Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 150



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad, Chapter 150

Abyss (1)

Elise returned to [Room 106] and sat on the bed.

“I wanted to eat it.”

He muttered, puffing out his cheeks.

What was that delicious-smelling menu? I have almost 30,000 achievement points on my student ID, but I can’t buy it because of Raye.

I guess I’ll have to go and look for it secretly later.

To freshen up the mood, Elise took out her game console from under the bed.

My new hobby these days is [Bethundun].

She muttered as she pushed the CD into the game console.

“connection.”

Swaaa …

A sensation that envelops the body.

You will now be transferred to a completely different space from the dormitory.

Wheeeeeeee———

After the trembling vibration, I looked around with my heart pounding a little and saw that it was a room about 10 pyeong in size.

“……after.”

As he logged in, a camel sat next to him like a loaf of bread. It was Bianca, whom he had adopted two days ago.

“Hehehe.”

This child, who makes you smile as soon as you see him, can live indoors. He is so smart that he goes to the toilet well, doesn’t smell, and even showers by himself, perhaps because he is obsessive-compulsive.

“Bianca.”

Elise stroked her and called her name. Bianca yawned languidly.

“Have you been taking good care of the house?”

Bianca is chic and doesn’t answer.

Elise smiled slightly and went down to the first floor. Bianca followed her.

The first floor is a 20-pyeong office building. The entire second floor of the building is rented.

It’s a monthly rental right now, but I plan to earn more money in the future and buy it outright.

[Rep. Bianca]

[CLOSED]

Elise opened the door to the doctor’s office, intending to go for a night walk with Bianca.

“Oh, sir!”

“The congressman is here!”

But there were already many people waiting for treatment at dawn tomorrow. From a skinny old man to a mother holding a child, to a young man with an injured arm.

“… … Come in.”

Elise called them over.

It’s not clinic hours, but no matter how much money I earn, it’s never enough.

“yes!”

“Please write your name at the counter and come in.”

“All right!”

The high priest’s unique skills are many, such as [Diagnosis], [Healing Touch], and [Potion Making], but Elise rarely uses anything other than [Potion Making].

The NPCs here act like real people.

The expression ‘operation’ is a bit strange, but anyway, it means that treatment is possible with real medical knowledge.

mark

[This is Elise]

│Higher Human│Lv. 8 High Priest│

Thanks to that, I’m already at level 8. Treatments that don’t use skills give you more experience points.

“It’s just a simple fracture. I’ll put a cast and bandage on it, so don’t take it off.”

“I think you have inflammation in your lungs. I’ll give you some medicine. Take it three times a day after meals.”

“Your baby’s fever is quite high. I’ll prescribe some fever reducers and anti-inflammatory pain relievers, so lie down for a while.”

Elise completed diagnosis, treatment, and care for 20 people in an instant.

“I’ll stop here for today.”

From now on, it’s time to go out with Bianca.

polygonal- polygonal-

Elise climbed onto Bianca’s back and headed to the market.

I’m going to the night market to buy some medicinal herbs.

“Oh my, the congressman is here.”

The merchant recognized her first and welcomed her. As the only high priest in the starting village, he was somewhat of a celebrity.

“Yes. Three roots of Bellas, three rhinoceros flowers, and ten bundles of Caldon stems.”

“Okay~”

“… … But, there are a lot of people these days?”

Elise asked, looking around. The night market was bustling with people under the bright lights.

“Oh, yes. There seem to be a lot of foreigners coming in these days.”

Stranger means user.

“Huh… … .”

Elise pricked up her ears towards the group of users. It was a skill called [Five Senses].

─Hyung, have you heard that? I hear there are a lot of people trying to get into shadowing these days.

─Shadow Ring? User access is blocked there.

─I don’t think newbies know.

─Oh, right. There are a lot of newbies these days.

Elise approached them, mounted on Bianca.

“hey-?”

As I ask from above, showing off this cute pet camel, the party turns around in surprise.

“Uh. Yes. Hello. You’re riding a nice plane.”

As expected, there were envious looks.

Hehehe- Elise’s lips twitched with pleasure.

“It’s a camel.”

“Yes, I know it’s a camel.”

“It’s not an ordinary camel. Rather, aren’t there a lot of users these days?”

“Beden is pretty hot these days. There are some strange rumors going around.”

“That’s a strange rumor?”

“Yes. Don’t you know? If you break this, your wish will be granted or something?”

“……wish?”

Elise was dumbfounded.

If I had a wish, it would be to take Bianca with me to reality.

“We don’t believe it either. We came here to eat rice.”

“Ssalmung? What is Ssalmung? Is it the name of a food?”

“It’s rice food.”

“Rice cake? It looks like something similar to a hammock.”

“… … No. I sell the money I’ve saved here at Bedundan in real life. It’s pretty good, so if you work 8 hours a day for a month, you can earn 900,000 to 1,000,000 Ren.”

“Ah… … yes.”

It’s not a story I really want to hear for a long time.

“If you get hurt while you’re working, come to Congresswoman Bianca.”

“It’s rice ‘food’.”

“It starts from a minimum of one copper coin depending on the wound, but I’ll give you a one-time free coupon for minor wounds.”

“Oh, thank you. Are you a priest? What is your ID?”

“… … Don’t talk to me.”

“yes?”

At that moment, [Elise] just handed out coupons and turned around.

At the entrance to the beginner village, two white figures caught my eye.

A pair of siblings covered in pure white from head to toe, as if they were made of snow powder.

Sierlin and Sierrick.

He is the twin of the [Aventaher] family, which produced the chairman of the previous parliament.

The two, who are known to be enemies, are somehow walking side by side, and as expected.

-Get out of the way. Did you eat boiled turtle?

His younger brother, Sieric, pushed his sister, Sierrin.

-… … .

Sierin clenched her teeth and put strength into the soles of her feet, then pushed Sieric’s back away from her.

-uh!

Sieric almost fell over, but managed to catch his balance. Sierin’s mouth twisted.

-Get out of the way, you weakling.

-… … Are you crazy? You got HP, you crazy bitch.

-Get out, you retard. You’re a weirdo. You’re always being ignored by Soliet. You’re a jerk who flaps your lower body with chopsticks.

-This crazy bitch-

The two of them growled at each other viciously, as if they were grabbing each other’s hair.

-Miss. Master. There isn’t much time. You must go to the Shadow Ring quickly.

The knights of the Aventaher family appeared in a rush and stopped the two.

“… … Sieric. Sierrin.”

He is a member of the highest class in Edsilla, and is on friendly terms with Elise.

In terms of family rank, it is almost the same level as Libra and Arcne.

In particular, Sieric is the handsome boy that Elise admired as a prince when she was 6 or 7 years old… … .

anyway.

The great Aventager wouldn’t come here for nothing.

“Something… … .”

Something, it seems like there is something in this [Bethundun].

* * *

Same time.

When I returned to the dorm, I opened the door to room [107].

“──You’re late.”

There was someone inside who had arrived before me.

Akane, a woman sitting on the edge of a bed with her long legs crossed, smoking a cigarette.

We meet often these days.

“Zion Ascal.”

The voice is sinister, as if it were blackened. It is also hot due to the heat of the magical power spreading from her body.

“Did you go out without locking the door?”

I turned the doorknob for no reason.

“… … .”

Akane glared at me without saying a word.

“But why are you smoking indoors? It’s rude.”

I put my student ID on the desk. I hung my coat on the hanger.

Until then, Akane is still creating a dangerous atmosphere.

“Oh, it’s hot.”

I opened the window. I took off my socks and top. I lay down on the bed in my running clothes. I sat on the empty spot on the bed where Akane was sitting.

That seemed to be her Maginot Line.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“yes.”

“If it’s your little finger, you’re dead.”

“Hey. I’m your savior. I saved you from the brink of death.”

“Make no mistake. To me, the main body is nothing more than a doll, just a piece of paper more elaborate.”

As the saying goes, she can live even if her body dies. That’s why she is the most human and yet the least human-like monster I’ve ever seen.

“I think it would be better not to do that.”

I lay on my side and looked at Akane. Akane asked back with a faint murderous intent.

“Why?”

“Because the body is precious. Not in a magical or magical sense, but for a person to live as a human, the ‘roots’ are important. Without them, you would not be human.”

Before I returned, I received a lot of help from Akane. In the process, we developed a deep bond.

It means that she has heard a lot from herself.

“I think you know too?”

“… … What do you know?”

Akane still had eyes like a bird of prey. I said while looking at her red eyes, which were a terrible complex for her.

“You definitely need someone to ‘confirm’ you.”

As a puppeteer, the ultimate task is to embody the human body, but a puppeteer who has accomplished that feat loses himself.

Because the boundary between the main body and the doll disappears.

Therefore, the puppeteer who has reached the extreme can only confirm himself through ‘another being who distinguishes himself from the puppet.’

“… … Tsk.”

Before her regression, Akane searched for such a being her entire life but was unable to find it, and eventually she was eliminated from the category of human.

In other words──Akane became a ‘phenomenon’.

“This is ridiculous.”

Akane muttered, rubbing her eyes.

“What’s the point of checking on me when I’m about to die?”

“… … .”

A guy who’s going to die soon. The nuance of those words is clear.

“Did you know?”

She took a second cigarette out of her bosom, burning it with the remaining heat from the first.

“Like you, next year is a precarious situation for me. Maybe even starting tomorrow.”

Hoo… … He crossed his arms, exhaling acrid smoke.

“I’ll visit the farm later. I’ve already heard rumors that the food there is delicious.”

“Anytime.”

The rumor is probably thanks to Raye.

If you want to spread some word, just go up to the guy and whisper to him, ‘This is a secret,’ and that’s it.

He’s at the top of the caste, so any rumors will trickle down from top to bottom.

“Good work.”

Akane got up. I got up too.

I almost forgot.

“Oh, wait a minute. This is the tobacco I harvested today?”

He took an iron cigarette case out of his coat pocket.

For some reason, Gerken brought me some tobacco seeds, and I harvested them and rolled them up like priest cigarettes.

“……cigarette?”

Akane sniffed the pack of cigarettes I handed her. Her eyes drooped like threads. She had a pleasant expression.

She smiled languidly and put the gift in her pocket.

“Take it gratefully. I have something to give you too.”

And then he threw something.

It was a nuclear weapon.

This is no ordinary magic core. It is a S-class magic core that is almost as well-polished as a jewel, and that low-class people like me cannot obtain even with money.

“her…….”

“You said you used magic when you treated me last time. That’s the price.”

“It wasn’t this much.”

“I have big hands. That’s why I’m in debt.”

Akane was about to leave, but then stopped.

“Zion Ascal.”

He looked back at me, clutching the doorknob.

“… … The rest of your life is yours. If tomorrow is hard, that’s okay. If life is unfair, that’s okay. Don’t make plans. Laugh out loud and fly through today. Because you’re alive. Always live as if you’re alive.”

After saying those words, he went out.

thud-

Staring at the closed door, I pondered her words.

“… …What are you saying?”

* * *

[Planarium].

Administrator Akane’s office.

She is lost in thought, burning the incense Zion gave her.

“Even if it costs 1,000 ren per dog, it’s worth buying.”

Thanks to growing up in a blessed environment, the quality is top notch.

But now, more than that… … .

─You’re not a doll, are you?

Zion Ascal.

As he said, she is the main body now.

‘So far’ she can distinguish herself.

However, this too is a matter of time.

If you create a clone of yourself that is more than just a doll modeled after yourself and scatter your consciousness around, you will eventually forget whether you are the real you or a doll.

──Is this a song of praise for humanity?

At that moment, Akane was lost in thought.

A subdued voice behind her as she looked out the window.

──Congratulations, Akane. You’ve finally found an anchor that will tie you to reality.

With her voluminous curly hair like a medieval nobleman’s, pale skin and bloodshot eyes, her crown reached the ceiling, and her face was bulging with goblin-like veins, making her look inhuman to anyone.

──How pitiful, you were discovered by me.

The head of the Monster Association. He falsely claims himself to be the destroyer of the world─ [Jude Bellot].

He spoke as if he was threatening, but Akane smoked the cigarette comfortably.

“You know, when I first created myself? From then until now, I’ve been searching for exactly 7 years. Someone who would confirm who I am.”

The first human body she created was her own.

A finished product in which the distinction between nothingness and self is impossible. The moment when the soul was transplanted into it and it was raised is still vivid in Akane’s mind.

joy.

At the same time, despair.

“Zion Ascal. He was my anchor. Without him, I would never find him again. In just one year, I would forget whether I was a real person or a doll.”

A human who loses his roots ceases to be human. He becomes a simple colony, a group, or even a phenomenon like a typhoon or lightning. A phenomenon similar to a magical disaster called ‘Akane’.

“I bet it will be hard for you to handle me, who is no longer human?”

──… … .

Then Jude Bellott remained silent for a moment.

─That’s certainly true. We need an anchor too.

As if he had made his own calculations, he melted into the darkness.

“… … What a pitiful fellow.”

Akane repeated Jude’s words and asked for the third time.

Zion Ascal.

In fact, he wasn’t even a candidate. He had no discerning eye, no sense of smell, no sense of humor, and most of all, he had a limited time left.

Could it be because of the commonality of being limited in time?

Akane’s day as a human is not far off, and that guy’s day as a human is not far off.

The feelings they feel for each other are probably similar.

“Ssup… … .”

She took a sip of her cigarette.

“… … Human praise, asshole. This cigarette is praise.”

I admired her with a face that was almost at its peak.