The Regressor and the Blind Saintess - Chapter 93

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈

Chapter 93: Oriac - 2

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Crunch.

The bedrock crumbled, opening a passage.

Albrecht pulled the excavator from where it had been braced against the wall and let out a hollow laugh as he looked inside.

“We were right.”

Beyond the hole, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, was a sight anyone would recognize as a laboratory.

With Albrecht in the lead, the group members who had been clinging to the wall entered through the opening one by one.

Under four or five lamps stood cluttered tables and bookshelves, along with test tubes filled with unidentified liquids. Fortunately, there did not seem to be anyone inside.

“...Let’s begin investigating here.”

At Albrecht’s words, the group quickly scattered and began looking through the records.

“We need solid evidence that the Mage Tower Master conducted dangerous research. If we have records, we can make it public and arrest the Mage Tower Master.”

Albrecht spoke as he thoroughly searched the tables. There was an urgency in his voice that he could not hide.

Unable to help search for the journal, Rene tightened her grip on her cane and prayed inwardly.

May this end safely. Please, let everyone leave this place without getting hurt.

As she continued thinking that for some time...

“...I believe I found it.”

Vera’s voice echoed through the laboratory.

With a grim expression, Vera stared intently at an old notebook.

‘Research journal.’

The title, [The Origins of Species and Eras], was strange for a research journal, but its contents clearly recorded the results of experiments by date.

“Let me see.”

Vera nodded at Albrecht’s words, placed the notebook on a table, and opened it to the first page.

The gathered group’s eyes settled on the journal.

Day 1. Beginning research and experiments on primordial species today.

The record began without introduction. Rohan narrowed his brow as he muttered.

“Primordial species...?”

“...It refers to the ancient race.”

Vera answered with darkened eyes before turning the page.

Day 3. Injected serum into [T - A - 0001]. Death one hour after administration. Reduce dosage.

‧

Day 11. [T - A - 0007] deceased. Reaction caused by failure to produce antibodies. Likewise, reduce dosage and focus on antibody production.

‧

Day 42. [T - A - 0043] deceased. Cause discovered. The liver recognizes the serum as a toxic substance. Liver function will be suspended in the next experiment.

Flinch.

Albrecht’s fingertips trembled as he turned the page. His golden eyes had grown fierce, and his voice filled the room with simmering anger.

“...The corpses we saw then were all hollow inside.”

“Yes. It seems the ones we saw then were the results of these experiments.”

“Yes. So that is what it was.”

Albrecht turned the pages rapidly. The numbers that had begun at 0001 passed into double digits, then triple digits, then four digits.

Beginning with temporarily stopping organ function, then replacing organs with those of other people, and finally removing the organs altogether or injecting serum separately into the organs alone, the Mage Tower Master had sacrificed thousands of people to carry this out.

Crumple.

Having reached the final page, Albrecht crumpled the page in his hand.

“And no one knew until it came to this...”

How could that be possible? As Albrecht thought that, he soon found the answer to his own question.

‘The Gutter.’

If people had been kidnapped from the Gutter, it would have been easy to avoid discovery. It was a place where people disappearing was nothing out of the ordinary.

The reason the kidnappings had eventually spread throughout the imperial capital was likely because the people in the Gutter were no longer enough.

Furthermore, judging by the final page, the experiment was already nearing its end. Perhaps she no longer cared if she was discovered.

Albrecht felt rage. He also felt self-loathing.

It was directed at himself for doing nothing while all this had gone on.

Yet even then, one question remained.

“What could this serum possibly be...?”

Vera answered Albrecht’s muttered words.

“...It clearly said this was research into primordial species.”

Vera recalled the words written in the journal’s title and continued thinking.

Research into primordial species. Serum. A journal. Human experimentation.

On this continent, the beings closest to immortality were the ancient race. This was research into them. That serum was being used for that research.

All of it led to one assumption.

“...Immortality.”

A gloomy light entered Vera’s gray eyes.

“Could she have been researching immortality?”

“Such madness...!”

Albrecht could not ask whether anyone would do such a thing. Deep down, he was thinking the exact same thing as Vera.

Grit.

Albrecht ground his teeth.

“We must arrest the Mage Tower Master immediately.”

Albrecht snatched up the journal and headed for the opening he had made.

Vera had been deep in thought until then.

‘...Something is wrong.’

Something felt off. There had to be something he was missing.

As that thought came to him, Vera suddenly stopped.

‘Did something like this happen in my previous life?’

He recalled his past life.

It was one thing that the Mage Tower Master had been unable to establish a foothold in the Gutter because Vera had been there, but it made no sense that these experiments had remained undiscovered until the end.

‘It did not happen?’

An incident that had not occurred in his previous life? Then why? Why had the Mage Tower Master conducted experiments she had not conducted in the previous life?

The only difference in this life was Vera’s presence.

Yet it was hard to say it was because of him. Even in his previous life, there had been no point of contact between him and the Mage Tower Master.

Vera’s expression grew grave. His thoughts raced even faster.

Come to think of it, there was something else strange.

‘...At the scrap shop.’

How had those corpses been waiting there to ambush them, prepared for their arrival? No matter how he thought about it, there had been no way for their plan to leak.

Connecting the pieces, Vera considered one possibility.

‘...Outside interference.’

Someone else’s involvement, filling the place he had left vacant in this life, unlike in his previous life.

What if the Mage Tower Master was not the one running the newly arrived cartel, but merely someone benefiting from it?

‘...No.’

What if someone had worked alongside the Mage Tower Master? What if that person had urged the Mage Tower Master to conduct those experiments? What if they had presented the possibility? What if the interloper had been running the cartel and stationed forces at the scrap shop in preparation for a possible intrusion?

His thoughts continued. The research journal he had just seen came to mind again.

‘The serum.’

The serum had clearly been there from the very beginning of the research. Moreover, the solution proposed for the failed experiments was not adjusting the serum, but adjusting the dosage. It was controlling the condition of the test subjects.

‘...The serum had already been completed.’

The Mage Tower Master had merely conducted experiments with that finished serum.

The possibility took shape. Something else came to mind.

“The scrap shop.”

If there was an outside party, if they had stationed forces at the scrap shop, if there was something they needed to hide at all costs...

“Hmm?”

“We must go there. There will certainly be clues there.”

If there was someone who could give the Mage Tower Master serum from an ancient race, someone seeking to accomplish something with it...

If there was someone still hidden beneath the surface, using the Mage Tower Master as a shield to accomplish something...

‘I have to find them.’

He had to find out who they were and what purpose drove them.

Vera approached Rene and spoke.

“Saintess, excuse me.”

“Hm? Yes!”

Rene, who had been listening to the conversation, looked puzzled by Vera’s sudden words. Then she nodded and entrusted herself to him.

Vera lifted Rene into his arms, passed Albrecht, and headed for the opening.

“We did not examine the scrap shop closely at the time.”

“...That is true. We had no room to risk further danger and search more thoroughly then.”

“The entire scrap shop was an artifact under a space-expansion spell. There must have been a reason it needed to be expanded so greatly.”

Albrecht’s eyes widened.

“I see...”

“We have the journal. We must secure more conclusive evidence there.”

With those words, Vera went through the opening. Looking in the direction of the scrap shop in the middle of the Gutter far below, he spoke.

“Saintess, we are going down.”

Rene’s body stiffened.

Then Vera leaped from Oriac’s ground.

* * *

Thud!

A heavy crash resounded as Vera hit the ground. The Jumper had malfunctioned just before they reached the ground, forcing them into an abrupt landing.

“Saintess?”

“I’m all right.”

Rene let out the breath she had been holding as the impact jolted her body, then stepped away from Vera.

“Are we in front of the scrap shop?”

“Yes. The others are coming down as well.”

Vera looked upward at the group descending one after another.

A short while later, Albrecht, who came down after Vera, asked with a startled expression.

“Are you all right?”

He had witnessed Vera’s fall up close. As Vera nodded and checked Rene’s condition, the others all reached the ground.

“Let us go in.”

Albrecht drew Pure Blood. Without hesitation, he kicked open the door to the scrap shop.

What Albrecht saw inside was...

“...Nothing?”

An empty scrap shop.

There was nothing.

It was not merely that there was no ambush. The scrap shop was completely empty, with none of its equipment, tables, shelves, or even the pieces of metal that had been displayed throughout the shop remaining.

Vera entered behind Albrecht, whose face had gone blank. He silently looked around the empty scrap shop and continued thinking.

‘There is definitely something.’

There was something that could serve as a clue. There had to be a reason for creating such an empty scene.

Vera walked farther inside as he continued his deduction.

‘It would not be somewhere exposed.’

There had been a purpose behind expanding the space like this. There had been something they intended to do.

Then where was it?

As he considered that, Vera stopped in the middle of the scrap shop and looked down.

A wooden floor caked with filth and dust.

‘Dusk settled over the corpses’ chests.’

When they had come here before, Rohan’s Dusk had settled over the corpses’ chests after they dealt with them all. And the corpses had been lying on the floor.

Vera thought.

‘Not their chests.’

What if it had been indicating the floor?

He moved quickly.

Vera drew the Holy Sword. Divine power surged forth.

The group looked on in shock. Just as Albrecht tried to stop Vera...

“What are you...!”

Boom!

Vera struck the floor.

Dust rose, obscuring their view.

Vera shook out his robe to clear away the dust obscuring his vision, and his eyes gleamed at what lay beneath.

‘Found it.’