༺ No One Knows What This Is! (7) ༻
“Elle, the numbers for the artificial Demon King’s mental waves are the highest yet. Soon, it will self-develop a ‘body’ to contain its mind.”
At Brigitte’s words, Elle looked into the tank.
It was illuminated so brightly in rainbow colors that they couldn’t tell what was going on inside.
To think that the unexpected meddling by the children would act as the spark igniting the oil, alighting the progress of the homunculus experiment.
‘Is this fate…?’
Elle was a mage but also a researcher.
She didn’t believe in fate but as life happened, occasionally there would be incidences of the ‘result’ inducing the ‘process’ when usually it was the opposite.
‘Perhaps, the alpha homunculus may have involved the children to bring about its own completion.’
The result provides the means—?
It was only a theory.
But seeing Judas who was being dragged towards transcendence, the theory had some merit.
‘Whatever the case, it’s good that the experiment is accelerating. Brigitte and Judas. They’re very helpful in progressing what had been stalled for 10 years.’
Elle felt confident that she made the right decision.
And where she was headed was a place of tight security and limited entry.
Skrrr—
When she opened the door and entered, the first thing in sight was a bubbling tank.
The girl inside was attached to many oxygen hoses, and although she had seen Elle enter, there was no change in expression.
“Tywin.”
Elle quietly called out as she touched the glass.
The one inside was Tywin Cladeco.
Her daughter.
The one who stopped moving after the age of 7….
“… Mom, did you call me?”
Just then, a familiar voice sounded and perked her up.
“…….”
However, the girl in the tank remained silent and expressionless.
Elle Cladeco turned her head and saw a small child standing behind her.
“Tywin.”
Elle’s expression turned cold.
But the other Tywin ignored it and spoke brightly.
“Professor Brigitte just reported that the artificial Demon King started to construct its form.”
“Is that so?”
“It means that we succeeded in using the mind to control the body. Then the other experiment of reviving the mind through the body should advance as well, right? Awakening my sister should….”
“Tywin. Your sister is dead. This is merely a shell without a soul. She’s being kept as a specimen because she was born of a male from another world and a female of Pangaea.”
It’s worth researching, Elle finished, her eyes as cold as the machines in the room.
Tywin couldn’t say anything more and exited the lab.
Her mom, Elle Cladeco, had stood in front of the tank for a while and gazed at the girl; having seen that, Tywin fell into thought.
“…….”
Finally, Tywin moved her feet.
She headed towards the rainbow-lit tank.
If the artificial Demon King experiment succeeds… then Mom’s experiment to ‘revive’ her sister should also become possible.
‘Reviving’ something from something would be far easier for a researcher like Elle compared to creating something from nothing like the ‘Artificial Demon King Strategy’.
‘If sister comes back to life….’
Tywin believed that her mom, Elle, was completely occupied by her sister.
Hence, she didn’t pay attention to Tywin.
So, what would happen if her sister came back to life?
‘Then, will Mom notice me, too?’’
No.
Probably not.
Chances were, it would be the opposite.
If her sister is here, then the sibling…fake Tywin won’t be necessary.
Therefore, Tywin needed this experiment to fail.
At least for her own survival.
Beep—
Coming to that conclusion, Tywin pressed the button.
Zuuuun—
The tank’s lid opened.
Tywin climbed the stairs to the top of the tank and stood in front of it with its rainbow light and bubbles.
“If I put this in….”
Tywin pulled out a poison called ‘Red Crimsonide’.
It had been given to her by Elle with the instructions “Use this if you get kidnapped or are at risk of being dissected.”
The small Tywin was a top secret as the accumulation of Elle Cladeco’s research, so she was meant to self-destruct rather than be seized by another.
A poison that will dismantle the body.
If that were to enter the tank….
Blup— Blup— Blup—
In front of the bubbling tank, Tywin’s ashen eyes reflected the colors of the rainbow.
“…What are you?”
An existence born from the hopes of children.
It’ll certainly be something amazing.
Because it was a being that everyone was anticipating.
“…….”
Swoosh—
Tywin tucked the Red Crimsonide away safely in her pocket.
Then she dug through her bag and took out a small doll the size of her hand.
It was from before when Judas had given this to her as compensation for helping his daughters with their homework, and it was Tywin’s only toy.
A kind of treasure from Tywin’s perspective.
Holding it tight, Tywin spoke quietly.
“…I wish Mom was happy. And if possible—”
Sploosh—
* * *
Later that evening after the intense match occurred between the rhino and stag beetle.
The Junk Mansion.
Garden.
Ah, I’m hungry.
Thwack—
“Shit. That hurts.”
I looked to see Enkidus holding a bamboo stick, and then he spoke with a serious tone.
“Judas. You must learn to control your mind. Feelings of pain, and joy, all come from the mind. With absolute control, fire becomes ice cold….”
“Zzzzzzz.”
“Judas.”
“I’m joking, baldy. Why so serious?”
Enkidus’ meditation classes were boring.
I’ll supposedly become stronger if I learn mind control. But to be honest, I couldn’t grasp it.
Think about it.
Controlling your mind.
It’s too vague.
“Judas, in order to exhibit strength beyond your current capability, you need to control the ‘constraint’. As such, I ask that you be attentive and take this seriously.”
Constraint.
Cariote becomes stronger against demons, and Enkidus is empowered with the sun in the sky, something like that, right?
If I placed one on myself such as, ‘I become stronger against Nocturne. Otherwise, I become weaker!’, then I should be able to exhibit a power beyond that of level 49—was Enkidus’ opinion and the point of this current experiment.
“I get what you’re saying.”
But is that easy to do?
As I clicked my tongue, Enkidus nodded, saying “That is true. The most difficult thing is the human mind.”
Then he continued.
“But Judas, you should already know this. Do you not weaken when you gain possession? Hence you maintain your state of need.”
“That’s right. But it’s a secret. Don’t go telling anyone.”
My self-proclaimed passive skill.
《Hungry Socrates》 was such an eccentricity.
The effect was the more I possessed, I lost my combat skills, and opposite that, the poorer I was, the better I fought.
But Enkidus was saying that this was a kind of ‘constraint’.
“Judas, you already know the way of controlling your mind. Be not impatient and have a careful look inside of you. Then the path will surely reveal itself.”
Don’t be impatient, he says.
I sat again with my legs crossed.
Concentrate on my inner side.
“…….”
Rustle—
At that moment, I heard something.
When I opened my eyes, Cariote was putting a blanket on my shoulders.
“What is this?”
“Even if it’s summer, the nights of Freesia are cold. You will catch a cold this way. Didn’t you sneeze last time?”
“Ah, I did. More importantly, what time is it?”
“It’s 2 am.”
I started meditation with Enkidus at 11 pm.
Did that mean I was meditating for 3 hours?
It clearly meant that I made significant advancement in controlling the mind!
“You seemed to be having a good sleep, Judas.”
“…Shit.”
So it was sleep, not meditation.
I decided to get up.
At this point, I thought it was just better to sleep comfortably in my room and spoke to Cariote.
“How’s the experiment? Brigitte didn’t come home?”
“Brigitte said she’ll be up all night at the lab. They’ve succeeded in developing both the body and mind of the artificial Demon King. Though I don’t quite understand those complicated things.”
“Oh. Really?”
The body and mind finished forming.
Then it meant that the completion of the artificial vessel was only a few steps away.
As I rejoiced, Cariote cleared her throat.
She acted as if there was something uncomfortable.
“Is there a problem?”
“I haven’t heard the details, but from what the Priestess said, the newly-born artificial being ‘Molu’ strongly refused to be filled with evil karma.”
What?
The artificial Demon King’s name is Molu?
It refuses to receive the evil karma?
“So, Cariote, you’re saying that that guy doesn’t want to become a villain?”
“…You can hear the details directly from the researchers tomorrow.”
I wrapped myself in the blanket that Cariote gave me and fell into thought.
Aru was a kind and cute homunculus born from Brigitte’s dream of wanting friends and family.
In the same way, ‘Molu’, created from the shining dreams of children, would also be a kind and cute homunculus.
“It’s obvious that it’d be rejected if the Priestess tries to infuse evil karma.”
Maybe the idea of the experiment was off.
As I thought that, Cariote looked at the mansion.
“My sister was human. But somehow, she became a demon. Then it may be possible to turn an innocent homunculus into a villain.”
With that said, Cariote took off and left.
Left alone, I didn’t know what to think.
I’ll decide the specifics when I meet this Molu guy tomorrow!
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