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n“What peace of mankind.”

nHans murmured as he watched the endless procession of slaves entering the building.

nAgain, it was as expected. Because in the first place, there was no way the peace seekers would want Hans’ power.

n‘What about sacrificing cows for the sake of peace….?’

nWhere from that can he see the word ‘cow’?

nHe didn’t count them exactly, but tens of thousands of slaves came and went in and out of this building just by looking at it.

nThey pretended to be clean, but the truth was as expected.

n‘Is there anything different from the gutter?’

nThey committed crimes openly there, and in this place they commit crimes indirectly while cleverly hiding the truth. That was the only difference.

n‘If I were to honestly say that slaves aren’t even treated as human beings, what will happen?’

nIt was absurd to pretend that the experiments taking place in this laboratory were inevitable to achieve a great cause.

n‘These are not ordinary madmen.’

nHans felt it instinctively.

n‘If I had to choose between the two, I’d rather be a bad person proudly like the gutter rat…….’

nThe secret researchers of the Kingdom of Bruto who had brought him in, sincerely believed that they were the defenders of justice.

nThe scariest things in the world were those crazy about twisted beliefs. It was because they were trying to adapt the world to the standard of justice they thought.

n“Hey, wizard.”

nAt that moment, a huge, rugged man who was attached to be Hans’ watcher approached.

nHe was in a cold sweat. Hans clenched his teeth, reflexively groping his fingers around his neck. His neck was filled with a magic restraint that completely blocked the flow of magic.

n“What are you hanging around here?”

n“Ha, haha. To get some air?”

n“It’s better not to think nonsense in the first place. Your every move is being monitored.”

nDamn it. He glanced up at the magic stones used for monitoring hanging from the ceiling for a moment.

nAnd haha, he laughed and shivered softly.

n“Well, it’s too tight.”

n“……”

nHans pretended to be sly, but the man didn’t blink.

n‘Damn, there will come a day when I will miss the gutter rat in my life……’

nStill, he accepted it as a joke. Where can he live with this suffocation? He decided that it would be better to stop laughing awkwardly and just get out of this place as soon as possible.

n“Great, then I’ll go back to the lab.”

n“Before that, the Master asked me to give you some questions. I want you to answer them immediately.”

nHans responded by forcefully moving his lips, which was not about to open.

n“Yes, tell me.”

n“I heard that the gutter rat was one of your failures four years ago. Has there been any progress in chimera research since then?”

nThat was a matter of course.

nIn the meantime, Hans was dragged by the gutter rat and forced to continue his research. In conclusion, it could be said that the gutter rat was unlucky.

n‘Of course, it’s something he did himself.’

nIf the gutter rat had waited five years and then became a chimera, the story would have been completely different. There would be no need to absorb the energy of others and constantly change the body. He must have been able to get the body of eternal life he so desperately wanted.

n“…maybe in about a year or so we can make a full chimera.”

nHans said frankly.

nHe won’t gain anything by lying in the place where he is monitored even for a brief visit to the bathroom. It was better for him to pretend to give everything, pretend to be loyal, and gain trust.

n“Is that really true?”

nThe man was happy with that remark.

n“The Master must be pleased.”

nThen, breaking down his overbearing attitude, he tapped Hans on the shoulder a couple of times as if congratulating him.

nIn an instant, the atmosphere was relaxed, but Hans felt a heavy pressure.

n“Then the chimera. Could it be that it possesses a specific energy?”

n“A specific… energy?”

n“Yes. Absorbing all kinds of energy here and there only increases the probability of a collision inside.”

nThe man also added, “Aren’t humans born with only one energy in the first place?”

nWhen Hans heard that, he thought about it. Chimera is so imperfect that it’s been injecting the right energy when it’s needed…….

n“Of course, it can be made. But it will be less efficient. It’s unclear whether it can move properly with only one energy in the first place.”

n“Oh, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t move.”

nEh? Hans was even more puzzled. If that’s the case, then what did they make the chimera for?

nIn the first place, the chimera was made to be able to live and move after death.

n“The Master suggested. When creating a chimera, from the beginning, it should constantly absorb only one energy.”

n“That means…”

nHans paused his speech for a moment.

nAnd the man got it.

n“Let’s make a living doll that contains energy forever.”

nThe sound of cool waves.

nThe scent of the salty sea.

nThe ship was bouncing along the mighty waves.

nAria clenched her chin and looked down at the crashing dark blue waves. It was like a dying star, with the blue waves shattering white against the body of the ship, shining most brilliantly.

n“Do you like it?”

n“Yes?”

n“The sea, you wanted to see it.”

nShe did? Aria traced her memory to Lloyd’s words.

nShe must have thought to herself that she wanted to see the sea. She didn’t spit it out directly.

n“How did you know?”

n“I just thought you would.”

nThen Lloyd said, as if he knew of course.

n“I absolutely never wanted to make you suffer… but I remember that you said before that you wanted to go on a trip.”

nAria only realized after hearing those words.

nThe reason Lloyd was more docile than expected on this matter was that he wanted to show Aria the ocean.

n‘Trip…….’

nAlthough she’s on her way to loot a slave ship. Well, it’s a sea trip nevertheless.

nAria didn’t know if she would be able to do the camping and cooking that she had dreamed of as her childhood trip romance.

n“Yes, I like sea trips with Lloyd.”

nAria replied so and smiled bashfully. She tilted her head as she turned to Lloyd, leaving her hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

nHundreds of millions of rays shattered in the waves behind her shimmered along the sun.

nLloyd clenched his throat. The smell of the salty sea suddenly made him thirsty. He ran his tongue across his parched lips. For some reason, his neck felt stiff.

n“I’m thirsty…”

n“Would you like some water?”

nAria patted her waist and handed him the water bottle she had prepared beforehand.

nLloyd silently drank the water and wiped the water running down his lips with the back of his hand.

nAnd with a frown on her face, she recalled the impulse she had just felt.

n“Uughh…”

nShe couldn’t keep his thoughts going at the sound of Vincent’s nausea.

nThey had just started sailing and Vincent was already staggering with motion sickness.

n“I kind of thought it would be like this.”

nCloud said as he patted Vincent on the back. Every time he raised his hand and slammed it against the back, Vincent’s body wobbled wildly.

nShe doesn’t know if he’ll fall down the sea or not.

n“Oh, shut up!”

nDid it hurt a lot? Vincent, who did not lose his dignity no matter what the circumstances, cursed and became angry. Then he grabbed hold of the deck again and let out a grunt.

n‘I heard that candy is good for motion sickness.’

nAria fumbled around her arms. She could feel the candy, which Marronnier always packs one or two. Although it melted a little in her arms.

n‘It would be better than nothing though.’

nShe pokes Vincent in the back after she peels the candy.

n“Ah, don’t touch me…”

nThen she put the candy in his mouth as he turned his head with an annoyed face. And she gently stroked his back.

n“Are you having a hard time?”

nAria asked.

nHis face, which had been nervously contorted and turned blue, softened a little. As she continued to wipe his back, he seemed to feel more at ease.

n“You really like strawberry taste.”

nVincent said in a voice like dying.

n“Go in and sleep.”

n“Well. It’s hard to sleep on hard surfaces.”

n“Would you like a lap pillow?”

n“What? Someone will kill me…”

nVincent was startled as he blurted out his words.

nA gaze was on the back of her head. Aria turned her head with a puzzled face.

n“Me too…….”

nMe too?

n“I’m sick too.”

nLloyd kept his mouth shut and mumbled.

nHe looked fine.

nRather, he looked brighter than usual from receiving the dazzling sunlight that was reflected on the surface of the water. It was even more contrasting compared to cringing Vincent.

n“Sick?”

n“Yes.”

nHe said he’s sick. So he must be really sick. Aria undoubtedly believed him.

nIsn’t it Lloyd who didn’t make a single weak sound even when his flesh was torn and his bones were exposed?

nHe used to act as if he had no pain in him. Even now, he may be in so much pain on the inside even if it looked like that.

n“What’s wrong with you?”

n“……seasickness.”

n“If you know the cause of seasickness, you would never say such a thing. Uughh, the organs in your body are also monsters, so motion sickness itself can’t exis… Uwooghh!”

nShe could hear Vincent muttering something from behind, but she couldn’t hear him properly, buried in wretching.

n‘What is he saying now.’

nAria poked her head over the railing and stared at him with a puzzled look as he threw up.

n“Don’t look at something like that. It will upset your stomach.”

nAt that moment, Lloyd gently wrapped Aria’s cheek. And he naturally turned her head towards him.

nAria fluttered her long eyelashes, then peeled off the last piece of candy and brought it to Lloyd’s lips.

n“Say ah-.”

nThe red lips that had been blushing for a moment opened up. Aria shoved the glistening candy like a bead, and asked.

n“How is it?”

nLloyd rolled the candy in his mouth and was silent for a moment.

nHe then muttered slowly.

n“…Sweet.”

n