Chapter 89

Extra Case File 89 Darkness Behind Happiness

With one sip of alcohol, Traum also opened up quite a bit and started talking.

“I am quite envious of you. Even though everything was going dark, you were able to change the direction before the end for the sake of others.” The doctor thought of something and couldn’t help but shake his head. “That person just watched from the side…perhaps he lacks your kind of heart.”

“What a pity…if I could change anything, I would want to change the past.”

There seemed to be something indescribable, even through the raised glass, Ash could see Traum’s eyes dim considerably.

“Enough nonsense, old…sir, tell me, why did you call just now at a crucial moment?” Thinking that the other party had helped him to some extent, not sensing any malice from the other party, Ash didn’t use overly rude terms. “If you came here as a representative with that useless scoundrel, you should have taken the initiative to win at this distance.”

“No, this time, I’m here on my own behalf, to chat with the victor who reclaimed the future. After all, you accomplished what neither George nor I could do.”

Ignoring Ash’s hostility, Traum laughed loudly and summoned the bartender.

“I think you’re quite impressive, buddy! Want a drink? Beer or maybe some vodka strong enough? My treat~”

“No.”

Changing the posture of his legs, Ash, looking seriously, presented a request that made the confident bartender momentarily stunned.

“Bring me a glass of milk.”

“Buddy, this is a bar…” Wiping the sweat that unknowingly appeared on his forehead, Traum began to understand what Klain meant about this person’s shamelessness.

“That’s exactly why I want milk.”

Ash’s leg under the bar counter kept tapping in an interesting rhythm.

Don’t you find this quite amusing?

“Thanks for the hospitality.”

Ash raised the glass of milk and drank it in one go; hmm, this pure whole milk, I like it.

“Though we’re not at the point of adding goji berries yet…I know you have many questions, but let me ask first.”

“Where is that Klain guy now?”

Regarding the ex-husband who called himself Wild Flower’s husband, expecting Ash to have a good impression of him was unrealistic indeed.

Thinking carefully, back then, he only beat him up and removed one arm for the sake of the flower, showing mercy because of her.

Now, thinking back, he kept saying he couldn’t save Wild Flower and ended up being slapped in front of everyone by me. If he suddenly went crazy like someone yelling “pain, too much pain!”, dragging me and Wild Flower down into trouble, what would I do?

“Mm, why do you ask?”

“To mock him, to show that I love her more.” Without changing his expression, Ash raised his cup and signaled the bartender to refill his milk. “Mmm, if it were traditional, I’d send him a video tape to witness despair…nah, I don’t have a green cap fetish, no interest in letting others see my woman’s body.”

“You must have offended quite a few people.”

Traum recognized himself as a scientist with no moral boundaries, but hearing the blatant disdain and malice toward Klain in Ash’s words still sent chills down his spine.

What kind of lover did Wild Flower find, murdering her emotionally too…

“I am his teacher. He was able to travel to other timelines besides utilizing the temper energy, because he used my research on time machines.” Noticing the stare directed at him, Traum calmly filled his own glass. “So I can tell you, he has returned to the future that has already been destroyed.”

“Probably stimulated by your actions, he claimed such things aren’t only achievable by you, and will be done by him in the next world.”

“Cheh, cowards only run away.” Having no interest in hearing Klain’s defeatist rant after leaving, Ash felt relieved yet somewhat disappointed as well hearing the news. “I was hoping to give him a proper lesson next time.”

“Buddy, if you don’t hold back, you’ll eventually crash and burn.”

Putting down the glass, Traum felt slightly dizzy, lamenting the decline of his body as an old man. Focusing again on Ash, he remembered his true goal.

“As for me, I consider myself an inventor. My expertise lies mainly in the fields of spatiotemporal structure and artificial intelligence,” said Traum, refocusing his attention back on Ash. “Your dinosaur robot isn’t just capable of automatic actions, but it’s strong AI…no, possibly beyond that level.”

“I want that AI’s source code.”

While observing each other, Ash could clearly see Traum’s longing and…unwillingness?

“I don’t remember ever owing you so big a favor.”

“I can offer information to trade.”

Thus, Ash spread his hands, signaling his companion to continue.

“Tomorrow energy is the natural energy produced when humans hope for and look forward to the future, while belligerent energy is generated completely oppositely. So, they actually complement each other; you can’t truly eliminate the other unless the energy inflates to the point of destroying the world.”

Traum couldn’t resist sighing. His world, along with Klain’s, was one where the death of Wild Flower, as a Pretty Cure, led to a future where the uncontrolled belligerent energy expanded and destroyed the world.

“As a one-time possessor of tomorrow energy, you probably understand the workings of this world.”

Ash nodded, but it didn’t explain why the longer he stayed in this world, the stronger his ominous premonitions grew.

“You once made your Future Crystal appear, a sign of the world’s acceptance of you, as it were, replacing Wild Flower as the Child of the World.”

“Up until then, everything was fine, until you shattered the crystal to divide that power to save her.”

“Do you have questions?”

“Yes, very much so! Remember what I said about darkness and light being complementary?!”

To verify Ash’s gloomy foreboding, Traum exaggeratedly waved his arms in front of him.

“By totally rejecting light, you naturally become prey to darkness, the world’s belligerent energy, becoming nightmares rooted in your deepest fears. Mmm, you must have interacted with lots of dark things, right?”

The sound of shattering ceramic filled the air as the glass of milk broke in Ash’s frozen hand, blood mingles with milk dripping onto the ground.

Under Traum’s “I knew it” demeanor, Ash took a deep breath, accepted the towel the bartender offered, and casually wiped his blood-soaked hands.

“Therefore, if you want to save this world, you need to find another way.”

“These are the super-AI files you wanted.”

Fishing out a memory card and flinging it at Traum, Traum was reaching to take it when Ash quickly placed his hand over the memory card, preventing it from being taken.

“What’s the meaning?”

“I said you have special technical research on artificial intelligence. I want that data too.”

“That doesn’t constitute a trade, buddy.”

Another memory card with red and blue hues was thrown at him.

“The research on the conscience circuit by Doctor光明寺 (Kouji)… something that makes machines truly human.”

“Deal!”