The situation was over.
Oliverus had died by friendly fire, Revis had been defeated by my drug, and the remaining cannibalized monsters had all been cleaned up by Ais and the White-Haired Demon.
However you looked at it, everything was truly finished now.
"Haa."
Perhaps she realized that too, because Revis let out a sigh.
Though I wasn't sure whether that was really a sigh of surrender.
No matter how bad things were, she didn't look like the sort of side character who'd give up that easily.
"Unbelievable. I never imagined there'd still be someone even crazier than Enyo and those Evils lunatics on the surface. And I never could have imagined someone like that would stand in our way."
To her, I offered a precious piece of life advice.
"Miss, life doesn't go the way you want it to. That's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"
"Nonsense."
...Yeah, honestly, I just wanted to say it.
But there was no way I could admit that in front of everyone.
And I wasn't done with my lines yet.
"Stories where sensible characters live out sensible plots with sensible causality... those get old eventually."
"...My head hurts. I really shouldn't have talked to a madman."
Oh dear, this impatient, hot-blooded woman really wasn't my type.
What good was a pretty face?
I really did prefer cool women.
...If I went any further, everyone around me would really start calling me crazy, wouldn't they?
Let's just drop that idea.
There'd be another chance someday.
"Anyway. At this rate, it looks like we're out of options."
"Obviously."
Was she still not fully grasping the situation?
Revis tried to force her collapsed body to move, but it was useless.
After all, even if it was a failure unlike what I'd expected, this body had carefully prepared a special paralysis-and-anesthetic formula.
Maybe if more time passed, things would be different.
But at least within this short a span, I was certain it was impossible.
Just as I was feeling confident about that, Revis looked at me and said flatly,
"Do you know what that is? The pillar of the pantry. That's the central support of this pantry."
What would happen if that broke?
In an instant, everyone nearby, myself included, stiffened.
For her to say that in this situation... no way!
"Sacrifice yourself, Viskum!"
"-Bwoooooo!"
"W-what?!"
"Wasn't that thing already dead?!"
Just as she said.
The last Viskum, which we had assumed was already dead after forcing out every last bit of strength like a salmon after spawning, raised its massive body once more and moved.
Then it slammed that huge frame straight into the pantry's pillar.
And then—
Crack, rumble-rumble-rumble!
As its head shattered and turned to dust, the pillar it had struck also exploded into fragments and collapsed.
And then came the next roar.
"If you don't run, you'll be buried! Especially those who've already run out of stamina!"
Even without her saying it, the sound from the ceiling kept growing louder and louder.
Before long, chunks of the ceiling began raining down over our heads like stalactite bombs.
The entire pantry had started to collapse.
"Waaah! It's collapsing!"
"Those who are injured, take hands! Leave the baggage if you can! Escape comes first!"
Amid the panicking group, Aspi gave the proper orders and hurried the evacuation.
At the same time, Revis, who had been lying still, violently kicked off the ground and instantly put distance between herself and us.
No, when did she—?!
You tricked us, Sha... no, Revis!
"Your body...!"
"[Aria], go to the 59th Floor."
Whether my calculations had been wrong or not, Revis, who had somehow almost fully recovered, stopped running long enough to look at Ais and leave behind a meaningful remark.
"Things have gotten a lot more interesting. You'll be able to learn what you want to know."
"What do you mean?"
Ais asked.
But Revis gave no clear answer.
She only kept looking up at the collapsing ceiling and speaking in riddles.
"The ones on the surface want to use us. We'll use you lot as much as we can too."
And what was that supposed to mean?
...Though asking that would be pointless to someone who clearly had no intention of answering seriously.
"Hey, Sword Princess!"
"Ais, hurry!"
Perhaps Ais understood that too, because she abandoned her lingering attachment and turned away.
As for me, I instead took one step closer to the retreating Revis.
"Big bro! Magus big bro, hurry too!"
Kikus called out to me in a panic.
I smiled lightly and told him I was fine, then took one more step toward her.
Only then did Revis notice my presence and look over.
"You're not leaving?"
"I am. But before that, there's something I want to ask. Would you listen?"
Before she could answer, I pulled the story in my head out into the open and told it to her.
Well, it wasn't anything that grand.
It was basically just a personal delusion of mine, a deduction.
Not only the information I'd gained here, but also several questions I'd had about this world from before, all tangled together and pieced into a theory.
It was the kind of delusional nonsense anyone would snort at if they heard it.
At first, she had clearly intended to brush it off and ignore it.
"You...!"
But as she listened to my story continue, her face gradually stiffened, and before long she was glaring at me with a murderous scowl.
Hm. So I was pretty close to the answer after all.
"That reaction. I see, so that was it after all. There are still plenty of missing puzzle pieces, but I've satisfied my curiosity for now."
"What exactly do you intend to do with that knowledge? Just like us and those guys, your purpose is especially impossible to read."
What are you after?
Revis glared at me warily.
But the only thing I could say in response was this.
"Why, nothing at all. I don't really want anything."
"You don't want anything? What a ridiculous thing to say."
"It's true. At least in this world, I don't. Because what I want is..."
And then, for the first time in this world, I revealed my true feelings to someone else.
Honestly, even later on I still wasn't sure why I did it.
My best guess was... maybe just for fun?
Or maybe I simply wanted to see that expression on her face.
After all, her face, which had seemed like nothing more than a well-made doll's, had become so human.
"You're insane. I thought I already knew, but that was nothing. You're far crazier than that Enyo bastard. Worse than the gods."
"I don't know who this Enyo person is, but I'll take that as a compliment. Though the last part might actually hurt, even for me."
Boom!
At that moment, a huge chunk of debris fell between us, blocking our view of each other.
Well, it was a little disappointing, but I supposed it was time to end this little exchange.
Kikus was screaming my name from the entrance like a madman, after all.
"Biiiig broooother! No moreeee!"
"Oh dear, they're calling for me with such passion. Then I'll excuse myself. Next time, I'll be expecting a bikini armor."
"Get lost already, you lunatic."
"Hahahahaha!"
And that was that.
We each went our separate ways.
Thus, the quest that had begun with an investigation into a monster outbreak came to an end.
And we all returned to the surface "safely."
"Not safely, not safely at all."
"My, my. Is our little Pallum still sulking? Your heart is as narrow as your tiny height, isn't it?"
"You psycho Magus! Are you picking a fight right now?!"
"That's you, not me. And it's a plain fact."
"You—gh! Uuugh..."
"Hahaha! Please stay still. The side effects still haven't worn off yet."
Before we had fully returned to the surface, the entire Hermes Familia suddenly collapsed to the ground the moment we arrived in Rivira.
The cause was the potion I had made and had them drink.
As I'd already explained, the potion's side effects had multiplied their fatigue several times over, and while they lay there, alternating fever and chills made their condition even worse.
Of course, they held out longer than anyone had expected, but the symptoms had already started showing before we even entered the village, so it had been a little dangerous.
Honestly, if it hadn't been for Loki Familia's support, we would all have ended up monster food on the way here because of the potion's side effects.
And we were able to borrow these private rooms thanks to them too.
We should definitely be grateful for that.
Even if this whole mess had been caused by the potion I gave them.
Still, the effect itself was incredible, wasn't it?
"I'll admit that. Not only does it heal wounds, it restores fatigue in an instant, and on top of that it randomly boosts some stats by a small amount for a short time. As a mage, I'm honestly curious what exactly you made, and how."
"That's an industry secret, of course. It's still a failure with plenty of room for improvement, like this time, so I'm embarrassed to show it to others. But if I had to give it a name, it'd be 'Märchen Meines Lebens'—a story for you. For short, maybe 'Memare Potion.'"
"What kind of bizarre naming is that? It has nothing to do with a potion at all."
"Well, that's how it is here. Heh heh heh."
"Haah. You really are impossible to understand. You're practically neck and neck with Lord Hermes."
"To be compared to that bastard? How insulting."
"What disrespect toward a god."
"Like I care. Let that bastard get hit by a Haejippo or whatever."
Aspi stared at me, completely unable to understand what I meant.
Then she gave up and changed the subject.
"But why are you perfectly fine? I'm this exhausted too. You drank the same potion, didn't you?"
"Of course I'm fine. I've built up resistance and everything. How many bottles do you think I drank as test runs? Though thanks to that, the medicine's effect on my body got cut in half too."
"Haah, I shouldn't have asked."
In the end, she clutched her head and suffered.
Apparently I was some evil unknown virus threatening the peace of her common sense.
At this rate, she might end up with chronic headaches and have to keep medicine on hand all the time.
...A worn-down intellectual beauty with dark circles under her eyes.
That's a painting I could absolutely get behind!
"I have one more question."
"What is it? We've both been through hell together, so I'll answer as a special bloodletting service."
"Yes, then I'll gratefully accept. First, the thing I'm most curious about: where did you learn that incomprehensible magecraft knowledge of yours?"
"Pass."
"An immediate answer, just as expected. Then I'll quietly give up on that. Next, what's your relationship with Lord Hermes?"
"One who has to repay a debt, and one who has to collect it."
"...That damned god, what exactly has he been doing out there?"
"That, uh... pass."
If anyone other than the parties involved found out about this, I'd be socially ruined.
So it was a man's secret that had to be hidden absolutely, definitely, and under no circumstances revealed.
Fortunately, Aspi didn't seem all that curious about it, because she kept moving on to the next question.
Well, I'd passed on most of the sensitive ones anyway.
"Haaah, I didn't get much out of that. And here I thought this special bloodletting service would be worth something."
"Still, we did at least learn each other's place of residence. My shop is a hidden gem that only people in the know would find, so just learning that was a gain. If you ever need anything later, or have a request, or get bored, come by anytime. I can't promise the shop door will be open then, though."
"That really was completely meaningless."
"Should I make magic tools for the members too? I'll give you a discount. About five percent."
"No thanks. After seeing how wrecked you were back then, I never want that."
"No, I'm actually pretty good with other people..."
"Believe what's worth believing. Besides, why are we even doing this here?"
"The world is so unfair. A world where goodwill isn't repaid with goodwill."
I let out a sigh.
After that, the two of us exchanged a few more riddles, and only after some more time had passed did we finally wrap things up.
"Then, one last personal question."
"Sure. I should probably go deal with Bors's request soon anyway."
Then Aspi hesitated for a moment.
Before long, as if she had made up her mind, she looked at me with a serious expression and said,
Hah! Wait, could it be...?
"You said it back then. That the original effect you wanted from that paralysis-anesthetic was simply to take away the target's motor function."
...Nope, damn it.
I forced down my disappointment and answered her.
"Right. That's what I said. So?"
"I just wondered if there was really any need for that. In the end, the purpose of making that drug was to neutralize the target, wasn't it? It already produces enough of a similar effect, so I was curious why you'd call it a failure."
"Ah, that?"
But the question she'd saved for last wasn't anything that grand.
So I answered her with a relaxed, honest reason.
"Because if I did that, they wouldn't be able to feel the 'pain.'"
"What...!"
In an instant, her expression hardened.
At her intense reaction, I quickly shook my head and cleared up her misunderstanding.
No, what kind of filthy thoughts was this girl having right now?
"Whoa, hold on. Don't go making weird assumptions. I only meant to make it that way out of necessity."
"Necessity? For something like that? For what, exactly?"
At her question, I said with a matter-of-fact expression,
No, this was actually very obvious.
What possible problem could there be here?
"Well, if you paralyze and anesthetize even the pain, then you can't see the sample's vivid 'reaction,' can you? If that's the case, then there's no point in restraining its movements. It's not like I'm just going to turn it into a stuffed specimen."
"Uh..."
"That's all. There's nothing weird or perverted about it. Don't misunderstand me. I'm a romantic man, recognized by myself and others alike."
That was that.
I answered honestly, and as she had already declared earlier, she asked me no further questions.
After that, I left her hospital room at her order to get out because she was tired, and the two of us parted ways. Somehow, though, the feeling left behind was strangely sticky and unpleasant.
What was this weirdly nagging sense, like something kept tickling the back of my head?
Why did it feel like I was some middle schooler who'd been caught watching porn as a kid?
"Did I say something wrong?"
Her expression had stayed stiff all the way until we parted at the end.
And why, of all things, did [Caster] suddenly come to mind when I looked at her?
"That's really strange."
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After thinking it over for a moment, I quickly shook off that unpleasant feeling and started walking.
First things first: I needed to handle Bors's request.
After that, I'd rest too.
Haaah, I'm tired~
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