I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed

45 – 7. Second Piece (4)

Professor Kilian’s research lab was located in the gloomy 48th floor F section.

Even during midday, it was incredibly dim and the air was filled with a nauseating odor. Occasionally, there would be a sound that came from the stone walls, resembling a crow choking.

It was a corridor that perfectly suited Professor Kilian.

Gloomy, oppressive, and arrogant.

These three words perfectly summarized Professor Kilian’s personality.

He was disrespectful not only towards his students but also towards his fellow professors, and he did not enjoy socializing with people. Rumors of his ominous activities were just an added bonus.

Like using orphans for experiments or having contact with cult members.

According to his mother, he wasn’t always like that from the beginning. Originally, he had a cheerful personality, but he changed after his daughter’s death.

“He’s a broken person,” his mother would comment.

Upon hearing those words, I felt sympathy for him.

However, at the same time, I also thought he was pitiful.

A mage is supposed to always look ahead and walk forward, yet he was captivated by a past tragedy.

I thought that he was a weak person.

But even so, it’s not like his deceased daughter could come back to life.

Anyway.

Lost in such thoughts, I was able to arrive in front of the research lab. It was the most secluded place even in this gloomy location.

“Phew…”

I adjusted my appearance for no reason and reached out towards the door.

However, my hand didn’t touch the door.

“Are you playing a prank on me right now?”

An angry voice, reflexively I pulled back my hand. Then, the shout echoed throughout the area.

“Are you trying to play a prank on me right now?!”

A rough and fierce voice, I knew it was Professor Kilian’s voice. It seemed like he was berating his assistant as usual.

Feeling regretful, I turned around without causing unnecessary trouble.

Not getting involved in unnecessary matters is also a form of wisdom. Let’s just leave the book in his room.

That’s how I thought as I took a step away.

“Why are you acting like this again? Didn’t I give you what you wanted?”

Rem’s voice, unknowingly my feet stopped moving. I turned my gaze back towards the door.

“What I wanted was the original! You damn orphan!”

“Whether it’s the original or a copy, as long as the content is the same, it’s fine.”

It was the first time I heard Rem’s cold voice. At the same time, it was also the coldest voice I had ever heard.

Even though those words were not directed at me, I felt my heart freezing.

However, Professor Kilian was clearly a different species than me. He shouted even more harshly in response to that voice.

“This is a violation of the agreement!”

Then, Rem stopped being respectful altogether. Thorny words poured out.

“The one who violated the agreement is you. I said all you had to do was stay here for a month. But it’s been already two months, hasn’t it? When the hell do you plan on sending me away?”

Thunk, it felt like that sound resounded in my chest.

Rem is leaving Martap?

No, he came here with plans to leave from the beginning?

Emotions and thoughts tangled in my head. I tried to organize my thoughts, but all I got in return was a headache.

Why on earth?

No, how can I stop it?

How can I keep him here?

“Your little Shidabari-jutsu has already been failing for the past three years. It’s about time…!”

“Wait a minute.”

Suddenly, Kilian’s voice became low.

“Someone is listening.”

“…!!”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I immediately tried to turn around.

However, the door opened faster.

“…!”

A strong hand grabbed my wrist.

“You.”

A skull-like face and bloodshot eyes filled my vision.

“How much did you hear?”

A voice devoid of reason, instinctively I tasted lies on my lips.

“I didn’t hear anything…”

“Lies.”

Crack-

From the hand he grasped, a sharp pain surged. Naturally, his vision blurred, and a trembling voice flowed.

“Ah, it hurts…!”

However, Professor Kilian didn’t blink. Baring his teeth, he spoke in a low voice.

“If you don’t tell the truth right now, I’ll break this slender wrist…”

“Kilian!”

A cry and liberation came simultaneously.

When he regained consciousness, Rem was already standing between me and Kilian, glaring at him.

“What on earth are you doing right now? Have you finally gone mad?”

Kilian’s face contorted as his mouth opened. However, Rem didn’t give him a chance to speak.

“Do you know who this is?”

Doubt filled Kilian’s eyes as he scanned me up and down. Then, abruptly, his face twisted.

“Parsley, the devil’s daughter, has quite a dirty hobby. Eavesdropping, I see.”

A rebuttal instinctively burst out.

“I-I didn’t mean to! I really didn’t hear anything!”

The sound of his tongue clicking echoed through his dry lips. However, he didn’t interrogate me further.

Instead, he stared intensely at Rem. In response, Rem, too, turned his head towards Kilian with furrowed brows.

The flow of magic was disturbed,

I noticed that they were communicating through some kind of magic.

Unable to find a common ground, the magic passing between them became increasingly turbulent.

However, it didn’t last long.

Kilian gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and then said,

“I hope such a thing never happens again.”

Abruptly leaving these words, he slammed the door shut.

…

Stunned, I blinked my eyes, looking at the closed door. Everything had happened so quickly that I couldn’t even muster anger.

It felt like being knocked to the ground by a magically induced gust.

What on earth…

“Come with me.”

Turning around, I saw Rem with a tired expression. Brushing his hair back, he added,

“Let’s walk for a bit, for now.”

“Captain, what exactly did you talk about with Kilian back then?”

“…Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Just curious.”

“To be honest, I don’t remember much, except that we fought over something incredibly trivial.”

“…But you got so upset just because you overheard that?”

“He was a damn fool who never had a relationship in his life, just studied and grew old.”

“…Still, something seems off.”

“The Captain has never worked under that guy, so that’s probably why. Anyway, what happened next was…”

“Forget about it.”

That was when we passed by the 38th-floor library. In terms of time, it was about ten minutes since we started walking together.

Suddenly, Rem stopped and said to me.

Then, sitting on the windowsill with a heavy expression, he spoke.

“I’m just a bit sensitive these days. I got irritated dealing with that, so I snapped at him.”

Only then did I realize he was talking about the argument with Professor Kilian.

Whatever I overheard, it meant to forget about it, and it was a reasonable request.

The intellect of an individual is completed through respect and understanding for others. Whatever conversation they had in the lab, it was their business. Forcing it out was unethical.

However, my tongue seems reluctant to listen to me these days.

“…Are you thinking of leaving?”

For a moment, doubt flickered on Rem’s face, replaced by a sense of loss. A murmured questioning of whether I had heard that much slipped out.

In other words, it meant he had thoughts of leaving.

…Whether he still has them now.

“Why?”

Once again, my tongue betrays me. It speaks with a pitiful tone without seeking my consent.

It’s perplexing, and I unconsciously lowered my head.

Why am I behaving like this?

Leaving the tower is his perfect freedom.

And in a way, it might be a good thing for me.

Because the person who could threaten my position is disappearing.

But I didn’t like it.

I hope he stays here.

I want him to come to me first and greet me.

I want him to show me a nasty smile and act unlucky.

So, I…

“Don’t leave.”

It was inevitable that my head would snap up. Lemma’s expression in my field of vision was full of roughness.

“I was planning to leave after a month, but now I’ve changed my mind.”

And he added, looking at me with an annoyed look.

“Is that alright?”

“…Why?”

This time, rather than betrayal, it was as if my tongue had acted ahead. I looked at Lemma and asked again.

“Why did you change your mind?”

Then, Lemma suddenly clenched his forehead and avoided my gaze. He hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

And then, suddenly.

“Why did you come to Professor Kilian’s lab in the first place?”

He cowardly changed the subject.

It was an action with obvious intent, but I decided to go along with it.

I said I wouldn’t leave.

For now, that was enough.

…Maybe.

“I’m returning this.”

I cleared my mind and held out the book I had been holding in my hand to Lemma.

There was a moment of disdain on Lemma’s face.

“After spending two months getting to know you, do I still have to explain to you that I’m blind?”

“Ah.”

…Honestly, this wasn’t solely my mistake. After all, I am a genius of this century. It’s not like I make such mistakes often, right?

This was all because Lemma, who was blind, was too free-spirited.

He freely roamed between the dense bookshelves in the library without bumping into anything, and he immediately recognized who the other person was when they approached.

However, how could anyone consider him blind?

Of course, if I were to refute it, he would respond like this.

[A large object like a bookshelf estimates its position using telekinesis. Knowing who the other person is is like recognizing their mana. Small objects like paper, if not specially treated, are not even known to exist.]

…It was a very unfortunate way of speaking.

Therefore, I didn’t voice my dissatisfaction. Instead, I began to explain the book I held in my hand.

“It’s a completely ruined book, about 300 pages thick. The title is erased, so it can’t be read, but judging by the content, it seems to be a romance novel. On the back, written in four different handwriting styles, ‘L gives everything to C….'”

Ray shot up from his seat.

With a pale face, he began to rummage through his belongings. It was a genuinely bewildered appearance.

At that moment, I was convinced that the book in my hand belonged to him.

“Is this yours?”

“Uh, well…”

Unusually stumbling over his words, Ray accepts the book from me. Then, with his rough wrist, he delicately sweeps the book.

A gesture soaked with deep emotions.

Chimi, seemingly struggling to digest the emotions, contorts his face ever so slightly.

It was the first time I had seen this emotional side of him.

…A side that I didn’t even know existed.

A twinge in my chest, and the question I had kept suppressed surged forth.

-Who is C? Who is this person that makes you wear such an expression?

“Is it something very precious?”

I barely managed to articulate the question as I stood there.

“Is there some kind of story behind it?”

Erasing the sting in my chest, I pretended to throw the question without much thought.

As if I wasn’t really curious, as if I didn’t care.

So that he could answer nonchalantly as well.

“Thanks, I’ll definitely repay this debt. Truly.”

However, Ray only lowered his head in gratitude. He avoided answering.

As it always had been whenever stories about his past came up.

Once again, a twinge of pain echoed in my chest. It felt as if thorns of a rose vine were entwining around my heart.

Ignoring it deliberately, I turned my gaze away. Responding as if it were nothing special.

“It’s fine, why make a big deal out of this?”

However, the thorns in the tone did not disappear.