Bonus chapter thanks to @stormking and @Broke_reader_addict from Ko-fi!
Frondier dropped the last tool from his hand. A clanging metallic sound echoed on the floor.
Most of the tools here were barely used. As Frondier was using them for the first time, he was merely checking how each one worked.
Of course, he had injured Eden in the process, but it was insignificant compared to the wounds he had sustained in the battles so far, and the pain would be much less.
“Hmm, so this is it.”
Frondier muttered as if he was bored.
At first, the sensation of using torture tools for the first time was quite intriguing, but after examining them all, he quickly grew tired of it.
Of course, he could have used them to torture Eden, but it was no longer necessary.
Eden, with his eyes out of focus, repeated shallow breaths.
He had already crumbled.
The grief of losing his comrades, his own fate standing before death, and above all, the fact that his family stood before Frondier’s blade, he couldn’t bear it.
More than anything, it was his own karma, achieved through harming people, not through the right process, so he was crushed by immense guilt.
Swoosh-
Thud.
The weapon that bound Eden disappeared, and he fell from the wall and collapsed onto the floor.
All restraints were gone, but he didn’t get up. He already knew it was impossible to escape from here, and above all, he had no will to do so.
“Eden Hamelot.”
Frondier looked down at Eden. Eden didn’t respond even when called.
Wham!
Frondier kicked Eden. It wasn’t infused with aura, but it wasn’t lenient either.
Only then did Eden look at Frondier.
Frondier lowered his posture and met Eden’s eyes.
“Eden Hamelot, look at me.”
“…”
A chilling gaze. Eden involuntarily nodded at Frondier’s words.
“When you leave this place, make everything that happened today unrelated to me. I’ll leave the method to you.”
“…Unrelated…”
“Yes. I didn’t kill them. Say it.”
“…Frondier didn’t kill them…”
Frondier nodded.
“Remember my face clearly.”
“…”
“If even a speck of dust affects me because of this incident, you and I will meet again. Remember what I know about you. If you don’t want to see this face again, it’s best to be cautious.”
Eden swallowed hard.
Frondier, thinking that Eden understood enough, turned around.
There was no need to ask for the location of the research lab. As Eden expected, Frondier had already extracted the information through the ‘Analysis’ skill.
“I’ll leave my workshop for the next hour. Take care of the bodies and equipment during that time. Of course, if you don’t want to clean up, you can do that too. All I want is the fact that I wasn’t here.”
At Frondier’s words, Eden stared blankly at him for a moment.
“…Are you letting me live?”
Soon, Eden asked Frondier, who was walking away.
Frondier replied as he walked.
“You will live, no matter what you do from now on.”
Frondier spoke as if he cared for Eden.
However.
“Just like today.”
With those words, Eden realized the full meaning and lowered his head.
***
“Why is Eden so late!”
The underground research lab of Constel.
Suddenly, a roar erupted from a room that was still lit up late at night.
“I’m sorry. He hasn’t been reachable since we received the news that he was coming to Constel…”
“Damn it, how long do we have to be stopped?”
Angus Mason, the leader of the research team, bit his nails in frustration.
If Eden was in charge of negotiations with monsters, human samples, and coordination with the pros, Angus Mason was the key figure in researching the mana injection itself.
They had recently succeeded in suppressing the symptoms of the mana injection, but as a trade-off, it had turned into a deadly poison for the human body, hindering research progress.
‘And that injection had to be given to Ellen…’
Ellen was a Constel student whom Eden had brought in a long time ago, saying she was a talent who would become a pro.
At that time, this research hadn’t reached the dangerous level it was at now.
Of course, Eden and Angus knew that the research would eventually reach this stage, but Ellen had no idea.
The research at that time was limited to containing mana in liquid form, so Eden diligently explained the effects and usefulness of liquid mana to Ellen, and Ellen, trusting Eden’s reputation and skills, believed him and agreed.
The reason Eden brought Ellen back then was clear.
The mana injection was more effective and had fewer side effects for those with less mana.
Of course, it was effective for people with a lot of mana, but before the mortality rate was lowered to the current level, it was quite dangerous.
On the other hand, people who had little mana from the beginning didn’t have as much of a reaction, so the side effects weren’t that severe.
From that perspective, Ellen was the best material. She had the best swordsmanship in Constel, but she had too little mana. She was the most suitable person for this research.
And just in time.
“I’m back.”
The door to the research lab opened, and a familiar face appeared before Angus.
“Oh, Ellen. The guy I mentioned?”
“Here.”
Ellen pushed the back of the restrained man towards Angus.
Angus grinned.
“Ellen, you’re finally listening to me.”
“I have no choice.”
Ellen closed her eyes tightly.
“Wow, amazing.”
Meanwhile, the restrained man made a voice that didn’t fit the atmosphere.
He was Dier Eiger.
“I was honored to be called by the student council president, but I was caught in an instant, and when I arrived, I found myself in a strange research lab full of glass tubes. It’s a long life and you see everything, don’t you?”
Dier looked around and spoke in admiration. Even though his hands were tied and he couldn’t move, his face was quite cheerful.
“Dier Eiger, welcome to this place.”
Angus smiled pleasantly and raised both arms. Of course, it was questionable what meaning it would have since Dier was restrained, but Dier’s smile was also shining brightly.
“Yes, nice to meet you. You know me?”
“Of course. You’re the best candidate for our research.”
The best candidate.
As he said, Dier was the most suitable person for this research after Ellen.
Of course, he didn’t possess swordsmanship as outstanding as Ellen’s, but he was wise, had good judgment, and had good eyes.
And he had even less mana than Ellen. Maybe the side effects would be less than Ellen’s.
“I see. The best candidate, I’m honored.”
“Yes, yes. Then would you please stand up there and wait for a moment? I have something to prepare.”
“Sure.”
Dier obediently followed Angus’s words and stepped onto the metal plate. It was an object similar to the equipment used in hospitals to scan the human body, analyze its composition, and check mana.
“But Dier, do you know what this place is?”