Step, step.
A ponytailed woman walks into the city that has almost turned into ruins.
She is Lewis Carol.
The director of the research lab.
The place where she stands is where Alice defeated the Ruler.
Under the pretext of investigation, Carol personally visited the places Alice had passed through.
And in the midst of it all, she takes out a mysterious pen from her pocket.
The mysterious pen.
It was an unknown artifact that had sohow ended up in her hands ever since Lewis Carol made a contract with phistopheles.
And even phistopheles would not know of this pen's existence.
"..."
Lewis Carol's actions upon arriving at the location were all the sa so far.
Take out the pen and absorb the Ruler's power.
From the Machine God to the recently defeated Corrosive Sea King and the Cosmic Bird.
Even though the corpses had already been collected and disappeared, the pen could absorb a special residual aura that no one else could see.
"Done."
Muttered Lewis Carol with a slight smile.
The power gathered in the pen was sufficient by now.
That zombie angel, though registered as a ruler-level, was too different in nature, so it was skipped.
There was no need to excessively absorb the power of other Rulers, so the groundwork was pretty much complete.
"Director Carol. Are you done with your business?"
An agent walked up behind Carol.
Carol was montarily on guard but quickly relaxed upon hearing the voice.
She wondered why she had been tense when there was no chance of her actions being discovered.
"Yes. There are no particular anomalies detected. We just need to clean up properly."
"I see."
The agent guided Carol, who had finished her business, to the helicopter.
He silently watched as Lewis Carol boarded the helicopter.
For a mont, he glanced at the pocket where she had hidden the pen.
The helicopter took off.
After a while, the agent took out a book from his pocket.
It was clearly no ordinary book, and just as Carol was about to ask what kind of book it was.
He opened a specific page and muttered sothing.
At that mont, the air grew heavy.
Lewis Carol slightly lost focus, and the agent piloting the helicopter also beca dazed, focusing solely on flying.
He spoke.
"How much longer until you can use that pen?"
"It could accommodate more power, but it's enough now."
Lewis Carol's answer was awkwardly dry.
The agent nodded and glanced at his wristwatch before continuing.
"What do you plan to do with that pen?"
"I plan to leave. I hate this world."
The agent nodded again.
As if to say that it didn't matter.
He checked his watch once more and closed the book.
Exactly five seconds later. The heavy air returned to normal.
Lewis Carol, unaware of the strangeness, asked the agent about the contents of the book.
The agent gave a plausible explanation, and the remaining sense of unease dissipated with the wind.
...
POV Switch - Alice
"Don't lower your arm!"
"...Okay."
I kept my arm raised stiffly as Carol instructed.
If anyone asked why I was doing this, it was because of the ti I went to find the angel with Ariel.
Despite the scale of the things I had done so far, I thought it would be fine since no sanctions had been imposed.
But this ti was different.
It seems that shaking a well-sealed angel awake was a different matter.
So, although it's too weak to be called a sanction, I found myself in a position to receive a definite penalty.
"Hey, was going to find the angel such a big deal?"
"It was a big deal!"
"Were the other things I did not a big deal?"
"They were also a big deal, but... This ti, we didn't anticipate the path to infiltrate where the angel was. The higher-ups seed surprised."
So, did you anticipate the other things?
I grumbled inwardly.
It's good that it's a light punishnt, but it's ridiculous to be diligently receiving a punishnt that ultimately doesn't matter.
To break this situation, I tried to coax Carol.
Carol is weak against , so she'll give in quickly.
"Carol... Can't you let it slide this ti? You also lied to about the angel not being there. From your position, you could lie, but as a devil, I also wanted to see the angel." R̃ÂＮỖВЕș
"Well. I didn't lie. You don't call sothing made of human corpse pieces sewn together a human, do you? You usually call it a zombie or a flesh golem. There are no proper angels left."
"I understand perfectly, but that logic is cheap. Can't you do sothing about it? It's kind of embarrassing."
I tried to pressure Carol with my bright, shining eyes.
I don't think I'm good at acting cute, but... I think it will definitely work on her.
Then Carol sighed as if she had no choice and said.
"Urgh! Just this once."
She said it as if she really had no choice, but her expression said otherwise.
She couldn't contain her happiness at receiving the cute act.
Why does Carol like so much?
It's awkward to ask...
"Punishnt complete..."
Carol said so and checked off the punishnt completion item on the checklist.
It specified holding my arms up for 12 hours, so if she hadn't let it slide, my arms would have been very sore.
"Ah. Carol. This is sudden, but there's sothing I want to ask."
"Yes? What is it?"
"I'm in a position where I receive an allowance, but I want to earn money myself now."
"...?"
Carol's face showed confusion.
Well, since I'm the one who's locked up, isn't it natural to give so pocket money?
But still.
For soone who's supposed to be confined, I go out freely, and above all, being unemployed... It's a bit unsettling.
The reason I brought this up was because the kids teased Ariel for being unemployed.
Ariel and Jack keep eating the kids' snacks because they have no money.
But I couldn't laugh at that.
Receiving an allowance isn't sothing to be proud of... At least at my age.
"I don't know why, but okay. I'll help you."
And a little later.
We were sitting in front of the agent's cafeteria with a table, a bottle of yellow liquid, and ice on it.
"So, you ca up with homade lemonade."
"Apparently, even kids sell it often abroad. Not that I'm a kid, though."
"Hmm. It's better than blatantly selling it outside. I thought you would go play with your friends again since you've been making clones and going out."
So, they noticed that.
At first, I made proper clones, but people make mistakes, and repetitive tasks are boring, so I lost motivation.
"I'll make them carefully next ti..."
"You didn't say you wouldn't go."
While chatting, an agent appeared from the exit.
Carol imdiately grabbed him.
"Agent who just finished your al. Would you like a drink?"
"Ah, yes..."
The agent had a very troubled expression.
Carol is his superior, and seeing , who ca out of the isolation room, must be awkward.
Hmm, whenever sothing hard to handle happens, so protocol or sothing goes off, and I often help, but there are still agents who feel awkward.
I handed him a lemonade to get closer and earn so money.
He didn't look good even while taking a sip.
I noticed then.
It's not that we're uncomfortable, but he has other issues.
"Do you have any worries? You don't look well."
The agent was startled but didn't answer.
Is it too personal to talk about?
Hmm... I don't usually respect privacy, but since he's the first custor.
I want to help.
Then let's take a very slight peek into that agent's mirror.
"Let's see... You feel guilty about a colleague lost in an operation."
"How did you...?"
I didn't see who he wanted to take revenge on.
It could be a person or a monster.
But it's probably the latter.
"There's a way to know everything... Hmm, it seems you're thinking of revenge as a way to relieve your guilt."
"Are you going to say it's not desirable?"
"I can't say yes or no as a third party. But if I may speak with a little affection, I would say that it would be better to quit. I worry even for a stranger I just t."
"..."
He fell silent again.
Maybe I made it awkward by saying unnecessary things while drinking lemonade.
It would be more awkward to stop here, so I added a few more words.
"Revenge isn't always bad. But you need to distinguish whether your revenge is wanting to do for others or yourself, or having to do it because of guilt and social pressure."
"Distinguish...I see."
"Yes. And rember. Throwing yourself into danger isn't always the answer."
The agent who heard my story looked bitter but serious.
He looked better than before.
Well, worrying is better than being depressed.
I smiled and advised him to think slowly, as worrying isn't bad.
"...Please settle the bill."
He gave a wad of bills from his wallet.
How much is this!
"You're giving this much?"
"It's a tip."
He said so and quickly disappeared.
I think tipping culture is bad.
But it's good to receive.
Hmm, is that too materialistic?
After that, word spread, and even agents who hadn't eaten ca to buy lemonade.
I beca their conversation partner while they drank lemonade.
Like a bartender.
It's my strategy.
And this strategy worked quite well.
"If you want to overco trauma about snakes, don't rush. It's simpler than you think. Equip yourself with enough gear to face a snake. Then gradually reduce the gear."
One.
"Lethargy is a ntal issue, but the influence of chemicals secreted by the brain can't be ignored. Take prescribed dication and distinguish what you can control and what you can't."
Two.
"The monster you're managing is fierce and scary... I'll make it behave with my fists. Breaking a limb or two will make it easier to manage."
Three.
"Negative thoughts and fears keep coming up? That's because your mind is weakened by stress. You'll have to face your fears soday, but for now, control your mind. Here, pat pat. How is it? Feeling better? Create a healing routine that lets you feel warmth. Or take a long vacation."
Four... I stopped counting after that.
After chatting so much that my throat hurt, my cash box was full of bills.
Tips are this generous, maybe because they have physically demanding jobs and have so financial leeway.
"Lots of money... Everyone likes lemonade."
"That's not it."
Good. Anyway, I earned money, so I think I can achieve my goal.
"With this, I can buy the kids unnecessarily expensive but delicious yogurt ice cream."
Spending money on snacks feels sinful to .
Especially if it's not my money.
I'd rather spend the money I earned myself on snacks.
"Is that why you earned money? Hmm. I'd be happy if you bought one too?"
"Then do you want to et the kids? It's okay to eat together."
I said so, wanting Carol to et the kids.
Carol is also my friend.
I want her to et Maria and Jas.
I looked at her with anticipation, but Carol refused.
"...No. I don't think that's possible. I'm too shy. I used to stutter badly in front of strangers."
"Huh? Even with kids? Well, if that's the case, it can't be helped."
"Urgh... I want to stay longer, but I should get back to work. Co back to the isolation room when you're done."
"Of course."
Carol, who seed really reluctant, gave up and returned to her lab... Oops.
I rembered she asked about parallel worlds last ti and wanted to ask about it, but I forgot.
It's okay, there's always next ti.
"It's not a big deal, right?"
While muttering that.
Step, step, a figure walked from the far end.
Strange. al ti should be over.
"One lemonade. Do you have any left?"
"Just one left. You're... Carol's direct subordinate, right?"
An agent assisting Carol.
The original agent assisting her changed posts, and another agent took the position.
It changed after the Peter Pan incident, I think. Probably right.
He's the only agent with an intimidating presence, so I couldn't be mistaken.
"I'm glad you rember."
"Don't ntion it~"
I handed him a lemonade.
He took it and sipped.
Does he have worries too? His complexion doesn't look bad or good.
His face itself is shadowed, so it's hard to tell.
A bit of a special case.
"You seem to have counseled other agents... How are they overall?"
"It wasn't a detailed conversation to the point where I could call it counseling... If I had to say sothing... Yeah. They were lethargic overall."
"...I see."
In fact, most of the agents I talked to showed such tendencies.
Lethargy.
A ntal illness that occurs when you lose your goal or face sothing insurmountable.
Even if it's not this branch, many people are likely suffering from such lethargy.
"What do you think about mory erasers?"
Huh? A sudden question.
mory erasers are convenient tools for keeping secrets and protecting the ego from ntal attacks.
They're frequently used in the Institution.
No.
Thinking about it, it's not an unrelated topic.
They're also used to forget trauma.
The cost of abusing them for forgetting fear, not protection, could be lethargy.
"At first, it might be okay. But... You'll build up resistance."
"Drug resistance?"
"Not biological resistance. It's related to the soul. The only way to shake off fear from the soul is to face and overco it. Otherwise, you'll just beco lethargic. If you can't overco trauma and only abuse erasers, there will definitely be a limit."
"So, there's a limit. I knew that, but hearing it makes feel rushed."
"Feel rushed?"
"Because it ans the rry-go-round that seed eternal can't save us."
"You're saying sothing quite profound..."
And those who say such things usually don't reveal their true aning.
Comparing mory erasers to a rry-go-round.
Or is it more intuitive?
It makes people curious.
"Anyway, if the whole Institution is like this, it would be better to go through resignation procedures and hire new people."
"...That's right. We're already doing a lot of that."
How do you know that?
"What does Alice think about the Institution?"
"People who try hard. Those walking a precarious path. Sotis scary, but sohow kind to . People whose intentions I don't know. Sotis bumbling... That kind of thing?"
"Is that so?"
"On the contrary, let ask you. What do you think of ?"
"So see you as soone to be isolated. Those in faith see you as an enemy. So see you as just a ans. Those who share my intentions see you as a friend."
Honestly, I was unsure, but hearing this answer gives an idea.
This person has a presence that's hard to match even for a veteran.
A sense of ease, and the way he answers my questions without hesitation gives off the vibe that he knows well.
"You're not just an agent, are you?"
"Right now, I'm an agent... But originally, I held a higher position."
"You're the one who made raise my hands and reflect in front of Carol, right?"
"This is... Are you sulking over that?"
"No, I'm not!"
As expected, this person is higher than Carol.
One of the higher-ups Carol always ntions.
A position equivalent to a commander. Why is he acting as an agent here?
He seems to have a purpose, but he's acting so friendly that it's hard to tell.
"...Thank you for calling a friend. The lenient treatnt I received must be because of that. I don't know what part made you feel that way, but... I'm happy."
"Friendship isn't a big deal. It's about exchanging goodwill. Devils were humanity's enemies, but also neighbors."
Oh ho. Hearing such words from a higher-up makes feel good.
Do I still have the nature of a social animal?
"Hey. The secrets you're keeping. Can't you tell ? I know you're carrying a lot for humanity. I can't solve everything, but if you respect , I'll help as much as I can. I'm already doing that."
"Your activities so far are more than enough to be thankful for. But secrets..."
He ponders.
Is he really going to tell the secrets the Institution holds because of my request?
It seems calling a friend wasn't empty words.
Good, my heart is starting to race.
Co on, tell . Tell for my extrely personal curiosity!
"phistopheles was once a mber of the Institution."
"!"
"He suddenly appeared one day and acted as if he knew everything about the Institution. And he said he was a devil descended from heaven. And he asked us. He said he knew the answers we wanted."
"How much do you know about us?"
I reflexively asked, having been seen through, but he didn't answer.
Instead, he told another story.
"Alice. Our Institution may seem like a large, powerful group trying to preserve humanity from monsters. But the reality is different."
"You an you're easily swayed by a single Ruler?"
"Yes. Like a candle in the wind. And we knew this lucky situation wouldn't last, and that even after overcoming all adversities, the fate of extinction remains."
You could think of it as a negative possibility.
But hearing it from one of the commanders gives it a different weight.
His tone is confident and clear... So.
"You saw the future. Or predicted it."
"Sothing like that."
He only says what he wants to say, how cowardly.
But I can't hate him.
Because each word he utters carries truth, and a gloomy feeling sparkles slightly.
From the shadows of his face, sincere eyes looked at .
"Alice. The Institution is suffering from a great lethargy. Not just the agents, but even the top."
Is he talking about mory eraser abuse?
But he denied it.
It's not drugs like mory erasers.
It seems to be about a similar phenonon.
"Can you tell what the problem is?"
"Alice. Soday, you'll know the whole truth, but I want to let you know a bit earlier as a token of gratitude."
He handed a square key-like object.
It wasn't a key shape, but more like a security device used to protect passwords.
I took it and put it in my pocket.
"It's a kind of key that only opens on a specific day and after a specific ti."
"A specific day?"
"The day the world changes fantastically. You'll naturally understand what that ans when the ti cos."
"Really... Do you have to speak in riddles?"
"Riddles are good, Alice."
As I grumbled, he stroked my head with a bitter tone.... Don't sneakily stroke my head.
But I didn't push him away.
"I'll take that goodwill. You could have pretended not to know, but you told anyway."
He finished his lemonade and left.
My cash box was filled with 10 million won worth of bills.1
That's a lot! It's burdenso!
Reviews
All reviews (0)