BXBX NOVEL Chapter 44 - Cleanup (3)
Chapter 44 - Cleanup (3)
“Hic, waaah...!”
Regia cried loud enough to make the infirmary echo.
Like a small child who had lost her parents.
Her sobs were so pitiful that even Selena, who had been waiting outside, came running in.
It was utter chaos, to say the least.
Bang—!
“What’s going on in here? I heard someone screaming...!”
“W-Wait, commoner! Don’t cling to me like that! Your face is all covered in tears and snot...”
“Hic, L-Lady Vanity...!”
“Kyaaa!!”
“Haha... what a mess.”
The scene was a noisy disaster.
Regia, still overwhelmed by the intense memories of the lab, couldn’t calm down easily.
It wasn’t until much later that her crying finally subsided.
“...Sniff.”
She sat on the hospital bed, still swallowing her tears.
Her green eyes trembled faintly. Though she had settled down somewhat, the anxiety still lingered on her face.
With hesitant lips, she asked a question.
“S-So... no one died... is that... really true?”
“Yes, Miss Regia.”
“How many times do I have to tell you?”
We responded calmly.
Since we couldn’t give her the full story, we mixed in a bit of fiction to explain.
We told her that we survived by sheer luck.
“The monster suddenly... ran away?”
“That’s right! After you collapsed, it broke through the ceiling and disappeared.”
“Wh-Why... why would it do that...?”
“How should I know? If you’re curious, go ask the monster yourself!!”
“I-I-I’m s-sorry...!”
It was a complete lie, without a shred of honesty.
There were moments when she seemed to doubt it, but Emilia’s forceful storytelling helped us pull it off.
It was a good thing we had coordinated our stories beforehand.
I just chimed in here and there.
“I was lucky too. I barely escaped the spot where the monster was about to land.”
“Even you, my lord... It really seems like the gods were watching over us.”
“I agree.”
“Th-That’s a relief...”
I had been worried that she wouldn’t believe us, but our protagonist accepted it without question, to an almost ridiculous extent.
How pure-hearted could someone be to react like that?
Ding!
[The target’s emotions have shifted.]
(Anxiety, despair → Relief)
[A small amount of Lies energy has been restored.]
[Current output: 36.4%]
[TL/N: Wow I just remember this was a thing… maybe even the author forgot it.]
Thanks to her trust, I even regained some of my Lies energy.
After a few more exchanges, Regia suddenly rose from the bed.
Her legs wobbled unsteadily.
“My lord... My lady...”
“Miss Regia? You should really lie down and rest for a bit longer—”
Before I could finish, we were engulfed in warmth.
The pilot reached out hesitantly and embraced both the snake and the vain girl, who had been sitting side by side.
A soft, tepid hug enveloped the two of us.
“Hmm?”
“C-Commoner...?”
As we blinked in confusion at her sudden action, faint sobs echoed around us.
Regia, her tension finally relieved, clung to us.
“Sniff... I’m so, so glad you’re alive...”
“...”
“...”
Her voice was filled with sorrow.
Perhaps, after escaping the nightmare of the lab, the reality of her survival finally hit her.
Clutching both of us tightly, the girl buried her face in the warm comfort of the embrace.
She seemed so fragile.
—Am I dead too?
—What do we do! Poor my lord, sniff, and lady...!
Despite her gentle nature, she never stopped worrying about others.
It was moments like these that revealed just how kind-hearted Regia truly was.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t help but grow fond of the protagonist.
With a soft smile, I accepted the sobbing pilot’s embrace.
“You did well, Miss Regia.”
Emilia did the same.
Although she looked unsure of what to do, she couldn’t bring herself to push the pink-haired girl away.
All she could manage was an awkward pat on Regia’s back.
“A-Alright, that’s enough... S-Stop crying already.”
“M-My Lady...”
Her clumsy effort might have seemed awkward, but from my perspective, it was heartwarming to watch.
The two characters whose relationship had been so strained in the original story were now slowly moving in a better direction.
I couldn’t wipe the small smile off my face.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Oh, nothing. I just think you both look especially beautiful today.”
“...Flattery won’t work on me.”
“What a shame.”
Emilia turned her head away, pretending not to care.
And so, until Regia finally stopped crying, the three of us remained huddled together, quietly holding each other.
***
Some time later.
“Hehe, Miss Regia.”
“...”
“I didn’t know you were so fond of us.”
“...”
“Clinging to us like a child, crying your heart out... I must say, it was truly adorable.”
“...”
Regia had no response.
Her head was hung low, her pale face flushed bright red.
The soft groans that escaped her, born of shame, were music to my ears.
“Stop teasing her already. Are you trying to make her cry again?”
“That could be fun too.”
“...”
“If she does, we’ll just hug her again to make her feel better, won’t we?”
“...You’re terrible.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
I wasn’t one to discriminate when it came to teasing.
Following my personal rule, I continued to shower the protagonist with playful torment.
***
We had to undergo another round of medical check-ups.
Though the doctors had confirmed we were all fine, Selena insisted on being thorough, just in case.
Even though she often acted indifferent, she was still a teacher after all.
With the students’ safety at stake, she wasn’t taking any chances.
After thorough internal, external, curse, mark, and magic examinations, we were finally allowed to leave the infirmary.
By the time we finished, more than half the day had already passed.
“I’m glad to see all three of you are healthy.”
Of course, leaving the infirmary wasn’t the end of it.
As victims and witnesses of the incident, we had to undergo a formal investigation.
“I deeply apologize for yesterday’s incident. It was my failure to detect it in advance.”
Selena bowed her head in apology.
We sat on the sofa, watching her with bewildered expressions.
It felt strange seeing her so formal, after always being stiff or drunk.
Her red eyes were cast in shadow.
“Well, let’s hear your explanation.”
“The dark magic used in this incident was entirely different from any known methods... It was a completely new form of infiltration spell.”
“So the academy had no prior experience dealing with it.”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmmm.”
It was something that had appeared in the original story.
The cult had been inactive for years.
The world believed they had been wiped out during the Great Purge, but in reality, they had simply been growing stronger in the shadows, preparing to fulfill their desires.
“They were meticulous in their preparation. Even experts in the field were struggling.”
“I heard it would take at least a week to decipher the new dark magic... How did you manage to find us in just two hours?”
“Well, this is Gallimard, after all.”
It was a clear answer.
Gallimard.
An institution that gathered only the best minds on the continent.
Founded by heroes of the Great Purge, a former Imperial Knight Commander, an Elder of the Magic Tower, and a Cardinal of the Church, among others.
It was an academy formed by geniuses, fundamentally different from the cult that thrived on blood and slaughter.
Despite the unexpected incident, the situation had been handled swiftly.
The academy would undoubtedly take stronger measures in the future.
‘A traitor within the academy had leaked information as well... Given the circumstances, this was probably inevitable.’
If anyone were to be held accountable, it would be Selena.
As the proctor of the exam, she would likely bear the brunt of the blame.
In the original story, the professor who oversaw the exam had been fired, and she would likely be stripped of her position as head professor at the very least.
Though the fact that no serious harm had come to the students, and her status as the dean’s direct disciple, might spare her from more severe consequences, it seemed likely she would be demoted to a regular professor.
Such was the sorrow of the working class.
“...”
Suddenly, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the bottle of liquor she always carried.
Maybe the bitterness of life had driven her to drink.
Her purple hair fell messily as she took another swig of alcohol.
“Pah... I truly apologize for this incident. The academy will be offering compensation for any damages. The dean will explain the details later.”
“I understand.”
With the formalities out of the way, she got to the point.
“Now, I’d like to hear your account of the incident.”
“I’ll explain.”
“Please, Student Judas. From start to finish, in as much detail as possible...”
A thorough investigation followed.
It seemed they were wary of the cult reemerging after so many years, and asked many questions.
I told them the story we had already fabricated for Regia.
“That’s what happened.”
“...”
Perhaps because of the many holes in the story, Selena looked puzzled.
But she didn’t press me for more details.
When I mentioned that my memory was fuzzy due to the shock, she simply nodded in understanding.
It would be odd to interrogate me anyway.
After all, we were in a position of power.
Even if they searched the lab, I had already altered most of the evidence. The academy had no choice but to accept our testimony.
Everything was going according to plan, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“...I see. That concludes the investigation.”
“Thank you for your time.”
“Oh, one last thing.”
Selena stopped me as if something had come to mind.
“Please return to the dormitory early. The academy isn’t in the best state right now.”
“Has something happened?”
“There was another incident at the academy while you were in the basement.”
She explained quietly.
“A few intruders appeared at the shopping district.”
“The shopping district... That’s close to the dormitory, isn’t it?”
“They used a teleportation hijacking method, similar to the one in your incident. It seemed like a diversion.”
“What happened?”
“The professors intervened quickly, and the situation was resolved within six minutes. We managed to eliminate 28 out of the 30 intruders, but the others escaped via teleportation.”
“Were there any casualties?”
“None reported so far.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Well, there may still be unreported victims.”
Selena rubbed her temples, clearly frustrated.
After taking a deep breath, she brushed her purple hair back and continued.
“Either way, it’s best to stay cautious.”
“Thank you for the warning.”
At the time, it didn’t seem like something to worry about.
I slowly rose from my seat.
Overall, it felt like a pretty decent conclusion.
The next episode would start soon, but for now, I wanted some rest.
‘Come to think of it...’
I wonder if she’s waiting for me.
I hadn’t returned to the dormitory for two days, so maybe she was worried.
Of course, I knew it was just an idle thought.
“Hehe.”
When I get back, I’ll have to play with her tail.
Lost in thoughts of the fox, I made my way back to the dormitory.
Little did I know.
“...”
The dormitory was empty.
In the silence, I couldn’t sense a single trace of life.
The air was unusually cold, biting at my skin.
The basket was nowhere to be seen.
And the fox was gone too.
The current time was 11 p.m. If she had gone out shopping, she should have been back by now.
The shopping district usually closed by evening.
—A few intruders appeared at the shopping district.
—The shopping district... That’s close to the dormitory, isn’t it?
—Were there any casualties?
—None reported so far.
—That’s good to hear.
—Well, there may still be unreported victims.
The earlier conversation echoed in my mind.
There was no way this was a coincidence.
Standing there in the deepening darkness, I let out a bitter laugh.
“Ha.”
Baob.
Those damn bastards.