BXBX NOVEL Chapter 42 - Cleanup (1)
Chapter 42 - Cleanup (1)
"This should be enough... I’ve gathered most of the information I needed."
A light murmur escaped my lips.
As I brushed off the shadow lingering on my palm, I felt a faint presence squirming at my feet.
I looked down with cold, detached eyes.
It was the man cloaked in a robe.
The one in charge of this abandoned laboratory and the final villain of this episode.
He was also the one who brought us here.
The man was writhing on the floor, convulsing as if having a seizure.
“Guh, guk, urgh...”
His eyes rolled back as he let out a series of groans.
His facial muscles contorted grotesquely.
Drool dripped from his mouth as his body twitched helplessly.
Watching him fall apart like this, I let out a cool sigh and muttered softly.
A single word, filled with thick contempt.
"To think he\'d break so easily."
Perhaps it was because I had poured too much emotion into it.
Unable to withstand it, the man lost his grip on reality, reduced to nothing more than a sobbing beast.
I clicked my tongue quietly.
"I got the most important information... but I was expecting more than this."
Damn bastards.
I had hoped to learn the whereabouts of the cult leader, but unfortunately, the man turned out to be as useless as an empty shell.
He was merely a puppet, following orders from above.
"A worthless man until the very end."
I pushed my disappointment aside.
As I turned to leave, the mutants nearby began to slink out from the shadows.
They were the wolves I’d encountered earlier in the lab.
Though they had been cowering under the weight of my killing intent, now that I was preparing to leave, they began to circle around, prowling closer.
I loaded my fingers with shadows.
But then—
"Hmm."
Grrr.
Their fangs were not aimed at me.
The object of their hunger was the man, now writhing pathetically on the ground.
The mutants licked their lips, drool dripping from their mouths.
"Are they hungry?"
Their pupils gleamed with a murderous glint.
The rough breaths they exhaled carried an undeniable intent to tear flesh.
At this rate, they would devour him.
He was in no state to resist.
The very creatures he had managed would feast on him alive, delivering him the most miserable death.
Perhaps this was the ending I had hoped for him.
I withdrew my killing intent and quietly stepped aside.
And then—
"Kreghhh!!!"
Crunch, crack—!
Amid the savage noise, the man\'s agonized screams filled the basement.
Flesh tore, bones snapped, and blood pooled on the floor.
A gruesome scene unfolded.
But I merely let out a bitter chuckle as I walked away.
"The monsters have delivered their judgement."
Silently, I offered a prayer in my heart.
"May this be the end of it."
Tear into the flesh of the one who tormented you, and soothe the hunger of your vengeance.
Kill him as cruelly, as painfully, as brutally as possible.
And in doing so, perhaps just a little—
You can satiate the hunger in your twisted souls.
"May the gods take you."
A prayer for the monsters.
I quietly moved my lips.
As I listened to the mournful requiem that echoed behind me, I left the laboratory.
This truly was the end of everything.
***
When I returned to the lab after finishing up, the first thing I noticed was the group of adults standing around the children.
They were glancing around in a daze.
“...What is all this?”
“...”
“What on earth happened here...?”
It seemed the support from Gallimard had finally arrived.
Realizing that this episode was truly over, I slowly approached them.
I greeted them lightly.
“Oh my… you’re all a bit late, aren’t you?”
Their gazes, which had been scattered, focused on me.
The professors stood there, dumbfounded.
They seemed overwhelmed by the chaotic scene before them.
The shattered ceiling, the corpses of wolves, the stench of blood hanging thick in the air... it was a complete disaster.
I smiled.
“I was waiting for you.”
It was a smile that slipped out in genuine relief.
Just when I was feeling drained, the professors had shown up at the perfect time.
I walked over cheerfully.
And there, lying on the ground, I saw the children.
Pink and blue hair.
Both were sleeping soundly.
Several of the professors were examining the two, seemingly checking their condition.
I shrugged lightly.
“You’re too late.”
I had already checked them myself.
Both were simply exhausted, with no visible injuries.
“They’re both in good health.”
“...”
“Hmm?”
When no one reacted, I noticed something strange in their expressions.
The adults staring at me had serious, guarded eyes.
The atmosphere wasn’t normal.
Perhaps it was the sinister backdrop of the laboratory.
The professors didn’t seem willing to let down their guard, as if expecting enemies to still be lurking nearby.
I spoke up, signaling there was no need for concern.
“Hm~ There’s no need to be so wary.”
“...”
“The situation was dealt with a long time ago. Please, rest easy.”
My tone was friendly, reassuring.
I casually brushed off their suspicious gazes and slowly approached the children.
Like a concerned friend.
“Hoo hoo.”
"Do you know anything about what happened in this lab, Student Judas?"
"Shhh."
One of the professors, having collected themselves, began to ask a question, but I swiftly pressed a finger to my lips.
A signal for silence.
I didn’t want the children to wake up from the noise.
“Could we return to the academy first?”
I asked quietly.
“They seem to be very tired... They need rest. And so do I.”
For me, the children always came first.
There was no point in standing around talking while they were lying on the floor.
As I made a polite request, the professors hesitated, then nodded in agreement.
“You’re right.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll head back to the academy at once. The students will be taken to the infirmary for treatment.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Maybe it was because I showed genuine concern for my friends, but the tense atmosphere lightened.
We moved to a spot where teleportation was possible and wasted no time beginning the return procedure.
[EP5. Midterm Exam]
- The Abandoned Laboratory, The Monster Who Couldn\'t Laugh -
And so, the episode came to a successful end.
***
As soon as we returned to the academy, we were taken straight to the infirmary for various examinations.
A more detailed check-up was done to assess our condition, and IV drips were administered to replenish our mana.
Fortunately, despite the worries, no major issues were found.
As expected, I was in perfect health.
I hadn’t been injured in the first place.
The protagonist and the villainess had only fainted and were expected to wake up soon.
It was a relief to hear that.
"We’ll wait until the other two wake up to hear the full story."
The professors withdrew for now.
Since the investigation of the basement wasn’t yet complete, and there were some injured students, it seemed they wanted to proceed with caution.
Our homeroom professor, Selena, took particular care of us.
“For now, let’s avoid burdening the students. They’ve just been through a terrifying ordeal.”
She calmed her impatient colleagues.
I had always thought of her as a drunk, but seeing this meticulous side of her was a bit surprising.
Her purple hair swept back gracefully, and her red eyes gazed at us with unwavering focus.
“...For now, just rest.”
Her expression was complicated.
As she turned her head away slightly, I spoke softly to her.
“I’ll stay by their side... until they wake up.”
“Your concern for your friends is admirable, but don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.”
“Haha, I’m already doing that.”
“I’ll be waiting outside the infirmary. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Professor Selena.”
With that, Selena quietly left.
In the large infirmary, only the three of us remained: the snake, the pilot, and the vain girl.
On the beds lay two heads of pink and blue hair.
I quietly sat beside them.
“...”
The steady rhythm of their breathing continued.
I gently held each of their hands.
Our warmth met.
Given the ordeal they had been through, I hoped they wouldn’t have nightmares.
I squeezed their hands softly.
“...I’ll wait too.”
I sat silently by their side.
In the stillness of the infirmary.
For a while, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
***
- Grow stronger, Emilia.
Emilia was dreaming.
No, it was closer to a memory than a dream.
- You won’t survive otherwise.
A voice stained with tears.
Even at a young age, the girl seemed to understand the world.
Having survived harsh winters, the child wandering through the snowy mountains had no choice but to grow colder.
Her life was full of grit and determination.
- You must be more perfect, Lady Emilia.
- You must present yourself as the proper heir.
- Only then will the late Duke and Duchess be at peace.
The hypocritical elders of her family.
- Don’t worry, Emilia.
- You’re just a student. You can’t take on the duties of the family yet... So I’ll give you some special help.
- We’re family, after all. Aren’t we?
Her uncle, always pretending to care for her, yet never hiding the greed in his eyes.
- Sis... I’m scared.
- I miss Mom and Dad. Where are they?
And her younger brother, whom she had to protect even amidst the chaos of her life.
‘I’m sick of it.’
In the end, Emilia had to push herself to the limit.
Solely to survive.
Determination eroded her heart.
She abandoned altruism, gave up on happiness, and scoffed at sacrifice.
Before she knew it, the child in the mirror was gone, replaced by a fully worn-down adult.
An ugly mask.
‘Don’t forget.’
There are things you have to protect.
If I make a mistake, it’s all over.
For revenge, for happiness, I must always run forward.
The moment I look back, something terrible will happen.
‘I can only rely on myself.’
The obsessive thought that had colored her life for so long.
Even as Emilia reminisced about the joyful days of her childhood, she instinctively knew she could never return to those times.
Too much had changed.
She was no longer entitled to be called a child.
Having painted her once pure heart black, she believed she could never live for anything else again.
Yes.
She had thought that was the case.
“...”
“You’re awake.”
She opened her eyes.
As her heavy eyelids blinked open, she heard a voice beside her.
Instinctively, Emilia turned her gaze.
“It’s been a full day.”
A boy with golden hair.
His blue eyes stared blankly ahead.
“...”
“I’m glad you’re safe. I’ve been worrying about you.”
The snake smiled softly.
He then raised his hand and gently brushed the disheveled strands of her hair.
It was a touch full of affection.
As if he were handling someone precious.
“You did well, Lady Emilia.”
He whispered kindly.
And then, he placed a light kiss on the back of her pale hand.
The soft sensation startled her, but all Emilia could do was remain frozen in place.
A warmth she had longed for filled her chest.
“You really did well.”
“...”
The villainess accepted it.
The boy’s hand, as it gently tamed her.