Chapter 225

The next day.

Somehow, despite everything that went down yesterday, the Royal Academy was running as usual.

Maybe it was because it rained up until just before morning, or maybe it had something to do with there being no protestors around like yesterday.

So naturally, no one inside the Royal Academy was talking about what happened in the capital.

Instead, everyone was busy chatting about whatever went down at the banquet where Sorindiges had been staying for so long.

That stuff seemed way more important. After all, compared to some random trouble in the capital, having connections to the future king is a much bigger deal.

So not a single word about the riot that happened outside yesterday. Instead, all kinds of gossip were flying around about who impressed Sorindiges at the banquet, who acted too flashy, and who’s going places.

Oh, and thanks to Victoria’s big rainstorm, the riots that were supposed to happen never did.

Cold winter rain really saps your energy, you know?

It was kinda funny when the faint warmth of someone who froze to death seeped into the early morning air. But honestly, they were probably on their last legs anyway.

Just bad luck, I guess.

Five kids, seven elders, plus some drunk guy who passed out on the ground after stealing booze—thirteen people total?

I mean, when the weather gets rough, kids and elders dying in back alleys isn’t exactly unusual, right?

But if a harvesting system is somehow involved in the chain of events, then you can cash in that warmth. They’ll probably rule it as another kill by Victoria.

Weird, huh?

And here’s something else I realized:

While watching a harvester trundle back to its nest in the rain last night, I started thinking—this kind of unrest probably isn’t unique to this country.

Most nations have already banned old-school mechanical devices in one form or another.

If the productivity boom brought on by those machines collapses, everything built on top of it falls apart too. That’s why things are getting ugly here.

Depending on the situation, people might lash out at an easy target like the Mechanical Knight School, or maybe even go after the king himself.

One thing’s for sure: we’re not the only ones dealing with this.

People always look for someone else to blame when life gets tough.

That’s why religions exist—to ask why they’ve been abandoned in their suffering.

Why me? Why am I the only one suffering?

Save *me*. Everyone else can rot for all I care, just save me.

That’s how it works.

I know because I’ve lived it.

That’s why I hate gods—not fake ones who think they’re gods, but whoever shoved me into this abyss.

Even if they don’t exist, I still hate them.

Not atheism, but anti-theism. I reject them whether they exist or not.

Otherwise, I’d be way too miserable.

This isn’t knowledge from books or abstract information—it’s experience.

To survive, you start blaming others. Then you end up living just to keep blaming.

Heheh…

There’s more, but that’s after you become immortal. Not relevant for regular folks.

Anyway, nothing’s over yet. In fact, it’s just beginning.

Maybe there’s room for businesses to thrive amidst all this mess. Isn’t that humanity for you?

At first, I was worried because people seemed unnaturally nice, but thankfully, the ones I know are still alive. Sure, they lean toward kindness, but that’s within the range of normal variation shaped by education.

Humans are born beasts and become people through education.

What? If you knew how cruel kids could be to animals, you’d be shocked.

All the goodness we call “humanity” comes from civilization. Some say humanity didn’t truly begin when we discovered fire, but when we started caring for injured individuals.

Meaning, when we picked up society as a weapon.

We packaged those actions as “goodness”—the instinct-defying acts done for the sake of society.

Then we taught it, calling it education.

That’s what Victoria received.

I thought her face would be darkened by all the memories she gained from the harvesters, but nope, she seems fine. Not pretending to be okay either.

As you absorb more memories from harvesters, you gain a clearer understanding of human emotions. If she were faking it, I’d know instantly.

Though emotions themselves may be clear, interpretation is subjective and can lead to mistakes.

Lesson learned last time—I need to be careful.

For instance, if I saw someone recoil in disgust at a cockroach during a conversation, I’d only know they disliked bugs. But I might mistakenly assume I said something wrong and stepped on a landmine.

Still, I’m certain about the presence or absence of emotion, so I won’t confuse Victoria’s feelings.

If she’s okay, I’ll treat her normally.

“Clean up your room properly.”

“Are you asking me that after everything that happened yesterday?”

Lunchtime.

When I casually prodded her, she looked super confused.

“So, what should I ask instead?”

“Are you saying yesterday’s events don’t matter?”

Things are pretty stable now. If I dive into personal questions about myself, I might slip up somewhere.

Let’s steer the conversation toward something Victoria cares about.

“That’s still ongoing, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing my words, Victoria immediately tensed up.

“You mean… the events from yesterday are still… ongoing?”

“Did anyone learn from their actions yesterday?”

Nope.

They just retreated. Now they’re either fixing their waterlogged homes, searching for food, or trying to sell stolen goods.

The riot itself is over.

But there’s no reason for it not to start again. In fact, as supplies dwindle day by day, the motivation for another riot will only grow stronger.

Besides, the second time is easier.

Didn’t they already learn that killing others can get them what they want?

Some are desperate, some seek profit, some get used, others get taken advantage of, some are ignorant, some want to vent anger, some curse others… All these types remain.

Expecting different results from doing the same thing makes you a fool.

“This is serious.”

“Do you know anyone else in the capital, Victoria?”

At my question, Victoria paused mid-sentence.

After a moment of thought, she shook her head.

“No… I don’t think so.”

She must’ve checked while helping collect bodies. She wouldn’t miss anyone she knew.

Everyone she met during her days at the Mechanical Knight School is gone.

Faint memories mixed with warmth recall a boy who had a crush on her—but he’s dead too.

Or maybe he died miserably along the way.

The misfortunes of those who gained warmth don’t matter much to me.

It’s just frustrating that they didn’t get enough.

If only I’d been faster, I could’ve gotten far more warmth. There were only a few left.

In other words, all of Victoria’s classmates from the Mechanical Knight School are dead.

Since they’re all gone, there’s no more room for her to get hurt.

“So, you’re good then.”

“Aren’t you being too cold? Do you really not care what happens to the people you saved?”

Hmm, how should I respond?

If I come off too harsh, Victoria—who surprisingly wasn’t too disappointed yesterday—might really get upset.

Let me phrase this carefully.

“Once someone gets a second chance, isn’t that enough? Beyond that is beyond my control. I give opportunities, but when did I ever promise a better life? Live however you want. Figure it out yourself.”

Sitting in my chair, I rested my chin on my hand and spoke to Victoria.

“If I form attachments with every life, how many lives would I have to let go of eventually?”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Immortals suffering from constant farewells and such.

Thinking that might quiet her down… but it worked better than expected.

Victoria’s face filled with shock.

Then it shifted to sympathy. Is this effect too strong?

“Never thought… you’d see it that way. So that’s why…”

Ah!

Right, there aren’t many stories like that in this world—or if there are, they’re not easy reads.

Culturally, we’re way behind my standards, and this concept has likely never crossed Victoria’s mind.

Yeah.

If she wants to believe that, it’s convenient for me.

Until now, I’ve been brutally honest and cold, but now it seems like I’m just sad about parting ways with loved ones.

Let’s push this further and shake Victoria emotionally.

Completely shift her to thinking with pure emotion.

Nothing is weaker than someone lost in sentimentality.

“Yesterday, Victoria lost a lot of friends. Are you okay now?”

Same theme—meeting and parting. My version is about the future, while hers is the present.

Of course, the futures she imagines and the ones I perceive are completely different!

“I’m fine.”

What?

Shouldn’t she say she’s okay? She went straight to bed after washing up with psychic powers when she got back to her dorm last night.

And she spaced out for a while this morning, right?

Hadn’t she moved on already?

“Sniffle…”

Suddenly, Victoria’s composure broke, and tears streamed down her face. She cried so hard it was almost comical.

Murmurs rose around us as people stared at crying Victoria.

She tried covering her mouth to suppress her sobs, but they wouldn’t stop.

Polaris is off meeting someone, so what do we do now?

Victoria bends over, trying to hold herself together.

At that moment, Freesia approaches me with a curious expression and whispers.

“What’s going on?”

“She lost all her friends in yesterday’s riot.”

“Ah… Bring her somewhere. This isn’t a place for a girl to cry.”

True. This is a mixed classroom. And she clearly knows about yesterday’s riot—she just chooses not to bring it up since it’s none of her business.

I took Victoria to a room Freesia showed me. There, she sobbed bitterly until lunch break was almost over.

People are fragile.

Me included.

Turns out, Victoria wasn’t special after all.

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