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Chapter 214: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (7)

Everyone knew well what kind of consequences would follow afterward.

The man's burning golden eyes indifferently turned towards Neris.

She shed tears and smiled pitifully.

"I-I was wrong."

Her voice trembled when she spoke. In those faint words mixed with a hint of weeping, there was a power that moved people's hearts.

"I-I made a mistake... It w-was never a doubt. I just unintentionally slipped out...."

Neris pleaded in this manner.

"P-Please... Ugh, Keu Kyaaaargh!"

Of course, it was an entirely futile attempt.

Ian threw his hatchet and crushed Neris's shoulder. After that, he silently raised his hand and retrieved the hatchet again.

Neris now knelt on the ground, her body slumped. The sounds of sobbing and groaning escaping from her mouth hinted at the pain and fear she was experiencing.

Ian, who had been briefly observing that miserable scene, glanced at the Press Club members and asked.

"Anybody else still harboring doubts?"

Of course, no one dared to open their mouths.

Only then did Ian nod before taking his steps away. Before leaving, his final instructions were as follows.

"Investigate the requested information by tomorrow. And take your branch manager, Neris, to the temple."

Even after Ian left, the conference room remained silent for a while.

The only audible presence within was Neris, writhing and groaning in pain.

Though it was a brief encounter, the academy branch's prospective agents had learned one rule.

Never harbor any doubts.

Just follow without questioning.

Because they had learned what would happen if they didn't.

Cold sweat trickled down the back of an unknown prospective agent.

****

"Uh, um... I-I see."

It was my only perceptible reaction after hearing Senior Neris' lengthy story.

It was fortunate that he received recognition from the Imperial Family and officially took a post at the academy branch.

Although the acts he committed in the process were quite brutal, that's how it turned out.

If someone who had undergone such a situation were asked what I had done to them, the appropriate response would have been to question why such a question was being posed. However, Senior Neris, instead, repeatedlybowed her head, trembling all over.

She kept adding something behind her words, almost like a habit.

"I-I didn't doubt. N-Never! I never doubted...."

It seemed that her fear had intensified since the last time she was on the brink of being burned alive, now that she fell victim to ‘my’ violence once again.

Furthermore, to Senior Neris, I was a superior she couldn't rebel against.

If I punched, she had to take a hit; if I struck with a hatchet, she had to be struck, and I could only assume that her helplessness was fueling Senior Neris' fear.

It was so troublesome.

The future 'me' seemed to have a certain purpose, but ironically, the person who Senior Neris had to spend the vacation with was me. How should I spend time with her in such an uncomfortable relationship?

I wanted to complain, but that lunatic wouldn’t be there to hear it.

As a sigh escaped my frustrated heart, Senior Neris' body trembled.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I-I'll fix my mistake right away...."

"...What did you do wrong?"

In response to my follow-up question, Senior Neris looked like she forgot to breathe and turned pale. Her wet dark green eyes were fixed on me.

It was an offhand remark, but upon reflection, it was nothing short of verbal violence.

In the end, I weakly nodded my head.

"Since you didn't do anything wrong, don't tremble so much. More importantly, what about the missing case in the Percus territory?"

It was the information my future self requested.

It was definitely related to the impending event.

Though Senior Neris still seemed wary of me, she began to recite the information she had diligently investigated.

"Th-The thing is...."

The story was summarized as follows.

Recently, a series of missing incidents began to occur in the Percus territory and its surroundings.

The exact time was about a month ago, right after I had visited the orphanage.

Of course, it was a continent overflowing with all sorts of incidents,demonic beasts included. The disappearance of a couple of villagers was nothing more than a common occurrence.

So far, there were no signs of intervention in other places, including the Percus territory.

However, as Senior Neris continued her investigation, there were several commonalities found in the missing cases.

First, residents residing on the outskirts were disappearing as if targeted.

The farther away the area from the center, the worse the public safety became. No one paid attention if even one or two lives came and went.

Moreover, among the residents staying on the outskirts, only those venturing to more remote places disappeared one by one. That part seemed suspicious.

The analysis suggested that it seemed as if they were deliberately targeting those who could 'disappear' without causing much concern.

However, Senior Neris explained that crucial evidence could not be found due to the limited investigation time. Additionally, the mastermind behind it all remained unknown.

Well, with only a day available, it was only natural.

Nevertheless, Senior Neris cast fleeting uneasy glances in my direction throughout her report. It seemed like she was afraid I might be dissatisfied.

Just by observing this sequence of actions, I could discern Senior Neris' opinion of me.

Eventually, in order to reassure her, I deliberately complimented her.

“You investigated well in such a short time. It must not have been easy to investigate the events in the countryside. This is sufficient. Conduct a more detailed investigation in the Percus territory, and for now, please prioritize healing yourself.”

Upon my instructions, Senior Neris hesitated as she stood up.

However, a sigh escaped my lips after witnessing mistrust still lingering in her eyes.

Should I apologize now?

I couldn’t do that. A superior who changed their attitude drastically in just one day was worse than consistently bad superiors. She would be uncertain about which tone to adopt when talking to me.

I didn't have many choices.

Still unable to shake off the feeling of guilt, I rummaged through my pocket. The expandable spatial pouch the Imperial Princess had given me was a high-quality product, allowing it to store more items.

One of them was ointment.

I took a big stride towards Senior Neris. Although I could see her dark green eyes filled with fear in real time, that moment was brief.

I squeezed the ointment into Senior Neris's hand.

I spoke to the bewildered Senior Neris with a sigh mixed in my voice.

"...I told you to take care of yourself."

Of course, Senior Neris, who had been dealing with poisons, likely had better medicines than I did.

This was nothing more than a formality to lighten my guilt. Nevertheless, with an incredulous expression, Senior Neris repeatedly opened and closed her lips, unable to believe this kindness.

It seemed that pushing further would only cause Senior Neris' fear to escalate. Right after making that judgment, I bid her farewell.

"Well then, until next time."

Only then did Senior Neris, who had regained her composure, bow her head in acknowledgment. Regardless, I shook my hands and left.

Now, only a few questions remain in my mind.

What connection did the missing cases in the Percus territory have with the Dark Order?

Even though I didn't know what they were scheming, it was definitely not a plan based on good intentions.

As the image of the head maid, who had been manipulated by the Flesh Nest and Mitram, passed through my mind one by one, I became somewhat impatient.

It was time to return home.

****

Just as I was preparing to immediately get ready to go to the Percus territory, someone stopped me, it was someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

It was Senior Elsie.

As always, she stood in front of my room with her lovely appearance, appearing restless. Seeing her face after a few days, I couldn't help but feel joy.

"Senior Elsie!"

Just as I was about to explain the misunderstanding from last time, I couldn't help but come to a sudden halt.

Senior Elsie's outfit was remarkable today. She typically wore an academy uniform with a cone hat, but now she was dressed in colorful attire.

It seemed like she had dressed up for an outing.

In the midst of my confusion, Senior Elsie met my eyes. She, too, seemed surprised upon seeing me, and her expression became somewhat embarrassed.

Senior Elsie avoided eye contact, fidgeted with her fingers, and then tightly closed her eyes.

Then, she shouted at me with determination.

"A d-date!"

Upon hearing her speak in an informal tone I hadn't heard in a long time, Senior Elsie continued with her suggestion.

"W-wouldn't you like to go somewhere… Just the two of us...?"

With her now beet-red face, Senior Elsie lowered her head deeply.

The well-dressed Senior Elsie looked incredibly adorable.

Even for someone like me, who had seen Elsie several times, her current look was enough to make me involuntarily flutter.

So, I couldn't speak for a while.

The answer I managed to squeeze out was just one sentence.

"Sorry, it seems like I'll be busy today."

Senior Elsie's expression crumbled as if the world was falling /genesisforsaken