Chapter 609: Investigation Results

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Yeluer angrily slammed all the documents in his hands onto the table in front of him and growled under his breath:

"It shouldn’t be like this. It shouldn’t be like this... You promised me you’d keep supporting my research, but now you—"

"This isn’t something I wanted to do either, Mr. Yeluer."

A black bird stood on the breezy windowsill, tilting its head as it sized up the mess the laboratory had become, and sighed:

"The Speaker lost. The Inner Council lost. The most important thing for us now is to think about how to preserve ourselves. In a situation where even our own survival isn’t guaranteed, the fact that I came to notify you at all is already the greatest benevolence I can manage."

"Hah. I think you’re just afraid I’ll get caught and end up coughing up something that’s bad for you!" Yeluer sneered.

"You can think that, but it won’t change the outcome in the slightest."

The Robin flapped its wings.

"Right now, everyone’s just an insignificant brick or scrap of timber under the same collapsing building. You can mock me all you want, and it still won’t change the ending where we’re about to be buried. Better save your strength and think about how to run."

"Ha... With your kind of nature, I was wondering why you didn’t kill me to silence me at a time like this. So that’s it. Turns out you don’t even have the ability to silence people anymore."

Yeluer spat a glob of phlegm beside the Robin.

"A dog that lost its home!"

"Say whatever you want. I don’t even dare show my face right now. I really am a dog that lost its home," the Robin said. "But I still have to remind you: the person coming to kill you is already on the way."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean—"

Screee—

Before the Robin could finish, a piercing alarm had already sounded through the entire laboratory. In an instant, the noise outside became chaotic, making the confusion even worse.

"They’re here? Faster than I expected."

The Robin sighed.

"Then please do your best to save yourself, Mr. Yeluer. I truly hope you can successfully escape. Oh, and remember to burn all those materials. Keeping them won’t do you any good."

"Bastard!"

Yeluer slammed the table even harder in rage.

"Don’t tell me to do my best to run. Who do you think caused all of this?!"

No one answered.

Because the Robin had already spread its wings and vanished beyond the narrow window.

"Damn it!"

Yeluer irritably clawed at what little hair he had left, growing more and more anxious.

If he’d known, after getting preliminary results, he should’ve run.

But in the end, he still couldn’t resist that forbidden temptation, and that was how he’d put himself in this dangerous situation.

"No matter what, I have to run first. This genius brain of mine absolutely can’t be caught by those rigid people at the Royal Research Institute. My research hasn’t reached the ultimate yet!"

In a fluster, Yeluer piled the documents onto an alcohol lamp and burned them all.

"Mr. Yeluer!"

The laboratory door suddenly flew open. His assistant—with a slim waist, big chest, a soft, delicate voice and a pliant body—rushed in, panicking:

"Th-there are intruders!"

"I know. I’m not deaf!" Yeluer snapped impatiently.

"B-but..."

"There’s no ‘but.’ Hurry and pack things... Right. How many intruders?"

"One."

"Only one?"

Yeluer looked up in shock, and all he got was his assistant’s firm confirmation.

"Only one person? They’re really not taking me, an old man, seriously at all."

Yeluer’s gaze flickered. He thought for a moment, then suddenly waved his assistant over.

"Come here for a second."

"Oh..."

The assistant timidly moved closer.

She was someone the Inner Council had specifically arranged to serve Yeluer. Now that the Inner Council was completely on the edge of a cliff, she could only rely on Yeluer, whom she had originally found somewhat repulsive.

"May I ask... what are your orders?"

Tears shimmered in her eyes. Her wrap top was also lower than usual. Her weak, delicate look was pitiful enough to stir a man’s protective instincts.

Yeluer’s expression softened a lot. He leaned down toward her and said gently, "Relax. It’s not dangerous work."

"Really? Then that’s—"

Pfft.

A dagger pierced flesh.

The assistant lowered her head in disbelief, coughing up blood.

"Wh... why..."

"That’s why I say women are all boobs and no brains. Why would you think that when I’m running for my life, I’d bring a burden with me?"

Expressionless, Yeluer pulled the dagger out and let blood splash all over him. Then he forced the dying assistant down beneath him, took out a pill, and shoved it into her mouth by force.

"Mm... mm... no... please..."

"Getting to be useful at the very end is also your honor."

The pill melted the moment it entered her mouth. In the blink of an eye, its power flowed through her limbs and bones along with the blood seeping in her abdomen.

The assistant convulsed in agony. Under her skin, blackened veins writhed like a swarm of snakes. Very quickly, her eyes turned red, and fangs and sharp teeth grew out.

"Disappear. Right now I can only use this low-grade stuff, but I think it should still be enough."

Yeluer ordered the assistant—controlled by the drug—to guard outside the laboratory, while he fumbled at the console and pressed a button.

Accompanied by a harsh, grinding clatter of mechanisms, the entire [N O V E L I G H T] laboratory was sealed shut by precise steel. A faint light lit up in the corners, and images monitoring every part of this hidden building appeared.

"There are more than thirty researchers here right now. I already drugged them in advance, plus those hundred-plus test subjects—two hundred people in total. And the other side only has one person. Two hundred enhanced monsters against one person should be enough to stall until I can escape through the secret passage!"

Yeluer quickly tapped a few more controls. Soon, an extremely hidden tunnel appeared beneath the console. This was his escape route prepared long ago—so secret that even the Robin didn’t know about it.

He bent down smoothly, fast enough that he didn’t look like an old man at all, and was just about to crawl into the secret tunnel...

And then, at that moment, he subconsciously swept his eyes over the surveillance feeds.

A horrifying scene instantly burned itself into his vision.

"What—"

Yeluer froze in place and screamed in disbelief:

"How is that possible?!"

...

...

"One hundred ninety-seven."

"One hundred ninety-eight."

"One hundred ninety-nine..."

"Two hundred!"

Ariel casually swung her sword. A sharp blaze lit the corridor and instantly shredded the humanoid monster that had lunged at her.

"Exactly two hundred. What a gift for obsessive-compulsive disorder."

Ariel clapped her hands. With a background of bodies piled into a small mountain, she lowered her head to look at the humanoid monster’s charred face and said with regret:

"Such a shame. From the look of it, she probably used to be a pretty girl. Who knows who was cruel enough to turn her into a monster."

"She’s one of the lucky ones. At least she doesn’t look like she suffered much."

A hazy figure rose up beside Ariel.

"The truly pitiful ones are those children who have already become deformed. They were probably treated as test subjects when they were very young."

"Yeah..."

Ariel sighed, then glanced behind her, icy killing intent flashing in her eyes.

"Doing something like this... they’re worse than beasts!"

"I’ve laid a formation around this area. The one in charge here probably hasn’t escaped yet," Ariel’s teacher said. "But... finding him won’t be that easy. I sensed a bit with soul power—the terrain here is pretty complex."

"Well, if we search slowly, we’ll find him eventually... but I don’t have that kind of patience."

Ariel scratched her head, looked around at the complex corridors, then suddenly clapped her hands.

"In that case, let’s try our luck!"

Ariel’s teacher showed an expression that said, of course.

"Miss, miss."

Ariel crouched down and gently lifted the woman’s hand, now turned pitch-black.

"If you still carry resentment, then please point out where the one who turned you into a monster is!"

As she spoke, Ariel lightly tossed the limp, cold arm away.

The arm fell naturally to the floor.

Yet the hand that landed there suddenly, extremely naturally, extended one finger and pointed in a direction.

"Very good. Looks like it’s here!"

Ariel’s mouth twisted into a grin. She abruptly drew her greatsword.

"Watch this—Heavenfire, draw the blade!"

Boom!

Blazing fire mixed with condensed sword energy instantly tore open the wall engraved with protective magic inscriptions. Hard metal melted, glowing red, and through the huge hole she had cut with one strike, Ariel saw, perfectly clearly...

That old face, blank with shock.

"How... how is that possible?"

Yeluer still muttered in utter disbelief.

"My defenses, so carefully built—how could they be torn open this easily by a mere fourth-tier martial warrior? That’s not scientific... That’s not scientific!"

"Oh? So you’re the boss here?"

Ariel acted as if she hadn’t heard Yeluer muttering. She clapped happily.

"Don’t be afraid. I just want to ask you a few questions. Would it be convenient for you to come with me?"

"I... you... monster... You’re the real monster!"

Yeluer pointed at Ariel with a trembling finger, rolled his eyes, and actually fainted on the spot.

"Huh, he fainted just like that? He’s that timid?" Ariel said in surprise.

"Or he’s playing dead."

"That’s possible. But it doesn’t matter. It’s not the time for interrogation anyway, and he can’t run."

Yeluer’s brow twitched slightly, and the fingertips hidden in his sleeve moved.

But Ariel didn’t give him any chance to use any tricks at all. She took out an antique bell and gave it a casual shake. Yeluer—a whole living person—was instantly sucked inside.

"As expected of an ancient relic. So convenient."

"I remember you have a few magical beasts stored in there too. Is that okay?"

"Don’t worry, don’t worry. I trained those beasts. Without my orders, they don’t even dare make a sound. At most, they’ll just lick him a couple times."

Ariel confidently put the bell away.

Then she looked around.

The laboratory was a mess, with charred bits of burned paper everywhere.

"Looks like the important data all got burned."

"That was expected."

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Teacher."

"That was expected too."

Ariel’s teacher sighed, casually knocked Ariel on the head once while she wore an embarrassed expression, and then her soul power rapidly spread.

An extremely complex formation condensed in an instant. Ariel’s teacher pointed.

"Restore."

In the blink of an eye, the fragments were reassembled as if time were flowing backward. Even the dust that had been burned into charcoal returned to paper with writing on it.

"Good thing they’re only dead objects. It doesn’t take much effort."

"Thank you, Teacher! After this, I’ll definitely find you another treasure to repair your soul!"

"Our relationship doesn’t require that kind of talk."

Ariel’s teacher handed the restored materials to her. Then, with a flash of light, she slipped into Ariel’s body.

"Next part is on you. I’m going to sleep for a bit."

"Don’t worry. There probably won’t be any need for Teacher to act anymore."

Ariel patted her flat chest, then lowered her gaze to the materials in her hands.

That wasn’t just talk. All the way here, although she’d run into plenty of trouble, in reality, it was all still within her capabilities.

And now, it had finally come to the last step.

With all the intelligence she’d gathered before, plus the hints revealed in these materials, she should be able to piece together the shadowy truth hidden behind the Inner Council.

"Hmph. Trying to escape from my grasp? You’re still too green. This time Celicia will look at me in a new light, won’t she? Ahahaha... Hm?"

Mid-laugh, Ariel’s brows suddenly knit as she looked at certain information in the materials, puzzled.

"This is... a recording error? No. This kind of thing, you can tell at a glance whether it’s wrong. There’s no need to fake it at all..."

"But..."

As if realizing something, Ariel began flipping through the materials faster and faster. The more she flipped, the heavier her expression became.

"No way..."

In the end, when all the information gathered in her mind, her face had sunk so dark it looked like it could drip water.

...

...

Time passed. Three days had gone by since the palace incident.

During these three days, all of Belrand was busy recovering. Everywhere was short-handed, to the point that the empire’s newly enthroned Empress gave an order to temporarily recruit another batch of common folk from the streets to join the city’s reconstruction.

Unexpectedly, there were actually many volunteers. That sped up the progress of many things, and according to some rumors, Her Majesty the Empress hadn’t even had time to prepare her coronation ceremony before she had already appeared in the lower city, personally investigating and supervising the situation everywhere.

In short, even though a large number of people had just died, Belrand now felt far more peaceful and safe. Even going out alone at night wasn’t as dangerous as before.

And Ariel was striding quickly through the slightly quieter night of the city.

"Ariel."

Suddenly, someone called out to her.

"Wait."

"Hm?"

Ariel turned her head, expressionless, and looked at the figure slowly emerging—no, slowly moving out—from the street alley.

"Big brother?"

"Ahem. Looks like you still acknowledge me as your big brother."

Orlando, seated in a wheelchair, wore a gentle smile on his slightly pale face.

"You’re in such a hurry. Where are you going?"

"Big brother is the one I should be asking. It’s so late, and you’re out alone. Isn’t that dangerous?"

"Haha, it’s not dangerous. Times aren’t what they used to be. Her Majesty the Empress is wise and mighty. In today’s Belrand, what kind of monsters and demons would still dare come out and cause trouble?"

Orlando gently stroked his legs, already withered like deadwood. His expression grew serious again as he asked once more:

"So, where is Ariel going?"

"The palace."

"The palace? At this hour, what are you going to the palace for?"

"Nothing. Just to report some things."

"I see..."

Orlando sighed softly. Looking at Ariel with the kindly gaze of an elder brother, he said quietly:

"Then... for the sake of your big brother, could you not go?"

"Why?"

"Do you need a reason?"

"I do. For example..."

Ariel’s gaze flickered, and she said each word distinctly:

"Should I be calling you Mr. Robin... or something?"