"..."
Gelda stared down at me for a long moment, then put the vial in his pocket and took a step back.
"You seem to have something you trust?"
"I'm saying this because it's getting hard to stay conscious. And, didn't you just say it yourself, Mr. Asman? That since you've seen the effects on you a few times, it wouldn't be awkward."
"..."
It seemed he still couldn't bring himself to trust me.
Gelda used three more syringes before finally putting me to sleep again.
After that, it took one hour in real time—six hours here—for me to regain consciousness.
'Thorough, I'll give him that...'
I looked around the empty room and, just in case, tried to draw magic from my heart.
The result was, of course, failure.
The restraints showed a level of craftsmanship similar to what the Investigation Bureau used. They wouldn't be broken easily.
'Why on earth is he taking so much blood?... It's amazing he's going to this much trouble just for some blood.'
There were two plausible possibilities.
First, to get stronger. Second, to survive.
In my opinion, it was probably both.
The resurrected corpses couldn't sustain their existence without blood.
Gelda had started doubting Pleroma the day before yesterday in this place's time, so he must be preparing a way to survive without a supply from above.
The fact that he was drawing it in multiple 10mL syringes instead of taking it all at once also seemed to be for storage purposes.
Maybe he was even planning to keep me around as a mobile blood supply.
'So then...'
As long as he was holding me here out of necessity, he couldn't completely ignore my condition.
And I needed a tool to release each of the restraints.
The strategy I would choose in this situation... started with not enduring the pain.
But no matter how blue my arm turned, sticking a needle in it didn't make me scream.
So I simply decided to lie down.
"Mr. Bichel."
Right around the time the strength to keep my eyes open was fading, Gelda called my name, perfectly on cue.
"You're not dead, are you?"
"..."
"I'll get you some anesthetic."
"No. This is enough. Let me go."
Gelda just looked down at me in silence, then went back upstairs.
'He has no intention of letting me go.'
Force wouldn't work.
And I couldn't rewind to before this incident either.
'But, if my actions within this incident fail, I can rewind that.'
Well, since things have come to this, I have no choice but to continue the act I've been putting on.
Personally, I don't want to do it anymore, and I don't want to hurt the other party more than I already have... but nothing else is working right now.
'It's been nearly half a day in real time since Leo and the others failed to find this place.'
At this point, waiting longer doesn't seem like it will yield an answer.
Then Gelda came down the stairs and spoke to me.
"Try to sit up."
I pressed my eyes with my right arm and didn't respond.
Gelda's voice grew closer.
"I brought the medicine I mentioned earlier, so drink it and wait a bit. If anesthetic doesn't work, I'll at least get you a painkiller."
My mind wasn't spinning fast... but I could clearly understand one thing.
The strategy was partially successful.
He's giving me the medicine he refused to give before because he was afraid I'd cause trouble?
Since I seem to be trying to avoid the situation itself, he must feel the need to change my mind. If he plans to keep using me as a supply source, he needs my cooperation.
Plus, he probably thinks I'm too drained to attempt anything else.
I answered briefly.
"No thanks."
"..."
"I can't understand why you're doing this. I thought you held a grudge against me... but then there'd be no reason to bring anesthetic, right? What is this situation even for? How am I supposed to understand anything more here?"
Gelda sat beside me and moved my arm aside.
"Drink. If you endure just a little, it'll be much better than before."
He didn't answer my question, just said something else.
Gelda Asman Favorability +9
*Still the same.
I really don't want to, but with this value, it's worth a try.
"Trust me. It'll be fine."
"I said I won't drink it."
I slapped his hand away.
Then, mixing in the most scornful laugh I could muster, I continued.
"If I do, you'll just knock me out again by dredging up strange memories out of nowhere, right? Am I wrong?"
"..."
Gelda hesitated for a moment, then pressed on my chin.
I frowned and pushed his hand away again.
"Wait a moment. Have you ever drunk it? Have you ever seen someone who has?"
Gelda looked at me, then seemed to decide answering was fine, and opened his mouth.
"No, and I haven't seen anyone besides you, Mr. Bichel. Why?"
"Have you tested it? I'm sorry to say this directly, but I've already taken a 10th-stage potion. Do you know what happens if you drink another one that's twice as strong while the effects are still lingering...?"
"I'll watch you carefully."
Perhaps my blunt admission grated on his nerves, as Gelda cut me off and poured the potion into my mouth.
I mustered all my remaining strength to shake off his hand, and the potion spilled onto the floor.
In the dim edge of my vision, I saw Gelda hurriedly right the vial. Even so, the familiar taste was already in my mouth. Then my eyes met Gelda's.
In that instant, I contorted my face and curled up.
"What's wrong?"
As if he hadn't expected a real problem, Gelda leaned in closer.
'...Now I understand why Leo didn't make it.'
This was the intended point, but my reasoning was already fading, and I had to focus on recalling the plan I'd laid out.
Despite that, a sudden desire to just drop everything and go home popped up. If Elias finds out I remained conscious even after taking a potion with doubled effects... I'll definitely be hearing about machines until graduation.
I tried to unfocus my eyes and slowly got up from my spot.
I didn't really want to be conscious of what words and actions I was making, but one thing was clear.
Even though I had just pushed Gelda's shoulders to the floor, unlike when he was determined to use force, I wasn't put to sleep.
'If I knew this would work, I would have done it from the start.'
Gelda would have read my emotions as usual and known my actions weren't a threat.
Honestly, I'm still using emotions now, so my conscience hurts, but there's no other way.
Anyway, right now I can't give the other party room to weigh the pros and cons.
Perhaps because I induced an uncomfortable posture, Gelda dropped the vial he was holding even though I hadn't done much. I picked up the vial and thrust it in front of him.
"Want to try drinking it?"
"..."
"It's unfair if only I'm like this. Let's be like this for just a moment... then drink the antidote."
I poured the potion into his mouth before even hearing an answer. In this state of acting unhinged, it shouldn't fail. Of course, even if that's the case for me, the other party shouldn't start thinking rationally now and spit it out.
If that happens, I'd have to retry and go through this again....
'Let's finish it in one go.'
I lightly covered Gelda's mouth with my hand, then opened it after seeing his Adam's apple move.
"See."
"...!"
Hmm.
Done.
I raised the corner of my mouth as I saw the same light shimmer on Gelda's face as on mine.
It wasn't because I felt the situation was going well, unlike usual. The potion was affecting me too, so I couldn't have such shameless thoughts without any guilt.
Gelda Asman Favorability +10
'The trait is gone.'
It's just not visible because it's capped, but from what I can see, it seems to have far exceeded +10. He was never the machine-like human Elias described in the first place, so even a potion between stages 1 and 10 would have been sufficiently effective.
'He shouldn't think the effect that appeared on me would apply exactly the same to him.'
But since he already thought so, he didn't stop my suggestion.
I continued the situation for just a few minutes—enough not to feel sorry for Luca—then held out my wrist.
"No matter how much I try to endure, it's uncomfortable... can you release me?"
"...No."
Gelda refused firmly, despite his hazy eyes.
And immediately after, anxiety flickered in Gelda's eyes.
'Quick to notice...'
I wish all Pleromas in the world had zero perception.
I tried to help him be a bit more proactive, but it seems it won't work.
I took out the small artifact I had found in Gelda's inner jacket pocket.
"Sorry, but I already found it. You had it on you."
I could easily infer it from the faint magical power emanating from the clothes.
I saw Gelda's face instantly turn cold.
"I thought you'd carry it yourself. Considering the possibility of other Pleromas entering this place, you shouldn't create luggage when escaping, right?"
I brought the artifact to the restraint on my arm.
A seam I didn't know existed opened, and it fell to the floor.
Gelda, perhaps properly under the potion's influence, looked shocked and couldn't say anything. The moment I dropped the last restraint to the floor, Gelda squeezed out words.
"Don't tell me, all this time..."
"Sorry, Mr. Asman. Let's go now. I'll release the brainwashing the Pleroma placed."
I had to leave it to chance.
A gamble on whether Gelda Asman's heart had softened toward me or not.
Even if it was an unavoidable situation, the fact that I had used someone's heart again made me feel like the last shreds of humanity I was clinging to were all falling away.
Suppressing words that I clearly wouldn't have said under normal circumstances, I opened my mouth.
"As I said before, no more. I have nothing to say in defense of the wounds I've inflicted based on my judgment. You can blame me all you want."
"...I don't really understand right now."
Of course not. There's a reason they don't make this potion.
Even I, who usually isn't affected by potions and whose effects wear off quickly when they do work, can't think straight. How much worse must it be for others?
"Aside from the crimes you've committed, do as you wish. I'll reset everything to the beginning for you. If you want, I'll even help with the investigation. Since Pleroma's brainwashing greatly influenced your crimes... you might be eligible for bail."
"..."
"I'm sorry for everything until now. Go out and live a new life."
Even though he clearly could use magic on me, no attack came.
I didn't have the confidence to meet his eyes, so I silently picked up a stone fragment rolling nearby and pierced my skin. Watching the blood drip to the floor, I drew out magical power and recited the spell.
―You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
*Kwaaang―!*
Unlike when I summoned Pie before, an explosion sound was heard.
Time was running out now.
I recalled what I absolutely had to do and forced open my mouth, which wouldn't move.
"As for me... how about the day I gave you my business card?"
It's not like I was silent the whole time and only started talking now, but my voice trembled pathetically at the end.
Pushing away Gelda's touch, I completed the formula while recalling the content to erase.
'...Me.'
Just let me try using this damn potion again.
I want to punch my past self who thought it would be ethically fine as long as I was the one drinking it. Thinking I just had to drink it for a moment, that I just had to act until entering Pleroma—it was all a miscalculation. I couldn't find any solution other than the method of manipulating emotions until the very end.
I placed my hand on Gelda's forehead and opened my mouth.
―Enter through the narrow gate.
I wondered if, in this state, I could use a manipulation spell strong enough to offset the drug's effects, if I could completely erase the Pleroma's brainwashing, but there was no need to ponder long.
The moment I removed my hand from his forehead, the strength drained from Gelda's body.
"..."
I sent divine power into Gelda, whose eyes were closed as if dead. He opened his eyes, perfectly fine as if nothing had ever happened.
Now, I could feel no emotion in Gelda's eyes.
For the investigation, the memories related to Pleroma had to be left intact. Fortunately, he seemed to have realized where this place was.
Now, the explosion sounds from upstairs began to sound closer.
Gelda, who had been looking around, tilted his head as he looked at me.
"Who are you?"
"..."
"I'm sure I've seen you before. Are you perhaps that young gentleman from the newspaper...? Is that right?"
It's over.
With this, what I had to do is completely finished.
All that's left is to go back, announce this in Nikolaus's name to observe the impression points rise, and just plan the next move...
"..."
Perhaps sensing my odd reaction, he narrowed his eyes.
"What's wrong? Wait, what are they doing outside right now..."
*Kwaang―!*
Whether they couldn't find the entrance or used explosive magic from outside the building, sunlight from the first floor streamed into the basement. As I squinted at the brick dust and the long-unseen light, a familiar voice reached me. Someone grabbed my shoulder.
"Sorry, I'm too late. Are you okay?"
—-----------
T/N:
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