Fated to Be Loved by Villains

Chapter 302: Astrid (2)

I had a lot to ask and to argue about.

But the first thing I had to ask was…

“…How did you end up like this?”

I asked in a trembling voice.

The fact that a human was living in this kind of state was ridiculous. At the very least, I needed to know the details.

“Did those punks do this to you?”

The first people that came to mind, the most likely fuckers among the ones who I knew were capable of doing such insane thing was the people of the Magic Tower themselves.

-No. I did this to myself.

Hearing her answer, it seemed like my guess was correct.

“…”

Hearing her answer, my expression went blank.

What the fuck…?

Why would you even do something like this to your own body?

-Because I would’ve died if I didn’t do this.

Before I could even express my question out loud, she generously gave me the answer through the speech synthesizer.

-My body, or rather, the ‘human Astrid’s life had ended a long time ago. I, too, would’ve been dead a long time ago if I didn’t forcefully extend my consciousness in such a way.

“…”

-What I’m saying is, hm…

She continued with an awkward tone.

-While yes, the people of the Magic Tower are trashy, but they aren’t completely at fault for this. In the first place, I was the one who created the reason that got me into this situation. 𝐑ÅNO͍ᛒĚs

“…And what the hell is that reason?”

-It’s a secret ♥

“…”

This woman—

I glared at the talking brain before my eyes, looking exhausted.

How could she be joking around in this situation?

However, Astrid ignored my reaction and just continued.

-In any case, I think this revelation has answered your questions to some extent.

“Which ones?”

-Why hadn’t I shown up until now? Why doesn’t Armin know anything?

“…”

-…I’m sorry, but honestly, I didn’t want to show you myself in this state.

Hearing her saying that with a bitter tone, I held back all the words I wanted to say.

All sorts of things went through my mind.

I’ve said this before, but I genuinely thought that this so-called mother of mine was an extremely shameless person. Because I knew how much my father missed her for all these years, and yet she suddenly popped out in front of me as if nothing had happened.

However…

“…”

If she was in this state…

I let out a sigh.

“…So you’re saying you can’t tell me the reason you became like this?”

-For now.

She answered me firmly.

-But I’ll promise you one thing; Once the matter with the Magic Tower is settled, I’ll tell you everything.

“…”

Hearing that, I silently swept my hair.

Fine, we could set that aside for now.

I could try to dig into it as much as I wanted, but it was clear that she wouldn’t tell me even if I were to try.

Besides, there was something else that I needed to talk about first.

“…First, let me ask one thing.”

Just now…

She said that she ‘couldn’t tell me’ the reason why she became like this, but before that, she said that it wasn’t the Magic Tower’s ‘complete’ fault that she had become like this.

In other words…

“Earlier, you said that it wasn’t the Magic Tower’s ‘complete’ fault that you’ve become like this, right?”

-Yes?

“Does that mean they have a hand for your current state, even if it’s just a little?”

-Originally, the plan was to move only my important organs into a newly created artificial body. But there’s someone who’s blocking the process. The punk said he’ll keep me in this state until I listen to what he wants.

“-Who?”

-You met him a while ago. Professor Mobius.

Back in that meeting hall…

The punk who told me to pour out my Demonic Aura on Marquis Bogut to obtain data.

“…What’s his reason for doing that?”

-…

“Surely there’s a reason why he’s doing that. There’s no way he’d just neglect a human being in this kind of state.”

To that, she only gave me a bitter silence.

As if it was too bitter of a fact for her to say. So, Alpha, who had been standing still beside me with his arms folded, answered in her stead.

“It’s because he considers you and your family as his research subjects.”

“…What?”

“Mobius has a great deal of interest in the Devils and people related to them, but Professor Astrid opposes him strongly. Think of this as his punishment for her since she isn’t being cooperative in that matter.”

“…”

I could feel the corners of my eyes trembling.

My head went blank at the fact that such a scum existed.

Punishment?

This is what this is all about? He’s doing such a thing to a person for such a meager thing?

On top of all of that, he’s also taking my family hostage?

“…That bastard needs to be beaten to death.”

I muttered those words with clenched teeth.

The disgust on the same level as when I met Count Nicholas was surging up inside me.

This was the second time I’ve met a monster I couldn’t see as a human being. It truly wasn’t a sensation that I could get used to.

“Although I agree with that…”

After taking a glance at me, Alpha quietly agreed with my words.

“It wouldn’t be a good idea to take action now.”

I looked at Alpha with narrowed eyes, asking him to elaborate.

“As I’ve said earlier, all of these devices that are keeping Professor Astrid alive are under Mobius’ control. He would immediately use this to threaten you if you act rashly.”

“…You’re right.”

The things that he wanted were the things that were related to me.

I was probably still ‘useful’ in his eyes, hence why he was keeping Astrid alive for now.

If I were to try to kill him in earnest, he’d just turn off the devices that were keeping her alive without hesitation.

“So, to prevent that from happening, you’d need to work on ‘foundation’ while walking on a tightrope. Taking away the chokehold he currently has in the Magic Tower, little by little.”

“Please elaborate.”

“Though Professor Mobius has the highest status among the Magic Tower’s great scholars, he’s just substituting for the role of the ‘tower’s owner’.”

“…Substituting?”

From his words, it was as if there was a real owner of the tower, and Mobious was someone who shouldn’t have been in his current position, a pretender.

“Yes. In fact, the whereabouts of the previous owner of Magic Tower is unknown. Professor Mobius was his student, but… ever since the owner of the tower went missing, he began to completely seize the Magic Tower like a fish in water.”

Alpha added.

Although the Magic Tower had always deviated from the norms, the level of their research at most only barely walked on a tightrope of human’s morality. But, the moment the owner went missing, it went more and more out of control.

-The Magic Tower is corrupt. It’s tainted by evil.

This was probably what he was trying to say when he said those words to me before.

“Unfortunately, all the doctors and professors in the Magic Tower are not right in the heads, so they have nothing to complain about the current system.”

“…”

The reason Mobius could wield such a mighty influence on Astrid—as if he was holding her leash—was solely because of the other professors’ silence, as they were satisfied with the current system.

What Alpha was trying to tell me here was that I’d needed to shake off that base first.

“Only after you shave off his support base little by little like that…”

He smirked while putting up his index finger.

“Could you, in a single fell swoop…”

Blow up the condensed support with a blow…

“Slam the bastard into the depths of hell.”

“…”

“That plan fits you better, no?”

While listening to him, I organized my boiling thoughts while taking a deep breath.

Right, I needed to be patient and solve this problem slowly.

Someone was held hostage right now, unlike before. It would be better to start off small.

But…

Once the time finally came…

I’d drive that Mobius bastard into an amusing state.

By my own hands.

Until I was satisfied.

“…By the way, how am I supposed to shake the aforementioned support base?”

When I asked so, Alpha shifted his gaze towards the life-support device where Astrid’s organs were stored.

At that moment, the two eyeballs inside the device rolled to meet Alpha’s eyes.

It was such a very grotesque sight, but I could tell that these two were looking at each other awkwardly. As if they were unsure of what to say.

-…That’s an answer we haven’t come up with.

“…Huh?”

-You see, all the doctors and professors in the Magic Tower are not right in the head, so we can’t come up with a good strategy to go up against them…

“…Are you for real…?”

“…”

These guys are so hopeless.

Fortunately, they seemed to have something in mind, as Alpha made a remark while scratching his chin.

“But there’s a card you can use for sure.”

“A card?”

“While it’s only limited to fights, you have a chance to face every researcher of the Magic Tower.”

Alpha continued.

“Since you’re the most important person related to the Devils, all the researchers would eagerly try to communicate with you. In other words, you’d have more than enough opportunity to ‘interact’ with them.”

“Are you telling me that I’d need to persuade them or whatever while doing so?”

“Yes. I believe you can make it happen.”

“…Wait.”

There was something strange in his words, so I stopped him.

I didn’t know why, but for some reason, this punk was extremely confident that I’d succeed in persuading these researchers.

What made him so sure?

“Well, it’s simple.”

Alpha replied in a firm voice.

“Half of the researchers are female.”

“…”

“They’re crazy. They do bad things without hesitation. And they’re women. Handling those kinds of people is your expertise, no?”

“…”

What kind of person do you guys think I am?!

-I believe in you! You can do it!

You too, shut the fuck up!

●

Alpha mentioned it to me a while ago.

Astrid’s research building—which was filled with all kinds of twisted lifeforms—wasn’t that horrible compared to the others’.

Also…

Both Alpha and Astrid had recommended a certain doctor for me to persuade first in regard to our task of destroying the Magic Tower. Doctor Borris Laitman.

Since she was the person they recommended first, I thought that whatever I’d need to face up against would be on the lowest possible difficulty.

“…”

And they were probably right.

She was indeed the one with the lowest level of difficulty.

But—

“You’re telling me to fight against that?”

“Y-Yes, please! W-We can talk after that.”

Hearing my question, she stammered from the operator seat at the very top of the colosseum where I was now.

Though she looked clearly embarrassed, she still expressed her wish frankly; she wanted me to fight the thing in front of my eyes before I could have a proper talk with her.

Alright.

I understand that so far, but…

“…”

When I turned my head around, what greeted me was…

———————!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A ‘huge mech dinosaur’, with a laser coming out of its mouth.

“I-It’s cool, right?! It’s my number one masterpiece! As expected, no one can resist the charm of a dinosaur—-!”

“…”

“Mecha-Giganotosaurus with super advanced specs—a laser battery that could disintegrate its target to the quantum level, a giant axe that it could wield in its mouth and swing around, and a jetpack—!”

Man…

The Magic Tower really isn’t an easy neighborhood to pass by, /genesisforsaken