… I just need to go to college. Anyway, I’m leaving now.”

I was about to leave when a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“By any chance, could you also make me a fake identity?”

______________________________________________________________________

Edsilla Autonomous District, Trick City.

[Valmant Manaology]

“……Small.”

Back on the continent, I’m looking at a small and pitiful company compared to the future.

The company that will become my important money bag.

Before entering, I checked my face.

─Blonde hair dyed red, irises darkened to a deep purple, and a long vertical scar on the left eyelid.

It’s an Infimian that was manifested with the texture and shape from the 「Notepad」. Even I wouldn’t recognize myself with my lower face covered by a mask.

The fake identity is perfect.

Dale Kal.

Using Akane’s connections, I hacked into the central database of Edsilla and superimposed a picture on the identity of a homeless man who had died.

In other words, if you search for Dale Kal in public institutions, this face will pop up.

There’s no worry of being caught.

I entered [Valmant Mananology].

Clang-! Shush-!

In the midst of all the noisy vibrations, a muscular old man turned to look at me. He asked as he put down his hammer.

“Who are you?”

I licked my lips.

As politely and stiffly as possible. In that ‘practical’ tone that magicians often use.

I said.

“I’m Dale.”

“Oh?! Hey Kanya─! Kanya───! Kanya──────!”

Bang-!

The workshop door opened. A thin woman with short hair appeared, her dark circles prominent.

“Ah, why are you screaming again-”

“We have a guest!”

She looked at me.

I said.

“I’m Dale.”

……

Valmant Manaology’s workshop.

“I’m Dale.”

“Yes. Here’s the contract.”

Kanya offered a paper on top of a delivery box.

“We know. You’ve already submitted a finished product, so there’s no need for research and development costs. So we’ll split the distribution profits 60-40.”

Large companies usually offer 3%. However, they establish a perfect formula and refine it efficiently, selling much more than small and medium-sized businesses.

So 40% is 13 times what a large company would receive.

“70-30”

“No, that’s impossible. We’d be at a loss even if we sold it.”

Kanya coldly refused. It seemed like she thought they were the 30.

I corrected her assumption.

“You guys get 70.”

“Oh?! ……No. W-well. You’re lowering the conditions?”

“However. Twice as much stock options for the 10% I conceded.”

I was a novice in stocks. I never had enough spare money to invest in anything in my life.

Of course, that’s still the case now, and I need to prepare for the next mana quirk treatment right away, but royalty settlements are only once a year.

It’s enough to bury the money I’ll receive once a year in stock options of a company that’s sure to succeed.

“Stock options…….”

Kanya tried to maintain her composure but couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed she was pleased that I was overvaluing her company.

Squeak-

The door opened at that moment. I casually turned around and jumped up.

“Hey, Gerkhen Kal Doon. We have a guest, don’t just barge in.”

It was Gerkhen Kal Doon.

Gerkhen Kal Doon also looked at me awkwardly.

I was slightly nervous, but thankfully, the performance of the Infimian mask seemed reliable.

“I apologize.”

He bowed his head with a completely unfamiliar face. He even asked me while looking at me.

“Are you a magician?”

“…….”

I didn’t answer. Kanya glared at Gerkhen Kal Doon. It was a silent curse.

“……I was rude.”

Gerkhen Kal Doon backed out as if he was moonwalking and closed the door.

“Okay. The profit is 70% to 30%. We get 70%. You, Dale, get 30%. 20% of the profit is in stock options. However.”

Kanya revised the contract on the spot.

“We can only accept it if you submit at least one other Magic Spell to us.”

At her words, I briefly thought of the future.

The Magic Spells I’ve seen over the next 12 years. Some of them seem to be easy to implement.

It’s not that, I feel like my mana vessel has gotten a bit bigger.

I’m guessing the cause is probably R-elix. Whether it absorbed Grawl, or there’s something else.

I can’t tell because I’m not feeling it.

“Right. The formulas I can submit as prototypes are……. 3.”

I spread out three fingers.

“I can submit about 3 right away.”

Then Kanya’s eyes widened. She clenched her fists tightly.

“However, I too will decide on the submission based on the sales performance of Death Eater.”

“Of course. Should I call you… a magician, Dale?”

Magician.

No matter how I think about it, I don’t fit in with that group.

“It doesn’t matter. Call me as you please.”

“Yes. Magician Dale.”

Rather, it will be a good disguise because of that.

______________________________________________________________________

The day the first quarter ended.

Elise had been a continuous series of tutoring, studying, and field trips since the evaluation test ended. She visited the Magic Tower and took the [Master Class of the Sages], and her talent as a magician was recognized.

The main test was also somewhat satisfactory. She didn’t beat Gerkhen Kal Doon, but she did manage to take second from Soliette.

“……Elly~ Long time no see~”

After smoothly digesting numerous schedules.

Elise returned to Endex after a week. She nodded to Layla, who looked tired, and sat down.

But her gaze unintentionally turned back.

The third seat from the back.

Shion was sitting there.

Elise pretended not to care about him.

“…….”

She had attended lectures at the Magic Tower. Among them was one about the attitude towards life. That 96% of worries are unnecessary.

She agreed with that at the time, but now that the situation has come, her mind is again in turmoil.

Damn it.

“Hoo…….”

Elise had always disliked Shion. The reason was simple. He had caused great harm to the family.

Because of his foolish curiosity, my father failed to be re-elected, and he disappointed me.

However, if I recalculate now.

If we compare the damage, Shion has done to the family and the harm the family has done to Shion.

There was no comparison.

I had no reason to dislike him from the start.

Rather, it was reasonable to say that Petra ‘got what they deserved’.

Looking at Shion without prejudice, he was a hard-working person. He was a hard worker who overcame Gerkhen Kal Doon with his own efforts. He had talent in Latinel, and he was a person with outstanding literary sensitivity.

So, from now on, I just have to accept him as he is, and we can walk different paths.

Because I can’t undo what’s already happened.

“Nice to see you.”

Chedric arrived just in time.

“From today, it’s a month-long vacation. You can rest comfortably. However, before that.”

He distributed small pieces of paper to the seniors.

“Guess your Secret Friend and submit it.”

The Secret Friend that started from the first class.

Elise looked at the paper and pondered. There were so many people who were kind to her.

She roughly wrote [Brown].

As long as the other person doesn’t find out, you get the same 1 point.

“Now reveal your identity to your Secret Friend.”

As the guessing time ended, the seniors got up one by one. Kain went to Delrick, Asher to Kielli, and Layla to Shion.

─Shion, it was you~! You had no idea, did you?

Layla, who was bouncing around, and Shion, who looked as if he couldn’t believe it.

Elise approached James. He was in the same Latinel class, so he helped a lot with the assignment.

“Elise, it was you?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“Not at all. I wondered why you were helping with the assignment.”

At James’ reaction, she turned around feeling proud, when…

“Hey.”

Someone blocked her. Elise casually looked up at him.

It was Shion.

…Strange.

The eye levels were too mismatched.

When did he get so tall?

Even if I tiptoed, I wouldn’t reach him. At this rate, he seems to be about the same height as Asher.

“Here.”

While I was lost in thought, he handed me a card.

“What is this….”

Elise took it without a second thought. It was a card with the name [Elise Petra] written on it.

“I was your Secret Friend.”

“….”

Suddenly, Elise’s thoughts came to a halt.

Her entire body froze.

Cold sweat spread from her back to the top of her head, and her eyelids trembled as if she was deficient in magnesium.

“You can’t deny it.”

At his words, suddenly all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

The reason he helped her in Recordark, the reason he saved her at the ghost hotel.

Thinking about it now, it was a much more plausible reason than ‘he likes her’.

Elise had strangely overlooked a very certain reason.

Guardian angel.

“Uh….”

Elise blankly looked at the card.

“I’m leaving.”

Shion winked and left his seat. He went out of Clemen Hall.

Left alone, Elise suddenly felt a throbbing headache. Her face felt hot.

“Elly. It’s vacation, do you want to come to my house?”

Layla approached her. Elise staggered and sat down at the desk.

“Elly? Elly, what’s wrong? Are you sick, Elly?”

“Quiet… for a moment.”

The headache was intense.

When embarrassment reaches its peak, does it cause nausea, dizziness, and brain cancer? Her stomach felt queasy, she suddenly wanted to run away, and amidst the overwhelming urge to vomit, Elise put her hand on her forehead.

It felt like steam was coming out of her ears.

Sizzle-! Sizzle-!

She could hear the sound of a kettle boiling.

“….Elly! Your face looks like it’s going to explode, Elly! It’s swelling, Elly! You look like a steamed bun!”

“I, I’m leaving.”

Elise quickly turned around.

“Where, where are you going?! To the hospital?!”

In a hurry, she ran out of Clemen Hall. She sprinted down the corridor like the wind.

She didn’t know where she was going.

She just wanted to disappear somewhere, anywhere….