Theo's [Subspace Bag], despite being a storage bag, contains items worthy of being registered in the great Waldeurk family's treasure vault.
It boasts a generous storage space that can accommodate about three queen-sized beds.
"Stuff it as full as you can, Amy."
"Understood, young master."
Theo also picked up the remains of other robots, filling the [Subspace Bag] to its storage limit, in addition to the first robot.
He didn't know much about inventions and science, but he gathered as many references as possible, believing they would be helpful to Sonya.
'Cleanup of robot debris complete. Now, there are two things left to do at [Ford Company].'
The first is to rescue Jang Woohee's friend, Woo Hyoyeon.
The second is to destroy the Great Demon Shrine within [Ford Company].
'I should take care of the first task.'
Theo asked Thomas, who was tied at the very front of the rope.
"Where are the kidnapped children?"
"I... I don't know what you're talking about."
Thomas avoided eye contact and feigned ignorance.
Theo immediately kicked him in the thigh.
Thomas's knee bent at a strange angle.
"Agh, agh, agh!"
Thomas fell to the ground. The researchers tied in the same line also fell down in succession.
Theo squatted in front of Thomas and then grabbed and lifted his hair.
"Don't test my patience. I'll ask you one more time."
"Agh, agh..."
"Where are the kidnapped children? The ones used as materials for the robots."
"!"
Thomas's eyes bulged in shock.
'This bastard... knows everything.'
[Ford Company] had kidnapped children from various races for research materials to build robots.
Not just humans, but orcs, lizardmen, and even beastmen and elves.
Only a very few within [Ford Company] knew about this.
'If that place is exposed... it's the end.'
...Perhaps not to Theo in front of him.
But to the devout and dogmatic paladins swarming outside, it would be a different story.
If they saw what was happening there, they would be outraged.
Even if they wanted something from him, they would immediately stab him to death.
Although the robots were made under Maitri's orders, he was the one who led their creation.
As Thomas was lost in thought.
Theo slapped Thomas across the face.
"You're slow to answer. Are you asking for it?"
"Just... just kill me, Theo Lyn Waldeurk. If those paladins outside see that place... they're going to kill me... anyway."
Thomas stuttered out his reply.
During his speech, several of his broken teeth flew out of his mouth. His face was covered in blood.
Yet, Theo showed no change in expression.
'Is he trying to have a staring contest? ...Let's see how long he can last.'
Theo seriously considered beating Thomas to the brink of death.
But he soon gave up on that idea.
Beating him to that extent might just make Thomas despair and adopt a 'if I'm going down, you're going down with me' attitude.
'...Thomas is the only one who knows where Woo Hyoyeon is.'
Breaking the trust relationship with Jang Woohee was not an option.
She is an exceptional talent.
And she had been of great help in various ways when he had nothing.
Theo whispered into Thomas's ear.
"Then tell only me. I will enter alone."
"Please make me one promise."
Thomas's tone changed back to being polite.
"What is it?"
"That you won't kill me even after seeing what's inside."
"Alright, I won't kill you."
Thomas whispered earnestly into Theo's ear.
"...Theo Lyn Waldeurk, I too am a pragmatist like you. If you know about 'that place', you also know my worth.
Keeping me alive will definitely be of help to you."
"You're overestimating yourself. I won't kill you with my own hands, so lead the way. I keep my word."
"...You've promised."
Theo cut the rope that connected Thomas and the person behind him with his sword.
Theo told his companions.
"I'll be back shortly. Everyone, stay put here. In case of an emergency, follow Taylor's judgment."
Amy and Jang Woohee nodded.
Taylor laughed and said.
"Ha-ha-ha, understood. Meanwhile, I'll have a chat with the researchers here. Take care, Theo."
Theo nodded.
Thomas glanced at Theo and then said.
"This way..."
Theo followed Thomas.
On the way to where the kidnapped children were kept, Theo bypassed numerous security devices.
'It's chilling. Had I just come and gone, I would have died without making it halfway.'
Even though he had become an entity close to a superhuman, utilizing qi, the security devices were not easy to deal with.
He had asked Thomas to activate some of the security devices at random, and each one was a vicious trap.
There were traps that poured hydrochloric acid, and traps where hundreds of arrows flew all at once.
After bypassing more than ten security devices, a door appeared before them. Even from the outside, the door to the laboratory exuded a sinister aura.
Still tied with ropes, Thomas gestured towards the door with his eyes.
"There... it's inside. The children used as materials for the experiments are kept in there."
"Lead the way, Thomas. Why do you sound like you plan to wait outside?"
"...Everything inside bears malice towards me. There's a chance I could be in danger... ah, ahk!"
As Theo's fist buried into his abdomen, Thomas's body collapsed.
Theo grabbed his hair and lifted him with one hand.
"So, you prefer to die here?"
"...Didn't you promise not to kill me, Theo Lyn Waldeurk?"
"Right, I said I wouldn't kill you with my hands. But if you don't enter there, I will beat you until you're close to death. Then, I'll just leave you here."
"...I'll lead the way."
Thomas staggered to his feet and walked towards the door. The door had a password lock.
"Please enter the password, Theo Lyn Waldeurk. The password is 1557."
"You really like that number. Using the same password everywhere is not a good habit."
"...Anyone who enters the wrong password will die immediately anyway, so it's fine. We've taken thorough security measures."
"I see."
Beep.
Theo entered the password.
With an unpleasant grinding noise, the door opened. It sounded like it hadn't been maintained in a long time.
"...Gasp."
As soon as the door opened, a foul stench assaulted their nostrils. The smell of blood and rotting flesh mixed with chemicals.
"Ugh, ugh..."
The groan came from Theo.
[Twisted Noble's Dignity] began to run wild. He felt a strong current coursing through his veins.
'I have to find Woo Hyoyeon.'
Theo managed to keep his composure and looked around the laboratory.
There were no living beings inside the laboratory.
Instead, there were about a hundred entities that used to be people.
They were laid out one by one on the experiment tables.
A human child dissected from eyelids to toes.
A young orc with doughnut-sized holes in its chest and thighs.
A young lizardman with its horns and arms cut off, and its facial skin peeled off.
A young beastman with all its fur shaved off, and its ears and nails/claws completely torn off.
A young elf, bald-headed, with its ears cut off and its body full of cuts and stab wounds.
On the shelves around the laboratory were jars containing brains and body parts of various races. The chemicals inside the jars kept the body parts fresh.
"..."
The scenes were captured in Theo's eyes.
Unknowingly, Theo glared at Thomas with a demonic expression.
Thomas hurriedly said,
"I will not excuse it as an order from Maitri. This was entirely for the advancement of mankind.
Robots were a guide for the frail humanity to follow...! It's a sacrifice for the greater good!"
"What are you talking about? The dominant race on the continent is humans."
"That's merely a house built on the edge of a cliff! The system is running smoothly, but each individual human is still very weak!"
"Do you know how much training it takes for an orc to withstand the weight of 200kg pressing down on their body? The answer is 'no training needed'! A 10-year-old orc can naturally do this! Even the females!"
"..."
"And what about humans! Unless they're born with good genes like Hero Department students, they need years of training! Eating well and resting well are essentials! It's almost impossible for women!"
"..."
"Let's not even talk about strength! What about the hearing of beastmen and elves? No matter how much a talented human trains throughout their life, they can never reach their level!"
Thomas ranted passionately. His demeanor was steeped in deep madness.
Theo opened his mouth again.
"Shut it, Thomas. It's unpleasant enough without my head buzzing from your nonsense."
Thomas immediately closed his mouth.
"I'm looking for a human girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old. You'd better brace yourself if she's dead."
"...You don't need to worry about that. The test subjects here might look dead, but they are barely clinging to life. It's just that they appear dead due to the power of high-tier magic. Anyway, do you have any other distinguishing features? There are more than ten such test subjects."
"Her name is Woo Hyoyeon. She has brown hair and is about 150cm tall."
"...Ah, I remember. This way."
Theo followed Thomas to a particular experiment table.
There, Woo Hyoyeon lay emaciated, her body covered in bruises and wounds, but in a considerably better condition compared to the other children.
Theo silently embraced Woo Hyoyeon, staining his clothes with the scabs that clung to her body.
[Twisted Noble's Dignity] surged painfully, but Theo bit his lower lip, enduring the sensation.
Theo took an imitation panacea from his [Subspace Bag] and slowly fed it to Woo Hyoyeon, drop by drop.
Thomas spoke.
"Is your business done now...? Then, shall we return?"
"You said the children here are still barely alive."
"...? Yes. They're barely alive, sustained only by the power of high-tier magic."
"Such a large-scale magic would require a continuous supply of mana."
"Yes. That large external mana supply device in the corner is continuously supplying mana. Fortunately, it's still active so I'm still alive. If those things were awake, I would have been dead immediately. ...As much as I hate to say it as a man of science, it seems my luck hasn't run out yet."
Thomas's face was filled with undeniable exhilaration.
Theo held Woo Hyoyeon with one arm.
"Is that so."
His other hand was extended towards the external mana supply device.
"...Test your true luck, Thomas."
Theo used [Magic Nullification].
"It seems I'm not the pragmatist you are."
