Chapter 105

Chapter 104: Determination Traitor

After defeating Kanon and temporarily incapacitating Miuye, Kei and the others visited the hospital room.

The hospital room owned by Luka was a special lab reputed to provide the best treatment in Jilnias Academy, making it the obvious choice for Miuye and Konie.

“Please lay Konie and Miuye on that bed. Fortunately, the patient was discharged this morning.”

They laid the two on an empty bed. One lay still as if dead, while the other seemed to be tormented by nightmares.

Watching this scene, Luka let out a sigh unnoticed by anyone.

(This happened because I couldn’t make a decision.)

It might sound good to say that she treated everyone with equal kindness, but in reality, she was just blindly believing in a convenient world, unable to admit that Kanon had broken. No one knew this fact better than Luka herself.

“Konie… Miuye…”

Looking at the two who lay asleep, Luka held back tears and began to take action. She would administer medication to Miuye to suppress her hunger and conduct a check-up on Konie’s body, now a dataloid.

For an ordinary person, managing both procedures simultaneously would be overwhelming, yet Luka handled them with ease. Toa watched this alongside Kei.

Seated, she stared at Miuye and spoke.

“I’m glad you came. If Kei hadn’t been there, surely…”

“It’s thanks to Solciera. While I was gathering information, I happened to run into her.”

Saying this, Kei gazed into the distance, reminiscing about the moment.

“I was surprised at first. But she cooperated. It seems she’s also pursuing the magic eyes.”

“I see… Solciera. She has been a great help.”

“Yeah, that’s true. A solitary S-rank whose identity remains unclear… what on earth is she?”

No one present could answer his question.

“I’ve done a lot of research too. On Miuye and the magic eyes she possesses.”

Luka’s hands momentarily paused but then resumed as she said, “Please tell me. I’ll correct any mistakes. So please, share the truth you’ve discovered.”

Nodding, Kei began to explain.

“The incident that started it all happened ten years ago on the mainland. In a time when Apis’s control over dungeons was not yet complete, a small dungeon appeared in a small town.”

As he spoke, Kei slid a window toward Toa. It showed collapsed buildings and a part of a mountain that had been hollowed out.

“Explorers were dispatched, and three days later, the dungeon was cleared. However, there were already casualties, which included Sorakumu Yume.”

“…That’s right. Shortly after, she was still alive, but she was poisoned by magic and death was imminent.”

“It’s easy to forget since we are in Academy City, but the cutting-edge technology here is still mostly experimental. Very few applications have been fully realized on the mainland. The advanced medical technology is one of them.”

Dealing with the laws, powers, and materials of dungeons meant that, no matter how beneficial they could be, one had to approach them with caution. In order for people to coexist with dungeons, absolute rationality was necessary, even if it meant accepting the death of a single girl.

“In the end, it would be many years before the medical advancements capable of treating Sorakumu Yume reached the mainland. And this story starts from here.”

Kei spoke to Toa as if he were a storyteller.

“The relic from the A-rank dungeon that Jilnias Academy defeated three years ago. One of its magic eyes of reason was found to have the ability to analyze and recreate the structure of objects.”

“The process is more complex than it sounds, but Kanon found hope in it. No, she waited for hope to appear all along.”

Only Luka, sitting next to her, understood this. An obsession that bordered on madness was what kept Kanon alive and elevated her to the realm of genius.

“With the magic eyes of reason, Kanon intended to recreate Sorakumu Yume’s physical form. Eventually, she aimed to make it identical to the original. In this way, she was effectively attempting to resurrect the girl named Yume.”

Toa looked at the various documents Kei presented, and Luka admired the depth of research done by a single young man in just one day.

“You’ve collected quite a lot of information.”

“That’s because Solciera was there. Actually, more than half of the information I got was thanks to her knowledge. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to learn all this on my own.”

Lowering his gaze, Kei continued.

“The Deep Dream Project. Solciera called it that. It involves giving the magic eyes a virtual living data information, which gradually sublimates into a real body. That’s the plan.”

Luka nodded without turning her head.

“That’s correct. Miuye’s hunger is like a program for collecting biological information. If dataroids are provided regularly, she should eventually become the real Yume… Yes, no one should get hurt.”

That was why Luka and Konie agreed. If the deceased could return to life under such blissful conditions where no one would be harmed or made unhappy, how wonderful would that be?

“It was probably a mistake from the start. Kanon had been living in pursuit of nothing but Yume’s illusion. I could stay beside her only because I didn’t obstruct her. If faced with the choice between Yume and me, Kanon would undoubtedly choose Yume.”

Kanon was rational.

The very premise was flawed.

From the beginning, the girl known as Sorakumu Kanon had only ever looked at one person.

(No one realized that.)

Before long, the girl’s wish turned into a curse. That thing was the remains of a dream, a monster that moved according to desire.

It was the exact opposite of the rational beast that Luka held as a belief.

“You’re mostly correct. There are no points to correct… Your curiosity is remarkable, but what’s truly frightening is Solciera, isn’t it?”

“Solciera seemed to know everything.”

Kei conveyed this with a serious expression. Solciera’s information-gathering ability seemed to surpass even what the doctor, Kanon, could imagine.

At that moment, a question arose in Luka’s mind.

“…Why did Solciera need to investigate this project?”

“Huh?”

“If you think about it, this is an experiment purely for personal reasons. There shouldn’t be room for her intervention…”

Allegedly, she was investigating the magic eyes.

(Even with such power, researching the magic eyes means… did she need to defend against or possess that very power?)

The magic eye of reason was among the high-tier relics categorized as magic eyes. Investigating it meant she also had a strong interest in magic eyes.

(What was Solciera preparing for, having made all those preparations…?)

The more Luka thought about it, the less clear Solciera’s purpose became. Just then, Luka’s consciousness shifted again at the sound of Miuye’s groan.

“Miuye!”

“Ah… ugh…”

It was uncertain if she heard Luka’s voice, but her expression appeared more relaxed than before, indicating that the medication was having an effect. Luka sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from Miuye’s forehead.

Then, she looked upon the sleeping Miuye and Konie and made a decision.

“Luka-san?”

Noticing Luka stand up and move away from the bed, Toa tilted her head in confusion.

Standing before the exit, Luka said without looking back, “I’ve run out of the medication for Miuye. There are spares in the Student Council room; I’ll go get them.”

“Are you okay going alone? That person might attack again; I’ll go with you.”

“…Is that so? Then let’s go together.”

Kei stood up and told Toa, “Keep an eye on the two,” before following Luka.

“Huh? Me alone…? W-what?”

Left standing there, Toa stared blankly at the door where the two had exited. But soon, as if coming to her senses, she approached the bed and held Miuye and Konie’s hands.

“Get better—!”

That was all she could muster.

■

Given that Kanon could attack at any moment, Kei and Luka proceeded cautiously to the Student Council room.

The dim, unoccupied Student Council room was messy, resembling a deserted warehouse.

“Is it here?”

“Yes, just a bit further in. It should be around there…”

Luka turned on the light and said this as she moved deeper inside. Kei, following her, immediately halted upon seeing where they were.

The place where he first spoke with Luka appeared to be more organized than expected. He noticed the lab attached to the Student Council room, primarily thanks to the countless wires and monitors along the walls, as well as something that looked like it was still in the process of being created.

Without those, Kei would have completely perceived the place as a junkyard.

“…Are we searching from in here?”

“Yes. Oh, please check over there. The blue case is the landmark. Something this size.”

Saying this, Luka traced a small square shape in the air with her finger. For a moment, Kei felt overwhelmed by the daunting task ahead, but nodded seriously.

“Hmm—, it’s not here. I thought I left it here.”

Soon after starting the search, Luka tilted her head and stated this.

“You’re sure it’s really here?”

“Of course. I stored it in the Important Storage No. 27.”

With that many places to store items, it was no longer organization. Kei thought this but held back his urge to criticize.

“Let’s find it quickly and return to Miuye.”

“Right… thank you for coming all this way for Miuye.”

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me. She’s already an important friend of mine.”

They continued their conversation while rummaging through their respective areas. The medicine seemed hard to find.

“…You were trying to take Miuye to your school, weren’t you?”

“Yes. Konie-senpai asked me to.”

“Is that so?”

Luka fell silent for a moment. Only the sounds of the room being searched echoed around them.

“…Please take care of Miuye.”

Suddenly, Luka said that. Kei responded without looking back.

“Is it okay?”

“Yes. I’ve decided to stop hesitating.”

“…I see. Understood—?!”

Suddenly, a shock coursed through Kei’s neck. He fell forward into a pile of equipment.

Behind him, Luka casually threw away the stick she had been holding.

It was a powerful stun baton made by someone in the Student Council for dealing with explorers.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you. However, I had to do this, or you all would follow me.”

There was no medicine in the Student Council room. It had all been a lie to incapacitate Kei from the beginning.

After confirming that Kei had lost consciousness, Luka quietly bowed her head.

“…I’m sorry. But I will finish everything for sure. That is my responsibility.”

After laying Kei on the couch she usually used for her naps, Luka left the Student Council room with determination.

Footsteps faded away, leaving silence in the Student Council room. A few seconds later.

“—Surprisingly, my neck tingles.”

Kei groaned and sat up. He touched his neck with curiosity and then stood up.

“Alright, I’ll also—no, I should probably go too.”

In response to his voice, a teleportation magic circle unfolded before him. Solciera stepped into it and disappeared.

The Student Council room was enveloped in true silence.