Chapter 145: Dissonance (3)
As soon as I entered the massive building with Archbishop Onnime, someone suddenly rushed at me.
“Lian!”
That someone was none other than Windy May.
She swiftly yanked my sleeve toward her, as if snatching it.
And then, as though shielding me from something, she embraced me protectively, sharply glaring around.
She looked restless, like someone who had just found a child left alone by the water’s edge.
“You can’t just follow anyone around. Don’t you know it’s dangerous to go around like that?”
Her scolding left me unable to hide my bafflement.
“……Professor, you told me to come with Archbishop Onnime.”
I muttered, incredulous.
Windy May flinched for a moment, but soon turned her gaze away, pretending not to have heard.
“Anyway, be more careful from now on. Got it?”
“Yes.”
I had been about to say something more, but simply answered quietly.
I just figured she must be upset over something again.
“……Anyway, follow me.”
The interior we entered after her urging was utterly empty and desolate.
I had naturally assumed someone would be waiting inside, so the unexpected scene left me a bit taken aback.
Was it just my imagination?
The atmosphere lingering in the room felt strangely odd.
As if there had just been a quarrel or something...
“Hmm?”
Onnime asked.
“Where did everyone else go?”
“Tsk!”
At his question, Windy May clicked her tongue sharply and gave a short reply.
“Don’t ask.”
Turning her head abruptly, she added:
“I kicked out everyone who wasn’t needed.”
“…….”
“…….”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
It seemed Onnime felt the same.
She drove everyone out...?
It was a bold move, typical of her, but I couldn’t figure out her reasoning.
Windy May clearly had no intention of explaining further—she simply gestured at me to follow her.
“Lian.”
“Yes.”
“Come with me for now.”
Then, glancing at Onnime, she hesitated briefly before saying,
“You wait here. This doesn’t concern you.”
“As you wish.”
Onnime gave a gentle smile.
Even that looked rather grim, though.
Windy May turned as if she had no more business with him and walked off.
Somehow, the sight of her floating through the air was a little comforting.
I followed behind her.
Only the sound of one person’s footsteps echoed through the silence.
“Could you explain what this is about now?”
“First, let me apologize for summoning you so suddenly without any explanation.”
Windy May spoke in a near whisper.
“And Lian, the reason I called you is simple. You’re an important witness.”
“A witness?”
“Yes. A witness from the Dungeon Field Class incident.”
She continued in a calm voice.
“You’re the only one who had multiple encounters with the ants and met Rahma.”
“……Cecilia was there as well.”
“Well, yes.”
Windy May muttered.
“But according to the records, Cecilia had fewer direct confrontations with the ants. And more importantly, you entered the Cocoon Chamber and even encountered mutants. Just considering quantity and quality alone, your experience is overwhelmingly superior.”
“That’s true……”
I nodded, accepting her point.
Now that I heard it, it did seem I was the most suitable person.
“And today, an important investigation is going to take place.”
“Here?”
“Yes, due to various circumstances.”
At last, she stopped in front of a door.
Even though it was tightly shut, a musty and stale smell stung my nose.
Creak—
She gestured, and the door opened lightly.
The smell grew stronger as we stepped inside.
The mustiness typical of a basement, combined with the odor of various chemicals.
The kind of smell you’d expect in an alchemist’s or wizard’s workshop.
Two people were waiting inside.
One of them looked completely out of place in this room—like a nobleman.
Gleaming red eyes, pale, lifeless skin like powdered porcelain.
‘Vampire.’
The moment I saw him, I realized he was a powerful Vampire.
He met my gaze and gave a faint smile in return.
“I’m Valdemar. I’ve been given the honor of observing this investigation, though I’ll simply be staying out of the way. No need to pay me much mind.”
“Ah, yes.”
I gave a slight bow at his courteous demeanor.
Valdemar gestured toward someone standing deeper in the room.
“This person will be leading today’s examination.”
And the moment I saw who it was, a surprised sound escaped me.
“Oh.”
A tiger’s face—but without any intimidation.
A Beastkin Monster Scholar.
It was unmistakably him.
A man I had known not in this life, but my previous one.
‘To meet him here…’
He was the very person who had once told me about pheromones, the ant nest,
and the transformations of the locusts.
“Someone you know?”
At Windy May’s question, I shook my head.
“……No. I was just startled because I’ve never seen a tiger beastkin before.”
“Heh heh, don’t worry—I don’t bite.”
The scholar murmured.
A textbook image of an academic, he swept up his massive glasses with one of his meaty paws, tipped with deadly claws.
“He was specially invited for this investigation.”
At Valdemar’s words, Windy May nodded.
“Well then, now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.”
“I was wondering when you’d finally say that.”
The Beastkin Scholar grinned broadly.
Smiling with a tiger’s face was so terrifying I instinctively leaned back.
“……Now then, shall we begin?”
The scholar skillfully put on his research gloves and began preparations.
Windy May, Valdemar, and I gathered around him to observe.
On the autopsy table lay the corpse of a Giant Ant.
Glancing to the rear, I saw dozens more corpses stacked neatly.
“…….”
The Beastkin Scholar’s hands moved with expert precision, clean and swift.
He gently flipped the ant over, carefully split it open, and began examining its inner structure.
Dark fluid seeped out from the severed outer shell and stained his fur, but he didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Hmm, they really raised this one with care.”
He murmured in admiration.
“Balls of protein made from honey, eggplant, seasonal fruits, and various beasts. It was raised on an extremely luxurious diet.”
His fingertip pointed to the ant’s internal organs.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell what I was looking at, but I followed the other two’s gaze.
“It definitely had a balanced diet. A very healthy specimen… You rarely see ones like this in nature. It’s clear that it was raised by human hands, starting from the mother’s generation.”
“Other than that, didn’t you find anything else?”
“Uh……”
At Windy May’s sharp retort, he flinched.
“……For now? I’ve only opened one up so far.”
“Then hurry up and do the rest. We don’t have time.”
“Yees……”
He answered gloomily.
And so, for quite a while, he began repeating the mechanical process of cutting, digging, and inspecting the inside of the ants.
Maybe it was because he had been unusually kind to me in my previous life.
I couldn’t bear to watch him struggle alone, so I volunteered to assist him by acting as a simple helper.
That way, most of the ants—
Even the ones that were mutants or still in cocoons—were all dissected and examined.
During that time, the Beastkin Monster Scholar let out a low growl.
“This is strange……”
He pressed his forehead and tilted his head again.
“This… this is really odd.”
“What is it?”
I cautiously asked.
“What do you mean by strange?”
The Beastkin Monster Scholar narrowed his eyes and began explaining.
“Considering the size of the cocoon chamber and the colony, it’s strange that all these specimens share the same ‘parent’ and ‘generation’.”
“It’s strange for them to share a parent? Isn’t it normal for a single queen to lay all the eggs?”
The scholar shook his head.
“That’s only half right. That’s true for small nests, but in the case of giant nests, reserve queens lay eggs too.”
He continued his explanation.
“Especially when mutants are involved. Giving birth to mutants takes significantly more energy. Even for insects, their egg-laying capacity is limited, since they’re still biological creatures. But this is……”
“Just get to the point.”
At Windy May’s prompt, he nodded.
“If the parents are different, it makes sense for them to share a generation. Conversely, if the generation is different, it makes sense for there to be only one parent—because they’re laid over a long period. But these specimens all had the same parent and the same generation.”
“And that means?”
“Academically, it’s impossible.”
He said with confidence.
“I swear on my name. I can’t explain it, but it suggests artificial intervention… or the existence of an anomalous method of reproduction.”
“What would be an example of that?”
“There isn’t one.”
The room fell silent.
The Beastkin Monster Scholar let out a sigh and said,
“Not even with magic or alchemy. This is… I’m sorry, but it’s beyond my ability.”
At his words, Valdemar cautiously spoke up.
“He’s the top disciple of our greatest expert. If he says this, then I doubt anyone on our side could uncover more.”
Valdemar glanced at Windy May.
“……Is that all right?”
“…….”
Windy May tilted her head slightly, then turned to look at me.
“I need to have a private conversation with Lian.”
“Popolotuass.”
As soon as we were alone, Windy May abruptly spoke.
“Sorry?”
“Popolotuass. I’m certain.”
Popolotuass.
The name of one of the Eight Demon Lords, known to possess the ability to endlessly cultivate, combine, and summon monsters within his own body.
Talia Poas also mentioned he had, albeit limited, the ability to reverse time. In other words, he was practically a monster.
“Why bring up one of the Eight Demon Lords out of nowhere… Oh, don’t tell me.”
“That’s right, Lian. You experienced a similar case just a few days ago, didn’t you?”
Yul Runberg.
He too had possessed a fragment of Tobrida’s corpse, another one of the Eight Demon Lords.
The corpse of a powerful demon or mage becomes an excellent artifact on its own.
“But this is too……”
“A leap in logic?”
“Yes.”
“But there’s no better explanation.”
Windy May nodded.
“I know a bit about monsterology and biology. Not enough to call myself an expert, but enough. And considering the expert’s conclusion as well—there’s no other answer.”
“……This just made the case way more complicated.”
“Indeed.”
Windy May nodded again.
“But there’s no need to worry too much. Judging from what I see, it’s far more deteriorated than Yul Runberg’s was.”
“How can you tell?”
“He fed it. You think he fed it out of affection? He only fed it because he had to. Originally, Popolotuass didn’t even need to feed his creations.”
I let out a small sigh of relief.
“If that’s the case, that is a relief……”
“Anyway, now that we’ve identified the ability, things will move quickly.”
Windy May said as she looked at me.
“Take this letter I’m writing and return to the Academy. Deliver it to Yeriel. And absolutely do not leave the Academy alone. If you must leave, make sure it’s with someone else—”
Suddenly, Windy May trailed off.
Then, as if she couldn’t believe it, she stepped closer and began sniffing me.
“S-Sensei?”
“……Stay still.”
Muttering in a chilling tone, she glared at the sword strapped to my side.
Then she looked over my back and shoulders, her voice trembling.
“……Don’t tell me—you were taught by Airos?”
“Uh……”
“Seriously?”
“Well, just the swordsmanship……”
Thud!
It sounded like that was the only thing that echoed.
Windy May, who had been floating in the air, suddenly collapsed weakly to the floor.
Startled, I rushed over to help, but she slapped my hand away as if she didn’t need it.
“Do you know what I went through to drive that woman away earlier……?”
With a sniffle and a voice on the verge of tears, she muttered.
Wait, is she really crying?
Seriously?
As I stared at her in disbelief, Windy May glared at me through teary eyes and spat out,
“……Traitor.”