I finally got the answer I wanted.
But this is really not good news.
"Why don't we try to think about it from a positive perspective?"
Arie seemed to agree that this speculation was excessive and tried to enlighten me: "For example, that chimera just happened to bite its creator and escape from the laboratory, and then it ran into your hand. As for the reason why so many monsters suddenly appeared in the Edge Zone, it's just the cyclical rise and fall of the Gray Zone as a whole, not because there's some conspiracy or trickery behind it, as you think..."
Ale's voice gradually lowered, probably because he felt that he couldn't even convince himself, let alone others.
He hesitated, and finally could only manage to squeeze out a dry sentence: "There will always be a way."
I hope so too.
I really hope some unlucky guy happens to walk by right now so I can get rid of all these worries.
I clicked my tongue in dissatisfaction, then remembered something else: "Have you heard any messages from your advisor lately?" But Ale quickly gave a negative answer.
Normally, even when the mentor occasionally leaves the workshop, he will often send his messengers to deliver messages. Although these are mostly useless musings and personal notes, very occasionally, he will send out instructions that have no context whatsoever. These messages usually create a strange connection with the immediate events happening around them, like perfectly fitting gears or pieces of a puzzle that were meant to be there, becoming the fulcrum that can change a series of events, complete the overall plot, or be the starting point of the next incident.
I had pinned my hopes on this, wondering if my mentor, who was always mysterious and liked to play riddles, would send me some timely instructions at this moment.
Although being instructed to do things I don't really understand always feels like a hassle, when faced with a problem, I always subconsciously want to find a shortcut and ask for help. Thinking about it this way, perhaps I'm actually an overly contradictory and conflicted person.
My mentor surely knows where I am now, and where I'm going and what I'll be doing next, just as she said, she's always watching, even to the point where we can't be sure how far away her gaze is—incidentally, this often makes her complain that she has difficulty getting along with others, because she can so easily see right through them to their very end. Similarly, this makes some people who want to talk to her feel despised, because they always feel that her gaze is penetrating them, looking at another completely non-existent ghost that happens to be in the same place as them.
Even though the mentor said it was true, even confiding in people who couldn't understand it didn't lead to further understanding; instead, it made it easier to cause disagreements and conflicts.
Honestly, I don't understand exactly what that feeling is like. But since I don't understand it, I'll just ignore it. If you divide things too clearly, life becomes unbearable.
As for the mentor's ever-present desire to show off and her quirky sense of humor, she would never miss an opportunity to act as a passing righteous messenger—although whether she was truly acting from the perspective of justice is another matter, the mentor at least said she liked the description.
Furthermore, the messengers she contracted could travel directly from the spirit world or the void... Even if all external transportation was disrupted by a sudden disaster, there was no possibility of them being intercepted or missed.
Could it be that something else is holding me back? I don't think that's possible.
Ah, I wonder who this friend my supervisor is suddenly going to meet is, or if it's one of the people he took me to meet before. But that's irrelevant to what I'm doing now; I'll greet him when he gets back. Half a month goes by quickly, and it goes by even faster when things get busy.
“However, since there’s no letter, does that mean the [witch] believes this matter will eventually be resolved smoothly, and therefore there’s no need for her to interfere further?” Ale optimistically offered her opinion. “Anyway, Yumi, don’t worry too much and add unnecessary pressure to yourself. Why don’t we both pet this adorable child?”
As he spoke, he brought the long-eared kitten he was holding closer to me. The creature, which he had lifted from under his arm, did not struggle. Instead, it tilted its head as if it were perfectly human, blinked its naturally round and bright eyes, looked at me, and gently curled its tail.
Judging solely from its adorable appearance, someone unfamiliar with monsters might never imagine it ferociously tearing apart corpses and limbs. Yet, even while feeding, its childlike, bright eyes reveal absolutely no trace of malice, making the scene far more terrifying than a giant beast that openly displays its threats and violence.
Even a cat with a mottled head is cuter than this!
As expected of one of the few monster experts in the academy, Arie's taming skills are outstanding. Aside from the very beginning, I've hardly heard of these little guys causing any trouble, and most of the students who have visited have given positive feedback; otherwise, this research should have been stopped long ago.
After a brief eye contact, I was the first to look away.
I was still reluctant to have close contact with monsters that could bring me terrible memories, so I politely declined Ale's offer and changed the subject: "The academy is currently responding to support requests from various places, so there will probably be very few teachers and students left here. What are you planning to do then? Go with them, or stay at the academy?"
"Let's stay at school."
Arlie nonchalantly withdrew his outstretched hand, gently stroking the monster's fur. Seeing it roll over, he expertly rubbed its unguarded belly and chin, watching as its paws licked his fingers. "Unlike you two," he said, "I have no interest in wandering around. These little guys might get into trouble without my supervision, and I can't rest easy. Besides, if I choose to stay in the academy, it'll make things easier for the instructors supervising me, right? There's no need to worry too much about safety here."
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