Chapter 65: Act 1 – The Burning City
The first night of Hunting Week.
It is the day when the most Forest Keepers gather at Luke Forest.
Hunters who have gathered to block the monster’s Wave were keeping their vigilance as they held their positions.
Of course, Yerna was one of those Forest Keepers.
However, rather than being alert as usual, she was staring intently at something with a worried expression, letting out deep sighs.
Daphne was very concerned about Yerna.
She had been looking at her worriedly even during the drive here.
What on earth is it?
The thought of not questioning it due to privacy had completely disappeared, replaced by curiosity about what it was.
She was practically begging for her to say something.
“Hey, sister, what is it that you’re staring at like that?”
“Oh, this?”
She handed the paper to Daphne and said.
“This is the result of Luke’s detailed examination from a couple of days ago.”
“This?”
Daphne took the paper, wondering what problem it might indicate.
Height: 136 centimeters, weight: 26 kg… underweight. That could be resolved with better eating habits.
Well, Luke was indeed too skinny.
Most of the other results were average or above average. Fortunately, his body seemed healthy compared to his peers, and there didn’t seem to be any major issues.
But what was Yerna worrying about to the point of sighing so much?
“There’s nothing to worry about, right? It just says his weight is low, but he’s healthy otherwise.”
The low weight was likely a temporary state due to not eating well; aside from that, there didn’t appear to be any noticeable injuries or serious ailments.
“That’s not it, the problem lies elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
Yerna pointed to a specific place on the paper.
It was the ‘genetic analysis result.’
‘67% match with humans…?’
“Wait, what?”
The genetic information revealed through the detailed examination indicated that Luke was exactly 67% human.
How should one even process this information?
Moreover, 21%, 10%, and 2% were unknown genetic informations that modern magical technology couldn’t decipher. It meant that three patterns completely different from humans were mixed in.
Unknown genetic information that cannot be unraveled by modern technology? Not just one, but three? Could such a thing really be called human? Daphne felt confused.
“This is Luke’s examination result, right?”
She thought he was human, but it turned out he wasn’t. Furthermore, it was mixed with three patterns of unknown mana.
“It was classified as human by the tester, wasn’t it?”
“It clearly showed that on the preliminary tester. Probably because the human part was the most substantial.”
The testers used in the West are merely preliminary screening tools for classification purposes. They simply output the closest values as quickly as possible.
“So, Luke is…”
Daphne realized what she was about to say and fell silent.
‘Monster.’
Given these results, Luke was something that looked like a human. The fact that he was 67% human meant that 33% was something not human.
Yerna snatched the examination paper from her hand.
“Daphne, are you trying to say that child isn’t human?”
Daphne recalled Luke’s appearance.
Always bright, thoughtful, easily blushing, and quickly sparkling his eyes…
After thinking of all this, she shook her head and said.
“That’s impossible. Luke can’t not be human.”
“Right?”
Yerna sighed and tucked the examination paper into her chest.
“What on earth could have happened?”
Daphne was sharp. As the Guide who assists the Forest Keeper, she had no trouble connecting Luke’s given situation with the results on this paper.
Slavery, confinement, amnesia, abnormal mana sensitivity, experience handling the circle of the heart and mana, animal-like behavior, and abnormal appearance…
The clues that had been strangely separate clicked together in her mind.
“…Human experimentation.”
Daphne gasped at her own words, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.
Yerna nodded as well.
“Probably… I think so too.”
Adding horns and ears, the procedure for beastification had long since fallen through the cracks of the law.
If so, it indicated there was a purpose behind it, rather than just a means to evade legalities.
After all, if they simply wanted to ‘play,’ they wouldn’t have performed beastification so recklessly.
If they combined various things and had a rejection reaction before even trying… (At this point, Yerna gritted her teeth) There would certainly be losses if life was lost.
Moreover, imprinting instincts directly into the mind through mental magic?
Even without using such methods, with enough time, they could easily manipulate a child’s psyche.
If it were merely for play, they wouldn’t need to leave it imprinted in a physical form like Luke’s current instincts.
There must have been some purpose that differed from mere ‘play.’
Purpose…
Yerna speculated that it had to be human experimentation.
Abnormal mana sensitivity and the mana imprinted on the heart?
That seemed to match if thought from the perspective of a ‘human experiment.’
Doesn’t it?
A noble’s slave escapes after realizing primitive magic from reading a fairy tale?
It lacked plausibility.
However, if something had forcibly been done to Luke for the purpose or result of human experimentation, and that’s how he ended up in his current situation? That made much more sense.
“Something is brewing. A big… There must be some kind of conspiracy. Is there any more information…?”
As Yerna furrowed her brow and murmured, Daphne suddenly spoke up.
“Oh. Speaking of which, that kidnapper…”
“The one that kept rambling about ‘the horned cat’? Why are you bringing them up all of a sudden?”
“They said she died. Last night. The cause of death was poisoning, though it’s unknown whether it was suicide or homicide.”
“What?”
“Isn’t that ominous? I think so too. It seems like she was ‘silenced.'”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes, there’s talk of her death. Of course, the latter part is just my guess.”
“Then…!”
At that moment, a sound indicating the approach of a monster came from the device at Yerna’s waist.
-Beep, beep, beep.
Yerna skillfully fluttered and drew out the iron cane that was strapped to her coat.
“Let’s deal with those things first and talk more afterward.”
And with a flash, blue lightning struck Luke Forest.
———-
The rain began to pour…
“The weather turned out to be just as Luke predicted.”
Since morning, dark clouds had gathered, and it was finally pouring down.
The sight of raindrops pattering against the window was quite pleasant.
Luke nodded as he looked at the clothes piled beside him.
‘I’m glad I did the laundry early.’
It was fortunate he woke up a bit earlier to take care of the laundry beforehand.
If he had left it unattended, he would have had to do it again.
Such unnecessary labor was to be avoided.
Mages always seek efficiency.
-Luke, school! Luke, school!
Py flitted around Luke’s head, shouting.
“Yeah, we should go.”
He recalled the gaze of Py from last night, staring at the cello, wondering when Luke would play it again.
At first, he brought it home with the intention of practicing, but fearing it might disturb the neighbors in the house next to and below, he didn’t play for long. If he lingered too long with that terrible screeching noise, they might have knocked on his door right away.
As a result, Py was quite dissatisfied.
‘If it were in the forest, I wouldn’t have to worry about that.’
It couldn’t be helped during Hunting Week. With a sigh, Luke put on his school uniform.
Students wear uniforms at school.
Since it was a rule set by that stubborn dwarf, he had no choice but to comply.
‘And I don’t want to stand out…’
——–
Luke thought while holding up an umbrella.
‘This umbrella is quite fascinating.’
In the past, there hadn’t been such things; he had only covered himself with a robe and braved the rain.
At first, Luke had trouble finding a robe to wear as he left Yerna’s house.
Thus, he thought that perhaps everyone in this era simply went out and got drenched in the rain.
However, thanks to someone he met in the elevator who told him about ‘umbrellas,’ he was able to take one from Yerna’s house.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella was pleasant.
It sounded like a small drum being tapped.
That sound seemed to brighten Py’s mood as well, as the spirit’s tail wiggled like a fish’s fin.
As he walked while enjoying the soothing rain sound, Luke suddenly thought of Yerna.
“Hmm… I’m worried about Yerna.”
Surely guarding the forest on a rainy day would be tough, he thought.
The sound of rain muffles noise, and the wet earth turns into mud, draining more of one’s energy while walking.
Also, the rain clouds are thick, making the day darker than usual.
There’s a saying that goes it’s better to worry about fish in the water rather than elves in the forest… but, would that saying still hold in this era?
Yerna looked like she was tired from being in the forest.
“I hope nothing serious happens.”
Luke shivered slightly from the chilly weather brought by the rain.
He should have worn a coat after all.
“Hmm…”
Luke glanced around and murmured softly.
“Fire—.”
He transformed it into a warm buff that causes no flames, only gently warm heat.
Firepower reduced to an extreme.
The warmth spread through his body as if he had sat down in front of a hearth, and Luke nodded in satisfaction, thinking.
‘Hmm, the studies I’ve done so far are really paying off.’
By integrating the magical circuits and theories of this era, he maximized efficiency for the intended target while minimizing its power.
Thanks to that, the mana consumed by the circle was almost nothing, so it wouldn’t be a problem to keep it on all day.
‘The sound of rain is pleasant, my body is warm, my mana is sufficient, and the world is peaceful.’
Perhaps he was in heaven right now.
