Chapter 561
Ellen appeared serene in her sleep, as if she had no worries or concerns.
But that peace was short-lived, as she began to suffer, drenched in cold sweat.
She couldn't help but have nightmares.
While I was intentionally made to have nightmares by Airi, Ellen would suffer them unintentionally.
Whether it was due to the vengeful spirits that tried to consume her, or the countless deaths she had witnessed, or the guilt that weighed on her.
"Ugh..."
Though the cold sweat on Ellen's forehead was pitiable, I was not Airi.
All I could do was draw closer to Ellen as she was tormented by her nightmares, and curl up beside her.
Strangely enough, my mere presence seemed to calm her, as she soon embraced me in her sleep and her breathing steadied.
Could this be some form of animal therapy...?
Of course, it was a little...
Close.
Too close, perhaps.
Uh...
Yes, that was it.
The next day.
Ellen woke up with bleary eyes and sat up.
"..."
-Meow
Ellen looked down at me.
By now, I couldn't help but grow accustomed to this eerie yet familiar sight.
Her eyes were empty, as if her consciousness was being eroded by something. She moved more like a machine than a person.
Ellen stared at me for a slow three seconds before turning her gaze away and getting up. It was as if something else was moving Ellen's body, not Ellen herself.
It wasn't that we couldn't communicate.
In fact, I knew she had gone on missions in that state and had always returned safely.
With her eyes still clouded, Ellen entered the bathroom to wash up. Afterward, she donned her armor and activated the armor stand.
-Clank! Clank!
Her armor seamlessly connected, and Ellen was now dressed in the resplendent armor of a warrior.
The Sun's Cape and the Moon's Sword were summoned onto her shoulders and waist.
Without looking back at me, Ellen left the tent.
As these events continued to repeat, Ellen's consciousness would eventually fade, and she would disappear.
There was nothing I could do.
It was impossible for me to forcibly extract the souls lodged within Ellen's body.
Only Lucinil could do that right now. Not just her, but all the other Vampire Lords as well.
And, of course, Lucinil and the other Vampire Lords would not perform the ritual for me, no matter how much I begged. Antirianus would undoubtedly refuse or sabotage the process.
Even if the spirits were extracted, someone would still have to bear the burden of that massive collective.
Whether they entered the body of someone who hated me or someone who loved me, it would be a problem.
The fact remained that Ellen was the only person in the world capable of enduring it.
At some point in the future, I would have to risk everything to do something.
Hoping that I could save Ellen then.
I watched the figure of something that was not quite Ellen leave the barracks without a single word of farewell.
As soon as morning arrived, Ellen left the Royal Class Garrison.
Although she appeared mechanical in her current state, she did not harm or hurt anyone. In fact, most people didn't even realize that something had changed.
From the beginning, Ellen was a woman of few words who silently carried out her duties, so only those who knew her well would notice that something was amiss.
One day, I might have to fight against Ellen, or perhaps against whatever had consumed her body. I didn't know which it would be.
The future I glimpsed in the preview showed me defeated by Ellen, and Ellen committing suicide in front of my lifeless body.
I couldn't tell if the Ellen in that vision was the real Ellen or one possessed by vengeful spirits.
I've been doing mental training to avoid losing when that moment finally comes, but I've only been experiencing defeat.
If the price of winning once in reality is dying countless times in my dreams, I would be content, but there's no way to know until the situation actually arises.
Regardless of who controls Ellen's body now, I must continue to do what needs to be done, just as she is.
I could see that Ellen's condition wasn't critical, but it was slowly deteriorating.
I headed back to Anna's tent, but it was still empty.
I could tell whether she hadn't returned or had come back late and left early in the morning.
The inside of the tent looked exactly the same as when I had seen it yesterday.
Anna hadn't returned.
Given the nature of magic research and experiments, it was common for her to work through the night, and some researchers even slept in their laboratories.
And just like yesterday, the royal class students who saw me didn't discuss where Anna went or express curiosity about her whereabouts.
It was strange that Ellen talked to me about various things, but most people simply petted me without saying much or spoke amongst themselves.
There's an inherent limit to gathering information while in the form of a beast.
Namely, I can't ask questions.
I can only gather information from the conversations that pass between people.
Thus, if I were in human form, I could simply ask where Anna went and the problem would be solved. But as a cat, I can't know what she's doing or where she's gone unless she comes up in people's conversations.
And here's the problem.
"When did this guy come back?"
"This one has grown a lot too."
-Meow
People approach and talk about the cat, but they never discuss what I'm curious about.
It's exhausting to eavesdrop and wait for Anna to come up in conversation while lurking nearby.
Should I just call Kono Lint?
He might know where Anna is.
But I don't want to reveal that the cat at the royal class base is actually Reinhardt.
Well, it's not like it matters anymore if Kono Lint finds out. If anything, it's like I've already revealed something I shouldn't have. But I'd rather not be known as a strange pervert here.
I could simply continue using my beauty disguise to meet him outside the royal class base.
He would understand right away if I say, "You know, there's only one other woman like me who could mess with your life, besides Sarkegaar."
But Kono Lint is a non-combatant, and his skills are in high demand at all times.
He can move anywhere in an instant, making him the hardest one to find if I'm determined to do so.
Calling him again after telling him not to investigate would make me look inconsistent.
Wait, he's not actually trying to look into this on his own, is he? I don't want to create trouble unintentionally.
It was certain that Anna hadn't returned to the garrison.
However, that didn't necessarily mean she was involved in this matter.
Sarkegaar was collecting information in his own way, so even if my side came up empty, there might still be something from his end.
As for me, my limits were clear, and I had only been at the Royal Class garrison.
Sarkegaar, who had been investigating the entire Allied garrison, might have obtained some other information.
At the designated time and the predetermined rendezvous point.
Having returned to my human form, I met with Sarkegaar, and we faced each other in a dimly lit corner of the supply warehouse area of the Allied garrison.
"Gathering information is difficult."
"…As expected, huh."
Obtaining information about the Titan wasn't easy either. But in this case, it was the kind of research or experiment that absolutely couldn't be made public.
So, it must have been equipped with a level of security far beyond that of the Titan case.
"Basically, mages have a habit-like tendency to not want to reveal their research to outsiders. That's why security is more thorough than in other places."
"A habit?"
"Yes, it's similar to how dogs bury bones in the ground."
Sarkegaar's words were somehow amusing in this situation.
Mages had a pathological dislike for revealing their own research achievements to others. As a result, they tended to obsess over security.
This habit-like behavior persisted even when the research in question wasn't necessarily a secret.
"Also, mages tend to encrypt their documents. This is true for joint research, and even more so for individual research."
"…They sure live a tiring life."
"Indeed, I've confirmed that there are a large number of confidential documents in each garrison where mages gather, but very few documents could be understood."
"So, it's possible that these confidential documents have nothing to do with this case?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The mages' security obsession and encryption were now obstacles.
The Titan case involved a massive project that was extremely difficult to conceal. From the start, each part of the Titan was enormous, so transportation alone required a tremendous amount of manpower.
"What about finding the place where the research or experiment is being conducted?"
"As I mentioned, most of the mage group garrisons have much stricter access control than the Royal Class garrisons."
There were too many potential locations, most of which were difficult to enter, making it impossible to know where to go. The Allied Forces were a mobile army. Nevertheless, within this garrison, the fact that there were areas with strict access control demonstrated the strength of the mages' security obsession.
And, of course, it would be difficult for Sarkegaar to infiltrate the Royal Mage Corps' garrison area. Even if he were to succeed, obtaining decisive evidence would be even more challenging.
In the end, Sarkegaar hadn't managed to find out anything concrete yet.
"Hmm… This situation isn't that different from the Titan case…"
"If such a thing is really happening, it's true that a massive area would be needed to conceal it."
An experiment involving thousands of corpses. Although the end product might not be as large as the Titan, the scale of the experiment itself would have to be as massive as the Titan project.
A highly secured experiment.
However, there were far too many watchful eyes in this environment.
Where on earth could the experiment be taking place within the Allied garrison?
It was impossible to know.
If Anna were involved in this experiment, following her trail would reveal the location of the research facility. However, it was uncertain whether she was staying at the research site or not returning to the Royal Class garrison at all.
"For now, we have no choice but to keep looking. Continue your investigation, but don't take any excessive risks. I'll do what I can on my end as well."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Sarkegaar quietly nodded, transformed into a black cat, and disappeared somewhere.
Something.
Could it really be such a complicated issue?
Or was it possible that they were overlooking something very simple?
It was a strange feeling.
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