Chapter 222. Why Only Me (2)
Rebecca didn't directly kill anyone, but there were definitely victims from that incident.
"…."
I looked at Rebecca's face.
Not a hint of shame.
"...Rebecca. Repeat after me."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Just repeat what I say. And… brace yourself."
"Brace myself? I told you, I wasn't brainwashed."
I remembered the scene right before her death in the original story.
She was crying, full of regret.
Rebecca had been subdued by the protagonist and heroines, and the brainwashing only broke moments before her death.
- So it was like that all along… Haah… How did it come to this?
She was a popular villain thanks to her looks, so the devs gave her a special ending scene.
- I never wanted to kill anyone. I just… just wanted to save the clan… Maestro….
Back then I had no choice but to kill her while playing the game, but now it's different.
Rebecca seemed a bit annoyed but obediently followed my lead.
"Repeat after me."
"Repeat after m—"
"No, not that. From now on."
"… I was just trying to lighten the mood. Don't get mad."
Sigh.
Does she even know how I feel?
I slowly muttered the brainwashing trigger phrase used by Maestro in the original.
If Maestro says it, it initiates brainwashing. But if someone else says it, it causes extreme pain and brings back repressed memories—a trigger.
Once I discovered this, raiding Pandemic became much easier.
"...Tu Arma Maestro."
"Tu Arma Maestro."
Rebecca didn't look too affected after repeating the phrase.
Was she really not brainwashed?
"...Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be… huh?"
Thud—
Rebecca's strength drained from her body, and she fell out of her chair.
"Rebecca?!"
"J-Just a sec… Why… why is this happening… ugh, bleh!"
"…."
I turned my gaze away as Rebecca vomited everything out.
The rushing memories cause intense headaches and force her to recall all the crimes she committed.
It felt wrong to keep watching.
"Ugh, bleh… cough. Cough."
"Clean."
Once she looked a little better.
I walked over to her after cleaning the floor with a signal.
"Rebecca, are you okay?"
"…I thought I blocked it."
Rebecca murmured, her face pale.
"That's the terrifying part of Maestro. Even a small gap is dangerous. For now, let's figure out a way to break the brainwashing together."
This trigger only tells whether someone's brainwashed.
Removing it requires more complicated methods.
"No. I know now. It's fine."
Whew.
Rebecca took a deep breath and closed her eyes, drawing out mana.
Soon, mana gathered near her heart.
It was a speck so small it was barely visible.
The mana that had been gathering into that tiny dot suddenly began to expand.
It swept through her entire body, then gathered outside her skin, forming a sphere covered in dark energy.
That foul mana.
I recognized it immediately.
"Don't tell me…"
"It's Maestro's mana. I don't know when it got inside me… but now that I know, I can extract it using the Rune Barrier."
Rebecca gathered the dark mana in the air and compressed it with a crunching sound.
Plop—
She dropped it into a beaker nearby, and the mana disappeared.
"…Haah. I was all talk, but I ended up showing such an ugly side. Sorry your baby mama turned out like this."
"It's okay."
Guess she's a baby mama now.
"A-And… I lied. I did kill people. I'm sorry."
"…It's okay."
It's illegal and morally wrong, sure… but it's not like I've been living righteously either.
Just like I have to conquer heroines, Rebecca had to find the Rune Clan.
For her, that mission was as precious as life itself.
What's fortunate is that we broke the brainwashing in advance.
In the original, Rebecca became a terrifying villain who killed without hesitation.
Breaking it before she went too far is a major relief.
"Don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault."
"But… haah. What should I do now."
She still couldn't believe what she'd done.
'She really is a good person at heart.'
The fact that she didn't try to force herself on me after learning I wasn't a Rune Clansman proves it.
'I'm glad I met her now.'
If I'd met her after she'd done worse things, she might never have recovered from the guilt.
"Let's volunteer together sometime. Or I can introduce you to a good counselor. The important thing is reviving the Rune Clan, right?"
"…Yeah."
Rebecca looked like a decadent witch, but inside she was gentle. The reason she joined the evil group Pandemic—
Was to revive the Rune Clan.
She widened her eyes in surprise when I said it aloud.
"So… are we doing it now? We confirmed everything."
"That sounds good, but… I want a proper revival of the Rune Clan. Don't you?"
"Of course. I'd bet my life on it."
"Then please teach me the Rune Barrier."
"The Rune Barrier? What does that have to do with it?"
"Come on. If I improve my Rune Barrier skills, our children might inherit better talents."
I mean, I'm not sure if it'll work.
But it's better than doing nothing.
Besides, improving my Rune Barrier is a good thing regardless.
"...I guess? But still, the sooner we have a kid, the better…."
"No. What if we have a child who can't use the Rune Barrier properly? I don't want that."
"That's… haah. Fine. We'll do it your way."
Rebecca wasn't thrilled, but she nodded after seeing my expression.
Since I'm the one supplying the sperm… I guess I decide.
Saturday afternoon. Ironblood Hospital.
"Great job today, Saintess."
"Thanks. I'll head out first."
Having finished her tasks, Baek A-Young rose from her seat.
"Yup! Thank you for your hard work!"
- Thank you!
"Thanks."
Whenever Baek A-Young leaves work, everyone in the hospital greets her. Even the patients.
After greeting each person and making eye contact, Baek A-Young stepped outside.
Tap tap.
With her duties done for the day, she was planning to rest at home.
'Only two days left.'
When she returns to the academy, she'll be back to working as the school nurse.
The position was made specifically to bring her in, so it wasn't particularly demanding.
'It's been nice working with patients again after a while.'
Back at the association, every day was a battlefield of emotions.
Helping people and being thanked for it.
That was healing for Baek A-Young.
"A-Young~ Done already?"
The moment she stepped outside, a high-pitched voice rang in her ears.
"…Yeji?"
"I missed you, so I came to see you~."
Min Yeji, a cat-faced beauty.
An acquaintance of Baek A-Young.
A team leader of Ironblood Guild—and the one who got her into this hospital when Lee Hoyeon was admitted.
"Didn't you say you were busy? What's the occasion?"
"I had business nearby. Something to investigate."
"Investigate?"
"Yeah. They say some famous guild kid might've turned into a demon."
"Ahh."
A hunter turning into a demon.
Rare, but not unheard of.
Neither Yeji nor A-Young seemed too fazed.
"I also came to check if our dear A-Young was working hard. Can't have the person I pulled strings for slacking~."
"Hehe. Thanks. I'm lucky you made things easier for me."
"Not at all. Having a Saintess at Ironblood Hospital, even for a bit, is a huge help. So, did you and Cadet Hoyeon enjoy your hospital time together?"
"…Yeah."
The time she spent with Lee Hoyeon while hospitalized.
Just a week, but it was blissful.
They confirmed each other's feelings and built a real relationship.
Especially when they confessed… That moment was truly amazing.
Thinking about that night made Baek A-Young's face flush slightly, and Yeji locked arms with her.
"Wow, it must've been really good. Look at your face, pure little A-Young."
"…Maybe. So what?"
A-Young pushed Yeji away and controlled her expression.
Her lips were threatening to curl up on their own.
"Alright. Once you're done with Ironblood, let's meet again. How about drinks with Sol too? The three of us."
"I don't drink much… but sure. By the way, is Sol still deep in research?"
"Yup. But she's almost done. Something about a magic expo next week."
"Magic expo?"
"That's what I heard, but I don't really know the details."
Yeji raised her arms in a shrug, but A-Young recalled something Sol had said.
'She definitely said she was going with Hoyeon.'
Im Sol and Lee Hoyeon.
Teacher and student, but not to be taken lightly.
"Isn't she going with Hoyeon?"
"Ah… Was she? Maybe. That sounds familiar."
"…."
"Hey, don't worry. Sol doesn't care about guys. I was just teasing."
"…Yeah. I know."
But Baek A-Young still remembered that feeling.
The way Sol spoke about Lee Hoyeon.
Maybe not a strong crush yet… but there was definitely interest.
'She could become a rival anytime.'
Even if she's ahead now, she couldn't let her guard down.
Lee Hoyeon was worth that much.
Baek A-Young clenched her fists with renewed determination.