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Chapter 61: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 61




When I looked beyond the wall, I sometimes saw the uncle talking with the man with silver hair.


“...Continuously using healing magic to recover has almost depleted his self-healing ability. No matter how sturdy his body is, he can't endure this.”


“I've recently changed my mind. I thought the ability manifested and we finally succeeded this time, but it was far from enough. So, I decided to give up on number 10. Instead, I think it's better to use this opportunity to gather as much data as possible for the next attempt.”


The two were having such a conversation.


The words "number 10" and "give up" from the man speaking with a cold gaze directed at me.


I didn't know what they meant.


All I could understand was that the uncle's face looked the same as when he apologized to me.


Since that day, again and again, as always.


Whenever the man with silver hair gave an order, I endured the pain and spewed flames.


I hated the pain but obeyed his words.


The first thing I learned was not to refuse but to follow orders.


Because of the worsening pain, even though the uncle healed me, my body often didn't move well, and I spent more time collapsed on the floor.


When I lay on the cold floor, my body felt as cold as the floor.


Instinctively, I knew that if this continued, my body would soon become cold for real.


If that happened, would the pain stop?


Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, I thought, as I fell asleep on the cold floor.


I was awakened by a sound coming from somewhere.


Was it the uncle or the man with silver hair?


I looked outside the transparent wall but saw no one.


Where was this sound coming from?


[■■■.]


At first, it was a faint sound.


[■■wer.]


But the sound grew louder, and I could tell it was a voice.


[■burn.]


And it was giving me an order.


[Burn.]


So, I didn't resist those words.


***


“Prosthetic arm, it’s finally complete. We've created an incredibly stylish one.”


During a meal, Jessie, who was sitting across from me, shouted with a voice full of excitement.


She looked like she might collapse any moment.


It seems she spent several nights working on the prosthetic arm.


To think she really completed it in just a few days as she said.


I was more worried than impressed by the tremendous speed of her work.


She looked like she had used up every bit of her energy.


“Isn't it too much to finish the prosthetic arm so quickly after going for the ability assessment?”


When I asked, Jessie chuckled and replied.


“I told you before. The others found it interesting and helped me. Actually, none of us had ever made a custom prosthetic for a superhuman with such a generous budget. Unlike me and my eldest brother, ten craftsmen with dwarf blood, whose main job is manufacturing, helped out, so it took longer than usual due to inexperience. Honestly, without their help, it would have taken a lot longer.”


I should thank them, too.


While I was thinking that, Mei, who was listening to the conversation, asked Jessie a question.


“But didn’t you say you have brothers and sisters? Ten of them?”


“Oh, I’m the youngest of five boys and seven girls. My mother inherited a strong dwarf bloodline and has a unique fondness for creating things, which sometimes manifests peculiarly. My father, who married into the family, had a hard time because of it. When I was young, I remember him crying and asking my mother to take a look at me. It's somewhat fortunate that I’m the youngest.”


“I see...”


Mei seemed taken aback by Jessie’s unnecessarily detailed family history.


It felt like overhearing something we shouldn't have.


“Since we’re not purebloods, the manifestations vary, which is interesting. In my case, I'm not very skilled with my hands, but I'm relatively tall. On the other hand, my eldest brother is tall and bald. Isn’t it funny? He has dwarf blood, but he has no hair.”


Somewhere, I could see a vision of Jessie’s eldest brother crying at the insult.


Anyway, Jessie didn't look very good as she chuckled.


Perhaps still under the influence of the spirit, her eyes were slightly unfocused.


For some reason, her neck seemed a bit swollen.


Jessie scratched her neck slightly, then looked at Sylvia, who was sitting next to me.


“You know, Sylvia. The Astra family marries only within the family to keep the bloodline pure, right?”


“...Implicitly, yes.”


Sylvia’s expression hardened slightly, perhaps because it was a sensitive topic.


I should have stopped Jessie then, seeing her poor condition, but I failed to prevent what happened next.


“Heh, so it's incest.”


I was slightly taken aback, thinking it was an overly harsh remark, but seeing Mei’s expression, it didn't seem that way.


I looked at Sylvia in shock.


Before I could react, Sylvia's hand began to glow.


There was no time to intervene.


The light from Sylvia’s hand hit Jessie’s head, causing her to make a choked sound and tilt her head back.


Is she dead?!


I was momentarily shocked, but soon I saw Jessie turning her head back normally.


She looked bewildered.


“...Huh? What was that just now? Something flashed, and my head feels a bit clearer...”


“I cast a mental stabilization spell on you because you didn't look well. Do you feel better?”


“Oh, yes. Thank you.”


Sylvia’s explanation made me sigh in relief.


I thought she hit her out of anger.


Jessie, whose eyes were focused now, looked much better than before.


Although she seemed momentarily dazed, her face quickly turned pale.


It seemed she realized what she had said and to whom.


Jessie trembled and bowed her head in apology to Sylvia.


“Oh my god! I’m... I’m sorry! What did I just say?!”


“It’s okay. You weren't entirely wrong. But please be more careful next time.”


“I’m really sorry! I wasn’t in my right mind!”


Sylvia smiled, saying it was fine, but I could tell.


She was slightly angry.


Well, anyone would be upset hearing such words to their face.


“It shows how hard you worked on Scarlet’s prosthetic arm. I can look forward to it, right?”


“Of... of course! It's a masterpiece made with everyone's passion! You’ll see Scarlet using her left arm tomorrow!”


“That would be nice.”


Am I the only one who felt that sounded like a threat to ensure the prosthetic arm worked well?


Jessie also seemed to sense the danger in Sylvia’s smile and nodded vigorously, trembling like a mouse in front of a cat.


***


After school, I followed Jessie to attach the prosthetic arm at the Ruthenia company building.


According to the explanation, there’s a simple surgery room in the building where they can attach the prosthetic arm.


I was amazed at how versatile the building was as I entered and saw the guardian uncle waiting.


“You’re here, Scarlet.”


Now that I think about it, the uncle said he would handle attaching the prosthetic arm.


I guess he was informed in advance.


The uncle nodded as I greeted him with a bow.


“Please wait a moment. My brother will bring the finished prosthetic arm soon.”


As Jessie spoke, her eldest brother, who seemed balder than last time, entered carrying a box.


I heard on the way here that he’s in his early 30s, despite his appearance.


Being a researcher must be a tough job.


He greeted me with a glance and then smiled warmly at the uncle.


“Long time no see, Deputy Director. I was surprised to hear you'd be handling the surgery today. I haven’t heard from you much since the lab burned down.”


“Well, I had my reasons. I was quite busy.”


I guess they knew each other.


The world sure is small.


While I was thinking that, Jessie’s brother spoke to the uncle.


“The director said he would come today as well.”


At his words, the uncle looked extremely shocked.


“...Sator is coming? Why?”


“He helped with the prosthetic arm, so he asked us to call him when it was finished. He said he’d be here soon.”


At that moment, another voice came from behind.


“What a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet you here.”


The uncle’s face hardened.


He spoke quietly, almost to himself.


“...Sator.”


“It’s been a while, Luke.”


Turning around, I saw the middle-aged silver-haired elf I had encountered on the street recently, smiling brightly.




Comments

  1. I'm rn hoping Scarlet burns down that place again but what probably gonna happen is that she goes simming

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, I'll not be surprised for next chapter, Sator recognizing Scarlet as the labrat... And one future chapter, she will go missing. That guy is insistent and will try to get another lab fund, no wonder uncle stopped being friends with him

      Delete
  2. I wonder what will both the guardian guy and Sylvia will do once that crazy donut hole acts up, which was easy to see coming with that much foreshadowing.
    MC i guess, is going to wing it as usual, maybe with their help.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder what will both the guardian guy and Sylvia will do once that crazy donut hole acts up, which was easy to see coming with that much foreshadowing.
    MC i guess, is going to wing it as usual, maybe with their help.

    ReplyDelete

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