Chapter 340 ·The Villain’s POV in the Academy
Chapter 340: The Villain’s POV in the Academy
“N-No……! Absolutely not……!”
Miyu shouted in an agitated voice.
It was quite rare for her to express such firm refusal toward someone.
Recently, she had become fairly good at speaking her mind clearly to Aaron and her companions, but that was only when the other person was someone familiar to her.
And the person she was facing right now was none other than Kalia Stingray.
She was the eldest daughter of the Stingray family, and now, the princess attempting to rebuild the fallen empire.
She had been born extraordinary and raised in a life incomparable to anyone else’s.
She was someone shaped by the accumulation of such extraordinary experiences. The eldest son, Aaron, was the same, but Kalia likewise possessed something that overwhelmed those around her merely by standing still.
Her charisma was enough to casually overwhelm ordinary people, so there was no way Miyu, whose interpersonal skills had only just begun reaching the level of ‘normal’, could remain unaffected in front of her.
In fact, Miyu’s hands trembled merely from making eye contact with Kalia.
Had it not been for her long association with Aaron, she might have become utterly terrified and scurried off somewhere to hide like a sewer rat.
Even so, Miyu was mustering her courage. The extreme stress made it feel as though the organs inside her stomach were twisting, but she refused to give up and spoke to Kalia until the very end.
“N-No means no……!”
“Hmm…… that’s a little troublesome.”
Kalia gave an awkward smile.
When she subtly glanced to the side, Airi Aliceval was glaring at her. Her eyes seemed to be threatening, “Go ahead and say whatever you want for now. If you say anything strange, you’re dead.”
And it wasn’t only Airi.
For some reason, the Special Class students Aaron had looked after were currently surrounding Kalia and staring at her warily.
If Maria had not been standing behind Kalia as though taking her side, they looked ready to swarm her at any moment.
‘What is this supposed to be? They’re treating me like some unparalleled villain…….’
Of course, it was true that she and Aaron had not exactly been on good terms. It was also true that only a few months ago, they had been engaged in a fierce competition over the chairmanship.
But she had her own circumstances back then, so it had been unavoidable. Had it not been for the late Chairman Drake Stingray, whose whereabouts were now unknown, they probably would never have competed so bitterly.
And before that happened, she had actually been fairly close with Aaron in her own way. At the very least, she could confidently say she had been much closer to him than the second son, Benedict.
So she had nothing to feel intimidated about.
Kalia, whose resolve had nearly weakened for a moment, spoke again.
“Right now, we’re at a critical juncture that will determine whether the Stingray Group can rise again or not. If Elder Brother Aaron doesn’t step forward for this matter, we may never get another opportunity.”
“E-Even so, no! I already told you! The reason Mr. Aaron’s condition has remained stable without worsening is because we’ve minimized his Module usage! If he uses high-level Mystery Modules like [Cloud Spider] or [Tech Blade], there’s a risk that the stable condition we’ve maintained until now could collapse all at once!”
“By saying ‘there’s a risk’, doesn’t that mean there’s also a possibility it won’t worsen?”
“What I just told you……!”
“I heard you. And I’m absolutely not ignoring it either. But…… you said your name was ‘Miyu’, correct? There have been all sorts of famous stories about you, Student Miyu, to the point that rumors about you once spread throughout our Technology Division. I acknowledge your abilities that much. That’s why I came to consult you first.”
“B-But……!”
Just as Miyu struggled to argue back.
Silence interrupted.
“[How is this a consultation?]”
“……And you are?”
“[Silence.]”
After briefly introducing himself, he stepped forward and spoke.
“[You say you came to consult her, but even after she says ‘no’, you have no intention of listening whatsoever. Didn’t you hear her? Your brother’s in bad condition right now, so she said he can’t be pushed too hard. Yet you just keep insisting…… When you decide on the conclusion beforehand and demand the answer you want, that’s called asking a loaded question.]”
“I had no such intention whatsoever. I merely had a small question regarding that ‘possibility’. Didn’t Student Miyu herself say earlier that Elder Brother’s current Replacement Rate of 95% is essentially unprecedented?”
“T-To be precise, it’s 96.38%.”
“Yes. In any case, I understand that it’s an extraordinarily high figure. I may not know much about technology, but even I find it remarkable that he still hasn’t completely lost his sense of self in that condition. But from what I’ve heard, Elder Brother is still maintaining a fairly stable condition, isn’t he?”
That was not the case ordinarily.
For most people, the loss of personality accelerated until, after roughly four months, they completely lost every human aspect of themselves.
Yet for some reason, Aaron continued to maintain a stable condition even though his human emotional responses had grown faint.
Considering that it had already been five months since he became Overadapted, it was remarkable.
“That’s why I’m asking, just in case. Elder Brother Aaron has always been an exceptionally ‘special’ person, hasn’t he? So perhaps he might be an exceptional case. That’s what I mean.”
“Th-That’s…….”
“And Elder Brother Aaron was born with a body designed for ‘combat’ in the first place. In a way, you could say ‘fighting’ itself was the purpose for which he was born. So my amateur speculation is that perhaps allowing him to experience the battlefield once again might actually help improve his condition…… As an expert, what do you think? Isn’t there at least a possibility?”
“…….”
Miyu seemed to contemplate it briefly, but then firmly shook her head and shouted.
“N-No……! I can say that much with certainty! Using Modules in his current condition can only have a negative effect, if anything. It absolutely cannot make him better!”
“That’s truly…… unfortunate.”
Kalia’s expression twisted as though she were genuinely troubled.
Of course, it probably wasn’t because she sincerely cherished Aaron himself.
Rather, given her position, she simply had no choice but to genuinely worry about Aaron’s health.
Kalia and the Special Class members.
What the two sides wanted was completely opposite.
Kalia’s position was that reviving the Stingray Group would ultimately benefit Aaron as well, even if it meant pushing him somewhat hard for a while. Meanwhile, the Special Class side, led by Miyu, insisted that they absolutely could not borrow Aaron’s power until he had completely recovered.
At first glance, it might sound as though Kalia was acting purely out of selfish desire, but it was nevertheless true that signs of a Monster Wave were currently appearing.
And if they failed to stop it, the city that had only just begun regaining stability would once again be placed in danger.
Airi understood that point, so she could not readily take either side.
She looked toward Maria as though seeking advice, but Maria likewise seemed unable to make an easy decision.
She probably had even more to consider since she knew the current circumstances of the Stingray Corporation well.
“…….”
But they couldn’t simply continue watching the argument forever.
In the end, Airi finished deliberating and spoke.
“Ms. Kalia.”
“……Do you have something to say?”
“Why don’t you be honest? You’re doing this because you don’t particularly care even if the Chairman completely loses his personality, right?”
“No. Not at all. Of course not.”
Kalia made an expression suggesting that was absolutely not the case. Her control over her expression was so skillful that even Airi, whose intuition was exceptional, found herself somewhat uncertain.
Nevertheless, she calmly continued.
“From your perspective, wouldn’t you actually feel safer if the Chairman became a complete Cyborg? Ultimately, what you need is the Chairman’s physical strength, and if his personality remains, he’d be difficult to control in all sorts of ways.”
“I don’t know why you would say something like that.”
“But think about it. If this causes the Chairman’s symptoms to completely deteriorate and his personality disappears, can you guarantee that you’ll be able to control him then?”
“…….”
“What if, instead of quietly staying at home like he is now, he starts rampaging? What if he starts indiscriminately wielding the power that brought down the Sky Dragon according to that ‘purpose of his birth’ you mentioned?”
At Airi’s observation, Kalia fell completely silent.
Judging by how pale her complexion had become, it seemed she had never considered that possibility.
“You understand, right? So until the Chairman’s condition improves, I think leaving him alone would be better for your side too.”
“……It isn’t that simple. We still haven’t found any solution whatsoever to the Monster Wave.”
“I’ll handle that.”
Airi answered immediately.
Everyone present turned toward her in shock. Airi hurriedly added an explanation, almost as though making an excuse.
“W-We don’t have a choice, do we? As long as the Chairman is in that condition, someone has to do it.”
“I understand how you feel, but Ms. Dailia. You’re still only a student, aren’t you? Rather than hiring all of you, we’d be better off finding some capable mercenaries-.”
“I was the one closest to the scene when the Chairman fought the Sky Dragon. Of course, I’m nowhere near the Chairman’s level…… but if you provide enough Modules and equipment, I can somehow manage.”
“Airi…….”
Maria looked at her worriedly, but Airi shook her head as though assuring her that there was no need to worry.
And then Silence spoke next.
“[I’m doing it too.]”
“S-Senior?”
“[If my junior is stepping up, I can’t exactly sit around doing nothing as her senior. In the end, what you need is power you can use immediately, right? My Overall Module Level is fairly high too, so I should be useful.]”
“This humble monk shall join as well.”
“Th-Then I will too.”
After Silence, Dharma Protector and Reina each expressed their intention to participate.
Maria and Miyu looked flustered and were about to say something, but Kalia beat them to it.
“……Fine. I’ll trust you.”
“Young Lady Kalia……?”
“Don’t worry, Maria. I’m confident in my eye for people.”
Then she continued.
“For now, I’ll share the data from our Technology Division’s Module Research Institute along with the spare Modules. There should also be some equipment left from the Security Division. Maria, that’s fine, right?”
“……I’ll have it done by tomorrow.”
“Good. You’re free to use them however you like, but naturally, leaking anything outside is prohibited. Apply the data to create new Modules, or, well…… I don’t know much about that field, so figure it out yourselves. All I care about is that you bring me results.”
Everyone hesitated at Kalia’s ready agreement.
Airi cautiously asked on their behalf.
“What exactly do you mean by results……?”
“According to the data we received from the Defense Forces, [Mysteries] have begun gathering at several locations outside the city. Deal with them before they develop into a Monster Wave. You all know that’s the most realistic approach.”
Airi nodded.
“……Understood. We’ll do that.”
“You’re accepting rather obediently.”
“Because there’s no other way.”
“Heh.”
Kalia let out a small laugh.
“As you already know, once those clusters seriously begin developing into a Monster Wave, even I won’t have a choice. Elder Brother’s health or otherwise, if we don’t borrow his power then, we’ll have to start worrying about the extinction of humanity. So please show me results before that happens. Understood?”
“Yes.”
And with that, the conversation ended.
Kalia was apparently as busy as ever, because the moment the discussion concluded, she hurriedly dragged Maria away somewhere else.
The other members remaining in Miyu’s workshop looked at one another and nodded as though reaffirming their resolve.
Yeah, somehow, they would make it work.
Preparations proceeded quickly afterward.
After receiving the Stingray Technology Division’s database and materials, Miyu began producing Modules with them, while the remaining Special Class members began devising a concrete operation.
The broad framework of their strategy was to attack the locations most likely to develop into Monster Waves first, and they began drawing up detailed plans by referring to advice from nearby experts and external data.
Then, on the day before their first operation began.
Airi visited Aaron’s house as usual.
“……I know too. That woman Kalia is only using us because we’re free. Handing over data and equipment they can’t use right now doesn’t really cost them anything, and if we produce results with them, the return on investment will be enormous.”
“I see…….”
“She’s probably made plans of her own in case we fail. If nothing else works in the end, she can just rely on you.”
“…….”
“Chairman.”
“…….”
“Aaron.”
“…….”
Airi continued speaking to Aaron while facing him, but he did not answer.
It had started about a week ago.
His condition, which had seemed stable, gradually began deteriorating, and now, no matter what anyone said to him, he merely responded expressionlessly with brief answers such as ‘I see’, or ‘Indeed’.
It was proof that Ciel’s efforts still had not produced any meaningful results.
Even so.
Airi continued speaking to him.
Because Miyu had advised her that doing so might help him, even if only a little.
“If we fail, Kalia…… no, not just her. Everyone in this city will probably start looking for you. They won’t care what condition you’re in. They’ll inject you with drugs, manipulate your brainwaves, whatever it takes, and send you onto the battlefield.”
“……I see.”
“So…….”
Airi barely swallowed down whatever was welling up inside her and continued.
“This time, we’ll somehow handle it ourselves.”
“…….”
“Until now, you’ve been fighting hard all by yourself. So until you’ve rested enough and returned to normal, we’ll fill the gap for you.”
After saying that, Airi wiped away the tears streaming down her face once, then rose from her seat.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“…….”
“Wish me luck.”
“Yeah…….”
She couldn’t tell whether he had truly understood her and answered, or whether it had simply been a reflexive response.
But even that made Airi feel slightly comforted.
And so Airi gathered her equipment, turned around, and left.
Just as silence began filling the mansion’s living room.
“……Be careful.”
That quiet murmur that spread through the empty air.
Was heard by no one.